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Race: Miqo'te, Seeker of the SunBirthday: 04/08Age: Late 20s/Early 30sGuardian: Nald'thalNicknames: EliJobs: Bard, Summoner, Reaper (AU). Knows a little of each job.Favorite Colors: Purple, Black, Grey, RedStyle: Casual, Comfy, GothPersonality: Sassy, Sarcastic, Fiercely loyal, but does not share her feelings easily.Sexuality: PansexualPronouns: She/herShips with: Hancock, Emet-Selch, Nald'thal, Hythlodaeus (AU), Orcus (AU), Estellise Lunaren (AU)

Random Facts

◙ Likes: cooking, food, tea, reading, holidays, crisp fall days, snow, stargazing◙ Dislikes: fire, being alone, ketchup, asking for help, being hailed as a hero/being put on a pedestal◙Plays well with: Y'shtola, Thancred, Alisaie, Ryne, Gaia◙ Burn survivor◙ Has PTSD in the form of nightmares and nervous tendencies. Lashes out when people stand behind her too long◙ Azem named Persephone◙ Soul resembles a very pale blue opal. Even after rejoining with Ardbert on the First, her soul still carries thousands of tiny cracks due to housing the Light. When the light hits it, it shines like a kaleidoscope of soft colors.◙Scars include: claw marks across her back, burn scars down her thighs, a long slash across her chest, a small line across her nose.◙ Is not comfortable showing her burn scars to people, and tends to cover up from neck to feet when out in public. If you know about them, you are one of less than a dozen.◙Does not know her family aside from her mother, who is now deceased.◙ Has the legacy tattoo (ARR), a sleeve tattoo of purple flower petals on her right arm (STB+), and Nald'thal's cowrie mark on her left shoulder (post Myths of the Realm)

Story

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Early Life & 1.0

Eli does not know or remember much about her early life. She lived with her single mother apart from any tribe and was not given a name that follows the standard miqo'te naming conventions. She knows nothing of her father or any possible siblings she might have.From what she can gather, her mother ran from her tribe while pregnant or just after she was born, but she doesn't know why. They settled in a small, rural town, far away from any big cities, etc, where they mostly lived a quiet life as to not turn any heads. Her mother worked as a seamstress, repairing gear and clothing from adventurers that would pass through. She was a very guarded woman who did not like to show her weaknesses, even to Eli.Despite it all, Eli and her mother were very close. They had traditions for every holiday. Together they would carve pumpkins, make caramel apples from scratch, decorate for Starlight together, color eggs. Even into adulthood, Eli still practices these traditions, even though her mother is no longer around.Eli was also quite religious in her youth, paying homage to Nald'thal, but as she grows and becomes the Warrior of Light, she begins to lose her faith in the Twelve, believing that if they do exist, they can't be anything more than primals.In her teens, her mother started to get sick, but tried to hide it as well as she could. She started to fear for Eli's safety once she was gone and began paying for lessons in combat for her daughter, who was a natural with the bow.Her mother's passing in her early 20s kickstarted her adventurer life, as in final year her mother began to regret sheltering Eli the way that she did. She wanted her to go out and see the world and experience things she was unable to. Eli left everything behind for the sake of this life, only keeping a few small trinkets her mother left behind.She met the Scions, and participated in everything that led up to the fall of Dalamud and the Battle of Carteneau. Before the battle, knowing his reputation for being somewhat of a playboy, she sought out Thancred for her first time, not wanting to die before she had a chance to experience it. She knew that he would thoroughly take care of her.During the battle, she is transported five years into the future and has the legacy tattoo stamped between her shoulder blades as a sign of her journey.

A Realm Reborn

After being thrown through time, Eli was almost immediately thrust back into the position of Warrior of Light without a moment to catch her breath. She is also thrown for a loop when none of her previous companions recognize her, especially Thancred.However, most everything happens as it does in canon until she gets to the Bowl of Embers for the first time.Unable to truly orient herself to this new world, get her bearings, and still reeling from her confusion, she still faces the Lord of the Inferno against her better judgement. She is able to defeat him with the help of her party members, but after firing off a too-powerful attack spell, Ifrit's attention turns to her. She turns to run much to late, and he swipes his gigantic fiery claws across her back, burning her thighs and leaving a long gash across her back.Her healer was able to stopper her wounds so Thancred was able to get her back to the closest Aetheryte and to a doctor. She had an extended stay in the infirmary at Drybone, where she spent weeks healing with Thancred at her side, whom she forced to keep quiet about the scars, much to his dismay.After the Praetorium, when the veil was lifted and the Scions remembered who she was again, Thancred apologizes profusely to Eli for not being able to recognize her and, for a very long time, regrets his role to play in her receiving those scars.

Heavensward

Everything happens as it does in canon until Haurchefant's death. They were never romantically involved, even though Edmont wanted them to marry, but they were very close friends.Eli felt so guilty after his death that she couldn't face the Count, and opted instead to disappear from House Fortemps and stay in an inn room in Ishgard instead, until she finished her duty and could leave quietly.One day while she was out and about, however, she ran into Edmont and realized that she couldn't avoid him any longer. He invited her to tea, where they sat down and had a heart-to-heart. She told him that she felt responsible for his son's death, and she didn't think he'd ever want to see her again. He told her that he missed her, and that he didn't blame her for Haurchefant's death. That he still and would always love her as a daughter, and that he wanted her to come home.She agreed to move back into the manor, and though he never legally adopted her as his daughter, he continued to treat her no differently that his own children, including buying her a home in the Lavender Beds so she would have a place to lay her head after her adventures.

Stormblood

Mostly everything happens as it does in canon. During the expansion, Eli really comes to pity Zenos. She finds that she can heavily relate to him very well as they both seem to lead a sad and lonely life, elevated by all of those around them and unable to find any true fulfillment that they are so desperately seeking. She feels that if they had they met under different circumstances, maybe they could really have been friends, but that was not what fate had decided.The only exception to canon is that when Eli meets Hancock, they eventually hit it off. She was very untrusting of him at first, but as he proved himself to the Scions, she softens up around him. They become close friends, then friends-with-benefits, slowly falling in love with each other until the Exarch brings her to the First.

Shadowbringers

She was brought over by the Exarch, and canon happened as it is in game.Then, Emet-Selch appeared. At first, she wanted to hate him. She tried to hate him. He was everything she was supposed to be against. But she found that she couldn't. She felt oddly connected to him in a way that she couldn't explain nor understand.Their relationship started slowly. He would come to her room at night simply wanting to feel something. She was a shadow of his Azem, afterall, and he would know her anywhere. Most nights, they would just talk and sometimes hold each other. Eli was incredibly hesitant at first, but gradually she began to let her walls down and let him get to know her. And though he keeps his feelings for her bottled up, he does reveal things about himself too.Eventually, they started doing more things together during her time off. She taught him to cook, and he took her to different theatre productions in Eulmore. She taught him about Eorzean customs and holidays, as well as the traditions she practiced with her mother. He taught her Garlean ones as well, and told her stories from ancient times.And the more time he spent with her, the more he began to fall in love with who she had become now, which confused him greatly since previously, he had not considered any of the sundered to be truly alive. And even though he didn't want to admit it, he began desperately wanting to find another way to heal the world, if only for her.When their relationship became more physical and he noticed her scars, Eli finally opened up to him about them. She told him about each of them- how she was struck across the nose by an aurelia the first time she met Y'shtola on the ship bound for Limsa(1.0 opening cutscene), and most importantly, about the encounter with Ifrit. He offered to erase the scars from her body, but though she still prefered to keep them covered, she decided to keep them, because they were a reminder of everything that brought her to where she was now, to him.And though she felt horrible throughout her journey in the First, feeling used and stuffed full of Light, and despite being forced to hide her relationship with the Ascian in fear of how her friends would react, she was the happiest she'd ever been in her life.During this time, she also obtained her latest scar. While out in the field, she and the Scions discovered an A rank in Lakeland, Nariphon. They were not really equipped to fight it however, and it whipped her across the chest with its vines, opening up a gaping wound. Eli lost consciousness and the Scions were barely able to defeat it. Urianger was able to close the wound enough to get the bleeding to stop, and they took her back to the Crystarium for more specialized help.In the end, of course, as canon goes, Eli's hand was forced, and she had to kill Emet-Selch. Once he was gone, she spiraled into a deep, guilt-ridden depression, withdrawing from everyone, and only going through the motions, feeling as if a huge part of her is now missing, which only intensified when she was also forced to kill Elidibus.After she returned to the Source for good, Hancock noticed how hurt she is over what happened with not only Emet, but Elidibus too. They talked, and mutually decided to end the physical side of their relationship for the time being, until Eli was able to heal and figure out what she really wanted.

Endwalker

Endwalker happened very quickly after Eli came back from the First, giving her next to no time to truly grieve her losses.After learning what she did in the First about Hydaelyn, Eli was really suspicious of Her. She was annoyed with the Scions, and especially angry with G'raha for the way that he used her and ruined the state of her soul. She was uncomfortable around him, and hated that he put her on a pedestal as some great, amazing hero. After everything with Emet-Selch, and knowing he wanted to find another way, she lost all confidence in herself. She was unable to make his wish a reality, and though she loved him, she also killed him. She felt like a failure, and she was bitter that this was her fate.But though she felt the way that she does, she was still committed to her duty: to save the world. So while she remained somewhat friendly with them, she still kept her distance.When she went to Elpis, her spirits were lifted when she is able to meet Emet-Selch again, and the real Hythlodaeus, and accompany them during their venture, learning small bits about her past self. She thought that, maybe, despite Elidibus' warnings, that there could be a way to save them both.As she continued her trek through the past, she found that she was very wary of Venat. While she pitied the pain and suffering she had to go through, she was also still very sour about how her soul was used. She did feel like her life had been worthwhile because she was able to save the world and help people, but she was really angry that it had been at the cost of herself.Unfortunately, Eli lost hope after Ktisis, realizing that in the end, even though they knew how bleak the future looked, change would never be possible, and that everything would still remain the same.When Hydaelyn gifted her the power to give form to those without, she felt hope blossom in her chest once more. She knew with this she could bring back Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus.In the end, however, they still decide to leave, and she was crushed. She understood why they wanted to rest, that this world wasn't for them anymore, but the rejection didn't hurt any less. Emet-Selch told her to live before he disappeared, though she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to.After the fight with Endsinger, she squared up against Zenos, and after their fight, she died and stepped into the Lifestream. There, Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and all of her friends that have gone before were waiting for her. For the first time, she felt at peace, and ready to be done with the pain that her life had dealt her.But behind her, she heard crying, and she turned back to the mortal world to see the Scions hovering over her body, begging her to come back, trying desperately to revive her. She remembered Emet-Selch's last words to her, and decided she needed to go back, that she wasn't finished with her life. She regretted being so cold to her friends throughout their journey, and she needed them to know that she still loved them, even after everything she has been through.And in that moment, she knew it would be hard. She knew that she would be in tremendous pain before she could truly heal. But, for the first time in a long time, she truly wanted to live.So, she turned back to Emet-Selch, who smiled knowingly, and nodded. And she woke up on the ship.

Post-Endwalker

After dying and coming back to life on the Ragnarok, Eli promptly lost consciousness again, her wounds keeping her on the line between life and death. Urianger and Alphinaud did what they could, but the moment they landed in Sharlayan, Thancred rushed her off of the ship and into the hands of the Sharlayan healers, who brought her back from the brink of death.Hancock was at her side when she woke in a panic, and he assured her that all of the Scions had returned in one piece, but then she remembered that Emet-Selch had decided to leave despite his love for her and she fell into a deep depression.Worried for her, Hancock entreated Emmanellain to take her back to Ishgard for the remainder of her recovery, so that she could be with her family while she mourned her loss, but after a few weeks, she couldn't take it anymore and fled back to her house in the Lavender Beds, where she locked herself in, only emerging when she was needed.But finally, she was called to assist the Students of Baldesion and Deryk in the Omphalos and things began to start changing for her.She met Nald'thal, her patron deity and the member of the Twelve she most idolized in her youth. She was very wary of them at first, for she lost her faith many years before, and kept her distance, assuming they couldn't be anything more than primals. She did not want to suffer anymore heartbreak, so she tried to keep her distance.But the twin gods were drawn to her immediately and in a moment of selfish curiosity, they peered inside of her soul during their fight, only to find just how incredibly sad and lonely she was. They saw how diminished her soul was, and they worried for her once she left. They sought her out at her house to make sure that she was alright, though she was anything but.And though she was scared that they would only leave her once they realized how far gone she really was, they convinced her to open up to them about her feelings, and her scars, and promised that no matter what, they would never leave her.Slowly, she gave herself over to them, letting their love heal her broken heart, and in return, taught them about mortal love and companionship in a way they had never experienced before.But, soon after, she was nearing the end of her battles with the Twelve. Nald'thal, knowing that they planned on leaving with the rest of them, decided that it was not fair to Eli to just up and leave after the relationship they had shared and what they had promised her. And after meeting Hancock, they could see something still between them, even if they weren't currently acting on their feelings.So, they prepared Eli and Hancock for their eventual departure, going so far as to weigh the sincerity of Hancock's soul to make sure they were leaving her in the hands of someone who would love her and treat her well.Eli was very sad that they were leaving, and after fighting Eulogia, they lingered behind to say goodbye to her. She asked them if they were sure that this was what they wanted, and they confirm that this had been the plan all along. She nodded and said that she understood, and that she just wanted them to be happy and at peace. She hugged them, and wished them well and watched as they dispersed into aether, to join the rest of their compatriots in the lifestream.But when Oschon decided to stay, they were suddenly conflicted. Their bretheren noticed this, and encouraged them to stay behind as well-as one man, for one lifetime, so they could be with her.

Media

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Fic

Songs

Videos & Readings

Art

Refs

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• Other Forms

Face & Body

• Ref Sheet by @Dazzlingend

Hair

Outfits

Accessories & Minions

Nails

GPOSE

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Eli

Ships

Friends

Other Forms

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• Eliniel

Azem - Persephone

Corrupted (Reaper AU)

Voidsent - Lillith

Ships

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Hancock

After meeting him in Kugane, Eli was extremely wary of him. She thought for a while that he was only looking out for himself, but after he was willing to help the Scions free Gosetsu, she started to soften to him. He still held her at arms length, though, until one night. After sharing a meal with the Scions, and once they had all departed but he and Eli, they began to talk. After a while, he felt comfortable enough to take off his glasses, faking the need to clean the lenses. For him, it was a big deal to show someone his face, as it was something of a mask for him to hide behind. She realized that she had never seen him without them until that moment, and she understood and was grateful to him.From there, their relationship evolved. They became very close friends, and from there, friends-with-benefits. He was the first person she ever voluntarily spoke to about her scars, and he was the first person to give her any type of real sexual relationship. In return, he showed her who he truly was behind the glasses. He took her trust in him very seriously and he wanted to make sure to take good care of her.At some point during StB, he used his connections to get her an appointment with Kugane's best tattoo artist, who gave her a sleeve of purple and pink lillies, commissioned by Hancock himself.They continued on with their relationship until she was brought over to the First by the Exarch. He worried for her immensely when she disappeared, but she sent Feo Ul to relay a message to him that she was fine, and she would return when she could.After Shadowbringers, however, and once she returned to the Source, she visited him and he saw how torn up she was about having to kill the Emet-Selch, especially after sharing a deeply emotional love affair with him. He was able to read her immediately, and even though he loved her very much, he also knew that he wasn't what she wanted or needed at that time and they mutually decided to break it off for the time being but continued to remain close friends.He continued to worry for her throughout Endwalker, knowing she didn't really have time to grieve and had a penchant for running into danger head-on, but made sure to deliver the materials requested in person on the docks of Sharlayan so he had a chance to see her before she left for her final battle. She was overjoyed to see him, and they spent many hours talking before they ultimately had to say goodbye.After she returned from Ultima Thule, she was entirely different. He was one of the first to see her in the infirmary while she was recovering, but she was quiet and listless, even around him. He didn't want to push it, but reminded her of the promise she'd made to lean on him before returning to Kugane. But even after she had fully healed and had been released, she didn't come to see him. She didn't feel like it would be right to bother him about how tragic her "true" love had been and regretted leaving him the way that she did, and so she shut herself into her house to suffer in silence. He sent letters and even offered to bring her back to Kugane for some time away but everything went unanswered which increased his worry tenfold, so he started planning some time off to go see her until she randomly showed up one day and apologized to him. They had a heart-to-heart and she explained everything to him: that she was in a very bad place, she didn't want to whine to him, and was, truthfully, just unable to even pick up her pen to reply. He asked what changed, and she told him that she had been forced out on an adventure and had met someone who was helping pull her out of the dark place she was in.He was upset with her at first, simply because he had been so worried, and he told her so. He was mad because she had promised him that they would try to be better together, but when it came to it, she still felt like she couldn't talk to him because of the previous relationship that they had shared. He reminded her that their friendship always came first to him, and that he promised he would always be there for her no matter what, and he intended to stay true to that. She apologized again and promised to never make him worry like that again. They hugged, and then he began asking about her new partner, insisting that he be able to meet them and make sure that they would treat her right. She laughed, and told him the truth about Nald'thal, and promised to take him to meet them.When she does, Nald'thal immediately recognizes that he still has feelings for her and, though somewhat muted and buried deep down inside her, they can tell she still loves Hancock as well. So, when Myths of the Realm is nearing its conclusion, they confide in Hancock that when she is finished fighting them all, they will have to leave and they weigh his soul to make sure that he is worthy of taking their place when they are gone.Hancock in enraged by this, telling them that it isn't fair to Eli that they will just up and leave her after knowing what she had been through. They agreed with him, and had already made plans to tell her but she was at a point in her life where she didn't need them anymore and it was time to go and find her own happiness. They assured Hancock that his love for her is not one-sided, but he reminded them that she also had happiness with them. They felt bound by the agreement they made with the other members of the Twelve, to return to the star once their duty has been fulfilled.Saddened by this, Hancock unwillingly conceded, but made them promise they would tell her soon, so that she could prepare for their departure. They agree.He was there when they tell her, and she was angry at them for not telling her from the start. They left her be for the time being, to go back to the Omphalos and prepare for their end while Hancock stayed behind to comfort her. Through this, they began to find each other again, and Hancock managed to convince her not to be angry with them for long; that even though them not wanting to hurt her was not an excuse to keep her in the dark, they still did love her and only wanted what was best for her, which was why they were trying to fix it now before actually leaving. Showing him how much she had grown as a person since the end of Endwalker, she agreed with him and forgave Nald'thal, but was still sad.She brought Hancock with her to the Omphalos to say goodbye after the final battle with Eulogia, where she finally asked Nald'thal if returning to the star was really what they wanted. They assured her that it was what was planned, but began to have second thoughts. At the very last second, they decided they wanted to stay, so they came back as a mortal man to stay with both her and Hancock.

Emet-Selch

WIP

Nald'thal

After her quest to save the star was concluded and Eli returned home, she fell into a deep depression, holing up in her house as she (badly) attempted to heal her body and her soul.She is coaxed back out by Krile and G'raha to go on a mission to discover and study one of the mysteries of the realm- something Emet-Selch had told her to do before he went back into the Lifestream.Together they are led into the Omphalos, where she was charged with defeating members of the Twelve. During the battle with Nald'thal, when the twin gods were weighing the souls of those in attendance, they took a deeper peek into her soul, curious to find out what the Warrior of Light was truly made of.What they found surprised them, and broke their heart. What they found was suffocating sadness and a loneliness so deep that it diminished the quality of her very being. And even after their truth was revealed and she left their domain, going home for the day, they worried for her. They sympathized with her.And hours later, after debating with themselves for a long while, they followed her, finding her alone in her otherwise empty house. They peered inside of her again, finding flashes of a happy, fulfilled life so different in comparison to how they now fount her. So, they knocked on her door.Eli was wary at first, deflective and distant. She did not think herself worthy of attention from any of the Twelve, yet alone her patron deity. She was terrified of being left alone again, and couldn't handle another heartbreak.However, they convinced her to share her feelings and fears with them, promising that they would never leave her alone again, and making it their mission to convince her to see the strength and beauty within her, no matter how long it took.They began to fall in love with each other from that moment and this helped open Eli's heart up to truly heal and move on from Emet-Selch. Their bond helped Nald'thal come to terms with the fact that they, too, were lonely in their Heaven of Fire, and that a love like this was something that they had never considered for themselves, bound to their duties as they were, but yearned for nonetheless.However, as the conclusion of her quest drew near, they began to panic. Their love affair was never meant to go as far as it had, nor as quickly as it had. They loved her deeply, but they also still felt bound by duty and felt that it wasn't fair to her to keep her in the dark about their imminent departure from the star.But upon meeting Hancock and how she interacts with him, they realize that perhaps they were only a stepping stone for her while her heart healed. They believe her to be ready to go off and find her own happiness, no matter how sad it made them feel.They told her and Hancock that when she is done fighting all Twelve of them, that their duty to the star is done and they made a pact with the other gods to return to the star afterwards. Eli was very angry with them at first, so they left her to sort out her feelings. After a while she came to them and apologized for her anger and explained that she felt somewhat betrayed by them after the things that they promised her but she understood that they were attempting to make it right by her. Nald'thal also apologized, explaining that they thought they would have much more time with her and they never had any intention of hurting her this way. They hugged, and she said she knows, and that while she didn't want them to leave at all, she especially didn't want them to leave thinking she was still angry with them.When the day came, they lingered behind the rest of the Twelve to say their final goodbyes. Eli was sad but understanding, and they were immensely proud of her growth since they first met her. She asked them if they were sure that they wanted to go, and they told her that it was a pact made long ago by all of the gods. With a nod, she wished them peace and they dispersed to head to the lifestream with the rest of their compatriots.However, when Oschon decided to stay, they also began to have second thoughts. The other members of the Twelve encouraged them to stay if they wanted, to live as one man and to have one last lifetime with Eli. They thanked the others and appeared back in the Omphalos to join her and Hancock, and live happily with them.

Orcus (AU)

After the events of the Reaper storyline, Orcus' soul lingered on the Source, seeking out Eli's massive stores of aether and buried emotion. He followed her back to her inn room in Ul'dah, wanting to make a deal with her. He insisted that if he had swallowed her in one go, as he would have any other normal mortal, it would be extraordinary at first, but any to come after would be utterly unfulfilling. So, he offered her his powers in exchange for letting him feed off of her in small amounts- a symbiotic relationship, of sorts.After debating with herself for a moment, she warily accepted and summmoned forth her voidsent. Orcus merged himself with it, becoming her avatar instead.They became a wild and malevolent force of nature together, plowing down every obstacle before them with Drusilla none the wiser.Though, just as Rullus did, Eli began giving over too much of herself to the void and her body began showing signs of the corruption. It wasn't much at first—eyes turning black in anger, claws appearing out of nowhere and black decay creeping up her arms and legs.She was too powerful for Orcus to take over like he did the Garlean—nor did he want to, this time. In fact, he was even somewhat terrified of her.And instead of consuming her, he helped unleash her on the world to take it over, together.Eventually, she turned completely, transforming into Lillith, the succubus Queen of Corruption.

Estellise (AU)

Eli and Est, another of Hydaelyn's blessed, met many years before A Realm Reborn as rookies in Gridiania- an archer and a conjurer. They grew very close, the best of friends, and were hardly ever seen apart. While Eli was the brawn, Est was the brains, hardly ever venturing out onto the battlefield unless it was at the behest of her friend.During the Battle of Carteneau, Eli and Est got separated on the field, called away to go help the wounded, before Eli was transported into the future by Louisoix. Est spent quite a long time assuming her friend had died and mourning the loss. She held on to the linkpearl that they shared, holding out hope. But after a while, she tossed it in a drawer.Est moved away, mostly and purposefully losing contact with the Circle of Knowing, focusing instead on learning a new discipline and becoming a Scholar.Five years after the battle, she began hearing of a new up-and-coming Warrior of Light, and though descriptions of the hero varied, she heard some that were similar to that of her long-lost friend. Around the same time, she began hearing the linkpearl, hidden away in a drawer, crackle to life, but she thought she was hearing things- until she was sent to meet this champion, who was in need of a strong healer to join her on the ship to fight Leviathan.Eli and Est reunite and catch up. Eli brings her back to the Scions, and they continue to adventure together. During this time, Est begins falling for Eli, but says nothing, not wanting to ruin their friendship.During Shadowbringers, due to her strong connection to Eli, Est can hear the call and is one of the warriors the Crystal Exarch summons to help Eli defeat Hades. Given her closeness to Eli and the Scions, Est is permitted to remain on the First for a while longer, and helps to comfort a distraught Eli. They catch up on everything that Est has missed, and she realizes that there was maybe something more there when it came to Emet-Selch.Est decides to put up a wall and keep her distance emotionally, not wanting to act on her feelings while Eli is grieving and returns back to the Source, albeit somewhat bitterly.When the Scions return, Est stays behind to care for them, though Eli returns to the first to tie up some loose ends. When the others have recovered and departed, she decides to drunkenly take Thancred up on an offer for some company, but he talks her out of it and she breaks down, telling him everything. He comforts her, and tells her to give Eli some time. That they are both incredibly dense, but their love for one another is obvious to everyone else.Eventually, Eli confesses as well, and they become the cutest girlfriends in all of Eorzea.

Hythlodaeus (AU)

Before the world was sundered by Hydaelyn, Hades, Hythlodaeus, and Persephone were the best of friends, though much of their time together was spent teasing each other. Hythlodaeus and Persephone were relentless to each other, flirting back and forth so obviously that even Hades took notice. Sadly, though, the world went to hell and they were never able to confess their feelings to each other- one of Hyth's only regrets before sacrificing himself to Zodiark.But when Eli uses the Azem stone to summon them back, he recalls their time together in Elpis, and though she is not and never will be Persephone, he refuses to make that mistake again. He feels that, given the opportunity, he could fall in love with who she has become now. So, while Hades rests in the Lifestream, Daeus opts says behind to see if there is possibly anything there.They take it very slowly-just friends, at first. But it grows, and blossoms, and flourishes, and Hythlodaeus finds himself truly falling in love with Eli as she is, and she in return.This is a very lo-fi ship. Cozy, comfy, warm. It's face masks, and long baths. Cuddling by the fire and dancing in the rain. Doing each other's hair, nails, and makeup.

Ascian!Hythlodaeus (AU)

CW: Dark subjects, false imprisonment, suicide attempt, Stockholm Syndrome

Hythlodaeus took the seat of Emet-Selch and Hades was the one sacrificed to Zodiark, but Hyth was in love with Persephone from the start, though she always preferred Hades to him. Because of this, he was always quietly jealous of Hades, and always thought that he never treated her right. Hades was always arguing with Persephone, annoyed with her antics as Azem, could never really fathom her care-free nature. Hyth thought that if she had chosen him instead they would have been much better matched and he would have treated her like a queen. He also felt somewhat inferior to Hades, that he was always first to everything including the girl, and so when he decided to accept the seat, it was somewhat out of spite, happy to be chosen first for once.And for the sake of their friendship, he never uttered a word and was content to watch her be happy from afar.But due to his longevity in life after the Sundering, paired with the rejoinings (he hated them—he hated the loss of life and argued against them but ultimately remained with the Ascians out of duty and guilt because they convinced him the rejoinings were the better option), the tempering, etc, he had gone a quite insane and his love for her became very warped and obsessed.His obsession with her compelled him to find and follow her through every life, if not introducing himself (which he did do, of course, at times), but certainly watching. Biding his time until he found the one that was most like her, and losing more and more of himself as the millennia went by.But finally, he found her again in Eli. She wasn’t perfect, of course. She was nowhere near as easy going as Persephone had been, but he had never seen that trait in any of her reincarnations. But she was close, and he couldn't help himself. And now with Hades gone he could finally have her almost just as she used to be, and if he could keep her none the wiser about the past, she’d, of course, stay by his side. She would understand that they were meant to be.He approached her for the first time during the Shadowbringers storyline, after she was brought to the First, just as Hades would have in canon. He wanted to keep her close, get to know her on a personal level and let her get to know him. Make it easier for him to get her to fall for him, perhaps even get her to join forces with the Ascians instead. And since he knew everything about her, he played to her insecurities to catch her, which he did very successfully.Over the course of their journey together, and when she fell for him entirely, he began to have doubts about his duty. He hated the idea of the rejoinings to begin with, but he was bound by a duty to the star and his brethren. However, if he continued the rejoinings as they were, Hades would eventually be restored to them, just as her memories would come back as well. Hyth was desperate to keep her now that he finally had her. He didn't want her to remember Hades, for she would certainly want to bring him back and return to him. Nor did he want her to remember him, for she would certainly be disgusted with what he had become. He feared that she would feel that he had betrayed her, knowing her love for Hades—which he knows full well that he did do, even if it came from a “good” place.If she knew her past, he didn't think she would ever choose to stay with him, nor was he willing to risk the chance.So, he devised a plan. To make sure that the rejoinings did not ever happen again.He "came clean" to the Scions. He said that though he was an Ascian, he did not want the rejoinings to continue and wanted to help them in their quest to stop them (which was true, of course, though they had no idea of the true, demented reason behind it). He told them that this had been his plan all along, but he was not sure that Eli was up to the task, so watching her on the First had been a test, which she passed.He assured them that he would lend them his aid to destroy the other remaining Ascians, sundered and not, so that their world would be safe.Eli believed him, and though the Scions were wary at first, when he kept his promise, they came around.He helped her to obliterate the rest of the Ascians, and any threat to her rejoining. He helped her maintain and control the Light, and instead of expending it into him, they ambushed Elidibus and released it, without requiring the aid of the Crystal Exarch.They walked through Endwalker together, him aiding her wherever she needed it, and in turn letting her fall for him harder and harder. He was nervous, of course, when she had to travel to Elpis alone, fearing what she would find there. But when she returned, she was sad for him. They commiserated and sympathized together, over how he used to be(though, of course, she had only seen a small fraction of him). How she would have loved to know him when he was young, and the weight of the world was not on his shoulders. But also, they talk about how he could maybe come back to that, eventually, now that he'd turned to the "good side." And perhaps, a part of him wanted that too, for a time. All he’d ever wanted, all this had ever been for…was to make her happy.And things were great for them, for a while. Until Hythlodaeus realized that eventually, she would begin to age. That she'd die. And he didn’t want that to happen now that he had her all to himself.Maniacally desperate to keep her alive with him forever, he decided to share his life force with her, without properly researching how it could work, or the effects it would have on her.She would live long, of course, but she was now able to hear his thoughts, feel his feelings, and see his memories. She came to understand his betrayal, his manipulation of her. Horrified that she helped play directly into his twisted plan, she decided to leave, but he kidnapped her and imprisoned her in the rift, a place she was unable to escape from without help.He created for her a comfortable prison (a house, maybe, like her home in the Source), disposing of her weapons and armor, but providing her with every other comfort imaginable. He spent his days showering her with attention, no matter how scared of him she seemed, hoping one day that she would come back around.For a very long time, she refused to let him get near her and refused to let him touch her. Knowing that without her weapons she would be no match for him, she attempted to escape many times, however she had nowhere to go inside of the void, and her powers of teleportation did nothing.She barely ate the food he gave her, and she began to waste away. It hurt him to watch, though he did not get angry with her, nor force her to do anything. He continued showing her what love he could, and remained patient with her. And since she could hear his thoughts and feel his feelings, she knew that, no matter how warped his sense of love had become, it was genuine.However, soul-sharing was the same both ways. He could feel her and her defiance begin to waver, and though feelings and thoughts were hard to come by from her in those days, he used all of them to his advantage.One day, however, she gave up hope completely. She decided that if death was the only way out of this, then she would take it. But he knew, of course. He knew what she had been thinking, and planning. He felt her pain when she did it, and surprisingly, even an onze of regret.He rushed to her side just as she began to lose consciousness, healed her wounds and bandaged her up while she slept and recovered. He waited by her bed until she woke, and upon realizing that she was, indeed, still alive, she began to cry over her miserable fate. But this time, when he reached to comfort her, she allowed him to pull her into his lap, allowed him to hold her while she let it all out, unable to fight anymore.And though he hated that she was unhappy, it made him happy that he was able to touch her again, to comfort her. In his mind, it was all for the best, after all. There she was safe, there she was loved, if only by him.For a while longer, she was still wary of him. Obstinate. But slowly, she began to relax around him again and his patience had been worth it, no matter how hard it had been.At some point, he did try to kiss her, and though she pulled away from him, he still felt that she didn't hate it completely.But with continued gentle persistence, he did, in the end, wear her down completely. Her feelings toward him softened as she accepted her fate. It may have not really been love, but he was fine with that. She was no longer scared to be around him, nor did she try to escape anymore.And as the years passed, he continued to shower her with attention and devotion because, really, what else had he to do now, but spend eternity with the person he loved most in this life?