#I'm not saying Hien's right! I don't think he is

[lesenbyan]

because like, here's the thing.

Jifuya recognizes he fucked up. he admits if she dis these atrocities bc of those done to her then he's one of the formost to be blamed. He joined the liberation front to atone and seems serious about that otherwise why stop the lucrative business of employing sex workers that may or may not be consenting the the profession?

whereas never once does it seem or feel like Gosetsu recognizes he's being insensitive or wrong, indeed the game has you on his side instead of against and the Dotharl are the only ones e ne about it and they're also not frequently painted in a good light, if not a bad one (unless you listen to the Oronir.)

Hien's excusing feels more like "okay so he did those things. but the man I know isn't that man anymore" and if you believe anyone and everyone deserves a second chance, then so does Jifuya. So does Yotsuyu, memory or not, So does Fordola. And if Jifuya has admitted that he has done wrong and is doing his best to atone then so long as no one from his past comes calling asking for more, then he's atoned as well as he can. and, again, Hien can't force him into punishment for how he treated Yotsuyu bc the people of Doma don't care what has happened to her, they don't care that she was made into who she was. they only care what she did and the fact there was no escape. which is fair enough! but if Hien claps Jifuya in irons and gives the reason "he employed Yotsuyu as an unconsenting sex worker" there will be riots. I'm not saying Hien even considered it, that's up to everyone individual interpretations. But Jifuya is trying to atone and Hien's saying that the Jifuya he knows wouldn't. the Jifuya of today wouldn't do that again.

Gosetsu? I 100% believe would do all that again. esp bc his biggest point of contention was reincarnation which we know is canonically a thing

man, people can have whatever opinions they want, but as shitty as Hien's halfhearted defense of Jifuya feels Gosetsu's behavior on the Steppe will always always feel worse and grosser. Sure, Hien's in charge of Doma, but he'd not stay that way if he starts condemning people for their pasts with the woman everyone now associates with the worst years of their lives. Absolutely there's something to be Done about Jifuya's past, but he can't act on Yotsuyu's behalf.

Gosetsu, on the other hand,

[tainbocuailnge]

Hey, sorry to send an ask without us knowing each other 😅

But I just saw you in the tags in the post about jrpg translations, saying that FF14 has better translations in other languages.

Can you talk more about that?😊

I played in English before and it was okay. I tried German too, but was a bit disappointed. So hearing you say that, I'm genuinely curious to hear more!

I've been replaying msq in german and wrapped up tsukuyomi just yesterday and it's insane the extent to which german is more thematically consistent and has stronger and more nuanced characterisation than english. i think the german script is more poetic too, despite english trying so much harder to sound flowery and important. I've been translating bits and pieces to my friends and I keep feeling like I'm presenting them with that botched jesus painting restoration because I just don't know how to convey how beautifully constructed some of these sentences are. the german translation team are genuinely very good writers.

as an example of what kind of differences we're dealing with here, and since it's what I finished most recently, in german from the start there's a lot more emphasis on how it was systematic mistreatment from the "good old" doma that lead yotsuyu to where she is, and that her cruelty is specifically retribution for the way doma has failed her (as opposed to english trying to frame it as in large part to satisfy her personal sadistic impulses). gosetsu is repeatedly shown to be sympathetic towards her for this even while she's actively trying to hurt and kill him (as opposed to english having him be sarcastically dismissive of her), which makes it make way more sense that he'd take tsuyu in his care later even without the "also she reminds him of his dead daughter" bit (that they do still tack on at the end but doesn't feel like a handwave excuse as much because of aforementioned consistent sympathy).

in english hien has several lines showing he's hostile to and wary of tsuyu and waiting for the right opportunity to kill her, but in german hien brings up killing tsuyu one (1) time and when gosetsu argues for her right to live hien agrees, and the difficulty in keeping her around is not his personal dislike but that it's hard to guarantee her safety when the doman people will want violent retribution in turn (in clear parallel to lyse trying to keep fordola from getting lynched without a fair trial). because german hien is not constantly talking about how he wishes he could just kill yotsuyu for her crimes, it doesn't read as pathetically incompetent of him to let her sneak out of the mansion multiple times because he was treating her as harmless citizen of doma instead of an enemy of the state (because german in general emphasises a lot that she SHOULD have had a place in doma), and her backstory is taken seriously as part of his motivation to create a better doma that she perhaps could've had a peaceful life in

there are many cases like this where german displays a nuance that english doesn't, and from very early on. in english arr cid ran away from the empire out of moral disagreements, in german it's clear that he also holds a complicated resentment over losing his father to project meteor and then his replacement father figure gaius to a similar mad search for power, something that in english doesn't come up until all the way in shadowbringers with bozja. in english castrum meridianum livia says she's going to kill you because gaius is hers, in german she's mad at you because you killed her friend mr cape westwind and is going to kill you before you can take gaius from her too.

in german heavensward thordan sounds much more convinced of his principles. when you defeat him in english he's horrified of how you could possibly overcome the amount of faith he's powered by, in german he's horrified that the future of ishgard will be thrown into chaos in the name of your pursuit of truth. gaius sounds more convinced of the ideals he spouts too, and it feels more plausible that he has people willing to die for him and his ideals. in german the similarities between nidhogg and estinien are clearer, and when nidhogg possesses him he insidiously frames it as an act of kindness.

in german, many random moments of misogyny in the english script outright don't exist. matoya doesn't make fun of alphinaud for looking like a girl. alphinaud isn't dismissive of alisaie in binding coils. most of the lines in english that insult or dismiss yotsuyu as an evil whore don't exist in german, and lines that weren't about her at all in english turn out to express sympathy towards her in german. in english hydaelyn had minfilia fuse with her by force, in german it was minfilia's idea. in english i was bothered by lyse being made head of the resistance because she sounds so unsure of what to do and think right until the end, in german she's full of conviction and clarity of purpose. I'm sincerely convinced the english team hates women.

because german doesn't go out of its way to sound like some kind of ancient wizard prophecy at every turn, several scenes which in english were confusing convey their information clearly in german (I'm particularly thinking about the minfilia anitower scene here). characters talk clearly and with a lot of personality that english fails to achieve because everyone has to speak faux old english. and because most characters talk like real people instead of ancient wizards in german it's extra cute that urianger does in fact talk like an ancient wizard.

as a more personal gripe, I have noticed several moments where the english script centers the warrior of light and their importance and struggles, while in german those scenes where about, like, the character the scene is about. german wol is still hydaelyn's favourite freak of nature and everyone loves them obviously, but as the example most fresh in my memory there's the scene in early post-stb where you visit fordola in her cell and she unwillingly looks into wol's past thanks to her fake echo. in english, she asks wol how they can bear all the suffering other people have put them through. in german, she asks how wol manages to stay sane when the echo makes you so deeply aware of the suffering of others. in the flashback of her past you see in that scene the german script also mentions that her face tattoo is an ala mhigan design, which makes it clearer than it was in english that she was specifically trying to rise the ranks of the imperial military as ala mhigan and makes her motivations more coherent - namely wanting to prove both the ala mhigans who hated her for being garlean and the garleans who hated her for being ala mhigan wrong by achieving success as both (and the power to lash out at both).

there have been very, very few moments where I actually thought the english script was better (shiva's trial lines and like, one line hien says at the steppe, that's it), and the vast majority of the time german is anywhere from about the same quality as english to just insanely better. the english script is so concerned with sounding cool and important that it becomes scared of letting characters be motivated by emotion. it's plagued by the kind of insincerity and insecurity that plagues so much of western media and leads to movie superheroes making fun of their own costumes. the english script will write one good line and then keep repeating that line ad nauseam and yet still fail to achieve the amount of internal thematic consistency the german script has, because english is relying on this handful of cool lines to carry its emotional core instead of actually letting the emotional core drive the characters. combined with the consistent pattern of dumbing down and/or vilifying female characters frankly I want to beat koji fox with hammers.

I'm actually very curious what about the german script disappointed you. the german voice acting is not good so if that's what turned you off I completely get it (I play with jp voices myself) but that's separate from the actual writing. these kind of things will ultimately always come down to personal preference so i won't judge but as you can tell from these several paragraphs i feel very strongly about the quality of the german script so I find it hard to imagine why you think that

[dualcastimpact]

dawntrail impressions pt. x

In this installment: breaking a death flag and some realisations come to being.

Spoilers under the cut, as always:

Hunmu Rruk's gotten himself kidnapped right after confessing the truth of Wuk Lamat's parentage to Raginmar. Not that it's not a compelling drama angle, but the sheer pacing from Hunmu Rruk spilling his heart out to then immediately getting kidnapped is really way too fast, there's almost no impact to the revelation. It's just there to set up Bakool Ja Ja's scheme.

Wuk Lamat: "Come on, then! You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!"

Said scheme mainly revolves around pressuring Wuk Lamat into a one-on-one fight with her birth father's life on the line and without the assistance of the singular most powerful combat force in her entourage: the Warrior of Light.

Obviously, since Wuk Lamat is a shōnen manga protagonist in the most obviously trope-y JRPG in recent memory, there's no way she'd lose even without the Warrior of Light.

———

What will you say? > Cowards don't stand a chance against Wuk Lamat. > You should back down before you get hurt. > Don't worry—the scary adventurer won't try anything funny.

I personally love how unconcerned Raginmar looks in this shot, paired with his unbothered, nonchalant response to Bakool Ja Ja's taunting. Also any shot where he's got his arms crossed and showing off his biceps and forearms is really just (chef's kiss) mwah, this game is so good to me.

Also he just looks unconcerned; if you think he's not keeping an eye on Hunmu Rruk to make sure he's unharmed via some arcane means you've got another think coming.

———

Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty: "You think this weakling could hurt me!?"

The emphasis on me instead of weakling is really rather interesting; it shows that his disdain towards Wuk Lamat is secondary towards his ego. He cares more about the slight against him instead of insulting Wuk Lamat.

That said Raginmar did not have to stand with his hip cocked to one side like that, that is just plain disrespect, unbelievable, how dare he—

———

In this battle, you will play as Wuk Lamat.

Oh heck yeah! I love it when we get to play battles as other characters! I still remember how excited I got during post-Stormblood when the in-game messages went from "In this battle, you will play as Hien" to "In this battle, you will play as Raginmar Steelbiter"—just seeing his name on-screen like that like he's part of the cast was so satisfying.

———

Hoobigo Guardian: "We'll release the hostage."

Raginmar's figured as much since he's secretly keeping an eye on them, but I have to be honest: I was expecting some kind of betrayal from them. I really wasn't expecting this particular drama to be resolved so quickly, I was expecting some more treachery or tragedy or death.

Was this sideplot even necessary?

———

Hunmu Rruk: "I—Ah, but to single-handedly defeat Bakool Ja Ja! You truly are the Dawnservant's daughter."

Hunmu Rruk: "It has been my honor to bear witness to your journey, Promise."

Oh no, he's forcibly enforcing distance between them...

———

Wuk Lamat: "Promise... Yes, that's what I am."

Wuk Lamat: "I'm Gulool Ja Ja's daughter, and Tuliyollal's next Dawnservant!"

Hunmu Rruk's said it himself, she's destined to lead more than just the Xbr'aal. She's been raised as the Dawnservant's daughter all her life, I get where they're coming from, but also it kinda... sucks? Like they're just going to dismiss that possible bond between them? Hunmu Rruk's just going to watch her from afar, even after explicitly still thinking of her as his daughter after years?

That's some bullshit, honestly.

———

Erenville: "The twins ran me from one end of the Ut'ohmu Horizon to the other, asking about everything of remote interest along the way..."

Suffer. Time to deal with the younger siblings you never had.

———

Koana: "Our nation is built upon the bonds that Father forged during his journey across Tural."

Koana: "But so single-minded have I been in my advocacy of foreign innovations...that I failed to understand my own people."

ABOUT FUCKING TIME.

I don't care how clichéd this is, so long as I don't have to deal with his stupid insistence that tradition is bad and useless and the sun shines out Sharlayan's ass, I'm good.

———

Thancred: "Let them see you for who you really are. What makes you laugh and cry and rage. That sort of honesty is the first step towards mutual understanding and connection."

What, the kind of honesty none of you showed Raginmar during his first few years with the Scions?

———

Thancred: "You said you wished to use the knowledge you acquired in Sharlayan for your country—and in doing so repay your father for the opportunities he afforded you."

Sounds familiar eh, Thancred?

———

Thancred: "What won me over was not your ambition, but your motivation."

Thancred: "So let your people know this. And in time, they'll come to support you as we do."

Thancred: "You can't hide behind that stoicism forever."

First of all, you can absolutely hide behind a stoicism forever—Raginmar did just fine. Koana's just too green behind the ears to warrant that stoicism. He has no experience behind that stoicism, that's his problem.

Second of all, I like how Koana has his mentor moment with Thancred, arguably the most dad-like amongst the Scions. To be fair it's more to set up the plot twist(?) later on but it's nice to see the Scions not be completely useless.

———

Alisaie: "Come to think of it, isn't it Bakool Ja Ja's home? We can only hope its residences don't share his winning personality."

We're headed to the Ja Tiika Heartland next and oh, don't worry, Alisaie—they're worse.

———

Alphinaud: "If it is indeed the city where Ketenramm first met the Dawnservant, surely some civility awaits us."

Hunmu Rruk: "I would not be so certain."

First of all, calling Mamook a city is a tad generous. Second of all... well, you'll see.

———

Wuk Lamat: "Thank you for everything, Hunmu Rruk. Till next time, take care!"

Hunmu Rruk: "How you have grown indeed..."

I don't know what I'm meant to feel here. Am I meant to feel sad, that Hunmu Rruk's forced to watch his daughter walk away and hope she understands how proud he is of her without him ever having the chance (or the right) to make that apparent? Am I supposed to feel touched, that he's making this sacrifice for the greater good? Like I said, that whole conflict with his secretly being her father and having to pretend that they're not connected in any way so Wuk Lamat could focus on continuing and protecting the Dawnservant's legacy felt so rushed and so... unimportant, I don't really see any point to it. Maybe it'll be an important plot point later on, I don't know, but so far I just think this part specifically was rather badly done, and had little to no impact on me as the player.

[yzeltia]

FFXIVwrite2023 1. Envoy

Character: Hien Rijin, Y'zel Tia, Natsu Obinata Expansion: Endwalker Rating: T Notes: N/A

"Shun. Do you promise to always love me?"

"As long as the Kami will me to draw breath and beyond, Little Cat."

Hien inhaled a moment, eyes shut. Through the revolution that followed, the restoration efforts of Doma, and his part in the Final Days, the memory of his time with Y'zel remained fresh, as if it were the day before. The feeling of the other's fangs gently raking up his neck, claws down his back, and warmth of their often desperate union. The taste of his tongue against his own. Smelling their campfire lingering in the Miqo'te's hair when they awoke. Their voice seeming to hesitate after saying his name when not calling out properly in a fit of passion. The way his fair skin would seem to glow lightly in the dark and never burn no matter how much the sun bore down on them. And of course his wide blue searching eyes always upon him.

"Don't move. I just want you with me for as long as possible," Y'zel's voice panted, hand coming to touch his cheek.

Hien rested his palm where the memory had laid their hand. Opening his eyes, he let out a sigh then looked up to his attendant, giving a nod to let his visitor in. He held his breath as the doors opened. No pink-haired woman entered. Neither a Miqo'te. Instead, a young Auri woman wandered in, crushing the small flicker of hope for a reunion with his missing husband.

He hid his disappointment, for the moment, in hopes of some sort of revelation. Stiffening, he looked upon the young woman as she bowed, lowering his head a touch as well.

"Welcome. I am Hien Rijin of Doma," he greeted, "If I'm not mistaken, you are claiming to be the younger sister of the Emporer Consort. I'm afraid I do not see any earthly possibility of that."

"Yes, I understand why you might think that. I am Natsu Obinata, Daughter of Raiden Obinata…," she answered, keeping herself bowed, "Who, if I have my sources right, raised Y'zel Tia into adulthood."

Hien's heart skipped a beat. Forgetting himself he got up then kneeled in front of her, taking the girl's hands in his, long digits grazing her bare wrist, "Then you come with news? Where is he? What happened to him!?"

Natsu was taken aback by the man's desperation, but her expression soon vacated to a stillness he'd only seen on those with the gift of the Echo. She soon jerked her hand from his, falling backward with her face flushed, breathing ragged. 

"Are you okay? Are you by chance one who has the Blessings of light," he asked, reaching out to help her upright.

"Please don't touch me," she requested firmly, moving to sit up on her knees, "Yes, I have heard the Mother Crystal's call. At a touch, I can relive moments through the eyes of others. Hear their thoughts, know their feelings. It's an empathetic and sensory overload" she answered, shivering.

Hien gave the girl a tatami mat's worth of space, moving to sit on his knees opposite of her. Natsu brushed her hair back then shook her head.

"I am here because I found his name on your family registry in my search for him. I've only had glimpses of him though the Echo…including yours just now. I was hoping that you might know where he is so that I might know who my father really was. It seems, you too, do not know his whereabouts."

Hien hung his head, "He came to be my side more than a year's time ago. I had sent him away to Hingashi to seek a means to contact his family about our union so that they would not worry. He did not return and I had a duty to the people of the Mol tribe and Doma to fulfill. It has been so long, I have come to fear the worst and I have not the luxury of using Doma's limited resources to pursue him."

"But is he not the Emporer Consort?"

"Doma was still under occupation and the people did not witness a coronation nor do many even know of my taking a partner. His name was added for my benefit. So that I never forget…and can assure myself it was real."

Natsu shook her head, "From the brief glimpse I got, it was. I'm sorry. My presence here has upset you. Both of us seem to have held hopes the other might know his location. My destination will be Eorzea then. I am certain he lives and is there. I will…tell him that you are looking for him. When I figure out how to get there and where he is…"

Hien sat up. "You're sure he lives," he asked before taking a breath, "If that really is true, then I would ask a favour. Please, I ask not as the Emporer of Doma, but as the one who loves Y'zel, bring him a letter as my envoy. At the very least I can assist you in getting to your destination."

Natsu blinked in surprise as the Emporer lowered himself, "Your highness!?"

"Please."

The girl stood, nodding as the man looked up to her, "Of course. In a roundabout way we are family if you think about it."

"I suppose we are," Hien answered, giving her a soft smile, "You are welcome to stay here as my guest as I prepare my letter and a means of travel for you. I'll have someone fetch you when it's dinner time. I hope you like meat."

"Thank you," Natsu said, bowing as the Emporer stood and smiled.

Hien took his leave, letting his apparent sister-in-law move about the building as she pleased with his blessing. Once out of sight, he leaned against a post, holding his chest as the emotional gravity started to burrow deep into his heart. His mind, for the briefest of moments, flashed Y'zel's face, and he wept.

[one-winged-dreams]

OUGGGHH something I reblogged to my XIV blog got the Hien wheels turning and I finally perfected my insert for him

[insert's pronouns are he/him]

XIV mutuals: @sosoftandsweet @dearly-beeloved @dorothys-wife

Fic under cut

"I have to say, it is indeed taking some getting used to, seeing you having picked up such adult habits."

Hien had plucked the kiseru from Mana's hand a short while into their shared reprieve, teasing him with another one of those infectious grins that Mana had always loved so. The Raen had been sitting on one of the crumbling ledges in the Doman Enclave, shaded from the setting sun under a large tree in the courtyard when Hien had stumbled upon him. It was no matter if Mana had invited him to join him or if Hien had simply imposed himself onto his company, but neither of them was unhappy with the outcome.

Mana replied with something more than a chuckle, but not quite a full-hearted laugh. "It was a given, all things considered. My profession was very adult in its own right, you know."

Hien DID laugh, inspecting the kiseru for a moment, "Aye, true enough. Still, it may take some getting used to."

As Mana leaned into his side, he was pleased with the resulting motion of Hien's arm around his shoulders. "Though I must say, it's quite different without the opium."

And now did he laugh in full as Hien did a double-take, staring at him incredulously.

"You don't-"

"Aye, I do! Have. Not so much anymore. Why, Shun? Are you shocked that your childhood friend partakes in truly such what was it? Adult habits?" Mana grinned, his wine-colored eyes squinting in that manner that Hien had always found most charming.

Blinking incredulously for a moment, Hien shortly reciprocated the laugh, squeezing Mana's shoulder to their shared satisfaction. "A bit, aye!"

Mana eyed the kiseru still in Hien's hand before gesturing. "Well, you'll find quite the lack of such elicit substances as of right now, but you're free to partake in my VERY EXPENSIVE tobacco, provided you repay me in kind."

Another one of those grins was directed at the Raen before Hien turned his gaze to the pipe once again. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," he mused before bringing the kiseru to his lips.

Mana watched him from the moment Hien's lips closed around the bit to the moment the resulting exhaled smoke began to dissipate into the cool evening air. His gaze was soft, brimming with fondness and wistful thoughts of what the time lost between them could have held.

And Hien's own gaze was upon him then, everything dissipating from Mana's mind just as the smoke had done prior.

"Satisfactory, my Lord?" the Raen hummed teasingly.

"Aye, though I'm sure the experience would have been more complete provided you had indeed been partaking in such substances in my courtyard," Hien returned the tease in the same beat.

"And what do you mean by 'complete experience', pray tell?" the banter went on as Mana placed a hand on Hien's knee.

Hien regarded the Raen for a moment before grinning. "Well I AM in the presence of such a beautiful and illustrious dancer. Tis only fair that the Lord of Doma get to experience the fullest extent of your company, don't you think?"

"Well," Mana began with a sigh, shifting himself before, to Hien's delight, the smaller man sat straddled onto his lap, "Mayhap when we find ourselves in a more accomidating environment, I'll indulge you, my Lord."

A more subdued grin adorned Hien's face now, and despite the suggestive banter, his gaze softened. "I should enjoy that very much, Mana. We've quite a bit to catch up on, after all."

As Mana brought a hand up to brush the side of Hien's face, he felt the prior affection apex into something more satisfying than any amount of opium he had partaken in during their time apart. A soft smile was all he could give to express his fulfilled longing, but it was clearly enough for Hien. "That we do, Shun. That we do."

[iggyfing]

okay okay okay lemme say my thoughts on base stormblood

overall: didn't like it as much as hw. not that i didn't like it, bc it def had its moments. i think it suffered from splitting the conflict onto two fronts but that's also the neat new thing it did this expansion.

the two midgame primals weren't integrated into the story nearly as well as hw's ones were, and the fact the first one was yet another shake-up of how we understand primals to function but then no one really talks about it afterwards? egregious. the fights themselves were pretty fun. i wanna do emanation again here soon bc i had fun w it despite my rage at the whole story around it. (finalfantasy still doesn't understand how religion works)

tell you what i did enjoy from start to finish: the whole substory on the azim steppe. trying to glean lore bits to integrate into kuzhuk and dagasi's backstories. i need a pronunciation guide tho. i was totally sold on hien as a character from the moment he said he was gonna win the naadam. go off king!! that's so unhinged.

the return of the king (for lack of a better term) is one of my favorite fantasy tropes, and i really wanted it in heavensward and they didn't give it to me!! but it's here and handled decently enough, so.

stormblood was ultimately more lyse's story than the wol's. you the player and your character are just along for the ride.

except when it comes to zenos. listen man you know me i love me an antag who's obsessed w the protag to the point of hardcore projection and i was eating good w those last few scenes. "farewell, my first friend. my enemy." is SUCH a line i am chewing off my own leg. i honestly wish he was in it more but alas! rule of threes. if only it could have been contrived to meet him here and there without fighting.

(all to say, i'm gonna have to work to develop cillien here bc outside of zenos being the sort of unhinged disaster he could very well have become if on'danya hadn't saved him and kuzhuk hadn't approached him pre-/early-arr, there isn't much for the wol this expansion)

notable in that it didn't end on a terrible cliffhanger like base hw. there are still plenty of loose threads hanging, but none of them as excruciatingly pressing as that one. you may remember my panic.

anyway, on to patch content! have a screenshot!

post credits spoilers under the cut

ALSO. I FRICKIN KNEW IT. I CALLED IT. AND I'M KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT MAKING A POST ABOUT IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER DOMA CASTLE WHEN I THOUGHT OF IT.

yeah you introduce this guy by having him row across the ocean and you think i'm gonna buy being shot multiple times, crushed under rubble, and drowned in the river is enough to take him out? not likely. love that crazy old man.

(garbage screenshot bc i was too busy doing a victory dance at being right to get a better one)

(also just getting it in here now before i forget: i'm not convinced zenos is....... gone?? like maybe he is dead but i don't think he's dead dead. wacky echo stuff could be an easy handwave explanation. if he somehow frickin fused his consciousness to the wol's body as some sorta extrapolation of lahabrea and igeyorm in hw or like he did w shinryu, that'd be sick and i would hate it and it'd be so good.)

[la-scree]

Let's Talk About FFXIV's Dancer Story...

For the few who know I exist and voted for this in the poll I put up, it's time to talk about one of the Jobs within Final Fantasy XIV: Dancer. And how...I really find the story horrible. Much worse than Paladin's.

Now before people start coming at me with 'but um actually's, I'm going to state this: I actually love Dancer. I've always been a sucker for classes and jobs who put focus on performance aspects. While I'm not a dancer, I used to sing in choirs and be in my schools' drama clubs. Yes, I was a Drama Kid but not the crazy batshit ones like you see on Glee. I just had fun with it. I also tend to main the Dancer Job at least when I play on Yua and anytime I really don't feel like doing much/my brain decides to go brrrrrrrr after a shift at work. You would too if you had to deal with face to face interactions. It's also great that I tend to think of great glams that would look good without the usage of mods and a lot of my glamour plates tend to be either casting or aiming involved. And yet despite all of this, I have strong feelings about the story. Negative ones.

But it wasn't always like this. In fact, when Dancer was announced during Fanfest before Shadowbringers hit, I was happy to know it was a Ranged DPS. I was going to level it first then hit the MSQ afterwards. And when I played it the first time, I thought it was alright and enjoyed it. Proudly sported the AF gear and paraded around (that's kind of a big oof there but more qualified folks can talk about that than me) But then...others started bringing up some issues they had with Dancer's story; about how the tone didn't feel right or the story was giving off a bad message. And this made me think because people weren't pulling this out of their asses, they were talking about points in the story that I myself had glossed over. Unlike how I was with Hien, blindly going along with the majority in saying how bad he was, I decided to replay the story on another character and really go through all the dialogue and story and see if they had some weight to it.

And they were right. Replaying it, I had started to get angry and really rip into it on the second go. It wasn't until my forth run that I could finally really get a good sense of how I felt. I still deemed it as the worst but I could word why a bit better.

So what is the story anyway? A group of dancers from Thavnair travel to Eorzea and want to 'bring succor'. The group, Troupe Falsiam, performs in Limsa and their leader, Nashmeira (looks like a prim rich lady) sees you and asks you if you wanna join them as a dancer and kind of psuedo guide around the realm so they perform. You also meet her protege, Ranaa, who feels like the genki girl that I swear if I didn't know better that she'd try and act like Tomo from Azumanga Daioh, and she's all happy that you're coming along. It's not until later, around level 65 that Nashmeira reveals that she was hiding something from you and the others: their journey was to stop a dance called the Totentanz from causing chaos and despair.

(On a side note, why the fuck is this dance and the war dance we know are German names and our attacks are French origin names when we don't get anything like it in Thavnair proper? Or was this a 'pull out of our ass and need some pretty names for attacks?' We'll never know.)

And where do we go to stop this place? Poor areas.

You heard me.

Nashmeira's idea is to go to poorer areas, dance for them, bring out a despair monster from it, fight it, and...that's it. Everyone should be happy for about five minutes while not knowing that it wasn't for show. So we're lying about it too? Oh goodie. It's here where I'm starting to see the tone shift/deafness of the story. Here's this conflict happening but what are you trying to tell the audience? A dance will make your problems go away?

In an ideal world, that would be nice but I bet if Nashmeira met and talked to a poor person, did her dance, the poor person is probably going to look at her and ask "It's nice and all but how is that going to help me get food/shelter?" In fact, during the level 63 quest, one of the troupe members asks her why poor people in particular while agreeing that both the common and higher classes should be able to enjoy dancing, it doesn't explain why specifically the poor. You find out later that 'poor folks are more prone to despair' according to her.

Bet during Endwalker, that line of thinking bit her in the ass.

Nashmeira: "Just trust me bro, it'll be fine."

Another point to this is that during the story, this is the only time someone kind of questions the troupe's leader. There's no one who looks at this in the story and questions why they're doing this and what will it help with. Again, no one speaks up and asks "Hey, how will this help me?" or even challenges Nashmeira or Ranaa's beliefs or about what they're doing. Hell, Counselingway from the Loporrits even questioned the Dreaming Ways in their questline. When a dumb meme rabbit does better than you, something's up.

The issue I have here is that Nashmeira isn't doing what she says she's doing. In order to actually stop despair, one has to look at the situation, figure what's causing the conflict, and try to stop it there. Some may say that what she and the troupe are doing are putting a band aid on but what good is it going to do if there's no result of the solution provided? They're not stopping despair, they're just only pretending to do so. It's even worse when some of the people they're trying to help are duskwights (level 65 she and the troupe actually see them as villains instead of people who need help and had them arrested by the Twin Adder and constantly demean them, calling them from rabble-rousers to nasty duskwights), those of the Brume (who have been going through some nasty revelations since the Dragonsong War ended), and those affected by the Garlean Empire's rule for over 20 years. It's heavy matters but it's just thrown off to the side like it's nothing. None of these characters have nothing to say about the meaning of despair, what a dance could do, nothing about how the art is connected to Thavnair outside 'we're from Radz-at-Han'.

Which brings me to another point as to why I say this story is the worst: the motivations of its main characters. Or rather, the lack of motivation. I brought up that Paladin is second compared to this and it's because at least a character had a motivation for picking up the sword: remember that kid from the 50-60 questline? He wanted to get stronger because his mom died. Still a shitty motivation but at least he has one. We never learn why Nashmeira or Ranaa chose the path of the Dancer. Why do they dance? Outside of this mission bullshit, we don't really understand these characters we're supposed to be standing by. While they try to give Ranaa something in the 80 capstone quest, it just has her go to Kugane. Just that and you and her dance together to let her make her choice. Why does she dance? Why and how did she get to come across the troupe? How did she become Nashmeira's protege? If I didn't play this questline four times, I would probably needed to google their names or just call them Rich Lady and Genki Catgirl. They're boring to follow and all I wanted to do was just move onwards so I could get Technical Step. I dragged my feet during my last playthrough because it was that bad.

To add on about the shift in tone, another reason I want to point out is that it was introduced in Shadowbringers. Given the idea of using emotions and finding ways to drive away despair, it should have been introduced in Endwalker. Not only that but it could have given more about the dancers' culture since we see a lot of Radiant Host members are in fact dancers. The tone of each of these expansion stories are different and it just feels like Dancer was just thrown in there because they already had two Jobs for the next expansion and in all honesty, makes me kind of sad. But even in Endwalker, we don't have any kind of lore or stories about the dancers unless you dig through a throwaway line during a small side quest in order to unlock another side questline. They just feel rather forgotten.

However, I think because quite a lot of people had feedback on it, and this is only a silly theory, the devs tried to do more within some of the sections like Thavnair's second half as the Palaka's Stand folk speak about what they learned from the gods or even Endwalker's Role Quests (minus the capstone); actually, those questlines address things I even brought up here like a conflict that's deep rooted within the community and steps to take to make it better besides 'kill the blasphemy'. You can't just fight the thing, you have to understand who they were, why they turned, what's the root conflict, and try to solve it. Some did it better than others but they tried at least.

And if you made it this far, congrats. You somehow survived my ramblings. And if you disagree and think that the Dancer Story is S Tier, then cool. It's ok to think that way. These are just my thoughts and overall, Dancer deserved much better because the potential there is great. But potential can only go so far. You can't solve despair with just a dance: you got to attack it head on and do something to ensure it stays at bay.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Five - Rain Shadows

Things were taking off, and not just Sen. Able to range further afield, he began scouting the surrounding terrain, encountering sights he hadn't noticed before.

On his arrival to the island, it had been cloaked in lichens, mosses and ferns in a lush scrub, but lacking in taller plants. After he woke from dormancy, his ginkgos and Si-woo's progymnosperms had been prominent in the riparian landscape, but the prairie beyond was still dominated by ferns and their allies. From the ground, and even with the view from his nest, Sen hadn't spotted any more trees, but once airborne, he realised that there were a few after all.

By a couple of days after his wings had grown in, Sen was comfortable enough to fly further afield. One of his excursions took him to the distant mountains, where the sea breeze condensed into a cool and foggy atmosphere. It was here, in an expanding marshland, that he came across a stand of gigantic horsetails. Their structure was much the same as the little horsetails of shady riverbanks he was familiar with, but these were twice the height of his trees. They had been here a good deal longer, or were faster growing, or both.

He spent the rest of the day in the cloudy swamp forest, listening to insects and amphibians call. There was no sign of another fairy. Sen considered the possibility that these trees had gotten here under their own steam, but deemed it unlikely. For spores to drift across the ocean and establish a decently sized population so fast was unlikely, and the spacing between the trees was just regular enough to suggest deliberate planting.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

On a different day, Sen was flying inland when he spied a thicket of shrubs in the otherwise rocky and desolate landscape. This time he had no doubt that other fairies were responsible. There were signs that water and soil had been transported, sticks had been deliberately arranged, and he could even detect a trace of magic. Excited, he raced home to fetch Si-woo.

Upon returning, Sen flitted to a high crag and looked over the copse. Si-woo landed beside him.

"What do you think, Byun?"

"I think, Gongsun, that this is Tadgh's work!"

"Tadgh?"

"He specialises in earthworking magic. See how the hillside has been carved out? And the stone embankment at the opposite end? He's making sure every last drop of water that flows into this place is retained."

Sen nodded sagely. He hadn't noticed the exact layout of the terracing before, but now that Si-woo drew his attention to it, the pattern was unmistakable.

"Lemme get a closer look," said Si-woo, hopping down to ground level.  He inspected some of the bushes, stopping at a similar, but smaller, plant growing amongst them.

"This is one of Steve's!"

Sen glided down to him. "I'm afraid I'm not acquainted with him either."

"He's like a big brother to us. Don't tell him I said that."

"Us being…?"

"Oh- Hien, Odgerel, Tadgh and I!"

"The progymnosperms!" Exclaimed Sen, the pieces clicking together in his head.

"That's right! What tipped you off?"

"I know Manh Phương Hien. She does remind me of you, come to think of it."

"You flatter me with your comparison." A small smile graced Si-woo's face.

"Think we should wait for them and say hi?", asked Sen.

"It's a nice idea," agreed Si-woo. "Haven't seen them in millennia. I'll give it a few days, but knowing them, they might not come back this way for a long time."

They settled into a sunny patch and waited. Photosynthesising, they didn't speak, but it was reassuring to feel the other's presence nonetheless. As the sun and moon cycled overhead, Sen restored his depleted energy reserves, feeling completely like himself for the first time since arrival.

Eventually, they decided they'd better get back to check on their trees.

As they took flight, Sen remarked, "Wouldn't it be just our luck if they show up the moment we're gone?"

Si-woo laughed as the breeze carried him off. Sen looked back, but there was still nobody there. A soft rain was falling, and the leveed landscape was catching all it could.

[warriorsoftwiggenstein]

"Lulalu, you're pacing."

Twiggen was pulled from her thoughts the second she was adressed, realizing that Hien was indeed correct, she had been pacing. The offer placed before her had been consuming her thoughts, the offer to journey to Tural to assist Wuk Lamat. The initial prospect of journeying to a new continent had blinded her to the underlying possibilities and implications. She agreed to it without giving it the amount of thought she should have, and it was only when she returned to the Enclave and had a moment to think that she had begun to have doubts. Those doubts had begun to manifest, and now here she was, pacing before the Lord of Doma as she tried to set her thoughts straight.

"I don't want it to be like it always is."

"I know, you are worried you are just a weapon to them."

"Wuk Lamat seemed kind enough…I don't think she would treat me like that."

"And you are worried it was just an act?"

"I…I don't know. I'm usually good at picking up on those things."

Hien let out a sniff, recalling her averse reaction to Asahi upon their first meeting.

Twiggen shot him a look but continued, "Hien before you met me I had already been through my fair share of betrayals and wars." Her hand drifted to her chest, she only felt her scars when she spoke about them. "I can't go through something like that again…Twiggen fights the battles and bears the wounds, but Lulalu has to deal with the aftermath…and no one ever sees her do it."

Such reactions were not uncommon, Hien was used to them at this point. Ever since they'd become a couple, he'd been getting to know Lulalu instead of just the warrior, and she was right. The nights spent comforting her after a terror, her standoffish nature when she felt she was taking up too much of his time, the tired look in her eyes when she heard news of the goings on's around the world. And the worst part was that he knew that deep down she wanted to go, that nothing he could say to try and dissuade her would work. She was the Warrior of Light, but before any of that she was an adventurer.

"Lulalu, look at me." his hand cupped her cheek, pulling her gaze to him, "You want to go. From the moment I saw you return from Sharlayan, I saw the fire. You cannot let your adventurer's spirit be muddied by such doubts. And if you go and don't want to remain, it is not so world ending that you cannot simply return home."

Twiggen's eyes grew wide, she was certain that had it been anyone else, they would have offered her the same platitudes, "You don't have to go." "You should do what you feel is right." "No one is expecting you to go" But Hien saw it right. She had to go. Not for anyone but herself.

The fact that he saw this too…she loved this man. Her gaze resolved, and she gave him a firm and confident kiss.

"Thank you…you're right. I'm…I'm really excited." a grin broke across her face, and the unease in Hien's stomach started to dissipate. It wasn't a front, she genuinely was excited.

"Then go. And raise hell for any who would stop you."

[maguro13-2]

Darkness Reborn ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Final Chapter Pt.14

"During the Battle..."

Marie Mjolnir : I just can't get enough of these two!

Azusa Yumi : You think so? These guys are tougher than we thought. Since we don't have the ability to be weapons nor scythes, we can use Alchemy to create our own to battle these things! That's what science intended to create things that are "magic".

Marie Mjolnir : Well,I have to say this to you. There is no magic and second of all, the demon weapon power system have failed since is ceased to exist when Alchemy is no longer needed after Mr. Elric said the whole thing to truth. If only there was a third person to help us, we can finally get ourselves to put up a tough fight. [checks both ways if someone is here, then calls out] HELLO! I SAID IF THERE WAS A THIRD PERSON TO HELP US, WE CAN FINALLY GET OURSELVES TO PUT UP A TOUGH FIGHT AND GET US EVEN STRONGER!

Makoto : Oh, shut it. Talk about some noise for calling someone a third person.

[Hien/Flying Swallow - Takeshi Isozaki]

Inky Thompsons : !?

Marie Mjolnir : Hey, umm, Excuse me, sir. You shouldn't be here in this kind of battle. It's too risky and you could get hurt!

Makoto : Hurt? I'm not the only one who is gonna get hurt. The only ones who are gonna get hurt are pansies that isn't a decent warm up. HA!

*GUNFIRING+FLESH TEARING*

Makoto Asagiri : That'll be put them in their place.

Marie Mjolnir : What the-?!

Azusa Yumi : Hey, did he just...?

Marie Mjolnir : It appears one of the Inky People has somehow been defeated by this strange man that came out of nowhere.

[Mystery G - Sota Fujimori]

Makoto : Looks like you just heed my call.

Marie Mjolnir : Hey, I know you. You're that boy who saved Maka Albarn's life after what really happened in the past.

Azusa Yumi : The boy who saved a girl's life and is a true hero!

Makoto : You there! You're Marie Mjolnir, an affluent woman who lost the love of her life in the past. That's a weird name for a human being.

Marie Mjolnir : Yeah, that's me and you must be the boy who saved Maka Albarn that was still a child. You are...

Makoto : I just don't really tell people about my name. I am the world's legendary Phantom and member of the Phantoms of society. Makoto Asagiri, that's right, I was the one who saved that girl's life from bad things that happened to her in the past. Bullies tried to hurt her and dangerous beings attempted to catch and kill her, but I observe and protect that were orders given by the legendary Phantom.

Marie Mjolnir : Makoto Asagiri. That's the name i heard before. Now I finally know who you are, you are Maka Albarn's childhood friend and is also a boyfriend!

Azusa Yumi : You mean it's her lover! And you might be right, that could really be her boyfriend. Guess that means the real Maka Albarn was on a double date or she is in...

Marie : Wait, you don't tell me the "real" Maka Albarn is...

Azusa & Marie : [together]...In a love Triangle!?

Makoto Asagiri : So this what the devil had to offer to the real world itself. Although Soul World have may have been a complete facade, but this is the real world that we all live in and the need to wake up. If you really think that I am Maka Albarn's lover, then you are correct. But let's see you have what it takes to be the heroes of your own stories and you would want to face the forces of true evil, heartless scums that squander around the planet.

Marie Mjolnir : [to Azusa] I think this guy has a good point. He sure know how to face the forces of "True" evil itself.

Azusa Yumi : [to Marie] Luckily, this might be a challenge for us.

Makoto Asagiri : [prepares for battle, chuckles] Alright, let's see what you got with those newly weapons created from the science they call it Alchemy. Let's see if you can battle the Great Phantom Makoto.

[101 (Mystery G/Bill Rizer Battle Theme) - Sota Fujimori]

Marie Mjolnir : Alright, then. Well, umm, if you say so.

Azusa Yumi : Aw yeah! This could be fun! Oops, wrong line.

Makoto Asagiri : That's okay, this might be a fun challenge for you, but this will be a test for you to see how strong can you be.

"MAKOTO ASAGIRI : PHANTOM OF JUSTICE".

Marie Mjolnir : Alrighty! Let's get the show on the road!

Azusa Yumi : Bring it on!

(Battle Begins)

Marie Mjolnir : I heard about everything about you Makoto, you were an amazing musician by playing a piano that the world had to offer? You're the one of the members of the Phantoms of Society?

Makoto Asagiri : Correction. My mother is human and my father...well as a Phantom too. I was given these kind of powers to become the ultimate Phantom to give title as the Phantom of Justice! Justice will prevail and we Phantoms gives ourselves the courage bringing the forces of evil to pay their crimes against humanity. We worked for the Great Phantom for ages before you were even born. We seek out to protect Earth's peace after the Phantonians arrived on this planet for ages before Maka Albarn's birth.

Azusa Yumi : The Phantonians? That weird alien race of Phanto that came to this planet after they ruled the Galaxy before the birth of humankind? So what you're saying is that Maka Albarn is Phantonian as well, does that make her a half-human, half-Phantonian being as well? Are we assuming that Maka herself is an alien as well?

Makoto Asagiri : Smart lady! You catch on quickly very good.

Azusa Yumi : How should we know to trust that if Maka Albarn was really some kind of alien being that was born another planet? Was it the Sanctuary that the Phantonians estasblished? I get it, the Sanctuary belonging to the Phantonians is equivalent to the Moirai Sanctuary in the Contra Universe. Eventually, Maka Albarn herself was born in the Sanctuary on Jupiter and her birth certificate was not even on earth, it was written by Maka's other father, Master Phanto.

Marie Mjolnir : How on earth does he know this?

Azusa Yumi : He knew about the true origins of the Real and Original Maka Albarn, that was the day that she was born on the planet she grew up on and not earth.

Makoto Asagiri : Because I learned that she is one of the heirs to the Phantonian bloodline, a line of powerful Phantos that ruled as the King of Jupiter for generations and I knew about it's power.

Marie Mjolnir : What power they were to use against?

Makoto Asagiri : Shattered Resonance, a technique that is so rare and it confirms to be highly dangerous and yet deadly, it has enough power to shatter everything, like people's minds, hearts, or souls.

Marie Mjolnir : Shattered Resonance have the power to destroy people's hearts or souls? Anyone who holds the power of Shattered Resonance is one person that could literally destroy everything. The ones that holds the power and it's greatness are...

Makoto Asagiri : True, it is. Those who hold the powers of Shattered Resonance is we Phantoms are linked with a Shattered Meisters.

Marie Mjolnir : Shattered Meister, what's that?

(battle ends abruptly)

Makoto Asagiri : I'll tell you to explain it.

[The Kink in the Wind and the Way Pt.1 - Fumie Kumatani]

Marie Mjolnir : Okay then. Tell me what are these Shattered Meisters?

Makoto Asagiri : Hmph...You will explain about the deadly beings called the Shattered Meisters that were equivalent to the Shattered Soldiers.

"Since the Shattered Soldiers became unique to the humans, the Shattered Meister is a rare and powerful warrior that is an invidivual filled with rage and sadness. It is made from the hearts of people that are filled with light and darkness, equivalent to Hope and Despair. Despair is the key to opening one's heart to darkness and it could lead them to burning rage, Quivering hatred, scarring envy, mass destructions and total chaos. The Shattered Meister itself have the bloody tear of a warrior that is capable of destroying the hearts and souls of individuals since it's first appearance in ancient times."

Makoto Asagiri : However, unlike to any individual, both the Shattered Soldier and the Shattered Meister are the exact opposite and they could possess the power of Shattered Resonance within the hearts and souls! However, we Phantoms have been linked with the heart of the Shattered Meister and the Shattered Soldier. Any one who becomes like one is the tragedy causing them to be powerful and more destructive.

Marie Mjolnir : So that's what causing the vibration in the planet? A warrior that is rare, powerful, and yet deadly?

Azusa Yumi : But Edward says that we thought it was the Ohkuboverse, how come you know it is an individual that has the power to shatter everything including people's hearts as well?

Marie Mjolnir : Okay. That could be the thing to have this Shattered Meister LARP. Would be kicking it off the charts as not long as this planet is about to be shattered if we don't know where or who is this Shattered Meister.

Makoto Asagiri : I know someone who is the Shattered Meister and I haven't seen her since the day I first met her a long time ago. But it had been kept secret by the men of Shinra's Influence

Marie Mjolnir : So, let me get this straight. This Shattered Meister is a warrior and let me tell you this before Makoto, there is no way that this Shattered Meister person is real and it's just a dumb legend made by some group of people at a bonfire and that excuse of yours is nothing but a crummy joke to hear about it.

*RUMBLING+PERFECT CHAOS ROAR*

Marie Mjlonir : Woah! Okay, I just do not like the vibration from this planet. And where did that sound coming from? Okay! Okay! You were right, the Shattered Meister is real.

Azusa Yumi : How did know it was real and it came true?

Makoto Asagiri : Perhaps the Phantonians knew that this person has been the one that is causing the planet to vibrate. (Shows a photo of Maka Albarn with a bloody tear)

Marie Mjolnir : No way. It's...Maka! She's really the Shattered Meister? Just what the hell were these Shattered Meisters were doing something to the planet?

~ Ninety-Third Scene : The Shattered Warrior ~

[practicingbushiho]

It's Okay to cry, Yugiri!!

YuHien microfic taking place 2 years after the major events of Endwalker 6.0

Hurt/Comfort, Confession, G Rating

It is a mild summer night, and Lord Hien Rijin sits upon a hill in Yanxia, Yugiri besides. They had a good meal, and they were to head back to the Enclave shortly-- it was getting rather late. But Hien was enraptured by the starry sky, and distracted by the thoughts of his future, and all of the pointless, frivolous joys he wanted to experience that he never thought possible until so recently.

His mind flashes to her. Ah. He was so grateful to her for protecting his people. Protecting him. Maybe even…loving him. For some reason, instead of the usual fear and disgust he experiences when he considers it, he feels pride, confidence. He beams as he watches a shooting star fly overhead, and he opens his mouth suddenly to speak.

"Ah…I think I love you, Yugiri."

Yugiri, who is sitting beside him is mortified as she jerks her head to look upon him with confusion. He is staring into the sky with a soft smile, ruminating on the affections he wished to share. It…was it happening? After all this time?

"Wh-- …I-- …m…me too…" she finally musters the courage to concede to her stubborn refusal to allow herself feelings. If Hien were growing into a man who could be honest…then she should follow suit. It was only right.

Hien gasps, as if he is shocked, he even received a response. His head whips to look at her, jaw hanging open.

"REALLY? THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK!? THIS ENTIRE TIME!?!?" he speaks as if he feels stupid for just not having said so sooner! He was so paralyzed by the thought of disturbing her or worse, being rejected by her, that he hadn't even considered that she would actually acknowledge his feelings!

Yugiri now looks panicked, as if she's responded incorrectly.

"W-what do you mean!? I thought we were just-- you want me to be a better friend instead of merely a servant, don't you?!" Yugiri after all this time, STILL can't stop herself from feigning her emotions. She is so firmly in denial that Hien would be forever beyond her reach that she can't even try to face the reality that he has just proclaimed his love, lest she start crying uncontrollably! Wouldn't it be easier on them both to lie and remain at a distance!?

Hien can't believe what he is hearing. This whole time, he had merely misread her feelings. It was…embarrassing. No, far worse! He feels his self-loathing bubble up like a well flooded, vines and blooms threatening to snake up his neck to suffocate him completely. The kami must have abandoned him at this point. Of course. Wordlessly, Hien stands up and dusts off his robes. His entire demeanor seems to have shifted, as if he has begun to backslide. He looks at her with a weary smile, and Yugiri's chest tightens when she sees that his eyes suddenly feel…empty.

"I-I'm sorry. It appears I misunderstood. I think…I may need to take a walk." He can't think of any other excuse to get away unattended. He doesn't care. He just needed to leave. Leave before he says or does or feels something that he had no right to be feeling in front of her. He can't even make it two steps before Yugiri is leaping up and clinging to his back, and he feels his eyes sting immediately upon contact.

"I-I'm sorry!" she sobs, the guilt wracking her body. "I-…I really do adore you, Lord Hien! I want to protect you! I just didn't want to cry before you!!" her tears are soaking through the fur on his garb, and he stops moving. For a moment, he stands there. He listens to her cry. He feels guilty. And after a moment, Hien's voice is heard. And it trembles, a shaky laugh falling from his mouth as he turns around, already having been in tears.

"I've gone first. Is it alright now?"

[galaxxiwrites]

I DON'T know what happened a while ago, honestly. Tumblr went from oops your draft was deleted to TEEHEE let's post your incomplete post and I'm??

edit: I hate the tumblr app.

Anyway, round 2! Again: Spoilers for the entire game, up until 5.4!

Dating (ft. Thancred, Hien & Ardbert)

Thancred Waters

I hope you're ready to give this man a shower considering how greasy he is 💀

A relationship with Thancred isn't exactly smooth-sailing. This is because of two things: one, is that he's never really committed himself to any one person in an intimate sense. Two, is because of his crippling self-deprecation that forces him to keep working past his body's limits.

So while he continues to play at being flirtatious and suave, he can't internally deny that when you two are sharing a more private moment, his heart beats at a pace he isn't used to. If you ever pick up on his nervousness, he'll try to play it off cooly.

"Me? Nervous? Surely you jest, I've been to dates like these way more times than I'd like to remember- and probably more that I don't."

Thancred says as he can barely hold his utensil properly with his shaking hand.

Additionally, I hope you're prepared to become Thancred's constant reminder to care for himself. He literally will not stop overworking himself unless you've forcefully stopped him.

He thinks that he should keep working, to make up all that he's lacked in the past. So please PLEASE remind him that he's done more than enough, and that you'll be there beside him to fill up whatever gaps he's missing. Become his pillar of support, because after all that he's lost, he is in dire need of one even if he himself refuses to admit so.

While he was raising Ryne, then called Minfilia of the First, he would unknowingly talk about you for hours on end. It got to the point where even without meeting you, Ryne thought of you as one of her surrogate parents.

When the young lady finally met you, she couldn't help but feel so overjoyed. Nay, no words could describe just how ecstatic she felt to finally meet you- so much so that she accidentally blurted out mom/dad.

Thancred had no explanation for that, at all. In fact, he didn't even deny anything—maybe hinting that he doesn't mind finally taking things more seriously.

Hien Rijin

Do you like himbos? You do? Well, you're in luck, because Hien is 200% made of himbo and 500% made of respect women juice.

Being around Hien feels like being under the sunlight surrounded by sunflowers, his smile just radiates so much happiness that it's contagious.

And he's grateful for the fact, as he would never ever let you be sad. He thinks you look the best smiling, so he'll always try and keep it like that.

Hien, being the leader of Doma, will naturally have most of his time dedicated to the rebuilding the country. This also includes a lot of diplomatic work, which can be incredibly taxing at times. So whenever you're around, all he needs is a small comfort cuddle and he's fully charged again!

If you're having an extremely bad day, Hien won't shy away from taking a day off from his duties. After all, you were as important to him as Doma was. He'd stick beside you for the whole day, taking you to Doma's many scenic views.

"I remember a time when cherry blossoms filled the lands of Doma. I hope that one day, I'll be able to show you the view I saw on those days."

Isn't exactly the type to get jealous, because he fully trusts in you and your relationship. If, however, someone is being way too persistent, he won't hesitate to show off his katana to whoever is persuing you

"Dearest, there you are! I recently sharpened my blade, would you like to have a look?"

Though he addresses you, Hien side eyes whoever is forcing themself on you. A hand rests on its hilt, ready to bring the blade out, thus scaring off the poor soul. The two of you laugh it off right after.

Ardbert

You were an adventurer that started alongside Ardbert, and many of your earliest missions were spent together. Because of this, it was no wonder that you two started dating.

Even when he became a famed hero of the First, Ardbert would always return to your side. It was so heartwarming to know that Ardbert was still the same man you fell in love with even after all this fame.

He likes to take you out on evening dates. The both of you ride on Seto as he takes you across the star-filled sky. A lot of times you both just end up stargazing atop the highest mountain within the area. The stars, no matter how many times you saw them, always managed to take your breath away.

"Yeah, it's really breathtaking."

He says, although you don't know he was talking about you as you were too busy looking up.

Fuck I'm such a sucker for this trope ekfkdkfkd

He's thankful you really aren't one of Hydaelyn's chosen, but he's constantly worried about you nonetheless because he knows you're most definitely out there facing a strong enemy with your own party.

Always defends you whenever someone calls you as merely "his lover." While yes, he is proud that everyone knows you're his, he knows of your own strengths and wants the entire world to know about too, hence why he lets you adventure off even though he's constantly worried about you.

When he was brought back by the crystal as a spectre, the first person he searched for was you. Much to his dismay however, all that awaited him was a tombstone, sullied with clutter as the people's wrath for him unfortunately extended to you as well.

[theinkedfoxsl]

3:00AM - Finding Hope

Bad Word - Panicland

BOYFREN - LoveLeo

urs - NIKI

Kiss and Make Up - Dua Lipa + BLACKPINK

Young God - Halsey

that's just how it goes - ROLE MODEL

I Found - Amber Run

Oh No! - MARINA

Villain - Stella Jang

3:00 AM: Hien Sun-Heimdall

"Baby, if I could tell you, if I could tell you How much I care I'm in despair Are you still there? (Just tell me) Just tell me, how we can make this work? How we can make this work?"

"'Cause baby, if I find a way I'm sure of it this love won't stray Just give me a chance to say I love you And I need you Now are you here to stay Or fade away like every other day? You're the reason that I lie awake."

Bad Word: Kisa Giraldo

"Hey, hey, every touch is a trap I know you got the best of me But the rest is up for grabs So blah, blah, your favorite noise So baby, say my name until you losing your voice."

"Show me what you got, got Let it roll right off your tongue, tongue Hit me with your best shot Tell me off, tell me off, tell me off."

BOYFREN: Gabriel Levesque

"I'm bored and I'm outta my mind Fingers crossed I hope that I'll be fine Doing my best to make it rhyme (Now I'm) Runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' Runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' Runnin', runnin' out of time Bet you think your boyfriend's cool 'cause he's got nice clothes Wonder who he saw wearin' those (me) I really think that you should break up with him soon."

"I come through (oh no) Like a wreckin' ball And break these walls (oh God) That you kept him to And I can't sleep (oh no) The night I slept with you And I can't say (oh God) That I'm in love with you."

urs: Basil

"Tryna find where your head is But I'm losing myself in the process You're bad for my health All the good nights Are they hidden goodbyes in disguise? I never know You come see me only when I ask first When you kiss me, do you wish it were her? The best at being the worst But fuck sake, I'm already yours, mmm Sad to say, I'm already yours, oh."

"Half-past midnight your half-assed texts make sure I keep crawlin' back for more Know you didn't, but I'm hoping you lost your phone Prolly with her but I'll act like I didn't know I can't let it show, I want nothing more than to call you up So instead I'll just call your bluff, like Fuck this charade, enough is enough, but no Stick around even if it's just for the temporary show."

Kiss & Make Up: Galin Maher

"We haven't talked all morning Bang my head, bang my head against the wall I'm scared, I'm falling Losing all, losing all my control And I'm tired of talking Feel myself saying the same old things But this love's important Don't wanna lose, don't wanna lose you this way."

"Touch me like you touch nobody Put your hands all up on me Tired of hearing sorry Kiss and make, kiss, kiss and make up How about we leave this party? 'Cause all I want is you up on me Tired of hearing sorry Kiss and make, kiss, kiss and make up Kiss, kiss and make up Kiss and make, kiss, kiss and make up."

Young God: Khristine Ranble

"He says, "Ooh, baby girl, don't get cut on my edges I'm the king of everything and oh, my tongue is a weapon There's a light in the crack that's separating your thighs And if you wanna go to heaven, you should fuck me tonight"."

"But do you feel like a young god? You know the two of us are just young gods And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath And they're running, running, running."

thats just how it goes: Adelheid Ziegler

"You'll sleep with friends of mine I'll sleep with people I don't like And I'll always wanna call But you won't wanna waste your time I'll see you in the street And you'll try not to look at me And I'll miss how it used to be I know."

"And I don't want to Have to wonder where you are If you're at my favorite bar, oh You shouldn't have to Miss a party 'cause I'm there But I think we're well aware This is always how it goes."

I Found: Emil Baudelaire, specifically the DnD version.

"I'll use you as a warning sign That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind And I'll use you as a focal point So I don't lose sight of what I want And I've moved further than I thought I could But I missed you more than I thought I would And I'll use you as a warning sign That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind."

"And I'll use you as a makeshift gauge Of how much to give and how much to take I'll use you as a warning sign That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be Right in front of me Talk some sense to me."

Oh No!: Alee Destan

"One track mind, one track heart If I fail, I'll fall apart Maybe it is all a test 'Cause I feel like I'm the worst So I always act like I'm the best."

"TV taught me how to feel Now real life has no appeal It has no appeal, it has no appeal It has no appeal, it has no appeal It has no appeal."

Villian: Ohm Ambros, specifically with Tartaglia in mind as well.

"Because I’m a villain, why pretend that it isn’t true? didn’t realize what an awful little devil I could be. so what? You’re a villain, why pretend that it isn’t you? It’s nice to meet the demon breathing every breath you breathe, because."

"We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side but what if we’re the villains on the other? we all pretend to be the heroes on the good side but what if we’re the villains on the other?"

[malaierba]

it actually makes me a little bit ill how well toshiro could get along with his party if only he'd like. acknowledge the five elephants in the room. just, be a bit more vulnerable, acknowledge what he's truly thinking about some of the things in his household + where he stands on them, how some of the things his party's done have made him feel, etc.

maizuru is her own whole thing (they need therapy) (i could write 10.000 pages and not get everything off my chest) but,

with hien, man, she took their failure about as hard as he took it. she obviously also holds herself up to absurd standards, she's blunt and direct where toshiro can't be, he's sensitive and observant of things she doesn't notice. i know it's her bluntness what made him feel unable to continue to approach the friendship with his genuine self, he's probably too tired of masking on the regular for his duties to even consider doing it for a friendship (looks at Laios), but at the same time, Hien tells us in that one comic focused on her that she's UNCOMFORTABLE at the distance that's developed between her and Toshiro. she thinks that going after Falin is stupid and she gives it her all anyway. isn't there a willingness there? if they could talk about it, man, if they could say "you know i thought you'd end up together" "like my dad did to maizuru, or like he did to my mom? i couldn't do either. not to myself and not to a friend", if they could arrive to an agreement where toshiro manages to say "when you dismiss my feelings like this it hurts me" and she can go "okay i'll do better but don't just shut me out".

Beni is just. about as passive as toshiro, isn't she? she's pretty and useful, but keeps mostly to herself. i look at her comic where she explains alllll the things she goes through make-up wise to feel able to even start performing, and to me is like. i know someone else just like you. and then, the way she reacts to Hien's confidence. I wonder, does Toshiro look at them and think, yeah she's a better friend to Hien than I am? That's, realistic, that's definitely something that creates some awkwardness irl. But man. so much common ground. so many fo the same strategies to navigate the world. the potential for quiet understandings.

and then Izutsumi and Tade. I wonder all the time, and I'm pretty sure I'm right, if the scenes where Toshiro's looking at bugs with interest and an open mind are somehow meant to be extrapolated to his private thoughts on Izutsumi and Tade, how they're treated, how he can actually see that they're in a messed up situation and yes, he's mostly complicit in his innaction (he also has no actual power within the household, lets note that. As long as Maizuru is around she's acting as an extention of Toshitsugu, and he's still bound to his decisions). He's just, aware of the power dynamics, aware of how messed up it is, aware that Izu and Tade are beings who are affected unfairly by it, but man. Innaction man. He can't, fucking bring himself to talk to Tade about the stupid pedestal she's put his fuck-ass dad in, yet its obvious he's been thinking about it for a while. The way this man is (at the point where he's still in the Dungeonat least) he'd have an easier time timing it so she can go after Izutsumi and be free in Mellini, and its such A SHAME. Tade has a good perception of him! she matches his freak! they're stupid together! he cares and he has cares for so long, but he just can't take the first step to make an actually meaningful bond happen, to do something meaningful for Tade.

And I talked about Tade and Izutsumi on the same paragraph bcs frankly I have an awful headache and I wasn't thinking too much about it probably, but also, man, he could've had... not a relationship. Izutsumi always resented the household and was within her right. But a series of good talks, meaningful talks, talks where theyre open, where Izutsumi says the quiet part outloud (particularly as it relates to Maizuru and Toshitsugu), where Toshiro has to explain with his own words "this is how this system has been designed... and you're right, it's fucked". Maybe they could never have been friends, but they could've had a life-changing impact on each others life. They're so complementary in so many ways, does Toshiro realise that many experiences he had within the household he'd have an easier time sharing them with IZUTSUMI than with his own brothers? like.

well. anyway. wow to care so much about so many people, and respect them all as professionals so much, and be unable to build anything with it

i actually really like these scenes here

he's like "my retainers are so skilled and good. i think i'll go with them see ya xoxo"

in the back of his mind im sure he was thinking "we just died after 3 days of going without food and youre telling me to go back in with MARCILLE as our only healer? hm. yeah.... i think i'd rather go beg to maizuru for one (1) favour"

[sebastard69]

Post-Stormblood/Pre-Shadowbringers Thoughts

As per usual, these are in no particular order and under the cut to avoid spoilers!

- So I hate Asahi and I'm glad he didn't last long lmao

- I'm not a big fan of the whole "villain gets amnesia" trope, but I will at least say I'm glad that Yotsuyu was able to die in peace having finally gotten her revenge on those who used and abused her. The Tsukuyomi fight was gorgeous and emotional, and despite my dislike of the amnesia trope, I found myself unable to disagree with my WoL when he said that Tsuyu deserved a kinder fate than Yotsuyu met. I felt bad for Gosetsu, and even more so after Hien revealed that Gosetsu's daughter had died. I hope he finds peace in his travels.

- The katana wielding soldier is Zenos, isn't he? Like ok. So I know that Zenos isn't Zenos, Zenos is Elidibus wearing Zenos's face. But this soldier was there when the Scions discovered the lack of Zenos's body in his grave, and then later at the end of the patches he was there on the battlefield and said something about "reclaiming what's rightfully his", plus he makes very similar facial expression. So, he's Zenos's soul or whatever in some Elezen's body, right? But like how did that happen, I wonder???

- Oh nooooo, I really like Emet-Selch >.> I didn't even make it halfway through his introductory cutscene before I was firmly in simp territory. He's just... He's fun! He's fun. I like his music, I like his demeanor and attitude, and his stupid little swagger. Kind of hate that I'm simping for an Ascian but I unfortunately do not control who I simp for >:/

- Honestly not at all surprised that Garlemald was founded by an Ascian for the express purpose of sowing chaos. Like that just feels.... it tracks.

- Oh shit, so Gaius is still alive? I'm willing to believe he's genuinely severed ties with Garlemald tbh. He was completely duped and blindsided by Lahabrea, his disdain and hatred for Ascians and fervor for exterminating them seems genuine. Plus, these patches seemed to lean really heavily into the whole "reformed villain" thing, so it's not surprising.

- Speaking of reformed villains, I like the route they're going with Fordola. I still don't like her, and I still think the whole "we can't kill her or we're no better than the Empire" attitude is bullshit, but this route is also satisfying to me. Being forced to be continuously subjected to visions of her victims' pasts, and all the pain and anguish that accompanies them? Too many times have I wished I could make the people who hurt me hurt in the same way, but it's impossible realistically. With an artificial Echo, though, it's not, and she's being forced to confront the fact that her plans were flawed and damaging and that she had an active hand in the suffering of her people. On top of that, she doesn't want to be redeemed. She accepts imprisonment because she knows she deserves it; She asked to be executed because she feels it's the only way to truly atone for what she's done. Even after saving everyone from Sri Lakshmi, an act which theoretically could have won her her freedom, she willingly went back to her cell. Idk it's just really good imo, and it comes across better than Yotsuyu's amnesia arc.

- Love the fact that Estinien saved my WoL from Zenos, and I love the fact that Aymeric literally came running the second he found out Ambrose was awake. I just love THEM in general, and I hope to see more of Estinien soon.

- ALISAIEEEEEEEEE Q~Q God I feel SO bad for her, she's so scared and worried for her friends and her brother, and she's terrified of being alone, and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :(

- In conclusion, @ squenix: let me give my friends hugs god fucking dammit >:(

[eveninglottie]

All right so I finished Stormblood (somehow, oh my god those queues are a bitch huh), and I have thoughts.

First thought GEE I don't love being made to be a secondary character in Lyse's story about being promoted to a position she absolutely does not have the qualifications to take? Like, I get it, we need another character to be the funnel for the story because WoL necessarily has to be vague to allow the player to imprint. It was the same in Heavensward, but I felt it was far more seamless? I never felt like I was playing second fiddle to Ysale or Estinien or Aymeric. I was there beside them, and I wasn't just the one you send in to kill the primals and just kinda trail after them. Maybe it was just the framing with Lyse's narration, but the whole time I was just grimacing. It doesn't help that I just really do not like Lyse as a character. I find her to be super basic and uninteresting. I am here for her being an important part of the resistance and maybe rising to a prominent position, but it felt very Basic YA Protagonist who was slumming it in another kingdom until she was summoned back to take her rightful place as her father's heir? And that story can be done well! I mean, Hien had basically the same purpose (I know to mirror hers, it was intentional) but his story was just so much more compelling? Like maybe that's the fantasy monarchist in me but he was the prince, not just the daughter of a general (and not even the good general, I will add, because Raubahn is absolutely King Ala Mhigo for me thanksss). Also, I feel like there's a lot going on in that attractive head of his that doesn't come out. Lyse is so one-note. I know how she's going to react before she does anything. She feels like a lazy character to me, in a story of Super Complicated Characters, like literally everyone else has shades and layers and she's just Justice and Punching.

However. That final confrontation with Zenos was perfection so I will let the Lyse shit slide. Especially if she's not going to be super important moving forward since she's now the queen of Ala Mhigo or whatever and will have other things to do. But like...Zenos's death, the last thing he says about you being his only friend??? Also I know it was him trying to be a dick but when he was like "you and I could walk together if you would only accept me" I was already there baby turn into a crazy dragon that's very sexy of you. Just like...thinking about him being a test subject raised to be a monster and feeling nothing until you show up...it's very romantic. Man-Made Monster feeling joy for the first time in his life is like...peak. Absolutely top notch. He is absolutely insane but I really like him and I'm so glad he's grouped in with all the other scions for Endwalker which I am sure doesn't mean he's part of the team but he's there so that has to mean something and I am standing in this house of cards so please let him tag along or whatever I want Reformed Zenos. Or not even reformed, just like...present. I want him to be present.

But yeah, closing thoughts, I liked it, but if you would have put literally anyone else in the protagonist role I would have liked it a lot more. Lyse is super boring. I'm sorry to be that guy but I'm not really here for Revolutionary Barbie. Heavensward is still top dog, though I am curious to see how things progress in Shadowbringers. That's the one that made me wanna get invested in the first place, so I'm worried it might eclipse dragon elves. But yeah, it wasn't perfection like Heavensward, but it absolutely made me want to write a reworking fic to make it make more sense (also...let WoL be feral, just let them be violent and messy...please I am begging) which means I liked it a lot.

Aymeric is stil bae. (The TWO times he showed up I made The Noise of excitement.) Estinien, why are you not sticking around to say hello. Baby come back. Also, can we please let Y'shtola do shit and not be constantly knocked out or taken out of commission. I would like her to be around more thanks.

Anyway just gotta get through the post-Stormblood content and then it's Emet time babyyyyy.