Anon needs to learn that blocking "for no discernable reason" is one of the given rights of social media. And it doesn't have to be discernible to anyone but the person tapping the Block button.

Hiya @lynmars79! I was actually just reading (or re-reading technically) some of your past FFXIV Write stuff that you reblogged recently. Thanks for the ask.

I'm gonna do this for both Franks and Dahkar. Franks because I think I've got some good responses for this and Dahkar because I haven't written much about him lately and I think it'll help push me creatively with him.

Let's start with Franks

Franks is EXTREMELY meticulous about his daily cleaning

None of the other Warriors of Light of mine have as extensive or time consuming of a getting ready for the day ritual as Franks does. He spent many a year with a body that was in extremely bad shape, and now that he's essentially had the clock turned back, he takes extremely good care of it, especially with cleaning. He's paranoid about not smelling like...well, sickly rot, like he used to. Sweat and body odor don't bother him, it's just a sign of living, but anything worse than that he's extremely paranoid about avoiding.

Prior to the end of the base Shadowbringers MSQ, he would spent about 85% of his downtime tinkering with Magitek. Since then he's almost completely shifted to spending that time studying and trying to push the boundaries of Arcanima.

Franks has always known that alternate realities were a thing (because he comes from one, even if no one else knows that yet) but the events of the Dying Gasp (covered in my fic Champions from Beyond the Rift) confirmed to him something that he'd only seen theory of: there are other versions of the Source and Shards out there, and he's determined to find a way to explore them. His work towards achieving this end is still entirely theoretical, and he hasn't quite solved the problem of acquiring the necessary energy to pull this off without use of the Crystal Tower, but as of now it's passed magitek as his current thing to focus on when the world isn't in peril.

Franks has detailed and well planned out routine for checking in on all the people involved in the Custom delivery system.

Once a week, Franks will check in on a pre-determined set of the Custom Delivery NPCs, make sure they have all they need and make anything they might require. One week will have him check in on Zhloe and Adkiragh in Idyllshire, then teleport over to Ishgard to check in on Ehll Tou and Count Charlemend. The next week he'll drop in on M'naago, speak with Kurenai via linkpearl (we'll get more into that in a sec), and then hop over to the First to help out Kai-Shirr.

This repeats like clockwork, unless Franks is otherwise busy saving the world, but he makes sure to let everyone know if he is indisposed.

Now we'll move on to Dahkar

Dahkar serves as the Scion's unofficial ambassador to Othard and spends one day a week checking in on their allies there, taking care of whatever they need.

He'll start the day off teleporting to the Doman Enclave, meeting with Hien and Yugiri and helping out with anything they need. From there he'll teleport up to the Steppe and check in with the Qestir in Reunion, then fly over to the Mol and the Dotharl. Usually he's with the Dotharl for an extended time, trying to talk Sadu into progressing them from simple marauders to protectors of the Steppe, and having to literally battle her just to get her to listen. He very pointedly DOES NOT check in with Magnai unless Magnai seeks him out, which irritates the Oronir khatun greatly. Finally, he'll head over to Sui-no-Sato to speak with the Ruby Princess, bringing them whatever Franks has provided them for the week. Kurenai and Hisui always test him with their whole "which of us is which" game, and he's yet to fail it. They've got a tell he spots every time, but he won't say what.

Dahkar spars with the Junior Scions regularly

Dahkar enjoys hanging out with the Junior Scions quite a bit and likes sparring with anyone who feels they need some practice. He'll let them set the terms, including on if he wields sword, spear, or conjury against them. He hasn't had a chance to cross blades with J'moldva yet, however, and he really wants that chance.

Dahkar collects greatswords

I’m glad you asked! “middle finger” is the title of my Fuck You, Werlyt fix-it fic I started back in 5.1.

Honestly this is more of a "save Raubahn and Cid from character assassination while also giving Alyx a chance to say what we're all thinking" type of fix-it rather than actually changing the plot. It’s literally just therapy.

this is gonna be a long one so buckle up, kiddos! (gonna tag @scholarlostintime as they asked for this one, too!)

so for everyone else: Legends of the Five Rings started as a TCG, got turned into an RPG with four editions, then the game ended, then the IP got sold and the game rebooted as an LCG (which is ending again) and a new RPG. I don’t play the card games, and my interest in the RPG currently is mostly “okay how I do turn FFG’s fucking stupid hard-on for custom dice into a system I want to actually play.” BUT I fucking love the setting. like, A WHOLE DAMN LOT, and have seen I was like...thirteen or fourteen.

tl;dr L5R is a Fantasy Japan setting (like, Heian Era-style court politics, Tokugawa Era-style military/samurai culture, a bunch of other things) with some various other Far Eastern elements thrown in. this setting was originally developed by predominately white men in the nineties, and the early setting fluff definitely hasn’t aged well; my issues with FFG’s dice systems aside, they’ve done a great job making the setting both more egalitarian, friendly to players of all kinds, and respecting the culture the setting draws from. (with the caveat they still do some things I sigh very heavily about but that’s a discussion for another day.)

(aside: yes I realize how funny it is how much I love L5R while also having zero personal interest in exploring FFXIV’s Far East in my own fic or headcanon. I think it’s because especially Kugane/Hingashi is a bit too much of 1:1 match to real world Japan to ping at my worldbuilding interests, whereas L5R is very much its own beast and fun to chew on.)

so a big thing in the setting is that the county of Rokugan is basically divided up amongst seven Great Clans (and many assorted Minor Clans) under the Imperial Dynasty, and each Clan takes its name and symbol from an animal. the Great Clans are: Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Scorpion, and Unicorn. each clan and the major family lines that compromise them have their own stereotypes about them (Crane are the courtiers, Lion are the military experts, Phoenix are the primary priest-magic users, etc). when FFG launched the LCG and new RPG, I basically ended up shooting the shit with one of my friends about hypotheticals of which clans our characters (FFXIV and original) would fit with each clan, and then NPCs and characters from other media, and it spiraled out of control from there. for non-OCs, we didn’t bother to try to find one-to-one matches for the stories, but instead focused more on which clan/family fit the personality best and then went from there.

so, “l5r au except make it crab” is the variation where we put all of our OCs in the Crab Clan specifically. the Crab Clan is one of the clans we both really love (my other top favorites being Unicorn and Scorpion): their conceit is that they guard the southern border of Rokugan against the demons and undead of the Shadowlands, using sheer brawn, tactical ingenuity, and engineering genius (including an enormous fortification known as the Carpenter Wall that spans the breadth of most of the southern border). they have no time for the pretty niceties of the Crane and are considered very coarse and uncouth.

they look into the literal mouth of hell day after day, month after month, year after year, and have done so for a thousand years, with no expectation or reward. it is their duty, and they will see it fulfilled.

Three useless (or not? idk) headcanons, Althea Edition ^^

1. Althea met her husband Lachlan when they were interns at the Aetherochemical Research Facility when they were teenagers. They worked in Automachina Research (the first part of the dungeon) because his dad was head of the second area and her mom was head of the third and they'd promised themselves that they would never work under their parents.

2. The only thing she doesn't remember in present day is agreeing to let her father clone her after Lachlan's death in a rogue chimera attack when it became apparent that Xande was starting to lose it.

3. Althea refuses to wear anything blue because that was Lachlan's favorite color and she still misses him to this day.

Also have one extra:

From this ask meme, thank you :D

No, not really. There used to be, but I  have found out over time that writing is an excellent tool for me to delve into topics I find difficult because it allows me complete control over HOW to tackle them and bring out the focus I specifically want.

All of the honey she uses in her home baking and for her meads comes from Meryn’s hives that he keeps at their grandmother’s stationary vardo. Most of her eggs are sourced from his chickens that live out there, too. She’s fairly convinced they’re better tasting than anything she could get in the city. 

( send me a 👀 and i’ll post a snippet of art/writing that i never got around to finishing this year (r.i.p) )

:3c Well, two snippets! One 5.0 and one somewhere 5.3-5.5.

First one between Y’shtola and Thancred during the celebrations at the Crystarium at the end of 5.0. Got stuck on the dialogue since I haven’t written much of Y’shtola, nevermind from her perspective.

---

“With the way you are looking at her, half the Crystarium will catch on to the two of you by night’s end.”

To his credit, Thancred did not startle when Y’shtola spoke up just before approaching the table he had taken to momentarily occupy.

Though some of the finer details of his form were lost to her aetheric vision, she saw him turn his head to give her an incredulous look at her as she gathered her skirts around her and settled down in the empty chair next to him. “I have not the slightest idea what you’re speaking of.”

“Feigned ignorance suits you ill,” she rebuked him.

Thancred raised an eyebrow. “I’m merely keeping an eye on Ryne and the twins.”

Y’shtola snorted. On her way over she had caught sight of the young Oracle’s bright form, flanked by the familiar shapes of the twins, in the opposite direction of where he had been looking. “Yet your gaze and steps trails after someone else, looking for all the world like a lost puppy.”

“Hey now, Shtola-”

“You’re even drinking water,” she observed, the lack of alcoholic scent directly from his vicinity a dead give-away.

Thancred shrugged. “Thought I’d change things up for once.”

“I’m certain Urianger’s needling has naught to do with your decision.”

There was a sour look on his face as he gave her a sidelong glance, then his eyes softened slightly and the corner of his lips curled with a teasing smile. “Won’t Runar miss you, master Matoya?”

Clicking her tongue, she tapped his arm. “That’s enough cheek from you, thank you.”

Snorting, he shook his head. “You’re the one who came over here and began interrogating me.”

“Not interrogating,” she replied as she crossed one leg over the other and rested her elbows on it while letting her eyes sweep over the throngs of people celebrating the night’s permanent return. The familiar bright blue hue of Viana’s aether, no longer obscured and overwhelmed by the searing Light, was easy enough to spot, shining brightly amidst all the other shapes. “Merely thought I’d take this opportunity to voice some friendly concerns in regards to our dear friend.”

She could all but sense Thancred grow tense and still next to her. His voice was even and neutral as he replied, “Here to voice your disapproval, are you?”

----

Second under the cut.