Name: Lehon'a Nhavareh
Nicknames: Occasionally got "Leo" earlier on in life, but it died down after transition, no other nicknames. Y'shtola calls her "dear" and G'raha calls her "my heart" (Lehon'a pretends she hates it but she actually lives for it)
Age: Mid 20s, unsure of actual age
Nameday: 23rd Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon (day she was taken in)
Race: Seeker of the Sun, raised in Keeper of the Moon culture
Gender: Trans Female (MTF)
Orientation: Extremely bisexual. (Takes her a while to figure it out)
Profession: Conjurer/White Mage (ARR-Shadowbringers), Dancer (Current)
P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S
Hair: Silvery white with a dyed red streak
Eyes: Lavender/lilac purple
Skin: Tan with strong warm tones, especially compared to her mother
Tattoos/scars: No notable tattoos/scars, but she has the marks of a Miqo'te and maintains small face paint markings on her cheeks (as is keeper tradition). Also noteworthy: she's around the average height for a male miqo'te, which she maintained after fantasia.
F A M I L Y
Parents: Has no knowledge of her biological parents, who abandoned her in The Shroud when she was too small to remember.
Mother (Adoptive): Lehon Nhavareh - An unmarried keeper of the moon Miqo'te without children who finds Lehon'a as a very young kit on a road near her home. She raises Lehon'a in the traditions of Keepers of the Moon, and is fiercely defensive of her child from those in her tribe who resent Lehon'a for being an outsider. She worships the goddess Menphina with the tribe, and she makes sure to involve Lehon'a to develop her musical talent. As is tradition for male keepers of age, Lehon sends Lehon'a out to roam Eorzea, which eventually leads to her learning conjury and joining the Scions.
Siblings: No siblings (the fact she had no children was a big reason why Lehon took her in).
Grandparents: None living. Lehon occasionally talks about her own mother who passed away before Lehon'a was adopted (but I haven't really thought about her yet).
In-laws and Other: Not strictly biological family, but Ar'beunti Nuva is effectively a sister and friend to Lehon'a, accompanying Lehon'a on the events of the MSQ as a second Warrior of Light. Ar'beunti (or Beau, as she likes to be called) joined up with the Scions after growing up in Ul'dah, at which point she met Lehon'a and they became close.
Pets: Felicitas (chocobo, her pride and joy), and a small dodo who follows her around that she simply refers to as "he" when prompted.
S K I L L S
Abilities: Originally began as a conjurer/white mage, and specialized in healing magic. She ended up teaching Ar'beunti white magic to enable her to utilize both it and black magic to become a red mage. After traveling to the first and growing closer with Lyna, Lyna taught her the art of Dancing, which is her primary skillset. She learned how to wield a gunblade during her time in Bozja after returning from the First, and Y'shtola managed to teach her just enough black magic that she can cosplay a red mage in a pinch. Outside of combat, she has a very strong and innate sense of rhythm, and is prone to drumming on any surface or breaking out into dance at the sound of any music she hears.
Hobbies: Playing percussion and dancing, bird/beast watching, being really really bad at every kind of game she plays, chocobo care, storytelling (mostly to her mom)
T R A I T S
Most Positive Trait: She always strives to resolve conflicts with as little violence as possible, and would rather make an enemy into a friend than kill them, if given the choice. This has been tempered with experience over time, but she prides herself on a reputation of mercy over bloodshed.
Most Negative Trait: She often struggles to put herself first, even in situations where ignoring her own needs or limits can do lasting harm to herself or others. (As an example, she put aside her own feelings about gender during the entirety of Heavensward, as all of her focus was spent trying to convince Ar'beunti off the path of laying waste to the dragons.)
L I K E S
Colors: midnight blue, royal purple, gold, dark red, sky blue, teal
Smells: baking spices, petrichor, rosemary, cooked meat, citrus
Textures: chocobo feathers, broken in leather, polished steel
Drinks: fruit juice, hot tea, ginger beer (especially with alcohol)
O T H E R D E T A I L S
Smokes: Tried it once, never felt the urge to try again. the smell of smoke isn't really appealing to her.
Drinks: Fairly often, though mostly socially. she's got a surprising tolerance for alcohol.
Drugs: Has been offered many varieties, but has turned them down (Her life is already wild enough without them).
Mount Issuance: She met Felicitas at Bentbranch Meadows as a youth, and bonded with her instantly, visiting semi-regularly to care for her. As soon as she left home, she immediately inquired with the stable about having Felicitas as her companion, and knowing how well Lehon'a cared for her, they agreed. Once she joined the Order of the Twin Adder, she got Felicitas registered in lieu of an assigned company chocobo.
Been Arrested: outside of the events of the MSQ, surprisingly not.
Spotted this going around on a couple people's blogs and it was too good not to steal borrow! I wanna say @ishgard and @zylphiacrowley were the two places I can remember seeing it, but I know it's been going around!
I'll leave this open to anyone who sees it and hasn't done it yet, cause I know I'm a bit late to the party (I just wanna see more about your characters :D)
More general blog info below the cut:
Universe tags: WoL universe - warrior of light; civilian universe - keeper of the cadence
Blog organizing stuff: ama - questions asked to Lehon'a; wol writes - questions answered in character; my writing - out of character writing/fic; tag game or ask game - for memes/games going around
Goodbyes never seemed to be Lehon'a's strong suit.
It was understandable shortcoming, given how many times she'd been forced to part from friends or family before getting the chance to say everything she felt. Sometimes, reflecting on her life, from the time she'd left home to her recent journey to Ultima Thule, it seemed like it had been entirely composed of unwelcome partings and miraculous reunions.
This time was different. She'd had a while to make up her mind, to decide if she'd even be saying goodbye at all. The friend of Erenville's from across the ocean to the west had simply appeared in Sharlayan and suddenly it seemed like everyone had decided immediately to stay or go. Krile, the twins, and Beau were going, and G'raha and Y'shtola were staying.
And in her younger years, it wouldn't have been much of a decision for Lehon'a either. The prospect of new lands to explore, new language and music to learn, and new food and fashion to partake in would've been impossible to resist.
But now, having to choose between spending time with her partners and the thrill of the open road in unfamiliar lands felt impossible.
She'd known Y'shtola was unlikely to come without really having to ask; Y'shtola had mentioned during the festivities in Radz-at-Han (in a pained tone of voice) that she would have to document the events to do with their travels to the Thirteenth in exhaustive detail for the Forum, andLehon'a knew that the Forum's involvement alone meant it would likely take many weeks to complete.
G'raha, on the other hand, was a late surprise. He'd seemed enthusiastic about the whole venture, wanting to get to know Wuk Lamat and even wrangling Lehon'a into a bit of research about what Tural was like (from the admittedly limited resources in Noumenon on the subject). He'd even taken the time to assuage some of her lingering doubts about the trip, to convince her it was worthwhile to go and try to support Wuk Lamat's claim for the throne.
So it had come as some shock to her when he'd announced to the assembled group that he too was staying behind, taking on the responsibility of looking after the affairs of the Students in Krile's absence. It was the kind and noble thing to do, and while a part of her told herself she always he knew he would stay behind if it meant someone else might be able to go, another, more selfish part of her lamented that she wanted to go on this new adventure together, with him.
Lehon'a had the left that meeting feeling uncertain, not wanting to go back on her word to Wuk Lamat, but also finding her enthusiasm for travel without her partners waning. A long conversation between the three of them that night had set her a bit more at ease, with many reassurances given and promises of future adventures and guided tours and piles of souvenirs exchanged, but as she stood at the top of the many steps that led down to the harbor on the morning of their departure, she felt the doubts begin to creep back in.
She stared off into the endless blue expanse that filled the horizon until the line between the sea and the sky seemed to dissolve altogether, lost in a haze of her own thoughts.
Everyone said they'd wait for the ship to pull in at The Last Stand, and there's no way I won't be the last one to show up at this point. Having to actually say my goodbyes in front of everyone sounds dreadful, but not saying them might be the only thing worse.
It was then Lehon'a spotted her two partners slowly winding their way up the many stairs built into the cliffside, as if they'd read her mind and come to rescue her from herself. Guess I'm not that hard to read. She decided to start walking down to meet them, not wanting them to see her awkwardly trying and failing to avoid everyone.
"Last minute packing troubles?" Y'shtola asked, her playful tone aiming to keep the mood light.
"Something like that," Lehon'a replied, letting out a breath that released some of the tension she'd been carrying. "I think I… I think after everything we've been through, I still don't feel comfortable saying goodbye."
"My heart, we'll still be here if you need us. We're not going on any wild adventures to any remote locales anytime soon, I promise," G'raha said, stepping in closer to take Lehon'a's hand.
Y'shtola nodded in agreement. "Aye. In truth, I'm likely not even going to see much of Sharlayan over the next moon. I'm certain Fourchenault and the Forum would chain me to a desk if they thought it would get them the report any faster."
"And myself, I've got mountains of paperwork to climb to ensure things run smoothly in Krile's absence," G'raha added.
Lehon'a couldn't help but laugh a little in commiseration. "Guess I'll have to see enough new sights for the three of us then." Y'shtola reached out for her other hand, and Lehon'a let her take it. "I just wish I didn't have to leave you both behind to do it."
"We wouldn't want to keep you from exploring on account of our administrative and bureaucratic obligations," Y'shtola said. "And it goes without saying that we plan to come visit ourselves when we've seen our work here through."
"At which point you can give us the grand tour and share all of your discoveries!" G'raha added. "This is not a permanent parting, merely a temporary one. You can always return and find us here, if you need. And I have reason to think our linkpearls should work too, if you wish to talk."
Lehon'a nodded, trying to convince herself of her partners' words. It'll be okay. They'll still be here, and you can still have your adventure together another day. She sighed, and then looked to each of them in turn, her eyes getting a little watery. "I'd better do this here, then, so I— so I don't make a mess of myself in front of Beau and everyone else. I love you both, and I'll miss you lots, and I'll definitely keep in touch as much as— as much as I can."
"I speak for us both when I say that we hope you have a wonderful time. I look forward to hearing your stories, whether told over linkshell or after we've all reunited," Y'shtola said, giving Lehon'a's hand a squeeze, and G'raha nodded his agreement, offering a gentle smile.
"Right. I'll officially say it now so I don't have to do all this again when the boat finally shows up." Lehon'a turned to Y'shtola first. "Goodbye, Shtola. I sound like a broken orchestrion by now, but I love you so much."
Y'shtola brought her in for a hug and a quick kiss before taking a half step back so Lehon'a would have room to address G'raha. "Goodbye, Lehon'a. Travel safely, my dear."
Lehon'a turned back to G'raha. "And goodbye to you too, Raha. I love you just as much, more than you could ever know."
He nodded, stepping up to give her a hug and kiss of his own. "Goodbye, my heart. Take care of yourself, all right?"
The three of them stood in a slightly awkward silence for a moment, until a growl from Lehon'a's stomach broke the tension. "Should probably have something to eat before I leave, shouldn't I?"
"We can get some breakfast from the Last Stand while we wait. I think everyone else is either there or down at the dock getting the supplies in order," G'raha replied.
"And knowing the days we have ahead, some coffee would probably go a long way for both of us," Y'shtola added.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Lehon'a took her partners' hands, and the three of them started down the steps toward the harbor together. As the water of Scholar's Harbour grew closer, Lehon'a felt a small boost of confidence. It still won't be easy to leave them behind this time, she thought to herself, but it feels doable now. And they'll be with you again before you know it.
An old memory of Lehon'a's turns into a brand new nightmare.
CW: some descriptions of blood & gore, no active violence
(If you'd like to read it externally, here's the Ellipsus link, I'll have it on Ao3 soonish!)
---
Lehon'a opened her eyes to the smell of smoke.
It took her a moment to get her bearings, to recognize her surroundings. It appeared to be Rhalgr's Reach in the aftermath of some sort of attack. Flames licked the walls, leaving black scorch marks across the red stone, and bodies littered the sands at the center of camp.
It was eerily quiet, considering the destruction that seemed to have taken place only moments before. There was not another living soul to be seen, whether friend or foe.
Lehon'a cautiously started ahead, realizing as she took her first step that she was dressed in her old white mage robes. Her gaze shifted from side to side, scanning every box and pillar for anything that could be responsible for the carnage that lay before her.
After just a few steps, she spotted something that caught her eye. It was a bit of white, standing out against the dusty reds and browns of the sand and stone. Her pace quickened, at first eager to see what the strangely-colored object was, and then doubly so when she realized.
Y'shtola.
She broke into a dead sprint, Y'shtola's seemingly-lifeless body coming into clearer focus as she approached. Her back was turned to Lehon'a, so she couldn't see what had happened exactly, but a part of Lehon'a just knew.
Lehon'a fell to her knees in the sand beside her, grabbing Y'shtola's shoulders. As she tried her best to gently roll Y'shtola onto her back, Lehon'a's blood ran ice cold.
An ever-growing red stain on the front of Y'shtola's coat drew Lehon'a's eye to a sickening gash that ran from her collarbone down to her stomach. She instinctively clapped her hands over her mouth, trying her best to keep the contents of her own stomach where they were supposed to be. She attempted to calmly assess the situation, the way any combat healer was taught to, but every grisly detail that caught her eye only made it more difficult. The bleached white of cracked ribs and the sickening pink of intestines and other internal organs being visible forced her to close her eyes and make herself take deep breaths.
She began concentrating aether within herself, pulling it from the land beneath her, and after a few moments, she opened her eyes and began to cast the most powerful healing spell she could think of. The holy light of the spell conveniently kept the worst of the gore out of her sight, giving her a moment to look at Y'shtola's face. It bore an unsettling expression; her features were still frozen in fear, seemingly left exactly as they'd been when she'd taken the blow that had practically split her in half.
Lehon'a sat for a few minutes, focusing all of the aether and energy she could manage into Y'shtola's body, but as her reserves finally began to run out and the light of the spell began to dim, she could see it was to no avail. The wound was still wide open, and the bloodstain had grown to cover the entire front of her coat.
Twelve, she's… she's…
The thought trailed off in Lehon'a's mind as her emotions overcame her. She practically threw herself on top of Y'shtola's body, the front of her own robes absorbing the blood as they covered the open wound. She didn't care. She lay there for what felt like an eternity, crying uncontrollably. Her sobs echoed across the lifeless camp, carried back to her ears by the high stone walls.
"Please. Please, Shtola… I need you… Please come back." She repeated her pleas over and over, trying to will Y'shtola back to life, but they fell on deaf ears. Eventually, as Lehon'a tired herself out, she slumped down onto the sand, and the camp fell into silence.
"Lehon'a? Are you all right?"
Lehon'a leapt back from the body, watching in complete shock as Y'shtola's corpse somehow turned its head to face her.
"Lehon'a? I'm right here."
She was frozen to the spot, too terrified by the prospect of a dead body trying to speak to her to do anything.
Lehon'a opened her eyes to the smell of home.
"It'll be all right, I've got you. You need to wake up, Lehon'a."
------
She felt the rumpled bedsheets beneath her, damp with what she guessed was her own sweat. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the low light, but she soon confirmed that she was in her bedroom.
A warm glow bloomed from the other side of the room, and in it she saw the silhouette of Y'shtola, having just turned on the small bedside lamp. She rolled back over after she had, rubbing Lehon'a's shoulder as gently as she could manage.
Lehon'a met her gaze, and she wasn't sure whether to feel more relieved or embarassed. "Oh, Shtola, thank the Twelve, I… I hope I… I hope I didn't worry you too much." She shook her head out of reflex, as if trying to shake the remnants of the nightmare from her brain.
"I was… more surprised than anything," Y'shtola replied, a relieved smile on her face. "You apparently managed to roll on top of me at some point during the night, which I thought was a bit strange. Usually you gravitate toward Raha when your subconscious wants to lay on someone."
"I guess with him being away the last couple nights… old habits die hard," Lehon'a replied with a sheepish look. "I didn't… say anything strange, did I?"
"Worry not, I don't believe you said anything noteworthy aloud. It was your quickened breathing that woke me up, and it was concerning enough that I decided it was better to wake you, too."
"I appreciate your wisdom more than you know. It was… not a pleasant dream." Lehon'a looked into her partner's eyes, the beginnings of tears blurring her vision. "I… I thought I'd lost you. For good."
"Don't think you can be rid of me that easily," she replied in a playful tone of voice. She scooted closer to Lehon'a and wrapped her in a full body hug, gently stroking her partner's hair. "I'm right here, my dear. And I always will be."
"Thank you, my lovely moon." Lehon'a said, planting a soft kiss on Y'shtola's lips. They both laid together for a while, just enjoying the comfort of their mutual embrace and letting the remaining tension dissipate. Eventually, Y'shtola broke the silence.
"I'm sure you know this already, and I do not bring it up to cast blame, but… should we perhaps change out the sheets? And your nightshirt also? I can't imagine going back to sleep in moist clothes and linens being terribly comfortable."
Lehon'a let out a loud exhale. "Yeah, you're right, it isn't. I didn't wanna get up, but it's gotta be done."
"How about this: you change the sheets, and I'll go upstairs and put on a pot of water for tea— don't worry, something light on caffeine— and you can share the particulars of your dream with me, if you wish."
"That sounds just perfect to me," Lehon'a replied, pushing herself to a sitting position and sliding off the bed. Y'shtola was close behind, shuffling towards the door in her slippers. Lehon'a had just gotten her pajama shirt up and over her head when she heard the sound of the door opening. "Shtola?"
Y'shtola stopped in the middle of the now-open doorway, turning to look at her half-clothed partner in the soft lamplight. "Mmm?"
"I love you. So much."
"I love you too, Lehon'a. I'll just be upstairs when you've finished." She gave Lehon'a another warm smile, and then closed the door most of the way behind her.
As Lehon'a pulled the sheets from the bed, she heard the sounds of the kettle being filled with water and the clinking of mugs on the countertop echoing faintly down the stairs. She smiled to herself, relaxing into the familiar domesticity. No better comfort after a nightmare than waking into what feels like a dream, she thought while she wrestled the clean sheets back onto the mattress. And even better, this dream is real.
She watched him close his eyes before closing her own, trying to keep herself as steady as possible so he wouldn’t have too much trouble. She heard his breaths even out as the seconds passed, and after a couple minutes more, she noticed that they’d lined up with her own. Another moment went by, and she felt him pull his hands away. She heard the sound of him taking chakrams into his hands as he broke the silence. “I think I’ve found it– found you.”
“Then go for it, Raha.”
She opened her eyes and watched as he mimicked her motion from earlier, the chakram in his hand tracing a curved path from above his head to right where her hands had been only moments before.
“May I have this dance, my heart?”
In that instant, right as he uttered those words, she felt a familiar magic wash over her, ever so slightly different than how she recalled it. “You certainly may, Raha, you did it!” The slight heat in her face that she’d felt when he’d asked had been superseded by pure enthusiasm for her partner’s success.
“I can scarcely believe it, but it was just as you said. I found the rhythm of you, and that was all I needed.”
---
I've had the urge to pose more lately, so I decided to take the opportunity to do this today. I don't know that I'll have time to pose all the prompts, but I'll try a few if I can, and maybe do some writing for the others.
The snippet above is taken from a fic I did for WoL/G'raha week last year, you can read it all here!
Enjoy a couple bonus angles for clicking on the read more :3
And that's a wrap! Happy Moonfire Faire ^_^
FT characters from (deep breath)
@candycryptids @zylphiacrowley @ser-corviknight @cerbaros
@johnnylandslide @improvised-finish @thefreelanceangel
@arty-ffxiv @errant-rabbit-fur @cindernet-exploded
I wanted to pose everyone I had gotten files of, even if it was just in this big shot
"Shtola, if you look at this passage here, it seems to corroborate the point you were just making about aetheric flows!"
"Could you read it to me, dear? I'd like to let my 'eyes' rest a bit today."
"Of course, my lady," G'raha replied, clearing his throat before launching into the dense aetherological jargon the tome contained.
Lehon'a laid at the end of the lounge chair that the three of them had been promised by Haermaga, content to simply listen to her partners talk over the din on the top deck. Their skating trip from Limsa had taken some energy out of all three of them, but this was the perfect place to relax and recharge.
They'd arrived early enough that it hadn't truly started to heat up, despite the sun making its daily climb towards the center of the sky.
The afternoon heat's the perfect time for a dip in the pool, Lehon'a thought, and perhaps I can drag these two away from their books long enough to push them down the waterslides.
In the meantime... perhaps I'll try one of the drinks. Lehon'a took a deep breath through her nose, trying to capture more of the tropical aroma that had wafted over in her direction. That smells heavenly! Just a few minutes more and I'll think about getting up...
A noise from across the deck shook her from her thoughts, but the familiar voice meant she didn't need to open her eyes to identify the source.
"Come on, Beau, doesn't the water look so inviting! It's far too warm already not to jump in!"
Lamaty'i's excitement carried all the way across the deck, and the heavy footsteps going past meant that she was likely already in motion towards the pool. She could only imagine Beau trying to mentally brace for the imminent cannonball her girlfriend no doubt intended to do as she jumped in.
Lehon'a turned her focus back to her partners, once again tuning in to a dense scholarly conversation that would've seemed comically out of place on a party boat coming from anyone else. And yet, Lehon'a thought, I wouldn't have it any other way.
"It turned out that they did have the volume I was looking for after all, but it had been shelved in the wrong place! Only happened to find it when–" The sunlight sparkling off the Strait of Merlthor suddenly grabbed his attention. "Look, over there! The sunrise behind the cliffs!"
Lehon'a turned slightly to have a better look, careful not to lose her footing as she skated over the bridge. "Truly a lovely sight to behold," she remarked, "And I'm sure it'll be even prettier from the boat!"
"Almost makes our early departure worthwhile," Y'shtola chimed in, the remnants of sleep still audible in her voice.
"It's not too much longer now, I promise! There will be plenty of time to relax on the Queen Lhaminn once we get there, and I have Haermaga's word that he's reserved the best spot on the deck for us. Owes me for all the lifeguard shifts I've been doing for him!"
"Next to the bar, I hope?" Y'shtola asked in a tone that suggested she already knew the answer.
"Precisely! Would hardly be a relaxing day in the sun without a refreshing fruit cocktail, now would it?" Lehon'a pushed ahead, seemingly motivated by her own sales pitch.
Y'shtola and G'raha shared a look before picking up their pace slightly. They all skated up the La Noscean coastline, eager to take in the delights of the Moonfire Faire.
(couple alternate angles and a bit of rambling under the cut)
As promised, here's the pose with the skating outfits I'd previewed the other day! I do intend to take a part 2 of this with some shots on the party boat (couldn't leave these three out of all the summer fun I've been seeing from everyone else on my dash!), so please look forward to it! Roller skate mod can be found here, courtesy of @/nhaneh!
Featuring the modding talents of @nhaneh (maker of the roller skates)! You can find a link to their post about the mod, a bit of my rambling, and a few extra close-ups I liked below the cut!
I've been seeing this little roller skate mod from @nhaneh go by on my dash a couple times, and I finally had enough time at my desk to sit and play with it!
I don't have a proper story written for these, but I kinda imagine Lehon'a would like skating around before or after her lifeguard shifts on the Queen Lhaminn during the Moonfire Faire. She's coordinated enough for dancing, so I figure she'd get the hang of it pretty quickly! (And maybe she could be persuaded to join in on some roller derby...)
Thanks so much for sharing the fruit of your modding labor, it's super cute and it worked perfectly for me! If you want to grab this yourself, you can find the drive link on this post here!
This piece felt like it came so naturally to me, and I feel like it serves both as an opportunity for these characters to reminisce about their past selves while I also get to think about how I've enjoyed writing and creating about them. I don't want to get to sentimental up front here, but this one is on the sappy side.
Summary: G'raha and Lehon'a reminisce about the people they were and the people they've become.
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry) or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“Hey, Raha?”
“Mmm?”
“When did you first know…?”
“When did I first know what?”
“When did you first know that… that you loved me?”
“Hmm…” He closed the book he had open on his lap. “I don't know if I can give you the single, concise answer you might be after, my heart, but… I can say without doubt that it was long, long before I finally spoke those words aloud to you in Thavnair.”
“Don't worry, I'm not after a ‘right’ answer. Just… thinking back on our previous adventures and how I felt back then.”
“True, it can be enlightening to reminisce a bit with the gift of hindsight. And there's no better place to start from than the beginning, I suppose. Before I left you the first time, I… I definitely cared for spending time with you. No one had really ever taken me seriously, only the knowledge I held. I had that persona I wore, that cocky hunter who knew it all, as some kind of defense mechanism. To pretend I didn't feel so alone.” Lehon'a placed her hand on his shoulder. “I get the impression you might agree with my assessment that neither of us were remotely ready to admit anything as serious as a love confession back then.”
“I think you're probably right.” Lehon’a let out a small laugh.
“Speaking just for myself, I had a long way to go to find the person you now sit beside.”
“Both in terms of time and distance,” she added. “We both did.”
G’raha nodded. “I think I knew I loved you when I arrived on the First, though. It was the kind of love a young boy might have for their favorite fantasy hero… more idolization than earnest affection. It’s the kind of love that’s impossible to reciprocate, the kind that simply falls apart after the most fleeting brush with reality.”
Lehon’a sighed. “And I was certainly not an easy hero to love. Not an easy person to love either, I think.”
“You had much of yourself left to uncover, Lehon’a. I cannot fault you for needing the time to look within yourself and find it.”
“Could’ve stood to be less of a brooding weirdo about it.”
G’raha laughed. “Perhaps. Or perhaps it was the person you needed to be in that moment to become who you are in this one.”
Lehon’a hesitated a moment. “I could tell. That I worried you, I mean. It never felt right, even then, but…”
G’raha took her hands firmly in his. “My heart, it is in the past. As you have forgiven me for my deceptions and attempted self-sacrifice, so must you forgive yourself for your own imperfections.”
“Speaking of brooding weirdos…” Lehon’a said, grin growing on her face.
“Yes, yes, I too was not immune to the thought that my inner thoughts were best kept secret, and that the ensuing anguish was something to be proud of; a scar on the heart akin to one borne by a great warrior.” G’raha looked down for a moment, then back up at his partner. “Do you remember our conversation on the cliffs of Kholusia?”
“Of course. It was when I’d figured out that I wanted to give you the full life you deserved.”
“It was the closest I came to showing my hand, and it was all because I realized that once I’d gotten to know you, to see the real you, I truly did want nothing more than to share the road by your side, wherever your travels took you. It was at that moment I knew I could no longer bear to lie to you, so I omitted the uncomfortable parts of the truth instead. I knew I couldn’t bear to break your heart by showing you mine, knowing the path I’d chosen.” It was his turn to sigh. “I wish I’d told you, that we might’ve found another way forward.”
“That’s basically what we did, wasn’t it? Thanks to Emet’s… excellent marksmanship.”
“I wish we’d found that way forward together, then. Without involving Garlean projectile weaponry.” They both shared a laugh.
“Well, it seems we weren’t that far apart in our realizations, then. I recall asking someone in the Crystarium for clues as to where Emet might’ve taken you, and they pointed me towards the watchtower beside the amaro rookery. Said it was a spot that you often went to think. And I remember sitting there, feet dangling in the air, looking out over the purple sea of Lakeland’s trees, and realizing how much I missed you.” The beginnings of tears were forming in her eyes. “I… I truly couldn’t have been happier to see you standing there when all was said and done.”
“I can assure you, my heart, that the feeling was very much mutual.”
“And– and I’m so glad you’re here now. Despite all the world-ending nonsense we keep finding ourselves at the center of, I couldn’t feel luckier to have you beside me through it all.”
“I’m glad too. Glad to call you and Shtola my partners, my closest companions, glad to get to share everything with you. From the apocalyptic to the ordinary, there’s nowhere I’d rather be on any day than by your side.”
She threw her arms around him and squeezed him in a fierce hug.
“I love you so much, G’raha. Never forget it.”
“I won’t. I promise.” He tilted his head slightly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you too, Lehon’a.”
Partly because I went bananas on prompt #5 and partly as a challenge to myself, I tried to keep this prompt on the short side, too. I didn't realize that it would basically take me to poetry territory, but here we are, somewhere near the border of poetry and prose.
I hope this piece makes sense to more people than just me, though I am happy to give an explainer to anyone genuinely confused about what exactly is going on.
No real content or spoiler warnings again; technically you could spoil yourself a bit on Shadowbringers, but in a bit of circular logic you kind of have to already know what happens to make enough sense out of it to make it a spoiler.
Summary: A series of intimate moments ripple across time, the pair destined to sing a familiar refrain over and over again.
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry) or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
It had started just the two of them.
Sitting on a cliff somewhere above a campsite, a dig site, really. Sharing knowledge, sharing speculations, sharing fears.
It was the one place, it seemed, where both hunter and healer might lay down their arms and armor.
Their masks, however, remained firmly in place.
Like all good things, it must come to an end.
—
It had been just the two of them.
Sitting on a cliff somewhere above a farm town, a ghost town, really. Sharing hopes, sharing desires, sharing plans.
It was the one place, it seemed, where both leader and champion might lay down titles and pretense.
One mask had slipped off, and one had begun to crack.
Like all good things, it came to an end.
—
It had remained just the two of them.
Sitting on a cliff somewhere above a new city, an ancient city, really. Sharing victories, sharing anxieties, sharing truths.
It was the one place, it seemed, where both researcher and performer might lay out theories and routines.
Two masks lay on the ground, discarded.
Like all good things, it persisted to the end.
—
It was just the three of them.
Sitting on a cliff somewhere above a small house, a small home, really. Sharing days, sharing nights, sharing lives.
It was the one place, it seemed, where sorceress, wizard, and Warrior might lay down their burdens and cares.
I got so absolutely caught up in writing this it took me a whole extra day and ended up over 3000 words long. (Sue me)
It's a bit of a follow up to the stories for prompts 1 & 2, and overall I think I'm pretty happy with this one. Might've been in the kitchen cooking so long that the proverbial dish is overdone, but time will tell I suppose. Spent too much time writing not to share it!
The lyrics quoted towards the end are, of course, from Dedicated to Moonlight: the song so good it basically is responsible for all of my XIV OC content.
Same content and spoiler warnings as before, which is to say, none really of note. Extremely vague & generic mention of the fact that this technically takes place after Endwalker happens, but it's so broad it could basically apply to almost any major story arc.
Summary: Under the trees of the Shroud and the light of the moon, G'raha discovers a new favorite song.
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry) or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“So,” G'raha began, jumping on a lull in the conversation while Lehon stirred a pot of stew sitting atop the stove, “during the course of our excursions through the realms of The Twelve, Lehon'a made mention of your tribe's traditions, specifically those of the musical variety. Is it–” He hesitated for a moment, fearful of overstepping an invisible boundary. “Would it be possible to hear some? It needn't be a full performance, just a taste to satiate my own curiosity.”
Lehon's eyes lit up and Lehon'a let out a tiny sigh, knowing full well what was now going to happen. “Well, sure, I don't see why we couldn't! Would be a shame for it to just be me and Lehon'a though. My fiddle playing was never all that good, and the music really doesn't sound quite the same without it.”
“Are most of the regulars out hunting today, or…?” Lehon’a asked.
“Might be, but given the sun's been down for a good little while, they shouldn't be out much longer. You know, why don't you go around and see if you can't get a few friends to join in? Maybe we can have a proper dance tonight after all!” The excitement in Lehon's voice at the idea was palpable, and it was clear to anyone looking his direction that the prospect excited G'raha just as much.
“Sure, I can do a quick lap around and see who's interested,” Lehon'a replied, standing from her spot at the kitchen table. “Raha, did you want to come with?”
He looked to Lehon instinctively, as if seeking her wisdom as the eldest person present.
“You should go! It's good to stretch your legs before a dance, and besides–” She quickly dipped a finger in the stew pot and brought it to her mouth. “–Dinner's got a while to go yet.”
“I hate to invite myself along, but my legs could also use some walking after sitting most of the day– that is, if you don't mind?” Y'shtola chimed in, directing her question to Lehon.
“By all means, go ahead! Don't feel tied to the house on my account!”
“Then lead on, Lehon'a; we'll be right behind you,” G'raha responded, offering Y'shtola a hand up once he’d gotten to his feet. The three of them gathered by the door to get their boots back on, and having the least complex footwear meant G’raha quickly found himself pushing the door open to hold it for his partners.
“Be back in a few, mom!” Lehon’a called out in a familiar tone, turning to offer one of her trademark two-finger salutes as she walked backwards through the door.
“Have fun, dearheart!”
—
G’raha put his arm around Y’shtola’s shoulder as the three of them walked together around the small collection of houses and cabins, content to follow behind Lehon’a’s eager footsteps that led them to the first stop on their route. Lehon’a stepped up to the front door without any hesitation and knocked a couple times, idly looking around afterwards as she waited for a reply.
A couple seconds later, the door creaked open.
“Lehon’a, hey! It’s been a good little while since you’ve stopped in, what brings you back?” A miqo’te with blue-gray skin and black hair standing in the doorway opened her arms for a hug, which Lehon’a promptly accepted. “Did you want to come in for a spell? I think your mother’s home if you were looking for her.”
“Don’t worry, she found us already,” Lehon’a replied with a laugh. “I’m back to introduce her to my partners, but mom had the idea to show them what a proper moon dance looks like, so I thought I’d go around town and gauge interest. And also introduce them to everyone, I suppose.” She turned and stepped to the side, gesturing to each of them in turn. “G’raha Tia and Y’shtola Rhul, this is one of my old friends, Miah Amariyo!”
“A pleasure! I’ve heard tales of you two, I reckon. Lehon’a here isn’t too shy about sharing,” Miah exclaimed, offering them both a polite wave.
“The pleasure is ours,” Y’shtola replied.
“Anyroad, would you be free tonight? Can hardly have a proper dance without a fiddle, and yours is the best in all the Shroud.”
“I’d be delighted, it’s been a while since I’ve had a new audience to play for! Let me go get myself ready– Oh! Do either of you play instruments? I’ve almost certainly got something in storage somewhere you could borrow, and I have a few copies of the notation I’ve been transcribing for the most frequently played songs– never hurts to have a few extras, y’know?” Miah asked, her mouth barely keeping up as the ideas came to her.
There was a beat of awkward silence: neither G’raha and Y’shtola expected to be put on the spot, nor did they have any idea how to respond. “I won’t promise a performance, but I’ve heard G’raha sing on many an occasion, and I believe Y’shtola’s dabbled with six-stringed instruments here and there. If you’ve got a lute or the like to spare, maybe bring it with, just in case?” Lehon’a said, coming to the rescue.
“Can do! And I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to impose or anything like that. Music’s just more fun with more people, y’know? We’d be happy to have you just listen, if that’s what you’d prefer,” Miah said, clearly apologetic.
G’raha and Y’shtola shared what felt like the tenth awkward look that day, before G’raha turned back to face the door. “It’s no trouble at all, and I appreciate your generosity! Playing with everyone sounds fun, I’d just hate to stick out like a… red chocobo, as Lehon’a might say.”
“Don’t worry about it!” Miah switched to a whisper, not wanting anyone who might happen by to hear. “Between us, there are some people who insist on playing even when they can't carry a tune in a bucket. You’ll be fine!”
Both G’raha and Y’shtola nodded. “Well, we’ve got some more people to ask and then some of mom’s stew to eat, so… we’ll let you get yourself ready. See you later!” Lehon’a said, jumping in to keep things moving along.
“Oooooh… Enjoy the stew! I’ll see you all again later!” Miah replied, closing the door gently.
Lehon’a turned to her partners with a smile. “Sounds like you’re part of the band now, hm? I probably should’ve warned you about that, Miah’s mom is the tribe’s “keeper of the cadence”-- basically our term for the music teacher, conductor and prayer leader all rolled into one. Her name is Nahri– she’s the one who taught me how to play the drums properly instead of just banging to my own beat! Their family is pretty easy to excite when it comes to playing or teaching people, so don’t worry, it’s not just you she’s picking on. I promise you won’t get any more spontaneous offers to do with musical instruments from anyone else.”
“Mmm, I see. I was a bit too caught off guard to offer a reply, but the idea of getting to play with everyone does intrigue me. Keeper music isn’t something I’m familiar with, and I’d be curious to see how it compares to my tribe's own repertoire,” Y’shtola said.
“It’d be entirely new to both of us, I imagine,” G’raha chimed in. “All the more reason to attend– as long as I don’t have to sing a solo, that is.”
“No solos required unless you want to,” Lehon’a assured him. “Anyroad, mom’s probably made good progress on the stew, so we should get a move on too.”
Her partners both nodded, and G’raha gestured for her to lead the way once again.
—
It had been more or less a routine at each house they’d visited: Lehon’a would knock, the occupant would open the door and offer Lehon’a an embrace, she’d ask about the dance, they’d reply in the affirmative, and the three of them would be off to the next doorstep. Sometimes there were some introductions or a small anecdote thrown in, but the basic formula held true for every door she knocked on.
The trio had made their way back to Lehon's house, guided by the intoxicating aroma of the stew that had been taken off the stove only moments before they arrived. After the long trip, the afternoon's conversation, and their jaunt around the village, everyone at the table practically inhaled their bowls, the warm dish a welcome boost of energy that put the color right back in everyone's faces.
“Thank you, mom, that was spectacular! Even after circling the star, I struggle to find a stew I can say I like better,” Lehon'a said as she cleared the empty bowls and stacked them in the basin to be washed.
“It was most delicious indeed, many thanks for cooking it for us,” Y'shtola added.
“You kids are too nice!” Lehon exclaimed, getting up and trying to look busy in the kitchen to avoid more flattery. “Besides, you all should be getting ready too, right?”
G'raha gave Lehon'a a quizzical look, which prompted a look of sudden recognition in return. “Right, forgot about that too! Most folks have special clothes they wear for these kinda things. Usually blues & whites, moon patterns, designs inspired by Menphina… you get the idea.” G'raha and Y'shtola both looked down at their clothes in unison. “Don't worry, I think between my mom’s old outfits and what I've got left from… before, there should be enough to go around. Let's go have a look in the closet, shall we?”
The three of them entered what used to be Lehon'a's old room in their usual travel clothes, and after enduring a whirlwind of fabric, they emerged entirely decked out in shades of turquoise, blue, and pure white. G'raha had opted for a loose fitting shirt and trousers that had once been Lehon'a's, while Y'shtola had chosen a flowing dress from Lehon’s closet that tied across the middle, and Lehon’a wore her usual tunic with a crown of preserved flowers. A treasure trove of jewelry and metal embellishments ensured that all three of them would sparkle in the moonlight like brilliant gemstones.
Just as Lehon'a finished pulling on the pair of white boots that completed her outfit, Lehon poked her head into the room.
“Sorry, mom, we'll be done in a minute!”
“No need to rush, dearheart. I was thinking that you all should head to the usual meeting place as soon as you're done, so you don't have to wait around while I get ready.”
“Are you sure, mom?”
“I get to do this kind of thing all the time, and I wouldn't want you three to miss any of the festivities!”
Lehon'a stood from the bed where she'd been sitting and slung a small drum over her shoulder by its decorative strap. “Well, then are you two ready?” G'raha and Y'shtola nodded in unison, the slight jingle of the metal jewelry audible as they did. “Then it's showtime!”
—
Lehon'a once again took the lead, this time guiding her partners to a circular clearing in the trees where her tribe mates had already begun to gather. It was a testament to the density of the forest that they'd only walked a few minutes away and already the houses were nothing more than a faint glow, barely visible through the branches and leaves.
As they stepped out from between the trees, G'raha immediately noticed the light playing off of their jewelry and turned his gaze up to look at the moon itself. It was nearly full, and despite having seen it hundreds of times over the course of his life, he could never recall it having looked this bright. His attention was immediately drawn back down to the ground as someone approached their group.
“Glad to see you made it!” Miah exclaimed, jogging up to meet Lehon'a with something in hand. “It sounds like we're just about to start, so you made it just in time. I've got this for you,” she said, handing the lute she'd been holding to Y'shtola, who took it into her hands gingerly. “And if you can decipher my handwriting, these should be the first couple songs we'll play.” She handed G'raha a couple copies of what looked like rudimentary sheet music. “It’ll get easier once everyone gets going and you can kinda follow along that way.”
Y’shtola gave the lute a tentative strum, testing the feel of the strings and listening for any adjustments that might need to be made. “I can’t say I’d be able to improve the tuning any more myself, so I believe I’m ready to begin.”
“Warming up would be wise,” G’raha said, following his partner’s lead and humming up and down some simple scales. He’d only managed to finish a few before the ambient chatter began to die down to a noticeable degree.
“Sounds like we’re about to start, I hope you all enjoy!” Miah whispered excitedly before running off towards the center of the open space.
A louder voice broke the silence as Lehon’a and her partners wandered a bit closer.
“Greetings, my fellow children of Menphina, and to all those who gather under Her light. I understand that this evening’s gathering is a bit sudden, but it seemed worthwhile under such circumstances as these.” An older looking miqo’te spoke with authority, clearly skilled at focusing the attention on herself during such rowdy events.
The woman looked familiar, and it took G’raha a few moments to realize that she bore some resemblance to Miah. ‘Tis likely Nahri, the… keeper of the cadence, G’raha thought to himself. Miah’s mother.
“It is my understanding that one of our own has returned home from the road, and brought two companions along with her to share in our celebration,” she continued, beckoning Lehon’a to come closer. Lehon’a obliged, turning back to wave G’raha and Y’shtola over before sitting down next to the keeper. “We welcome you, and offer our thanks for your courage in protecting our home. I invite you to join us, to find hope and comfort in Menphina’s light.” Y’shtola and G’raha had crossed the circle and sat beside Lehon’a, both clearly a bit uneasy about becoming the center of attention. Nahri turned to the three of them. “As I’m sure was made clear, you need not participate if you do not wish to, but your contribution will always be welcome, great or small.”
By this point, Lehon’a had taken the drum from off her shoulder and positioned it between her legs, readying to play, and Miah had also appeared beside her mother, fiddle ready at her chin.
“With the formalities out of the way, let us begin.” She let the silence hang over the clearing for a moment after she finished speaking, before raising her hands over her head. Y’shtola readied her fingers on the strings for the first chord on the sheet she’d been given, and G’raha quickly scanned his own copy to figure out when his part began.
Both of them knew, just as everyone else in the clearing did, what the keeper was doing. She clapped her hands together twice at half tempo, and then clapped four steady beats to count everyone in.
On what would’ve been the fifth clap, the music began. The crash of a cymbal echoed from the far side of the circle, and both Lehon’a and Nahri began to beat a steady rhythm on their drums. Miah played short, staccato notes on her fiddle that fit perfectly into the groove of the drums, and a chorus of voices that felt like they were coming from every direction began to sing the opening lyrics. G’raha watched Y’shtola play while he waited for his section to approach; it was rare to see her focused so intently on something that wasn’t a long-forgotten tome speculating about the Void.
He was broken from his thoughts shortly afterward by the sounds of a lively fiddle melody taking center stage, Miah’s playing bridging the gap between the song’s intro and the first verse. Here we go, he thought, counting down the beats in his head until it was time to begin. He took a deep breath, and began to sing.
Through the silent woods tonight,
I am guided by moonlight,
For the first time so alone fearing no shadow
Like my mother before me I follow this path
Knowing love will find me
G'raha stopped to catch his breath a bit halfway through the verse, realizing he was a bit more out of practice than he'd expected. The quick tempo and brand new lyrics to learn certainly hadn't made it easy, and the nerves that came with his “guest of honor” status probably wasn't helping him relax either.
In the few moments of rest he'd taken between the verse and chorus, G’raha eyes began to scan the assembled crowd, almost as interested in watching as he was singing. His gaze was immediately met by Lehon’a’s mother standing across the circle from him, giving him a wave as she shook a tambourine in her hand to the rhythm. He looked down to either side of him, Lehon’a drumming away on one side and Y’shtola plucking the lute strings in time with the beat on the other, and then looked back up at Lehon. He gave her the biggest, toothiest smile he could physically manage, and in the handful of beats left before he had to sing again, mouthed the words ‘thank you’.
Fairest goddess wandering the night
In your name we bare our hearts
With your grace will our passion take flight
We would keep your song alive
Shrouded safe in soft moonlight
As the song reached its apex, G'raha closed his eyes. The feeling in the air was so palpable, so strong that he didn’t need to see to feel the love and joy present all around him. He felt it in the pulse of Lehon’a’s drums, in the cheery disposition of Miah’s fiddle, and in the calculated, frenetic strumming of the strings on the lute Y’shtola played. He heard the way all of these elements blended together, the way his voice merged and harmonized with all of the other singers and danced over top of the instrumental foundations beneath it, and he understood.
He understood why Lehon’a returned whenever she could, why she worried so much about these people when things grew dire, why she carried music with her everywhere she went. If you could bottle this feeling and take it with you all over the star, he thought, you’d be a fool not to. And though he knew it was something you could never truly capture, as he sang the words to a song that was at once foreign and familiar, he sought to engrave the memory of this moment on his heart, to put it some place that could never be forgotten.
Maiden goddess of heavens above
In your name we share our hearts
With your grace will our prayer become
Solace, shelter, hope and love
Greater than the tales sing of
Oh, love
As the fiddle took what was likely its last solo, G'raha opened his eyes to see that both of his partners had taken a momentary break from playing to dance together. It didn't take long before Lehon'a beckoned him over, each of them offering him a hand as they spun around and around in childlike joy. And inside that circle within a circle, whirling around in a blur of flowing fabric and glittering metal and raucous music, G'raha knew this was a song he could never tire of listening to. Not in a thousand thousand years.
Wanted to challenge myself to write something short and sweet today, and I'm really happy with what I came up with. A bit of a peek into G'raha's thoughts during a quiet moment seemed like fertile ground, so I went with it!
No content or real spoiler warnings, as with previous entries this is vaguely set sometime after Endwalker. This fic does make very brief reference to some of the events of Shadowbringers, but not any more than you'd get from seeing stuff about G'raha Tia online.
Summary: Sometimes the breaks you take from studying can be more illuminating than the studying itself.
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry) or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
G’raha found himself idly running his fingers through Lehon’a’s hair.
She’d taken it out of the braid she usually wore it in and let it hang loose, flowing down her back like a silvery-white waterfall.
It was something he did without thinking, oftentimes when he was struggling to unpick a particularly complex piece of writing or wrestling with the synthesis of new ideas. There was something particular he felt as his fingers flowed through the strands, a quality he couldn’t put a name to. Something that grounded him in the present moment.
Perhaps it was the occasional knot or tangle he encountered; the handful of moments it took to gently separate the intertwined hairs serving as a reminder that it was okay to take time to sort out his thoughts before coming to a grand conclusion. It offered an opportunity to focus inward, to reflect on his physical needs and ensure he remembered to emerge from his library excursions for long enough to eat an actual meal and rest in a proper bed.
Maybe it was simply the physical connection he craved; the many years sealed away in isolation in the Crystal Tower and many more after that living behind a mask on the First having taken their toll on his psyche. A response to a subconscious fear of being left alone that he hadn’t been able to fully shake, even after making it back to the Source.
Or maybe it was just simple admiration; an acknowledgement of her beauty, even in the quiet moments of their shared life together. Mornings lounging around in bed, afternoons reading and compiling research, evenings eating and drinking around the table in their home; there was scarcely a time of day when she didn’t catch his eye.
Or it was all of those reasons, and many others that he’d yet to consider at all. Perhaps I’ll find every possible explanation someday. And in the meantime… He paused his thought for a moment as his hand reached the end of Lehon’a’s hair. I’ll just have to hope she doesn’t tire of my makeshift brushing.
He started again from the top, working his fingers into a new section of her hair.
I promise I did finish writing this late last night, but it was one of those fics that just kept going and going, and before I knew it, it was basically midnight. So! Here I am posting it today (and hopefully I can bang out something quick for today's prompt). (I'm also like 95% sure now I'll go back and GPose all of these cause this story really made me want to see G'raha in the outfit I'm imagining him in here, which is the DT DNC artifact gear)
No content warnings or spoilers, not even really a vague hint of a time when this takes place; just a cute moment between these two.
Summary: Lehon'a gives her favorite student some dancing lessons, and gets a bit more than she bargained for.
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry) or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“You know, for ages I’d wondered how you had the energy to dash all over the battlefield, but this outfit feels so light I think I might fly away if I’m not careful.”
“It’s freeing, isn’t it? I never could get Nashmeira to explain exactly how they were made, but I’ve started to wonder if there’s some magic in the threads or something like it. No matter how many steps I took, I never seemed to lose my stamina,” Lehon’a replied, making a big show of looking him up and down as she did. “It also has the power to make you look absolutely stunning, my radiant sun.” G’raha raised one of the chakrams he was holding to try and cover his face. “I really mean it, Raha, no kidding around!”
“I believe you, my heart. Though I do start to wonder if there might’ve been some… ulterior motives in your offer to teach me,” G’raha replied, dropping his arms back to his sides as he joined Lehon’a in looking over the outfit he was wearing. “It certainly doesn’t leave much to the imagination, does it?”
No, it does not, Lehon’a thought to herself, already grateful to her past self for even considering the possibility. The vest’s lack of sleeves and open chest put those archer’s muscles on display, the brightly contrasting fabrics and gold decorations serving only to embellish his well-earned upper-body strength. Sad that he insisted on the version with pants underneath, but perhaps Shtola and I could convince him to try the shorter bottoms next time.
“O wise and talented instructor,” G’raha called out, trying to burst Lehon’a from her daydream bubble, “When might I expect the ogling to end and the teaching to begin?” His tone let her know he wasn’t actually upset, even if there was a kernel of truth in it.
“Right now, actually,” she replied, closing the distance between them faster than he’d expected. “Do you wish to learn the basic steps first, or something a bit more… magical?”
The flush had returned to his cheeks again. “...Let’s go with the magic. ‘Tis probably preferable to watching me trip over my own feet practicing for bells at a time.”
“Fine by me, there’s no wrong answer,” Lehon’a said, taking his hands in hers and admiring how the jewelry on his fingers shone in the sun. “The first step in using dancing magic involves choosing a partner.” He gave her a quizzical look, seeming to wonder silently whether he hadn’t already done that. “Not that kind of partner, love. Someone to share a dance with, someone you’re focused on supporting in battle. It’s like… some dances can’t be done by yourself, y’know? You have to have both parts together for it to be possible. It’s like that.”
“Oh, I see! So how does one… choose someone? Is there a…?”
“A sort of ritual, I guess you could say. It involves finding… hmm, this is harder to describe than I’d thought… the other person’s… natural rhythm, let’s call it. Their steps, their actions, their connection to the aether around them, it all has this… pulse. It can be easier or harder to feel, depending on how well you know the person and what kind of state they’re in.”
“It sounds like I’ve gotten a bit of a head start with you here, then.”
“That’s the hope. Practice is also a factor too, I’d imagine. Admittedly, when Lyna taught me the basics it just kinda… worked, so… hopefully I’m making some amount of sense.” Lehon’a let out a nervous chuckle. “Focusing in on that other person, trying to feel their rhythm and… lining yourself up with it, I guess… that’s what you want to do. When you feel like you’ve got it, you make a gesture sort of like this–” Lehon’a paused to demonstrate, raising one hand overhead and then lowering her extended arm as part of a formal bow. “--with one of the chakrams you’ve got there. They help make that shared rhythm into a real connection, something that lets you offer support, even from afar.” She squeezed his hands for a moment, drawing his focus to them. “Now, try your best to feel that pulse in me– and it might take a bit to find it, so don’t lose heart if it doesn’t come right away.”
She watched him close his eyes before closing her own, trying to keep herself as steady as possible so he wouldn’t have too much trouble. She heard his breaths even out as the seconds passed, and after a couple minutes more, she noticed that they’d lined up with her own. Another moment went by, and she felt him pull his hands away. She heard the sound of him taking chakrams into his hands as he broke the silence. “I think I’ve found it– found you.”
“Then go for it, Raha.”
She opened her eyes and watched as he mimicked her motion from earlier, the chakram in his hand tracing a curved path from above his head to right where her hands had been only moments before.
“May I have this dance, my heart?”
In that instant, right as he uttered those words, she felt a familiar magic wash over her, ever so slightly different than how she recalled it. “You certainly may, Raha, you did it!” The slight heat in her face that she’d felt when he’d asked had been superseded by pure enthusiasm for her partner’s success.
“I can scarcely believe it, but it was just as you said. I found the rhythm of you, and that was all I needed.”
“And the really good news is that it’s much easier to reconnect with someone than it is the very first time. That’s what lets me change my focus so quickly in the middle of the fray, y’see.”
“I see, that does make things a good deal easier!” G’raha nodded, excitement palpable in his voice. “So now that we’re proper partners, what comes after that?”
“Depends on what you want to do,” Lehon’a replied. “The fancier combinations can give your partner’s strikes a bit more oomph or offer a bit of extra protection, but… I think the best place to start is a simple curing waltz.”
G’raha eyes lit up with a flash of recognition. “Is that the sequence you did with Shtola, in the vault off the coast of Thavnair? The one right before we…”
She cut him off, not wishing to recall the embarrassment of the very start of their relationship. “--Yep, that’s the one, let's learn how to do it, I'll show you!”
G'raha tried so hard to keep his composure, but eventually a giggle managed to escape his lips, and it was only moments before he was doubled over into a full laughing fit. The laughter ultimately proved contagious, and soon both of them were on the ground, clutching their sides.
After another few minutes catching her breath, Lehon'a climbed back to her feet and helped pull G'raha up.
“That healing magic would do wonders for my stomach muscles right about now,” G'raha said, turning to smile at Lehon'a. “I don't know about you, but I got quite the workout just now.”
“You said it,” Lehon'a replied, biting back the reflex to chuckle for fear of ending up incapacitated on the ground again. “All right. Let's try this again.” She took one more deep breath to ensure no more laughing fits would interrupt the rest of her demonstration. “So I'm gonna show you the simple way to do it, but keep in mind this magic work can work at a distance too. It kinda just ends up being where the physical stuff I'll teach you just uh… happens in your mind.” G'raha gave her a slightly skeptical look, but kept any thoughts he had to himself. “I know, I know, just… go with it, okay?”
G'raha nodded, gripping the chakrams once more. “Okay, I'm ready.”
“You'll need a free hand for this part, so… in lieu of fancy moves where you can keep the extra chakram spinning on your arm, probably best to just keep both of them in your other hand– and before you ask, the spinning tricks are the next class.”
“As usual, you've read me like a book,” G'raha replied, moving the extra chakram to his left hand. “What next?”
“Well, you simply grab your partner's hand…” Lehon'a instructed, taking G'raha's free hand in her own. “...then you give them a little spin, and as you do, focus on channeling a bit of aether across that bond created by your partner, and the chakrams you're holding should do the rest!”
“From how you describe it, this feels like it could be descended from white magic techniques– channeling ambient aether across a distance to aid one’s allies is how most scholars would probably describe the practice, I reckon. You know, I wonder if there was any rhythm-based practices back during Allagan times– certainly they must've had music of some sort, but it would be most fascinating to try and locate some sort of historical context for all this, mayhap even an origin point, and I think I know just where to start look–”
Lehon'a gently threw the brakes on his runaway train of thought. “Raha. We can head to the library after you've cured me of my laughter based ailments– which I may remind you, you were responsible for,” she said, adding a cheeky wink in case her tone alone hadn't communicated her playful intent.
“That's all I was taught, and it's all I've ever needed!”
G'raha exhaled forcefully, trying to psych himself up for something that, by all accounts, had pretty much nothing of significance riding on it. “Here goes nothing, then.”
He loosened his grip on her hand slightly, then began to move his arm in motion that would lead Lehon'a into a spin. She moved in sync with him, matching the speed of his motion to minimize the chance of awkward stumbles, and as she made her first full revolution, she began to feel the warmth of his aether flow across the small space between them. She basked in the feeling: a mix between the sound of a familiar childhood melody to her ears and the feeling of a cozy blanket wrapped around her on a cool evening. The realization hit her, all at once. It feels like home.
G'raha released her hand as she finished the spin, and the aether flowing between them dissipated out into a glowing spiral pattern. “So, how was that? Did I manage to soothe your ailments?” He laid on the faux-romantic tone thick, almost assuming he hadn't succeeded.
Lehon'a looked up at him with tears pooling in her eyes. “You did wonderfully, Raha. Full marks.”
He dropped the comedic tone immediately. “Oh, my heart, I hope I haven't–”
“You did everything right, my wonderful sun.” She reached out a hand to cup his cheek, and then went in for a gentle kiss, which they shared for a moment. “I've never felt better,” she continued, wiping her eyes and cracking a brilliant smile. “Next time I'll try and show you some basic steps, but… as a tiny bit of ‘homework’, maybe you should show Shtola what you've learned? I’m sure she'd jump at the chance to dance with someone in such dazzling attire, and extra practice might make future lessons a bit easier.”
“As you wish, instructor Lehon'a.” He gave a theatrical bow. “Thank you for the lesson, I couldn't ask for a better teacher.”
Behold! Another short fic for WoL/G'raha Week! It's a continuation of yesterday's so same rules apply, no big content warnings or spoilers and it's set in post-Endwalker somewhere.
Summary: If you fall on someone in front of their mother, the least you can do is heal their injuries, right?
Check it out on Ao3 here (registered users only, sorry), or read on below!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“So what was this Runar fellow like? Lehon’a didn’t mention him much when she talked about the jungles of… Ratkita? Have I got that right– I feel like I haven’t!”
Lehon’a heard her mother’s laugh punctuating a portion of the conversation in progress as she opened the front door and crossed the familiar threshold. She quickly unclasped her boots and left them beside the two pairs she recognized and what must’ve been her mom’s sandals, eager to find out what it was they were all talking about.
“You’re nearly there, it’s called the Rak’Tika Greatwood. And Runar, well…” Lehon'a’s focus on Yshtola’s words was broken by a chorus of aches and pains from her wrist, knee and lower back. She stopped in the hallway for a moment and tried her best to compose herself out of everyone's view, and after a sharp inhale, she walked out into the living room, trying hard to keep her new limp from being noticed.
It seemed like Y'shtola’s focus was on recalling her time with the Night's Blessed on the First, and Lehon’a recognized the look of excited interest her mother was giving Y'shtola’s story from her own previous storytelling sessions whenever there was a long enough break in an adventure to return home. As she went to sit down next to G'raha at the unoccupied end of the couch, though, she noticed that he had already zeroed in on the leg that was sore. Her mind was cast back to what she'd said only a few minutes earlier about his keen eyes. Me and my big mouth, she thought as she practically collapsed into the cushions.
Not a moment went by before G’raha attempted to grab her attention with a silent wave, which she acknowledged with a nod. He pointed to the leg he had correctly identified as the source of the limp, and made a gesture that called to mind a simple healing spell. Lehon’a thought it over for a minute, weighing the relief against the possible awkwardness of having to explain what was happening, but before she could manage a coherent thought on the subject, she noticed a small glow in her peripheral vision.
The sound of Y’shtola’s voice in the background came to an abrupt stop, and suddenly everyone’s eyes were on Lehon’a.
“Are… are you all right–?” Lehon asked, genuine concern coloring her voice.
“And Raha, why are you casting–?” Y’shtola added, matching Lehon’s tone.
Lehon’a cut off both of their questions, a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “It’s nothing, I promise just… some bumps and bruises from earlier outside stung a bit more than I thought.”
G’raha’s face had also grown a bit flushed, though he managed to maintain focus on the spell in spite of it. “My apologies. I noticed her walking in with a bit of a stagger, and I thought it would be silly of me to interrupt the exciting tales at hand by making a big fuss of it when I could just… well…” He trailed off as he slowed the flow of aether to a stop, the light cast from his palm growing dim.
“Have care that you mind your own energy reserves is all I ask. I don’t wish to see either of you suffer needlessly, especially when I’ve yet to lift a finger myself,” Y’shtola cautioned.
“If you want a big lightshow to go along with your story, why don't we all just heal each other?” Lehon’a couldn’t hold in a snicker at her own silly idea, and it got a couple chuckles from G’raha and Lehon too.
Y’shtola simply rolled her eyes and smiled. “Then permit me jump off of Felix’s back into your waiting arms first, that way we’re even.” After a beat of laughter, Y’shtola attempted to continue her original thought. “So where was I? I must’ve just gotten to Runar’s big, strong arms. The kind that would certainly catch someone falling from a chocobo…” She took another sip of her tea and gave Lehon’a a wink, making it Lehon’a’s turn to roll her eyes and smile.
Y’shtola restarted the story about Runar she’d actually been telling before getting derailed, and Lehon’a turned her focus to G’raha. “Thanks,” she whispered, trying her best not to interrupt things again. “I needed that.”
“It was no trouble at all,” G’raha whispered in reply. “Is there anywhere else that ails you?”
“...Now that you mention it…” Lehon’a trailed off, turning her back to face him and contorting her arm to point at her lower back. “...right there would be lovely.”
“As you wish,” he replied, resuming the spell at the spot where Lehon’a had pointed. She relaxed into his touch and leaned back against his shoulder.
“Thank you, Raha. My brilliant, beautiful sun,” Lehon’a whispered, her eyes closed in relaxation. She struggled to imagine a place on Etheirys more comfortable than exactly where she was now, surrounded by loved ones who truly cared. All she knew was that she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
