Chapters: 51/?
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Relationships: Foulques & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Foulques & Original Female Character
Characters: Foulques (Final Fantasy XIV), Warrior(s) of Light, Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Ywain (Final Fantasy XIV), Original Final Fantasy XIV Characters, Thancred Waters, Minfilia Warde, Papalymo Totolymo, Yda Hext, Urianger Augurelt, Alphinaud Leveilleur, Serella Arcbane, Raven Cross - Character, Rukia Oronir - Character, Haurchefant Greystone, Alberic Bale, Edda Pureheart, Estinien Wyrmblood, Technically almost everyone shows up at least once, Elidibus (Final Fantasy XIV), Riol Forrest
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Adventure, If at least one person has common sense, POV Original Character, a realm reborn, VERY canon-divergent, eventual discussion of racism, Mingxia, other people's characters, Canon-Typical Violence, Attempted Murders, Pre-Relationship
Series: Part 1 of FFXIV If I could do it all again
Summary:
The (mis)adventures of one Mingxia Jiang, a Doman fisherman's daughter-turned-adventurer. One day they'll call her a Warrior but for now, she's a death-fearing clueless freelancer trying to find her way, make some friends and hopefully do some good in this zoo of a world- starting with someone she knows in Gridania. The road won't be smooth, but what's an adventure without everything possible going wrong at once? "If we're going to do this, let's be reasonable, and maybe we can all gain something from this trainwreck."
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@ffxivmingxiajiang worked hard on this, so go give her some love!
Does your OC like wearing gloves? Or do they find they interfere with their ability to use weapons or operate machinery? Do they reserve them for special occasions?
Does your OC enjoy wearing outfits that glitter with gemstones or sequins? Do they like to shine in ostentatious or flamboyant outfits that attract endless attention?
Mingxia prefers bare hands when she can. She is night blind and needs her other senses to navigate the dark. She does not enjoy standing out too much- it's a bit weird for her. She does like being noticed, but having a lot of attention makes her uncomfortable.
Stormblood LbR: Rukia explains the favor that Daidukul asked of Ming and Rukia. Fts @inkblood-mistrieu's Mingxia.
~~~
“I am gonna kill my cousin if we don't find him.” Rukia grumbled as she made her way to get off the ship.
“Wait what happened when you guys were on the Steppe?” Raven asked.
“Daidukul of the Buduga asked us to see about finding one of his tribesmen, who also happens to be Rukia's sworn brother.” Foulques explained. “And likely drag him back to the Steppe.”
“And he and my cousin fought before he left.” Rukia added. “He likely wanted to kick the crap out of him for running me off.”
Raven frowned. “Your cousin...made you run away?”
“Yeah. Oronir traditions state that our destined soulmate is out there somewhere. Not a terrible thing right?” Rukia explained. At Raven’s nod she continued. “The traditions state that there is only one soulmate out there, but I've always known I was poly, that my heart was too big for just one person.”
“So he fought with you and chased you from your home because of how you love.” Raven growled. “Is he a fucking idiot?”
“He's grown into a good leader I'll give him that, but he's still stuck in that mindset. He'll figure it out eventually.” Rukia shrugged before smirking. “He wasn’t rude to me when I walked into his throne room with Ming and Foulques on my arms, despite that he looked ready to throw the fuck down with me. Xiaoming was even wearing my old Oronir coat!”
Raven snickers as Mingxia’s nose twitched.
“Seems our quarry is here. The dancer who smells of marshmellows and grassland sunshine.” She says as her nose led her off the docks and into the city proper.
“Amasar’s here???” Rukia yelped as she bolted after her girlfriend.
Stormblood LbR: Daidukul has a request for Rukia and her partners. Fts @inkblood-mistrieu’s Mingxia. Shoutout to her for helping with her girl and @ashewindrider for their help in writing Daidukul, because I am NOT familiar with the Steppe as I am with the Heavensward gang!!
~~~
“Khagan, Rukia, a word.” Daidukul speaks up as Mingxia, Foulques and Rukia turn to leave the Dawn Throne.
Rukia blinked as she looked at Mingxia. “Yes Daidukul?”
“I have a request for the two of you, and your partner if he wishes to aid you.” He explained.
The three of them nodded and followed as Daidukul brought them to a corner to speak privately. “Several years ago, one of my tribesmen disappeared from the Steppe. Rukia, you know who he is.”
“Amasar.” She stated. “I noticed he wasn’t here, and I was looking forward to seeing him.”
He nodded. “After he had been injured in the Naadam while fighting Magnai all those years ago, he disappeared, likely to go after you.”
“And you want us to find him and drag him back home?” Foulques questioned.
Daidukul nodded. "I worry for him. He grew strangely quiet before he left, and left without a word. I..." He sighed, looking away. "I need to know if he's alive or not. Even if it's just the smallest trace, it would be better than nothing."
Rukia raised an eyebrow at that tone as Mingxia gave a questioning look. “I don't know what Amasar-san looks like, but I may be able to help you find him. Do you have any of his belongings, or do you know of a place he spent a lot of time in?"
Daidukul nodded. “He’s been gone from the Steppe long enough that his yurt was opened to several of our newer brothers, but I had his belongings moved into mine. Follow me and we can see if there is something suitable.”
They followed and Rukia gave Daidukul a questioning look. “Why yours? Surely one of the others would’ve...”
He shook his head. “He… wasn’t really close with anyone, save you. It was easier for me to move them into my home, to keep them for his return.”
Rukia gave Daidukul a suspicious look before she processed what he said. “Hold up what?? Amasar was the brightest person I knew and we played plenty with the other kids! I thought...” She was gonna freaking kill Magnai if she found him and he was dead!
Daidukul looked at her. “You left. And he withdrew into himself. I don’t know what happened after he fought Magnai at the Naadam. I don’t know why he left, just that he did.”
Rukia stared at him in shock, feeling as though she’d been slapped.
He sighed, as he looked away to the mountains that protected the Azim Steppe. “Rukia. I can’t leave, my duties hold me here. But you can. I’m trusting you to be able to find him.”
“This is a wish then?” Mingxia asked, tilting her head.
Daidukul shook his head. “I make no wish. Merely ask a favor to be paid back by myself. I just want to know if he’s alive.”
“Then let it be binding. Show me, if you please, something of his, that I may know if or when we meet.”
He led the way to his yurt, and opened the door, allowing them to enter, going to a standing chest. He opened it, allowing Rukia and Mingxia to look inside. Foulques leaned against one of the support poles, arms folded over his chest.
Rukia felt tears stinging in her eyes at seeing everything packed away so neatly and protected. “You did all this...”
Daidukul nodded. “I did.”
She blinked back her tears before looking at Mingxia. “Well Xiaoming, what will work to help find my sworn brother?”
“One item that he used a lot, and one that he had recently will do nicely. That way I’ll have his aetherscent.” Mingxia replied.
Daidukul knelt, and collected the hunting bow and set of chakrams that were in the chest. Standing, he turned to give them to Rukia.
“His old hunting bow. It grew with him until he outgrew it. The chakrams he last used at the Naadam that occurred the year you left, before he began to use a new set.” He explained.
Rukia’s heart squeezed. She missed her best friend so much. “When did he leave?”
“Roughly nine summers ago.”
“NINE SUMMERS??” Rukia yelped before looking at Ming. “Xiaoming are you sure we can even find him with his aetherscent??”
Daidukul looked at her. “Rukia, he fought Magnai in the Naadam, the year Magnai turned seventeen summers. He left nearly a year later. I have heard nothing since then. I don’t even know if he’s alive, I’m just hoping he is.”
“If I can smell stars and find entire constellations blind in the middle of winter, this morsel of information is more than enough- and he is so, so much closer than the heavens." Mingxia told her before she stood stone still, staring intently at the items while her nose wiggled in a way reminiscent of a hamster. "…Marshmallows, grass, sand, the song of sunshine and fireside dance, and…the intrusion of unyielding earth?”
“Magnai’s axe...” Rukia realized.
“He fought against Magnai in the Naadam, axe to chakram. Perhaps it came from that?” Daidukul said.
Rukia looked closer at the chakrams before her eyes went wide in horror. “There’s blood on the chakrams.”
She shook her head. “We’ll find him, on that you have my word. And if I find him dead...” She glared daggers at the palace of the Dawn Throne.
