#mist-dragoon

[amalthea-felsblood]

The Bride Of Nidhogg

[exploringcastleoblivion]

Junelezen 2025 - Day 9: Island

"Over here, I found a shortcut!" *jumps off cliff*

Navigating the Churning Mists by dragoon jumping from floating island to floating island.

[gridanian-red-mage]

The Fall of Foulques--Part 1/3

Listen, man, this is not looking good for you. In fact, things haven't been looking good for you since you decided to snap and go on a rampage.

[zazter-den]

Wake-Up Call

Synopsis- Your situation Bakugo is on a mission in another country, so why bother worrying him by mentioning that you're sick? (You really should have known that would backfire).

Reader Characteristics- Gender Neutral, Sick (Implied COVID), Brat.

Warnings- Suggestive Ending

Tags- Illness Comfort, Dom Fluff, Long-Distance Fluff, Spanking Mention, D/S Dynamic, FWB!Bakugo, Caretaker!Bakugo.

Word Count- 1500

A breeze slipped through the slightly ajar window of your apartment, filling your bedroom with the smell of rain. The world outside was blanketed in a thick mist, the city was still asleep, muted to a quiet hum. It was a chilly morning, the kind that would have you reaching for a warm cup of coffee and a cozy sweater. But for you, it was perfect.

The sun wasn't even up yet, and you were curled up in bed, buried deep under a pile of blankets. Your makeshift nest kept you warm, while the cold air from the window nipped at your nose. Every breath you took was crisp morning air and the smell of rain-soaked soil. It was a smell you loved, one that always soothed you when you were sick. With a soft sigh, you snuggled deeper into the comforters, letting the calm of the early morning lull you back to sleep.

The world could wait.

With your face nestled into the cool sheets, you were on the verge of slipping back to sleep. At least you were, before a sudden melody filled the room. The calming marimba cover of the Final Fantasy intro was a sound only assigned to your closest party members. With a groan, you reluctantly popped your head out from under the warm cocoon of your comforters. Your fingers clumsily fumbling for the source of the noise. The cellphone screen hurt, even with the reduced brightness of night mode, and you squinted at it, trying to make out the caller ID. Your heart skipped a beat as your eyes finally focused on the TNT emoji that popped up with the video call.

Katsuki.

A facetime call? This early? Your sleepy confusion only got worse. Your… well, you weren't quite sure what to call him. Best friend? Lover? Bro with benefits? It was complicated. Bakugo was supposed to be away on a mission in another country. Their facetime calls were always scheduled ahead of time, taking into account the time difference and the unpredictable work shifts you both had. An unscheduled call like this was… unusual, let alone a video chat. With a sense of growing dread, your mind started racing with possibilities. Was the mission a success? Was he okay? What if something had happened?

Pushing down the worry that had begun to creep up, you swiped to connect the video call. Your heart pounded in your chest as you waited for the connection to go through. The phone flickered, and then Bakugo's face filled the screen. It was a bright afternoon wherever he was. His spiky blond hair glinted in the sunlight, and his red eyes seemed even brighter. His face was a sight for sore eyes, and without realizing it, a sleepy smile found its way onto your face. Whatever was going on, it was good to see him.

"You wanna tell me why I had to hear from Deku that you're sick?"

Oh. Oh, you take that back.

"Good mornin' to you too Kacchan" your voice squeaked, trying (and failing) to hide the guilt you felt. Cheeks flushing, you quickly buried your face into the pillow. Your eyes peeped out over the top, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. You could feel his glare burning into you through the screen, and knew you were in for an earful.

"Don't fuckin' 'Kacchan' me" Bakugo snapped, his scowl deepening. His voice had that distinctive edge to it, the one that told her he was more worried than mad. It might be bright and shining where he was, but his mood was anything but sunny.

You swallowed hard, throat dry as you tried to find the right words. "It's just a mild case, Katsuki" you admitted in a small shaky voice. You nestled your fevered face further into the cool pillow. "I'm just tired, can't really think straight… and I've been sleeping a lot." You gave him a weak smile, trying your best to reassure him.

Too bad your words didn't seem to have the desired effect. If anything, his frown only grew. "I'll be over it by the time you fly back home… so I figured I wouldn't worry you" you added, trying to sound upbeat despite the fatigue that weighed you down.

Bakugo pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut in frustration. "Great plan" he muttered sarcastically. "Do you have any idea how fuckin' worried I was when Deku told me you had to catch your breath on the stairs?"

You let out a nervous chuckle, hand rubbing the back of your neck. "You'll be happy to know I've started taking the elevator?" you offered, attempting to lighten the mood.

Bakugo's glare softened a little, but he wasn't about to let you off that easy. "Not the point, and you damn well know it. You should have told me, sweetheart. I don't care if it's “mild” or not. I should've been the first to know. If you're sick, I wanna be there for you, even if it's just through the phone."

The screen shook a bit as Bakugo let out an exasperated sigh. He cares, deeply, that much is clear- even if neither of you have taken the step to label what's going on between them. It's in the way his eyes softened after the initial anger, in the way he called you first thing after hearing the news, even with oceans between the two of you. "Just...take care of yourself, okay? And keep me updated, no matter how small the shit is. Got it?" Bakugo's voice was rough, but the concern unmistakable.

"Heh, you care about me" you couldn't help but poke fun, laying back and stretching your arms above your head. The chilly morning mist moved the translucent curtains, but you couldn't feel warmer. As you settled back on the bed, the phone angle shifted, giving him a clearer view of your "pajamas".

"I care about you not being a dumba-" Katsuki began, his usual attitude ready on his tongue, but it fizzled out as you derailed his train of thought. His eyes fixated on the bright red stylized skull stitched across the cotton top you wore. He already knew the answer, but asked anyway. "...Is that my shirt?" he demanded in a softer voice, his cheeks quickly gaining a subtle pink.

"Ah, ya, sorry. You left it here last time you were over" You admitted a little sheepish, fingers nervously started to play with the hem. The fabric was worn and soft from use, and it's comforting in a way that's hard to describe. "I've been having really bad body aches and it's the softest shirt here" you added. "I'll take it off if you want?" The offer is genuine, but it's clear from the reluctant tilt of your head and the way your grip tightened on the fabric, that you'd rather not part with the small piece of him you have.

"No" Katsuki blurted out more quickly than he intended, his ears now matched the soft pink of his cheeks. He turned away from the camera, as if his sudden interest in the landscape in the distance could hide the heat he felt creeping up his neck. "It's fine."

"Bakugo Katsuki- are you blushing?" you teased, amusement clear as day. He could practically hear the smirk in your words. Your sleepy grin was wide on his screen, and he could feel it without looking.

"Hush" he growled, trying to regain composure as he glared into the camera at you. The red in his cheeks deepened despite his best efforts. "It's not like I haven't seen you in my stuff before. Just... keep the damn shirt on if it makes you feel better" he conceded gruffly, unable to hide the fact that, deep down, he likes seeing you wrapped up in something of his. Bakugo's eyes narrowed as he caught the bratty grin still stretched across your face, your smugness speaking volumes through the screen. His initial embarrassment at being caught blushing quickly evaporated. If the little brat wanted to play, then fine by him.

"But don’t think you’re off the hook for keeping me in the dark, darlin'" he chuckled darkly, the sound sent a shiver down your spine. Your grin faltered, replaced by a nervous gulp. You knew that tone, the one that signaled you had danced on the line and now Katsuki was about to remind you just who’s in charge.

He leaned closer to the phone, his red eyes piercing into yours. "Once I’m back, you’re gonna wear that shirt- and that shirt only" Bakugo said with a feral grin, the demand in his voice leaving no room for argument. "Then I’m gonna spank that ass of yours until it’s as red as the skull on your chest." The edge in his voice stole your breath away, and you sat up a little straighter.

Bakugo was miles away but it felt like he was here, invading your bedroom, taking over every inch of air around you. You could feel his authority fall over you like a comforting weight. Your body already ached for his touch, for the slap of his hands, the sharp bite of his teeth, and the relentless pounding of his cock. A whimper you didn't realize you were holding back slipped out, and now Katsuki was the one leaning back with a satisfied smirk. “Better be good for me and rest up, brat. I'll see you when I get home.”

No pressure tags for the Kacchan fans!: @bakubunny @neon-gothicc @dcsiremc @sadgirltrademark @purecoco

[lal-ffxiv]

WHAT WOULD YOU BE THE DEITY OF?

Golden Laurel

Deity of glory, remembrance, stories of people long gone, and tragedies. You wanted people to remember you. You wanted to hurt him, but the truth is that you couldn’t stomach it. Was it worth it? Everything you sacrificed to get what you want? Tragic hero, did you walk into the dark blindly or with your eyes open? Does it even matter?

I think these result work well for Luka if Luka does die (Luka may live forever idk) and pass on into legend, and works into Luka's themes of memory/history.

Thank you for tag @distracted-dragoon! Tagged by a dragoon, I will tag other dragoons (no pressure, and if you already done the quiz please let me know the results): @sasslett @wanderingdragoon and few others: @sand-seeks-sun @thornsofsunlight @mist-touchedxiv @herno-zeph @sundered-souls @candycryptids @confusedtia @exploringcastleoblivion @naejlas-axe @airis-ray @selnyam @gobbie-boom

[nekhcore]

can't stand estinien. love making him and misha argue. not immune to giving them the most toxic yaoi ever.

there's a bad AU where misha caves to estinien's demands for him to become a dragoon again for one last duel. they're both angry and nidhogg gets a little bit in their heads and they end up. well. you know. in the churning mists.

do you think nidhogg was watching them from his proverbial cuck chair

[estinininininen]

Hey FFIV fans, do you ever think about:

• Kain Highwind actually talks a fair bit at the start of the game, was ready to interrupt the meeting with the king, readily gives Cecil unasked for emotional support, and despite holding in his love for Rosa for at least some time, once shit hits the fan he almost immediately blurts it out in Mist

whereas

• Cecil sometimes even late in the game has a real hard time collecting his thoughts and saying them out loud. He freezes up in personal interactions with Golbez and just sorta . . . follows Fusoya's lead on the moon. Our first glimpse of him is brooding on the Red Wings airship and he doesn't say anything to his upset men until they are actively questioning their orders, a big deal in a military to even reach that point. He always moves on quickly to the next goal in conversations (as much just limited dialogue constraints on the SNES but you know). People in Baron were afraid of him as a Dark Knight and Cid and Rosa have to seek him out to get him to talk

and

• the Baron monarchy seems to be elective. Kain has his own inheritance from his biodad. That's the sharp difference between Kain and Cecil's beginning as young men - Cecil has only what the King is able and willing to give him. And the dragoons are a long and storied order, but using dark knights is new for Baron and makes everybody uncertain. Kain ends up angsting over his connection to his dad at the end of the game but he seems emotionally centered with it in the opening, enough that Cecil comments he envies him and Kain doesn't say that's weird of him to feel. And Rosa's mom apparently liked Kain for Rosa instead of Cecil

so . . . it may be that . . . Kain and Cecil before the game starts are the inversion of their popular archetypes that creep into a lot of fan portrayals of them, my own included! Fun! Cecil was the awkward brooding loner and Kain the open, communicative golden child at court. Then everything goes to hell in a handbasket and we see them switch over the course of the game

[styrmwb]

Rambling About Magic the Gathering X Final Fantasy - Final Fantasy IV

I don't have a special thing to say about IV. Imagine if I could reasonably fit all of these into one post, my life would be easier. Yours wouldn't though. That's a lot of scrolling.

Dwarven Castle Guard

I don't REALLY understand the flavor here, but I do really like the art. IV deserves to have the dwarf slot, even if they are in multiple games.

The Lunar Whale

The art here is incredible, with the moon and the Tower of Babil in the back. Having an airship basically give you an extra card in hand feels very fitting. Propels you forward.

Cecil, Dark Knight/Cecil, Redeemed Paladin

Cecil is one of the simplest, most perfectly executed cards I've seen so far. A simple change from deathtouch to lifelink, AND they translated his special command from both jobs into card form pretty much exactly. In a way, where Darkness uses life, I also like how it activates his transformation when you're halfway dead, like it's halfway through the game. VERY happy with this card.

Kain, Traitorous Dragoon

Poor Kain getting labeled for something that wasn't even his fault (HE WAS MIND CONTROLLED!) I really like how your opponent gets control when you attack with him. You don't want him to get too close to the big bad. Take out the enemies. Unless you want something out of it (which this mainly just feels like a way to balance his effect so it's not totally bad).

Mysidian Elder

This does feel like a card that they made to fill out the smaller, not legendary creature ranks. But this is a great example of old FF sprites in Magic artstyle, I'm a big fan of it. Would have maybe appreciated a little Palom and Porom looking through the door or something, though.

Chocobo Kick

First off, antlion appearance! Woo! This definitely does more than the original simple attack that Chocobo Kick was, but I like that it's here.

Rydia's Return

I love how this card can interpret Rydia's return in two different ways; one where she comes back from "the dead", and one where she grows in power. That's how I see it, at least. Look at Cecil's smile in the art, it's very good; and the Mist Dragon looks amazing.

Giott, King of the Dwarves

I'm. So Glad. That Giott got a card. Over like, Anyone else in the party. Regardless of me being miffed about representation, he does fit well with the previously mentioned Dwarven Guard card, and the art is really good.

Golbez, Crystal Collector

YEAHHHH THIS IS THE GUY I WANT TO SEE! I feel like the villains have generally been some of the best cards in the set, it's awesome. The art is killer, with both his Amano look and his DS look, not to mention that red background in the alt art and the appearance of the Shadow Dragon. I love this so much. His effect is also amazing, needing you to collect eight crystals to do massive damage. You ARE the Zemus.

Rydia, Summoner of Mist

First off, BEAUTIFUL art. Her outfit seems like a combo of her classic art and her After Years art, which is interesting, but the sparkly bits and the mist/Mist Dragon just give the card a great aura. I feel like the Landfall might be in reference to her leaving and returning? Maybe? I'm a little more certain on her Summon thing, which obviously interacts with the Summon cards in the set. I read a comment that said "from the graveyard" was an allusion to the fact that the Eidolons live in a separate realm, which I'd buy for a dollar.

Tellah, Great Sage

The woodblock style alt arts they've done in this set are beautiful, and Tellah is no exception with that storm of icicles. Of course he has to have the ability to sacrifice himself for a giant spell. It would have been interesting to see if they could translate his stats lowering, but honestly, probably for the best gameplay wise that they didn't.

Elixir

Not really a IV card, more of a general FF card, but look at that Hummingway, it's so sparkly and shiny. I can't wait to never use this card. I might need it later.

Baron, Airship Kingdom

THIS art is INCREDIBLE. They have that classic opening formation of the Red Wings in front of the two moons in the sky, this is like, FFIV in one painting.

Mountain

For the generic land of this game, we have Mount Ordeals, where Cecil becomes a Paladin and you fight Scarmigleone. Amazing choice of location, and beautiful art of the location.

Cid, Timeless Artificer

4 our fourth Cid, we have the big man himself jumping out of the airship with a bomb as the party escapes the Underworld, which is his best scene. The joke of having every Cid be the same card does start to show its flaws when there's a more unique Cid like Pollendina here, who could hit things with a hammer, but it's awesome regardless.

Rosa, Resolute White Mage

Another VERY IMPORTANT CHARACTER stuck in the Starter Kit is Rosa. I guess one way to look at it is it's a great place to put in extra guys that didn't quite make it. I need to wind back the salt. Regardless, I do love her effect combining both her bow + aim AND her white magic with the reach, lifelink, and the +1 counters increasing damage. Really good transition of game to game.

FFIV has 14 out of 309 cards, representing 4.5% of the set. Cid is Cid, and Rosa is in the Starter Kit. For the game that I feel like people really start to care about the series (cause it was the 2nd one released in America), I would have expected a bit more from it, but the cards they DID make? Holy shit, the transition of character to card for this game's been outstanding. I'm really really impressed with the IV cast.

Things I would have liked: The Four Fiends again, or at least Rubicante. Plus I feel like Edge not being there kinda sucks? He's one of the final party members. IV has a lot of party members, so I can understand not everyone showing up. But man. Kinda stinks to not see Edge, or Yang, or fucking Zeromus? But we got Giott. Oh well, gameplay is important, I suppose.

[petramysticaclxv]

CAMP HALF-BLOOD CABIN HEADCANNONS FOR THE BLUE EXORCIST TEENS/Students

(Yes im including Takara, and yes I'm doing this instead of writing my fanfic lmao) (Also bc cabins are somehow trendy in ticky-tok atm lmao)(And bc I've always been into pjo since teen years)

The Okumura Twins (but they in separate cabin? Yeah ik but this is headcannon and the boys are already the sons of the devil so lmao)

Rin - Cabin 16 (Nemesis) - One would think that oh maybe he's an Ares kid with how much he throws his punches around, but it always in RETALIATION, the guy just starts smacking when someone else is in trouble and he's not particularly trying to start fights, so Nemesis it is

Yukio - Cabin 17 (Nike) - But he's a dragoon, a sharpshooter, and a doctor meister? So why not Apollo, why Nike instead? As not as exactly worded, but quoted from his older twin: Yukio hates loosing. You think this guy became the youngest exorcist ordained while also gathering honors and medals from the normal schools at the same time for nothing? Think again!!! Yukio as we know is an overachiever, he hates loosing, he hates loosing so much he lost his own way jk nah he didn't he went to that airship for no reason, you'll see soon for y'all yukio haters(ew), but other than that he will always have the finishing shot... Always lmao (like the synergy of the twins is that if Rin starts a fight, Yukio will win it)

Kyoto Trio

Bon/Ryuuji - Cabin 1(Zeus) - He's not shooting lightnings ik or airbending, but he can shoot a bazooka. A natural leader, the always assigned leader of the group. Even if he's not as special as some of his classmates, their group can't move an inch without him. Maybe you can consider his quick chants as lightnings after all those bolts/chants can be a one-tap k.o. move

Konekomaru - Cabin 6 (Athena) - Our very own group nerd/geek, he knows his shit, and is about to make an app just so it makes everyone's jobs easier. Sure he's not as courageous as the usual Athena kid are, but he's a library himself, and is faster to see logic than Bon.

Renzo - Cabin 11 (Hermes) - no explanation needed jk, but srsly, this guy's lies will roll off his tongue with a laugh. Likes to travel?(Check), basically the messenger for Mephisto and Lucifer, so yep this was no brainer

The Girls

Izumo - Cabin 8(Artemis/Hunters of Artemis) - You can definitely imagine Izumo joining the hunters if she was given the chance (Kinda like Bianca Di Angelo), a lone wolf that thrives in a pack. But she's playing matchmaker to Rin and Shiemi? And? Even Artemis herself on ToA played matchmaker to her hunters if the hunters wanted it, she let them go and let them have a good life like Emmie and Jo in the waystation, if anything Izumo is trying to protect Shiemi ever since accepting her friendship by introducing her to so many things

Noriko Paku - Cabin 10 (Aphrodite) - Now, i have a hard time thinking about this, I could have just placed her as a mist-seeing mortal, but I don't want that. Despite her lesser appearances all throughout the manga, she's the anchor for Izumo, and even the whole timeline(remember the 2-year blip? If you haven't been to that arc yet, then i promise you those couple of manga chapters are fine as heck) Paku is like the hidden card of the teens, and what's more subtle than love itself?

Shiemi - Cabin 4 (Demeter) - The girl grew out a forest without a hitch in the middle on the top of a building. The other character I know who did that is Meg McCaffrey. And Shiemi is OP af, definitely deserves being in one of the top Olympian kids

✨BONUS✨

Takara - Cabin 15 (Hypnos) - he always looks likes he's sleeping. Also don't wake him up apparently, if he can do that while also basically sleepwalking, i can't imagine what he can do with his eyes open, bc we almost did in season 3.

Ambrosius - Cabin 5 (Ares) - But he's the king of earth wth? He tends to act more warlike than earthy, haven't really seen him make greenery like Shiemi does, and he absolutely loves to start a fight much to Rin's chagrin lmao

Reiji Shiratori - Cabin 7 (Apollo) - Now why did i put this punk here? People love to think apollo is all sunshines and rainbows, but he's actually also the god of plagues and we even have evidence in the books that not all apollo kids are divas some of them are fuckups like Octavian in HoO, so even if with how much i like cabin claiming 7 bc i can sing(when i was in my teens), Shiratori the punk is also placed here bc he's been possessed by the king of rot twice now

[sasslett]

FFXIV Write 2024 Day 2: Horizon

It was with all her courage that Jess placed her foot in her stirrup, hoisting herself up onto her trusty steed and clutching his reins, vehemently pushing down the fear rising in her chest. 

She trusted Helios, of course - he'd never done her wrong, in the year since she'd bought him from Bentbranch, through all the crazy adventured she’d put him through across Eorzea. But, well… that was on the ground.

But flying? In the air? Hundreds of fulms above the safety of the land? 

“Are you ready?”

The Highlander glanced aside to find her Elezen friend grinning at her. He was, of course, the picture of confidence, just as he always was, his smile warming his deep, golden eyes… and warming her heart, as much as she hated to admit it. But it was, perhaps, the onze of confidence she needed. And so she nodded, taking a deep breath and settling herself into her seat…

Only to yelp as Helios flapped his wings and lifted off behind Varrus and Angel. Jess quickly scrambled for whatever grip she could, leaning forward and tightly wrapping her arms around her bird’s neck - earning her a chuckle from her fellow dragoon. 

“Just relax,” she heard Varrus call over the whistling of the winds around them. “Don’t look down, and if you fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Like hells you will,” she grunted through gritted teeth; as kind as the sentiment was, there was no way, should she slip, that he could swoop beneath her and prevent her from plummeting into the bottomless chasm surrounding Ishgard below. 

Ever-so-slowly, she cracked one eye open, then the next… peering down at the churning mists and crying out once more. Perhaps she would have admired the view, the snow-capped mountains around them, the rising sun tinting the skies a deep pink, with naught on the horizon but new lands to explore and new adventures to be had, were she not practically paralyzed by fear.

Why, oh why, had she allowed Varrus and Haurchefant to talk her into this? 

Because, she knew, as she opened an eye once more to eye her best friend, she’d do anything for that damned Elezen. 

And damn him, he knew it, too, as he met her single-eyed gaze once more with a grin. 

“Don’t think too hard,” Varrus encouraged. “Trust in your seat and your steed, and let yourself enjoy the thrill of the air.”

Well, seeing as she hadn’t quite died yet, she slowly opened her other eye, pointedly not looking down as she pushed herself up in her seat… And she had to admit, as per usual, he was right. It was nothing short of exhilarating, finding herself soaring through the frigid Coerthas air, snowflakes gently hitting her face, the only sound the flap of the chocobos’ wings and the wind whipping through her hair. 

She felt a smile slowly creeping onto her face, and she set her reins down upon Helios’ shoulders, throwing her head back and her arms wide as she embraced the freedom of the skies. She couldn’t help but laugh, a feeling of pure joy overcoming her. 

She was flying. She was flying! Up there, she was free… only her and her best friend, all their troubles left below and their eyes set upon the horizon, upon new adventures. And in that moment, that was all that mattered. 

[cadrenebula]

Video Game Ask Answers

Decided to answer these like @mist-touchedxiv chose to here. My answers are below the cut cause it's a little lengthy with 31 questions. Reblogging with my answers would have really made it lengthy. XD So I did my own post for them.

Last game you finished -It's been a while since I played a game with an end. Persona 5

Game(s) you’re currently playing -FFXIV, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed -FFXIV, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Do you like to get 100% achievements/trophies? -Nah. I like getting trophies but I long ago gave up on 100% in any game since some of the trophies are brutal for me to get. I game for fun not frustration.

Game(s) coming out that you’re looking forward to -Assassin's Creed Shadows

A series you’ve enjoyed since your early days of gaming and still enjoy to this day whether it still has games coming out or is one you return to -Wild Arms

A series you’ve lost interest in -Soul Calibur

A series you haven’t played but are interested in trying -Legacy of Kain

A game you played completely blind with no prior knowledge of and enjoyed/loved -Devil May Cry

A console and/or handheld you’ve never played but would like to try -Sega Saturn

Do you prefer ‘blank slate’ main characters you make yourself or otherwise project onto, or characters with a set personality and backstory? -I am good with either choice really. Depends on the story.

A character you particularly like in the game you’re currently playing -Koana from FFXIV (I picked a character from the current expansion to fit the question better)

Quick, name the first song from a game that comes to mind -Song of Storms from LoZ Ocarina of Time

A song that’s sure to hit your nostalgia buttons -If You Still Believe from Legend of Dragoon

Do you have a backlog and do you keep track of it? If so, how? -I very much do have a backlog. XD An it would be easier to keep track of games I've finished than which I haven't.

A game you’d like to replay that you haven’t -Legend of Dragoon

A game you didn’t finish but would like to get back to or restart someday -Tales of Vesperia. Lost interest towards the end when I needed to do some level grinding. I hate level grinding.

A game location you really like -Empyreal Paradox in FFXI and the battlefield inside

A game you started up for the first time and you knew from the start it was going to be great -Legend of Dragoon

A boss you think is really cool -Lady Harken from Wild Arms

A boss that was disappointing -Airy from Bravely Default

A game ending that’s really stuck with you -Devil May Cry 5

A “Wow” moment of awe -The final fight for Chains of Promathia in FFXI. I literally gawked at the battlefield until the NPCs forced me into the fight.

A game with a cool art style -The Persona game series

A game’s art style that had to grow on you -LoZ Wind Waker

Realism or stylized? -I'm not sure I lean towards one more than the other. Because art style can make or break the choice of if I want to play a game but I'm not that huge on the realism since most of those are game types I'm not big into anyways.

A game you love the atmosphere of -Kingdom Hearts

Pick a series you like. What was the first game you played for it? Was it a good starting point? Would it still be a good starting point now? -Wild Arms. It was the first RPG I really got into. And I think it's still a good starting point now. Even if you played the remake rather than the original. None of the Wild Arms games require you to play the others to understand them.

On average do you have one game or multiple games going? -I tend to have a few going in recent years. But usually only 1 that I'm not waiting on more story to release. I usually have 1 solo RPG going, XIV, and Disney Dreamlight. DDV doesn't have a big story and is a bit more like Animal Crossing in I can do what I want and how much I want at a time. XIV of course I have to wait between updates for more story and I can only do so much content grinding before I need a break again. My current RPG to take a break is LoZ Echoes of Wisdom.

Game you think you’ll finish next? -No idea. I am really good at getting distracted by a XIV patch or something new just as I get near the end of a game. That is what happened to my Baldur's Gate playthrough... XD

Someone has never played a video game before but is open to trying any genre. What game would you recommend as their first? -Hmm… If they want something with a story, I'd go with the original Wild Arms. It's not difficult to play and it's what got me into gaming. If they want something relaxing I'd say Animal Crossing New Horizons. If they want something less turn based and more actionish I'd say a game from the Ys series or LoZ series since most of their stories are pretty standalone.

[amalthea-felsblood]

"​I would die for you one hundred times over. Live for me, or everything that I am has been for nothing."

-Lancelot

[satureja13]

Chapter 27

The One

Where they

finally get to enter the Therapy Game!

celebrate Beltane

Uh - I don't want to spoil more ö.ö'

'Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain Still take me back to where my memories remain Flickering embers grow higher and higher As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre'

Mull of Kintyre - Paul MacCartney & The Wings

[timbarrus]

I'm sorry. You've been had. I said you would be had, and then, you couldn't buy enough. A Narco-State. A Police-State. A Hysterical-State. Of numbing incredulity. Does America even know what is real. "I will not be arrested." This tells me you have never been arrested. You are immune from the possibility. I am here to tell you that all of those cultural assumptions you still think are real, were never real. The aristocracy has convinced you that you are powerless. They are right. You are powerless. The Kool Aid is pretty strong. The truth is that Americans are not sure if they believe in anything. What is it they stand for. We have more incarcerated people sitting in prisons than all the other Nation-States of the entire planet combined. What's real, is the Kool Aid. The slogans. The high school ideas. The parades. The assassinations. The pounding of the fists upon the table. With nothing to back it up but symbolisms that work (soothes the people) to keep that capitalist boot ground into the neck. History has spoken. The dragonnades of blood in a mist of them. The Dragonnades was a policy implemented by Louis XIV in 1681 to force French Protestants known as Huguenots to convert to Catholicism. The billeting of dragoons of the French Royal Army in Huguenot households, with the soldiers being given permission to rape anyone they wanted. Soldiers employed as part of this public policy were referred to as "missionary dragoons.” Public arrests as symbolism works until it doesn't.

[krimsonkatt]

PROVIDENCE

Providence, one of 4 ultimate bosses in my game Chronicles Meteorfall, bosses even stronger that superbosses that are super hard and super secret

Providence is a very difficult boss with 3 phases in total. In phase 1, she will use Luster to boost her stats, Antilife to deal colossal almighty damage to all foes while lowering your stats, and all the strongest spells of every element including Rexfire, Rexfrost, Rexthunder, Rexwind, Rexlight, and Rexdark. This phase lasts until she is at 75% HP, where afterward she will heal to full.

Phase 2 is the most interesting of the phases. In this phase she summons 7 "faces", boosting her total press turns from 4 to 8, one for each face and one for herself. In this phase she will continue to use Luster and Antilife, but will no longer use elemental spells. Each face as it's own available moves and attack patterns, each based off a breath of fire 2 party member.

Dog Face: Based on Bow/Bosch. Can use Rexheal to fully heal one ally, Renew to revive an ally with full HP, and Karka Guard and Matra Guard to block all phys/elemental attacks for all allies for 2 turns. This face is by far the one you should target first, it's main weakness being that it never heals itself.

Armadillo Face: Based on Rand. Can use Quake, Rexthunder, Rampage, and Healing Circle. Quake deals severe force damage to all foes x4, but is nulled by flying battlers. Rexthunder deals unreal thunder damage to all foes x3. Rampage deals unreal smash damage to 4 random foes x2, and Healing Circle casts Regen on one ally.

Cat Face: Based on Katt/Lin. Can use Godspeed Strike K, Sidestep, Power Charge, Rexfire, Rexthunder, and Rexfrost. Godspeed Strike deals unreal strike damage to all foes twice based on SPD and Sidestep allows her to dodge one physical attack automatically. Has incredibly high SPD and DEX so she crits and dodges a lot, but suffers from surprisingly low AP, especially for a boss.

Monkey Face: Based on Sten. Can use Sidestep, Raging Fist, Beastdancer S, Hypernova, Comet, and Rexfire. Raging Fist deals major smash damage to one foe based on how low the user's HP is. Beastdancer S allows all allies to always crit for one turn, Hypernova deals unreal almighty damage to all foes twice, and comet deals randomized almighty damage to all foes. He is the most balanced of the faces, specializing in both physical and magickal attacks.

Frog Face: Based on Jean/Tapeta. Can use Blizzard Flurry, Enblink, Debilitate, Galgleam Eyes, Smite, and Death. Blizzard Flurry deals massive strike and water damage to all foes 4 times. Enblink raises all allies SPD/DEX by one stage. Debilitate lowers all foes stats by one stage. Galgleam Eyes lowers one foe's HP and AP to 1. Smite and Death instantly kill any and all targets weak to light or dark respectively. He is your second priority in this fight.

Dryad Face: Based on Spar/Asparas. Can use Luster, Debilitate, Soul Steal, and Rexfrost. Soul Steal steals a tremendous amount of HP/AP from one foe.

Dragon Face: Can use ALL the dragoon's elemental breaths including Fire Breath, Ice Breath, Thunderbeam, Wind Breath, Mist Breath, and Dark Breath. When reduced to 0 HP he'll use his desperation attack "Giga Breath" which deals a max of 9999 celestial damage to all foes, the attack doing less damage the lower his AP%. Take him out last.

Every time one of Providence's faces are defeated, she loses one press turn. Once all of them are destroyed, you must face phase 3. In this phase providence will ONLY use the art "Bannehammer" which deals 99,999 "banne elemental" damage to all foes. She also nulls all elements during this phase. Bannehammer is the only art in the game that's of the banne element, and there is no way to null banne damage. So then how do you beat phase 3? Well, there actually is a way to REPEL banne elemental damage, but it's very complex. But first, I must explain how to reach PROVIDENCE in the first place.

In my game, Chronicles Meteorfall, there are random events called "FUN Events", triggered by a special variable called a "FUN Value". This value is randomly selected from 1 to 99 every time you start a new game or begin a NG+, and is set for the rest of the playthrough. When the FUN value is set at very specific intervals or certain ranges, strange and unusual things may randomly happen. One of these events is a DOOR opening in Eternia Frostlands, a mid-game area, requiring either a FUN value between 40 and 44 to have it appear. You also must be on NG+ in order for this door to appear.

Once you go into this door you will be in an empty gray void with strange yellow and black sprites wandering around with the words "ERASED BY PROVIDENCE" written on their sprite. When you try to talk to them, their text boxes are empty. You can meet me in the gray void, who tells you that this is a 404 error page and that you're not supported to be here, a "realm between realities." She gives you the "404 Server" item to allow you to access the void at any time, and by talking to her again and selecting "yes" you can instantly start another NG+ run.

This "gray void", the "ERASURE ZONE", also has PROVIDENCE wandering around as a massive Lv404 monster that if she sees you will chase you and prompt a fight with her if she catches you, which you can thankfully run away from. Fighting her at this stage is pointless, as even if you are able to reach phase 3 she'll just OKO you with Bannehammer. What you need to ACTUALLY do is find all the "lost souls" hidden across multiple different worldlines. What do I mean by this? Well, on specific FUN values, in specific areas, and with a 1/44 chance of appearing you can encounter a "lost soul" who will give a cryptic message before disappearing forever. Every time you encounter a lost soul, they will give you a certain enigmatic item.

Once you unlock the "secret recipes" feat from the NG+ menu, you will be able to craft the item BEYOND;GOD from the inventing table in Baetas, which will allow you to perceive the corrupted sprites in the gray void. Talking to all of them will grant you the "Shield of Rebellion" which repels Banne-elemental damage. Equip this onto one of your character's "special armor slots" and Bannehammer will be repelled, dealing 99,999 damage to PROVIDENCE. This won't outright kill her in a single turn, but with your character immune to her only attack PROVIDENCE will just end up attacking herself with Bannehammer until she dies.

The reward from this fight is the "Godborn Ring", a piece of armor that lowers all stats by 75%, but boosts EXP gained by a percentage equal to your current level. This means at Lv99, the default max level without any NG+ feats, you will gain +99% EXP, which might not seem like much, but this ring is ESSENTIAL for leveling to the true cap of Lv999, as past Lv99 the EXP cost for leveling up becomes MUCH higher. But how do you obtain these rare items from the lost souls? That's where the FUN Radar comes in. You can obtain the FUN Radar by defeating the previous ultimate boss Prophetess Barbello and defeating her secret second form, Barbello FRIEKOS. The FUN radar allows you to re-assign your FUN value at any time, not requiring any more NG+ runs, and also allows you to actually be able to view your FUN value straight from the game.

[iyliss]

FFIV Job swap AU list, in case i don't draw anything else and forget what's in it. For the record there is no difference in roles nor plot, only in what job they have and the surrounding aesthetics. Everyone switch with someone else ~

Mage!Cecil: blessed in magical arts since he was a little kid, Cecil was strongly encouraged by the king to study magic. However as he grew he was pushed more and more toward black magic and completely dropped any healing. He ended up losing hope his powers could be used for anything but pain and destruction. Once he reached mount ordeal, a gentle light reminded him he also had white magic in him and he began using both.

Knight!Kain: last son of a long line of legendary knights of Baron, Kain was raised in defiance of magic. He has ambivalent feelings toward it, mostly a strong insecurity from his inability to cast a single spell. Golbez promised him access to the forbidden magic of dark knights and, when they face each other again, Cecil begs him to stop destroying his body for the sake of power. (I don't know yet if afterward he should remain a dark knight, turn paladin, or become just a magicless knight).

Dragoon!Rosa: having loved the sky and winds since her youth, Rosa caused much worries to her mother when she decided to walk in her parents' footstep and become a dragoon. Always seeking freedom, he jumped out of the highest tower's window to find Cecil when she didn't see him return from Mist. Her imprisonment by Barbariccia involves numerous metaphor on "clipping her wing" and "keeping the little bird in cage".

The rest will be hidden because I'm afraid it'll be long.

Ninja!Rydia: from the hidden underground ninja village of Myst, Rydia was taught how to hide in the fog and use ninjutsu by her mother. When Cecil led the village to collapse on itself, she found herself trapped underground and was saved by him. Afterward, at mount hobs, she has to face her fear and crawl in a way too small for anyone else to find a way through the mountain. She later felled down in the sylph's realm and, adopted by them, learned even more tricks.

Summoner!Edge: isolated from other human countries, Eblan found connection with the eidolon. They felt closer to them through the tower of Babil, extending from the dephts to the sky. The royal family traditionaly carried a special bond with eidolons and could summon them to protect their people. Having only recently received this power from his parents - before they were captured by the enemy- Edge swore to use all his magic to avenge them.

For the last four playable characters, I was hesitating between switching yang-edward and edward-tellah or yang-cid and tellah-edward. given how little a bard yang works, i'll go with the second.

Sage!Edward: A huge bookworm, Edward often dress as a student in magic to travel around Damcyan and learn from what he sees. However he fears take over whenever he has to fight and he forgets all his spells. He is far stronger when he can remain calm.

Bard!Tellah: A travelling singer with a deadly way with words. He can break anyone's confidence with a few blunt lines. (Also just imagine the scene where he hits Edward but he does so with his lute). Once he sets out to kill Golbez, he finds the ancient song meant to break the soul of anyone who hears it.

Engineer!Yang: Fabul has recently become one of the most technologically advanced kingdom of the blue planet, in most part thanks to Yang. He manage an army of mechanicians helping him build all kind of invention. His wife is not quite pleased to see him return home late and covered in soot.

Monk!Cid: The excentric man in charge of training the youth of Baron. He spends all his days training, meditating, then training some more. He spent a lot of time with Cecil and Rosa when they were kids, helping them improve their body and concentration.

White Mage!Palom: A mischievious white mage who loves to be begged and pleaded and praised for the smallest healing spells. He greatly enjoy the power he has on people.

Black Mage!Porom: A studious black mage who is very interested in the world around her and how elements work together. She loves learning and giving lesson on everything she sees.

I didn't know what to make of Golbez, at first I considered switching him from black to white mage but the idea of reverting light and darkness through FFIV is so cool I think is worth its own AU (Cecil starts as a paladin, zemus being light-themed...). Instead I guess he should be more of a swordsman/knight? Which. I guess. you can just see ffxiv for the visual of it. HOWEVER FOR THE FOUR FIENDS-

Scarmiglione, will-o'-the-wisp themed: many lost traveled found their end on mount ordeal and their soul's fire, never finding peace, joined Scarmiglione's army. Instead of zombies he has spirits.

Cagnazzo, fortress themed: he seeks the strenght and power of castles made of stone. He means to make Baron into he's untouchable fortress.

Barbariccia, sea themed: empress of the ocean, the tower of zot is an ancient ruin at the bottom of the sea. Her hair are made of waves that are sometimes peaceful and sometimes violent.

Rubicante, storm themed: he looked to the sky as something beautiful and wonder if humans and their airship will one day conquer it. His cloak is made of wind carrying away any magic