#no spoilers but GOD I LOVE EMET SO MUCH HONESTLY

[windupaidoneus]

i also thought about. emet showing up in living memory while hilde would be walking around helping people & such, & the one to walk up to them being ere.nville who doesnt really know anything abt him or anything. but emet hasnt changed his appearance yet so its possible ere.nville has seen depictions of him during his time in sharlayan who knows. either way hes a random Living Person in living memory who hilde clearly knows... & its complicated to explain. but i think itd be interesting to have them talk. they have very little in common but emet Knows a lot so i feel like they could talk about animals as much as emet probably winces a bit abt it bc well his experience with creatures in big detail... looks at elpis. looks away. ultimately itd be fun to have him keep the secret that emets alive too. hes not even involved. but it means he & hilde can bond moreeee bc hes putting a big amount of trust in him there

[tritoch]

miscellaneous wol characterization thoughts post-dawntrail

since wolund is supposed to be as close to canon wol as possible i think about this stuff a lot. huge spoilers through the end of 7.0. non-exhaustive list

we're WAY more chilled out now. very consciously avoiding combat or taking up arms until absolutely necessary. in retrospect you could sort of tie that back as far as the endwalker patches so maybe my new canon is now just that wolund lays down his sword after the zenos fight. we're done looking for new fights because we fought our greatest rival at the end of existence in a place made real by our willpower and where we were strengthened by our emotions. the conflagration of our clash scorched even the stars--and now we are kind of burned out!

there's a recurring thing where alisaie keeps saying you should take a break when you've not done any more work than the rest of the team, and there's also the moment where she's like "oof okay. i guess you gotta go into living memory. aight :\" and i think that's fun. as far as scions go this was really her and g'raha's expansion emotionally.

so much of the wol's stuff here is about what you don't do or say. you don't step in during the bakool ja ja fight, either the kidnapping or the wuk lamat fight. during valigarmanda, you very pointedly don't talk about prior experiences fighting primals or even your experience with the auspices, because this is wuk's big moment and you've gotta let her have it. you don't ever draw direct comparisons to emet-selch or other things with wuk lamat when sphene comes up because you're letting her figure things out herself. we've evolved from hot-blooded hero to wizened mentor, and we've gone sharply back to a heavensward-ish number of dialogue options. we're VERY quiet.

the gulool ja ja fight really is the one time you cut loose! and you're explicitly denied the chance to test yourself against him in his prime 1 on 1. there's a subtle undercurrent that basically every single fight in dawntrail is kind of "beneath" the wol in the sense that it doesn't require their exclusive attention in the way that Only You Could Fight Meteion, even if you're clearly the strongest combatant and wuk lamat says they couldn't have beaten zoraal ja without you. no one except gulool ja ja really takes your full measure in this expansion. i think a g'raha-level fighter probably could have helped the wuk lamat team clear everything just fine, and he's definitely supposed to be below you and estinien level even if he's an all-rounder.

that kind of denial of anything truly satisfying on the wol's level...seems very intentional? it's interesting that after the credits you're explicitly like "yeah i'm gonna be outta here soon." shadowbringers you had to resolve the scion's dimension hopping problems, endwalker cuts you off before you can say what's next, but here you're like "yeah this was fun but honestly not that big a deal to me. i like you and i know you think of me as surrogate family after losing your dad and mom and brother but i am in fact gonna bounce." the key is obviously more immediately interesting to the adventurer than anything about tural.

oh my god. oh my god wolund is already a deadbeat dad to a young woman in her 20s. he's gonna ditch wuk lamat too. my god what an asshole. this is so fucking funny.

i think i'm gonna go back and have wolund be a scholar as early as 6.1 and see how that changes things for me. i think i'll find it a lot more satisfying if i'm like "he came to tural because he's done fighting" instead of the "he now loves fighting even more" i'd been carrying through endwalker patches.

[yamatossideboob]

ONE PIECE 1122 Spoilers!

(1122 is such a good number)

This week's balances:

I fucking love how much effort Oda clearly put into this redraw of a fan's piece waaaaaaaa

Hard to believe there were still doubters after Whitebeard SAID the One Piece was real 2 and a bit years ago. Though he *was* a fearsome pirate emperor and Vegapunk a beloved inventor 🤔

"Your days are numbered world government!!!" god I hope so, random prisoner

and I adore that Vegapunk made sure the folks at Impel Down heard everything. Vegapunk voice I love causing problems on purpose

My OP bestie was saying to me last night how if you told someone in 1997 that the crying pink boy mopping decks for Alvida would end up as a major foil to the main character and a contender to find the One Piece, they'd call you a fucking liar

"I have to stop your dream from being realised!!!" good fucking luck Koby, you are doomed to failure by the narrative

No but fr Koby vs Luffy is a real probability now. coughing baby hydrogen bomb.

ily Jairman Bahgee, clown of the people fr king of the pirates to ME

The Cross Guild shippers are getting to me bc when Croc told Buggy "sit" I first assumed he meant on his lap

Wouldn't it be great if Caribou had no valuable intel in fact and Blackbeard earthquaked him to death

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the transponder is banjaxed. tough shit for the Elders though lmaooooooo

I love Emet so much lads, honestly this chapter made all those cliffhangers and teases worth it

"you look so much like him" so does this mean the Nika forme, or does Luffy actually look like Joyboy did full time?

"Sorry that I couldn't make you king" the 'Joyboy was bad' theorisers will chew on that line for months, cheers Oda

"D." UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I choose to read this as hearing the D. dispelled any lingering doubts in Emet's mind. Pull the fuckin lever Giant Robo!!!!!!!

This whole segment is just. wow. Emet laughing like Luffy or maybe Joyboy would, knowing they can genuinely protect him with this manoeuvre, them thanking him for letting them hear the drums one last time... The fucking THUNDERCLAP OF CONKER HAKI SO BIG IT KNOCKS OUT MARINES FOR MILES AROUND WHILE EMET TELLS LUFFY NOT TO DIE JESUS CHRIST LADS THIS IS SO MUCH

THE HAKI ROPE FUCKING NEGATING THE ELDERS' YOKAI FORMES AND FUCKING EJECTING THEM BACK TO MARIEJOIS

and Mars waiting for them to get home patiently lmao

So this begs so much questioning. Just how does that teleportation circle work, and why is Imu of all people fatigued by this happening? My mind is still racing at this, and this is what I think: given how we never got a Devil Fruit name drop when the Elders shifted to Yokai Forme several chapters ago (which prompted much speculation in itself), and seeing Imu worn out now after the Elders were negated and sent packing... I think the Yokai shit is Imu's power, DF or not. The reason we got no Elder DF names is bc it' the one ability, which belongs to the secret god-king hiding back in Mariejois. The summoning circle is probably also Imu's power, because this looks to me like the transportation needs to be sustained - that massive Haki blast made Imu lose his focus, causing the Elders to get jettisoned back to hg. Seeing as how Mars was there before them, this teleportation power seems to have a range too - Mars was forced out of this range by Luffy & co, causing him to be zapped back first. This all seems incredibly overpowered to be the one DF/whatever else, but given how Imu is the secret final boss of One Piece, I can totally buy that he's fucking busted.

Also who the fuck is this other person worrying about Imu. I forget does he had any direct servants or w/e but this takes me aback.

Ahem. regardless, this proves that Imu and the Elders are not invincible. As to what ends up being the key to their defeat... Idk! We saw that Joyboy Haki doing numbers on them, maybe his was just different? or maybe it's sheer volume thats the key?? UGH how exciting!!!

Nami implies Edision is kaput but this is OP and i'll not believe he's dead until I see that righteous dude being disassembled for scrap, sorry lads

WAIT JOYBOY COME BACK YOU FORGOT AN ELDER (this does reinforce my teleportation circle notion, given how Saturn was the only one who arrived at Egghead without it)

Hm. Hey Joyboy? Just how the fuck do you tie HAKI INTO A GODDAMN KNOT???

lol no but this is reminiscent of HxH (also GOAT ftr) and how nen can be imbued into objects for different effects. Or else the rope is literally Haki made physical? Is this the brand of Haki that made the other Elders gtfo? Is this the level required to put those Yokai bastards down once and for all?

I've only just noticed right now that Emet has an X on his wrist.... A True Nakama....

rip to the 'Joyboy wasn't human' speculators, you fought valiantly but Joyboy was a tiny human man

Emet you're such a strong brave boy ilysm

fuck man when this gets animated I'm really gonna cry. Emet is such a sweetie T^T

Also Joyboy's lines here foreshadow a DEVASTATING flashback to come, god almighty lads steel yerselves now

mannnnnnnnn that was a top-notch chapter, the SJ summer break will be a doddle after this feast of hype and intrigue.

Summer's here and the time is right lads, OP is on break but enjoy yerselves if and when you can! WWLD! 💪✖️

[relentless-endurance]

Hello, I love to encourage violence, please any of the following Choose Violence ask game questions you feel up to answering: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 25!

'Isn't that basically all of them?' Yes! yes, it is. If there are any I didn't list that you wanted to answer, feel free to answer those too. I love drama, give me the chisme, peel it and feed it to me like squapes.

LIKE SQUAPES. fun fact: i have a squapes keychain on my lanyard. (alongside shoebill, Crow destiny 2 and (redacted) from Pandaemonium)

I will do xiv because. because.

answers them all because i have the day off, why not

the character everyone gets wrong

thats tough bc every character has those ppl that get them utterly wrong; I have particular beef though with the "emet was right and hydaelyn was evil" crowd because it just. it glosses over everything Emet did and acts like what Hydaelyn had to do was the worstest ever amen how dare she, when its like. Both of these characters did what they thought was necessary, but there is a gulf of difference between "I would let billions die to bring my world back" and "I sundered the star to avert a far worse disaster"

because i think people fail to realize. they were just going to keep sacrificing to Zodiark lol. (ALSO THERES ENDWALKER SPOILER STUFF as to why I will die on the hill defending my crystal mom)

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

see last ask! that was a dm a person sent me lmao. at least??? they warned me???

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

this is going to be hilarious coming from me but i'm not much a fan of most zenoswol or emetwol shippers (in spite of enjoying the former) because the discourse surrounding it all is fucking. INSANE. and there are just ways they mischaracterize both characters that drive me fucking BONKERS. So I stay in my brainworm corner with select people and I keep emet selch as a bitter ex because its honestly a lot funnier

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

Amon/Fandaniel. Specifically the clown wearing Asahi's skinsuit and the guy from crystal tower. there is just. a vibe. about it. that i do not fucking like how the fans engage with it. i can't explain it concretely it just fucking bothers me.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

sorrows of werlyt is not gaius' redemption it is him suffering consequences of his actions. if its anything close to redemption atonement is probably a better word for it and also the wol still fuckin hates his guts you can see the faces in the cutscenes. he calls u a fried when at best ur coworkers for that.

also i'm a stormblood enjoyer till i fuckin die. this is not a discussion i had fun thats it that the message

9. worst part of canon

the fact that ARR didn't lean more into the fact that you were the WoL from 1.0, ARR's writing in general.

also in general there is more bits in the msq where i wish we could uh. bite back a little harder instead of just being a silent protagonist.

10. worst part of fanon

oh god. theres a lot. probably the uwu soft imperialism that people get up to with certain ships (esp bc certain characters canonically and categorically do NOT give a fuck about politics at all)

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Aside from the obvious female characters I will defend until i fucking die (Lyse, Minfilia, ETC.).... Maxima! I just think he's neat. like was actually being genuine as a Populares, and saw that shit was fucked and noped out. also here, have this screen shot where my crimes gave him thot boots:

13. worst blorboficiation

answered in last ask! theres 1 ur about to meet and 1 thats pandemonium relevant but yeah. bluuuuuhhhhh your milage may very

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

Huh. I'm actually not super sure here besides things I've already bitched about. WAIT.

I fucking HATE when ppl have their wol who did not let go of heavensward trauma. like in that their wol didn't develop past it. especially if they're dark knights because. WHAT WAS THE POINT?

everyone handles grief differently ofc and its not a linear thing ever, but its so ?????????? to me that its like "my wol hasn't changed or let go or processed this at all".

what is the point if your character is never going to change or be affected? especially getting to shadowbringers??? thats all about grief and having a primo example of what NOT PROCESSING YOUR GRIEF does to you and can push you to?

like i'm not saying they shouldn't be affected at all, considering how much Haurchefant haunts you in the MSQ but like come on now. you've gotta move in some kind of direction.

(also smaller and pettier pet peeve: super 2edgy4me Azems. it feels so against what Azem was man, idk.)

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

my taste is flawless and impeccable and perfect. zenoswol may be the closest thing to an answer but like nah, its fucking funny.

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

most of early ARR before waking sands

there is a bit after the first endwalker trial that i've sort of speedran on my subsequent runs, its not BAD, but it is a little jarring tonally the first time. i mildly appreciate it in hindsight because AFTER that endwalker cuts the brakes and is a semi rolling the down the hill at top speed emotionally, but it still like. please let me move on.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

alexander raids. mid as fuck honestly.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

oagh unfortunately i am a girlie who enjoys all the popular things in canon. The best answer is probably the Four Lords trial series. Its one of my favorites but people don't seem to talk about it much

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

I actually don't have a ship that fits this. I only like like 2 of the canon/canon ships and i've always been a fan of most of the wolships that float around

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Emet Selch. I love grandpa war crimes, he's one of my favorite characters and favorite villains ever, i have literal merch of him, but holy shit he is the reason for so much twitter discourse. which is kind of funny and on brand but also jesus christ can people please just relax and learn to mute/block people and tags aaaa

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

i don't know if this common or i just saw it a lot given my twitter algorithm but people have so. much. beef. with people who Persephone Azems. for some reason.

the reason is apparently they're most insufferable kind of straight girl shipper/emet selch fan but like aside from an occasional encounter on a wolqotd post, the two people i know/know of who actually have an Azem named Persephone are.

an mlm whose noriety comes from... being one of the biggest G'rahawol content creators/shippers

one of my lesbian friends who chose it for not shipping related reasons

and most of the time their highest crime is. an Azem named Persephone. that ships Azemet. like any genuine complaints there might be are like. not unique to this VERY NICHE SUBSET OF FANS but apparently they're sooooo common and soooo annoying.

like maybe just block and move on bc some of the complaining i see borders on being genuinely misogynistic like. its fandom pixels. RELAX.

[neriyon]

And the last ship meme! Template once again here. (edit: I forgor to mention but mine is edited a little!)

This time it's ancient trio time~ ShB/Endwalker spoilers and lots of rambling under the cut

I'll start with mentioning that Eleos is Azem and Hawu'li is his shard. I think I've posted what he vaguely looks like in form of a picrew pic buuuut uh, this time you get a quick little scribble of his mask I drew instead.

Height and age - yeah no, I did not want to fuck with trying to choose anything for them since ancient world works weirdly. They are all of similar ages and fairly young, Hades has just aged a lot due to having to deal with his husbands lol. He's tallest of the three, with Eleos being just a tiny bit shorter than Hyth.

Jock - game keeps saying Emet is "the greatest mage" but honestly I could not mark him as nerd when he swings that huge drk sword so effortlessly in Ktisis. So to me he is also physically strong. Hyth is nerd on account of working basically a desk job and complaining how he doesn't usually fight, even if using a bow logically makes him somewhat buff too.

Affection - Hades is tsun so no pda. Hyth is used to this and knows not to tease him too much. Eleos does not care and teases both of them mercilessly with his affection, regardless of where they are or who is watching.

Confessions - Hyth and Hades were an item even before meeting Eleos, and their thing started from Hades managing to voice his feelings (Hyth had known about them already, but wanted to hear him say it). With Eleos, they kinda confessed together, with Hyth once again pushing Hades to admit his feelings out loud. By this point Eleos has been saying he loves them both for like, literal months but somehow also never initiated anything? Even Hyth was kinda confused if it was more plationical or not lol.

Kiss - Hades kisses both of them first: Hyth during a really sweet and romantic moment as teens, and Eleos to shut him up. Which surprisingly worked, as Eleos just kinda froze and was unable to process any thoughts for like half an hour. It has not worked ever since.

Propose - Hades is the most easily jealous one, so he really wanted something to seal the fact that they were all bound to eachother. All 3 have matching earring. Eleos also got a tiny magic circle drawn on his ringfinger - Emet's magic, made to contain both his and Hyth's essence to help calm Eleos down (he's strongly affected by feelings of others). It's usually invisible, but glows softly purple when touched.

Other stuff:

Hades and Eleos are both really stubborn so Hyth has to act as mediator between them

Hades first noticed Eleos from his soul (mix of orange and purple hues, like a really vibrant sunrise) which was so out of normal it got his attenttion in a big crowd (and Eleos did something really stupid right after so it really was unforgettable lol)

Eleos has a habit of just. Leaving in the middle of night if his wanderlust happens to hit. He's gotten really good at sneaking out and only leaving small "gone travelling, see you" note behind.

As a countermeasure, both Hyth and Hades sleep holding him really tight so he can't just dissappear to god knows where. Eleos doesn't seem to mind too much (but still manages to escape some nights)

All 3 spoil eachother so much but in completely different ways.

Emet overlooks so much of his husbands' mischief and no matter how busy, is always ready to give them his time if they want it

Hyth brings the other 2 interesting concepts from work as gifts

Eleos brings them whatever he find on his travels. He's especially good at picking things that pacify Hades' anger when he's done something stupid again.

[lord-pigeon]

A month late to finishing Dawntrail cause I was waiting for Certain Things to update, and honestly, it was alright? Obvious spoilers under the cut.

Nonsense rambling btw, don't expect a thesis there I'm just word vomiting

The strongest part was everything with Sphene, by and far. Zoraal Ja was a completely different character between Part 1 and Part 2 and people keep overlooking that to whine about Wuk Lamat. Ironically, I feel Wuk Lamat was the second strongest part of the expansion.

I came into the expansion as "WoL's funky summer vacation in not-Mexico" and that def helped my opinion about it, cause WoL is meant to be chilling while Wuk Lamat is having the character arc. Sooo I'll guess I'll start with the positives?

Wuk Lamat I felt had a significantly better arc than Lyse did. Probably helped by the fact I play in JP so I don't have the "she sounds so monotone all the time" issue people in ENG had. So you could actually hear her gradually grow in maturity when she goes from yelling 90% of the time to taking a lower tone and calming down.

I dunno, she has a very strong personality and I found her engaging. She was most of the fun I had in the first half, so I guess I got lucky there.

Second, obviously, was Sphene. Kinda Walmart Emet, kinda her own thing. I saw her final boss status coming from a mile away, but like, her background was my speed for an antagonist. Sad old robot you gotta put down cause she's too far gone, path to hell paved with good intentions. That kinda thing, very melancholic.

As for bad, well, uh, I guess mostly that the expansion felt like it was split in half? With two different writers for each half? Like Zoraal Ja of part 2 wasn't even close to Zoraal Ja of part 1, even their motivations were wildly different (inflict war to people who forgot it in peacetime to remind them of what peace is vs daddy inheritance issues)

Also where the shit did baby Garool Ja come from. Who is the mother. Did he just reproduce asexually cause they're lizards? Artificial creation? Kid literally showed up so suddenly out of Nowhere I deadass thought it was like a Miquella/Saint Trina situation where baby Garool was actually a manifestation of Zoraal's innocence/peace-loving nature.

But nope he's just deadass his kid? I guess? I might've missed something but god everything with him was so jarring it drove me fuckin' nuts

Also I do agree with the repetitive nature of the first half. Like, I had fun with it, but Yoshi, Yoshi I know padding when I see it. Aetheryte starvation? Huge areas? Get five bear's asses? Always talk to 3 people randomly sparsed around the said-large map? Running back and forth?

I see the padding you can't hide it from me.

Since everyone's comparing it to Stormblood, I'll do it too. Like I had recently redone Stormblood before Dawntrail came out on an alt (that's now my main l m a o) so I can kinda compare them easily.

Call me bias (<- incredibly bias) but Yotsuyu was a much more compelling first arc villain, while Sphene was more compelling on the latter half. And this is from a Zenos simp so take that as you will.

Day 500000 of me not being over his death still, my copium up until the end of the Zero patches was intense.

Soken didn't miss a single time tho, king of all time

Solid 7/10. If it was all about Sphene and the beginning was more cut down, and Zoraal was consistent, I'd probably have put it at an 8.5.

[tekutiger]

I'm back to leveling another class to 90, and this time it's Reaper ❤️‍🔥. I'm sitting at level 80 right now.

The last time I did the class quests for this storyline was right after Endwalker launch, on Tobi. I honestly couldn't remember much of it, if anything! I just kept thinking... "I don't remember this...." "Is this really what happened?" "Was it really this traumatic the first time around?". Like, how could I forget all of that? I guess it was around a year and a half ago, but good gods. Mostly what I remember is the Arena area (in the screenie above).

Class Quest at Level 75 has something of a jump scare, imo, and I just... really wish that I did NOT forget about that. I was taken aback trying to cover my monitor screen going "Ew! Ew!". Thanks SE for that one 🫣🫠

I know when I first played through it, Reaper and Sage had a LOT of popularity due to being the new classes with the new expansion. It's possible I semi-rushed through the questline and didn't give it the attention it deserved.

BUT what I guess I'm actually trying to say in a very long ramble-y process; the story for the reaper class quests is really good. I feel like it's something that resonates with me, much in the way that the DRK story quest line does.

There are a lot of classes I feel like I mesh well with, and some I 'click best' with too (which is saying something for an alt-o-holic), but we're talking class quests here, not the classes themselves. Even for my main class, I don't feel like they did the class quests proper justice. Like... Red Mage and Vampires? (They're not actual vampires to any non-FFXIV players reading this, but pretty darn close, lol)

And no offense to my fellow RDM mains who actually like that story line, but, it's sinking near the bottom for me in terms of 'connecting with me' 🤷🏻‍♀️ (this has turned rantyyyy oops lol 🙃). I think some other's feel that way about their fave classes though. Like, I've heard split reviews with PLD and WAR... I personally love SCH's storyline, but I've heard people say they dislike it. So on and so forth... 🤷🏻‍♀️. To each their own, at the end of the day.

I'm gonna put spoiler-y things under the cut now 😊

If you've even reached Stormblood, you might notice something about this guy here ☝🏻. Even more so if you've progressed through Shadowbringers, and MORE so through Endwalker. Most definitely through Endwalker. 100% sure I didn't notice it my first playthrough cause I hadn't finished Endwalker yet...

In so many ways he reminds me of Zenos, and yet he also doesn't. There's even a small portion of this 70-80 questline that dips into Solus zos Galvus. It shares some backstory that includes him but the information is significant to Drusilla's story only, and for the sake of moving the Reaper class questline forward. If you're seeking knowledge about Emet, for the sake of learning more about Emet, it's not going to be much.

Speaking of Emet, I've also been eyeing those skills 'Shadow of Death', 'Whorl of Death' and 'Arcane Crest', they look awfully familiar 🤔. Kind of look like some of his Hades abilities, and his glamour weapons, no?

I could ramble on more about that but I'm sure that's been toppled, explained, confirmed, and I've missed it. Or there's better theories and HCs than what's brainrotting in my head 🫠

I know the first time I played through this class, I told myself NOT to like it, because of how popular it was. The same thing with SGE. I felt getting the opportunity to ever play it was either A) never going to happen, or B) going to take a very very long time to happen- as in, an entirely new expansion would have to drop with new classes.

It's over a year & a half later and I think things have finally simmered down with those two classes. Maybe. I can finally say "Yes! I like this class! \o/". I know that's silly, but so is loading into an alliance raid with like, ALL Reapers and ALL Sages. Does anyone else remember that?!

Okay, I guess it wasn't that bad. I'll be honest, I was the first to laugh very loud whenever I got those groups. Mainly cause I'd be the sole RDM and legit felt like a black sheep 😅

Now I get to level 80-90, and go bug Emet again in Ktisis Hyperboreia when I reach level 87, haha 😄. This poor man can't get rid of me 🥰

[draiochteve]

Shadowbringers being 4 years old now just has brought back so many feelings, emotions, and gratefulness that it's overwhelming. I've seen others express sentiment that the expansion saved/changed their life and it and I echo that as silly as it may seem to some. 

I was in a really shitty place. Life was really looking bleak and I was running out of joy. No work, relationship issues, family making life hell, etc. I was actually mad at the game and ready to quit despite it being my primary escape (and I will confess, logging in as a scholar main that early release day 1 was difficult and I was upset enough I almost didn't give the expansion a shot). However, my partner insisted that what was ahead was meant for me and to keep going. As funny as it is to say, those damn purple trees in Lakeland is what began me letting go of my bitterness and take each step with wide eyed interest. The Crystarium was honestly more magnificent seeing in game than in the trailer. But, of all the things that planted the strongest seed in my heart, it was seeing Exarch rushing into the middle of Lakeland to find us. I need to preface this with where I was creatively and fandom wise. I was struggling on my original fiction and had just began writing fanfic again as a means to learn to stop destroying my own work because I didn't think it was up to par. I wasn't even writing in final fantasy universe (not to say I hadn't before. I use to be known elsewhere in other numbered games). And as for fandom, I had been checked out since my last major deep dive in my teens due to some traumatic shit that happened. I'd enjoy from affair, but the drive to participate again was minuscule. I was more than happy to sit and daydream about my favs in solitude. And none of my favs involved FFXIV. Cloud Strife was my fixation for nearly a decade and no FFXIV could possibly top him. There was no contest and I just wasn't invested in FFXIV enough then to even absorb the story anywhere near as much as I do now (that's a tale for another time). So, lemme tell you when I realized those first feelings of that new fandom fav love was stirring, in such an intense way that I hadn't felt SINCE I first played FFVII, something in me fundamentally changed. Am I saying the catboy rewired my brain chemistry? Considering my ridiculous G'raha fanmerch collection, yes. I found myself binging the entire expansion and finishing it the day before official launch. I was awestruck. Everything just scratched the itch right. Is it a perfect expansion? No, but it brought to the table so much that I was desperately lacking in FFXIV to get invested in the story to the depths that nearly competes with my love of Elder Scrolls.

I remember vividly laying in bed just smiling. That euphoria of having experienced a piece of media so enjoyable that you want more. You have to have more. It's that scratch many creatives in fandom know and is the backbone of our fannish society. I checked Ao3 and there was maybe 1 fic. Okay, fair, we were still in early release. So I read it, found myself still unsatisfied, but decided I'd simply play the game and goof off while I wait. 3 days in, only 1 more and I saw a pile of Emet fics instead. And this is not a bashing on Emet fans, y'all were on that sucker so fast like god bless the devil works hard but y'all work harder. But man if it didn't make my stomach sink. I'd fallen in love with characters before that next to no one cared about and not being heavily on social media at the time, I had a great fear Exarch just didn't sit right with most people are just wasn't as wonderful as I saw. Finally, a week in, I couldn't take it anymore. I realize now, looking back, people were trying to avoid putting out spoilers or were still just digesting the entire expansion. Meanwhile, here I am about to burst at the seams. And burst I did. The first story was for a friend. A silly second person POV subway AU spawned from an inside joke. I still cherish that story to this day as it was made in a moment of pure bliss following a conversation. Then, that bliss turned to anxiety and horror as I let it be public on Ao3. It didn't get much attention at the time and I still am not surprised, but that was a relief. Not too many eyes on me so I could just do whatever. "Whatever" was a feral release of Exarch fics in such rapid succession I've pondered to this day if I was possessed. I was filling a bit of a void in my life as well as in the fandom, but doing so creating was something I hadn't done in so long. It felt incredible. Looking back, it felt like I was in this little happy corner just writing away, finally not scolding myself or tearing down myself, but indulging. Just being. And bless my partner, I couldn't fucking shut up about the Exarch and I know for a while it did get on his nerves and was exhausting. But despite that, he recognized there was something growing in me that he had only seen glimmers of in our years together. It was him that pushed me to join an Exarch fan discord and to stop hiding myself away. Go meet people that are just as enamored as you. Go make those friends. I was terrified and scared that I'd regret diving in. In fact, I convinced myself I was only going to lurk which that sure didn't work out. Instead, what ended up happening was what was the final turning point towards something better. I met so many people I still talk to regularly (many still daily) who helped me find my voice, my courage, fostered my creativity, and encouraged me to keep making. I met so many other writers and artists! Soon, so many people were writing in the fandom it was hard to keep track of new stories. For a while, I was writing for them instead of myself and I don't regret that. I felt like I had found community again. And it's something that I desperately needed. Good and bad happened of course as is what happens with any fandom space. I lost some of those new friends as fast as I made them and some just weren't meant to hang around in my life. But those that are still here stand out as some of the strongest friendships I've ever had. I don't regret it one bit. I'd like to specifically blame my friend Gyoz for this (and you should totally go read her fics ) for the next stage of my FFXIV writing career which was the horny. I was so anxious to expose myself like that again in fandom space and go feral to the point I was incredibly self conscious about being judged. But she was there from the start telling me to not fucking bother worrying about that and to have fun. Be horny on main. Who cares if not everyone likes it? Just go for it. And as most here know, I did and didn't quite stop being horny on main LOL. That liberation led to more experimentation and finally led to Japhinne being born who truly has been a moon in my sky. Taking the step to let her be has opened so many doors for me that it would take another long ass post to explain, but know that she saved me. And I wouldn't have had her without shadowbringers or my friends. I went through so much shit after introducing her to the world (scary af surgery, falling outs, a lot of uncertainty with the future) but those around me and the need to write her stories were such huge factors in helping me pull myself up and not just settle to hurt alone. Saying goodbye to the Crystarium during 5.3 was distressing enough (...confession, I was so worried about Exarch's fate and how I couldn't let Japh continue in canon should he pass that I stayed up until 4AM my time to find datamined dialogue in Japanese confirming he had awaken on the Source. Once I knew, I fucking clocked out for 3 hours and immediately got to playing lol), but that final, for sure farewell upon the week before Endwalker...it was like saying goodbye to home. Things change, people come and go, stories continue. I still find myself wandering the Crystarium remembering how full it once was. Remembering the people gathering and meme-ing in shout chat while browsing the market board (cheers to the people arguing if Emet was a power bottom or not. I never got to see the end of that debate LMAO). Rushing to the Ocular to AFK, log out, or pester Exarch with his wind-up or his name. The music, the atmosphere, the everything. I have similar cherished memories from the other expansions and other zones (shout out to the BLUs self destructing around the Aetheryte in the Middy Eulmore to resummon Innocence sjfhksjdhks) but the Crystarium during 5.0-5.3 will forever be my dwelling in heart. I've gotten engaged since then, had multiple jobs and secured a steady one, have written and published over 200k of fic (with at least 50k more unpublished), and I look back and wonder where the fuck would I even be now without shadowbringers. So, if you made it to the end of this ramble, thanks for reading, and thank you shadowbringers for fucking existing.

[astrxealis]

emet-selch in endwalker slouching because he carries the weight of all his people

[blissfulalchemist]

WIP Tuesday

Tagged by @blackreaches to share a little something on this fine tuesday. So sending tags out to: @belorage @florbelles @strafethesesinners @heroofpenamstan @dihardys @jackiesarch @confidentandgood @indorilnerevarine @themarcspector @shellibisshe @shallow-gravy @adelaidedrubman @chyrstis and anyone else that wants too!

All I have is an extension of my last wip with Stasia and Sib in FF. Under the cut for length and spoilers for shadowbringers on kind of.

“As for an advantage, I believe keeping the Warrior of Light alive is as good an advantage as any in these times.”

Siberite sighs, following as close as she can, “Why can’t you just trust me a little bit here? Answer my questions honestly or hells just answer a damn question. We may not be friends but I no longer have full distrust of you.”

“Well aren’t you stupid? I would have thought your experiences would have taught you better by now. Or at least shown you the consequences of trusting someone with all that you are.”

“Don’t presume to think you know anything about the consequences I’ve faced,” Siberite says through gritted teeth. “Do you not see that I had to put my trust in you in those fights back there? You offered to be my back up and I had to trust that you wouldn’t let me die.”

“Well the battle is done so you can put that notion aside.”

“And what if it isn’t?”

“Then I’ll be there to save your ass again like in The First.”

The Warrior stops, blinking quickly, “You did what now?”

“I helped you, to help me in The First.” She waves a hand, “Keeping you living is my best route, and it wasn’t like you were going to let Emet-Selch win anyway so what’s it matter.”

“Are-are you admitting to-.”

“Having a heavy hand in his death? Yes I am. Did you honestly think the Exarch in that weakened state could escape the bonds Emet-Selch had him in?”

“Wh-why? What was the point in doing so?”

Stasia stops, exhaling slowly, letting her head fall back with eyes closed, “My reasoning is my own. Though does one really need a reason to kill another, Warrior of Light?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes snap open, “Pardon?”

“Yes, you need a reason to kill another person,” she shrugs, “Take Carly, she’s been known for senseless and no reason killing, if you stop and ask her though she’ll tell you why she opted to kill that person over anyone else….even if it is something that’s really minor.”

“So then what’s your reason? Simply taking pleasure in it like Zenos assumed?”

The young woman crosses her arms, glancing down at the small patch of grass , “It’s complicated, each one is for a different reason,” her eyes look back at Stasia, “So tell me, why did you partake in the killing of Emet-Selch? A man who had been your mentor for at least one hundred years,” Closer to three hundred but who’s keeping count anymore?. “Knowing someone for that long and since you were fairly young, I assume, means there was some part of both of you that cared for the other. More so on his end after meeting his younger self. So what did he do?”

“But yes, moral relativism and all that. Case in point--I do not consider you to be truly alive. Ergo, I will not be guilty of murder if I kill you.", His words still echo in her mind bringing with it the barb of pain and anger upon finding out she once again wasn’t good enough. That her mother, and gods help her in admitting it, was proven right once more that no one could love her or care for her in any capacity. And for all his talk of speaking nothing but the truth, he’d lied to her about seeing her as one of his own kind, he never had and he played her much like Lahabrea had attempted to do so when she was but a child. “You witnessed it, Siberite,” she says, “the old man was losing it and he was becoming a problem, which I had enough of keeping that blood lusting beast on a leash.”

[emetkoto]

Hey, please tell me your favourite Emetkoto headcanon? - @littlelordalphinaud

honest to god have to go with the wedding thing it drives me insane to think about its SO good and hurts SO much...im working on a long ass rambling post about it so i wont talk your ear off too much here but basically tldr (shadowbringers and endwalker spoilers)

near the end of shb before the vauthry fight when everything was looking good irt k'oto containing the light and suck emet-selch came to him one night he wasnt called and woke him up to take him down to the shade of amaurot in the tempest and the two got married in a traditional amaurotine ceremony <3 then after the ceremony and the obligatory ""first night"" he waited for k'oto to fall asleep and used his magic to seal away his memories of the night, took his ring, and sent him back to his inn room so it was as if nothing ever happened at all :,) if he had been able to contain the light from vauthry and prove mankinds worth emet-selch would have broken the spell and allowed him to have them back so they could just stay together but things didn't work out and the next chance he got was after the dying gasp which uh...ummmm... well. k'oto was pretty fucked up since he yknow, didnt plan to kill him at all and was not in control when that axe was swung so letting those memories loose right then seemed like a terrible idea so he just. didnt! he thought k'oto would be better off without the burden so he went on and on missing him and wishing that he had something, anything to remember him by, or any truly good times to look back on to numb the pain but he didnt!! so emet-selchs whole 'youll be better off without them' thing kinda backfired, oops! after elpis he was even more of a mess since um. wow. that all was kind of his fault for not really doing anything even though doing something would literally make him stop existing huh! when he got down to the aetherial sea and met hydealyn he was pretty distressed...angry at her for putting him and emet-selch through All That Shit and just generally grieving all over again but wait, she could see something wasnt right with his aether....a magic she recognized cast on his memories! so as a last act of good will to show that she truly loved him and was so very truly honestly sorry...she broke the spell for him :,) it was a genuinely good memory of him, not at all plagued by doubt or uncertainty or emet-selch saying some weird shit about how inferior sundered beings are it was just them. happy and in love for once and now he had it!!! he could think of it whenever he was sad and missing him and it gave him strength to carry on after that second devastating blow in elpis!!! and all of ultima thule!!! and pseaking of ultima thule when he's reunited with him there again emet-selch has no idea hydealyn has cleansed his memories and he Still Doesnt Plan To because he worried the memories would drag him down instead of empower him (like how his memories of paradise kept him trapped in the past unable to move on) so when k'oto tells him that he DOES remember he is. very surprised but also so so so sosososo glad that at the very end everything is finally out in the open. nobody is missing any memories, nobody has to lie or obscure the truth or hold back information to further their agendas theyre just. two lovers saying goodbye at the end of all creation hhhhhh,,,,,,,,,,,,,he gives him back his ring, puts it back on him all romantically the same way he did at their wedding and k'oto never takes it off ever again

this got a lot more rambly than expected but it still will get worse when i finish that other post. you have been warned

[mad-mth]

favorite things about EW (spoilers)

- love the whole timeline aspect. that wol always travels back in time to meet venat before she is hydaelyn, how that meeting is integral to what venat/h does from the start of ffxiv when you don’t learn of that meeting until EW.

- loved that venat was the previous Azem. But also backing up my first point, that the promise and everything isn’t necessarily because we were Azem and Venat’s successor. We went back in time as the Wol--we ourselves are the key and not necessarily what Azem did. Really liked that Wol as a standalone character was the major piece

- Seeing the sundered world wasnt a utopia. The ancients only existing for the betterment of the star, all wearing the same robes, all going back to the star once they fulfilled their duty. This alone was already interesting, but seeing how it played into their downfall (Hermes creating meteion and her sisters and sending them to other stars which ultimately brings about the final days etc, bc he is disillusioned by this utopia and finds himself asking other stars what reason they have to live). 

- Also just that the ancients themselves could not handle grief and despair, at least a majority of the ones we see (excluding Venat and maybe some others). Ex Emet and Hermes, the ancients trying to summon Zodiark again. Very interesting that in the sundered world, specifically Vanaspati, the people see just awful shit around them and eventually come to accept it. “Do not avert your eyes from it. View your life for all that it is.” This sort of comparison was also present in shb, people having mortal lives and thus doing what they could to ensure a good future.

-How humane so much of it was. Zodiark isn’t the big bad, he was just a creation of the ancients. Hydaelyn isn’t this god, she was Venat, a person who fought so hard for the world she loved. I couldn’t imagine evil Hydaelyn when i started EW bc it would just kinda soil so much, but I thought maybe more morally gray, like a god having been created for a specific purpose that was no longer needed. Really liked how EW handled her

- I honestly think EW handled Zenos in the best way possible given his prior characterization in ffxiv. Idk how to elaborate on it, but nihilism etc lmao

- I felt there was a fair share of screen time for all the scions. Don’t mind the twins and graha getting maybe a bit more since i think its canon that they are the closest to the wol. 

- the entire last zone and how its not fake out deaths but rather having to carry on despite being the last to remain, in this place that is the manifestation of despair. I love stories that touch into darker elements but keep hope alive. I think it’s very human to do so. The final walk was hauntingly beautiful

- Loved the moments wol got to have with the scions, eating food, checking up on em before the final battle, having one visit their room. them all being so worried for your character. just feels very real. 

[mrpinchy]

5.3 MSQ IM VERY UPSETTI SPAGHETTI but in GOOD WAY

FINISHED 5.3 MSQ I went in soon as the servers came up and didn’t stop, went in completely blind from start to finish took about 7hrs? I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS 

SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING:

holy shit jesus christ OKOK

so first of all I cried A LOT like, way more than I expected and NOT JUST CUZ IT’S THE LAST PATCH OF AN EXCELLENT EXPANSION but cuz like, damn it hits hard man lol

so Leon is my WoL but he’s never been leveled/geared enough to do endgame UNTIL YESTERDAY when I caught him up on all the patch content (my main is Sig but he’s not my WoL). it was A LOT OF FUN to go through everything with the “right” character sorta speak, just a lot of really cool stuff idk how to explain it lol

HELPING THE LIL KIDS!!!!!! OH MY HEART also I noticed Tiqi-Rio had sunseeker eyes AND MOONKEEPER FANGS nicenicenicenicenicenice GOOD I WANNA SEE MORE OF THAT

so the FIRST Exarch fakeout death with Elidibus and him at the watchtower LIKE???? WHY YOU WANNA GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK SO EARLY omg but honestly seeing him so crystalized and struggling HURT ME A LOT baby boi BABY BOI NOO

going back to Amaurot so Elidibus can force you to kill the Scions soon as you get there WOW WHAT A DICK MOVE LMAO and then all the other characters they brought back like, even in the background it was really cool to see them in Amaurot????? idk I think some people will call it hammy or too referential? but fuck it I loved it LAY IT ON THICK, YOSHIP god it hurt me to kill Aymeric tho

holy goddamn I was so excited when Y’shtola ripped into Elidibus YEEES GET HIM but wow like, Elidibus is essentially a primal then idk AGAIN WE COME BACK TO THE THEORY THAT WoL IS A PRIMAL anyway

HEROE’S GAUNTLET I went in with Trust so I could take my time and it was the right choice, I LOOOOOOOVED seeing the role quest NPCs helping at the end -- I loved seeing all the NPCs helping you but especially them lol ESPECIALLY GIOTT FUCK YEEEEEEAH

god okay the SECOND Exarch fakeout death when Elidibus is like, hey I need your corpse die lol I WAS READY FOR THE PAIN and then jk jk jk OR IS IT

running up the tower with the Exarch, seeing/hearing how painful it was for him to keep up with his failing body, how he had to send you away without him.. OH MAN i cried YOU COULD FEEL HOW MUCH IT HURT HIM he was so close to having an adventure with WoL ;v; also liek... damn that ESPECIALLY hit, the whole “failing body can’t keep up with my dreams” thing HOOOO I KNOW THAT FEEEEEEEEL

went in completely blind with a random group for the Elidibus fight, I went WHM (im bad but semi-geared) and we only wiped twice!!! figured out we had to use tank LB midway and then healer LB towards the end LOTTA AOE HEALING

Emet-Selch’s shade giving us a boost during the fight, BOY MY GROUP WAS VERY UPSETTI in like a good way CUZ IT WAS VERY UPSETTING in a good way lmao emotionally everyone was just POINTING AND YELLING THERE HE IS!!!!

Exarch using the tower as a big auracite IM SO GLAD that was really cool to see, also like........ god idk but I cried A LOT when Elidibus turned into a little amaurotine kid all scared and alone just playing with the soul crystals and talking to himself, AND CRYING and and MY HEART EXPLODED goddamn i cried. he tried so hard for so long that he forgot what he was doing or why he was doing it, why he was suffering so much, and damn if that didnt hit hard. was Zodiark’s heart just a lonely kid all along

saying goodbye to the Exarch like I KNEW WE”D SEE HIM AGAIN but it still was Emotional, I felt so sad for Lyna especially SHE LOST HER GRANDPAAAA

Alisaie crying after Halric spoke ME TOO ALISAIE 

holy shit Dulia Chaii’s parting words to Alphinaud WOW I CRIED A LOT and when he got choked up?? I CRY god the Chais love that baby boy so much IM SUFFERING

holy shit Seto............. ohhhhhhhh I cried SO MUCH

Thancred saying goodbye to Ryne and telling her how PROUD he is of her like damn that hit me right in the HEART goddamn

finally i must say

IM SO GLAD GRAHA IS A SCION NOW I KNEW IT WE ALL KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN BUT IM STILL SO HAPPY AND EXCITED I YELLED SOOOOOO MUCH WHEN WoL STARTED RUNNING TOWARDS THE TOWER LIKE!!!!!! AND THEN WHEN THEY SHOW GRAHA AGAIN OHHH!! BABY BOOOOOOI!!! HERE COMES A SPECIAL BOOOOOOOOI!!!!!!!!!!!!

that whole cutscene with Alisaie at the table WAS VERY WELL ANIMATED the whole thing was noticably better animated than previous cutscenes I LOVED IT!!! IT WAS VERY GOOD!!!!!! also ALISAIE IS VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!

ALSO I NOTICE that gwaha’s ears wiggle A LOT MORE im so GLAD thank u yoship

OH GOD I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THE GARLEMALD STUFF oh jesus CHRIST

FUCKIN

ASAHI?????????????????? OH GOD OH GOD 

no idea who Fandaniel is (henceforth known as Fandango) but I ALREADY LIKE HIM A LOT he’s so animated (also this cutscene was very well animated GOOD JOB FFXIV TEAM YOU’RE DOIN GREAT HONEY) I sort of wondered if maybe part of Emet was like... around...?? cuz he reminded me of Emet with his flair for the dramatic but WOW I WAS NOT EXPECTING ASAHI UNDER THAT HOOD holy shit I yelled

also idk if unpopular opinion but I FUCKING LOVE ZENOS HE’S A SCARY PIECE OF SHIT AND IM TERRIFIED AND EXCITED

ALAS........... the final chapter......... it sounds like the next expansion is planned to be the FINAL EXPANSION and honestly.. Im so sad but also I Respect that decision. I respect that they want to end things in a good place, they dont want to “live long enough to become the villain” etc. and yeah it means FFXIV WILL DIE eventually but yknow, maybe that’s okay. even knowing the game will end i’m still so excited to play it all the way through, whatever it may be. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT with all my heart and happiness

..im still SO EMOTIONAL lmao

[memorys-skyscraper]

Shadowbringers day 3 (this one’s a doozy)

Emet-Selch is such a whiny bitch lmao, though at least he was nice enough to give Y’shtola some clothes after pulling her out of the lifestream bc apparently nobody had the good sense to bring any even though we know full well that clothes don’t survive a trip to the lifestream and back

Also I would pay actual US dollars to get him a back brace so he stops slouching like that

ffffffff Y’shtola can’t see the sky :( :( :( :( :( this interaction between her and Urianger is so precious tho

yknow now that Ardbert is a pal you’d think he could get an axe that isn’t fuckin covered in blood so he doesn’t look so sinister, like he’s a ghost, why is his axe still bloody

god Minfilia is breaking my fucking HEART she is trying SO hard and still constantly feels like a burden, like why won’t anybody tell this girl they appreciate her and they’re glad to have her around????? that’s all she needs!!!!! honestly where’s Lyse when you need her, Minfilia needs that kind of energy rn

Emet-Selch calling Thancred out bc he’s dying inside at the suggestion of baby Minfilia merging with the OG bc it’ll mean OG Minfilia being gone forever but he hasn’t told baby Minfilia bc he cares about her too......... I’m simply going to perish

As an aside: the Exarch’s voice is just lovely, I’d look up his VA but I’m afraid of spoilers about his identity (though I think I already got spoiled on that). Honestly all the voice acting has been top notch post-ARR

“I wish he’d just say it! Say that he hates me, that he wishes I was dead so she could return!” im fuckin crying........ and Urianger is being such a good dad rn im..........

..................well I’m a puddle of tears but Minfilia’s, er, Ryne’s new hair/eye color is cute! damn I really didn’t think talking to OG Minfilia again would get me so bad but it sure fuckin did

jesus christ Thancred hug your child!!!!!!!!! she’s crying!!!!!!!!!!!! one single head pat is not enough!!!!!!!! for fuck’s sake someone get this man into a parenting class already

man I really do wonder how much of this cutscene direction revolves around what animations they have readily available bc like. BOY a hug would’ve gone a long way just then but that’d also have to be a unique, probably single-use animation for two characters and I wonder if they just don’t have time/budget for those things.

anyway that’s enough tears for today

[thevoilinauttheory]

guys its almost 5am

and i am fuckin sleep deprived due to a really early appointment and then working so i’m kicking my anxiety aside and having you deal with my loopy bullshit 

so here have a thing you never asked for but i can never get out of my head and i really really want to share with everyone

my amaurotine/ascian headcanons based on what we know from lore!

under the cut because heckin long and spoilers!

this includes headcanons about: The Convocation; Amaurotine lives, families, and love; as well as the city of Amaurot as a whole.

This is a precursor to the headcanons, so bare with me! If you want to skip straight to the headcanons, just scroll down until the dashed line.

As some people have figured out, or know already, the titles each of the Convocation have been given are named from the Scions of Light in FFXII; each representing an Esper and one of the 13 Western Zodiac signs (I’ll get into that soon).  With that - assuming that all of the Convocation are named from these Scions, we have: Loghrif, the Transcendent; representing Aries. (Paragon of the First, in XIV) Mitron, the Chastiser; representing Taurus. (Paragon of the First, in XIV - We are told that both Mitron and Loghrif are paragons of the First, who were defeated by Ardbert and his friends. In Akadaemia Andyr, a visitor’s guide states that the first Mitron was a great contributor to the creatures of the sea and their creation.) Emet-Selch, Angel of Truth; representing Gemini. (Paragon of the Source, XIV) Pashtarot, Knight-Star; representing Cancer. Fandaniel, the Protector; representing Leo. (It is speculation that Travanchet in 1.0 was this Paragon, as his name was likely an alias. Unfortunately, we do not have much information on him other than that he’s dead.) [An unnamed Scion, represented by Ultima, the High Seraph]; representing Virgo. (My speculation is that this is Elidibus, as the element for this Scion of Light was Holy. When we first meet Elidibus, he comes off as rather “good” wanting nothing more than the balance between light and dark. Why I do not think he would fit the other unnamed Scion, I will explain later.) Halmarut, the Arbiter; representing Libra. (In Akadaemia Andyr, a visitor’s guide mentions that the first Halmarut created the worlds’ first carnivorous plants to keep pests out of their garden, and was an avid landscaper. *However*, their name is spelled “Halmarult” with an L.) Nabriales, the Majestic; representing Scorpio. (Paragon of the Source, XIV. We also heckin obliterated him. He was anything but majestic. Still manages to wipe groups somehow tho.) Igeyorhm, the Martyr; representing Sagittarius. (Paragon of the Source, XIV.) Deudalaphon, the Benevolent; representing Capricorn. Emmerololth, Holy Queen; representing Aquarius. Lahabrea, Abyssal Celebrant; representing Pisces. (Paragon of the Source, XIV. Lahabrea was lauded as a master of creation in the time of Amaurot [despite Emet-Selch being the Architect? I am confused by this, but /shrug]. In Akadaemia Andyr, a research report states that he was the first to look into the creations that were manifested out of fear, and speculated them as such.) [An unnamed Scion, represented by Zodiark, Keeper of Precepts]; this Scion was representing the 13th zodiac sign of Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus is the zodiac sign between Scorpio and Sagittarius, and is regarded as “The Serpent Bearer”. This is highly speculation and in no way lore, however, I believe this Scion was to be represented by Unukalhai - whom gives us our quests for the Warring Triad as well as Bismarck and Ravana EX in Heavensward. He had stated that he was saved from the Thirteenth’s (oh ho, 13th star, 13th scion) demise by Elidibus, and had essentially become an Ascian through transcendence alone. He was to be one of the Thirteenth’s Warriors of Light, however, he was too young to do anything. However, numbers alone don’t do this speculation justice - but rather, the etymology behind Unukalhai’s name. Which is an Arabic name for the star commonly known as Alpha Serpentis, in the constellation Serpens - which intersects the Ophiuchus constellation; hence the name “Serpent Bearer”. 

BUT WAIT. MAX. THERE’S FOURTEEN IN THE CONVOCATION.

That’s correct! Here comes the headcanon train!!

It is highly speculated that the WoL/D in Shadowbringers was to have been this fourteenth member of the convocation - that their spot in the convocation had opened up because they did not believe in Emet-Selch and Lahabrea’s plan to summon Zodiark as a way to save their planet, causing a rift in the convocation. Leading them to rebel after Zodiark’s numerous re-summonings and summoned Hydaelyn to keep the god in check. (Hence why the Ascians would be tempered by Zodiark, and the WoL/D by Hydaelyn). 

But there’s no title for this fourteenth member.

That’s because I believe it’s supposed to be left up to the interpretation of the players! Make your own title! Be who you want to be! Don’t let your dreams be dreams!

Want your title to fit in with the etymology with the others? The Scions of Light’s names are predominantly of Jewish Mythology and Hebrew nomenclature. I can only tell you this based on my very limited knowledge of said names, however, if there’s anyone there more experienced than I, I would love to hear more about it! The suffix of “-el” in Fandaniel’s name (and “-al” in Nabriales) is commonly used in the names of angels. I have also been told that a literal translation of Emet-Selch’s name means “Your Truth” in Hebrew, but I cannot vouch for that (if someone can confirm, that would be great!). [As a side note, I did use a couple translation sites which translate the name to “your terror”, which is honestly, in my opinion, even better. The same with Lahabrea’s name, which was translated to “recover” or “recuperate” in those same sites.]

Another headcanon under this is that the fourteenth member was meant to serve as a mediator. It’s pretty well known that Lahabrea, Elidibus, and Emet-Selch did not like each other in the slightest, and only remained as a group as a means to the end. All three of them have some ties to the WoL/D, and have constantly gotten in their way, and in that regard had brought the three together to try and end them (to no avail, obviously). That’s really pushing it lore wise, but I like to believe that even in their first life, the WoL/D was well known for helping people and bringing together communities.

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Let’s get to the Amaurotine Headcanons!

As we know, Amaurotine’s wear the same clothing as each other - dark robes, a hood, and mask - to symbolize their strength in community rather than focusing on a person’s individuality (think ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry; or ‘Anthem’ by Ayn Rand). Here are my headcanons based on this:

Only those of the Convocation would have unique masks and robes, showing their status of power and title. Occasionally, members of the Convocation will humble themselves to the outfits of their citizens; especially if attempting to avoid badgering or awe. (This is why I think a standard Amaurotine model was used in the cutscene after the battle with Hades, because the WoL/D preferred to remain in the same clothes as their people; they did not want to appear unique or above anyone else. It also could just be a placeholder /shrug, who know?) [I’ll get into how this headcanon can be disproved later, and what it could mean.]

An Amaurotine’s mask is a symbol of trust and intimacy. Should an Amaurotine show their face to another, it is usually out of immense trust and love for that other. (Hence why Emet-Selch would show the WoL/D his face, and Elidibus or Lahabrea, did not.)

One would only show their individuality amongst their family and loved ones. Wearing clothes other than the standard robes is only considered taboo if it is done outside, in public, in front of strangers.

There are no penalties for wearing something other than standard issued robes and mask, however, the person in question will be distrusted by the community and not likely to be included in any activities, studies, or even acceptation into society. They will be outcasted in actions only, until they see the error of their ways and conform. They may be questioned by curious few. (Those visiting the city often have a special mask or tag of identity issued to them to show that they are visitors. Same with prospective residents of the city.)

On Amaurotine families and love lives:

We know that children exist, as the Scions and WoL/D are constantly referred to as ‘little ones’ and ‘young ones’; often considered too young to grasp the concept of certain things. Which means birthing exists, which means Amaurotine’s have sexual habits - whether solely for the population of their race or used also in recreation is unknown.

Marriage does not exist in Amaurot. It is considered a trivial event used by those outside of their city to legally bind one to another out of distrust - as Amaurot is a city based completely around trust and community. (We see mentions of children, but no mentions of “my wife” or “my husband”). Marriage is not necessary when one’s trust is placed wholly into another. To ask one to marry you would either be the lowest insult or the highest praise - depending on the person.

Communication is the sole basis of every Amaurotine’s relationship - leaving very little room for mistakes in choosing a partner. 

Gender and sex is not considered when choosing a partner, as when prospects meet there is no way of knowing due to the clothing that they all wear. There are no preferences to gender or sex, when selecting a partner, as everyone is equal - however, should one have a preference when having sex, it is as simple as using their powers of creation to either change themselves, benefit to their partner, or simply just... create a child, if they wish to have one and cannot birth one.

Children are told to embrace their individuality while they can and while they are young. This is a highly debated topic. Some families would prefer their children to fit into society as soon as they can; though others would teach their children the importance of individuality when selecting a prospective job and partner.

On Amaurotine occupations, jobs, and schooling:

Thanks to the Akadaemia, we know that schools exist. The Akadaemia is lauded as an esteemed establishment, requiring not only residency in Amaurot but special recommendations as well to enter.

The Akadaemia is like our Yale or Harvard (for US folks). It is a school that many attempt to get into, and that many fail to do so. Only those who show prowess in specific fields of study as well as debates, are accepted into it. The Akadaemia is presented to children at a young age as a place they wish to attend - so smaller schools for smaller children will have ‘field trips’ to the Akadaemia every once in a while.

Children are taught about their powers of creation when they are old enough to grasp the concept of it. Schools are separated into ‘grades’ based on how well a child has grasped their powers; and later on, based on how well they preform in debates and in field studies. 

Not all who taught about the Akadaemia wish to go there for their studies - as their creative powers may lie in individual fashion, machinery, or even culinary arts. As all creations are to be used by the city as a whole, some wish to excel in other measures.

Occupations do not receive payment in any fashion other than helping others. As students exist, so too do teachers. Those who teach only teach for the sake of helping others grow to their fullest potential. Teachers and students are considered equals in all aspects except when in the classroom. This also goes for those who maintain buildings, work as receptionists, and so on. They simply choose those jobs because they wish to help and feel that they excel in those areas. 

On Amaurotine recreational activities:

The recreational activities we’re shown are through the need and want to debate, as well as create. But there has to be more to it than that, right?

Some Amaurotines excel in the creation of music; and while it’s not a huge scene in Amaurot, there are a great many that like to listen to music while they work or study. Simple devices such as radios and pocket stereos were created so that it was easier for citizens to do as such - as it was shown to increase productivity. Music is also used in personal and individual uses in the home, with activities such as dancing and singing. 

Since lightbulbs seem to have been created, we can only assume that something akin to other electronics have been created for personal use as well - such as televisions. TVs are rarely used as Amaurotines would prefer stimulation through communication via debates. However, for those who find themselves anxious to be around others, they will use TVs to watch others debate. 

Art is a large pastime in Amaurot; as all creations are considered artwork. However, artwork through paintings and architecture are not unheard of. Paintings and personal works of architecture (such as furniture and home layouts) are kept to ones’ self, as a source of individuality for them to keep in their own homes and personal lives. 

On Amaurot as a city and basic Amaurotine lifestyles:

According to various texts, Amaurot existed nearby to an ocean and was generally far away from other countries and cities. In the debate in one of the side quests, they made mention to aiding said countries “overseas”. Amaurot is likely not just the name of the city, but the country as well, and is water-locked - much like a small island.

Since Amaurot is based on community and trust, there is no financial system nor monetary needs. Every resident is given everything they need to survive. Homes are issued based on how many residents there are in a family - and a family is typically referred to as a group of people whom have close ties, not just blood relations. A family could be a group of childhood friends that will not separate, or a couple and their two children. A family’s make up constantly changes, and so it is possible that Amaurotines find themselves moving homes frequently. Thanks to their powers of creation, moving homes is considered an easy and trivial task.

There is little to no crime in Amaurot. Any disagreements are taken out in the form of debates, and there are no need for violent rages or physical harm. Theft is unheard of. Any crime that does find it’s way to Amaurot are usually from visitors that come with no good intent. 

Some Amaurotines would prefer not to have homes inside of the city, and will use the surrounding land to create their own homes that range from extravagant displays of creations to humble homes that blend in with the surroundings. Many students in Phytobiology will have small homes in the little wilderness that remains, and students of Ichthyology will find their homes nearer to the ocean.

Amaurotines are immortal, though only in the sense that they do not die from old age nor do their physiologies change after they are fully grown. However, they can still die from illness and physical harm (such as bleeding out, or trauma). Clinics exist, but they are very few between. Most illnesses and harms are obtained when an Amaurotine visits another country or when visitors come to Amaurot. 

Eating and sleeping are not required for Amaurotines to live, however, they are very popular recreational activities to pass the time. Eating is often used as a pastime to catch up with the day’s activities with friends or loved ones - and thus, restaurants were created as a place for these people to relax. Some tend to create their own meals at home, as well, if they prefer to be in their individual spaces. 

Inviting others to a home is not a common activity, as individual spaces are to be shared with family members and intimate partners. While close friends may visit each other’s homes, you will not see strangers or coworkers invited to homes for anything - even in celebration. 

Celebratory activities are either held in privacy in individual and personal spaces between family members; or more commonly in public so that the city and its citizens can join in the festivities. These events could be anything from a milestone birthday, to a recent birth, to being accepted into the Akadaemia.

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This is a continuation of the headcanon regarding Amaurotine masks - that all have the same masks to cast aside their individuality. However, this can be disproven in the Hades fight with his second form.

As the masks of his collective peoples where he draws his strength from are shown. Since some of the same masks are repeated (honestly, probably due to limitations in the game, but if you want to take it literally:), masks may be used to show a person’s occupation or status in the city - and the masks we see on each Amaurotine model are used as place holders since Emet-Selch cannot remember every mask of every one of those he created. Though that wouldn’t explain why Hythlodaeus, a supposed close friend of Emet-Selch’s, has a standard mask and model. So I believe it’s up to the interpretation of the player, as is everything.

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If you read through all of this, wow! You’re amazing! Dealing with my rantings at so late at night/early in the morning! I really appreciate it!

A lot of these things bothered me to keep to myself and so I just had to share them and I’m so glad that you’ve taken the time to read through them! If you have any more to share, I really want to hear them!

[eliniei]

Not As It Seems Part II - Emet-Selch x WoL

Summary: After Emet-Selch's surprise visit to the Warrior of Light's bedroom one night, they sink into a nightly routine. One night, the Warrior of Light lies awake, troubling things on her mind.

Word Count: 1532

Masterlist: Coming Shortly Ao3: here

Part I: here

Warnings: 5.0 spoilers and some angst

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The night Emet-Selch showed up in my bedroom, wanting nothing more than the feel of my body in his arms, I had not slept that well in what felt like ages. I hated admitting it- but it was true.

He had confessed to me that he felt likewise- although for him, it was more than likely accurate. 

And so, the two of us settled into a comfortable, nightly routine. 

After my friends were all either asleep or otherwise occupied, the Ascian would quietly sneak into my room and wrap me up in a strong, warm embrace, until we were both sleeping soundly. 

In the morning, he would continue lazing in bed, watching me prepare for my day. I’d soon grown used to the feel of his gaze upon me. 

On nights that sleep evaded us, we would sit in bed and talk. You never know how much there is to learn about a person until you stay up until daybreak, speaking about things that seem so...normal. Even about yourself. 

Mostly, he would speak about the old days. The days when the world was whole and he was a very different man. The far-away look he would get in his eyes, unfocused and sad, threatened to break my heart. He truly loved his people, that was very clear. 

Despite my companions’ hostility towards him, I can honestly say that I enjoyed every second I found myself spending with him. Out of public view, he was...different. 

And the look on his face when he bade me speak about myself and my travels did not escape my notice. 

One night, however, after Emet’s breathing had evened out, I was hardly tired but I did not want to keep him from the little peace he had in this world. When he came to me on this night, the circles under his eyes were darker than usual, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

It had been a long day for the both of us, I could only assume.

Instead, I stared at his face as he lay next to me, illuminated by the moonlight streaming into the room. His features softened as he slept, making him look young and, if I hadn’t known better, unburdened. 

I reached over and pushed his lock of white hair back, out of his face. One of my fingers brushed over the third eye embedded in his forehead. He shifted, sucking in a sharp breath. I paused, waiting for his gold eyes to open, but he otherwise didn’t stir. 

I felt my heart squeeze as I ran the tip of my finger lightly down his cheek. Twelve, he was beautiful. Beautiful and tragic. My stomach tied itself in knots at the thought.

Gently, I lifted the arm that was resting over my waist and slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, as to not wake him. While I headed for the window, I took one more fleeting glance back at the Ascian in my bed, my thoughts weighing heavily on my mind. 

I sank into the cushion that sat on the bench under the frame, and leaned on the wood with one elbow. 

The stars were in abundance, the moon’s light bright against the dark sky. By all rights, I should be happy and proud of all the work I’d done, but my thoughts weighed heavily on my mind.

I do not know how long I sat by the sill, but the shuffling of sheets behind me tore me back to reality. 

“Your mind is troubled,” Emet-Selch’s voice noted to my back. It wasn’t a question- and if I had to bet, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt what was playing through my head. I turned my head, slightly, to watch him out of the corner of my eye as he slid out from under the covers. 

“Yes,” I answered, even if it wasn’t warranted. He seemed to enjoy the sound of my voice, anyway. I tilted my head back towards the window as he came up to take a seat on the bench behind me. 

His arms wrapped loosely around me and he pulled me against his bare chest. I leaned into his warm body, causing a barely audible moan to escape his lips. He lowered his head, nose and soft lips softly skimming my neck. In response, I laid my head back against his collarbone, eyes closed, and opened the bare surface of my skin to him. 

“How long have you been sitting here, my darling hero?” I felt his warm breath on my neck as he nuzzled me. “Your skin is cold.”

With a snap of his fingers, the quilt from my bed appeared across his shoulders, and he folded it around the both of us. 

“What is it, running through your thoughts at this hour of the night?” he asked, pressing his cheek against my temple. I looked back out towards the moon and the seemingly endless night sky. 

“I am...worried,” I told him, honestly, with a slight sigh. “About the future that is to come.”

“What of it?”

“No matter how many times I play the possibilities through my head it always ends up the same. In the end, I believe you and I…”

He was silent, but I knew he understood. The internal conflict warred through my body, and the knot in my stomach turned to ice. 

If we continued on this very path and the inevitable happened...I may not be able to defeat him. How could I, after everything we have shared?

Oh, Twelve, I would have given anything at that very moment to be powerless- to not be the one the entire world relied on to save them. To throw my rapier into the back of my closet and never lay my eyes on it again. Damnable gods, Hydaelyn and Zodiark both, for tempering us this way. 

Emet-Selch lifted his head and I felt a sudden chill. I slowly spun on the bench to face him, and he let the blanket slip so I could move freely. I searched his face, but his eyes were far away, again, in another time. 

“I do not…,” I started, but I could feel water welling in my eyes and my voice starting to fail me. Finally, he looked down at me, his amber gaze staring intensely into mine. 

“There will be another way,” he assured me. I could not begin to guess what he was thinking, plotting. I was unsure if I could do what he wanted and contain the light after we beat the next Lightwarden into the ground. “I do not wish to fight you, either.”

He had sworn to me on more than one occasion that everything he had said had been the truth. This far into our journey, how could I not take him at his word?

I dropped my head between us and nodded, the sob in my throat still threatening to surface. 

“I do not know if I am as strong as you want me to be.”

He put two fingers under my chin and lifted my face. 

“You are,” he insisted. “You...you will be, my hero.”

I watched him with wide eyes. He had put so much faith into me. Why me? A tear streamed out of the corner of my eye as he leaned forward and caught my lips with his in a needy, but gentle kiss. 

I sucked in a surprised breath as he grabbed my face with both hands, and pressed his face harder against mine, more insistent. I closed my eyes, letting it happen, and allowed myself to enjoy it while it lasted. I threaded my fingers into his hair, scraping my nails lightly against his scalp. 

Another moan escaped his lips, still against mine. 

When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead to mine. I could feel his third eye impressing upon my forehead. 

“You will be,” he repeated, voice barely above a whisper. This time, though, he sounded uncertain- as if he was trying to convince himself. It still somewhat astonished me- how differently his demeanor was behind closed doors- as if, in front of others it was all one large facade. 

I suppose the same could be said of me, as well. In front of my friends...I would never confess such things. 

We sat like that, together, under the light of the moon, both breathing heavily for a few more moments before he swept me up in one fluid motion, one arm around my back and one under my knees. 

“Come. Let us away to bed. There is more work to be done on the morrow.”

I relaxed in his arms as he carried me across the room, a content smile on my face. He placed me on the mattress, then laid down next to me, winding his arms around me, snugly. I placed my hands on top of his, gripping him tightly. His nose nuzzled at my neck again and I could feel the pull of sleep finally overcoming me. 

The feeling in the pit of my stomach didn’t dissipate much, but at least now I had cause to hope.