FFXivWrite2024 - Be Kind To Yourselves!

FFXivWrite2024 - Be Kind to Yourselves!

We WROTE anyway! That's the point. WE DID IT. WE'RE DOING IT. WE WILL KEEP DOING IT!

I've loved what I've been reading so far personally. Not a single one have I read and been like wow they forgot a period, or man that was brutal to read.

Praise yourselves the way you want to hear others praise you! (Shoutout to my therapist.) "But that's bragging!" SO BRAG A LITTLE! You did a thing!

It's okay not to like things too. Just make sure you're not holding yourself to any standard other than "an effort was made, go me."

I'll try to remember that too, ay? Cause spoiler alert, one of those tags was mine. Guilty! On a positive note- I did love this tag I saw this morning:

Yes, yes you are.

Day 5 - Stamp

"Kaleh'a!"

"Hm?" The blonde haired Miqo'te opened a turquoise eye, peering out from under his archer's hat, noting the large Hyur storming his way. He looked, at first glance, angry, and that had Kaleh'a's tail shooting out straight, sitting up rapidly, half ready in a crouch in the chair he had leaned back in the Rising Stones, half wondering if he was about to have to pull a knife on the black haired man - Bryn, wasn't it? - storming towards him. That was, until he saw what was in his hands.

He blinked, eyes alighting on the envelope and wax seal keeping it closed, his eyebrows shooting up as he realized instead of death, he was about to get a new job. Ever since he had officially become the courier for the Scions, ferrying their letters or supplies or information wherever it was needed. It worked out well for him, in a myriad of ways, the first and foremost that he got to explore the world. The Scions had so many different groups in different areas that every time he got a request, it was almost certainly to somewhere exotic, new, and adventurous!

His initial adrenaline spike cooled, and he pushed up into a stand, brushing off non-existent dirt from his brown pants, and gave Bryn a beaming grin. "Well, what do you know. The mighty Silver Wolf has come to ask for my humble ser-"

He was shut up rather quickly by the letter shoved into his chest, blinking in surprise as he stared at the stamped seal, slowly looking up at the taller man and frowning, not too pleased with the rough delivery, crossing his arms and tucking the letter under his arm. "Hey, what's the big de-"

"I need you to get that to Ul'dah. Red door, back alley." Gruff voice, tinged with worry, and a bit of bite, and Kaleh'a suddenly realized that it wasn't anger in his expression. Those furrowed brows were concern.

His tail flicked, his eyes rising to Bryn's silver ones, and he nodded, pocketing the letter. Then, his customary grin was back, and he started to stride off, looking over his shoulder as he waved. "I got it! I'll have it delivered in no time! Even use the aetheryte, but that will cost you extra!"

The responding growl had the young Miqo'te hightailing it out of the Rising Stones, a nervous laugh trailing after him as he decided that he liked his tail where it was for the time being.

I have just become aware that Tumblr will actually show you how many seconds ago a post was made.

I think I'm too fast on the like button.

Day 1 - Steer

“Come on.”

Featherflame squawked in protest, her red feathers ruffling as she shook her body, and attempted for the umpteenth time to unseat her rider, a rather frustrated and worn out Brynhorn Fiske. The large soldier squeezed his knees tight, hanging on, holding on to her by sheer will and strength, almost falling off the side. He growled with frustration, pulling on the reins as Featherflame jerked her head to the side in the opposite direction, feisty as fire as she squawked again and crouched.

The next second, the pair of powerful legs launched upward, sent Bryn flying up out of the saddle, and had him roaring with surprise as he sailed through air, and landed hard on his side. The wind exploded from his lungs, leaving him wheezing and groaning on the ground, eyes wide as he rolled onto his back, hands clenching at the grass and dirt under him as he let out a pitiful wheeze, and finally managed to get his breath back with a gasping inhale. Slowly rolling onto his side, he pushed up, looking up at the Chocobo as she shook her head, bit hard at the bit in her beak, and shook her head about, sending the reigns whipping back and forth. Annoyed, displeased, upset. Understandable, considering Featherflame was once a wild and free Chocobo not too long ago.

Bryn slowly rose up, pressing up into a plank, pulling his legs up under him, and standing, brushing off his coat as he turned to face the Chocobo. She was still preoccupied, biting the bit harder, actually holding still to chomp over and over on it, but it didn't budge. At least not until Bryn approached with raised hands, motioning for her to calm just like the riding instructor had suggested.

Featherflame stopped, head cocking, staring at the approaching Hyur as he lifted a hand, and gently brushed her beak. For a moment, she relaxed, calmed under his touch, that unspoken bond between the two evident, and the reason why he was so adamant about training her himself.

They had met on the burning fields of the Carteneau Flats, right after Dalamud had fallen.

Right after Bryn thought he lost everything.

And Featherflame had nothing more to lose.

Bryn reached up, touching the scar over his left eye, the one his mount had given him in a fit of panic when they chanced upon each other in the burning fields. He couldn't blame her, she was trying to survive. But it did remind him of how he had gotten her to trust him the first time.

And that he had ridden her without all the fancy bobs and whistles.

Carefully, he removed the bit, and Featherflame clacked her beak, eyeing him with curious intelligence as he shifted the bridle, the reins, and kept them around her beak and head. It left her mouth free, free to move, but also offered him the control and use of the reins. A moment later, he stepped to the side, slinging his leg up and over, onto Featherflame, onto the saddle, and positioning himself comfortably. He sat there, let the Chocobo cluck and click, a sharp fweeee, and then he picked up the reins.

A gentle tug, like the tap on her neck when he had hung half off her barely conscious, and she responded, starting out in a slow trot to the left, just as he had guided. Tug to the right, and she responded again, calm and steady. And he chuckled.

“So it was the bit, hm?” He patted her long neck, and she ruffled her red feathers, in reply.

He spent a long time just riding her around, getting her accustomed to him, and as he lead her back into the stables, he patted her neck and looked into her red eyes, his silver ones gleaming. “Well what do you know, just takes a gentle hand to steer.” And Featherflame let out a sharp fweeee in agreement.

Day 9 - Lend an Ear

[Heavensward Spoilers]

“Hear ye, hear ye, all who seek a ballad of old!”

Kaleh'a pulled the bow of his violin over the strings, and a hideous screech emitted from the strings as the Miqo'te winced and the bar goers laughed as the Bard set about tuning the instrument.

“Well, sorry about that, clearly a bit out of use.” He chuckled, and plucked at the strings, tuning by ear, the blonde furred triangles flicking, tilting, and once satisfied, flicked up and down, before he ran the bow over it again. The strings sang this time, his eyes closing, and his grin growing as a few bar members whooped in excitement. “Alright! Now that that’s out of the way, I have a special little tune for you all, my own making. How many of you recall the great Warrior of Light fighting Nidhogg?”

A roar of approval went up from the group, the mostly Elezen members of the The Forgotten Knight raising tankards and cups, and Kaleh'a grinned, raising a hand to quiet them as he laughed. “I figured! Oh, and of course, your Azure Dragoon is in this little song too! So lend an ear!” More approving yells, silenced in moments by the wavering melody of his violin as a hush fell, and the Miqo'te started building a boot tapping melody.

String by string, bar by bar, note by note, the melody came together, rose and fell and swayed through the bar, leaving the patrons enraptured, until at the peak, the warm tenor voice of the bard filled the room. The tale started with the Warrior of Light, his travels to Ishgard, how they helped the soldiers and built up a relationship with mighty House Fortemps. His voice rose with fire as he recalled the great fire of dragons, how even that was not enough to bring down that mighty fighter, and how Nidhogg roared in anger.

There was Ysayle, the sorrow of loss, and unlike some bards who painted her as evil, he captured the change of her heart, the understanding found between even her and the Azure Dragoon. His chorus rose, the swords of Ishgard with it, that fateful attack with Nidhogg slain, his eye all that's left.

Sorrow weeped from his bow and strings as the story and wavering voice called out the terrible trickery the archbishop of Ishgard had cast over his people, lamented the murder of Lord Haurchefant, and in the aftermath of that fight against the would be God King, Estinien fell afoul of the great wyrm Nidhogg’s power.

As the peak died, suddenly, the tone shifted, to one of trepidation, of fear, of pain. Discordant notes as Estinien caved to the hatred of Nidhogg, becoming his vessel, striking at the heart of Ishgard, no one believing he could be saved.

Except for one.

Strings and bow pulls pitted the Azure Dragoon against the Warrior of Light, the two dueling and battling until with the strength of many, past and present, Nidhogg's eyes are cast down, and Estinien freed. A rousing chorus rises from the strings, of victory and freedom, a new light ahead, Lord Aymeric at the helm, and as the last note left his violin, the crowd was roaring in approval, clapping and hollering for an encore, as Kaleh'a bowed deeply.

“Why, thank you! Thank you! Very kind of you!” He laughed out, and for a second, his eyes gleamed with enjoyment, before he hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head. “Well, I do have time for one more…”

The roar of the tavern could not be denied, and he laughed, lifting the bow to the violin again. “In that case, lend an ear!”

And the bard wove another tale of danger and adventure long into the night.

We love shipping in this house. 😍 Reblog if it's okay for partners to ask for a pre-established ship with your muse(s)!

Doesn't mean you have to accept, but you're totally down to discuss it!