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maddiebiscuits · 4 years

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Personal Opinions on FFXIV Villains (in general order of appearance)

As a note, I will not be including any pre-A Realm Reborn villains (as I did not play the original Final Fantasy XIV) nor will I be including any one-off primals, raid bosses, etc. I will be trying to focus on villains as they appear in main or side storylines, in cut scenes, that have some over-arching influence on the story they participate in with something akin to a clear presence - Garleans, Ascians, and so on. Also SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.

Rhitahtyn sas Arvina

Rhitahtyn gets the shaft out of Gaius’ three main players in A Realm Reborn. A conscript from a Empire-conquered land who rose to power and respect, directly honored by Gaius himself, and possessing an even temper and noble ambition really helped to level out Nero and Livia’s general nonsense. Unfortunately, Rhitahtyn is provided almost no screen-time, development or exploration, and as years have passed, his in-game 8-man trial can now be completed in a regular synced party in mere seconds. He deserved a lot better than what he got, yet remained too sidelined to really leave me feeling invested in wanting to see what sort of story this character could be used to tell.

Livia sas Junius

When first playing through A Realm Reborn my feelings on Livia were...tepid, but optimistic. Of Gaius’ three main players, Livia was easily the most active and ruthless, lacking the shady “long game” and self-serving ambitions of Nero or the more honorable, measured personality of Rhitahtyn. Suffice to say, the dawning (and then confirmed) realization that Livia’s sole motivation seeing the plan of the man she loved through to completion by any means, to the point of tunnel-visioned, murderous intent, was...disappointing. Add to that Livia was raised by Gaius in her backstory, the man being a father figure to her, and the romance motivation becomes even more unhinged (especially since it is largely considered to be a reciprocated romance, at least physically, by Gaius - barf)

Nero tol Scaeva

Nero has become a fan favourite character over the years, thanks to his continued development into Cid’s boyfriend foil rather than outright villain of the main storyline. This development was easy to spot early enough though, as it was clear Nero’s fealty to Gaius was largely self-serving. He didn’t care much about conquering Eorzea or felling primals/eikons - he just wanted to show that he possessed the brilliance to build weapons capable of doing so. His speech/squabble with Cid during the Praetorium sequence paints that picture even more clearly if the players missed the not-so-subtle implications for Nero’s character already. The man lived, breathed and seethed with inferiority when compared to Cid, and in the end he did ultimately prove his engineering mastery, even if the Warrior of Light took it (and him) down. Ultimately though, Nero serves as a much better supporting and “redeemed” character than a villain, so I do have to rank him pretty low.

Gaius van Baelsar

Aside from whatever...weird...thing was going on between him and Livia (again - barf), Gaius in A Realm Reborn was a pretty solid villain, with clear-cut motivations that I actually understood, and begrudgingly agreed with to a small extent. As legatus, Gaius was still the tyrannical arm of the Garlean Empire, but a level-headed one who was more interested with the purging of the primal/eikon threat from Eorzea than subjugating other peoples. Further development of this character into something of an anti-hero and glimpses of how other characters viewed him in flashbacks in later expansions ends up providing his A Realm Reborn rendition with more strength in retrospect. The heads of the three city-states deciding to accept Gaius off to willingly join the Empire is a pretty good sticking point for the validity of his plan as well. Ultima Weapon is...you know, pretty impossible for Ul’dah, Gridania and Limsa Lominsa to face down if they refuse, but more enticing is its ability to, indeed, single-handedly defeat primals/eikons - something the city-states desperately need at their disposal, having been plagued by such threats constantly, for years and years.

Gaius cuts a pretty direct swath to the truth of the Twelve as well - they’re no different than the primals/eikons he seeks to eradicate, and the more stock Eorzeans put into them, the more empowered they become should someone ever try to summon one, making Eorzeans no better than the beastmen and their ‘gods’. Join the Empire and have protection from such powers, and put faith into the leadership of man, versus that of fictional deities that can be given terrifying form...in the world of Final Fantasy XIV, that’s not a terrible proposition. But it would still subject thousands of people to the Empire’s tyranny, so even if Gaius has the oft-coveted ‘Point’ that most villains wish they had, he still must be stopped. Eorzea will simply find other ways to endure the primal/eikon threat rather than bend the knee, and I like that defiant angle the Warrior of Light represents to counter Gaius’ character. Also, Ascian meddling and Hydaelyn shenanigans, sure, but I don’t feel that takes away from the core conflict that Gaius presents. He was a good villain, and I’m happy to see him return and go through the motions of penance for his past deeds and aid the supporting cast now, elevating him even higher into a good character, in general.

Lahabrea

I admit I have a soft spot for Lahabrea, only because he seems to be a universal punching bag for heroes and villains alike in Final Fantasy XIV. He lacks the more subdued, long-term planning of Elidibus or the explored nuance and sympathy of Emet-Selch - he’s sort of the odd one out between the trifecta that make up the unsundered Ascians. Just a blindly-tempered zealot of Zodiark, seemingly more enthused by the ancient primal’s return than the promise of the world being set back to how it was before The Final Days. Even the other Ascians don’t seem to like Lahabrea that much - Elidibus seems keenly aware that Lahabrea has gone off the deep end, constantly needing reminders and wrangling-in to keep the plan in motion. But I will admit, he serves his purpose well enough, and the additional side-story that reveals that Lahabrea was a brilliant scholar unmatched in the Amaurotine field of ‘phantom creation’ was a nice touch to explain why he’s pretty dang good at getting people to try and summon primals and conjuring or corrupting monsters himself. By no effort of Square Enix themselves, I sort of feel bad for the guy. He really was just Doing His Best, and getting no respect for it. His end was also anti-climatic, but by the time it happened, there were far more interesting characters and stories to tell, and he was unnecessary - it was just better this way, Lahabrea.

Nabriales

This one-bit player served one substantial purpose, and it was to see an Ascian get obliterated permanently and thus provide the means and understanding to battle Ascians in the future. Except that the cost to do so was a throw-away villain, a throw-away damsel-in-distress 8-man trial, and turning Moenbrya, a character with a lot of potential to be great, into a throw-away character who has to make an untimely sacrifice because the script says so. Nabriales you’re boring, you’re bad, you’re a waste of time and your mutton chops are dumb as hell.

Ilberd Feare

You know what, I like this villain. I absolutely want to punch his face in, but I figure getting that sort of rise out of me on sight is intended, since, you know: villain. His motivations aren’t bad either, even if his methods are deplorable. The speech he gives at the very end of A Realm Reborn to rile up Raubahn is pretty effective too. Despite both being refugees of Ala Mhigo, Raubahn fought his way to wealth and status, and Ilberd was never afforded that chance, or at least never quite managed. Raubahn pledged himself more to Ul’dah and the Immortal Flames with his new privileges, however, and Ilberd was perhaps right to resent that, with Ala Mhigo still under the yoke of the Empire, and so many refugees left to flounder in The Black Shroud and Thanalan both, Raubahn seemingly unwilling to step in. Ilberd saw the opportunity to change the status quo and took it, and proceeded to rally others to reclaim Ala Mhigo. If the city-states would not help, then they would be forced to help, and for all his dirty tactics, punch-able face and Shinryu-summoning finale, Ilberd’s plan did work: he forced the hand of the city-states to fight against the Empire to reclaim Ala Mhigo, and did indeed remind Raubahn and other passive Ala Mhigans that there was still an important job to do. So, good job Ilberd. Gold star. Now perish.

Teledji Adeledji

I thought the politics at the very end of A Realm Reborn were intriguing, and Teledji’s heel-turn pretty fun, since of all the Monetarists, he seemed to be painted as the most reasonable. Though I found his game plan a bit...suspect. Yes, a poisoned goblet assassination attempt on the Sultana that he could frame on someone else, while usurping control of the Crystal Braves so he could make a bid for full Monetarist control of Ul’dah (with him at the helm) makes sense on paper, but I’m not sure why he sought to frame the Warrior of Light for it, and implicate the Scions either. While it’s true that the Warrior and the Scions would be an obstacle and want to investigate the death, and would prove tenacious foes, if you think about the scenario a bit more, it seems unnecessary. The Warrior and Scion efforts were likely going to start swinging towards Ishgard and the Dragonsong War, to better embellish the northern city-state’s relations with the Eorzean Alliance, nor are the Warrior or Scions people you’d want to make an enemy, especially with the Warrior being one of the only people who can defeat primals (a very active threat in Thanalan).

Framing Lolorito would have been a wiser idea, as he was already disliked and untrustworthy in the eyes of many, powerful and dangerous to compete with though he is. If Lolorito had been framed, Raubahn and the Scions may not have questioned it, and Teledji could have enjoyed planting himself in the eye of the power vacuum that was to come while the Warrior of Light focused their energy up north. Instead, Teledji bet on the wrong chocobo and paid dearly for it - his plan fell apart (and so did he) in more ways than he could anticipate, but on the whole? This was a pretty intriguing and entertaining storyline, I enjoyed it.

Lady Iceheart / Ysayle Dangoulain

I debated putting Ysayle on this list because by the first act of Heavensward, she’s not a villain - but, she certainly was in A Realm Reborn and going into Heavensward, so we might as well just keep representing how good Heavensward is and include her here. Aside from Minfillia, this is one of the only ever characters you meet early(ish) who shares The Echo with the Warrior of Light. Unlike Minfillia or the Warrior, though, Ysayle doesn’t really adhere to the call of Hydaelyn. Instead, her powers allowed her to hear and learn the truth of Ishgard’s history: that it was a lie, and that King Thordan broke the peace in a bid for power for Ishgard, turning Nidhogg to rage and setting the Dragonsong War into motion. Having witnessed Ishgard’s cruelty at a young age when her home was destroyed by snow and ice after the Seventh Umbral Calamity, and knowing what she knew and maintaining close bonds with dragons throughout her life, it’s sort of easy to see why Ysayle would be set upon the path she is. She wishes to end the war much like how Thordan does: ending it, with the dragons as the victors.

Her slap in the face is when she confronts Hraesvelgr though, her bid to sort of not only take the form of Saint Shiva but embody her memory being dismissed as a pale imitation. Saint Shiva wished for true peace, whereas Ysayle demands it through bloodshed - she realizes this, and changes her current course. This is why I debated to list her as a villain, because her gradual change into a supporting character and hero is a logical conclusion as she and Heavensward’s story develops. She starts a villain and dies a hero.

Igeyorhm

Full disclosure: I completely forgot this character existed. And I still don’t actually know why they exist. They’re a second to Lahabrea during the events of Heavensward, and is easily shut down by the Warrior of Light before being annihilated permanently by Thordan. Despite this, I don’t find their existence as offensive as Nabriales’, so...that counts for something.

Archbishop Thordan VII

When I first encountered Thordan (”pope grandpa”, if you will), I thought “oh, he’s evil”, because “church bad” isn’t exactly and uncommon trope and it’s apparent that Ishgard is a broken and unjust society, with this man sitting at the highest seat of power and consorting with Ascians. Yet to my surprise Thordan was...pretty reasonable. At least to start. He makes his audience with the Ascians known and seems unaffected by them and their schemes, is polite and cordial to the Warrior of Light...he doesn’t seem so bad. But the gut feeling remains, and slowly builds as Thordan’s true plan is revealed, becoming a primal-esque deity. And much like Nidhogg, I do get his motivations. Trying to broker peace with the dragons, to him, is just not going to happen - in fact, it’s insulting to ask dragons and Ishgardians both to make a bid for it, when so many people have died and live with the burden of hatred and grief. His solution is more direct: end the war entirely, by winning it for Ishgard.

After assuming his new form and powers, him and his Heavensward have the power to thwart any dragons that oppose them, perhaps even Nidhogg himself if the dreadwrym were to re-appear. Fueled by the generations’-worth of prayers from the Ishgardian population, Thordan was set on ending the war and ousting the dragons from the land, ushering in peace and prosperity. But the Ishgard he sought to protect and defend was built on a history spun of bloodshed and lies, and the dragons were not the true enemy and did not deserve to be put to the sword. Thordan’s plan would have worked in the way he envisioned it, and he made a good argument for it, even if it was ultimately wrong, and that’s a good villain.

Nidhogg

Having come to Final Fantasy XIV from World of Warcraft, a giant, scary black dragon that rants on and on about suffering and misery and pain and vengeance was something of a red flag for a Very Bad Story. Imagine my surprise when Nidhogg was given the screen-time to be properly fleshed out and explored, his motivations and hatred more sympathetically-human than his giant dragon body would have one believe, his presence menacing and well-paced, and his overall being representing the true, dark heart of the Dragonsong War: the cycle of hatred. For dragons, centuries are like days, and the pain Nidhogg feels is no less than what he felt when the Ishgardians brutally broke their pact. Because of this, with each re-emergence of him and his brood, the wheel of suffering turns anew, breathing new hate-filled life into the ongoing Dragonsong War, generation to generation. Time has no effect on his turmoil, and his existence ensures that no other Ishgardians will ever be able to move on from the war either, even as generations continue on.

I find Estinien being consumed by Nidhogg’s rage very thematic as well, Estinien truly embodying the countering hatred the Ishgardians feel towards the dragons, and it makes the final trial with Nidhogg bittersweet. He defeats Hraesvelgr, because as long as Nidhogg exists even the brightest hope for peace will be squashed under the cycle of malice and war. The Warrior of Light must put him down because he cannot be saved - but Estinien still can, and can choose to move on and pursue the peace that Nihogg strived to prevent and Ysayle died to see come to fruition. And he does, and it’s touching, and Heavensward is SO FUCKING GOOD I LOVE THIS EXPANSION.

Quickthinx Allthoughts

I don’t care much for timey-wimey storylines, but I found the Alexander plot easy enough to follow, and the timeloop it creates to be manageable. The truth about the Enigma Codex and the journal Quickthinx has isn’t exactly hard to figure out though once time travel becomes a part of the plot, and beyond beind a fun goblin with a cute kitty cat friend...there’s just not much in the way of compelling character writing here for this gobbo.

Diabolos

Big ancient demon is revived and wants to wreak havoc. Uninspiring, but its also not necessary for Diabolos to be anything more than what he is either. The heart of the Void Ark storyline is the tribulations of Cait Sith, the sky pirates and the history of the Mhachi, Diabolos just being an excuse to explore those characters and lore.

Regula van Hydrus

Regula deserved better damnit. This is the last Garlean villain with nuance and humanity before Stormblood turns everyone who is so much as associated with the Garlean Empire into a cartoonishly-evil, absolutely twisted, reprehensible confusing mess of a person.

Fordola rem Lupis

Stormblood has a lot of story, pacing and character problems. A lot. It has its moments and some people love this expansion, but I do not and its villains are a very large reason why that is. Fordola, for example, had the potential to be quite interesting. She was raised to believe in what her father did: that Gaius and the Empire were not all bad, and then watched her father die trying to protect her from angry, almost barbaric Ala Mhigans who decided that pelting a little girl with rocks because her parents were Empire-sympathizers and supporters was an okay thing to do (as the Garlean soldiers just watched on and let it happen without intervening because they didn’t feel like it - a fact that Fordola knows and remembers). You would think this event would have a sort of polarizing effect on her, feeling betrayed by both her people and the Empire her father believed in, feeling caught in the middle, in need of finding her identity and sense of self. Instead she...basically throws her entire stock in with the Empire, deciding that if she’s a good little soldier for the Empire, then Garleans will have to change their minds about Ala Mhigans and respect them because, see, look: an Ala Mhigan is a respected Garlean asset.

Except this backfires over, and over, her Ala Mhigan team nothing more than vicious dogs that never bite the hand that feeds them, turning their teeth on their own people instead. Fordola is constantly belittled and ridiculed for her heritage and even her gender by the Garleans, and at no point does she ever stop and go “wow maybe the Empire sucks hot ass and I’ve been terribly wrong about my motives this whole time”. And yet, no...Zenos offers her power in some magitek-aether experiment, she kills her own Skulls team, she finished the expansion jailed for her crimes, believing until the very end that the Garleans will win (they did not). She utilizes her anti-primal abilities once, and vanishes from the plot entirely, only to re-appear in a bad side-story where the Immortal Flames have her hooked up to some penalty-of-death submission collar so she doesn’t act out so they can use her synthetic Echo abilities to fight a re-summoned Ifrit.

Bad character, bad writing, and a waste of her new, game-changing anti-primal abilities.

Grynewaht pyr Arvina

This is such...a stupid character. His design, his voice and dialogue...I can’t tell what Grynewaht is supposed to be. Is he comedic relief? Because he’s not funny. Is he a character that you’re supposed to pity or despise? Because I felt nothing towards him. Is he supposed to be a rival? Because...no. I had to look up what his name was. The only thing I can clearly remember about him is that he was the final boss of the Doma Castle 4-man dungeon. That’s it. If you removed him from the plot entirely, nothing of value would be lost.

Yotsuyu goe Brutus

Between the two female villains of Stormblood, Yotsuyu is the more popular. It’s easy to see why: she has a cool design and a lot more screen-time and development, with a big 8-man trial to finish things off. But like Fordola, something is just off about her writing.

I don’t understand her motives or how she even came to feel the way she does about Doma, specificially. And anything bad that could happen to her, has happened to her. She suffered an abusive childhood under her adoptive parents, was sold off to an abusive husband, then sold off again to a brothel after her husband died to repay his debts. She later became a spy for the Garleans, rose in rank and was appointed acting viceroy of Doma, to keep the masses terrified and under her heel. At first, it seems pretty reasonable for her to turn against Doma, and lash out as she does on its people - her Doman upbringing left her used, abused and powerless, and with the Garleans she found power and strength. But this reading falls apart when you quickly realize that Doma was already occupied by the Garleans during the course of her upbringing, her family obedient to the Empire and her suffering just as much the fault of the Garleans. There’s an argument to also be made that not enough time was really spent portraying Doma as the disgusting place Yotsuyu sees it, as from the onset of Stormblood’s story journey into the Far East, Domans are only ever portrayed as a terrified, broken people, scared of the Garleans and Yotsuyu. I also don’t personally care for “character was abused, so now they’re sadistic and crazy” clichés either.

What does work well for Yotsuyu is the theme of power and control. Yotsuyu is a woman who lived a life not her own, weak and frail, until she obtained power. Now that she has it, her drive is to do anything to maintain it and survive - yet for some reason the story is written in such a way as to downplay this much stronger theme of her character, and play up this slightly confusing, all-consuming hatred for Doma instead. Her transformation into Tsukiyomi is also a bit odd (though decently thematic, with her ‘cold, uncaring and distant as the moon’ comparison), with not enough time paid to explore her understanding of Doman deities and why the mirror would trigger this change (and why would she even keep Doman deities in her mind, with her supposed hatred of Doma?)

I also take some issue with her “Tsuyu” arc, where she reverts back to the last time she was ever truly good or innocent, and has the personality of a child while still being an adult woman (and suffering amnesia). I find these infantilizing tropes pretty offensive, especially when Yotsuyu’s arc here is largely just to reinforce and reiterate what cartoonishly terrible people her family were, and provide Gosetsu with some development instead. Aside from killing Asahi and having a cathartic death herself, everything about Yotsuyu just baffles me. Every time I think I like something about her, athe bad writing twists it around.

Zenos yae Galvus

I don’t like Zenos, he’s a bad character, and I hate that Square Enix decided this limp-haired sullen-faced clown was going to be their poster-boy villain for Final Fantasy XIV.

What is the appeal of this character? Yeah, some people find him attractive. I don’t, but I also didn’t find Sephiroth attractive so, okay, whatever - like what you like I guess. But what else does Zenos have going on besides people seeming to think he’s their buff bishonen thicc daddy or whatever the kids are saying these days? His entire character can be summed up in one sentence:

“While the Warrior of Light was practicing empathy, Zenos studied The Blade.”

He’s a Garlean lordling with a bland and cold upbringing who likes katanas and blood sport. That’s it. He’s a sociopath, finding no joy or meaning in life for whatever reason: he just wants to collect Cool Swords and push his bizarre love-hate fight narrative on the Warrior of Light. Because they are opposites, you see: the Warrior of Light is a cardboard cut out of a Good Guy and Zenos is a cardboard cut out of a Bad Guy. He’s not even entertaining about it. He doesn’t want to watch the world burn, he just wants to fight the Warrior because the battle will make him Feel Something. Meanwhile, all I feel whenever I see him in-game, either in a cut-scene or when I’m locked in an unskippable “survive the drawn-out battle!” sequence with him, is a groan coming on. And sometimes villains who are evil just for the sake of it can be fun! But Zenos is not fun - he’s dull, he doesn’t get me hyped up for a fight...I feel nothing.

When he died after using his uber-synthetic Echo to possess Shinryu by taking his own life I thought, “well, at least that’s over” and I felt relieved. And then he came back, bigger and worse than ever! Yippee! I love confusing, unrelatable, boring villains who are recurring. Whatever Square Enix wants to do with Zenos, they need to hurry up and get it done. I care so little about him and just want to explore other stories and characters. I’m assuming he’s going to like, possess Zodiark or something, and then the Warrior will possess Hydaelyn, and there will be some big anime light fight showdown where Zodiark and Hydaelyn both shatter for good and Zenos dies and the Warrior lives another day and uuuugggghhh. How the hell did an expansion like Stormblood follow up Heavensward? Who let this happen?

Asahi sas Brutus

Bowl-cut twink hates his sister because he’s a Zenos fanboy and is angry Yotsuyu got all of Zenos’ attention instead of him. Filled with spite and piss, cartoonishly evil just like everyone associated with Yotsuyu or the Empire in Stormblood. Rest in pieces you little shit.

Varis zos Galvus

I’m lukewarm on Varis. He’s a better villain than Zenos, but that’s like saying a flat three-day-old glass of soda is better than sewage water. The bar is set very, very low. He’s ruthless, but not entirely unfair in his thought processes. Hell, he doesn’t even seem to like his own son (and really, if Zenos was my kid, I wouldn’t like him either). But Varis is a bit too...static, in my opinion. He doesn’t feel like a major player, and his batshit “let’s all just burn so the world resets and we can stick it to the Ascians” is pretty asinine and plays so transparently into the Ascian’s hands. I was originally bummed that Zenos killed him pretty unspectacularly, but...like with Lahabrea, it was probably better this way.

Omega

I don’t have much to say about this villain, really. The heart of the Omegascape storyline hinges on Cid, Nero, Alpha and the abstract concept of free will and accepting imperfection. It’s almost hard to say if Omega really is a villain, simply acting out a series of programs and statistics in a cold, robotic way, not really with malicious intent, so I think where Omega sort of shines is just as a being to build this sort of story off of, and provide a lot of fun boss fights as well.

Ran’jit

I had no strong opinions on Ran’jit for a long time, so I guess he improved for me as I now have An Opinion of him. He’s fine. He’s an okay villain. His Zenos-esque “survive the timer” encounters are annoying, but I find his persistence and presence more inspiring than any time crummy ol’ Zenos showed up. The biggest issue with Ran’jit is the lack of time devoted to developing him. This is a man who lost his home in the Flood of Light (which was the First’s equivalent to the Source’s Far East), and has essentially trained and raised numerous Minfillia reincarnations to battle Sin Eaters, just to watch these poor girls he saw as his own daughters die and die and die again. That cycle of loss would break down anyone, and make Vauthry’s postulations of paradise in Eulmore until the end finally comes appealing. Ran’jit pursues the Scions and Minfillia/Ryne not because he’s resolute in following orders, but because he just wants to bring this one psuedo-daughter back and keep her safe - something he could never do for the others who came and went in his tenure.

Naturally, this protectiveness leads to giving in to Vauthry’s nihilistic promises and stifles Minfillia/Ryne as a person. Thancred eventually learns to let the Minfillia he knew go so that Ryne could floruish into her own person - she was not ‘his’ Minfillia and it was terrible of him to ever impose that upon her. But where Thancred can move on and let Ryne develop into the wonderful person she is, Ran’jit cannot. And I’m disappointed this aspect of his character couldn’t be more at the forefront of his narrative.

Vauthry

If you ask me, this is more in line with how I figured Zenos might be. Vauthry lived a life or privilege and power, a child born of divine providence with no true regard for life, just his own desires. He’s spoiled and unreasonable, but his nihilism isn’t really nonsensical in the world of the First. All but a fraction of the world is destroyed, and Sin Eaters are a constant, devastating threat, so why not just relax in luxury, in the safety of Vauthry’s control over the monsters, and live in peace until the world truly ends? The battle against the Sin Eaters is exhausting and has no hope of victory anyway (until the Warrior of Light/Darkness arrives, that is). Even without the meol subplot, it makes sense why so many would flock to Eulmore once Vauthry takes over. Goofy as he can be, I do think Vauthry’s embodiment of just giving in to nihilism, hedonism and annihilation stands as a good thematic contrast to Shadowbringers strong themes of stubbornly striving for hope in even the darkest, bleakest hour. His trial is also fun and a slight swerve. All the Light Wardens up to that point had been monstrous, and Sin Eater transformations the thing of nightmares (Tesleen), so to see Vauthry take on the form of Innocence (ironically appropriate, as he truly believes he is blameless in all he has done) and become a golden-haired, angelic being of beauty - how he likely has always seen himself - is very entertaining, and defeating him feels great.

Emet-Selch / Solus zos Galvus / Hades

Ah yes. The Big One. Most people like Emet-Selch and his involvement in Shadowbringers. He’s sardonic, he’s entertaining, he’s honest, he’s explored, and he’s even sympathetic. The revelation of how Zodiark (and Hydaelyn) came to be, Amaurot and The Final Days is truly tragic. Emet and the rest of the Convocation were trying to save their world, and the cost was staggering - the lives of so many of their own, their minds, and eventually even their own world in the Amaurotine schism that followed. Being able to see a shadow of what Amaurot and its people were like really helps drive home the sorrow of it all, and Emet himself admits that he did try to learn to appreciate what the fragmented world had become. He’s also one of the most “successful” villains in Final Fantasy XIV - his intertwined association with death and masterful ability to raise up and lead empires like the ancient Allagans and modern Garleans to their self-destructing, Calamity-inducing downfalls (of which he was almost successful did with Varis and the Black Rose in the latter’s case) is pretty impressive as far as villainous plans and activity is concerned. Being forced to work alongside him in Shadowbringers because your goals are aligned while attempting to guard yourself from his inevitable schemes - which he’s pretty blunt about admitting he has - is an interesting way to develop him as a villain too. He spends most of Shadowbringers actually helping you rather than outright antagonizing you.

His conundrum is sympathetic as well, if not entirely relatable. If you had the ability to bring back your world, your friends and loved ones, at the cost of countless lives that are trivial in the grand scheme of the cosmos and start again, anew, in a better world that could repair and rebuild, would you do it? Tempered by Zodiark or not, Emet would, and while I don’t agree with him, I don’t entirely blame him either, for feeling how he does. Similar to Ran’jit and Vauthry too, Emet is nihilistic: he clings to something long-gone and will burn the current world down to get it back. To him, the Rejoining and Zodiark’s return is inevitable, and people like the Warrior of Light/Darkness are futile, frustating obstacles that cannot understand not only his plans, but just how he feels. They don’t remember what they lost. Emet does.

And yet in his final moments, Emet seems at peace. He seems to realize, as he is fading into oblivion, that the Warrior of Light/Darkness isn’t just the reincarnation of Azem, but what Azem believed in that made Azem part from the Convocation. Fractured life is still life, and Azem believed that the world and its beings was worth learning about, loving and protecting, capable of great things even when faced with insurmountable odds. The last act of good will Emet can do after requesting that the Warrior not forget about Amaurot, is to free the Warrior from Elidibus’ binds so that the last unsundered Ascian can be put to rest at last. It’s a very emotional throughline for Emet’s character, rather than a more logical one, but it works very, very well and really helps push Shadowbringers into that amazing high its story can get to.

Elidibus

I never liked Elidibus all that much for the longest time. It’s not that his character was “bad’, per se - he’s polite, diplomatic, and enigmatic, providing a much more leveled, intriguing villain to counter-act Lahabrea’s more active plays and cackling. But Elidibus’ long game always left me sort of wanting: I was never really sure what he was trying to accomplish expansion to expansion and how it related to the Rejoining that would bring about Zodiark. His plans also seemed to just regularly...fall through. Sending the Warriors of Darkness to antagonize the Warrior of Light in the Source ended up bringing about the halt of the Flood of Light on the First entirely. Picking up Zenos’ body and squashing Garlemald uprisings while nudging Varis to make and use the Black Rose was promptly halted by the true Zenos making an unspectacular return. I don’t know, I just feel like any plan Elidibus sets into motion gets stopped before it really gets started.

My opinion of him did change, however, during the course of the Shadowbringers expansion. Being the heart of Zodiark, manifesting as the First’s...uhh, first, Warrior of Light, summoning them from across the other shards to wreak havoc and empower himself, only to finally be put out of his misery not just be the true Warrior of Light/Darkness, but Emet-Selch’s last act of will and revealing that he had been an over-working, sad youth who just wanted to save the world he knew was...well, sad. And his first (and last) real gameplay with the various hero summonings was a pretty amazing set piece too, though it also tells me how devastating Elidibus could have been earlier on if he’d taken a more pro-active approach, access to the Crystal Tower notwithstanding.

Valens van Varro

Much like how I wanted to punch Ilberd, because Ilberd is a deplorable person but an effective villain with decent motivations, Valens is just...I just want to punch him, in general. He’s just Disgusting On Purpose. And since we still haven’t shaken Stormblood’s insistence that Garleans are Evil So Evil Oh My God Evil You Guys they’re trotted out a demented borderline sex-offender who forces his child wards to brand subjects who are out of line with red-hot irons. Valens is...entertaining, I guess, in that regard. And Valens does serve as an appropriate counter-part to Gaius in this storyline, the themes of which seem to largely deal with fatherhood and penance for past misdeeds. I just...really miss Garlean villains with nuance.

Fandaniel

Oh god damnit Asahi is back. Square Enix stop doing this, stop bringing back bad characters. Though it is unfair to say Fandaniel is anything like Asahi. Oh sure, he’s using Asahi’s body (and therefore the Brutus’ family inheritance to fund his machinations), he fawns over Zenos, and he’s cartoonishly evil, but at least this go around there’s a certain...goofy charm to it. Fandaniel is a sundered Ascian - he doesn’t care about the Rejoining or Zodiark, he’s aware that he’s a broken being and he is, quite frankly, loving it. He lays his intent out pretty plainly to the Warrior of Light/Darkness: he’s evil, he loves destruction, and he’s doing it because that’s just what he feels like doing. Don’t reason with him, don’t try to understand him, just fight back and cry about it. On some basic level I appreciate that brutal honesty, so much so that I’m comfortable writing my thoughts about him now because I don’t think they’re going to change. What you see is what you get with Fandaniel, and he’s just having such a good time. He’s a terribly-written villain but gosh darnit I just can’t bring myself to hate him.

#don't @ me zenos fans or i will always win need rolls on mount drops by one point in your queues #ffxiv

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agent-cupcake · 4 years

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Cupcake!! Do you listen to music while writing? If yes what kind?

Yes! I absolutely do! I really love music, I’d say it’s secondary to literature as far as my choice of creative input so this is also just my personal recommendations regarding music as a whole with explanations and unwanted commentary because I’m dumb and this is one of my favorite things to talk about.

Firstly, my ongoing(ish) story Beastie and the Bard is musically driven so here are some songs I have on my playlist for that. I tend towards pieces that are melancholy but melodic. Entrancing, perhaps.

Lolita by Ennio Morricone - Contextually, I realize this is a bizarre (even tone deaf) pick given the source material, but... Whatever. This song, in general, just reminds me of Dimitri. Although a heavy, militaristic march might suit him better, the heart rending sound of this song just works for me when I think of him. The piano sets the tone immediately, lingering on some notes in a wistful, sad way. And it is sad, the cello and flute join in to make that clear. But, at a certain point, the instruments begin to dance around together, opening up and almost seeming like they want to resolve the song and create something happier, or at least something bittersweet, only to be drawn back into the uneasy tragedy of the main motif. I dunno, for me, it just absolutely aches like betrayal.

Shallan’s Lullaby by treefin / Black Piper - This music box rendition of Shallan’s Lullaby from Stormlight was the melodic inspiration for my bootleg lullaby that reader writes for Dimitri (perhaps not the first part as much as the way it shifts around 1:07). It’s haunting.

Isabella’s Lullaby from The Promised Neverland - Pretty self explanatory, I think. This one hits the sweet spot of beautiful and sad, from the harp to the vocals it just fits.

Howl’s Moving Castle Merry Go Round of Life original and the cover by the Grissini Project - Both versions are incredibly special pieces of music and I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard this theme before, very good for the more whimsical parts of the story (not that there’s gonna be any more of that).

Shadows of the Lowlands from Xenoblade 2 - While I’m about to recommend this entire soundtrack, this vocal piece is stunning. This guy’s vocals, no joke, sound like a Tolkien Elf. We Are the Chosen Ones is done by the same vocal group and soloist so it’s also making this list although the tone is def a bit different.

Okay now I’m just gonna point out my favorite soundtracks. For all of these, I have COMPLETELY LEGALLY downloaded most of these from other sites, I’m linking youtube just based on superficial searches to hopefully give you a taste and maybe encourage you to NOT BREAK THE LAW and acquire these soundtracks on your own

Fire Emblem Three Houses - This is obvious and I’m sure you’ve all heard it, but go have a listen if you haven’t. but first, is anyone else disappointed about the Three Houses official release soundtrack? Considering the delay I guess I kinda expected more. Granted, the soundtrack IS phenomenal. Not so much in its entirety, which is emblematic of the game as a whole in some ways, but the set pieces? Unforgettable. This soundtrack is a case study in how powerful a small pool of musical motifs and set-up/pay-offs can be. The little promise of God Shattering Star at the very beginning of the game, Those Who Sow Darkness giving a taste of Shambhala, and then the use of the main melodies of Season of Warfare (Main Theme) and Song of the Nabateans. For the most part, both melodies are used in dramatic songs, creating this unbreakable musical connection between Edelgard and Byleth. Or, if you think about it, Edelgard and the Rhea. For example: the thunder version of Funeral of Flowers doesn’t have the game’s theme, but the rain version does (those two songs were WRITTEN to be layered I stg). And then there’s that somewhat bastardized version of the main theme in At What Cost, highlighting the intended twisting of the usual heroic take on that melody. I do have a potentially unpopular opinion, however. The Apex of the World is boring and tonally dissonant with the final battle in Azure Moon. A lot of people really like Edelgard-Dimitri likes Edelgard! There’s very little heroism in that mission, at least to me, and a song like At What Cost would have fit SO MUCH BETTER. I mean, that is also Edelgard’s theme so hearing that being twisted up into this decidedly more dark song would be thematically appropriate to her ultimate choice. The title also just seems like it suits her and Dimitri. Edelgard claims that she has weighed the cost of war, she believes she is capable of taking on the cost of victory without really knowing what it would be. Dimitri's whole story was him trying to find revenge no mater what the cost and now that he has it, he’s fully understanding what it will cost him. I understand why they would use the traditional hero song to cap the route, but it seems weird that they’d be willing to subvert so many other aspects of tradition while holding to that for a song that, in my opinion, is the least interesting of all the final battle songs. As you can probably tell, At What Cost is a song that is very tonally inspiring to me. I also love Funeral of Flowers (Thunder and Rain separately and layered together), The Long Road, and Roar of Dominion for getting hyped to write.

Final Fantasy VII Remake - Ever since I got this soundtrack, I’ve been addicted. I really don’t have much to say on this one other than just to recommend you give it a listen if you’re even passingly interested in orchestral video game music. There’s some misses for me (specifically the Wall Market stuff and anything that gets into the weird electric guitar/techno stuff) but it’s overwhelmingly fantastic and can work for active listening music and for background music while you write. I’d follow up recommend you get ahold of the Acoustic Arrangements soundtrack. I can’t link you on this one but it’s worth the extra legwork to procure it COMPLETELY LEGALLY.

Final Fantasy Distant Worlds - I was actually able to see the Distant World’s tour when it swept through Houston and at that point I had no idea what the fuck a Final Fantasy was. At all. However, seeing One Winged Angel live is not something I will ever forget. Ever. This soundtrack is great for some background listening and although it is often too upbeat for my usual tastes, it’s good when I need something easier. Okay. Real talk. I was about to recommend to you a bunch of FFXIV music (the MMO), choice selections from FFXV, and try and dig up some songs that are only available in live recordings. If you like Final Fantasy music, I recommend all of these things. The games are a clusterfuck but the music is even moreso and it’s worth your time if you like this kind of thing.

Xenoblade 2 - See? Told you I was gonna recommend this. Actually, ranking wise, I would say that I like it more than Final Fantasy. This soundtrack is magical. I cannot stress that enough, there is a level of whimsy and beauty that went into this soundtrack that all at once draws upon the genre and being it’s own thing. Like, I get it, there’s a lot of misses. The electric guitar is jarring and annoying. Listen to Sea of Clouds, like, actually listen to it. Listen to Desolation. Pay attention to the motif used in connection with Elysium and then the other songs that its used in. The Power of Jin. This is a sometimes sad but mostly beautiful and whimsical soundtrack that is good for listening and for using as background music.

Xenoblade 1 - I don’t have as much to say about this one, I don’t feel as if it’s as emotionally resonant as my other recommendations. BUT it is gorgeous. The area themes are wonderful and perfect for setting tone.

Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight’s soundtrack takes one step back from the drama of the others and revels in its depressive simplicity. There are songs with a more cheerful tone, and the magical whimsy of Xenoblade 2 is very much brought to life in many of the pieces, but for the most part the soundtrack is as gorgeously melancholy as the game itself. One of my favorite things in music is when songs are given new life through new context and the White Palace --> Pale Court transition is haunting.

Diabolik Lovers - OKAY I KNOW I KNOW hear me out. This soundtrack has no right to be as gorgeous, emotional, or quality as it is. This song, Lovers, is the younger sibling of Lolita’s theme, okay? Thematically, that’s kinda hilarious, but I mean it. If you like that song, give a few of the songs from this OST a chance.

BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite - BioShock 1&2 are different from Infinite. A lot more grungy, a lot more angry and discordant, the strings buzz and there’s a lot more horror to it all. Infinite, on the other hand, is very pretty. Infinite’s soundtrack is about the characters and their journey and feelings. The first two game’s soundtracks are about the ruined city of Rapture. It depends on what you’re in the mood for. I write using Infinite’s music more often, but there’s pieces in the first two that capture this empty, yearning feeling that is good for setting mood.

Pathologic - “Half Life’s soundtrack directed by Genghis Khan.” It’s bizarre. It’s grungy.

Void (Typrop) - Basically the same deal. I dunno man, I like being inspired by horror.

Outlast - It’s an orchestral horror game soundtrack. Like the game itself, there’s a lot of horror movie inspiration.

Dishonored 1 and Dishonored 2 - This is mostly background music. It’s a stealth game so it’s kinda uneasy, but I think there’s something really unique. Maybe the instruments? There’s a lot of weird sounds used.

Higurashi - This is a compilation of horror themed songs from the anime soundtrack, but the VN soundtrack and the non-horror stuff is pretty good, too. Michishirube is my favorite.

Madoka Magica Rebellion - The main anime soundtrack is gorgeous. The bells, the strings, the drama... I’m recommending Rebellion specifically because it’s the more cohesive and story-driven soundtrack. This one is not as horror-ish and weird than the others, it is very beautiful and nice to listen to. Sad, in some parts, too.

Code Geass and Resurrection - Brass? Got it. Dramatic strings? Got it. Bombastic set piece songs? Triple got it. This soundtrack oozes style. In some ways, that makes it not good for writing, but in others it can. Depends on what you’re writing. I think the melodrama can be incredibly useful for getting my mind in that frenzy state.

Okay I’m done. Thank you for bearing with me.

If we’re talking what songs inspire specific things, the Ferdinand piece was accompanied by a lot of the Diabolik Lovers soundtrack and Final Fantasy. When I wrote my sad Felix piece, it was all about Hollow Knight with a spot of Bloodborne and Dark Souls.

#personal #wow it's four pm and i have done nothing with my day #what a distraction #i love music

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porta-decumana · 3 years

Text

Zadnor & Bozja’s Ending

I know it’s been the bandwagon to hate on Werlyt and I’ve been critical of that plotline in the past as well. But Bozja may have just taken the cake for unsatisfactory storytelling, in my opinion, while also skirting into the same realm of “we’re gonna give imperialism a pass because maybe the Empire isn’t that bad uwu”. Obvious spoilers for rank 25 quests, the Dalriada raid, and Bozja’s story ending under the cut along with screenshots.

This is a pretty critical look at Zadnor specifically so if you don’t wanna read that then feel free to bypass this post.

Bajsaljen’s Constitution was probably the first part that really made me scratch my head and question the entire plot. I was convinced at first I was too sleepy to process what Bajsaljen was saying but then I went back and... yeah, he really did say that.

To which, Marsak calls him out on, a fact that I appreciate because my response was pretty much the same level of “wtf” as him and the nameless/dialogue-less NPCs in the room.

If you haven’t played Bozja in its entirety yet, you may not understand why I felt like this dialogue was incredibly appalling. The instances are filled with horrific encounters, some of which are:

Dabog, a former Resistance soldier who was experimented on in order to become an expert warmachina pilot and later shows back up in Zadnor as a model swap for the final boss of Gyr Abania. In other words, mutated beyond recognition.

Lorvo, another former member of the Resistance, who was tempered by the Queen. You fight alongside his student, who is trying to save him.

Shemhazai, a death spirit summoned with auracite and the sacrifices of Garlean soldiers.

Delubrum Reginae’s 2nd boss (I believe?) are a group of former Blades who have been tempered and their bodies have mutated. These are former comrades you, as the WoL, personally fought alongside in the early parts of the Southern Front. Named characters with backstories.

Fabineau quo Soranus - a brutal commander that is known to torment his subordinates and use men and animals both as test subjects.

And this is just a fraction of what I can think of off the top of my head. So understand that when I saw Bajsaljen say the above parts, I was questioning what parts of the Empire he was talking about. And I know he tries to use Misija as his reason for this but it still just doesn’t quite sit right with the literal everything else that happened fighting for Bozja. Because you can make the argument that Misija saw the Imperial way of life better but also you can make the argument that she was enacting a revenge plan that transcended multiple generations. Misija’s issue with Bozjan society was the mistreatment of her and her family as well as the murder of her ancestor-- classism. And while her hatred of Bozja and its high society (the Blades) might be understandable, I think it does little to excuse the rampant death and cruelty the IVth legion goes on to do.

I think what Bajsaljen is trying to say is that he does not want to create another society that would create more Misijas. But in doing so, it feels like he’s giving the IVth legion a pass after all the atrocities they’ve done (even calling the occupation “peace” and that... hnghhh is it peace when people are being used as experiments, Bajsaljen? And they’re being oppressed?) and it just feels really, really tone-deaf. Especially given that Bajsaljen’s top soldiers were all, for the most part, tempered and then put to death. That just adds an extra ouch factor.

I don’t wanna spend too long talking about this bit so I’m gonna move onto the next offender, which is Gabranth, or more specifically, what happens to Gabranth (or... how it happens, rather). Honestly, I was uncomfortable with the Bajsaljen stuff but the Gabranth field notes absolutely floored me. It feels as though there was either scrapped content here or... the team decided they could not continue the plotline with Gabranth any longer and decided to write him out in a note that only a handful of the playerbase will probably read because otherwise, there’s no indicator that Gabranth’s tale is over. Here are the bits of the field note in question:

And you might go, “Wow, that’s a wild way to end the Bozja tale” to which I would agree and remind you that none of this is shown in-game, it’s all just in a field note that could be easily skipped over. Yes. That’s right. Dalmasca’s freedom, Gabranth’s fate, Lyon going full mutiny... it’s all in a field note. The ending Bozja cutscenes actually have dialogue like this:

In another scene, with Lyon and Gabranth in Valnain, Dalmasca.

Note: this is an allusion to Noah having the same terminal illness as his father.

The scene ends with Lyon looking surprised at the weapons and Sicinius and Gabranth go to discuss the findings. The scene then cuts to this photo and the questline ends.

So to put it mildly... I’m mad. Why are we supposed to find out the fate of Dalmasca-- something that’s been in and out of the story since Stormblood-- through a field note? Why is Lyon’s betrayal also found out this way? And Gabranth’s alleged demise? I’m incredibly iffy on the choice to do this in the plot but I would be considerably less mad if any of this was indicated in the cutscenes. I happen to really like Gabranth’s XII’s iteration and the fact that we got a field note on him made me excited. I only found out about Dalmasca being freed, Lyon’s treachery, Gabranth’s death because of that. And that was incredibly jarring to read given the cutscenes I had just watched. There’s no indication that any of that would happen and I can’t help but feel as though that is a bit of lore that is often going to be overlooked by players who simply don’t think to check the field notes for important lore bombs.

I want to reiterate: I'm not specifically mad at the story decision to kill Gabranth (even if it’s a fake death), I’m mad at how this was all revealed to the players. Particularly the bit about Dalmasca. It discards the age-old rule of storytelling-- “show, don’t tell”. I could forgive them for having to cut certain bits of Bozja’s story because of the pandemic severely hampering development but... there had to have been a better way than this. Maybe redo some of the cutscene dialogue? Maybe add in a little bit more to the final scene? I was excited to face off against Gabranth. I was excited to go help liberate Dalmasca, especially after the Return to Ivalice plot really set us up for that in the future. This... just feels incredibly unfulfilling. And I hope that this is not how they decide to end things with this section of the story. The build from Return to Ivalice and the continuation of those plot threads in Bozja were great! Having it unceremoniously ended in a field note? Not so great.

Two honorable mention things that I don’t have the energy to talk about at large

Mikoto’s visions don’t feel significant enough to the story. This is particularly egregious in Zadnor’s arc, where she has a vision where she falls off an airship and then tells the WoL to not say anything because she “doesn’t want people to worry” instead of, idk, trying to find a way to save herself. She only sees herself fall, she doesn’t see herself land. But she insists there’s “nothing we can do about it anyways”. It... felt like they didn’t really matter in the end? Fran ends up deus ex machina-ing a rescue anyways so like... what was the point?

Misija's “redemption through death”, a tired trope that is even more tired in FFXIV. I know there’s two different endings to this quest but Misija being executed after being mortally wounded by the Diablos Armament is the ending I received.

Going to harken back to the criticisms of Werlyt. I’ll maintain my stance that I still think Werlyt had some glaring issues with it... but I will give it this. It didn’t kill off characters from a side plot that had been going on since Stormblood in a field note. And it didn’t involve the Werlytians being like “Hey let’s base our new constitution off of the VIIth legion... that is a great idea.”

Anyways, I still recommend doing Bozja if only because the Dalriada is a good instance with a very good final boss theme. I did enjoy aspects of the questline but the ending really soured my opinion of it.

#zadnor #a critical review #bozja spoilers #ffxiv spoilers #5.55 spoilers #long post #zadnor spoilers

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faelune-home · 3 years

Text

FFXIV Write #9: Friable

(a/n: SPOILERS FOR SHB LV79 DUNGEON AND AFTERMATH!!

I took the fragile synonym from friable and then took from that the more metaphorical meaning than the literal one (altho maybe it can be literal in this scenario), and wrote about the Scions caring for the WoD in the aftermath of Mt Gulg. I think its something anyone can relate to for their own WoL as a general idea; a character normally so strong, maybe cheery if that’s what you do, but then this just brings them down to the lowest point.

Also I just like caring family Scions. ;-;

Word count: 1358)

Fhara was normally a cheerful person, always wearing a smile, always rushing around with a flick of her tail to help when people asked. And in battle, she had this confidence in her stance, an unrelenting push to keep going, making sure most everyone else stood safely behind her before advancing onward. To see her then wrapped in grubby bandages on her bed, sleeping face twisted in pain, she looked so unnaturally frail...

The Scions were spread thin trying to offer their friend some sense of comfort in her aching moments. Healing magicks alongside the practical salves and gauzes for her wounds from the long battle - both the enduring climb up Mt Gulg and her duel against Vauthry - and Ryne barely left her bedside, always on hand in she was needed to calm the raging Light aether that threatened to consume Fhara whole.

A sense of guilt spread amongst the present party as well; knowing that she’d been slowly suffering under the weight of each Lightwarden absorbed into her, and yet never offering her much succor beyond insisting on a rest at the inn for the night. It was only Y’shtola’s own reminder that the girl repeatedly brushed aside her own concerns and kept going at her own choice. Even when she noticeably struggled while they ascended Mt Gulg, Fhara insisted she was fine. She wouldn’t have wanted them to worry.

Now all they could do was watch and wait, provide her what care they could until she awoke again, and then they could attempt to plot their next move.

They’d been waiting for hours.

But then even sitting in silence in that inn room, no-one had even attempted to discuss any possible plans. Urianger and Thancred had stepped out to procure more supplies, and no doubt would have to answer any enquiries for the concerned Crystarium citizens along the way. Y’shtola had turned to research, grabbing some books from the cabinet to study in the hopes she could find something for their warrior. Alisaie had stayed by the window, staring out at the dreary unchanging skies with a steady scowl. And Alphinaud and Ryne had remained by her bed, waiting to aid their friend if need be.

No-one had broken the silence in that time, only Fhara’s occasional weak groans of pain.

The door clicked open, the two men having returned, the only greeting they got being a turn of heads to acknowledge them. Urianger placed a basket of fresh gauze and salves on the bed, moving alongside the younger pair to replace the bandages on the woman. She didn’t stir.

“I can say now that Lyna is keeping the peace well enough,” Thancred announced, finally breaking the silence in the room, “However the people are clearly still worried. Understandable, since the skies have returned to this awful gloom and their leader is missing.” The other obvious reason didn’t need stating. They did have to bring Fhara’s unconscious body through the Crystarium to return her to her inn room, and Lyna only had so many guards not on duty elsewhere to offer them privacy during the Scions’ march through the city.

“There’s been no change?” he asked.

“Not for the worst,” Ryne offered hopefully, however the mood didn’t lift.

“While that is true, she hasn’t gotten much better either,” Y’shtola said, shaking her head. A huff by the window caught everyone’s attention.

“Why did we think this would work? Using the Blessing of Light to counteract the Lightwardens’ aether?” Alisaie asked, not dropping her frown as she turned to the rest of the room. “Of course it was all the Exarch’s assumption in the first place, but we all went along with it. Why was our only plan to just put everything on her shoulders?” Even with the wavour in the girl’s voice making it clear she was holding back tears, her words made the others wince or look away.

“It was the only plan that seemed to work so far,” her brother countered, albeit with less force than his sister had, “Twas never anyone’s intention to make her suffer alone…we couldn’t have known this would be the final result.”

“But what else can we do now?” Ryne asked, a wary glance at the still sleeping miqo’te.

“We still need to look into how we’re going to follow Emet-Selch,” Thancred mused, “Ideally with a method that won’t involve swimming, to ease some parties here.” His attempt at humour didn’t reach its intended targets, their focus still on tending to Fhara.

“We would have to leave her be to look into that,” Y’shtola said, to which Thancred shrugged and replied, “Call me callous, but if there’s been no change, then we can assume she’s stable and it would be safe to do so. And at least if we’re going to look into searching for ways to brave the Tempest, we can also include some research into how to help her.”

“As though people haven’t already been trying to do that for those afflicted by the Light for the past 100 years,” Alisaie stated, “And we’re just supposed to find a solution they’ve missed for a much stronger case?”

“Well with that attitude, you won’t find much at all,” the older man frowned. The girl’s eyes narrowed at him.

“Very well then,” she huffed, making for the door, “I still think we won’t find much of anything that the people of the First didn’t find and try for themselves, but I’d much prefer being out there doing something than waiting here any longer.” She stormed out, leaving in such a rush that the door didn’t close properly behind her. Y’shtola got to her feet.

“I would agree with both of your assertions,” she said, “I have many books in Slitherbough dating back centuries. Twould be remiss of me not to even try to consult them for a possible method to aid our friend.” She didn’t elaborate further on her agreement, only leaving with the books she already had under her arm.

“I’d like to go out as well,” Ryne declared, turning to her guardian, “There hasn’t been any changes in her aether since we arrived and I first stabilised it. I would worry in case things worsen while we’re away but…”

“Thancred does have the right of it,” Alphinaud agreed, backing up the girl, “I feel the same as all of us here, worried about leaving her with no-one to mind her. But knowing Fhara she wouldn’t want us fretting over her needlessly. Better to put our energies towards trying to help her instead.” Ryne nodded, appreciating the support.

“If we are in agreement on taking our leave for further study, I wouldst leave word with the manager of these suites, that he may check on her in our absence. Should she take a turn for the worse, we may be called upon, and henceforth return with all speed,” Urianger offered.

“A splendid plan, and hopefully we’ll make better progress with it than just waiting for hours on end,” Thancred affirmed, although the quick glance at their companion betrayed his concern, much as he was clearly trying to play it off. Picking up his gunblade from its resting point on the table, he announced, “Ryne and I shall make for Eulmore, maybe we could be so lucky and hope Vauthry had some information written down about sin eaters or his own condition.”

“Then I shall join you, mayhap there’s an old library within the city,” Alphinaud offered.

“And you will no doubt return to Il Mheg,” Thancred said to Urianger, who nodded in response, “Then you can give them my regards, since I have no intention of returning there if I can help it.”

With all prepped and a vague plan of sorts in hand, they made to leave. Only Ryne stalled, standing by Fhara’s bedside. Seeing the peaceful expression on her sleeping face for the first time that day gave Ryne a touch of hope in her heart.

“Rest well,” Ryne said to the slumbering Warrior, “We’re going to look for something that can help you. Because I’m sure there’s something that will work. There has to be.”

#ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2021 #Scions of the Seventh Dawn #Shadowbringers #ShB spoilers #my writing #my wol #keeper of the moon miqo'te #fhara laali #alisaie leveilleur #alphinaud leveilleur #ryne #y'shtola rhul #thancred waters #urianger augurelt #ffxiv #Final Fantasy XIV

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ungrateful-cyborg-moved · 3 years

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😡, ♫, ▲ (I'm a bit late but here ya go :P Mun memes thingie.)

😡 : Worse role play-related encounter and what advice you would give to others to avoid similar situations

I’ve been thinking about this since I saw your question (don’t worry about lateness, I’m always happy to receive asks!) and I don’t actually have anything awful to talk about. I did find something though, and they’re forum-based because I haven’t had bad experiences in the FFXIV rpc.

A weird-but-not-terrible rp-related encounter I’ve had is a partner who was probably more invested in my character than me. We had had discussed shipping her muse and mine but I told her from the beginning that it’d take a long time in game before they’d get there. She somehow tried to literally cram several months of character development into our first thread. Ellipses in time included.

Another one happened years prior. I was running a forum and someone created a character that was supposed to be my muse’s daughter without even asking me first. I still have no idea who did that. And for context: my character was 18yo at the time and you couldn’t play a character under the age of 13. Not sure how they thought time worked but we clearly didn’t agree on that.

Now that I think about it, that’s also when I discovered after googling the very same muse’s name that somebody was rping him somewhere else. Or had been since that other forum was closed already. I didn’t even get upset because I was too busy marveling at the fact that people apparently liked my muse enough to be seriously weird about it.

That’s the worst I could think of that’s not community management related. I speak up my mind pretty fast, more or less always had even when terribly anxious, so I don’t really have traumas I could mention. At least not related to your question.

But if I only had one advice to give, that’s be it. If you’re upset and truly care about something, speak up your mind. If you find that you don’t really care, take a step back. Sometimes it’s just not worth getting angry over it. Sometimes it is. Nobody besides you can know how much it affects you on the spot but if you find that you need to get it off your chest, then say your piece. Better do it crying or trembling like a leaf than not at all.

♫ : Are there parts of your own personality that you reflect onto your character? How do they work?

I don’t believe you can create a character without putting some of you in them, even when they’re absolute trash. It can be hard to connect to them sometimes, especially in the beginning, but you can’t write a character well without relating to them somehow imo. It doesn’t have to be a direct translation though.

As for how it works...

Sometimes it’s personality traits. Sometimes it’s common experience (or close enough). Sometimes it’s very specific feelings. Sometimes it’s common beliefs. To me all of this constitutes who you are but I never give them everything at once. Sometimes I don’t give them anything at all, I just discover along the way what we have in common.

The farthest away from me would be Hanae though. It took me some time to understand more than superficially how she feels about the outside world.

▲ : What sort of information do you like to see on someone’s role play page that helps you determine whether or not you would want to write with them?

tone

consistency

lore-compliance

rules and boundaries

My absolute preference would be two to three short paragraphs that tell me what’s (to be) known about the character and how they present themself. That’s it. I don’t care much about hooks, how many sisters they have or what they look like beyond the unusual. A list of generic traits tells me nothing about how their mun understands it. But written paragraphs? They set up a tone.

They also let me know how the writer conveys a message, give me an idea of how lore-strict they are and how many characters are put into one. If it goes all over the place, I know from the get-go that we’re not a good match. And I like a measure of realism or at least internal logic in muses and threads.

Also rules and boundaries for obvious reasons I think x) Though I’ll add that even if on paper we’re compatible, if the tone is condescending or aggressive, I’m gonna nope out so fast you’ll wonder if I was even there in the first place. And probably unfollow because passive-aggressive people are just disasters in waiting.

Thanks for the ask @bek-sc! I hope it still makes sense because I rewrote that wall of text so many times I’m sure a few sentences are chimeras at this point

#The More You Know #answered; OOC #tbh for the three examples I gave #I've always been more confused that upset about it #but the first one is the reason why I'm now crystal clear about the fact that nothing is set in stone #and if it doesn't work #it doesn't work #long post

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haillenarte · 5 years

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uniqlo x ffxiv collab;

Here are translations of the Uniqlo x FFXIV advertisements that hit Japanese stores in December 2019.

Wait... What? An announcement was posted on Lodestone today that tapestries (basically just banners) of FFXIV characters would be displayed in select Uniqlo stores in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.

I’ve heard of Uniqlo, but I don’t know what it is... Uniqlo is a Japanese fashion brand that’s pretty much known for selling basics — think single-color shirts, sweaters, pants, coats, and scarves. While I won’t speak for everyone, and I’m sure some people have wildly different opinions, my personal experience is that in Tokyo, Uniqlo is thought of as a very basic, bargain-bin place to buy clothes: yeah, it’s normal to shop there, and pretty much everyone has some item from Uniqlo in their closet somewhere, but it’s not really considered fashionable, and it’s honestly a bit uncool to wear Uniqlo from head to toe. In New York, however, Uniqlo is generally thought of as basic but trendy — people tend to like the quality of the clothing even though individual items can be pricey. In the end, a brand is a brand. If they operate in your country, you may as well head to their website to get your own idea of it.

So this is basically just an advertising campaign? Yes, and a very limited one. If I understand correctly, the ads are only running in three Uniqlo stores in all of Tokyo. They’re pretty big stores in trendy neighborhoods, but not the flagship store or anything. (Their flagship store is in Ginza, which is very nice, but rather mature and austere.) Also, they are specifically advertising Uniqlo’s “HEATTECH” clothing line, which, I don’t know, uses science to keep you warm or something. I have never tried HEATTECH clothes, though I have other pieces of clothing from Uniqlo, but I am told that they are pretty warm.

How weird is this for Uniqlo? Honestly, not that weird — Uniqlo does a lot of collaborations with popular series, mostly thanks to their T-shirt line that’s collaborated with such characters and series as Mario, Gundam, Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and all manner of mangas. I don’t know whether or not they’ve run fake testimonials from characters before, but the testimonial-based ads themselves are just a thing that Uniqlo does. I’m pretty sure they’ve done comparable campaigns in Singapore and Taiwan, albeit with real people giving their opinions and not Final Fantasy characters. Their “Voices of New York” series was somewhat similar as well — they got a bunch of famous New Yorkers to wear Uniqlo and do little interviews, basically.

How weird is this for Square Enix? Honestly, not that weird — I mean, will anything ever be as weird as when they decided to have Lightning and other characters from FFXIII model for Prada and Louis Vuitton? FFXV had fashion collaborations with Vivienne Westwood and Roen built into the game, too, although that was a little more... serious. I’m actually just disappointed that they didn’t whip up a Uniqlo HEATTECH shirt for the characters to actually wear.

How weird is this, like... generally? Oh, it’s very silly, but character collaborations are all kind of a big joke anyway. And, to be honest, they do get nerds to get into their stores and buy shit.

Photos were taken randomly off Twitter. Thank you to everyone who visited Uniqlo just to share the banners with social media.

As for the text itself, I... I don’t want to talk about it...

HEATTECH x FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE The reason I wear Heattech every day...

ESTINIEN Former Azure Dragoon Heattech lover for 5 years.

Under my armor, I’m always wearing Heattech. Has it already been 5 years, now? 'Twas Ser Aymeric who originally recommended to me these garments. At first, I was half in doubt as to the veracity of his claims, but once I equipped mine own apparel, I was stunned by how well it performed. It doesn't matter how high I jump through the frigid air of Coerthas — I never get cold. Now I can't even imagine fighting in the skies without Heattech.

ALPHINAUD LEVEILLEUR Academician of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn Heattech lover for 1 year.

In Heattech, I'm warm from the tips of my fingers down to my toes. During my journey through Ishgard, a companion of mine recommended that I wear these curious garments to stay warm, and I have not been parted from them since. Even as I gathered bits of brush and kindling in the Churning Mists for our campfire, I felt not the slightest chill.

ALISAIE LEVEILLEUR Red Mage of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn Heattech lover for 1 year.

When something red catches my eye, I just have to have it. And each time a new Heattech product comes out, I'll add it to my wardrobe without hesitation. These garments don't get in the way during frenzied combat, and they provide the ease of movement that I need in the heat of battle. They come in so many tempting colors that I do find it difficult to choose between them every now and then — but in the end, I always pick red!

Y’SHTOLA RHUL Sorceress of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn Heattech lover for 6 years.

Every sorceress worth her salt keeps a few secrets... and Heattech is one of mine. Naturally, these vestments will keep you warm, and I particularly appreciate that they feel smooth to the touch. ‘Twould be an exaggeration to say that I could forget that I am wearing them, but... I do find myself advantaged by the way that they do not obstruct the flow of magic. As Master Matoya has chosen to reside in a rather dark, chilly cave, I thought it prudent to send her a selection of Heattech raiments. I wonder how well she found them.

CID NAN GARLOND President of Garlond Ironworks Heattech lover for 9 years.

Heattech is our company's hidden uniform. Garlond Ironworks engineers often work in cold environments, so Heattech garments have become indispensable to our performance. Anyone who's ever flown an airship knows this well: when you're at the helm, you're at the mercy of the winds, and those winds are cold. That's why every engineer in our organization is provided with a Heattech undershirt. And you? Will you join our number?

NERO TOL SCAEVA Freelance Genius Engineer Heattech lover for 9 years.

This is something I might engineer — which is how you know it’s good. Garlond’s Heattech undershirt is naught but a simple garment, whereas mine is fitted with a magitek weave that promotes superior heat retention!

KRILE BALDESION Archon of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn Heattech lover for 3 years.

Do you suppose we might call this... the power to transcend the cold? Thanks to the raging aether surrounding the isle, Eureka Anemos undergoes volatile changes in temperature, making Heattech an absolute necessity for exploring the more frosty areas of the Forbidden Land. Even that obstinate Ejika hides an undershirt beneath his robes, you know! I myself am rather partial to sporting a good pair of Heattech short pants whilst on expedition. I don't believe even the brightest minds at the Studium could have conceived of such practical use for this technology.

Please note that Sharlayan lore isn’t my strong suit, and I never set foot in Eureka, so it is possible that there are better ways to interpret some of Krile’s remarks here.

also here’s my version thank u good night

#ffxiv #ff14 #estinien #alphinaud #alisaie #y'shtola #cid #nero #krile

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gekijouaika · 4 years

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carry me slowly, my sunlight

Fandom: FFXIV Characters: Crystal Exarch, Fusao Naeuri (original WoL), others mentioned Originally written: October 2019 Word Count: 1058 Other notes: spoilers for the level 79 quests of Shadowbringers

The skies above Kholusia burned in their ever shifting hues of gold and molten yellows – it was almost difficult to believe the selfsame colours had tainted the vistas of Lakeland for the many centuries he had dwelled there until a scant few weeks ago. Staring up into them now merely compounded the headache swelling behind the Crystal Exarch's eyes, making it all too easy to blame his current predicament on the Twelve forsaken light above.

Ah, but for as much as he could blame the light for, this was not one of them.

Back pressed to his chosen hideaway (far from ideal, a boulder yet a stones throw away from Amity) he allowed his eyes to close, head feeling all too heavy as his chin dipped towards his chest. Just a moment... a moment of respite... it wouldn't do to miss the finale of over a century's making...

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

It was the first cool whisper of healing aether that stirred him, still lost in a haze of sleep and memories fogged by the ever unforgiving march of time – looking up to a figure, a familiar face.

“The future is where my destiny waits...”

And it was with a final jolt he came to the present – a confused set of eyes attached to an auri woman regarding him as she carefully withdrew her hand, “... if you spoke sense more often, I would worry some kind of delirium had set in.”

That her usual barbed tongue seemed undaunted by the momentary lapse was some relief, the Exarch leaning back against the boulder as Fusao remained on her knees before him, “Forgive me, my friend,” and he noticed her face scrunch slightly to be called such, “... I needed but a moment. To be so far from the tower, and exerting myself... it drains me.” His lips quirked, though it was a particularly wan smile, “Your efforts were appreciated, though wasted.”

The woman let out a soft huff, moving to lean her lance against the boulder before sitting at his side, “Don't get any ideas – Kira and everyone have the building matters well in hand, Mrs Chai was worried for your absence. Last thing I need is her, Kira and Lyna at my ear for letting you expire out in the wastes.”

He chuckled out another quiet, “forgive me” before the pair lapsed into an almost companionable silence. Despite his hood, it was easy to observe her profile – hard eyes, grown harder in her short time in Norvrandt, watched the shifting skies. It took him back... far, far past the mists – back to a young man, sat at a campfire abuzz with chatter and revelry. They'd made their first steps into an ancient mystery, all thanks to a pair of brave and all too strong adventurers. One sat at his side, too happy to talk his ear off about their work and her play. The other...

The other sat at the opposite side of the campfire, chin propped on one hand. While the angle suggested her attentions were on the Ironworks engineers and their constant bickering, he could feel the weight of that gaze on himself and his companion.

Even then...

“Tell me...” Her head shifted at his voice, rolling against stone to regard him, “What will you do, when this is all over?”

If she was surprised by the question, it didn't show. She tilted her head back once more and let out a slow sigh, “... rest a while, I should think. Lest you forget, my honeymoon phase was rather rudely cut short.”

“So I've been told–”

“And what of you?”

There was a scant beat, shock only mercifully covered by his hood. Fusao was looking at him devoid of her usual scorn (a scorn he could hardly blame her for, guilt settling low in his gut every time he'd seen the redness in Kira's eyes) and waiting patiently for his answer. An answer he wanted nothing more to give, to move past these polite fictions and simply address both women without pretences.

But this was not the time for that. And should his plans play to fruition, there never would be time for that.

It was for the best.

It was...

“Keeping your counsel again, hm?”

“I... I told you once, there are things I can ill afford to lose, yes?”

A soft hum was his only response, the only incentive to press on before logic dictated it was better to stop. Before he said too much.

“Rather than things, I spoke... I spoke of people. I don't think I need to ask you if you understand my feelings on that matter... of how much I would give to be at their side, to experience this realm not in turmoil but as someone free to explore... sea, skies, land... oh, nothing would make me happier...”

Fusao was quiet, letting him wear himself to a halt – before she was climbing to her feet with the scrape of sabatons on gravel, offering him a hand, “I suppose that all hinges on us getting up that mountain then, doesn't it?”

The Exarch looked at her hand in bewilderment once more, pink eyes rolling before she offered it with more insistence, “I already told you not to get the wrong idea, didn't I? If I go back without you, I'll only get an earful for leaving you to the vultures. You're white as a sheet.”

Unable to hide the smile tugging at his lips, he did take her hand and allow the deceptively strong Dragoon to pull him to his feet, “Quite. Thank you.”

Retrieving her lance, she looked back towards Amity – the hardness in her eyes abated, “... you might have the right idea, though. A journey without strife... would be nice.”

“I'm sure you'd rather be taking someone else than this weary old man, though.”

For the first time, she looked at him with a sharp grin, “How astute for an old coot.”

Chuckling, he righted himself, once more the ever enigmatic Exarch and began the walk back to Amity, “Let us see we all get our wishes then, shall we?”

Lagging somewhat behind, Fusao watched his back grow smaller and thought of such a familiar image silhouetted by a pair of closing doors.

“... you're still a terrible liar.”

#&writing: drabble #&fandom: ffxiv #&original characters: fusao naeuri

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aryalaenkha-a · 4 years

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FFXIV Shadowbringers Fanfiction

Title: The leaving of the Convocation Characters: Moira (Nemesis), Emet-Selch, Elidibus, Mitron, Halmarut, Lahabrea Warning: 5.0 spoilers

For hours the members of the Convocation of the Fourteen had been sitting in this circular room in which their council was meeting, discussing the thorny subject of the moment: that Sound growling under the surface of the earth. Already several cities had fallen over the ocean, and it was only a matter of time before this Doom would ravage their world.

With her elbows resting on the armrests of her massive seat and her fingertips neatly joined together, Moira was trying to keep her calm as some ideas began to be evoked. "You're not serious, I hope?" she asked in a particularly cold tone, her face hidden behind her crimson mask and hood. "Do you really intend to appeal to the Will of the Star to help us?"

Heads turned to her, then to Elidibus, who spoke to answer. "If you have another proposal to make, we are listening, Nemesis."

Moira looked out at the assembly before addressing her peers. "Why don't we go out there and study the phenomenon so we can treat the problem at its source? The Akadaemia Anyder is full of brilliant minds who'd be delighted to investigate."

In a neutral tone, a voice rose from the chair beside her. "This is far too dangerous. Many of our fellows have allowed their fear to overwhelm them, losing control of their magic of creation and giving birth to nameless abominations. I will not endanger the lives of our seekers." So spoke Mitron. Halmarut and Lahabrea nodded, agreeing with their colleagues.

"Very well," Moira answered undaunted. "In that case, I'll go alone." Her determination was unfailing and her voice did not tremble.

"You're not thinking about it," said the person sitting in front of her in a detached tone.

"Do you doubt my competence, dear Emet-Selch?" The woman turned her head to the man who had just spoken to her, her voice becoming much sterner. "If our people have the power to shape the world, then I am the one who must ensure that every creation does not upset the Balance of our Star. We must discover and understand what that Sound is. It may be an anomaly, an imbalance, something alien. We know absolutely nothing about it. But you'd prefer a far more radical solution that will require an astronomical mass of aether and create an unprecedented imbalance."

The two stared at each other silently for many seconds before the Emissary spoke again. "In that case, let's have a vote. All those in favour of studying the Sound raise their hands." Only Moira raised hers. "All those in favour of appealing to the Will of the Star raise their hands." The other thirteen hands raised theirs in turn. "All right, then. By majority vote, the decision to summon Zodiark will be implemented."

Moira sighed heavily between her clenched teeth as anger, frustration, and disappointment slowly stained her soul. "Since you prefer not to listen to my warnings..." She straightened up from her seat, raised her hand and removed her crimson mask, revealing her face, so soft yet with closed features for the time being. "I retire from the Convocation of the Fourteen. Do not count on me to carry out such a plan." She dropped what referred to her as Nemesis on the floor, then with a snap of her finger, she made a white mask appear, which she donned before leaving the room, furious. Silence reigned for a moment.

"Well. The meeting was adjourned. We'll discuss the implementation of this project at our next session," Elidibus concluded.

Emet-Selch sighed in turn, gently squeezing his crossed hands, before getting up from his chair and going to the former Nemesis' office. He knocked on the door and entered when a voice gave him permission in a sharp tone. "Moira. Please try to understand..." he began before she cut him off. "There's nothing to understand," she answered coldly. "I don't think you realize the consequences of such an action!" She turned to face him, her dismay visible in her pearly eyes. "I thought you at least would support me..." "I agree with the others. It's far too dangerous to go there," he said as he slowly came closer. "And I don't want to lose you..." He raised one hand to put it on her arm and reached out his aether to try to soothe her. But with a quick gesture, the woman pushed him away and withdrew completely on herself. "Lose me? Do you hear yourself, Hades? You'd rather think of yourself than save our people!" Her voice was full of reproach. "That's what I'm trying to do, save our people. And you at the same time," he said scowling. "I'd rather sacrifice myself to get answers that will save as many people as possible. Because how do you think you're gonna find so much aether to summon Zodiark, huh? Think about that for a minute!" Her anger was palpable, as was her despair. "How many of our people will have to give their lives for your madness?! HOW MANY?! Do you even realize what it's going to cost us?!" Emet-Selch withdrew on himself in turn, his facial features closing into a sterner expression. "Heroism doesn't suit you, Moira," he said in a much more cold and dismissive tone. "You know very well that our people will think above all of the common good and will not hesitate to sacrifice themselves if it would prevent the end of the world." "Heroism?!" she replied in a scornful tone. "I have no intention of being a hero." She sighed heavily, clenching her jaws. "I thought you knew me better than anyone else, after all we've shared together. But obviously, I was wrong... You're still so selfish... Don't be surprised if you end the rest of eternity alone..." "In that case, I'd rather be alone. At least I won't have to put up with your sarcasm and whining anymore."Saying that, he turned around and walked out of the office trying to control the anger that was about to explode. Thinking, he turned around and walked out of the office trying to control the anger that was about to explode. On the other hand, Moira fell apart completely, bursting into tears. Although they bickered from time to time, they'd never had a huge argument like this before. It was painful, very painful. For both of them.

Despite any regrets they might have had about talking to each other in this way, they no longer spoke to each other, the succession of events during the final days pushing both of them to continue their actions to achieve their ideals. However, until the end, their love for each other continued...

#Moira (Amaurotine!Aria) | Headcanon #FFXIV | Fanfiction #Regarding | Emet-Selch #Lahabrea #Elidibus #Mitron #halmarut #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

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rhotano-rose · 5 years

Text

Rosa’s Most-Basic-of-Basic Gpose Tutorial

Hello, I’m Rosa! And I’m here to attempt to help those out there who are either new to using gpose, are confused/intimidated by it, or simply don’t know what gpose is.

To put it simply: gpose is short for Group Pose, a feature in FFXIV mainly used to change how your in-game screenshots look in various ways.

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen people either struggle with learning how to utilize gpose for nice screenshots, or even just straight-up never realize it’s a thing that exists in FFXIV to begin with. And it results in so much ‘I suck at this’, ‘I can’t take pretty pictures like you guys’, etc.

And I’m here like, ‘YES. Yes you can!’

I know there are bigger and better tutorials out there, but I want to offer what I can in the easiest-to-understand way possible, since gpose is incredibly fun to tinker and experiment with once you get the basics down.

For the record, I will not be using any Reshade filters or mods for this. This is all 100% FFXIV gpose.

This tutorial also only contains PC keybinds, since I’m a PC player. If you’re a PS4 player, I recommend searching up the appropriate binds for your needs!

So without further ado, let’s start at the beginning! Pretty pictures abound!

1. Open gpose.

Simply go to your chatbox, and type /gpose in there. Like so:

When you hit Enter, you’re now in what’s known as Camera Mode. This gives you more freedom to move the position of your camera than in regular game mode, and lets you access a handy-dandy control panel to fiddle with various settings. We’ll get to that in a moment.

(You can also access gpose in your Actions & Traits menu, found under Extras.)

If you used an emote, expression, or combat action before opening gpose, it will now be cycling over and over. The easiest way to reset this is to exit gpose, have your character /sit and then hop back up, and re-enter gpose.

If there is a certain emote/expression you want your character to be doing for your screenshot, you can do it before entering gpose OR access the list of emotes from the gpose control panel. Note that combat actions can only be performed before entering gpose.

2. Move the camera!

As mentioned, you can access a lot more camera angles now! Try using your W and S keys, for instance, and pull the camera way up..

Or down low!

Your A and D keys can also move the camera horizontally (left/right)!

First person also works in gpose, so hit your Home key to try it out!

3. The control panel, also known as Group Pose Settings.

It’s not visible when you open gpose, but it’s the key to using the feature to its fullest. Usually the default keybind to bring it up is R, but if that does nothing, hit the key/button that your Auto-Run is bound to. It’s bound to the same key.

There’s a lot of stuff here, I know. But it’s really not as scary and convoluted as it looks, and all the settings are labeled to give you an idea of what they do. I won’t go into every single setting; experimenting is half the fun, so don’t be afraid to press buttons and try things out! But I will point out the ones that will solve a lot of the ‘I don’t know how to do this’.

4. The Face Camera button.

This utilizes your character’s head-tracking; meaning that wherever you position your camera and toggle the button on (you’ll know it’s on by the border around the button), they will look at you!

You can also turn this on/off easily with the spacebar.

This toggle can be used in many ways to make your character look in a certain direction. Depending on what you have them doing, their whole body may turn during an emote/ability, or sometimes it’s just their eyes that move. It varies between emotes/actions.

5. Camera Position and Color Filter make a ton of difference alone.

The first slider for Camera Position allows you to zoom in and out a lot further than you normally can. (Try using your scroll function after adjusting the slider too!) This is how people get those nice close-ups!

The second slider is used to turn your view clockwise or counter-clockwise. This can also be done with the Q and E keys on your keyboard.

This slider is largely useful for artistic angles, and makes taking full-body shots a breeze!

Color Filter is just what it says! It’s a drop-down list, and there are many to choose from, so try ‘em out and see what you like! One I tend to favor is Bright 4, since it makes the colors far more vibrant.

6. Emotes and Expressions time!

Note the little running man icon on the left side of the controls, and click on it.

This will bring you to the Motion Settings panel. Here, you can:

Toggle your character walking/running/sprinting in place.

Access your emote window.

Toggle whether gpose picks up combat actions, or makes your character face someone you’re currently targetting outside gpose when the Face Camera button is off.

When you apply an emote, you can:

Pause/unpause your character’s animations using the Disable/Enable All Motion button up top (bound to your 1 key). This also applies to the animations of others around you if they’re on your Friends List/in your FC or Party. This is HIGHLY useful for easy rapidfire pauses to get that pose just right.

You can also use the button beside it, Disable/Enable Target Motion (bound to your 2 key) to adjust ONLY your character, or whoever you are currently controlling. If you have a friend with you, you can click on their character (or use the Tab key) and switch to their perspective!

But keep in mind, you cannot change someone else’s emotes/expressions.

Note that emotes and expressions can be applied at the same time! Try mixing and matching different ones together and see what kinds of poses you can create!

7. Light ‘er up!

The last thing I will touch on is lighting, which can be accessed by clicking on the lamp icon on the left.

Here we have Lighting Settings. And wouldn’t you know it, it turned to night-time when I briefly left gpose!

Moonlight is nice and all, but using gpose, we can use a maximum of 3 extra light sources to brighten things up a bit.

These buttons toggle each light source, which can be adjusted with the sliders below.

(Note that Lighting 1 can also be toggled with the lamp icon up top.)

The Types under each Lighting simply determine how big/bright that light’s radius is.

Type 1 is the smallest/dimmest and Type 3 is the largest/brightest.

Type 1 is ideal for lighting up just a small area, like around your character, and the other two will cover more of your character’s surroundings.

Each set of 3 sliders are simply the Red-Green-Blue values.

You can also choose where to put down your light sources, as well as how close or far they are by zooming in/out. So if we place one down on one side of Rosa..

And a slightly dimmer one on the other side..

Now we can see her lovely face again!

You can do a lot of neat things with lighting, and the effect will differ depending on things like your selected filter, location, weather, and time of day/night as well. It can completely change the mood of your environment, so experiment!

Or you can just torment your victim subject like me.

The possibilities are endless.

And those are what I consider the basics of gpose knowledge! There are other things to play with as well, but the majority of them are simply extras for personal preference. There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ way to do it, just play with things and see what strikes your fancy!

As another beloved redheaded lady says: Take chances, get messy, make mistakes!

And most importantly..

I hope this tutorial helps some of you in your screenshotting endeavors! Thank you for taking the time to read it! ❤

#ffxiv #gpose shenanigans #gpose tutorial #gpose guide #long post #screenshot tool #this was actually kinda fun to do #i really hope it helps some people!#pls forgive my piddly Paint skills

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eldritchsurveys · 4 years

Text

1083.

Do you have a vlog? If not, have you ever considered starting a vlog? >> I don’t have a vlog and I’ve only considered it as a humorous thought exercise, not seriously. My own mannerisms and facial tics embarrass me when I’m aware of them or can see them on video, so I’d rather not put myself through that.

Did you go to AM or PM kindergarten? >> I don’t remember. Edit: I think at one point I was going to pre-K in the morning and kindergarten in the afternoon, because they realised I was precocious or whatever, but they didn’t want to just fully skip me to kindergarten (idfk, man, teachers are weird). So I went to both at the same time, and graduated from both at the end of the year.

What are your favorite youtube channels to watch? >> Wisecrack, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Take, Philosophy Tube, ContraPoints, Ethys Asher, MTQCapture (just for FFXIV dungeon guides, but hers are the best), Final Fantasy Union, Implicitly Pretentious, NakeyJakey, Ask a Mortician... those are all the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I’m always looking for new channels, but it’s hard to find consistently interesting and well-made content that isn’t about things I just don’t particularly care about.

Which relative(s) do you look the most like? >> ---

Have you ever watched a live birth video? >> No.

Have you ever given birth? >> Heavens, no.

Do you remember when the Internet was a new thing? >> I vaguely remember when Internet for the casual at-home user became a thing. The Internet as a whole is a bit older than me, and I was very young when things like IRC came out.

Do you remember Y2K? >> Yes!

How old were you when the year changed to 2000? >> I was 12.

What was your favorite childhood vacation? >> ---

Have you ever wished you were born the opposite gender? >> I did think I was binary trans for a few years. Now I’m completely off the gender axis and floating in todash space somewhere. As intended.

What’s your birth order: oldest, middle, or youngest? >> I am the youngest of my father’s offspring.

Do you fit the stereotype for whatever birth order you are? >> I think if there’s any stereotype I’d be liable to fit, it’d be only-child stereotypes, since that’s how I was raised (my father’s other children were decades older than me and I barely knew them).

Have you ever worn overalls? >> Yeah.

If you’re a girl, how old were you when you started your period? >> I’m not a girl, but I was 11 or so.

Do you get cramps? >> I did. Awful ones, too, the kind that would incapacitate me (sometimes in public...). Which is the primary reason why I started taking the Pill -- I didn’t dare to hope that it would get rid of periods altogether, but I was very relieved and happy when it did.

Is your mom mentally stable? >> ---

Is your dad a complete jerk to you? >> ---

Where do you want to go on vacation next? >> I would love to go on a vacation to anywhere, but that’s not feasible right now.

What is one place you want to visit before you die? >> *shrug*

Has anyone ever committed suicide in your town, that you know of? >> I mean, I’m sure someone has, but I don’t know anything about it.

What’s your favorite type of crackers? >> Oh, god, I forgot what they’re called. But they’re long and thin and rectangular and they come in flavours like garlic and rosemary. Also, matzo. Love matzo, particularly the egg and onion kind.

What’s your favorite spice? >> I really couldn’t say.

Are you sensitive? >> Way more so than I’d thought I was. Turns out a complex system of protections and defense mechanisms was shielding a very soft core. (Thank god. As much as they can and do backfire and cause their own problems, can you imagine how much worse off I would have been without those mechanisms?)

Are you intuitive? >> I don’t know, really. How does one measure that?

Are you spiritual? >> Maybe. I don’t really know what people mean when they use that word, so I’m hesitant to say one way or the other.

Do you wish your life were easier? >> My life isn’t particularly difficult at this juncture. I just have... a very small window of tolerance and take things a lot harder as a result. I don’t wish my life was easier, I wish my brain was less on fire.

What color hair did your first crush have? >> ---

What was the name of your first crush? >> ---

Did you ever play on Mamamedia.com? >> No.

Do you remember your first email address? >> Yeah, it was [email protected].

Did you name your lego characters? >> I didn’t have LEGO. I had Tinker Toys and an Erector set, neither of which came with little people iirc.

What was/is your high school’s mascot? >> ---

What is/was your favorite class in high school? >> ---

Is college an adventure? >> ---

Do you take medication for anxiety or depression? If so, does it work? Does it help you? Or does it make you feel worse? >> I do not.

If applicable, what form of birth control do you use? >> The Pill. Not for the birth-control function, though... not having sex covers that pretty well.

Who is your favorite cousin? >> ---

Do you look your age? >> According to other people, who apparently care about that sort of thing, no.

What’s your favorite flavor of frosting? >> ---

Do you like toe socks? >> No.

Muffins or cupcakes? >> Cupcakes, but rarely. I just don’t like muffins period.

Have you ever had a bag stolen? >> Probably.

How old were you when you got your first phone? >> Seventeen.

Are you ready for summer?!?! >> I will be in a couple of months, you can guarantee that.

Is winter your favorite season? >> No.

How many people do you know who’ve said winter is their favorite season? >> Quite a few, actually. I feel like I’ve encountered far more winter people than summer people. I see people complaining about warm weather constantly. I will never understand (even as a person who runs hot, I will still never understand). Even with the side effect of getting SAD in the winter, I love being solar powered.

Are you unique in any way? >> I mean, probably.

Do you have any hidden talents? >> No.

Has anyone said you and your mom look like sisters? >> ---

Who was your best friend in high school? >> ---

What book or movie gave you nightmares as a child? >> None.

What song makes you cry? >> Plenty, but I can’t think of one right now.

Does anyone know who your first crush was besides you? >> ---

How many teachers have you had crushes on? >> I was thinking about this last night. Calling the obsession I had with that one teacher a “crush” is erroneous because... the reason why I felt the way I felt about him is because he was nice to me. Literally, that was it. I was freshly traumatised (and being in and out of the hospital was just re-traumatising me), had an attachment disorder and was emotionally neglected, and was used to being treated poorly. When I told That One Teacher that I cut myself, he gave me a hug. Like... groundbreaking! No one else had responded that way! Of course I was attached to him, he actually treated me like someone who deserved kindness and care. It’s really hard not to feel crushingly sad for teenage!me (and, as an extension, current!me, who is still bearing the effects of the past) when I think about that.

Did you make your Barbie dolls get crushes on each other? >> I don’t really remember what I did with Barbie dolls.

Did your Barbie dolls go on dates? >> ^

How old were you when you had your first kiss? >> ---

Do you like church? >> Eh. Depends on the church, I guess. I’ll always have affection for Black Church(tm).

Do you have scars from self-harm? >> Yep.

Do you have cellulite? >> A little, I think.

How old were you when you started getting zits? >> I had them through my teenage years.

Did your hair change at all when you went through puberty? >> I don’t think so.

Are you taller, shorter, or the same height as your mom? >> I’ve been taller than that woman since I was 12.

Would you ever consider adopting a child? >> If I was ever going to raise a child, this would be the only way it’d happen.

Who was your first roommate? >> ---

Have you ever had a teacher who was rude? >> Yup.

Is your mom paranoid? >> ---

Do you trim your own hair? >> I buzz my own head, yeah.

Did your mom read you bedtime stories as a child? >> I was not read bedtime stories as a child. I made up my own in my head instead.

What are all the things you remember being for Halloween? >> ---

What was the name of the first pet that you loved? >> Roxie.

Did you have your own room as a child? >> I did.

What color was your nursery? >> ---

Did your parents know your gender before you were born? >> I don’t know.

What is your name (first and middle)? >> Mordred Shadow.

What would you have been named if you had been born the opposite gender? >> My name isn’t related to what my parent named me, and I have no idea what he would have named me if I was born the opposite sex.

Do you like your name? >> I like the one I gave myself, yes.

What would you name your children? >> ---

Do you exercise regularly? >> I’m again trying to do the take-a-daily-walk thing. Again. I fail every time, but I keep trying. Can Calah says there’s something good about that, better than failing and giving up on ever doing it again. I don’t know, but I’ll trust him on it.

Do you have a healthy BMI? >> I don’t know.

What is your favorite season? >> Spring.

Do you look like your mom? >> ---

What is the origin of your last name? >> I have no idea. I assumed that in this world, Stephen King made it up, but maybe he didn’t. The “canonical” origin of my last name is Gilead-That-Was.

What is the meaning of your first name? >> It’s unclear.

What month were you born in? >> May.

Do you share a birthday with anyone in your family? >> ---

Do you have a sweet tooth? >> Nope.

What photo editing software do you use? >> I either use Paint to just resize or crop an image, or Pixlr if I need extra editing tools.

Where do you buy most of your clothes? >> There is no place where I buy the majority of my clothes. They come from all over.

#surveys #survey #random survey #not for reblogging *glare*

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corpse-dancer · 5 years

Text

LFRP & Contacts (Crystal/Balmung) Updated!

Azgüikharaal Arulaq

The Basics ––– –

Age: 27

Birthday: 7th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon

Race: Auri, Xaela

Gender: Female

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Sexuality: Fluid

Marital Status: Single

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Abyssal blue, fades to silvery white

Eyes: Amber gold

Height: 5′

Build: Athletic, lithe

Distinguishing Marks: Full tribal sleeves, severe burn scars on her palms and the back of her hands.

Common Accessories: Rarely seen without her leather gloves and the scythe is an almost constant feature across her back, held in place by leather straps that zigzag her torso.

Personal ––– –

Profession: Mercenary, bounty hunter, assassin. Az isn’t a stranger to the darker side of certain jobs and doesn’t shy away from them either; a gil’s a gil, after all. In the past, however, she was quite the jack of all trades, delving into the entertainment and service field and, for a time when she first arrived in Eorzea, acted as a bandit. Very quickly grew bored of it, however, when her quarry ended up more often than not being fat nobles who would rather weep and beg than try and defend themselves when their guards and hired helped were dispatched.

Hobbies: Though she generally likes to stay busy and is constantly on the move from one area to the next, it isn’t uncommon to find her in a bar, drinking generously and, often times, alone. She isn't opposed to a little company after a long day of occasionally tedious pursuits, but don't expect her to exchange pleasantries. Az is far more likely to antagonize a new acquaintance over being civil.

Languages: Fluent in Common, Old Auri, Hingan and Dravanian. Rough understanding of quite a few others.

Residence: None. Her wanderlust makes it somewhat pointless to own a place as she’d rarely ever be there, not to mention the chances of her saving up enough gil to own one is laughable, so she travels about; renting an inn room or just camping out in the wilderness. Is on good terms with a handful of places due to being a surprisingly good patron.

Birthplace: The Valley, Azim Steppes

Patron Deity: Nhaama, the Dusk Mother

Fears: Being the reason a loved one is hurt, getting too close to people, her father, paperwork, clashing fabrics, etc.,

Traits ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––– –

Smoking Habit: Frequently

Drugs: Rarely

Alcohol: Frequently

RP Hooks ––– –

Cursed by Luck. Ever been super jazzed about a new outfit, only to rip the fabric as you're putting it on? How many times have you just been strolling down the street and happen upon some money? Feel like misfortune dogs your steps? Or perhaps fortune guides your path? In that case, you'd get right along with Az. Scorned by Fate, or so her father liked to tell her back home, she used to have very poor control over her aether, which would snap and pop and spread her influence every which way. And while it still tends to run rampant occasionally, Az has learned to tip the scales in her or another's favor. The only problem is balance finds a way to restore itself and the luck you've been given might not be worth the misfortune headed your way.

Questionable Morals. Az doesn't necessarily weigh her decisions by right or wrong, good or evil. Instead, it's all about whether or not something is fun or profitable. Quite analytical in her own right, stagnation and predictability are the bane of her existence and she gets bored rather quickly with nothing fresh to keep her motivated. While serving a darker purpose suits her just fine, Az is just as likely to switch sides if the opposing force seems like a better time.

Reckless Lifestyle. Never one to slow down, Az is always looking for that next challenge. Combat isn't just a means to an end for her, but a chance to test herself against what this realm has to offer. Many xaela seem to thrive on action, chasing a challenge that'll keep them on their toes and she is no exception, going so far as to dive head first into situations she's well aware could end badly. And, while she might be able to twist the tides in her favor, one can only be so lucky before it all comes full circle.

Antagonistic. Let's not mince words; Az is a bit of an asshole. She enjoys pushing buttons and seeing how far she can press a person before they're over her relentless teasing. A tad unreasonable and it's certainly made her more enemies than friends, it's her philosophy that you never really know who a person is if they haven't wanted to punch you in the face. Break them down and see who they really are. Plus, Az loves finding those who can keep up with her snark and meet her quip for quip.

Contact Information ––– –

Hello! I thought it was about time to make an updated LFRP for Azgüikharaal and here it is. She's the all-rounder among my OC's, so I'm pretty down for whatever in terms of rp; just present me an idea and we can talk about it! You can get ahold of me on here or in game (Az Arulaq) and my discord is given out upon request. Don't be afraid to contact me!

@balmungrp @ffxiv-crystal-rp

#ffxiv #ffxiv lfrp #ffxiv crystal #au ra xaela #az arulaq

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faelune-home · 4 years

Text

Improvise

(A/N: Cos somehow a girl managed to fire out 3700+ words over two weeks. Hope y’all like it.

Focuses on my main miqo WoL Fufu. A little night of piano playing shared w/ Alphinaud. Set during Early Heavensward

Also available on Ao3 here

@ffxiv-writers)

The door to Fortemps Manor creaked to a close, yet a sharp gust of wind managed to sneak through anyway, catching Alphinaud and making him shiver. Even after having spent some few weeks in Ishgard, he still wasn’t quite used to the chill snap that gripped the city. Perhaps now was the time to finally think about investing in a winter jacket...or maybe a new attire altogether.

He made his way through the halls, intent on returning to the room gifted to him by Count Fortemps so that he could continue his work before turning in for the night. There was already so much to be done, with the paperwork he had offered to do for the count in return for his hospitality, as well as looking into the disappearances of the Scions, and then there was the news of a primal apparently floating around Abalathia’s Spine…

Just as he had reached his door however, he stopped, his attention caught by what sounded like music further down the hall. A light tinkling of piano keys he deduced. Curiosity took hold, as Alphinaud was certain he hadn’t heard a piano within the manor before that night. Yet in his moment of distraction, his papers almost slipped from his hands, reminding him of his evening work. Caught between leaving the curious sound for the night or trying to source it, it wasn’t until one of the maids of the house passed by carrying linens, humming away with a smile on her face that he finally relented and set off deeper into the manor.

Down the corridor, and round a corner, passing yet another humming maid, the music grew louder, until he finally came to a partly opened door. Barely wide enough to allow any light out, yet the music flowed out into the hallway. Yet while he had found the source, one finally question itched, just one more answer, who...

Peeking through the crack in the door, he saw Fufu, the Warrior of Light sitting at the piano, tapping away at the keys. Her tail swished happily behind her, and her pigtails swung side to side as she swayed along to the melody of her own making. He almost wanted to assume he could hear her humming along as well. An occasional fumble of fingers would send an off key note, yet her deft hands could follow up and keep on track, and it was like it hadn’t even happened. The atmosphere within the room seemed so jovial for only having one person inside. But then she did seem to have the talent to bring cheer with her wherever she went. Was it a Bardic skill or something naturally inherent to the miqo’te?

Alphinaud had often dismissed her musical moments in times past, considering it time that could’ve been better spent on other tasks, yet now there he stood, drawn in by her whimsical little tune. In fact, before he could argue with himself to simply leave and go back to his room, having solved the mystery that had briefly snatched him, he stepped forth and pushed the door open fully, the groan of the hinges catching the occupant’s attention and bringing her merry tune to a halt.

Fufu spun round on the piano stool, giving her companion a broad smile and saying, “Oh, welcome back! I didn’t realise you’d gotten in.” He returned her greeting with a light nod of his own and said, “It’s no worry, I can see you were quite busy.”

Her ears flicked and she hummed, “I might’ve been a bit too into that one, I’m not even certain what time it is now.” As she turned to try and catch the chronometer in the room, Alphinaud stepped forward and asked, “Actually, could you play it again? If it’s alright.” This earned him another broad grin and an enthusiastic nod.

“Of course! I’ll try my best.” She turned back to the piano, however rather than start playing again, she shuffled over on the seat and patted the empty space, looking expectantly at the elezen. Though somewhat surprised at the gesture - after all, there was a perfectly good couch within the room he would’ve gladly taken instead - he stepped forward and joined the miqo’te on the seat, placing his papers on the side table.

As the warrior’s fingers continued to dance along the keys, picking up the melody once more, he couldn’t help but watch, mesmerised at how they moved now that he had a closer view. Hands long calloused from her work with the bow now tapped away and created a bubbly little tune, so fitting for her character.

“How long have you known how to play?” he asked, the question coming to mind as he recalled seeing her more often with a harp for her minstreling, as well as the single time he had seen her strumming away at a small lute.

“Only a few weeks, really. Started a few days after we first got here,” she answered, never stopping her merry tune. Alphinaud blinked, surprised.

“Truly?” She nodded, then leaned closer to him like she was sharing a secret and added, “If you were to ask how long I’ve been playing well, the maids stopped giving me dirty looks last week I think.” Then she laughed, and the song seemed to jump up in rhythm with her. He wasn’t quite deterred however, as another question nagged at him.

“But...how? Did you learn, I mean.” At this, Fufu took one hand off the piano, the other continuing to play, picked up a book from the table next to her side of the piano and handed it to the younger boy, saying, “I taught myself. I found this book in the library while I was looking for something else. Apparently Lord Edmont tried to have Artoirel learn when he was a boy, but it didn’t really work.”

Alphinaud flipped through the pages, noting how easily presented most of the information was - ‘most’, as he could only assume the book was meant as a companion piece for an actual instructor. Yet all the same, it seemed understandable, and if one had the drive enough to learn…

“I’ll confess, I’m impressed,” he admitted. This earned him one of her wide grins, her sharpened teeth catching the light. Curiosity mostly sated now, he turned his attention to the music sheet on the stand, only to realise something else.

“Have you been improvising this whole time?” Indeed, while the tune was similar to the one that had initially drawn him to the room, there was a noted difference in how it was played; a higher key perhaps, and what seemed initially like the repeated chorus was instead rather different. Fufu nodded vigorously, saying, “Yup! The sheets were good to learn, but this is more fun.” Now completely at a loss for words at his companion’s skill, the boy could only sit, listening with a much keener ear as the miqo’te tapped out her free flowing music.

Even when she eventually drew one song to a close - with an over exaggerated flourish that Alphinaud couldn’t help but smile at - she started another afterward, this time a slower piece, more fitting over a wind down for the night. The lower notes of the tune seemed to thrum in the air, and he could feel the low buzz in his chest. Logically he could say it was just the close proximity to the piano, but at this point he wouldn’t quite be surprised if it were Fufu’s doing…

“Did you ever learn an instrument?” He was snapped from his unexpected reverie, seeing the woman staring at him intently after her question, the music itself even slower now as her attention had shifted.

“I mean,” she continued, turning back and picking up her pace again, “to my knowledge, it just seems like something fancy families try to do with their kids, like Lord Edmont and Artoirel.” At the reference, her ear flicked toward the book resting on Alphinaud’s lap, however his attention had been caught elsewhere.

“Fancy?” he echoed, looking mildly offended at the remark. The music finally came to a complete stop as she turned to face him, an amused smirk on her face. She repeated, “Yes, fancy. You got to receive a high class education at a renowned school—“

“The Studium is open to all, even some few outside of Sharlayan,” he countered.

“Well, you’d walk around using your family name in so many places like it’d just open all the doors, and actually I think it did a lot of the time.”

He flinched, recalling how that arrogance had saw them flee to Ishgard in the first place for safety, yet he argued back anyway, “That was far more to do with the impact my grandfather had in Eorzea as opposed to—“

“Your family has manservants,” she interrupted, with a degree of finality in her voice that made him stop, and despite a light stammer as he tried to respond, he ultimately hung his head and said, “Fine. I suppose that isn’t a common thing for most families.”

“Nope, only fancy ones,” she replied, still wearing that amused smile. Then she leaned in close, as though waiting. Recalling her initial question, a small smile crossed his lips as a memory came to him.

“I’ve never learned, nor has my sister, but mother did suggest it once. She always said it would allow us to appreciate the arts or something similar.” He then chuckled, “Alisaie almost threw a fit at the idea, saying that she didn’t want to end up being dolled up and forced to perform for others entertainment, much to mother’s disappointment. I told her I wasn’t much interested either, and she didn’t bring it up again.”

The miqo’te hummed. “I see.” Then leaned back into the boy and asked, “Do you want to learn how to play?”

He blinked, curious. “Are you offering to teach?” Fufu shrugged, looking sheepish as she said, “I don’t know if I’d be that great of a teacher, but I could try. And if I’m not, then I could maybe see if Jehantel wouldn’t mind helping.”

Although tempted, Alphinaud shook his head, saying, “I appreciate the offer, however I think I’ll decline. At least for now. We both have far too much happening right now to dedicate any real attention to any lessons.” He had his own duties after all, and as well as helping the Fortemps in her own way, he knew that Fufu had also picked up some extra errands amongst the local Ishgardians. In hindsight, her having self-taught herself the piano on top of her many duties was all the more astounding.

“That’s fair,” she nodded, fortunately not looking too upset at the rejection, “But the offer’s always available for the future, if you change your mind!” He nodded, smiling back at her, “Of course.” Satisfied, the woman adjusted herself on the seat and lifted her hands to the keys once more.

She beamed, “One more song before bed then?” She didn’t wait for an answer, not that the boy would refuse, and started playing. It started a bit slowly, a muddle of low notes as though she were still deciding on what to play, before the tune seemed to collect itself. It was another slow song, and Alphinaud could definitely feel himself starting to relax with it.

“I have to admit, you do have a way with music,” he sighed, trying to resist the urge to lean against the miqo’te and disrupt her playing, even if the soothing melody seemed to be making him feel rather sleepy. “That you can teach yourself how to play something like this while also keeping up with so much else, and then the ability to improvise besides.”

Fufu shrugged, “I wouldn’t say it's that special. The improvising I mean. I just kinda play away until it sounds right then keep playing that.”

“Tis a talent nonetheless. A valued one for any field. Even in battle, should the need arise, being able to adapt freely is a useful skill.” Fufu nodded at his words, though she still looked unsure.

“Maybe… I’ll be honest, improvising is fun with music, but in a combat situation, I still prefer working from a plan. If I have to start thinking on my feet when the plan isn’t working then fine, but having an idea of what to do feels a lot more secure. I’ve gotten a lot more done with others to tell me what to do than I have just doing stuff on my own.” At this point, the music had stopped. The miqo’te simply stared ahead, over the piano and straight out the window at the drifting snows outside.

Concern for his friend at her very sudden mood change shook the drowsiness from Alphinaud’s mind. “Come now, you act as if you’re no better than a common soldier following orders.”

“I’m not saying that’s what I want,” she sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m just saying there’s...comfort, I think, in having someone else step up and know what to do. It’s reassuring when I’m lost.” Then a small smile came upon her face, as her eyes shone in remembrance.

“Actually, that reminds me… I didn’t really want to share this, just because I thought it’d seem overly sentimental and silly--”

“Really? I suppose that would be out of character,” the boy interrupted, with what he hoped sounded like a tone of levity. To his relief, Fufu smirked, clearly amused as she gave him a light nudge with her arm, then said, “Please, I’m trying to be serious. And I do know when to stop before something is too much.”

She leaned back, staring at the ceiling, hands holding onto the edge of the stool, and after a long pause, she started, “It was after the attack on the Waking Sands. I was just supposed to go back and see Minfilia and find out what was happening next. Maybe it would’ve been dealing with Garuda anyway, maybe it’d be something else, another ascian trail hunt, I don’t know. And I never really will because of everything that happened.” The mood had turned sombre again.

“I didn’t know what to do. The only thing I could do was go to the church near Drybone, ‘cos that’s what Minfilia said...it was the last thing Noraxia told me. And even then, while I was there, I just did what others asked or suggested, trying to help where I could to feel useful, but I didn’t really know what to do. Y’shtola and Yda were missing and I didn’t know if I could get in touch with them, and the Garleans were looking for Echo users so I didn’t want to go back to Gridania in case they attacked there. And when it looked like they were near the church anyway targeting Cid, I thought I’d have to run off just in case to keep people safe, but then…”

She stopped, straightening up in the seat, and after another pause that almost had Alphinaud consider jumping in himself, she said, “Well I guess the most honest thing I can say is that you showing up was a big help to me.”

He blinked, rather taken aback at her statement. “Me?”

She nodded. “Yup. Like I said, I already had no clue what to do at that point, so when you showed up saying we were going to find Cid’s airship and deal with Garuda - well, of course we got caught up in all the Ishgardian bureaucracy which made it take longer, but the point is, it was more of a plan than I had. And after Operation Archon, you were the one that suggested the move to Revenant’s Toll for the Scions so we could work on more neutral ground-”

“I fear you’re giving me far too much praise here. So often I’ve worked in tandem with others, to claim sole credit would be rather arrogant.” And Twelve knows he was aware of his follies as it was.

However Fufu shook her head. “I know you didn’t do everything alone, of course not. But I’m talking about the things you did do. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that. Hells, we wouldn’t be here in Ishgard if you hadn’t put in the work to champion on their behalf during the dravanian attacks.”

At this, Alphinaud shot to his feet and snapped, “We’re here in Ishgard precisely because of me! Twas mine own fault that we have lost our comrades and been forced from the Stones-”

“No,” she countered forcefully, getting to her feet to stand beside him, even if she was yet taller than him, “That was not your own fault, that was the Braves-”

“And they were my responsibility, I share the blame for not realising that they were never truly under my command. I led them into the city states and proclaimed them protectors of the people. I was the fool and I don’t deserve the admiration you seem to have for me.” He stepped out from the piano stool and made for the door to the room, ready to make for somewhere else, anywhere else, when Fufu grabbed his arm and stopped him with a pleading, “Wait, please.”

When he didn’t move any further or try to shake her grip, she gently pulled him toward the couch in the room, sitting them both down. He initially looked away, the guilt dredged up from his outburst preying upon his mind and making him think back and replay that night’s events again, until he felt the woman take his hand. Looking back, he was surprised to see her eyes shining with their own guilt, her ears flat against her head.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to make it sound like I had some blind hero worship for you. I only meant that I was grateful. Like I said, when I was left at that church with nothing to do except take on other people’s favours, I was just lost. You just put me back on the path to actually doing something.” She then squeezed his hand tighter as she looked down, somehow even more downtrodden as she continued, “Thinking about it, maybe I was blind actually. I could’ve said something about the Braves since I helped to set it up, and I was there for nearly every step of the way, but I never saw anything. I just knew that every other idea had worked out fine, so perhaps this would as well.”

Finally giving him a rueful smile, she said, “Maybe I deserve the blame for the Braves as well.”

“No,” Alphinaud said firmly, taking his hand from her and readying to argue, until Fufu grabbed his shoulders and said with her own adamant certainty, “Then stop. What’s done is done, and we can only move on. Isn’t that what we’re trying to do? Remembering our mistakes is fine, if we only use that to improve. And you’ve been good about that, just every now and then you get really down about it like you’re still the only one at fault for it.” Alphinaud nodded, feeling a touch sheepish at her impassioned words.

“You’re right. My apologies, I shouldn’t have gotten quite so pathetic there,” he sighed, giving her a grateful smile in return. Fufu smiled back, clearly relieved.

“Good. We don’t have any time for that sort of pity party after all,” she chuckled, ruffling the boy’s hair and giggling harder at his indignant, “Hey”.

“And for what it’s worth, the Braves were a good idea in theory. You did have a point when you said that we Scions would need our own personal force to help all of the city states. We just didn’t account for...well, everything else.”

He nodded. “I suppose so, but I doubt we could make a second attempt at such a thing. People would be less trusting of the idea, not to mention so long as monetarists like Teledji or Lolorito exist, they would still try to gain advantage of the group.”

“Or make it harder for them to do their jobs,” Fufu added, recalling the pompous statue of Lolorito that stood in Vesper Bay; his answer to the Scions refusing his advances.

“Well, we’ll just have to work twice as hard to make up for,” she stated, sitting up straight and punching her fist into the air. The miqo’te then turned to face the boy again, giving him a broad grin as she said, “And I want you there with me.”

“You’re quite certain?”

She nodded. “You’re still better at making plans and strategizing than I am. Just because you worked more with others before, or a few of those ideas didn’t work out like you hoped doesn’t change that. So I want you to keep doing what you do best. And in return, I’ll try and do my part to make sure they’ll work out, or even stepping up to tell you if it won’t work. I won’t leave you to take the worst of it.” She held her hand out, and after only a moment’s thought, Alphinaud nodded and took it, the two shaking firmly.

“I would like that a lot,” he said. Just then, a loud chime broke out in the room, making them both jump. The chronometer on the wall read 10 o’clock.

“Gods, has it gotten so late?” He sighed, mumbling, “I won’t be able to do much of that paperwork now.” He stood and collected the papers from beside the piano, bowing politely to his companion and saying, “Thank you for tonight. The music and the discussion. I feel like we stand on more even ground now.”

“We didn’t before?” Fufu asked, albeit with a smile.

“Maybe we did...but this was nice to confirm all the same. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should head to bed.” He turned for the door, however the miqo’te’s call of “Wait!” stopped him. Turning back, he watched her stumbled quickly back to the piano and, to his amusement, pat the stool seat beside her.

“I didn’t get to finish playing properly before. So,” she turned, eyes glowing, “one more song before bed?”

He joined her once more. “Feel free, my friend.”

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