Thancred Waters - Tumblr Posts
Squad reactions to being told ‘I love you’ WoL: Thanks fam! Alisaie: oh no Alphinaud: cries I love you too Thancred: Sounds fake but okay Urianger: A flustered mess Y'shtola: can i get a refund
incorrect quotes are my anti drug now
ok so hc that the scions have board game nights like, tataru will be like "y'all need to rest" and stuff and the scions want to spend time together bc found family and all that but they really shouldn't take a full-blown day off because the world could start imploding at literally any second, and also they're all giant nerds so like once or twice a moon they'll have a board game night they'd probably mostly play hidden role games or trivia i think, because they're giant nerds (and estinien just likes lying and fucking with them). anything where some people have some information and some people don't. basically almost anything that polygon has played on overboard.
~more under the cut (character specifics)~
ALPHINAUD obviously would be super strategic about everything and probably be fairly competent, but in games where you have to try to read other people and their motives he can kinda fall into galaxy-brain traps where it's not as complicated as he thinks. In games with a "bad guy" role (like in mafia) it's pretty easy to tell when he's one of the "bad guys" because it doesn't seem like he's as eager for information as normal. lil bit to competitive but it’s all in good fun ALISAE stumbles ass-first into gaslight alley (where alphinaud and esitinien are waiting for her). she generally doesn't want to think that hard about stuff because she already has to think under normal circumstances (well, what's normal for them) and this is supposed to be her break. it's not exactly difficult for her, she just doesn't feel like it. accidentally says stuff that makes her seem guilty when she's innocent, and the inverse is also true. will go for the most batshit strategies just to see if they work. it's called "science," alphinaud G’RAHA will get accused by doing literally nothing. just, sitting there. we all know he's bad at lying unless he's been perfecting his deception for literal decades, and even then it's only okay to good. it won't even be anything specific when he's the "bad guy," sometimes he seems too bummed out and someties he's too gleefully malicious, but it's painfully obvious and very poorly excecuted. over time he gets harder to read because he begins perfecting always just being "like that." probably figures out who the murderer is in Clue right as alphinaud's about to open the envelope. THE WARRIOR OF LIGHT is obviously going to be vaguer/varried, but i think that in general they would have an excellent poker face when they want to (*glances at ARR*). gives nobody any information at any point ever about anything, quietly puts together as many pieces as they can. switches wildly between not talking at all and talking a lot (yet still not give any info??) with no correlation between that and whose side they're on. in performative/roleplaying games they can deadpan almost anything URIANGER is just there for the drama. about to win? he will purposefully temporarily screw over his team just because. overly dramatic about everything. perfect for roleplaying games. actually really good at most games but almost never wins because he gets greedy trying to see how long he can lead them on with his bullshit, and someone (usually aphinaud) figures everything out and steals the win out from under him. THANCRED isn't typically a suspect for anything. nobody 100% trusts him, but no one outright thinks he's the imposter or whatever. he'll make some jokes and generally be fairly chill about the whole thing, and overall there's a 50/50 chance that anyone will call him out on his bluffs. will occassionaly go for the most batshit strategies that somehow always work when he tries them. has threatened to quit the scions when he feels betrayed. will start singing if it's even slightly appropriate Y’SHTOLA is too competent for all this. she has fun and will sometimes get involved, but she's mostly an observer. there's a solid 10% chance that someone will figure out she's the traitor/imposter/werewolf/etc. pretty good at bluffing and somehow simultaneously seems to never be on the bad guy team and also always be on the bad guy team. a true neutral ESTINIEN is pretty easy to read if you know what to look for. he seems to be smiling (smirking) more when he's the bad guy. it's because he knows that he'll win by screwing over everyone else, and that's fun. mostly observes (or seems to be observing) regardless of what role he has in a game, though if someone says something slightly stupid or suspicious he'll point it out very quickly without drawing too much attention to himself. KRILE joins when she can but isn't usually there or is usually happy to just watch, though she always makes a point to see how much she can mess with alphinaud specifically. she doesn't care about winning (although it's always nice), she just wants alphinaud to lose. TATARU mostly watches on the sidelines but also joins sometimes, and becomes actively malicious for the duration or the game. absolutely brutal. she won't win, but she sure as hell will betray each and every one of them at least once, and each in a slightly different way. honestly kinda impressive they would also sometimes play board games back on the First! RYNE is an actual deathtrap. "look, she's so sweet and innocent, she hasn't done anything to inflict suspicion upon herself <3" NO. she has, you just all ignored it. don't trust her. what are you doing. no stop. she's lying. oh god, they're all dead now. what did i tell you. she won't win most of the time, but she'll manage to royally screw over at least half of the crew. they all know this, yet keep falling for it. thancred's always the first victim. he never learns (might add more later)
Some FFXIV shaker charms I've been thinking off in my head for awhile!
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn vs. Endwalker → First + “Last” Words
FFXIV Write 2023 - Day 6 - Ring
Shadowbringers spoilers, set post-6.2, and GSM questline references. Tooth-rottingly sweet.
When Serendipity called M'hana on her linkpearl, she knew it was an order of the utmost importance. When she got handed a sealed letter that supposedly contained instructions or inspirational material for the piece- an engagement ring, the pink-haired young woman had told her with a wistful, somewhat envious sigh- she knew that the client was going to be a stickler for the details.
And then she opened the letter and found Thancred's familiar scrawl staring back at her. She skimmed over the letter, then looked back at her guildmaster. "And yer sure I should be the one on this project?"
Serendipity shrugged. "The man came in person, and he was insistent that I put this project in the hands of only the finest artisan in the guild. That's you, still! I know you're proud of your students, but they haven't quite surpassed you just yet."
"Huh... Well, if ye say so, then I'll take on the project. He wanted it done by next week, ye?"
Serendipity nodded. "Yeah, he did. I know that's a major rush for something this intricate, but you can handle it, right?"
At this, the Sun Seeker couldn't help a cocky smirk spreading across her face. "That's why I'm the best, y'know. I'll make sure I've got it done and hand-deliver it meself when he comes to pick it up."
Serendipity leapt in place as she celebrated the commission. "Thank you! Oh, you really are the best, I'm so glad I can count on you even with all your other obligations."
As the aether warped around M'hana to carry her towards her residence in the Goblet, she had to stifle a laugh. Honestly, did Than forget that I'm a part of the Goldsmith's Guild? Did he not know I'm their top artisan? I could have sworn I told him both of those things... But then again, he's mentally had about five years out from home and I probably told him before he got whisked over to the First, so...
Dwelling overmuch on how much time Thancred had stolen from him by their third-newest ally, G'raha Tia, made her want to punch him in the shoulder, so she put that thought from her mind as she opened Thancred's instructions to peruse in greater detail. He'd found drawings of several wedding rings intended for royalty and the like and folded them neatly in with his instructions for the look of the ring. Something that seemed to swirl with nascent magical potential, but something cheery and whimsical and fun, almost fae-like in nature.
That sentimental bastard. She thought, rolling her eyes with a good-natured chuckle. Of course he'd want to propose with a ring that encapsulated all of me. Well, ye know what? Two can play at that game.
And so, she set aside her beloved's ever-so-detailed instructions and grabbed a piece of paper to draw her own concept for the ring.
If she just took his idea and masculinized it, she'd have a fantastic engagement ring to give to Xander for Urianger- Whenever they managed to get back on the same boat again, because dammit, they're a great match even if they don't see it right now. she thought, tail swishing in mild annoyance- but not one fit for Thancred.
Something the color of gunmetal seemed like the best fit for the base of the ring. A silver-black tone reminiscent of the parts of a gunblade. Maybe some gold detailing along the sides? Diamonds or small chunks of aetheryte crystal were the most common for wedding rings to allow the beloveds to move to one another's side at any time, but given Thancred's inability to travel with ordinary aetherytes, that seemed gauche.
Although... A diamond could work if I carve it in the right shape and make it a sort of smooth, large square shape. Mm, he'll probably have to take the damn thing off anyway if he's going into hostile territory, but still.
Her thoughts circled this same drain for hours before she finally settled on a design with which she felt satisfied. Then, after scouring her current resources for materials- and calling in a favor with her dear friend Iori to mine some ore for her- she set to work.
It took every single moment of that week to complete her 'commission' for Thancred. Now, she just had to present it to the man. She stood to the side, her jaunty Goldsmithing hat pulled down over her face to conceal her identity as Thancred breezed into the Guild to pick up his order.
"Got it for ye right here, Than!" she called, crossing the guild to his side when she heard him ask for the order at the counter.
Thancred blinked several times in rapid succession as confusion, then bafflement, then realization, then amusement crossed his face. "I- Well. Gods, now don't I look a fool? Placing an order for the best artisan in the guild when- that's right, you did tell me you did Goldsmithing work. Gods, I can't believe I- Well. I suppose the coeurl's out of the bag with the question I wanted to ask, then."
M'hana shrugged. "Ye, it kind of is, but don't worry. I still intend to make good on my delivery. And I've a question for ye as well."
She took a knee before Thancred, whipping the black box containing her altered vision for the ring out from her pocket and clicking it open. "Thancred Waters, will ye make an honest woman out o' this mess of a miqo'te?"
It wasn't often that Thancred got struck speechless, but he spent several long moments in silence, studying the details of the ring. "Gods, you didn't have to- did you seriously go through all the trouble of designing this especially for me?"
M'hana beamed. "Seemed only fair, since ye went all out on yer plans for my ring. And ye still haven't answered me question. People are startin' to gather 'round, like."
Thancred fanned himself in that endearing way he did when all the attention of the room suddenly focused in on him to diffuse the tension. His eyes crinkled in amusement as he said, "Doubt anything I could do would ever make an 'honest' woman of you, kitten, but to answer your question... Yes. I will. If you'll have this grizzled old gunbreaker in return."
M'hana leaped up from the ground and wrapped her arms tight around Thancred, standing on tiptoe to kiss him while the patrons and artisans in the guild around them clapped. She tousled his hair as she pulled back with a breathy giggle of, "Yer not that grizzled or old yet. But I'm sure I'll see ye get there. Now, what say we lose this crowd and find ourselves somewhere a bit cozier to celebrate our engagement?"
Thancred grinned wolfishly in reply. "I know just the way to slip away."
And with a breath, both rogues seemed to vanish before a confused and delighted crowd.
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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Ch3.10 is LIVE!
A look of honest, desperate gratitude spread across Adalberta’s face, but before she could say anything, Yen forced herself to her feet. “I’m going too,” Yen said, as bravely as she could on wavering legs. Thancred turned his head to look at her, bewildered. “Yuyuhase must have struck you harder than I thought,” he mused, but his eyes had no humor in them. “You are in no state to go anywhere, Yenifer.” He pulled his fist away from his face, letting his hands return to his sides, one palm placing itself readily by his dagger’s hilt. “I can handle this better alone.”
Come read it here!
When I first saw this question popping up on my dash, I really wanted to answer it. I love AU ideas, and it really got me thinking about the what-ifs to my muses if their circumstances had been different. Fast forward, this post had been sitting in my draft folder for weeks—that was when the realization finally hit me.
My blorbos are probably far more complicated than I thought they'd be. (Yiuno, especially.)
Anyroad, after going through all the NPCs I can think of, here are the results!
Sora — Alisaie, Zenos.
FOR BETTER: Sora and Alisaie get along very well—they share a lot of similarities, such as their temperamental personality, and their eagerness to take active actions. If circumstances had been better, Sora could've been living a relatively comfortable life—guided by wise and caring mentors, surrounded by friends and comrades sharing the same cause. While Alisaie did go through some hardships (mainly in Shadowbringers and Endwalker MSQ), she's still better off than Sora in many aspects.
Sora, on the other hand, is a remnant of an ancient civilization, who is neither here nor there as she has no recollection of her past, struggling to come to terms with the present (and later on, her destiny as the Warrior of Darkness). Her mentor and guardian isn't someone you'd consider a role model—Yiuno is a manipulative liar, he assassinates people for a living, and he's a selfish bastard. Speaking of which...
FOR WORSE: Sora and Zenos are frenemies, in a way (Zenos would probably consider her a "friend" in a similar fashion like his relationship with WoL, but Sora absolutely hates him). Both of them crave for strong opponents to sate their bloodlust; they also have no qualms to destroy anything and everything in their way to relieve their urge for a good fight.
The only saving grace, I'd say, is Yiuno effectively having Sora on a leash and preventing her from going completely out of control. As much as Sora is a chaotic mess when left to her own devices, at least she still listens to her one and only "family".
Yiuno — Thancred, Hades/Emet-Selch.
I really mean it whenever I say that Yiuno is a complex character—he isn't someone I can simply shove into a handful of TV tropes and call it a day. After pondering really hard for weeks, these two picks are probably the best I could go with.
FOR BETTER: Both Yiuno and Thancred have many aspects in common. They are adult figures to a younger charge under their wing (Yiuno to Sora, Thancred to Ryne). They both struggled to make peace with losing someone dear to them (Yiuno to his twin sister, Yiuna, Thancred to his "sister", Minfilia). They are also resourceful and well-versed in reconnaissance, with a dark past they aren't proud of.
Though they are guided by well-known figures that changed their respective lives forever, that's where I draw the line on the similarities between them. When Thancred attempted to pickpocket Louisoix and was caught red-handed, the latter offered him the opportunity to hone his skills in survival and intelligence-gathering techniques. Thancred then became an Archon and joined the Circle of Knowing, later also as a member of the Scions, to aid WoL in saving the world from another calamity.
As for Yiuno, his relationship with Shatotto isn't as idealistic as Thancred with Louisoix. Towards the end of the Fifth Astral Era, Yiuno and his sister, Yiuna, were part of a neutral faction (similar to the Scions) aiming to stop the Magi War; Yiuna was dispatched to join the White Mages of Amdapor, while Yiuno was sent to spy on Mhach. Shatotto, who had been skeptical of the void mages and their over-reliance on voidsents, was developing her own brand of magick (later known as black magic); she immediately recognized the hidden potential within Yiuno. She pretty much forced him to become her disciple, and used him to refine and complete her research. While Yiuno did become her greatest successor, that came at a terrible price—for Yiuno's raw power far exceeded Shatotto's expectations and almost destroyed the nation they were supposed to protect. Shatotto took upon herself to shoulder the crime, and erased Yiuno's existence from historical records.
In a way, both Louisoix and Shatotto recruited their respective students to aid in their personal agendas, but I guess things might have turned out differently if Yiuno's talents were actually used for the greater good rather than... as a weapon of destruction in warfare.
FOR WORSE: This is a tough and ironic choice for many reasons, but Hades/Emet-Selch is just a stone throw away from what Yiuno could've become. Both of them have lived a very long life; they have seen enough horrors to crack their minds so hard that they are literally eddying in despair. Further, as revealed in the previous section, Yiuno had a hand in a genocide that shouldn't have happened. Would he blow up the world if his loved ones are killed? Absolutely.
In fact, Yiuno is still relatively sane for the time being only because the people he truly cares about—Sora, Y'shtola, and (fingers crossed) Yiuna—are still alive and well. For now. Also, as I've briefly discussed about the differences between Yiuno and Emet in this post, it'd take a lot more to compel Yiuno to take extreme actions like Emet did.
As for the irony I've mentioned in the beginning... due to the Flow spell mishap in post-ARR (he used it to save both himself and Sora from the Ul'dah coup), Yiuno's body is housing both a fragment of his Ancient self, Chronos, and another Ancient fragment—one of the triplets and Chrono's sister, Persephone. The latter is, of course, the wife of Emet. Just imagine how the meeting would've unfolded when Emet's shade saw Yiuno (who was shepherding Sora to her final showdown with Meteia and Zenos) in Ultima Thule.
Little WoL / non-WoL character question.
Is there a non-player character or NPC that reflects how your OC might have turned out if circumstances had been only slightly different? For better or worse.
If your OC is aware of this, then does it make them more sympathetic to that character? Or more jealous of them? Or simply fill them with an intense visceral hatred?
When you and your bestie bring very different energy to the table.
thank you incorrect quote generator for these gems
the scions reporting for duty support
Day! 5!
Day 5 - Barbarous
Y'shtola and Thancred talk. Thancred is only a little put upon.
Post EW but no real spoilers.
15 - Portentous
The calm before the storm. Kaida chats with Thancred before a momentous occasion.
Post-ARR, no warnings. Minor ? spoilers?
Day 15 - Free Day (Unabetted)
Good Friend Thancred Waters
A sudden loss of any sense can be a struggle, even if it is partial, and leaves Kaida to learn how to navigate again.
Thankfully, Thancred knows exactly how it is. His methods are just like him.
No warnings. Set in Heavensward and vaguely mentioned spoilers.
Day 29 - Free Day (Pierced)
ARR - no warnings, no real spoilers.
Thancred brings Kaida to Y'shtola for a problem she doesn't have.
AKA Kai does occasionally get her horns caught in things. Thancred does not imagine mortal flesh to be a fun one.
Shenanigans aplenty