Daughter of Doma

 The story of Akiko, a Doman shinobi who became the Warrior of Light.

[daughterofdoma]

Just decided to do something spicy and fun for a change.  Shirtless hair down G’raha makes me go brrrrrr!

[daughterofdoma]

Friends Reunited (Part 1)

Posting something a little different than my usual WoL canon stories!  This is not part of Akiko’s WoL canon, but rather from a roleplay that my friends and I did where our characters were not the WoL of MSQ, but rather just people in the world trying to make their way and help out.   Minari and Akiko parted ways after the events of 6.0.  Minari ultimately took up a voluntary commander position within the Eorzean Alliance as a representative of Ishgard to assist in the Garlean Restoration Initiative for the Provisional Garlean Government.  He was not expecting to run into Akiko while he was out with his team searching the city ruins for survivors.

Follow up post to this coming soon!  I’m sure Kycellius and the other two Garlean soldiers are wondering what in the heck just happened!  

[daughterofdoma]

Returning Home:  The Crystal Exarch (Part 4)

This is part three of a series of Post-6.0 but Pre 6.1 Gpose stories I’ve created for Akiko’s journey back to Doma to say farewell to her family who perished in the razing of Monzen.  In Ultima Thule, G’raha asked the WoL to take him to Ishgard properly, as well as embark on other adventures, so this is my version of that promise fulfilled.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (Current Post)

It goes both ways in friendship.  It’s not always about how the Warrior of Light feels. Anime toxic positivity tropes shape much of how the characters of FFXIV respond to crisis and trauma, but what are they holding inside?  100 years on another planet isn’t anything to sneeze at, and thinking you are going to die, then suddenly being alive, in your youthful body, separated forever from the people you knew for those 100 years, is going to have an effect.   He was only on The Source for 23 years, as opposed to The First, where he spent the majority of his life, so really... The First was more home than The Source.  The game doesn’t really cover whether or not G’raha has any struggles with it though.  He’s elated to have a second chance at life, but when he is alone with his thoughts... does he think about The First?  Does he grieve for the people he can never see again?  I wanted to imagine what his internal feelings would be regarding it.  The soul vessel had been a shot in the dark after all, not a guarantee.

[daughterofdoma]

Returning Home: Limsa Aethryte (Part 3)

This is part three of a series of Post-6.0 but Pre 6.1 Gpose stories I’ve created for Akiko’s journey back to Doma to say farewell to her family who perished in the razing of Monzen.  In Ultima Thule, G’raha asked the WoL to take him to Ishgard properly, as well as embark on other adventures, so this is my version of that promise fulfilled. 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 (Current Post) Part 4

This one was way too fun.  Imagining how G’raha Tia would respond to the Aetheryte Plaza was enjoyable.  Of course, he’s been through Limsa before, but apparently trusted the advice of other travel companions and avoided to the Plaza itself.  Not this time, as Warrior of Light took him straight through it.  Whoops!  It’s old news to her, but to him... BOOTY.  Booty EVERYWHERE.  Clutchin’ pearls. Also spot the easter egg!  Only certain people will get it!

[daughterofdoma]

Returning Home: Leaving Sharlayan (Part 2)

This is part two of a series of Post-6.0 but Pre 6.1 Gpose stories I’ve created for Akiko’s journey back to Doma to say farewell to her family who perished in the razing of Monzen.  In Ultima Thule, G’raha asked the WoL to take him to Ishgard properly, as well as embark on other adventures, so this is my version of that promise fulfilled. Part 1 Part 2 (current post) Part 3 Part 4

Another Gpose story! Let’s face it!  After Endwalker we all wanted to take him on an adventure with us!  I mean he straight up asked anyway, so I decided to write it!  I’ve got a ton of these coming, so keep reading!  After her breakdown in Thavnair during the final days (previous comic), I think G’raha is probably the only Scion that she allows herself to be super vulnerable with.

[daughterofdoma]

This is part one of a series of Post-6.0 but Pre 6.1 Gpose stories I’ve created for Akiko’s journey back to Doma to say farewell to her family who perished in the razing of Monzen.  In Ultima Thule, G’raha asked the WoL to take him to Ishgard properly, as well as embark on other adventures, so this is my version of that promise fulfilled. Part 1 (Current Post) Part 2  Part 3 Part 4

In my head, its been about 6 months since the events of Ultima Thule, so her hair is longer.  I ditched the vanilla hair 135 and made my own style more suited to her personality.  

Trained as a shinobi since childhood, she's naturally silent when she moves no matter what job.  Accidental sneak all the time!  When they returned on the Ragnarok, Akiko quickly left Sharlayan without so much as a word to anyone to go back to Garlemald.  We will find out about why in my next few posts.  This is the first one I’ve done in a while and I’m kind of on a roll!   In my head canon, the role quests were what kept her away for the most amount of time though, which is what she was referring to being needed in other lands.   Follow me on twitter also for faster updates!  

[daughterofdoma]

Warrior of Light Freyja and Urianger are finally united in Il Mheg during the events of Shadowbringers.  This scene takes place shortly after Urianger’s explanation of “his vision” of a future where Black Rose is released onto The Source.  Thancred, Ryne, Freyja, and Urianger depart to go back to Lydha Lran where the twins await, but before they do, Urianger and Freyja share a private moment. My long time friend and I discovered we both play XIV, so of course naturally we had to do an art trade of our WoLships.  She loved what I had done with some of my scenes with Akiko and G’raha, and so asked for something with Freyja and Urianger.  This one was a lot of fun.  Freyja and Urianger fell in love with one another during some of the aftermath of Heavensward, where she learned to be an Astrologian, and he assisted her with her studies.  It snowballed from there, where they shared private moments together, the other members of the Scions oblivious to their relationship.

[melodiccerulean]

Graha smiles gently as the true soul of the Miqo'te woman before him is restored to her proper place, and blinks her way to consciousness. "Thank heavens you're you again. Gave me quite a fright." Melodic bursts into tears. "I'm so sorry, 'Raha...everyone..." She sobs, shoulders shaking, her face buried in the fur collar of his coat. Desperately, she clings to him so tightly, as thought the purifying light of his soul can cleanse the violating taint of Zenos on hers. ____ This bit of MSQ hit me in the past-trauma. I angry-cried through the whole thing. I might go back at some point to take better pictures telling the story of my WoL processing the violation. I just...needed SOMETHING and we weren't given much of an opportunity to deal with it in the moment. I also realize this is a bit odd as a first post but here we are. There will definitely be more sad posts, but also hope to have more sweet/happy ones too. ♥ Melodic

[daughterofdoma]

When I first played through this part of the story, I needed to take a break and go lie down for a while.  The sheer volume of horror and death in back to back sequences where no one was safe--not even children--was exhausting.  As a long time roleplayer, I began to process the story by crafting in my mind how Akiko responded to it.  Not well, obviously.  Before this moment, she had already seen plenty of death and tragedy, lost friends along the way, but continued to shoulder on for the hope of those relying on her.  As a gentle empath with love for all people, the sheer scale of life lost in Thavnair that she was unable to prevent broke down the carefully constructed Warrior of Light facade she always wore in the presence of others.  G’raha, hearing that she had not returned to her room to rest after dinner (this scene is shot at 12:00AM), went searching for her in hopes she’d not left for The Crystarium prematurely.  After all, he still needed to give her the key that would operate the systems of the Umbilicus.  Afraid of showing her vulnerability to anyone, Akiko panics, fleeing the scene.  

I hope you all enjoy this kinda webtoon kinda comic kinda manga thing.  It has taken me about two months to produce, between writing the dialogue, sketching the storyboarding, making the poses, shooting the images, and the laying it all out in its final “manga” form.  

Stay tuned for more stories.  I’ve got lots of ideas, and many scripts written.  I’m also considering going back and plotting out “Memories of Azem” and “Reflections in Crystal” in manga/comic book form too.  

[daughterofdoma]

I love him.  Practicing drawing him.  He’s hard and it’s stressing me out, but I’m still trying to enjoy it.  

[daughterofdoma]

Finished sketch of my Art Raffle winner! \o/

[daughterofdoma]

Artwork Raffle Time!

Head on over to Twitter to enter in my art raffle!  Winner will receive a complimentary bust portrait sketch of one character.  I’ll be doing the next one here on Tumblr so don’t worry if you don’t have a twitter. 

https://twitter.com/DaughterofDoma/status/1498460272507305990 

[daughterofdoma]

Memories of Azem (Complete!)

Alone for a time, Akiko sheds her worries by spinning and dancing around in a clearing of flowers.  This was a habit she’d had for as long as she could remember.  Shadowing her, as he had been doing since her journey to The First, Emet-Selch bears witness to mannerisms that remind him of his long departed friend, a woman whose memory still haunts him even a thousand-thousand years later.  His suspicions about Akiko’s soul had been mounting for a while, yet it was becoming harder and harder to deny as time went on.  

In my headcanon, for the Akikoverse, Emet-Selch loved Azem, but she died and was sundered with everyone else before he could tell her.  As was his (lovable heh) nature to be tsuntsun af, there were unfortunately many words left unsaid.  Would you look at that, I figured out how to include all the images in one post so that it was easy to click through.  Figured I’d reupload this set for the ease of tabbing through the story!

[daughterofdoma]

Miqo’te Portrait Sketch Request

Completed this sketch request for my friend!  She is a miqo’te samurai!  I’ll be doing a portrait sketch giveaway soon for twitter followers, so may wanna pop over there and follow me if you’re interested!  I’m @daughterofdoma​ on there too <3 

[daughterofdoma]

Reflections in Crystal

And then, one day, an all but forgotten dream from my youth stood before me, in the flesh.

100 years is a long wait when all you have are your memories of that other time... that other world... that other you.

G’raha went to great lengths to save both worlds, and her.  He was willing--almost eager--to sacrifice his own life in the process.  I wanted to flesh out a little of their friendship, so that I could give that motivation of his more footing.

I imagined this scene as a memory a tired Crystal Exarch was reflecting on, of a time after the Labyrinth of the Ancients had been cleared out, but before Syrcus Tower was explored.  Its unclear in my mind at what point in the timeline he’s thinking about this, but it’s definitely before she arrives successfully to The First.

I really enjoy fleshing out what happened in between the MSQ during Akiko’s journey as the Warrior of Light.  How did she bond with the people in her life, and how did that affect them?  Lastly, the tidbit from the Encyclopaedia Eorzea about him loving to sing songs from his family and having a beautiful singing voice really inspired this particular series!  I always wanted to do a scene acknowledging his singing.

[daughterofdoma]

Don’t Let Villains Monologue

This is what we all wanted to do during this scene, admit it.  

Akiko has had enough of your BS, Hermes.  We’re gonna just put a pin in this Meteion conversation, okay?

[daughterofdoma]

Memories of Azem, Part 1 (this is the beginning!)    

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Alone for a time, Akiko sheds her worries by spinning and dancing around in a clearing of flowers.  This was a habit she’d had for as long as she could remember.  Shadowing her, as he had been doing since her journey to The First, Emet-Selch bears witness to mannerisms that remind him of his long departed friend, a woman whose memory still haunts him even a thousand-thousand years later.  His suspicions about Akiko’s soul had been mounting for a while, yet it was becoming harder and harder to deny as time went on.  

In my headcanon, for the Akikoverse, Emet-Selch loved Azem, but she died and was sundered with everyone else before he could tell her.  As was his (lovable heh) nature to be tsuntsun af, there were unfortunately many words left unsaid.