#the Unending Journey

[bnuuywol]

I can't lose him. Not again. Not again. Not again.

[twelvesblades]

I'm obsessed with the (Lost) West Shroud... give Eorzea proper an exploratory map...

[anneapocalypse]

I've started rewatching ARR cutscenes for Urianger voice study stuff but also just really enjoying reliving meeting the Scions. It's been over a year since I started playing, which probably doesn't sound like very long to the veterans, but I haven't revisited any of this since, and it's different knowing all the later context and who the characters are. There are so many details I straight up don't remember. It's nice to have a refresher.

A lot of the voice acting is a bit jarring now, and not just because the actors are different, but I don't think any of it is bad per se--like I don't remember having any major issues with the voice acting on the first run--so much as the characters haven't been fully established yet, they haven't grown into the characters we'll later know.

I still feel a certain fondness for Gideon Emery!Urianger, because I do love Gideon Emery and he just has such a wonderful voice, but I have grown very fond of Timothy Watson!Urianger, so I don't really miss it anymore.

It's so good to see Minfilia again. I miss her. It also cracks me up how when Urianger greets you with a Louisoix quote, she gives him a look, like "Urianger please, you're confusing the sprout," and he quickly course-corrects. Much as I love how he comes out of his shell later, I am also very deeply fond of early, cryptic, hood-wearing, poorly socialized Urianger. :)

I had also completely forgotten that Thancred's flirty/angsty personality dichotomy is set up real fast for the player after he realizes he almost got them eaten by Ifrit.

[thefinalwitness]

13. What is their go-to for making a partner feel loved?

I'm not sure what ships you have, so your choice!

HII IM LATE TO THIS BUT THANK U!!!!! we're a wolshtola household so theyre who ill talk about hehe

l'aiha likes to do a lot of subtle or indirect things, as even when they're married, she and y'shtola tend to be fairly independent outside of having similar research ambitions! l'aiha will bring her a drink or small lunch when she's busy/distracted, and leave her notes regarding y'shtola's current project that l'aiha had thoughts or ideas about.

one thing in particular l'aiha did was go back to the first to retrieve y'shtola's real heartstone (as detailed in the rak'tika msq)! it's mentioned that tataru remakes everyone's shb clothes after they return to the source, so i headcanon that while she made a beautiful replica of y'shtola's heartstone, it lacks the sentimental value of the original.

it's also fragiler, and l'aiha learns how important it is to y'shtola when it accidentally drops and breaks. so l'aiha goes back to the first, checks up on the night's blessed, and asks for the original stone as well as any other items 'master matoya' particularly cherished.

(which, consequentially, is how l'aiha learned of one of the subtler ways y'shtola loves her! y'shtola has a HUGE collection of ronkan tomes and stone tablets regarding the echo-wielding viera of ancient past, who i headcanon was a preincarnation of ardbert, l'aiha's first shard, and generally was heralded as a 'warrior of light' in an era prior to the flood.

runar explains to l'aiha that y'shtola 'foresaw' her coming to the first, and researched heavily on figures throughout history that were similar to l'aiha in role or abilities. she would then tell runar endless stories about l'aiha. :') runar correctly surmised y'shtola loved l'aiha, but y'shtola hadn't actually REALIZED that herself until runar just up and said it, hehe.)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Started a new book series, and has been a journey...an Odyssey, if you will.

[tititilani]

I am so glad anime is allowing little Freaks™ again.

[zylphiacrowley]

A Master at His Craft

<previous - next>

[asidewalksymphony]

"Did you tell her that you fucked her outie at the ORTBO?"

[null-doesnothing]

"hey you doing alright?" no actually I'm thinking about Sarek again

[elizabethrobertajones]

I still don't know what to make of this little story beat. I KNOW the game isn't being written for me, personally. I Know that despite saying otherwise, Bounding Frog is not the Canonical Warrior Of Light. I understand that things just kinda happen based on themes and characters and stuff and things had been established in some way with Erenville having toad-based associations, having previously claimed to be an expert.

On the other hand, the first zone I chose to go to, the very first thing we did, was split up to go investigate a body of water and draw some conclusions like an amateur ecologist on what may be afflicting it. And there was a cute little creature named Lethargic Frog, which is about as "hey this is symbolically important to you, Bounding Frog, someone who takes their whole name inspiration from the admirable leaping power of a healthy frog based on their childhood experiences catching frogs, just as the noble Vipers named themselves after the snakes they learned from" as can be.

This frog was placed here for Frog to see and based on her entire personality, to notice and care about and understand how it was not feeling good.

Also, the writer of this quest wanted Bounding Frog personally to know this was her chance to prove to Erenville that she did know her frogs, and was perfectly capable of talking to him frog expert to frog expert. I can't overstate how thrilled she was that she had this opportunity. She was going to show him that she was just as competent! She could impress him, she could prove she was worth talking about frogs to... Yep.

Aaand then after all this careful study of the Lethargic Frog, she bounces back to the group, and this happens...

She starts to explain about the water quality and fields, saving her deepest insight for last, you know, the other thing the quest made sure we would see and interact with so even if I allow for a WoL to exist who isn't a Frog Expert like mine (who this quest was personally tailored to, again) you might reasonably expect that after Krile has agreed with you about the first point, you MIGHT KEEP SPEAKING ON THE SUBJECT OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS.

Nah, before Frog can open her mouth again, Erenville cuts in to announce that the frogs are kinda sleepy, while she was politely waiting her turn to speak. All she can do is stoically nod and agree everyone noticed the same things she did (shh Alisaie has something funny to say on the subject before you return to the group to chat as well), and that's that, we're rushing off to the next thing and the opportunity has fizzled out and there's no chance to impress because Erenville stole it from her...

How could they have known we need to start this adventure with a huge knock to Frog's ego when it comes to Erenville, and a reminder of why they've been snarking at each other for months. And he's far more concerned with Wuk Lamat presenting a semi-competent front and feeling chafed by travelling with other people to even notice he was, once again, catastrophically rude on the subject of frogs, to Frog.

All her attempts to befriend him and make him laugh and generally have him notice her for the last few months, and she's riiiight back at step one, fuming about his existence and sulking about how he won't let her have the one thing she most prides herself on, because he's too busy being some sort of frog snob himself.

So, yeah, I think the writer of this quest knew that Frog was the main character and also that Erenville is her nemesis :)

[bnuuywol]

“What is it you want from me?” “To make a foul, unholy beast such as you suffer for those you slaughtered.”

(x)

[twelvesblades]

Aglaia - the Heaven of Lightning

[ariadne-mouse]

Ah yes, a spontaneously-generated Fold Cake. It takes three tearrors occurring at the same time to produce this marvelous culinary delicacy. A three-tearror cake, if you will. Sometimes edible, sometimes carnivorous, sometimes both! Enjoy with caution.

[captain-ghost]

For those unfortunate enough to be unaware, the song John Hart plays at the start of Exit Wounds is 'I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper'. Great song. That's not what this is about tho because before it was that, it was 'Ain't No Pleasing You'.

And if they'd kept this song in it would have been absolutely mental. Check these lyrics.

JOHN. HONEY. BABY. SWEETIE. THE LAST TIME YOU MET YOU PUSHED HIM OFF A BUILDING.

[ooowyn]

HAPPY LONDON FANFEST IM READY TO BE A VIPER MAIN

[tira-misu-0]

hmm i don't know what makes me think this, but yknow guys, i think we need to go there..