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tarnishedxknight · 2 months ago

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FFXII Week ~ Day 3 Prompt: Favorite Ship

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

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Oh, you can't ask me for my favorite ship in this game when there are sooo many good ones to choose from! So you're getting my top three instead, heh. Let's dive into these great ships! =)

1st Place OTP: Basch & Ashelia

Listen. I understand there's a significant age gap. I do. BUT. First of all, I will die on this hill and you can pry this ship from my cold dead fingers, haha. Second, this ship works so well in some ways, sadly enough, because it never happened. Third, it also works because of the kind of person Basch is. We all know he is a decent, moral, caring, honorable, protective, and completely non-creepy guy. Because we know he would never have any bad intentions with Ashe, the ship works despite the age gap.

I am such a sucker for the whole "knight & princess" shipping trope, so let's just get that out of the way. But I've also developed these two a lot, beyond what is shown in the game. Basch was around for Ashelia's whole life, and she grew up with him being a source of guidance, protecting, mentoring, and structure when her mother was dead, eventually all her brothers were too, her father was largely absent, and she didn't really have any friends. There was Rasler, but she saw him very infrequently. So Basch was a constant and a source of stability in her life, which is why his "betrayal" hurt her so badly. But I love the slow burn of this ship-that-never-was, with Ashe relying on Basch and growing to have feelings for him and Basch realizing after years that he felt more for her than just friendship.

In my interpretation of him, Basch first realized that he loved Ashelia beyond just a knight protecting his king's daughter when he saw her marry Rasler. He was surprised by an overwhelming feeling of loss and sadness that permeated the otherwise hopeful and joyous tone of the wedding. He was happy for her, to be sure, but a part of him felt he was losing something or someone he couldn't live without. That's when it occurred to him that he was in love with her, and he realized what he was feeling was the beginnings of a broken heart.

Now, in the FFXII main game (and in Revenant Wings, if you consider that canon, I do not), Basch never confesses his feelings to her, for a multitude of reasons. I'll list them (from his own point of view, so the truth of these may be biased in that way) to save space so I don't ramble on forever:

He's too old for her

He's not of Dalmascan blood

He's not of Dynast King lineage

He's half-Archadian, and Ashelia hates the Empire

He was a lesser noble in Landis and only a knight in Dalmasca, hardly fit for a princess

The timing to tell her was never appropriate

He could clearly see she loved Rasler, and developed a crush on Balthier

She needs to marry royalty, or at least someone more elevated than he

She needs to seriously choose carefully who is going to father her heirs

She's never shown any interest in him beyond a professional relationship and friendship

So for all these reasons, Basch never confessed his love to Ashelia. In canon, for most of us, he never ever did. If you take the storyboards for Fortress into account, Basch finally confesses that he loves her, ten years after the end of the FFXII main game, and Ashelia promptly says she doesn't feel the same. While it was good to get some loosely-canon-ish confirmation on Basch's end, there's a lot about Fortress that was problematic, and Ashelia's characterization (as well as Zargabaath's and Larsa's) was horrible in it, so... I take that with a grain of salt. But anyway, the upshot is that, for Basch, this ship never got past achingly pining away for a woman he believes he can never have... and maybe he's right.

For Ashelia, she didn't realize she had feelings for Basch beyond just valuing him as a former knight and a mentor to her... until it was already too late and he was in Archadia. Impersonating his brother, Basch was supposed to be dead. He also couldn't very well return to her when he had Larsa to protect. She found herself missing Basch, as Penelo wrote in her letter at the end of the game, and feeling a little jealous of Larsa for having Basch with him.

Just like Basch, Ashelia has a list of reasons why she can't be with him, though hers are from a bit different of a point of view. Whereas Basch's points are all about him falling short of what she deserves or needs, or about her not wanting to be with him, Ashelia's have to do more with the logistics and optics of how to be with Basch, given his duties in Archadia. Here are her reasons why she doesn't think she could ever be with him:

Usually royalty are arranged, and any choice of hers would have to be approved by her counsel

Her counsel will never approve a man convicted of killing her father to be her king consort

Basch is supposed to be dead

He's hated by a large portion of the Dalmascan public, so the optics of it would look very bad to her people

Even if Basch were to be accepted by Dalmascans again, he's half-Archadian, something they and her counsel will surely think is inappropriate for the production of future heirs

If Basch remained "Gabranth" and visited Ashelia, the optics of that would look even worse

And really, the logistics of him spending enough time in Dalmasca to be a husband to her, a father to any children that would have, and a partner to her both politically and emotionally... just doesn't work with him having to remain with Larsa in Archadia

And so, sadly enough, this is the greatest ship that will just never be, heh. But hey, there's always fics and rps, right? I've made it happen on my own blog in a few different ways, and there is always the idea of Basch maybe being free to return to Ashe at some point in the future, after the events of the main game... right? Just nod. XD

I love this ship, though. The dynamic they had with each other, the way he supported and wanted the best for her, the way they both care about Dalmasca, Ashe's home and Basch's adopted home... I think they could be such a power couple if life and they themselves could have just given them a chance.

Plus, they both deserve happiness, don't they? Basch has suffered so much and been so alone. I want to see him happy and loved, with cute babies. My version of Basch on this blog wants to be a father so badly, but doesn't think he's the sort of person who should be having kids or who would make a good father. Prove him wrong, Ashe! And on Ashe's side of things, her last marriage was decided for her for political reasons. I would love to see her fall in love organically, as she did with Basch with my versions of the characters, and choose her own king consort.

2nd Place OTP: Gabranth & Drace

I love these two so much, your honor. I also write these two character on this blog, and I've developed them far beyond the game. I won't go into a lot of it, because my Dark!Ivalice AU contains a lot of potentially triggering themes, but these two have a longstanding history of supporting each other and being close friends and lovers.

Drace was the one who first took notice of Noah, who helped him get into the military from living in Old Archades with his mother when he first arrived from Landis, and who pointed him out to Emperor Gramis. She later sponsored him for the rank of Judge Magister, a rank he would go on to achieve and break her record of "youngest person to attain the rank" by a few months. He has defended her against misogyny in their rank and elsewhere, supported her ideas politically, and valued her advice. She has helped comfort him through numerous traumas, loves and respects him, but also realizes that he's not to be held too tightly. They've kept grave secrets for each other, vouches for each other, and protected each other from various threats both domestic and foreign. Over the years, they have developed and unspoken understanding with each other, a deep love, and a emotional support system that has become critical to both of them.

This post said it perfectly, and it describes Gabranth's and Drace's dynamic so well. They could not be open with their relationship because of how it might come back to bite one or both of them in their cutthroat rank and political system. They had to be very careful, discreet, and restrained, which honestly for me only made their relationship more achingly sweet and poignant.

But... it also makes Gabranth being ordered to execute her even more painful, I realize, but... I am a glutton for angst, heh. But you better believe that not only Basch's betrayal, but losing Drace by his own hand, had Gabranth emotionally flailing at the Pharos and again on the Bahamut. Losing Basch broke a piece of him, and losing Drace broke an equally big piece. That combined with the nethicite poisoning screwing with his mind... and you have the emotionally volatile Gabranth we saw at the Pharos.

Another side note, combining some things from the manga and my own headcanons, Drace sought Basch out at the Battle of Nalbina Fortress in defense of Noah. Yes, there was an attempt to occupy the Dalmascan Knights to keep them away from the fortress, but Drace could have targeted anyone... and she chose Basch. Why? She's heard for years from Noah about the pain Basch's abandonment caused him and their mother. Being dedicated to both Noah and her own family, she could not let such injustice stand. Her emotional attacks against Basch were here undoing in that duel, however, and Basch was able to significantly injure her arm, causing her to need to retreat. She was just defending her man! =)

But anyway, I adore these two for their silent understanding and loving acceptance of each other just the way they are. They don't try to change each other, but rather work with what's already there to build something really special between them. I wish we had gotten to see more of them, particularly Drace. =(

3rd Place: Fran & Balthier

I don't write either of these characters myself, although I have dabbled a wee bit with Fran as a guest muse. But I just... *sigh* These two are completely adorable, totally bonkers, and an absolute hoot.

My favorite moment of theirs was when Balthier was trying not to show just how concerned he was for Fran having been cracked on the head by falling debris on the Bahamut. He goes to pick her up, princess-style, and carry her out, and he'd just told Ashelia over the radio that he's, of course, "...the leading man." To which Fran replies, "I'd say you're in more of a... supporting role." Balthier simply deadpans with, "Fran, please." I love it so much. I love the way they tease each other, and the way they effortlessly play off of one another.

I also love how neither Fran nor Balthier ever places labels on their relationship beyond... "partner." Is that... a business partner? A partner in crime? A romantic partner? A sexual one? Any? All? We don't know, because they never tell us, because it's none of our damn business. And that's great, honestly. They're so secure in their relationship dynamic that they just let it be what it will and they don't need to explain it to anyone else.

Plus they're exciting, funny, daring, interesting, and they break a lot of traditional story tropes. Gotta love a ship that can do all that. =)

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #FFXII Week 2024 #ashe x basch #gabranth x drace #fran x balthier

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