#BUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE: I LOVE CID?? SHE'S SO COOL???? I LOVE HER AND I LOVE HOW SHE SAYS BANDANA (ik it's very random)

[psychomusic]

i started watching tbb but. it's so surface level. does it get better?? I'm super disappointed by the s1 finale

[rosegoldandsequins]

[LAP]: sender pulls receiver onto their lap (for @leviinbolt because his lap has to be more comfortable than those car hoods)

@leviinbolt & prompts.

❛ ❤ ⋯

Guinevere stood in the doorway for a moment and leaned her head against the frame. Her blonde locks tumbled down her back, free from the ribbon that held them out of her face earlier. The heiress was dressed in a silky gold robe that barely came to her mid - thigh — useless, really, but the fabric was almost cool to the touch and comfortable against her skin. Around her ankles and wrists were delicate chains, which paired perfectly with her nails. As always, Guinevere was exceptionally put together.

The only unflattering aspect ( as she would have said ) of her appearance was her thoughtful frown. Glittering emerald eyes stared ahead, studying the broad back of the man sat at the dining table. His dark - colored t - shirt had seen better days, as the faint stains from grease and worn threading suggested. It looked like his boots and jeans were in a similar state.

Guinevere resisted the urge to sigh. All of the money she gave him ( even still, even when their arrangement was bordering more than . . . or so everyone whispered ), and the man couldn't get himself decent clothes.

The heiress finally pushed away from the doorway and walked toward him. She announced her presence by running her fingers through his hair, playing with the short style. Beneath her hands, Cid chuckled — a dull sound, at first like a thunderclap brewing on the horizon, the sort that worsened the little fire in Guinevere's belly that he so often inspired.

"The bath is open," she murmured pointedly. The words were whispered in his ear as she shifted her position. Slender arms, smelling of blossoming citrus flowers and cloaked in thin metallic cloth, slid over his shoulders. Guinevere stroked the top of his chest leisurely.

"That so ??" Cid asked, turning his head just enough to brush his facial hair against her cheek. A hand, textured from years of labor and the occasional scrap, rose from the table to grab her fingers. " — and what good'll that do me, princess ?? I know you'll just be making me sweat here shortly. Unless you're getting in with me, then I'm all f'r it." He raised Guinevere's captured hand and grazed her knuckles against his lips.

"Cute," the blonde replied, wriggling her fingers free. She seized his chin, nails scratching into his scraggly beard. In her eyes now blazed the look of determination, of promised reprimanding to come for his antics that the repairman in her grasp couldn't help but crave.

"Eh ??" Cid breathed, raising a brow. The simple note was both an expression of admiration and challenge to his lover. He knew what he was doing.

Their banter, however, was cut short by a notification that caused Cid's phone screen to light up. It was not the short chime or the subject of the alert that caught Guinevere's attention ; the heiress' green gaze was drawn, rather, to the background image that Cid was using.

"I told you I didn't like that one," she said suddenly, pulling away.

Cid glanced over ( as if he didn't have that picture of her memorized ). He had taken it when they shot images for the charity shoot, a handful of weeks ago. The repairman knew why Guinevere wasn't fond of it. In between her gorgeous, flowing poses, he had made her laugh. Saying something utterly stupid, no doubt, given that his stint as an amateur photographer that evening hadn't been without his trademark colorful commentary. Nonetheless, she had laughed, scrunching up the bridge of her nose and allowing those hidden smile lines to show. It was one of her cuter expressions that she made, though Cid was not allowed to see it frequently. Precious few were.

Mindful of his company's feelings, Cid turned over his phone. "You've also told me before that you've got no bad side, love." He grinned. "That we can agree on."

Guinevere narrowed her eyes. A short exhalation left her, and she moved back a half - step.

"You're pouting," Cid said. His voice was flat, but there was an undeniable degree of affection to the statement. Before the heiress could fully escape, he gently grabbed her waist. "C'mon — come here, Gwen." Cid guided her around the chair and into his lap. The heiress came without complaint, but her ever - present poise told the repairman that she was doing it of her own accord. As she settled neatly on top of his legs, Cid fancied for a second that he wasn't sure if he had even suggested the action or if she intended it to happen all along. ( or, maybe, that was merely the power of a beautiful woman, to make a guy's head spin without ever uttering a word. )

Guinevere folded an arm behind Cid's right shoulder for support. She picked up his phone with her free hand, ignoring the slight hiss of "Gwen" from her handsome perch.

"Perhaps, I'll put this in the bath," the heiress mused, waking up the device in order to glare at the photo she despised.

Cid jumped slightly beneath her. He had learned with the blonde sat across his thighs that it was best to take every threat she uttered seriously, no matter how idle it seemed. "That — prefer you didn't, princess," he said, smiling a little uneasily. In an effort to distract her, he drew her into his chest. "Alright, look . . . I'm sorry you don't like it. What'll it take, hm ?? t' making you feel better ??"

Guinevere held up the phone, which she held securely in a fist. "You would also want this back, I trust ??" Her emerald stare bored into the repairman, who swallowed thickly.

"Aye," Cid answered, hoping his honesty might earn him something.

The heiress untangled herself from his arms and stood. She kept her rectangular captive against her side as she leaned down, over the seated repairman. "My bathroom, Cid," she breathed, soft lips hovering just shy of his. Suddenly, her unoccupied hand seized his crotch. In his shock, Cid issued a low grunt. Her irises were hard, predatory, and ( like the delighted fool he was ) the repairman cursed himself for ever thinking that he could get cocky with her.

" — and my name is Guinevere."

With that, the blonde straightened. She removed her hand and instead placed it under Cid's chin. Guinevere kept him looking up in the interests of showing how neatly she tucked his phone between the swell of her breasts.

"Hurry, Cid. I hate waiting." She grinned, and Cid immediately noticed the faintest of wrinkles at the top of her nose.

[waloeders]

hi i wrote another thing

ship: jill warrick x kosmos (ryder) {platonic!}

words: idk

warnings: ff16 spoilers, mentions of a battle elsewhere, general lonely vibes from both of them but theyre becoming friends so yay :3

note: this is actually a short platonic f/o fic bc i love jill and she deserves the world !!!! this is set pre-meeting barnabas / pre my other fic and is just a nice setting for how jill n kosmos interact (tho he isnt called kosmos yet hehe)

"this is a terrible idea. does clive know that? this is silly." ryder mumbled out, adjusting his weight from one leg to another, then wringing his hands out, letting them drop to rest on the shortswords' handle at his side and repeating the process all over again.

a few feet away, jill furrowed her eyebrows, glancing over at them, "you agreed with clive - with this plan. you can't back out now."

"i'm not saying we should back out! just - that.. look, maybe, i'm not the most useful person to have backing you up." he shrugged, kicking a small stone and finally paused to rest both hands on the hilt once more.

"i mean, surely you'd rather have cid back you up? at least he can summon lightning on command. that's pretty damn cool - i'd pick cid over me."

a soft smile fell over the dominant of ices' face, as she glanced over at the younger man before her. last time there had been an eikonic fight, when clive, herself and cid had faced titan, it hadn't been something any of them had considered - bringing along who was, essentially, a casualty-to-be in the realms never ending war.

but times had changed. the fight with titan had clive victorious once more (she had thanked metia all night when he returned) and he had absorbed the power of earth - unknowingly causing a rather massive quake to emanate from the stranger before her, even with the massive distance between dhalmekia and the hideaway.

something strange connected clive and ryder - besides knowing the fate of the realm in a rather convoluted way that she still couldn't quite wrap her head around - and it left them all in an peculiar position.

jill hadn't known them for long but he had made an effort to befriend her, to befriend all of those he knew so much about - and who knew so little about him. people who had every reason to distrust him (some of whom still did - she saw the way lady charon looked at him) and still, he reached out.

it was evident, at least to her, the feeling of not quite-fitting-in, of loneliness that ryder was drowning in, in the way he moved through the hideaway, through their conversations - even in the way he stood. she could recall her own time with the sensation; back in rosaria, in the days before the eikons - back when it was her, joshua and clive against the world - or, more often that not, the duchess.

"i'm certain you will master your abilities soon enough." jill hesitated, hand grasping her sword hilt tighter, "for me...shiva was..distant. faint -hard to reach and harder still to prime. i wish i could say time alone brought her to me but... the iron kingdom does not suffer eikons who cannot prime."

her gaze steeled as she stared into the distance, some memory drawing her in as the sky itself rumbled in annoyance.

"i'm sorry." ryder stated, dragging her back to the present. he had stepped closer, one hand hovering over the necklace he always adorned (had she asked what the goat-like symbol was? she really ought to), "i wish things had been different. that you could have found out in your own time, your own way. it's not fair."

jill hummed, "is your world fair?"

"no. no, it's not." he spat out, a grimace settling across their face, hand now squeezing the symbol tightly.

the distant sound of battle drifted their way along the wind and he released a breath, returning to his half-ready stance.

somewhere, across the hillsides of belarus tor, the armies of sanbreque and waloed clashed; metal upon metal, the roar of battle and aether slipped in and out of the conversation - just far enough away for it to be safe, yet just close enough for them to be on guard.

"then, i suppose our worlds have more in common than we think." the dominant of ice spoke up, offering a smile to him, "i'm glad you are here, ryder. even if you can't command lightning."

[good-prog]

ff7 impressions

I'm overdue on a 7/7 remake review. I played the two games in conjunction with each other, which is to say, I got somewhat bored of FF7 after the Kalm flashback, went to play FF7R, then came back with a renewed interest in the original game.

FF7:

Main campaign date: 2023/11/28-2023/01/02 Playtime (Steam) to roll credits: 57.2 hours (I afk'd/wiped a lot :() Playtime (in game) to roll credits: 38.5 hours

FF7R:

Main campaign date: 2023/12/18-2023/02/27 Playtime (Steam) to roll credits: 50.2 hours (including DLC)

Spoiler warning as always. Not super polished, just wanted to compile my notes.

On FF7 (original):

This was my first playthrough of FF7. I didn't experience it as a child, so I don't have nostalgia or context for that era of video gaming to positively affect my impressions. I'm glad I played it and was able to experience a piece of gaming history; sure, it's made a significant cultural impact, but it's not some serious epic 100% of the time. The sidequests and minigames throughout provided some levity, whether it was Wall Market or piloting a bike or submarine with counterintuitive controls.

Going in, I was aware of the major story beats (Cloud takes on Zack's persona, Aerith dies, the lifestream is involved) but not too much about their execution.

gameplay:

I liked the flexibility of the materia system. Most of the game I was running cloud as a tank (counter + cover + HP up), until I couldn't guarantee that he could stay alive through a turn of attacks toward the end of the game. I tried to set up materia loadouts in accordance with different characters' strengths and/or personalities (e.g., Vincent as a magical glass cannon, Yuffie as a thief, Cait Sith as blue mage for manipulating enemies). I had trouble juggling the number of party members (9!); emotional impact aside, Aerith's death at the end of disk 1 was ironically somewhat welcome from a party management perspective.

I typically kept Cloud + 2 of the least leveled characters in my party. I couldn't always find time to swap in party members due to laziness (not enough materia to go around), so I neglected Cid and Vincent until the game forced the player to have Cid in the party.

I've been babysat too much by modern games. I had difficulty figuring out where to go after Midgar (to the point where I ended up using a walkthrough for major story objectives). I also lost a significant amount of time due to limited save/checkpoints (e.g., wiping to a morbol high up on the Great Glacier, losing an hour of progress as a result).

graphics:

Despite the graphics being dated, I still liked the visual quirks/personality each character got (e.g., Rufus Shinra's hair flip, "gya haa haa"/"kya haa haa" Heidegger/Scarlet, Tifa tucking a strand of Aerith's hair behind her ear). There were also nice details in the overworld (e.g., the Mako-polluted sky above Midgar, or the perpetual sunset near Cosmo Canyon). The summon animations are cool the first time, but take forever to resolve after, same as Sephiroth's Supernova attack.

story:

Aerith's death hit really hard, even though I knew it was going to happen--she looked so hopeful as she prayed for holy, and then Sephiroth comes down from who knows where suddenly, kills her, then immediately leaves, leaving the party to deal with the JENOVA flesh that remains (all while her theme plays).

I loved how willing the story was to to bring its protagonist so low in contrast of to a more generic video games protagonist embodying some sort of power fantasy. One of these days I'll think through how relatable Cloud's arc of putting on a front (both pre and post Nibelheim incident), dealing with memory loss due to trauma, totally breaking down then having his friends work with him to accept his "true" self perhaps in the form of a "cringe" "personal" "essay" but today is not that day.

Story beats that I was confused about, but didn't really detract from the overall presentation (presumably some of these are addressed in the FF7 Compilation):

Why did Hojo think combining Mako and Jenova cells in his subjects was a good idea, besides "comically bad and unethical science experiment"? Seems like he's introducing confounding variables. (Maybe offscreen he experimented with each separately and got desireable, but distinct results?)

How is a rocket functional after 25 years? (Sure, you can argue that it was well engineered, but that's in stark contrast to the lack of thoroughness with preflight procedures (see: Shera and Checkov's rocket))

Jenova (as alien, rather than supposed "ancient") wasn't well explained--could be the fault of me not paying attention, the translation, or the original writing. Perhaps she's just meant to be unknown/incomprehensible.

Is Sephiroth (as human) or Jenova driving the events of the Jenova reunion? (if it's Sephiroth, how is he able to maintain autonomy via strength of will when Jenova has destroyed uncountable civilizations previously?)

Not sure if humanity still exists 500 years in the future (re: ending FMV), though it doesn't negate the overall impact of the story. After all, the party manages to save the world the best they can in their particular time.

highlights:

The opening bombing mission is so strong and immediately drew me in, even if Cloud himself isn't invested in Avalanche's mission. The music helps: it starts with peaceful opening strings/mallets, then all the other parts come in, culminating in the piano/timpani urging the party on

Escaping the Shinra building on the double elevators took forever, since Barret was my only ranged attacker (I didn't realize materia had been removed from Aerith/Nanaki)

Tifa helping cloud reconnect with his inner child in the lifestream

Turning Shinra's weapons against themselves (e.g., highwind crew mutiny)

Bugenhagen! Old men (see: Maechen, FFX) always have so much to teach the party. Loved seeing him tease Nanaki and telling him the truth about his father.

FMV where Shinra diverted Midgar's mako output to power the Sister Ray (leaving the entirety of the city dark): chilling! visually representing the human cost of their work (even if said work at that point in the story was self preservation (and by extension, saving the planet))

"I'm Cloud--the master of my own illusionary world" or "Let's mosey!" and other endearing turns of phrase that show off Cloud's true self, in an endearing/dorky way

Fighting Bizzaro Sephiroth: this fight took a while because I didn't understand how to damage the core with two parties. I thought I could just rely on the main party, but I needed the secondary one to do damage to expose the core.

I never actually used Omnislash during the final 1v1 confrontation; I hesitated too long and Cloud defeated Sephiroth with a counterattack.

music highlights (in no particular order)

Everyone loves the soundtrack, but here are a couple of my favorites:

Marching theme (even if I failed the parade minigame)

Jenova's theme (especially when descending past the point of no return)

Aerith's leitmotif as the party descended Northern Crater

One winged angel kicking in after Bizzaro Sephiroth was defeated

Notes on 7r:

7 Remake was a decent game that at its best, made the Midgar section of the original more impactful. At its worst it was a hallway simulator with too many cutscenes or forced walking segments that interrupted the flow of gameplay, but hey, at least they were pretty! The characters look fantastic in high resolution, and battle animations feel stylish and forceful (with the exception of Aerith's standard magical attack).

big fan of the character development (really came through in the localization/voice acting), especially for minor characters like the Turks or Rufus that don't really come into play until later in the main game. Contrary to the other parts of the Compilation that make Cloud come off as edgy and cold, Remake brings out the insecure/immature/awkward parts of Cloud's personality. After all, he's spent 5 years in stasis, and is arguably still a teenager mentally.

That being said, I wish there was more banter when the party was just walking around without triggering a cutscene (see: FF15).

gameplay

Combat was fun! I liked learning how to effectively use the ATB system by being proactive about healing/barriers/mitigation, but also knowing when to play more aggressively. Stacking % stagger on Tifa is super satisfying. I don't know if I'll do a full hard mode playthrough but I might pick at it a bit in advance of the second part of the Remake trilogy.

In typical fashion, I barely made it through the bike game (in no small part due to the poor KB/M controls); Jessie even called me a bad driver.

On the remake's changed elements

I don't have strong feelings about the whispers, but i knew going in that they were meant to keep the original story on rails (so it was more a given rather than me reacting and going "wtf are they doing here").

I enjoyed how much the cheesy/cool factor of the game got amped up, like fighting the motor ball while on a bike, or turning forgettable trash mobs into full spectacles (see: Hell House, the Swordipede in Hojo's lab, even Rufus Shinra's boss fight).

I was very annoyed having Sephiroth dangled in my face but never getting to fight him; to be fair, the original game does that to the player (but arguably to better effect, since he doesn't actually show up in person: just signs of his power/destruction).

music

The music had to grow on me -- the full orchestral arrangements toward the beginning of the game felt almost too rich, like the sonic equivalent of expecting crackers but getting a three layered cake instead. It wasn't bad (quite the opposite!!), just wasn't what I expected.

favorite tracks that come to mind:

The arrangement of j-e-n-o-v-a that plays when fighting the tentacles

Collapsed Expressway theme (robot hand minigame)

Yuffie's theme in the DLC (really captured her mischief)

closing thoughts

After beating FF7, I immediately watched Advent Children with friends. It was less comprehensible than the Kingsglaive movie, though it had a lot of cool fight choreography (and I'm sure the CGI was a landmark for 2006). The main villains were Sephiroth remnants, but their personalities were terrible; I didn't find their motivations to be well communicated or compelling. Also, without reading the novels addressing the years following the main game, I was unable to take Rufus and the Turks' good intentions for the world seriously. I definitely squealed when Sephiroth actually showed up, though (and blocked original Omnislash!)

I'm looking forward to how the next installments of the Remake continue and remix the story. I'd also eventually like to play Crisis Core to see the additional characterization Sephiroth and Zack get. (Of course, the cynical part of me thinks this is primarily a money grab by SE, but I've enjoyed the entries in the Compilation I've played through.)

[chrysalispen]

an excerpt from some things i’ve been working on. ngl this was written because i really just love the intimacy of things like washing your SO’s hair for them LMAO

anyway, moar nerowol fluffy nonsense under the cut.

spoilers for the omega raids as this is set post-sigmascape.

====

He let his head rest on the edge of the pillow as she'd bid him. Carefully she set the pitcher and earthen basin to one side, then leaned forward just enough to kiss him right on his hairline. 

"You'll never be happy if you keep comparing yourself to Cid. You'll always find yourself wanting, and brooding over things you could have done differently instead of taking heart in your successes." Unbound by the product he used to keep it under strict control, his hair was a morass of blond waves and curls. She noted that he hadn't released his grip on her arm, either. " Living a life by your regrets is no way to live. Take it from someone who knows."

"You don't-"

"Don't what? Don't doubt myself? Don't make mistakes? Don't do things that other people can do better?" She tucked a stray lock behind one of his ears. "Of course I do, I'm not infallible. Nor is Cid for that matter. And for the record, he's told me plenty of times there are things you can do that he can't."

"Things that no one else recognizes."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Aurelia-"

"No, I'm serious." She patted his cheek, ignoring the slightly abrasive scratch of beard stubble. He'd need another shave when she was done washing his hair. "Why do you need the rest of the world to tell you something you already know?"

Nero lay in silence for a very long time before he said, very quietly,

"I came from nothing. I don't want to return to nothing."

"You won't."

"How very idealistic of you, dear Warrior. The world isn't kind to those who languish in obscurity. And I," he shifted position just enough to take her hand, "worry that I will be forgotten, or left behind. I worry that any time lost and not working is a step I won't get back. I worry-"

"You want to leave your mark on the world. As one of the great engineers of the age."

"Among other things, yes."

"But you've already achieved that status." Aurelia combed her fingers through his hair, slowly and gently. "You have to share that spotlight with Cid, certainly, but it isn't as if you've gone entirely unnoticed."

His bandaged chest heaved with his sigh.

"This from a woman as famous as Garlond, if not more so."

“ I would hardly call myself ‘famous,’ in truth, “ she replied. "Few know my name, nor am I known for what I would desire to be known."

"Fame is fame."

"Fame of this sort is a double-edged sword," she said, and cupped his jaw to tilt his head back into the basin of warm water. He shut his eyes, the gentle rhythm of her fingers working soap into his hair coaxing him out of his dark mood almost against his will. "Frankly, I miss being anonymous."

"And what would you want to do, then, had none of this happened? The Calamity, or any of it?"

She smiled. "I'll have you know I had plenty of lofty dreams as a girl. Some of them might sound silly to you."

"Try me."

"Hmm... bringing 'civilization' to the far-flung corners of the star through the wonders of magitek and modern medicine. Further study at the Academy, of course, perhaps their bioengineering programme. Travels to lands throughout the Empire if not beyond it. I had designs on coming to Eorzea in my own time." She paused, then shrugged. "Perhaps even love, and a family, eventually- though of course that would have come later. At least in my girlish imaginings."

"And now?"

"...At least I got the traveling bit, I suppose," she said with deceptive lightness.

Fame of this sort is a double-edged sword, she had said. He thought he understood, at least somewhat. For all the privilege into which she had been born, fate had not been particularly kind to her. Even in freedom from the Empire’s strictures she had spent much of her time as a woman-shaped weapon upon whom an entire realm had thrust its hopes and burdens.

That was no freedom at all. The realization saddened him more than he cared to admit.

"I admit I would not have consciously chosen the life I have led thus far. But I have often wondered what would have become of me had things turned out even a bit differently."

"I cannot say I disagree,” he said wryly. “Coerced defection does rather change one's outlook.”

The solemnity of her expression was at last broken by a small and hesitant smile, like watching the sun peek from the depths of a heavy cloudbank. 

He pondered his next question, shutting his eyes and blinking slowly like a contented cat, as she continued to run careful, soapy fingers through his curls. "So if you had the chance to go back in time," he said finally, "and change anything you liked-"

"Well, time travel doesn't really work like that."

"Oh, come now. Humor a man at death's door, won't you?"

"Death's door? That's rather dramatic, isn't it?" Carefully she tipped the pitcher of fresh water at the edge of his hairline, watching the soap rinse out of the wet locks. "For the record, you were only partially dead."

"Point of order: I was mostly dead. You said so yourself."

"That was when Cid had just pulled you from the rift."

"Pedant. You- ow."

Aurelia lifted one damp hand from the open-palmed swat she'd dealt his thigh. "No name calling."

"You are cruel, Warrior of Light. Utterly ghastly," he proclaimed, his mouth bowing in a mocking and exaggerated pout. "No care whatsoever for a man's aches and pains. No projects. No commissions. No leaving the bed. No toys. And now I must needs be subjected to the merciless thews of the eikon-slayer?"

"Mercile- there's no way that little love tap hurt, you peacock."

"Merciless thews, I say. What in all of the seven hells have I, a man of impeccable reason and mountainous intellect, done to deserve the worst bedside manner in all Hydaelyn?"

"Clearly your life is naught but a struggle." Aurelia struggled to keep the bowl steady for her own laughter. "May I finish washing your hair, Master Scaeva, or have you yet finished laboring beneath the terrible weight of your own genius?"

"Perhaps," he drawled. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"No. Now hold still, unless you want soap in your eyes."

"Only if you answer my question."

"Nero, I'm not-"

"Sweetling, come now, it's a thought exercise. Purely in the realm of the theoretical. I wouldn't ask if I weren't curious."

She was still smiling as she gently wrung the water from his curls with one hand, then tilted the jug for another rinse. Nero fought the urge to shut his eyes; the cool water felt good on his scalp, and it felt even better to have clean hair, but he was intent on watching her. Her dark blue eyes seemed very far away.

At last, she said:

"...I think I would not change a single thing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Not even-" he began, and caught himself with a grimace.

"You can say Haurchefant's name." Aurelia reached for the fresh linen towel that lay neatly folded on the stool. "It won't hurt me."

He exhaled. 

".....I really am a shite on occasion," he said. "Garlond's right about that much. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. This is where the results of my choices and my circumstances have led and even knowing what I do now, I think I have learned to live with them. I think it's... it's very important to accept your losses alongside your victories. No matter how painful."

That remark felt pointed, but Nero didn’t have the chance to mull over it before that small, sunny smile of hers returned. 

Quickly his eyes fell shut again.

“And I think had I not made the choices I made,” she said, “it’s very likely our paths would never have crossed-- just as they would not have done had your choices been different. That knowledge alone is enough.”

One of his hands blindly sought hers, and squeezed. 

“For what it’s worth,” he observed, hoping she would assume his eyes remained closed in order to keep out the soap, “I do count myself fortunate that they crossed.”

She squeezed in return.

“For what it’s worth,” his eyes didn’t need to be open to hear the smile in her voice, “so do I.”    

[cohentoplaywithmagic]

What Does This Mean? || Self-Para

WHO: Tina Cohen-Chang (ft. Pixel Prinander and Krista Maze) WHERE:  Apeliotes Place, Pixel’s Dorm  WHEN: Thursday 18th May, Afternoon   WHAT: Tina is confused and sad, especially when it is Thursdays. Throw in her first communication with Blaine in weeks, only for it to be deleted, she makes sure she has a little communication with someone. WARNING: None

Her raven hair toppled to the floor, as she hung off the bed. The phone in front of her face, as she was constantly flicking through all the screenshots she had made, only for the post to be gone in a moment. 

HEY DON’T CALL HER BABE. 

Eighty-one days. Not as much as a text or a cute note passed in class. Not even a whispered hello. Okay, there might have been a shy wave or weary look but that was not the same. It was not the same as linking arms, walking around campus, laughing about silly things. Eight-one days ago they had something like that. Yet now, it was Hugo and a deleted post. 

Not like Tina had saved is life or anything, right?

Tina found herself slipping more into her head, slowly the bad memories that were coming out to play. Until she felt a pillow thrown at her face, her phone slipping into the ground. 

“Hey!” she called pulling herself into an upright position 

Innocently, Pixel shrugged at her, taking a seat beside her on his bed,”You were zoning out again. If you won’t talk about it then I’m not letting you slip when we are supposed to be hanging out.” He paused for a moment,”But I thought you were always busy on Thursdays?” 

She knew that there was no point in denying where she had been most Thursdays because Pixel had been there too. They had been doing the same thing but for reasons that remain unknown. She couldn’t open up about it to Pixel, he had stuff too, which yeah Tina neglected to notice. 

Tucking some hair behind her ear,”Not...not since February. I haven’t been going.”

“How’s that working out for you?” Pixel sits back to look at her.

“A lot has happened Pix...”

“That you can’t tell me about,” he sighs,”I know the story and it is fine”Pixel reaches out to grab her fallen phone,”Am I allowed to see or?”

Tina nods a little, allowing him to pick up her phone. He pushes his glasses up as he reads through the screenshot. She hugs her legs to her chest, trying to work out what the cogs in his mind were working out.

“Tina,” he holds out her phone to her,” You know we could track down his or hers IP address to see who has been harassing you. C’mon, you know how to do that surely? I could always do it for you.” He starts to get up, loading up his desktop,”I think there might be a tracking spell that is easier than the input.” He plopped down his desk chair turning to Tina,”We can deal with this, no sweat.”

“Pix, no!” her voice was stern,”No tracking down people. Anyway...it wasn’t the anon that was the problem. It is the response Blaine gave.”

“What he was defending you? I’m a little confused.”

Tina took her phone loading her post,”He deleted the response, not even a minute later.” 

“Oh...” was all that Pixel could respond. 

She let out a half smile,”Yeah...we haven’t been talking. This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened either.”

“Really?” he questions,”Well he has been around with that bodyguard nearly twenty-four seven. No wonder he hasn’t spoken to one.”

“Who? Are you talking about the Anderson Bloodline?” a voice filled the room.

Tina jumped at the voice, already in some kinda fighting stance, not that she. really had ever mastered one. Pixel, remained calm and composed, grabbing a little orb from his desk, shattering it on the floor allowing a greeny-yellow fog to fill the room,. As the fog disappeared, a girl tripped out the wardrobe with some sort of sash around her body.

He didn’t even blink an eyelash,”How long have you been listening in Krista?” Pixel spoke unimpressed,” I thought you were heading home for the summer.”

She dusts herself off,”That is just what I wanted you to think!” Krista stretched out a hand for Tina to shake,”Krista Maze, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Or unpleasure,” Pixel rolls his eyes.

“So you were talking about the Anderson kid?” Krista asks again.

Pixel got up,”Nope it is nothing to do with you. I have someone over and you know the rule.”

Krista huffs,”But I want to know about the Anderson, kid. You are talking about his bodyguard? Urgh, rich kid bloodlines are so overdramatic. Like seriously?”

“I think you better go,” Tina whispers.

Pixel gave her a look,”You better leave.”

Flicking her hair a little,”Fine but this won’t be the last you see of me.”

They waited till she was gone.

“Sorry,” Pixel apologizes,”She thinks that she is some sort of detective or PI-kinda explains her hiding. Lucky for these dispell balls. We are trying to get her to get a single room next year in different dormitories. Maybe we would get someone as cool as you.”

“I’m good at my place,” Tina hugs herself,”But do you think that Krista has a point about Bloodlines being overdramatic? I know Electra thinks so.”

“Truthfully...Bloodlines have their hardships, a lot of them too. They are in this limelight all the time with politics and everything. They have a reason that they have to be careful.” Pixel began,”But it shouldn’t excuse the way you are being treated. Like why are you being ignored, if he is your best friend, he would be talking to you or giving you a reason right?”

She fell back on the bed,”See that is it. I’m not sure what I have done wrong. I did everything I could to make sure he is safe...” she bites her tongue not wanting to spill that open, those were conversations with Cid and others. “I know I treat him well and I love him to bits but for him to post something which clearly shows he cares. Then poof...gone.”

He ponders a moment,”There has to be a reason for it. You know his better than I do. Everything I know is campus gossip and things you won’t say. So I can’t really say what it means to defend you and delete it.”

Tina feels herself slipping again. Pixel starts to notice her look. Twisting on his chair he summons two tubs of ice cream from the grimoire left of his desk,”There not mine but Electra won’t miss them. Like my mom tells me when you can’t work out feelings, just eat them instead.” He laughs handing her one,” Blaine cares about you, ina. Electra is jealous of that. I’m sure things will work out soon. Even when you don’t know what they might mean.”

[lunuanaki]

VERY LONG CHARACTER SURVEY.

RULES. repost; do not reblog! tag 10! good luck! TAGGED BY: NO ONE. NO ONE TAGGED ME. FEEL THE BURN OF GUILT IN YOUR VERY WATERS. what? i wasn’t here? oh-- TAGGING: I THINK everyone has either done it or been tagged, but if you haven’t, then @ you.

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Meri. If she absolutely has to use a surname, she borrows Cid Kramer’s, as she’s really his ward as a Garden student. Her records say Kramer. But she doesn’t know her real surname, if she even has one. She’s thought about picking one, but not knowing her own ethnicity for sure, it feels wrong. She might pick entirely the wrong region.  NICKNAME/S: Hyne help you. AGE: 20 BIRTHDAY: Doesn’t have one - doesn’t know it. can’t remember what day it was celebrated on, but roughly estimates her age based how old she thinks she was when she came to Garden, may in fact be a year or two off. ETHNIC GROUP:  ??? She’s definitely something mixed with something, but doesn’t know what. Her best guess is Galbadian/Estharan. NATIONALITY:  ^^^^ No idea. LANGUAGE/S: Common, some Estharan, but not particularly interested in languages unless there’s a clear aim to learning one. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Asexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Probably biromantic if that were ever a thing that presented itself to her ha hA RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single, always CLASS: White Mage/SeeD Captain specialising in healing - junctions Alexander for Med Data on healing items. HOMETOWN / AREA: ??? CURRENT HOME: Balamb. PROFESSION: Again, SeeD Captain - after refusing a promotion that would have made her uncomfortably notable, she was pretty much forcibly retired and teaches junior magic classes and a few undergrad ones when she’s not picking up after Kadowaki (please note those are her words, not mine - she spends so much time messing about with grat guts, she’s nowhere near Kadowaki’s level as a doctor). Technically she is still squad captain, but her squad are usually deployed one or two at a time as part of others, and it’s unlikely that she’ll be sent on big missions again.

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Brown, slightly lighter and mousier than you’d expect from someone so obviously part Estharan-continent.  EYES: Brown.  NOSE: Small. FACE: Almost-heart-shaped. LIPS: Pretty average, usually arranged in an apprehensive sort of way, pinkish.  COMPLEXION: Tan, but unnaturally lightened some by lack of exposure to sunlight.  BLEMISHES: Scar below her ribcage, burned fingers here and there. TATTOOS: None. HEIGHT: 5′7″. Never wears heels. WEIGHT: I’m not good at estimating this. BUILD: Thin; notoriously poor in physical training. Her posture is pretty bad, and though she’s not very tall, she looks taller because she’s always at such a loss as to what to do with her limbs; always seems to be slightly uncomfortable with the amount of space she’s taking up. ALLERGIES: Pet hair makes her sneeze, but that’s all.  USUAL HAIRSTYLE: Long, cut to keep it neat rather than to style it. Loose, but if needed she’ll tie it back while she works. Starts of center-parted but usually ends up elsewhere once she’s spent twelve hours running her hands through it in frustration. USUAL EXPRESSION: Blank, in all honesty, as if she’s waiting for you to fuck up. Distracted.  USUAL CLOTHING: Blue, white, oversized sweaters, not a fan of dresses or skirts at all. Her SeeD uniform requires it, so she wears shorts underneath that you can clearly see she’s wearing. There’s some debate among faculty about whether it’s really okay to make your female students wear mini skirts in this day and age, so no one has said anything about it. Flat lace up boots with her uniform (the knee-height type your laces can’t trip you so easy in) with her uniform, plain white tennis shoes any other time. That one time at @dolletian‘s party she wore heels and still hasn’t gotten over it. 

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Failure. Imperfection. Much as she tries to find answers to anything and everything, she fears some of the possible outcomes.  ASPIRATION/S: Doesn’t really have any. She assumes she’ll be in Garden academia until she dies; no one has ever really asked (they don’t tend to at Garden - nobody lives long enough to have Big Dreams, unless you’re Almasy, and we all know how that went). Her only immediate goal is to clear up her own memory blanks - she won’t admit to it, but she thinks if she can do that, it might give her some direction. POSITIVE TRAITS: Diligent, considerate, perceptive, honest, loyal. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Stubborn, jealous, comes off as unfriendly, prone to flashes of sudden, strong impatience if things don’t go her way (see: the time she was all business until Helena locked the filing cabinet so she broke the lock off in front of Auron). Doesn’t know when to let it go. MBTI: INTJ/A ZODIAC: I have a feel she’s Aquarius, but I need @summoners-path to concur. TEMPERAMENT: Phlegmatic, not far off sanguine.  SOUL TYPE/S: Tied Caregiver/Performer, but I don’t think much to this, honestly. ANIMAL: A chinchilla. A large grey thing with judgy eyes. VICE/S: Does her own pride count? In some areas she isn’t sure of herself at all, but challenge her in a professional setting and she’ll really enjoy making a display of your incompetence. It might well come down to insecurity - you’d be trying to fight her on the only thing she really has. FAITH: None. No real belief in any Hyne Tales, doesn’t find it too likely that a giant magician is hiding in women and that’s the source of all humanity’s ills. GHOSTS? Not sure. In some capacity, maybe.  AFTERLIFE? She’d like to think so, but honestly? No. REINCARNATION? Seems more likely than the above, but not something she’d dwell on.  ALIENS? Fairly sure she does believe in those; it seems arrogant to think their planet is the only inhabited one in the universe, after all. And there were all those sightings of the little blue gummy man. POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Not allowed one. Wouldn’t have one anyway. Everyone is as bad as each other. ECONOMIC PREFERENCE: Not considered. She doesn’t really have any economic sense; she’s paid pretty well and doesn’t need the money, since she doesn’t have family or do anything. She’s Garden research staff, so it’s not like she even pays rent. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION: It’d be very nice if everyone could stop being shits to one another so she can get on in peace. EDUCATION LEVEL: High; equivalent to maybe midway through a PhD in irl terms, but it’d be one of those design-your-own programs that not everyone takes seriously...

FAMILY.

FATHER: Unknown. Seems like he was probably nice. Can’t see his face in her hypnotherapy sessions, likely because the memory of it just doesn’t exist. MOTHER: Died during childbirth; no clues about her at all. EXTENDED FAMILY: She knows she has an aunt who doesn’t speak the Gaian common language unless she has to. Other than that, she thinks there’s probably an uncle somewhere in there, but it’s all hazy. SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): None.  NAME MEANING/S:  Trabian word for sea. Chosen almost at random; she remembers her father calling her “Ri”, but doesn’t know what that was short for, if it was short for anything, so she chose anything with that sound in it. HISTORICAL CONNECTION: Who knows? She does seem to have a similar source magic ability to Almasy, albeit much weaker. Hyne forbid she’s his long lost sister or something, she’d rather eat a funguar.

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Non fiction, textbooks, other people’s research papers whether they know it or not (but secretly loves a lot of fantasy type stuff, though her favourite irl book would be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland).  MOVIE: ??? Never really been to see any... this is a “normal people hobby” she tried out once, she went to see that godawful movie about the knight and the sorceress... never again. DEITY:  Cheating because there aren’t really any besides Hyne - Eir. MONTH: March. Not-quite-warm. SEASON: Spring. PLACE: Rinauld Coast. WEATHER: Dry, warm enough that it doesn’t matter when she inevitably forgets a coat, but not too warm. SOUND: Ocean, silence, water, Alexander’s twin orbital laser cannons SCENT/S: Clean linen, sea air - plain stuff. She’s not one for perfumes. TASTE/S: Salt, specific candy, tea, most vegetables, especially crunchy ones. FEEL/S: Wind, ocean water, being warm in bed, being able to wear slippers in the clinic when the students are on break and bothering someone else-- ANIMAL/S: Fish, calm animals that won’t injure her or break. NUMBER: 6 COLOR: Blue, white, grey.

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Healing, convincing people of completely false information because they can’t tell she’s joking, avoiding almost anything, she’s actually very good at listening to people when they need it. BAD AT: Social situations, sometimes bad at hiding her thoughts - not necessarily her feelings, those are held closer, but she’s a bad liar and you can generally tell what she thinks of you even if you can’t tell what feeling that results in for her. Surprisingly not the best at spelling sometimes - appalling handwriting.  TURN-ONS: I don’t think she has any in the usual sense, but transparency and self-confidence will go a long way to not putting her off you in the first place. She respects things like dedication and sincerity - exemplary performance as a SeeD, for example, will catch her attention, but not if you’re doing it for girls’ attention.  TURN-OFFS: Over familiarity, condescension - and I don’t know how to word this well, but if you casually ask if she wants to, y’know, go out sometime, without properly befriending her first, she’ll always say no. If you didn’t even bother finding out her name, she may never acknowledge your existence again.  HOBBIES: Reading, studying, writing and re-writing plans for work related and non-work related projects, drawing (she’s pretty good at replicating the innards of a geezard with a ballpoint now), performing unauthorised human experimentation on herself and possibly on Quinlan sometime, that might be fun. TROPES: I’ve got no idea without spending sixty years scouring TV Tropes and I really honestly have a totally irrational yet passionate hatred for the whole thing so I think I’ll skip this one if you don’t mind. AESTHETIC TAGS: c l i c k i t f o o l

[the-sapphire-general]

My Thoughts and Feelings on Final Fantasy 15

Hi guys! As I promised, I decided to make a post about my thoughts and feelings I've had as I played Final Fantasy 15. Before I get into it, there will be spoilers throughout this post of the game and the movie (Kingsglaive). Now let's get started!

Prior to this game, I didn't consider myself a Final Fantasy fan. Sure, I got into Final Fantasy 7 and developed a major crush on Sephiroth, but the truth is, I was a fan of just that game and the compilation. Also, I never played any of them...It's true. lol I didn't play FF7 because there's a remake coming up (and I watched an entire walkthrough online), so I feel no need to play it. As for Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus, I had no choice but to watch walkthroughs online. I don't own a PSP or PS2 (the latter was sold a few years back), and that was before I found out about game emulators. So I can play them now (my PS2 emulator sucks, and I want to play DOC, but I can't get the game to run properly >_<). I did see Advent Children though! Anyway, I may have gotten into Final Fantasy via FF7 first, but FF15 is the first Final Fantasy game that I've actually played. I'm a late bloomer, so I got into the series not too long ago. Over a year, I think?? Maybe two? I honestly forgot when I learned about FF7. XD Moving on then. I do know about Kingdom Hearts, which I started prior to getting into FF via FF7, and I'm currently playing through the series. So I was familiar with some FF characters at the time, and I do know them now (Aeris, Cid, Yuffie, Cloud, and of course, Sephiroth) except for Squall/Leon. He's from FF8, so I'll play that one next to get to know him better.

Final Fantasy 15 was a great gaming experience for me. No wonder my friends and boyfriend enjoy the series. They're fun, exciting, have compelling characters, interesting storylines, and there's a lot to do that keeps me intrigued. And Chocobos! They are so cute! I've known about this game months before it came out, and I would have gotten my hands on it when it did, but because of money problems, I didn't get it until a few months ago. I'm glad I finally got it and played it! I've had such a great time along the way, there were times where I really wanted to play, but I was too busy with school or errands or whatever. I was that into it. I think I played over three hours at one point, which is extremely rare for me. I can only manage to play between 2-2 1/2 hours. 

Now that I finished the game, I did some research and took note of people explaining that the story was incomplete or that it was missing a bunch of stuff. I do agree, actually. A lot of stuff took place off-screen. I've heard Square Enix were running out of time, and wanted to release it right away, so a lot has been either cut or left out, such as Lunafreya's own side of the story (really, what has she been doing before Altissia??? I must know!), Cor's own activities (where did he go??)), the events leading to Ignis' accident, and Ardyn's past. I wouldn't say the story was terrible. People exaggerate! I enjoyed the storyline regardless if a lot of content was removed or absent. Lucky for me, my friend even advised me to watch the movie, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15 to understand some parts of the game. And I did, so I knew what took place when Insomnia fell. It's all in the movie. In addition, any future DLC can fill the holes in the story and answer unexplained questions. I know I have a lot of them, and one DLC will explain most of them. More on that in a bit. Let's see, anything story-wise...Chapter 13 is the notorious chapter people have been complaining about? I see that this came from longtime Final Fantasy fans. I'm still a newcomer in a way, and I had no problem with that chapter. Except for the jumpscares! >_< I've never played Resident Evil, but I do know a tiny bit of it to realize the chapter had a similar vibe. All in all, the story had me engaged from beginning to end, and the last chapter was the most emotional one for me. I will discuss it shortly in some sections.

I will focus now on the characters. I won't go through every single one of them in great detail, but I will comment on each of them.

Noctis Lucis Caelum: Noctis is a prince unlike one I have personally seen before. He didn't seem to be the typical prince, all proper and stuff. He is a real person besides just being a prince, and very relatable. He has a good heart, but also bottled up a lot of his feelings. I can relate to that. Oftentimes, I tend to do that myself, and like Noctis, I used to be a lively person until I got older and had bad experiences with bullying and such. Also, Noctis didn't want to deal with his duties as a prince and later as a king, but later accepted it even if it meant losing his life. He couldn't cope with things and handle emotional turmoil, and would rather avoid the issues. That's also like me sometimes, so I've noticed a lot of myself in Noctis, and this quote further describes his character. 

"In the Final Fantasy XV Collector's Edition Guidebook, Director Hajime Tabata describes Noctis as having experienced isolation in his youth, and having a fear of losing those close to him. According to Tabata, Noctis's words and actions often stem from a fear of being unable to meet the expectations of those around him, but as a counterbalance he has a desire to please them." 

Source: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Noctis_Lucis_Caelum

That's me in a nutshell. I always feel like I have to reach expectations, and I want to please them, but I know I can't please everyone. I show it more than Noctis does, but nevertheless we are similar. We also hate vegetables. XD Another character shares similarities with me as well, and he's another one of my favorite Chocobros, and the cutest one. Prompto Argentum.

Prompto Argentum: Prompto is adorable! He's funny, cheerful, and a complete fan of technology. He's playful, sweet, and loves animals, just like me! We're such techno nerds, I love it. At first, I considered our personalities to be different no matter the few similarities we have until I discovered his hidden feelings. I found out about it online because I skipped the cutscene in the game, but Prompto felt like an outcast, even with his own friends. He also used to be shy (the Brotherhood anime confirms this), so he had a lonely childhood. Once I realized all of this, I knew we were more similar that I thought. I always feel like an outcast too, like I don't belong anywhere, not even with my own friends and family, so I understand how he feels. Even more so when I found out he's an MT. Prompto wanted to feel like he fit in, and that's what made me connect with him. Prompto is cute and adorable, but he sure is a deep thinker.

Ignis Scientia: "That's it! I've come up with a new recipe!" That's one of my favorite lines from Ignis. Ignis has a cool and serious personality, and I saw some of myself in him as well. We also wear glasses. XD He's the brains of the group just like how I'm the brains of my group (my boyfriend is intelligent too, but I'm just as important lol). I love his sarcastic comments, and how he acted like a mother towards Noctis. It was hilarious and sweet! Men can be nurturing and motherly, and Ignis is proof. I admit I did my utmost best to keep the entire group safe as I played FF15. You can see the lengths I took just to protect them. Ignis later became the one I wanted to protect a lot when he lost his sight. I was considerate when his pace became slow, and it made me feel like protecting him at all costs. Of course, at the same time, I knew he could learn to handle himself, and he did as time passed. Heck, he saved the entire team from the Malboro! That was badass. Ignis is an example of a character who doesn't let his disability become a burden. It was a respectable portrayal of a blind character. I wish people in real life could do the same and respect disabled people.

Gladiolus Amicitia: Gladio, the man I have done so much fan service throughout my posts for a certain friend of mine. lol Gladiolus is tough on the outside, but cheerful on the inside. As Noctis' shield, Gladio is a loyal bodyguard, despite how I disagreed with him during his arguments with Noctis and his impatience towards him when he's not taking his duties seriously. He meant well, however, but still, no need to give Noct a bad time, especially after he loses his beloved.....More on that shortly. Gladio is the tough guy that expresses his opinions and does his best to keep the team focused on their goal, but like his friends, he doesn't shy away from emotions. Even Gladio had his fears about not being strong enough to protect Noctis. On a random note, I've gotten so many shots of his butt, some intentional and some way unexpected. lol I found it funny, and I saved all those screenshots for my friend and any other Gladio fangirls out there. My friend is madly in love with Gladio, so it was a pleasant treat for her. 

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret: Okay, my feelings as I got to know her went from hating her to later loving her. I blame Kingsglaive for my dislike because Luna barely did anything, so that made me not like her. I wouldn't say she's passive. She is determined to follow her goal to protect Noctis, follow her duties, and do what she must to help him. It was not until I started playing the game that my opinion on her changed. Luna did her own thing outside of the narrative, and I have the feeling she's more capable that how she appears. I mean, Noctis wasn't there when she confronted the gods. We didn't know what she was going through when she left Insomnia. We did manage to see her confronting Leviathan, and just when I think she would be a damsel-in-distress, she uses the staff. Before that, Luna impressed me with his she remained calm even with guns pointing at her. I would have freaked out if I were in her position. I rewatched the movie a while ago, and she does act her own initiative. She's strong-willed and compassionate, I grew to love her...a little too late, story-wise. She does in Altissia because of Ardyn, and I honestly felt more for her than for Aeris (who I didn't like at first, but now I do. But her death hardly made me feel anything.). Just when I start to like Luna, she dies. Now I wonder what she was up to prior to her tragic death. I cried a little when she died, but Noctis took it harder than me. I am officially a NoctisXLuna fan because of the game, and I'm glad they got together in the afterlife.

Gentiana: Gentiana is a mystery, which is why I was (and still am) curious about her. Calm and elegant, I wish I had known more about her. She’s the alter ego of Shiva, which came as a surprise for me. So she wasn’t just a Messenger to the humans from the gods. She’s Shiva! Out of all the gods, she’s the one I like the most. And I kind of ship her with Ifrit (wtf? XD). If she gets her DLC (along with Ardyn, Luna, basically any of the characters in the FF15 survey), I will be so excited!

King Regis Lucis Caelum: He wasn't shown as much, but he came off as a father who deeply cared about his son, and wished for him to find his own way. He cared for his son but didn't have a lot of time to be with him, and had him depart so he wouldn't know what was happening in the kingdom. He died too soon, and I liked him.

Ravus Nox Fleuret: Like his younger sister, my feelings for Ravus started off with not liking him. He sought for revenge against the Caelum bloodline since he blamed King Regis for the death of his mother and Tenebrae being lost to Niflheim, and wanted to become the King of Light to replace Noctis. Despite his bitterness, Ravus cares for his sister, knowing the risks she would take, and tried to protect her while serving Niflheim, but knew she had to fulfill her duties as Oracle. He later accepts her goal, and eventually believes that Noctis is the True King. It was a shame that he died because I grew to like him too. Man, there's so much death in FF15. I wouldn't mind a DLC episode of Ravus.

Cor Leonis: Cor is stubborn, stern, and strict, but watched over them as it was his duty. Like Regis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto, he swore to protect Noctis. I liked him, and I wish I could have seen him more.

Iris Amicitia: Gladio's cute little sister. Her crush on Noctis was adorable, but it also hurt because it was unrequited love. I've been there myself. Gladio truly cares for her, and their relationship was sweet. I wish I had seen her after the time-skip. She became a daemon hunter??? They better show that in a DLC. It would definitely give me Devil May Cry vibes like certain battles of the game. Also, I ship older Iris with older Talcott. Maybe they got together. lol

Aranea Highwind: Ever since I first saw her, I took a liking to her free-spirit and sassy demeanor. We could get along real well if she existed. She is a badass during battles! Why couldn't I see her before the final battle???? She's my favorite FF15 girl.

Talcott Hester: He was a minor character, but he was cute. I had fun getting the Cactuars for him, and it was nice to see him all grown up.

Cindy Aurum: She was alright, bright and lively. Her outfit was distracting. Don't get me wrong, she's pretty and I don't have problems with sexy women, but the outfit...I wouldn't wear that, not even for money. XD Nevertheless, her upbeat and friendly attitude makes up for it.

Cid Sophiar: I looked up Final Fantasy stuff and I do know that Cid is a common character in each installment. He's just like Cid Highwind from FF7! But he swears less.

Dino Ghiranze: Dino is a minor character I loved instantly. His passion for jewelry caught my attention, and if I had known about his fate, I would have done all his sidequests before finishing the game. When Noctis returns ten years later to Galdin Quay, Dino's clothes were on the bench. For my own sake, I want to believe that he stripped naked to swim or whatever and when daemons came, he ran off. >_< I want to believe he survived, so please don't ruin it for me!

Nyx Ulric: He's from the Kingsglaive movie, along with Libertus and Crowe, but I felt like talking about him. Nyx is one of my FF15 crushes (besides Ignis, Prompto, and one I will not say yet). Heroic and loyal, he did everything he could to protect Insomnia but later died. The sad part is Libertus never found out his fate. Maybe as time passed, he did.

Libertus Ostium: Like Nyx, he was a great guy who only wanted to fight against Niflheim, but later took a different path when Crowe Altius died.

Crowe Altius: I swear, she did far too soon. I liked her right away! Laid-back and cool, she could have been great if she had remained alive.

And finally, the character I saved for last, my #1 FF15 crush...

Ardyn Izunia: Ardyn...I have so much to say about him and him alone. Ardyn is a complex man, polite and flamboyant, sassy and humorous, and later deranged and cruel. When I first saw him even before FF15 came out, I fell in love. Yes, I loved him even though I knew nothing about him. He instantly caught my attention, and he captivated me even more when I saw him in Kingsglaive, with both his personality and his unique attire, which I'm crazy about nowadays just like Sephiroth's clothes. lol My feelings for Ardyn from the start were "love at first sight". Unlike my other fictional crushes, however, as I progressed in the game, I started to have doubts about liking him. He started off as a guy who seemed to help Noctis and his friends, and I looked forward to seeing him whenever he showed up. But once I made it to Altissia, he went from the sassy man I have loved even before I got to know him to being a ruthless and insane man with a desire for vengeance after what he had endured 2000 years ago. That's right. 2000 years ago. Ardyn Izunia, or Ardyn Lucis Caelum, is an immortal man and a former Lucian king. He absorbed the Starscourge, which transformed people into daemons, and he saved thousands only to be rejected by the Astrals and demonized by a jealous future king. There's a theory that this king is Ardyn's brother, Izunia, which can explain the jealousy thing, but I would rather learn more about Ardyn's past in his DLC episode, which I hope is soon!! I really want to play as Ardyn so badly! Ahem. Sorry about that. Ardyn swore revenge against the Lucian bloodline.

  What does this have to do with my mixed feelings for Ardyn? Well, everything. Ardyn was frighteningly evil, even he scared me on certain scenes. His sassy side became twisted, it just wasn't amusing to see but creepy. He plots revenge for two millennia, he murders Lunafreya, he stalks Noctis and his group on the train leading to Tenebrae, tricks Noctis into attacking Prompto and pushing him off a moving train, kidnaps Prompto, taunts Noctis during Chapter 13, turns Ravus into a daemon, plunges all of Eos into infinite darkness and turns it into a world infested with daemons that kill so many people, creates an illusion of the corpses of Regis, Luna, Ravus, and Nyx when Noctis and his friends arrive to the throne room, and actually wins in the end after Noctis...kills him. The final battle confirmed how insane he was, and that whatever sanity he had was gone. I mean, his maniacal laugh and comments during the fight caught me off-guard. It just shows how everything he had been through screwed him over during those 2000 years. *sigh* I confess that Ardyn creeped me out with his sadistic side and everything he had done, but he also intrigued me. But I also confess that killing him made me cry. Not like bawling, but crying. I really liked Ardyn, and despite my mixed feelings for him, I grew to love him. I love him because he was a compelling villain that managed to succeed in being a great one (like Sephiroth), and I wish I didn't have to kill him. But during his final moments, that daemon-like sound he did right before Noctis ended his immortal existence so he could finally rest in peace made me realize he had to die. He suffered too much, and it had to be done. 

Like Sephiroth, I sympathized with Ardyn regardless of everything he had done. Both characters descended into madness to have revenge on those who hurt them, and were both cruel, cold, and calculating in their own respective ways. Rumor has it that Ardyn beat Sephiroth and Kefka. Now, Kefka comes off as a Joker clone to me from what I've read, so I don't care. But Sephiroth????? I love Sephiroth, and I'm in denial if Ardyn did beat him, mainly because I'm a huge Sephiroth fan. FF15 did a great job developing a complex villain that had many layers in him. Ardyn is the kind of villain I grew to hate, and then later love. He was a broken man that my friend and I both love, and we would have done anything to save him. I know I would because I took his death pretty hard. Call me overemotional, but I don't care. I even heard that FF15 may or may not have a sequel. Personally, I don't know if that's possible. FF15 had a pretty solid ending, albeit bittersweet. Where would it go? Also, who would the villain be anyway??? Ardyn was an amazing villain, and nobody can top him in the FF15 universe. It just wouldn't be the same without Ardyn. Ardyn, you have won me over, and I'm officially one of your biggest fans.

Phew! This has been one of the longest post I have ever done. Final Fantasy 15 is a wonderful game, and I'm glad I played it. I laughed and cried with the characters, I identified with them, the story kept me engaged from beginning to end, and it introduced me to a series that I'm looking forward to enjoying as I move on to the other installments. The Final Fantasy 7 remake won't be released until who knows when, so in the meantime, I'll try out other installments. My FF15 playthrough may be over for now, but there will be more to come with future DLC, and I'm going to do some post-game videos later. I'll see you guys later!

The complete playthrough is right here on my channel. Stay tuned for more FF15 gameplay!

Final Fantasy 15 Playthrough