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theimperialnuisance · 7 months

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FFXIV Write 2023 || FFXIV Write info\\Prompt list\\Character info \\Master post ||

Prompt 17: You Pick (Trouble-Maker)

a person (or in this case a Chocobo) who consciously or unconsciously causes trouble

Character(s): Kien Eilath, G'raha Tia Cw: none c: Word count: 2510 Notes: so I originally wrote this for a prompt I received in my ask box and it was so fun to write but I couldn't think of a good beginning so I left it as a WIP. I finally managed to start and finish it so I thought this would be perfect for the word I chose for the free day! Read more for length <3 takes place shortly before patch 5.4!

The chronometer ticked idly as music played quietly throughout Cid’s workshop. Kien sat behind the desk, several airship blueprints were scattered in front of him as he scratched out various notes and hummed quietly to the music.

It had been just shy of a week since the Scions returned from the First and since everyone was still on rest orders from their soul rejoining, Kien found himself with ample free time he wasn’t used to having. Most of his time was spent assisting Tataru at the Rising Stones or at the Twin Adder but lately he had been occupied in the workshop, wanting to build an airship for his Free Company.

Cid was happy to get him started by lending out his old blueprints, but the project was proving to be more difficult than he thought, and the stubbornness to make progress kept him in the workshop for several bells every day. He groaned at the paper in front of him, the lines beginning to blur together from his endless starring of trying to make sense of it.

“There you are!”

Kien’s ears perked up in alert as the familiar voice of G’raha drifted into the workshop and he threw an arm over his chair to twist himself around enough to smile at the newest Scion in greeting. “Cid said you’d be here if I couldn’t find you in the Rising Stones. Have you been here all morning?”

Kien leaned back to glance at the chronometer, surprised to find so much time had passed since he first sat down to work. “I guess so,” he replied, tossing G’raha a sheepish grin. “The Twin Adder didn’t have any missions today, so I thought I’d spend the morning working on the airship…I didn’t realize it’s been several bells since I’ve been here.”

“How is it coming along?” G’raha asked as he peered down at the pile of work Kien had before him.

“Slowly,” Kien couldn’t help but let out a small, frustrated sigh. “There’s so many components to it and no two blueprints are the same…I can’t figure where to start.”

“Mayhap a walk will help?” G’raha suggested innocently as he moved behind the chair, unbeknownst to the other as he looked back down at the pile of blueprints again, shaking his head. G’raha pressed on. “It might help you clear your head, especially since I haven’t seen you take a moment for yourself since we all returned from the First.”

“This counts as time to myself,” Kien replied without missing a beat, causing the other to frown slightly in response. “I’m sure I just glanced over the wrong thing and need to start over…” He trailed away in his abstracted muttering, a frustrated sigh escaping him as he crumbled up his notes and pulled out a blank page to write on.

“You know,” G’raha began as he slowly clasped his hands around Kien’s chest from behind. “I’m fairly certain every now and then, the famed Warrior of Light and Darkness deserves a free afternoon. Especially if it means giving your mind a break from work.” He rested his chin on Kien’s shoulder, the movement bringing back a memory that caused him to chuckle. “This feels familiar, does it not?”

Kien finally looked up from the blueprints he was reading, a small unseen smile spreading across his face as he leaned into G’raha’s embrace and glanced his head to the side so he could make eye contact with him. “Yes, it does,” he replied with a laugh. “Only this time, it’s you trying to get me out of the workshop instead of me trying to drag you out of the Ocular.”

G’raha nodded his head as he leaned in closer to tighten his grasp around the unsuspecting man’s chest, his tail swishing playfully behind him. “And your intentions were so gracious that I intend to follow your example.” Before he even gave Kien a chance to process his reply, G’raha used the hold he had around Kien to drag his chair back from the desk causing the other to make a noise of surprise and protest before swiftly maneuvering himself onto the others lap, his hands now clasped loosely around Kien’s neck. “No souls at risk this time—I think the airship construction can wait a bit longer.” He peered up innocently at his partner, ears flickering a few times as he grinned.

Kien could only blink at him in amusement before chuckling. “You weren’t going to give me an option to say no, were you?” G’raha wordlessly shook his head, still grinning cheekily. The raven haired Miqo’te let out an exasperated sigh but grinned all the same. “Alright Raha, you win,” he raised his hands in a small surrender. “The rest of my afternoon is in your hands.”

“Excellent! I thought you’d say yes.” G’raha replied as he drew back to slide off Kien’s lap, the other playfully rolling his eyes. “Since you’ve been here all morning, I suspect you’ll be wanting lunch, so I took the liberty of preparing some sandwiches for us.” He turned to offer a hand for Kien to take and gently guided him to his feet, both of his hands still loosely clinging to Kien’s as they faced each other. “And since you have Nova, Blaise was kind enough to lend me her Chocobo Jester as a means for transport to our destination, if you’ve no objections?”

“Not at all,” Kien replied as he arched an eyebrow at the other in curiosity. “How long have you been planning this?”

A slight blush began to dust G’raha’s cheeks. “Oh, for a while now,” he looked away for a moment as if slightly embarrassed. “Since before you even woke me up here actually.” The blush was slowly becoming more prominent on his face. “You’ve done so much for me these past few moons; I wanted a way to repay that kindness. I know you’ve been trying to find ways to keep yourself busy while everyone recovers, but I think you deserve a day of relaxing as well…just like you had hoped for when all of this was over.” He paused for a moment, suddenly shy. “Too much?”

Kien’s expression softened as he released one of his hands from G’raha’s hold so he could cup the other’s face gently and lean in close to touch his forehead to his, his heart thrumming in his chest. “It’s perfect.” He nuzzled his head against G’raha’s who returned it in kind, both blushing and smiling in a moment of bliss. “Though, I will make one suggestion...” Kien said after they pulled away, G’raha hummed in curiosity. “I’ll take Jester and you take Nova…trust me on this.”

“Alright then,” G’raha smiled as he tugged on Kien’s hand to guide him to the door. “Shall we?”

—=—=—

They arrived at Hawthrone Hut just as the sun rose to mid-afternoon. Jester was constantly ruffling his wings in anticipation and digging his talons into the grass, letting out various whistles and chirps while Kien finished securing his barding. Beside him, Nova waited patiently for G’raha to finish his own preparations, letting out a soft ‘kweh’ in Jester’s direction as if chastising him for being so impatient.

“He’s quite energetic today, isn’t he?” G’raha looked over to Jester with a chuckle as the Chocobo playfully nipped at Kien’s hand every time he reached up to adjust the helm.

“Very much so,” Kien replied with a short laugh as he dodged his hand out of the way a few times before successfully clipping in the reins. “Even Blaise has a hard time getting him to calm down sometimes, and I imagine he’s full of energy with how little he got out of the stables while we were all away in the First.” He gave Jester’s beak a gentle pat and the Chocobo nudged Kien’s arm happily with a chirp.

“I think this ride will be good for him then.” G’raha grinned as he gently patted Nova’s beak after his preparations were finished. “Although, there might be something else that could help burn out some of that energy.” The red haired Miqo’te smirked as he swung himself up onto the saddle in one swift motion, adjusting his grip with the reins as he waited for Kien.

Kien raised an eyebrow at the other. “Oh? What’s that?” He followed G’raha’s lead, quickly grabbing the reins to keep Jester steady who once again let out a loud squawk, eager to take off now that his passenger was on the saddle.

“I think Jester knows what I’m thinking.” G’raha laughed. He leaned down to gently pat Nova’s head. “You ready Nova? We’re going to race!” Nova let out a loud squawk in eagerness and ruffled her wings.

“A race…?” Kien barely had time to adjust his grip on the reins before Jester let out a loud squawk, rearing up in eagerness and nearly knocking Kien off with the movement. “Whoa!” He quickly tightened his hold on the reins and leaned in low to keep his balance as Jester shot off down the path, picking up enough speed to whip up the leaves into the air. “Wait! Jester!” Kien tried to pull on the reins to slow Jester down again, but the bird continued to sprint, letting out a loud whistle as he tossed his head back in happiness, completely lost in his own bliss of getting to run freely.

“Kien! Wait!” He heard G’raha call out. “I didn’t say go!”

Kien glanced back to G’raha with a sheepish grin, his hair whipping his face as Jester let out a loud whistle. “Sorry! I can’t get him to slow down!” He called back, nearly losing his balance again. “You wanted to race, didn’t you?”

“Yes well,” G’raha’s voice grew closer as he finally urged Nova to move forward to which she was able to catch up quickly enough. “Traditionally, you’re supposed to wait for a ‘go’ before you race!”

Kien tossed back a grin as Jester continued his sprint, sunlight dappling on his skin as it flickered through the trees. “I don’t think Jester wants to follow traditions today!” He heard G’raha let out a playful sigh just as Jester picked up the pace again, leaving G’raha and Nova far behind as they sped through the Honey Yard. By the time Jester began to slow down and Kien was able to regain control of the reins, they had nearly made it to the Mirror Planks of the far side of the East Shroud.

G’raha and Nova weren’t too far behind in their trot and once they caught up, G’raha slowed Nova down so that she was side by side with Jester. Kien reached over to pat Nova’s head; despite not winning the race, she looked rather proud of herself for keeping pace with Jester the entire time. “Despite the unfair advantage, I concede.” G’raha teased lightly. “I suppose that’s what I get for challenging a Chocobo with too much pent-up energy.”

“He can be quite the trouble-maker,” Kien hummed in agreement, his face still flushed from the adrenaline rush. “That’s why I suggested we switch in the first place…I think we’ll have to take him out more for Blaise’s sake, so she doesn’t have to deal with impromptu races once she’s on her feet again.” Jester let out a ‘kweh’ in agreement causing Kien to chuckle as he gave him a gentle stroke through his neck feathers. “The gazebo is just up ahead…shall we stop there for lunch?”

“That’s where I had hoped to go, even if we got here a lot faster than intended.” G’raha smiled, causing Kien to laugh again. They reached the gate to the docks and Kien slid off Jester’s saddle to open the gate and allow Nova to stroll in with G’raha still on her back. Jester followed in next, heading straight for the water while Kien returned to Nova’s saddlebag to search for some greens for the two birds.

G’raha slid off Nova’s back and placed the basket of sandwiches down on the gazebo floor and turned to accept the greens from Kien to give to Nova who was eagerly eyeing them. She nudged G’raha’s arm in appreciation with a chirp as he held out the greens for her to take, a small chuckle escaping him as she eagerly accepted. With his attention diverted by Nova, the Archon hardly noticed Jester sneaking up behind him, a playful intent in his gait as he treaded carefully so as not to alert the Miqo’te.

There was a crunch of leaves, causing G’raha’s ears to flicker back to the noise but before he could turn, Nova nudged him again and he laughed. “Hey now, there’s still plenty left.” He reached down to grab more greens, failing to notice Jester right behind him until he heard the Chocobo let out a playful squawk and nudge him in the back. The sudden jolt from behind caught the Archon off guard and he stumbled forward with a gasp right toward an unsuspecting Kien who reacted with just enough time to catch him, but the impact was still strong enough to cause the two to tumble down toward the grass.

“By the twelve!” G’raha had just enough time to throw his hands out to catch himself from falling atop Kien’s chest and glanced down at the other, doing a once over to ensure there were no injuries from the fall. “Are you alright? Jester took me unaware--” He tried to begin to explain what happened, but the rest of the words died in his throat when he caught sight of Kien’s face, a lopsided smile spreading across his own. The other was laughing hysterically, so much so that he had tears beading his eyes. G’raha couldn’t help but let his own laughter overtake him as he breathlessly said, “I’ll admit, this is not how I thought this afternoon would turn out.”

Kien’s laughter finally began to subside, and he reached up to wipe away his tears before propping himself up onto his elbows. “Don’t worry,” he smiled. “This day was exactly what I needed.” He reached a hand up to cup G’raha’s cheek, lifting his face closer and G’raha leaning in until their noses barely touched. They hovered like that for a moment, hearts hammering and cheeks flushing. Kien closed his eyes as he surged forward to meet his lips with G’raha’s and the other melted into the kiss, the world fading away around them for a moment until they broke apart with breathless laughter, G’raha resting his forehead against Kien’s as Kien reached a hand up to stroke through his hair.

“Lunchtime?” Kien asked as G’raha straightened up and rolled off his hips.

“Lunchtime.” G’raha agreed as he stood up and offered a hand for Kien to take.

“Good, cause after all that excitement just now, I’m starved, and your sandwiches are my favorite!” Kien laughed, not letting go of G’raha’s hand as the two walked back over to the gazebo to enjoy their lunch and the rest of the afternoon in each other’s company.

#ffxivwrite2023 #ffxivwrite #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #kien eilath #g'raha tia #g’raha x wol #wol/g'raha #ffxiv writing #kien x g'raha #nico writes #I think this is the longest one I've done lol #but I really love it

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warlordfelwinter · 26 days

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in from the cold

[read on ao3]

~2k, wol/g'raha. endwalker spoilers. it's in from the cold. iykyk.

G'raha lowered his staff, his exhale crystallizing in the frigid air. He relaxed as he surveyed what had been a chaotic battlefield a moment ago. The alliance soldiers had managed to subdue the newly tempered Garleans and were in the process of securing them. It would be a long process to cure them all and G'raha couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it to start while the cause of this tempering was still alive.

He looked around for Fiver, suspecting the Warrior of Light would want to leave immediately to take care of the primal. As he turned, casting his gaze around the camp, he couldn't see Fiver anywhere.

"Fiver?" G'raha called, starting to walk slowly in the direction he thought he remembered Fiver heading when the fighting had started. He had lost track of him in all the chaos. "Fiver!" he called again, tail twitching as concern started to settle in his chest. He knew Fiver was more than a match for a few tempered soldiers and logically he doubted the viera had been injured, but where was he?

He spotted Alphinaud and Alisaie, who looked over as they heard his shout, and he watched them look around as well. Concern settled onto Alphinaud's face as he came to the same realization G'raha had—that he hadn't seen Fiver since the fighting had started.

"Fiver!" Alisaie shouted, heading off in a different direction than G'raha. Her call got Thancred's attention and soon enough all of the Scions were searching Camp Broken Glass, looking for any trace of their Warrior of Light.

G'raha's fear, as he searched, wasn't that Fiver was hurt or dying somewhere. It was that Fiver had decided to go after the primal on his own. Certainly he had fought similar threats alone before, but he didn't need to anymore now that the rest of them had warding scales. G'raha had to wonder if Fiver had fully realized that, or if he didn't want to put anyone else at risk. Regardless, he would have some sharp words for the viera whenever they found him.

As he rounded one of the buildings in the camp, something in the snow caught his eye. He trotted ahead, seeing a glint of metal already starting to be covered by falling flakes. G'raha's heart dropped as he got close, a frigid weight into his stomach.

It was a bow.

He stood, frozen, staring down at the bow. It was one he would know anywhere. Elegant and beautiful, belying its devastating power, crafted of wood and metal, doubling as a harp. Lovingly and fastidiously maintained by its wielder.

G'raha slowly crouched, almost afraid to touch the bow as if that would make it real. He grabbed it and picked it up, brushing the snow off. He felt sick. Fiver's bow. His instrument, his most prized possession. He went nowhere without it.

G'raha lifted his head, staring desperately around. There was no sign of Fiver, no trail to follow, no evidence of what had happened. It was as if he had just disappeared into thin air. And wherever he had gone, he was unarmed.

Fiver dragged himself through the snow, every ragged breath like shards of glass in unfamiliar lungs. He could taste blood, staining unfamiliar teeth and trickling from unfamiliar lips. Every part of this body screamed in protest as he forced it to move. He knew bones were shattered, he knew he was losing blood, he could almost feel it pooling in organs it shouldn't be. This body wouldn't last long but he had to make it last long enough.

He dragged himself, arm by painful arm, until he could crawl, until he could stumble. He would walk until he fell and then he would drag himself again. Drag, crawl, stumble, fall. Over and over. Again and again. His mind singularly focused on getting back to Camp Broken Glass.

Every time his eyes closed, he could only see the camp. He could see blood staining the snow, twisted and broken bodies. He could see his friends, torn apart by his own hands, taken by surprise. They wouldn't have time. Once they realized what was happening they wouldn't have time to react. And he knew they wouldn't stand a chance. Not against him.

So he forced himself to keep going as this stolen body fell apart around him. He had to keep going. He had to keep going.

G'raha paced, trying to remain calm. It was proving a difficult task. It had been hours and there was still no sign of Fiver. They had no way to track him, no way to know where he'd gone. Y'shtola had managed to find a faint trace of his aether and follow it to where his bow had been, but then it vanished. Everything seemed to imply Fiver had just disappeared and that terrified G'raha.

Movement caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He stopped and lifted his head, seeing a distant figure walking toward the camp. Even at such a distance, G'raha recognized him instantly and his heart leapt.

"Fiver!" he gasped, and took off running. Alisaie followed him closely, too quickly for either of them to hear Y'shtola's uncertainty.

As they neared, Fiver looked up and stopped walking.

"Where have you been?" Alisaie demanded. "We've been worried sick!"

G'raha smiled, looking Fiver over, relieved to see he was uninjured. "Now, now, all's well that ends well," he said. "Are you all right?"

Fiver looked at him, tilting his head just slightly. He smiled, but there was something wrong about it. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Alisaie asked.

Fiver glanced at her and his smile changed, widening slightly as his eyes narrowed in a strange smirk. It looked wrong and G'raha tensed. Fiver's eyes were cold. Threatening.

"...who are you?" G'raha asked, lowly.

Fiver's expression didn't change as black and red energy started to sublimate from him. A voidsent wraith manifested above him, rearing back a wickedly sharp scythe. G'raha's instincts screamed at him to move but he couldn't, frozen in place by confusion and fear.

As the voidsent swung its scythe down toward them, something slammed through it, blocking the swing and dispersing the wraith. Fiver turned, his smile vanishing into mild annoyance. G'raha glanced the other direction, seeing a Garlean military blade embedded in the snow, and then followed Fiver's gaze.

A single Imperial soldier stood, unsteady and wavering, clearly having just thrown the weapon.

"Enough, Zenos!" the soldier shouted, his voice rough, pained, furious. His voice was entirely unfamiliar, but G'raha stared at him with a cold certainty that he knew exactly who was in that body. The soldier sprinted at Fiver, who smiled again, turning to face him as he started to summon that voidsent avatar once more.

The Imperial slammed bodily into the viera, flinging him back into the snow. The dark energy faded as Fiver hit the ground. The soldier fell to his knees, gripping his head and writhing, an agonized scream ripping its way from his throat. He collapsed, prone, and stopped moving.

Fiver—Zenos got back to his feet, staring down at the unmoving Imperial, looking almost disappointed. A dark rift opened in the air above them all and Fandaniel appeared, spreading his arms as if welcoming applause.

"Sadly that is all the time we have for today! The effect has run its course and back to your own bodies you must go."

He drifted to the ground as the rest of the Scions caught up to G'raha and Alisaie, everyone drawing weapons to train on the Ascian. Fandaniel flashed a warning glance at Thancred as he stepped close, gunblade at the ready. G'raha laid a hand on his arm, stopping him. He didn't know precisely what Fandaniel had done with Fiver's soul and until it was safely back in his body he didn't want to risk angering the Ascian.

"But where are my manners!" Fandaniel said, grinning. "You have all traveled so very far and I have yet to pay my respects." He twirled his arm, bowing extravagantly. "Though in my defense, I was ill prepared to recieve so many uninvited guests. As such, preliminary entertainments were in order. A handful of tempered soldiers to hamper your progress. Refugees to command your attention while I siphoned their ceruleum from the shadows—particularly effective, that. Charitable souls that you are, you bent over backwards to aid them, heedless of the delay. Predictable to a fault. And so my plan approaches completion unhindered."

G'raha was hardly listening as the Ascian was speaking, his gaze entirely focused on the Imperial soldier lying on the ground behind him. He thought he could detect a hint of movement, breathing, beneath the dark armor, and he prayed Fiver could keep that body alive until he was back in his own.

"Anima will soon have absorbed the requisite amount of aether, and then shall come the spectacle to end all spectacles!" Fandaniel declared. "The eldest and most powerful of primals will awaken, and all shall bear witness to the Final Days!"

Behind him, the Imperial shifted. He struggled back to his knees, hands gripping a helmeted head. Zenos turned, Fiver's pale gaze looking down, empty of emotion. He stepped over, crouching in front of the Imperial, that cold smile widening on his face again. He spoke, quietly, his words clearly meant for the soul in front of him.

It was Fiver's voice that came out. Though the accent was wrong and G'raha knew it wasn't him saying the words, it still chilled him to hear them from Fiver's throat.

"The gods themselves will be my meal," he murmured. "Your dear companions my dessert. Upon this world I'll feast, and death shall follow in my wake. All your hate... all your rage... you will render unto me."

He shifted back, standing up as the Imperial collapsed again. Fandaniel snapped his fingers and he vanished at the same moment that Fiver's body suddenly went limp, collapsing to the ground.

G'raha darted forward, going first to the Imperial. He quickly checked for a pulse and found nothing and then moved to Fiver's side. His breathing was shallow and his pulse was rapid, but it was there. An exploratory pulse of healing magic found that he was uninjured.

"Y'shtola," G'raha said, and didn't need to finish the question.

"He is back where he belongs," she said, her blind gaze fixed on Fiver.

G'raha pushed Fiver's hair back from his face, hesitant to move him before he was certain his soul had settled back into his body, but equally not wanting to leave him lying in the snow for long.

Before he could make a decision, Fiver's face scrunched slightly, his brow drawing together and muscles tensing a moment before his eyes flickered open. Immediately, G'raha could tell Y'shtola was right. That cold lack of light was gone from his eyes. He looked dazed and confused for a moment before the memories of what had happened came flooding back to him. His eyes widened, filling with alarm and fear, and he lurched up, scrambling back away from G'raha. He looked at his hands and grabbed at his face and hair and ears, breathing hard.

"It's all right, you're all right," G'raha soothed.

Fiver stared at him. His gaze flicked briefly to the corpse of the Imperial and then over the Scions and back to G'raha.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked. His voice was soft and his tone told G'raha his real question. Did I hurt anyone?

"Everyone is fine, thanks to you," he murmured.

Fiver visibly relaxed, just slightly, but there was still something hollow and haunted in his gaze as G'raha helped him to his feet. He held his hand tightly, hoping to help ground Fiver as Lucia came to join them. He wished there was time to let him rest, to let him recover from being torn out of his own body, but he knew there wasn't. They needed to act now and, as Lucia spoke, G'raha could see that Fiver knew that too. His gaze emptied, expression settling into a stoic neutrality that G'raha recognized well from the First, as Fiver pushed down and buried everything that had just happened to him, preparing himself to keep going no matter what.

G'raha squeezed his hand gently, praying to any god that would listen that this would soon be over and Fiver would be given a chance to rest. He felt Fiver return the pressure as he responded in the affirmative to Lucia. The others started to head back up the hill toward the camp, going to prepare for their strike against Anima. Fiver hesitated, ducking his head to briefly press his face into G'raha's hair. G'raha turned his head, pushing his own face against Fiver's shoulder.

"I have your bow," he said, instead of many other things he wanted to say.

Fiver nodded as he shifted back. He said nothing as they walked back to Camp Broken Glass, but he kept his hand linked with G'raha's, holding onto him tightly like a lifeline.

#the thing i was writing in cute sunset gradient #ffxiv #fic #oc: fiver #wol/g'raha #endwalker spoilers #mostly g'raha pov but a lil fiver #on some level i'm always thinking about this quest and this moment

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