FFXIV Write | Day 1 | Steer

FFXIV Write | Day 1 | Steer

Spoilers: Endwalker Level 90

Characters: Annie Ruthie (Warrior of Light)

Continuation of entry Tempest

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The incessant chirp fell quieter and quieter, dipping into the idle sound of the stars. The fog of their vision fought with the encroaching darkness for control, as they felt their consciousness suddenly dip into The Lifestream.

Zenos’ words rung continuously in their mind as their body traversed The Lifestream. ‘What of you, my mirror?’ he had said. Annie hated that he was right. That they were but a more nuanced reflection of him.

Inaudible voices rang out in the background. Was that… Alphinaud? And… Y’shtola? Annie allowed themself to spend what little aether they could grasp concentrating on the calls of their friends. And, as their last expense, they allowed the voices of their comrades to steer them back to consciousness.

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FFXIV Write 2024 | Day 4 | Reticent

Spoilers: A Realm Reborn Level 50

Characters: Annie Ruthie (Warrior of Light) Thancred Waters

See end of work for notes ^-^

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Annie’s heels spun around the corner and into the room before them. “Gods, you look awful,” they said to the hyur, a cheeky smile spreading across their face.

“It’s good to see you, soldier,” Thancred responded, sitting up. Annie sat at the foot of his bed, letting their hand rest upon his calf.

“We’ve missed you,” they started. Thancred gave a small shake of the head. The two of them had always been reticent about their feelings towards one another, but something about today felt different. It hung in the air more than usual. Maybe it was everything that had happened; the fight with Lahabrea, and everything that had unfolded as a result. “We have,” they continued. “It hasn’t been the same without you around, Minfilia’s been worried sick, and-”

He let out a sharp inhale at the mention of Minfilia. That was the one piece of history they hadn’t ever spoken about before, but then again, why would they? They weren’t anything of import, at least not that the two of them were willing to acknowledge. Still, Annie knew they overstepped their bounds, allowing their hand to caress his skin beneath its touch.

“Annie-“ They winced at the word, hand tightening around Thancred’s leg beneath it. Annie. He never called them that, not since they had first met. “I’m sorry. I can’t help but feel- This was all my fault. And… and I owe it to you and the Scions-”

Annie placed their hand on Thancred’s bare chest, pressing their lips to his. They had never kissed before, their drawn out moments of longing always interrupted by one of them spinning their attention to a different matter. This was special.

Annie released the kiss, finally allowing their eyes to meet Thancred’s. Annie would have sworn they saw the smallest glint of a smile spread across Thancred’s face, before he whispered, “Gods know how long we’ve waited.” The hyur leaned forward to press a second gentle kiss to the Au Ra’s lips.

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I've tried to write this scene between Annie and Thancred for months, and this is the closest I've come to something I'm happy with. The end of their relationship is something I'm really happy about, but the beginning of their story has always given me trouble. This might just be something, though.

@bananarose for gpose credits ♡

FFXIV Write 2024 | Day 7 | Morsel

Spoilers: Shadowbringers Level 72

Characters: Annie Ruthie (Warrior of Light) Thancred Waters

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Thancred felt their wrist wriggle beneath his touch as he backed the Au Ra against the wall. Annie’s startled gaze settled as their eyes locked with his own. Thancred didn’t want to waste any time; he’d been waiting long enough. They ultimately shouldn’t be doing this here, not with the pixies, nor their friends, so close. But this moment was Thancred’s for the taking.

His lips immediately found their place against the Au Ra’s, after having left his gunblade absentmindedly against the wall. Thancred groaned as Annie’s free hand pressed against his chest in habitual response. He could feel a smile he knew all too well press against his lips at the sound. Gods, he’d missed this. He’d missed them. He started working the familiar path down the their jawline and across their neck. Annie let out a sharp inhale as he started picking at their neck with his teeth. He worked to leave a new mark; all of his past work had been erased in their time apart. “Hi, soldier,” he muttered between nips.

“Hi,” they responded with an exasperated chuckle. Thancred’s free hand traced the outline of their scales beneath the cloth of their shorts. He had all but memorized the pattern of their scales across their body; even five years apart couldn’t expunge the knowledge from his memory.

He found himself sliding his thigh up the wall to fit between theirs. He felt nails raking into his chest, Annie’s body arching to reach closer. Thancred allowed himself a moment of reality, sliding his leg back down to the ground. There would be the time and the place for this. But it wasn’t now, not here. A hiss escaped Annie as their grip on his chest loosened. “Gods, you must have missed me,” they groaned.

Thancred knew that was but a morsel of the truth. He had spent every moment of the last five summers and five winters wishing for them to be safely by his side. He’d missed the way their curls spun in different directions each day, and the way they flounced in response to the touch of his calloused hand. He missed the cheeky smile on their face whenever they made a joke at his expense, and the softer one that they tried to hide when he called them ‘soldier.’ He’d yearned for the feel of their hand in his. He itched to hear his name in their mouth again. He craved every piece of them he’d ever had before.

But that was too much for Thancred to possibly convey, especially in these conditions. “Yeah,” he panted, “you could say that.”

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FFXIV Write | Day 10 | Stable

Spoilers: Shadowbringers Level 79

Characters: Annie Ruthie (Warrior of Light)

See end of work for notes ^-^

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“Till then, I bid you farewell… eater.”

It was the last thing Annie heard before their vision flooded with the white light that engulfed their very soul. Their senses began to fizzle; they could only hear the muffled, panicked voices of their comrades as they felt a familiar body envelop them.

Their scales burned as they began to be stripped of their color; even Thancred winced as his fingers sat atop them. Annie didn’t know hair was capable of feeling, but their hair similarly began to burn to pure white. Their insides felt as though they were boiling and bubbling to smithereens. Annie couldn’t tell whether they were screaming from the mountaintop or agonizing in solemn silence.

They felt their body begin to descend Mt. Gulg, again hearing the inaudible voices of their fellow Scions and Ryne around them. They would swear they heard Thancred utter ‘I love you’ against the top of their head, but they’d have to ask him later. Annie began to haze in and out of consciousness until they fell unconscious before descending the entirety of the mountain.

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The word stable first inflicted me with thoughts of times in which the Warrior of Light exhibited instability, and thus was the above piece born.

@bananarose for gpose credits ♡ my favorite gposes we have ever done

FFXIV Write | Day 9 | Lend an Ear

Characters: Annie Ruthie (Warrior of Light) Yugiri Mistwalker

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Annie sunk into the pillowy mattress, the pains of the day instantly seeping away. A familiar chirp rang out from behind them, and a cup of coffee was brought into their lap. A nod and mumble of thanks was offered.

Annie brought the cold lip of the mug to their lips, allowing the steaming coffee to greet their fatigued mind. Burnt, some would describe it. Perfect, Annie would say. They let out a sigh of relief, turning the head of the Au Ra to their left. Setting the cup down, Annie nuzzled their face into the shoulder of Yugiri.

“Long day, love?” Yugiri asked. Annie let out a long sigh in response. The Raen pressed a light kiss to Annie’s forehead. She settled her head atop the Xaela’s. “I’m always here to lend an ear.”

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Prompt #4: Reticent

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#FFxivWrite2024 is underway – a daily writing challenge presented to the Final Fantasy XIV writing community for the month of September. You can join any time throughout the challenge with any prompt number! Entries can be written on any online writing platform (tumblr, Archive of our Own, Google Docs, etc.). Submit the link and be sure that I have reading access. Reminder: The 24-hour deadline does not go into effect until September 8th at 12:00 pm PDT. Check you entries here in the Public Spreadsheet

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