#to convince Tidus to come and kill him so he stops killing

[iamsweden]

I’m replaying FFX after probably 10 years or more and I really did not appreciate this game for what it is back then. I just finished Operation Mi’ihen and just… Damn. Final Fantasy X did not pull any punches. Going to Home later is absolutely going to wreck me.

[cateringisalie]

My list of bearable Binal Bantasy VII tags is thinning...

But seriously. Being skeptical of Tifa’s narration of past events is not without merit. By the time the Lifestream scene rolls around she has been through three comas and some grevious injuries. The Lifestream scene is as revelatory for her as it is for Cloud.

The new assertion she was in any way actually friends with Cloud is not only in conflict with the OG’s portrayal but counter to Cloud’s development, her development, the growth of their relationship as adults and why (in general) people have them stay together post game.

Its unnecessary, frustrating and further damaging Tifa’s character who is spinning off further from who she was.

That Tifa and Cloud were not actually childhood friends does not mean they do not have a relationship in FFVII. It does not mean they cannot be together. Tifa “falling in love” with Cloud at the water-tower does not for a second make their later relationship any more meaningful.

All this new ship information does is make the relationship have longer longevity than previously assumed. As if whichever relationship has lasted longer is betterer and stronger. As if this should automatically undercut any other relationship Cloud or Tifa can possibly experience.

(in fact - and darkly cynically - this feels a lot more like enforcing that Cloud/Tifa and Zack/Aerith operate in near exactly the same way. The pairs fall in love in record time (two years prior to the Nibelheim incident both times as far as I’m ware), the boys go missing and the girls never move on with their lives. I get the boys have gone missing without a shred of explanation or closure, but now for both of them people are willing to wipe out a quarter of their lives waiting. Teenagers are resilient you know? They will be inconsolable if this happened but they would bounce back a lot faster and cleaner than they would expect. The approval of the never moving on this is purely to keep the shipping uncomplicated. There can only be one pairing for Tifa, there can only be one pairing for Aerith. And if you think otherwise you’re wrong in canon. And who wants to write or read about a non-canon ship? Unless its yaoi/yuri in any case. I am so tired)

Childhood friends incidentally is not, however much some insist, a common trope of the series - unless you stretch it a fair amount and it encompasses a trivial number of the pairings. And none of the big ones (you know; Squall/Rinoa or Tidus/Yuna).

Could Tifa do with more backstory? Of course. Did Tifa’s mother deserve a name? Absolutely! But not like this. Not when Cloud helping round up cats in Remake is now tied to finding Tifa’s cat in a new authored backstory. This speaks again to the constant magpie-ing of existing imagery and moments from older parts of FFVII to feed the present. The retconning in of importance by changing the meaning of otherwise unimportant moments.

Tifa is not and never was under any obligation to like Cloud as a child. She did not bully him, but neither should she expected to involve him in anything she did. I understand the book has muddied this gloriously, but for what effect?

I mean, I know where the desperation to make Cloud and Tifa childhood friends stems from. I know why you want Cloud to have fallen in love with Tifa at like age 5 or something and for Tifa to fall in love with him at 13. And I rail against it all the time that its not necessary. Being first does not mean better.

Maybe I am old, cynical and exhausted, but I kind of like watching Cloud and Tifa grow closer in FFVII. I like watching Cloud and Aeris grow closer in FFVII. I like to experience these things where I can... experience them? I don’t like reading books which assert things in blunt statements that clarify exactly what the writer intended. I certainly don’t have the patience to wait for a later book to clarify what happened on-screen when I have drawn my own conclusions based on my preferences. Especially as this is all contributing to that continued sense that the OG is a smelly, badly designed embarrassment we would rather tiday away for the crime of being graphically inferior (never mind it was championed on its looks on release) and “goofy” (and apparently unable to run the gamut of emotions I remember from serious to comedy, to silly, to tragic, to pessimistic and quietly optimistic and moving).

I’m coming back to this point to stress it - I want to see the relationship growth. Remake gave me that for Aerith and Cloud even if the details aren’t to my taste. First meeting is awkward because hey, random stranger/Cloud is tired. Cloud gets involved and spends more time with Aerith. And the high-five thing is used as a clumsy/awkward/eh but clear metaphor for how their relationship develops over the course of their time together.

To the point that yes, it makes sense for Cloud to want to rescue her. Less sense for Elmyra and Tifa to be “Well they might not vivisect her” and then delay for two full chapters, but the whole thing flows.

And here’s where I get accused of being a fake fan: I don’t like how Cloud and Tifa’s relationship develops in Remake. Flirting. Tifa being mildly fazed by Cloud claiming its been five years. Scared when he almost kills Johnny. Maybe hurt depending on your resolution scene (hey podcast people! No Gold Saucer multiple dates because too expensive? How are there branched resolution scenes in Remake then?). But there isn’t growth. They seem to fit into each other’s lives without worry, bit of flirting, strange super-intense moments jammed into inappropriate sequences (the train roll, climbing the plate, Cloud remembering the promise unprompted, Tifa not actually engaged with Avalanche’s plans). There’s no sense anything has changed between them, the missed five years has done anything to them.

And I’m sure some would take this as proof of correctness. But... somehow Remake is better for realism despite a lot of new clumsy, but this relationship is not dinged for being implausible? No way does that five year gap not seriously impact any prior relationship to say nothing of developing from scratch.

See this was a neat thing about the OG; while Tifa seemed to have an edge over Aerith by knowing Cloud longer, he was in effect meeting them at the same point in his life and more or less starting from scratch with both. Both ships are valid, and even if Cloud is with Tifa come the end, it doesn’t mean he can’t have romantic feelings about both women.

Oh, but Nojima has changed his mind/always intended it this way. And? I can change my mind about liking what he’s written - and my patience and tolerance of Nojima has waned massively since 1997. To the point where his involvement invokes a pained groan from me.

Plus the hilarious attitude that this is from the same people who insisted “the OG will always be there, stop moaning about Remake”. Well guess what? I don’t like Remake and I don’t really want it around. The OG is better.

Yes, Tifa is under-served and sure, it could be clearer about shipping (but the apparent hostility to ambiguity and personal interpretation is deeply distressing. These things can mean something to you and don’t have to mean the same thing to everyone. Interpreting the romancs - again - not a competition).

BUT

I will take the OG version of Tifa where she believed in the cause, where she had friends (again, yes, the relationship between Tifa and the rest of Avalanche is not well depicted, but it was better than actively curtailing it), where she ran a bar THAT ACTUALLY OPENED AND SERVED CUSTOMERS, where she hated Shinra, where she didn’t know how to treat Cloud because she had only really talked to him once in her life and DESPITE THAT that they great closer and spent their last night before THE END OF THE WORLD together over the Remake.

Where Tifa is wary of Cloud for about 5 seconds, twice and then defaults to constant flirting. Where Cloud is near smothering Tifa every second they’re together and she doesn’t tell him to fuck off once. Where she’s allied with Avalanche but hates their methods (and the pacifists are in a shop around the corner and she is not with them because...?). Where she has some absurd contrived plot about medical bills and buying Seventh Heaven for Barret and Marlene.

Which would lead to a whole other rant titled “Marle is the Worst” but this has dragged on quite long enough.

But seriously; if you argue that we can’t hate Remake because OG is always there, then you have to stop applying Remake back to OG and using it as proof. Which is exactly why many people bemoaned the Remake at all. OG is one thing, Remake is another. I don’t care for the latter.

And I know if anyone does read all this it will be about the meanie Cleriths who diminish Tifa for no good reason. And yes, they are indeed acting in bad faith. But what makes you think for a second evidence will convince these people?

In particular, the argument has raged so long and always will because if people do not like a ship they will not accept it as canon (if they care about this as a factor) NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. Literally. Look at Loki if you want the most recent example of this.

Canon is to many “what I want” and often does not tally with the general interpretation. And you know, if being “canon” or guessing right early wasn’t triumphed as such a vital thing, we might not get these really terrible and pointless arguments.

Canon is a prize but here’s the big secret: fandom - in general - does not care. FFVII is an excellent case example given Sefikura overwhelms the other ships (and I think AZGSC is close?). And that’s not canon. That’s not even in the ballpark of the Cloud/Tifa vs Cloud/Aerith arena (even give that the former is roughly twice the size of the latter, you already won, so please stop?). Canon is only important if you think its important - and you get some more official art of sequences you can gif. And maybe you get kissing/implied sex/marriage/kids, but most of all you get a smug sense of superiority. And the last is why I have no patience with this.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

If all of your favorite shippings from different fandoms had a movie night together (yes, shippings, I think that's way more fun!), who would show up (there is no limit) and how would it play out?

Oh my gosh. This is a hard, but fun question. LOL. Though I’m worried the answer will end up more boring than you’re hoping for, but let’s hope not.

I’ll also probably only limit this to my top top ships, because I have way too many. Though there will still be a lot here! Also, let’s just assume that everyone will get along for some reason, even though some of them would have reason not to.

So, SoKai’s there (from Kingdom Hearts). Because of course they are. And while Sora and Kairi really are there to watch the movie--and cuddle, because they’ve earned it--Sora can’t help talking to everyone throughout and trying to get to know them, because he’s just a sociable person like that. And Kairi mostly joins in with that. But because of this, they probably have people telling them to shut up during it. Though RokuShi, Namiku, and probably NeShiki come to their defense.

Roxas and Xion (KH) are super into the movie, because they’re still kind of amazed at the existence of films in general. Since they were essentially babies in the Organization, who knew nothing about life. And while they know more now--like when Roxas had those false memories in the Virtual Twilight Town--they’re still amazed by the simple things.

Riku and Naminé (KH)... Naminé is drawing, of course. Probably things from the film. And Riku is by her side, just happy that she’s happy. But he (aside from Buffy) is probably the one person on edge, judging everyone because he doesn’t think some things are right about some of these people Lawlight.

Yes, Light and L (Death Note) are there... And they’re probably bored of the movie. It’s not clever enough for them. They’d much rather watch some murder investigation and try and figure it out--also, can I say what a miracle it is that L ventured out in the first place?--and this is when Riku begins to get uncomfortable and Buffy probably says something like, “Okay, if I hear one more thing about murder, some serious slayage is about to occur.”

So... Bangel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). So, this is some happy-isa ending after Angel takes on Wolfram & Hart and doesn’t die. The curse is still a thing. But Buffy and Angel have decided to try and be together without it, since Buffy almost lost Angel. They’re happy to be together enjoying the movie, of course. And a lot of cuddling is happening. But not too much, because they can’t get too worked up. Because again: curse. Also, if they’re watching some crappy movie--which they probably are--Buffy pipes in every now and then to give the characters wittier lines than they actually had, and everyone actually appreciates her for that. Angel may also notice Naminé’s artwork, praise her for it, and begin drawing during the movie himself... He draws Buffy watching it, of course.

Jace and Clary from The Mortal Instruments. They’re doing more PDA than anyone... but still nothing too bad, that would anger most people. And Clary might have joined in on giving the characters better lines with Buffy. Buffy and Clary probably strike up a friendship. Jace is really the person annoying everyone during the film, because he can’t keep pointing out everyone’s stupid choices and the lack of logic... which is true, but come on my man.

Max and Logan from Dark Angel. So, bored with the movie--as I said above--L and Light begin trying to solve a case while everyone else is engrossed. Logan notices this and joins in as Eyes Only. He and L also become friends, when they realize how much they have in common... I want this to be a happy AU where Light isn’t Kira, or has been redeemed, but it’s probably not. And he’s now worrying that Logan could be a threat to him too, and probably plotting to kill him. Max somehow senses this and throws food at him, though she plays it subtle. Like, “Hey, stop making me waste good food to get you to stop glaring at my hubby.” Oh, and Max is making herself at home with all the food. Because our girl loves to eat, and to relax. She and L might get into a fight over the sweets, though. And our transgenic super-soldier girl would of course win.

Madoka and Homura from Madoka Magica. It’s probably at this point, that Homura also notices something is wrong with Light. And she wants to get Madoka away from this scene to protect her. Because of course she does. But Madoka turns her down. And for the most part, Homura will never do anything that Madoka doesn’t want her to do. Madoka probably is somewhere between bonding over drawing with Naminé and Angel, and asking if she can be friends with Buffy and Clary and try and say funny things, too. They agree, of course. So Homura is sandwiched between Madoka and all her new friends, and she really can’t complain about that at all.

Noctis and Luna from Final Fantasy XV are also snuggled together, and they write secret notes to each other during the whole thing. Because even though they’re now finally together in person, they’ve just sort of gotten used to communicating that way.

Zack and Aerith from Crisis Core are probably being disasters, who are trying to build a flower wagon while everyone else is watching a film. But, hey. That’s just them. Aerith also probably joins in on the ad-libbing the movie thing.

Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa from Final Fantasy VII are really close to the screen--Cloud is in love with this movie--and Tifa is trying to help explain things to him. Why? Because On the Way to a Smile talks about how Cloud doesn’t even know some vegetables and fruits’ names, because he decided to try out for SOLDIER at a young age and then had his mind shattered because of Mako poisoning, trauma, etc. So... if they’re watching a movie about cooking or something, Cloud could seriously make a mistake like, “Oh, so they’re using sour cream for this baked good. I didn’t know you could do that. But I guess it makes sense.” Tifa - “No, Cloud. They’re using cream cheese.”

Neku and Shiki (The World Ends With You) are enjoying watching the movie close together. And Neku is quietly humming during a lot of the singing parts, which makes Shiki blush and her crush on Neku grow even stronger (he may even be singing to her). And no one cares, because Neku actually has a nice singing voice. During the film, Shiki might attempt to make clothes based on the main characters’ outfits, that everyone is then amazed by.

And maybe I’ll add Tidus and Yuna in from Final Fantasy X. Tidus is trying to convince Yuna to just have a good time with him and have fun watching the movie--and she wants to--but she also senses something is wrong. And is prepared to pull her pistols out to stop someone from doing someone heinous, or to perform a Sending if someone dies here... whichever comes first.

And what the heck, did I just write? LOL.

Some other pairings I love that weren’t featured here, because I didn’t know how to fit them in and this probably already has too many people: Zidane and Garnet from Final Fantasy IX, Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson, Will and Elizabeth from Pirates of the Caribbean, Raoul and Christine from Phantom of the Opera, Eren and Mikasa from Attack on Titan, Snow and Serah from Final Fantasy XIII, perhaps Clark and Lana from Smallville. And maybe even Yozora and Nameless Star from Verum Rex, even though them and Noctluna are cut from the same cloth, etc.:)

Thanks for such a fun ask!

[baajisms]

mob boss au

Name: Anna Nickname: She is known in the underworld as ‘Anima’. Otherwise, Ani. Age: 51 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual/Heteroromantic Relationship Status: Widowed Relatives: Jyscal (Deceased) | Seymour (Deceased) Home: The Okinawa Islands, Japan Current Home: She goes where she’s needed. Occupation: Boss of the ‘Guado’ Mob.

Personality: Under any other circumstance, Anima is a gentle person. While there is a certain hardness about her that may deter some people (think resting bitch face), she is a kind soul underneath it all. She is very much a maternal figure, especially after her son was born, but that’s not to say she can’t dole out the punishment when it’s necessary. Coming from the background she did, one would think she’d be rather naive and closed minded, but if living with Jyscal has taught her anything, it’s that independence and going into things with an open mind is rather beneficial. Being more independent is something she’s had to grow into and going into things with an open mind is something she’s had to learn, but both are traits she prides herself in.

In terms of being the boss of a Mob, however, is where her personality may change. That’s not to say it’s who she is, but rather, who she needs to be. She needs to be strong, she needs to be in charge and there needs to be moments when she’s cold hearted. These moments may often be interpreted as her being aloof, but it is often for her own protection, because as soon as she lets her true feelings get in the way, that’s when the organisation may crumble. She is not afraid to do what needs to be done, even if that means exiling someone or executing them. She does not take her position lightly, but she does so with logical, sense and a cool head. She is not perfect in this position however, she has advisers, she has bodyguards and she trusts them. Anima is not one to trust easy in regards to the Mob, but once you’ve thoroughly earned it, you know. Her loyalty is something that many would want for themselves. Her gaze was often stone cold and it was if she could see right into your soul most of the time. Despite what her personality might’ve been outside of the Mob, she had a certain...sarcastic tone to her.

However, get on the right side of her during the mob and she can be friendly. She isn’t without heart, but it doesn’t show too much. To show it too often would be a sign of weakness and that’s not what she wants. So, one should themselves lucky if they enter her good gracious, even luckier if they see this side of her.

History: Born to a well off family on the Okinawa Islands, Anna didn’t want for nothing. But, it can with a set of traditions of who to marry, what line of work they should go into, who to marry. Ani rarely questioned it since she didn’t know any better. She grew up with a love of gardening, helping out at the temple and reading, amongst other things.

When she was 18, her parents started to think about her future, mainly about marriage. Her parents started talking to other families about who should have her hand. A couple of years past and Ani wasn’t married. A decision hadn’t been made yet. However, a man by the man of Jyscal came on a business trip to the Islands and the two hit it off. It was clear he was a man of great power, not only by the clothes he wore but the energy he gave off. Unbeknownst to Ani, that power came from being a mob boss but that wouldn’t come out until later on.

Jyscal came and went, but their relationship was steady. A couple of years later and Jyscal asked for her hand in marriage. She accepted, the two got married and Ani moved in with him. It was during these years that she found out what he actually did for a living. He had always told her that he was a business man for a large corporation and in truth, he was. He worked a large corporation on the side of being a Mob Boss. If anything, it was a cover for the truth.

It had been a mistake when she’d found out. She’d found out the exciting news that she was pregnant and had wanted to tell him. She had come into his office a bit too quickly and saw him looking at a couple of papers. That had started her suspicions off. She told him she was pregnant, he was happy, they both were, but afterwards, Ani started digging. She had always wondered about a few small things. Him coming home late, how he always locked his office, a few small secrets about what he was doing, the strangers in his house who always eyed her with wariness. He had made excuses and Ani had always brushed them off.

During the first couple months of her pregnancy, Ani dug. It took her a solid 4 months because her suspicions were confirmed. A morning news report and a disheveled looking husband the night before was all it took. She kept her suspicions close to her chest though, not wanting to voice her concerns just yet. 

It slipped out after the baby was born though. Not sleeping for 48 hours because of a difficult birth and it was when she was holding Seymour in her arms that the words ‘I know you’re a Mob Boss’ slipped out. There was an awkward silence for a moment and Jyscal kissed her on the forehead. When they got home and Anna had put the baby to bed, they talked. She made him talk. She wasn’t happy about it, but she wasn’t going to interfere so long as he didn’t bring it home with him. He agreed.

But, being a Mob Boss made him a target. Threatening letters were a big thing, but they always managed to hide it from Seymour. However, it was when Seymour was 8 and Anna had taken him out, there was a raid on the house. They came home to find the house in a state of near disaster. Papers everywhere, tables overturned, drawers on the floor. It had been like they were searching for something. Even Seymour’s room had been upturned. Anna was pissed. She didn’t say anything until Seymour had gone to bed though. They discussed the fact that maybe Anna and Seymour moved out to somewhere safer. Like a safe house. 

Which they did.

They visited Jyscal and Jyscal visited them but the visits grew shorter and further apart. It was when they moved into the safe house, that Seymour started to get a fascination of what his dad actually did. He would try and find out, the curious nature of a child getting the better of him so many times. Anna tried to keep him away from it but by the time he was 15, he’d found out anyway. It was disappointing that she couldn’t keep him out of it and as time went on, Seymour got more and more involved in his father’s mob. Anna couldn’t keep him away any longer.

So she kept an eye on them both. Even she got involved a little bit. Nothing messy, just what they were up to and what they were doing. From the sidelines, she started learning but kept it all under wraps. Before Seymour’s 23rd birthday, there was whispers of Jyscal growing soft. Of him becoming more lenient. So, Seymour formed a plan. He didn’t tell anyone apart from a few confidants in the mob.

2 weeks after his 25th birthday, Seymour murdered his father. He did it in secret, so that only he knew what had happened and then started a rumour that a member of a rival Mob had gotten to him. This furthered the ‘theory’ that Jyscal was going soft and let himself get killed and allowed Seymour to seamlessly take the Boss position for himself. The ‘Guado’ mob was a fearsome one in Japan and not one that you wanted cross lightly. They were logical, calculated and always seemed to be 2 steps ahead even if they weren’t. Seymour wanted to continue that reputation before his father ruined it. Anna couldn’t say she was shocked, after joining the Mob officially, she had seen a change in her son. He’d developed a hunger for power and after taking over, he’d developed a nihilistic sense of what should be done.

Because of that, she entered the Mob fully, to keep an eye on her son. She became known as ‘Anima’ in the underground circles. Sometimes, she was the voice of reason, to calm Seymour down and to stop him from doing anything too rash. She became his closest confidant, besides ‘Tromell’ (they figure it’s a code name, but no-one’s sure) and that was how she found out the truth of Jyscal. She kept her son’s secret despite everything. 

Some weeks later, the Guado are made away of a rival mob (Tidus, Yuna & the Gang from X if people wish) in the area, with a couple of interesting people that Seymour takes a particular interest in. Their initial meeting goes well, if not a little strained, with Tromell & 2 experienced bodyguards going along with Seymour in Anima’s place. However, it’s Seymour’s actions in the following weeks that makes whatever their relationship between the two factions had, or could’ve had, crumble and the two begin to feud. The new group manage to break through Seymour’s defenses and injure the head of the Guado quite badly, despite Anima’s intervetion. 

These injuries look like they’re fatal but, with the connection the Guado Mob have, Seymour is able to survive to near perfect condition. If Seymour wasn’t cracking already, this made him crack even further. He starts to crave power even more and his nihilistic sense of the world drives his mentality further towards breaking point. The Mob are on edge and there is little Anima can do at this point. Nobody voices concern, they keep going along, afraid of what might happen. Anima, however, begins to come up with a plan.

Being the mother of the leader has it’s advantages. Slipping out, she meets with the Mob that managed to slip through their defenses and nearly kill her son. What she tells them is brief and vague, only saying what was necessary and convincing them that Seymour needs to be taken out for good. They arrange to take out Seymour for good and manage to get Seymour & a number of guards to a secluded spot. The other Mob manages to take out the guards but hesitate over Seymour. 

It was that hesitation that made Anima shoot Seymour herself. 

It was with that, that she took over the Mob itself. No-one questioned her about it. When Anima returned with blood spattered on her and Seymour didn’t, people put two and two together and assumed that Anima had killed him. Which was correct. She gave a rather empowering speech and while there were a couple of complaints, she wasn’t at odds with taking them out either. After taking out her only son, it had awakened something in her. Anima had struck a deal with the rival Mob. While things were strained between the two, they wouldn’t interfer with each other’s business and let each do what they needed to, providing they left each others members alone.

Over time though, people became to see that it wasn’t just the fear that kept them there, Anima was a decent leader. She showed the right amount of logic to keep them afloat and the right amount of mercy to keep their reputation from becoming too ‘kill crazy’ like her son had almost made it. But her reputation was still made her fearsome. She wasn’t perfect, so she had Tromell as her second in command, advisers and bodyguards to steer her in the right direction. During her time though, there was a rumour or two going around about what happened to her son. Some said that his mother murdered him, others disputed it, saying that it was a rival gang that did it, like Jyscal. Whatever the rumours, it didn’t matter to her.

Anima ruled now.

[antepenultimatefantasy]

FFXII Zodiac Age Playthrough Part 7

Local Viera discovers one weird trick to stop aging! Doctors hate her! 

-On the way to Mt. Bur-Omisace, Ashe and Basch reflect on how they would really rather not ally with the empire for the shame of it all, but saving their people from war and death far outweighs their pride.

-Basch has hope for the future and looks on as Vaan, Penelo, and Larsa playfully bicker.

-Does everyone like adopt these kids in their head when they meet them?

-In the empire, two judges talk of how Vayne would be harder to topple than the senate thinks.

-Another judge joins the conversation reminding them that Vayne took two of his brothers lives, and that maybe he's not the best person to look up to.

-Apparently, Gramis found these two guilty as traitors, so Vayne's killing of them was justified, one maintains.

-The judges are summoned to meet with Vayne, who has just arrived in Archades

-The judge who is wary of Vayne, Drace, talks with her colleague about how Larsa is headed to But-Omisace and how that will give the empire time to shore up their defenses against a Rozarrian invasion.

-Even though the senate thinks so, Larsa is no puppet, she says, and Gabranth (the other judge she's talking to) says that that will make the senate turn against him. They agree to protect him.

-Somehow, Gabranth manages not to mention that he would totally kill Basch in this conversation.

-Back with the 99% (and Larsa), the team arrives in a deep jungle.

-Unforch, there are barriers everywhere. Fran says that the jungle is denying them passage and it's her fault.

-She and Balthier head in a different direction, where she casts a cool spell that creates a path into the distance. It's to a Viera village.

-Fran's not exactly welcome there though.

-Fran tells Vaan to look for Mjrn and bring her to her.

-She also tells him to lend her one of the vowels in his name, because Mjrn really needs one.

-The Eruyt Village is basically like Rivendell.

-Its inhabitants want exactly zero things to do with Vaan.

-This includes their leader, Jote, who is very evasive about Vaan seeing Mjrn.

-Fran appears saying that the voice of the woods has told her that Mjrn's not at the village.

-Jote says that the voice of the woods is also saying where she is, but Fran can't hear it because she left the village.

-Viera who leave are no longer Viera.

-That's...not how biology works.

-Jote tells them that Mjrn headed west and walks among iron-clad men.

-It's like a Tinder bio.

-Fran says that staying in the village isn't the only choice Viera have.

-Jote says that she heard those same words 50 years ago.

-Hmmm....

-As the team leaves the village, Balthier congratulates Vaan on some good negotiating and wonders where Mjrn could be.

-Larsa says that it's probably the Henne Mines.

-Then, the most legendary FFXII moment happens.

-Vaan brings up how Jote said that Fran told her that same thing 50 years ago, then asks how old she is.

-Silence.

-Penelo facepalms.

-Ashe pretends to text.

-Basch is wondering if protecting Dalmasca is really worth this.

-Larsa becomes very interested in his sleeve ruffles.

-Balthier's soul momentarily leaves his body.

-Fran has, in these five seconds, imagined 47 unique ways to make sure Vaan's twinky ass never sees the light of day again, but ever graceful, she turns heel and leaves.

-The rest of the party does as well, very unimpressed.

-This is like, Tidus fake laughing in FFX level of embarrassment.  

-I love it.

-Back in the Ozmone Plain, the group comes across a wounded imperial and gives him a potion.

-He lets us use his chocobo and tells the team to stay away from the Henne Mines.

-Being good listeners, they head directly there.

-Outside the mines, corpses of imperials and Draklor Laboratories researcher lie strewn about.

-The corpse of Vaan's self-esteem is there too, after what he said to Fran.

-Deep within the mines, Larsa comments on how Henne is much like Lhusu, and the imperials will need the magicite if the #resistance blocks them from Bhujerba.

-There's another dead imperial and Mjrn comes wandering out.

-Girl's drunk.

-Then she calls Ashe a "power-needy Hume" and stumbles away.

-Wig. Snatched.

-The team follows after her and runs into a giant dragon that totally ignores her, but does not like anyone else.

-Aw, she just wanted to get tipsy alone with her dragon friend, but stupid power-needy Humes keep on getting in the way.

-It was self care.

-After the team defeats the dragon, Mjrn reappears holding a nethicite stone. She drops it and it breaks, showing a creepy shadow demon thing behind her that evaporates in the air.

-She's all better.

-Later, she explains that she wanted to investigate the Hume soldiers going through the woods, so she came to the mines but was caught. They placed the stone next to her so that the mist would be drawn within her, and the last thing she remembers is the light of the stone.

-Also, she's Fran's sister. Aw.

-Fran says that she experienced the same thing on the Leviathan before it blew up because Viera are particularly sensitive to mist.

-Larsa never realized how dangerous nethicite was and takes the stone he gave Penelo.

-Ashe says that dangerous things have a place too.

-Ashe is basically Daenerys.

-Back in the Eruyt Village, Jote gives Vaan a means to pass through the barrier.

-Mjrn tells Jote that Ivalice is changing and the Viera shouldn't just hide in the trees while it does. She intends to leave the village.

-Fran dissuades her because the freedom comes at the high price of solitude and exile.

-She tells Mjrn to forget she ever existed.

-Geez, this is really heavy.

-Mrjn runs away and Jote apologizes to Fran for making her do that.

-Fran asks Jote to listen to the Wood's voice to see if she hates.

-Jote says that the Wood misses her, but Fran calls that a "pleasant lie."

-Also, they're sisters too.

-Deeper in the jungle, the team comes across a nice lush mound.

-Nope. Mound dragon.

-When the team defeats it, it turns into an actual mound.

-The team finally exits the jungle, to enter...a snowy mountain?

-Geography?

-Ivalice explain!

-Also, this is where refugees go?

-That's pretty metal.

-Balthier says that while the empire parades around, refugees are walking barefoot through the snow.

-Larsa responds saying that's why he's getting his father to choose peace.

-Or...they could move the refuge to, like, the beach.  

-Balthier says that you can never know anyone, not even your father.

-Okay, first of all? Daddy issuesTM.

-Second? That's a myspace tagline, B.

-In Archades, Vayne and Gramis talk about silencing the senate.

-Like, killing them?

-They banter about the difference between vengeance and necessity, but conclude by saying if they don't do anything their house will fall.

-Plus Vayne's already murdered tons of people, so might as well keep to it so Larsa doesn't have to.

-I'm not sure that's sound logic...

-Back at Bur-Omisace, the team comes up to the Gran Kiltias.

-He is not moving and his eyes are closed.

-Is this Weekend at Bernie's?

-Vaan asks if he's sleeping, and without actually talking, he answers that he's dreaming.

-He dreams because reality and illusion are two parts of a whole, and dreaming helps him find the truth.

-Whatever, we get it. You're vegan and do yoga.

-He says that he has seen Ashe's dream of restoring Dalmasca.

-Larsa asks him to give her his blessing then.

-Just then, a cool guy with sunglasses strolls in and asks her to reconsider. He also condescendingly pats Larsa on the head.

-Watch out, Balthier. You have coolest-guy-in-the-room competition.

-He is the frenemy Larsa wanted to introduce to Ashe. His name is Al-Cid Margrace, of the Margrace family that rules the Rozarrian empire.

-Anastasis says that both Larsa and Al-Cid dream of no war.

-Ashe says that she came all this way to make peace and she does not want to reconsider.

-Al-Cid reminds her that she is still reported dead, and her reappearance would complicate things, not because she's powerless because other circumstances have changes.

-Larsa says that he could convince his father for peace if Ashe extends her hand.

-Unfortunately, Gramis is rather recently dead.

-In Archades, two senators are being taken away protesting that there is no reason they could have killed the Emperor.

-Inside the Emperor's chambers, the leader of the senate is dead along with the Emperor. Vayne says that the senate was conspiring against him, and now he has taken autocratic rule.

-Or, as Palpatine says, "I am the senate!"

-Drace is not here for this. It's obvious to her that Vayne is lying and created the whole situation.

-You and me both, Drace.

-She draws her sword to place her under arrest, but another Judge, Bergan, says that it was the law itself which made Vayne Emperor.

-Then he just fucking one handed picks her up by the face and tosses her aside.

-Okay, she's wearing a huge suit of armor. Bergan's got gunz.

-Obviously steroids, says Drace.

-Vayne tells Zargabaath to collect Larsa, but Gabranth says that Larsa was under his charge.

-Vayne says that he shouldn't have been and then asks Gabranth to execute Drace to prove his loyalty, because she has been tried and found guilty.

-She tells him to do it and to protect Larsa. He asks her to forgive him.

-Well, damn. Drace was the best one. Now we're left with Fratricidal Gabranth and Frat Bro Bergan.

-Though Gabranth is getting better, I guess.

-Back at Bur-Omisace, Al-Cid explains that now that Vayne is the Emperor, he's basically just going to blow everything up. His fleet's pretty much ready to go.

-Ashe then returns to the Gran Kiltias and is like, "forget being Queen. How can I too blow everything up?"

-At this, Anastasis opens his eyes and actually talks, saying that seeking such power is something only Humes would do.

-I don't know, have you seen Moogles?

-He tells her to go to the Stilshrine of Miriam to seek a sword that can cut nethicite, which also belonged to the Dynast-King.

-Off the team goes (except a shocked Larsa), and Anastasis cryptically says that his dream is also fading to day.

-That's it for this section!

The only exchange that matters:

Vaan: "I was wondering - what Jote said, you know? About how you said the same thing 50 years ago? Fran: "Your point?" Vaan: "How old were you again?" *longest silence* *Fran leaves* Balthier: "Nice, Vaan." Larsa: "Surprisingly rude." Penelo: "Try to grow up, please."

[ooc-but-stylish]

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

someone explain to me why XV is the only story in the recent mainline Final Fantasy games that pretends that its main protagonist dying with absolutely no say in the matter nor any other options is absolutely the most good and heroic thing to do for everyone else, “coincidentally” when the protagonist also happened to be physically disabled in some capacity, and completely ignore his mental issues in favor of characterizing him (via other’s reactions) as selfish and spoiled?

I mean, I played FF7. Cloud lived. Cloud is also super-abled, and was only in a wheelchair briefly until his consciousness was pulled back together. He probably has PTSD but that didn’t stop him from being super-abled and leaping tall buildings in single bounds and engaging in sword fights wielding a weapon no normal human can carry. And he’s alive.

I played FF8. Squall lived. And he got Rinoa. He’s also super physically abled, enough to apparently survive a right-to-the-chest stab wound with no marks to show for it (seriously.... how????). He probably has PTSD too because of childhood trauma and eventual memory loss. Still, he’s alive.

I played FF9. Zidane was the most outgoing protag I’d ever seen in a while. Suffered an identity crisis, got over it with the Power of Friendship. Presumed dead while trying to get his bro. Dead, right? Nope! Still alive.

I played FF10. Tidus disappeared but he got resurrected by the Fayth. It’s not even a FF10-2 exclusive thing where 10 would have otherwise had him dead as a doornail. If anyone sat through until the end of the credits, Tidus is literally seen waking up in the water as if he took a long nap, and swimming up to the surface. 10-2 just expands on it, but his resurrection was canon. Even within 10, a post-game conversation with Shiva’s fayth reveals that they would create a new dream and “We will make a sea for you to swim”, and Yojimbo advises Tidus to “Run and go beyond the Dreaming”. They intended on him coming back.

I played FF12. The cast of that lives. Even Vaan, who apparently nobody liked.

I played through the whole 13 trilogy. Three guesses what happens there.

11 and 14 were/are online games, so, not mentioning those.

But 15 comes along. Noctis has a bad leg thanks to a childhood incident, is Depressed, is doomed to die an early death which contributes to his Depression, is roped into a shitty exploitative relationship with his “fate” thrown onto him since the age of at least 8 or so, loses his entire kingdom, suffers from PTSD as if he hadn’t already, and at every turn is either disrespected, treated like a “spoiled brat”, robbed of his agency, lied to by people including his betrothed and his father, gets ten years of his life stolen from him and the world goes to complete shit which he couldn’t do anything to stop and is promptly guilted over, and to top it off, he’s convinced (read: blackmailed, pressured, forced) to kill himself as if he doesn’t have a life of his own, a kingdom he was initially told he would reclaim, nor any conceivable goal beyond what a bunch of useless gods want for him.

And some idiot writers decided that this guy who only got to live for 20 years was the perfect candidate for a story about martyrdom and suicide to “serve the greater good”.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

hmmmmmmm someone tell me why that is

I mean did the main protag(s) of FFs 1-6 die and I don’t know it, or...????

[jameshateseverything-blog]

Your Childhood (Actually) Sucks

I’m always worried when I say this; but Final Fantasy 7 is the most overrated game of all time. That, however, isn’t the point. How good it is is less important than how good people remember it being. Because the way people remember things is more important than the way things actually are.

  I spend a great deal of time thinking about being thirteen. Probably more than I should, to the point it borders on an addiction. My best friend and his newfound girlfriend decided Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” would be “their song.” I had placed second at the district chess tournament being held at my school. And I had been playing Final Fantasy 10 for the first time. It was not the first game in the series I had played, that goes to 7. What it was, however, was the first game in the series I have ever experienced.

  When I initially set out to write this essay I wanted to merely make an argument as to why Final Fantasy 7 isn’t good (or at least not as good as everyone seems to tell me it is). I had planned out several points as to why other entries in the series trumped it. Namely in the storytelling and gameplay departments. I decided to give 7 another playthrough, however. After spending some time with the game, which I concede holds up better than most Playstation 1 titles, I have come to realize something; maybe Final Fantasy 7 is not just the most overrated game of all time. Maybe, just maybe, the entire series is one of the most overrated gaming franchises ever. For those of you (which I assume is most) that have never played 7, 10, or any Final Fantasy, I am going to do my best to cover the story of those two specific games. I chose 7 and 10 because (a) the original argument was based on 7 and (b) though I wouldn’t say 10 is the best, I would say it is my personal favorite.

  Our story opens up with edgy ex-corporate mercenary Cloud Strife working alongside terrorist movement AVALANCHE to take down a Mako reactor. Mako being the life force of the planet and what is used to run all machinery. It is essentially crude oil that has the latent ability to grant certain people magical powers, like shooting fireballs or summoning ancient gods. But Shinra faces the problem that Mako energy is beginning to run low and their only hope is to find an ancient promised land. A promised land that is rumored to have Mako flowing endlessly beneath it. The dilemma, only an extinct race of people, the Cetra, know how to find this fossil fuel Mecca.

 As the game progresses you assemble a team of unlikely heroes including emo boy Cloud. A revenge-fuelled Barrett who has a gun for a hand and a deep-seated hatred for Shinra’s use of technology. The last remaining Cetra, Aeirith. There’s also a pseudo-vampire, a talking lion wolf, and a marshmallow plush controlled by a cat. Shinra has their eyes set on Aerith, they manage to capture her, and so begins the quest for renewable energy. Cloud and crew go to rescue her and this is when the true villain is introduced. Pretty boy and fan favorite Sephiroth is a one-winged semi-clone of a deity that fell from the sky as a meteor thousands of years prior. Sephiroth is one blatant metaphor for a Christian guilt complex. Sephiroth (who is also the god Jenova) wants to summon another meteor to destroy the planet so he can absorb all the Mako and become one with it. When Cloud and friends try to stop him, he manages to mind control Cloud. Then Convinces Cloud that he’s a clone of Sephiroth with the memories of some guy named Zack planted in him. Cloud has a mental breakdown, becomes catatonic, falls into the planet’s lifestream with his childhood friend, and sorts out his existential crisis like some bad acid trip. After he spends 10 minutes getting his shit together, the gang flies into the crater where Jenova initially crash landed Lord Xenu style. They do battle with Sephiroth, who is also Jenova, who is also the ancient entity known as Meteor. They kill him with the help of a deceased Aerith, and the world returns to its beautiful dystopian self. Minus the evil conglomerate monopoly of Mako Shinra once had. Convoluted enough for you? I didn’t even touch on the movie, four spin-off games (two on cell phone), or the racing of giant chickens to learn to summon King Arthur’s henchmen.

 Let us compare 7’s convoluted mess of a story to 10’s. Final Fantasy 10 follows Tidus, a young man with an Oedipus complex. One night, during a game of underwater space soccer [read: Blitzball], Tidus is interrupted by a colossal parasitic winged slug destroying the city of Zannarkand. Tidus and a friend of his father try to fight the creature but are ultimately defeated and Tidus wakes up in a completely different world. In this new world, a few things overlap. Space Soccer is larger than the super bowl, the city Zannarkand still exists though it is in ruins, and the giant slug unironically named Sin. Sin is the driving force for the game’s narrative. The creature is an evil that reincarnates itself and is allegedly a manifestation of what happens when man uses technology rather than prayer. So I guess Sin is just another Christian guilt complex villain.

 Throughout the story Tidus befriends an unlikely group of heroes including a subpar Blitzball player who has a deep-seated hatred (bordering on racist) for the machine using Al-Bhed. There is a summoner on a pilgrimage to sacrifice herself to stop Sin for another couple dozen years. A biped lion wolf, and a few other JRPG tropes.

 As the story progress you find out that Tidus’ father helped on the previous summoner’s pilgrimage and became Sin. Tidus finds out he isn’t real, and that if they defeat Sin he will fade into a literal dream. Tidus spends 10 minutes sorting out this existential crisis. There is some whistling. The party goes inside of Sin. Father, son, and not-so-holy ghost all die. The world falls back into its primitive state now liberated and free to use their technology as they please.

 The games are pretty damn similar when reduced to the lowest common denominator. I have time and time again praised 10 while putting down 7. And if you have played both of them you would be quick to see how they are inherently different. But this is how I remember those games. And how I imagine many others remember them to some degree, minus a few scenes left out for brevity.

 I was 13 and sitting in the back of my step-father’s Lincoln Navigator. There was a PS2 set up to the small screen and I was playing Final Fantasy 10; nearing the end. My step-dad just bought a “new car” scented car freshener. To this day I associate that smell with my favorite game of all time. This phenomenon, my addiction, to me is one of the most fascinating tricks the mind plays on us. Nostalgia, coming from the greek words nostos and algos translating to “homecoming pain.” There was a time it was used by the Swiss military where they thought the only treatment for the condition was to send the mercenaries home. Now we see there is something universal about “the better days.”

 After discussing the concept of nostalgia with a handful of people I have noticed people tend to fall into two different camps. Some, myself included, look at nostalgia with joyous sorrow. As though there are memories, emotions, and sensations that can never be duplicated. Think back to a favorite Christmas or birthday present, remember how you felt? Even though I believe that feeling itself can be replicated, the way you remember that feeling is encapsulated in that moment and forever gone. In this first camp, there is a fear that if we don’t cling to those memories we may lose a piece of our identity with them. The second camp tends to view nostalgia pejoratively. Longing being some type of weakness. Even if there were  “good ol’ days” you can’t ever get them back so why waste time trying? Now whether either of these mentalities is objectively more correct than the other, impossible to say. I’m more just fascinated that everybody feels homecoming pain. I did notice, however, that people more invested into games (video or sport) tend to sit in the former camp with myself. I think that is where Final Fantasy, especially 7, begins to fall apart. Am I using Nostalgia to say that Final Fantasy 7 is bad, even subjectively? No, not really. Instead I’m calling into question why it is important. Not important for gaming, but important to the gamers who believe it is the high bar for the series, or even games in general.

 A few hundred words ago I drew attention to the similarities between 10 and 7. And I would like to narrow that down to just the two protagonists; Cloud and Tidus. At face value these characters are different. Tidus is a young, naive, hot-headed sports star trying to live up to a father he resents. Cloud is a battle-hardened soldier whose idol turned out to be a monster. We are supposed to identify as these two. Our perspective is limited to theirs. Both are detached from a larger picture that they inevitably find themselves the center of. So even if Cloud and Tidus are different from one another, their general arcs manage to remain the same. This is why people (myself included) find these games to be important in their lives. Both of their lives are lies. One is a fleeting dream of the gods and the other a blonde husk with a brunette’s memories. Neither character has any reason to exist.

 Usually, if you listen, when people talk about their favorite music, movies, games it often is something from their childhood. You favorite Final Fantasy is most likely the first one you played. If it isn’t, your favorite was probably played around the ages of 13-16.  Even if you have never played these games I want you to take a moment to just stop. Take a nice long hit of that homecoming pain. Go back, try to remember being 9, or 13, or 16. Try to remember who you were as a person. Sorry if you were awkward, but that awkwardness is kind of the point. These transitional points in our lives, they are moments when we are developing responsibilities and learning who we are. Whether it is your first day home without the babysitter, or a first day of high school, those periods are when we can exist outside of our parents and act as yourself. I remember once breaking down in front of my parents proclaiming I did not know who I was. I didn’t belong. I had no reason to exist. I was the same as Cloud or Tidus.

 I suppose when I hate on Cloud as a character, or when others shun Tidus, what we are really doing is collectively hating how annoying and whiny younger versions of ourselves were. But it wasn’t always that way. Sure, we didn’t have to come to terms with being a clone. But maybe, like Tidus, we discover some aspect of our life is a lie. Santa isn’t real. We can’t all be astronauts. These tiresome characters are just us as tiresome teenagers. And it is hard not to look back and cling to that notion, a moment where we didn’t have to feel so alone. At that age it is nice to be understood.

 So do I hate Final Fantasy 7? No, of course not, I’m mostly enjoying my third playthrough. But the story doesn’t speak to me like it did when I was a kid. I’m not sure it is supposed to either. This idea that no Final Fantasy will ever capture the same magic as the old ones is toxic. It is only going to hurt the growth of the series in the future. Nothing revolutionary can come of trying to capture the old while moving on to the new. 7, 10, 13, these games aren’t terrible by any means. But they are the Donald Trump of gaming. Maybe we can’t make Final Fantasy great again. Maybe it never was that great.

[goddess4302]

Paine is armed with a one-handed sword and a lukewarm attitude. It seems she joined the Gullwings because of something that happened in her past. However, none of the Gullwings know exactly what that might be. The often ridiculous antics of the Gullwings tend to prompt sarcastic remarks from Paine, but the others don't seem to worry about it much.—Booklet description

Paine is a playable character in Final Fantasy X-2, and the most reserved of the girls. Her past is a mystery and it is up to the player to discover what happened to her two years ago during the events of Final Fantasy X.

Paine's manner of dress is different from that of other Spirans, and the cultural distinction implied by her clothing and appearance is never explained. The only known citizen of Spira who looks or dresses anything like her is Lulu, but no other relation is known between the two.

Paine has red eyes, making her resemble Lulu. She has short, silver hair, and most commonly wears a black leather ensemble complete with high-heeled boots, elbow-length gloves and a folded top. She wears a silver pendant threaded with a barbed wire chain. Paine's swords have a skull-motif at the base of the blade that also appears on the belt buckle of her Warrior ensemble, as well as the swords hovering over her head in her special dressphere, Full Throttle. In a bonus cutscene where the girls spend time in a hot spring in Mt. Gagazet, Paine wears a black and white bandeau bikini swimsuit with additional wrist, ankle and neck bands.

Paine's swords are unique in her Warrior, Dark Knight, and Samuraidresspheres, while in her White Mage and Black Mage dresspheres she wields the Malleable Staff and Enchanted Rod respectively. In the Gunner dressphere, she wields Yuna's Tiny Bee pistols and wields an indigo variant of Rikku's dagger blades while in the Thiefdressphere. Her deck theme for the Lady Luck dressphere is diamonds and her Mascot dressphere is a Tonberry. Most of her footwear are high-heeled. When applicable, Paine's dressphere outfits incorporate boyish designs; e.g. her Psychic outfit is based on a typical Japanese schoolboy uniform.

Paine's personality resembles Auron's in the way how she is cynical and reveals information only when she needs to. Not much is known about Paine except that she is quiet and keeps to herself. Paine is tough and loves a good fight, but she is sensible enough to smell trouble a mile away. If she feels her fellow Gullwings are getting overenthusiastic, she uses sarcastic cracks to jolt them to their senses, and despite Rikku's constant prying, she refuses to divulge information about herself, except for always wanting to fly on an airship and hunt for spheres containing records of Spira's past.

In spite of her dry wit and demeanor, Paine values her friendship with Yuna and Rikku, but it is only after spending three months traveling around Spira by herself that she is able to express these feelings. Her physical mannerisms are boyish, perhaps a side effect from her past adventures with Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai.

Paine's childhood is unknown but she grew up during the time of Sin's reign and came to join the Crimson Squad, an elite group of soldiers set up by Yevon. Around the time of Operation Mi'ihen, Paine worked as a recorder for a group of three men: Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal. When the other Crimson Squad members were killed in the Den of Woe, Paine's group survived but were put up for execution soon after by Yevon for having witnessed images of the weapon Vegnagun in the cave.

After Operation Mi'ihen, Paine got separated from Gippal, Nooj, and Baralai and searched for them, passing by Yuna while she was sending the dead. Finding each other, the four stayed together for a while, with Paine still recording their travels, while learning how to speak fluent Al Bhed from Gippal. They decided to go their separate ways on the Mi'ihen Highroad, but Nooj betrayed the group by shooting each of them in the back. The Al Bhed came across the fallen Paine, Baralai, and Gippal, and tended to their wounds and kept them out of sight from the temples, thus separating them.

Two years later, Paine joins the sphere hunter group, the Gullwings, to uncover the truth of what happened on that day in the Den of Woe, but whenever any of the other Gullwings ask Paine of her reason for joining she claims it was for the chance to fly on their airship, the Celsius. Shortly after Paine joins the Gullwings, Yuna also joins the group. As the Gullwings perform missions, they are frequently opposed by the Leblanc Syndicate—their rival sphere hunters, led by Leblanc.

Leblanc steals Yuna's Garment Grid to impersonate her and perform a concert in Luca. While the real Yuna dons a moogle costume as disguise to keep a low profile, Paine and Rikku infiltrate the concert to capture the "impostor Yuna". Rikku and Paine confront Leblanc and chase her out to the docks until being confronted by her two chief henchmen, Logos and Ormi. Yuna joins the fray and reclaims her Garment Grid and begins dancing uncontrollably as though against her will.

During their tracking, they come across the Machine Faction and its leader Gippal, but Paine acts as if they have never met before, confusing him. After obtaining enough uniforms, the Gullwings infiltrate Leblanc's headquarters and find one of Paine's Crimson Spheres that details the events leading up to, during, and after the incident with the Crimson Squad, but Paine remains silent about its significance. YRP discover Leblanc already had the other half of the broken sphere, and stole their half to make it whole.

After watching the restored sphere, it is learned Vegnagun hides Bevelle, and Paine is unsurprised that Bevelle "still has its fondness for secrets". Realizing they are on the same side, the Gullwings and the Leblanc Syndicate form a truce. Together they infiltrate Bevelle and enter the underground passage formed after the fayth's disappearance, finding the Bevelle Underground, an ancient secret complex filled with machina. They fight their way past Baralai to an empty room where the sphere had shown Vegnagun to be. Instead of finding Vegnagun, the group fights the Dark Aeon Bahamut and Vegnagun is gone with a large hole left in its place.

With the mission completed, the Gullwings return to the Celsius and continue sphere hunting until they steal an "Awesome Sphere" from Kilika that records a mysterious machina and an unknown man mentioning someone named Lenne. Upon returning the sphere to either the Youth League or New Yevon, it is learned from Nooj or Baralai that the colossal machina is called Vegnagun. They discover the Leblanc Syndicate had stolen the half-sphere the Gullwings found in the Zanarkand Ruins, forcing them to infiltrate Chateau Leblanc in Guadosalamto reclaim it. To do so, they track down Leblanc Syndicate groups around Spira and steal their uniforms.

Returning from the escapade, the Gullwings learn that Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai have disappeared, and are soon caught fighting fiends and Dark Aeons in the Besaid, Kilika, and Djose Temples. Yuna falls through the hole in Djose Temple's Chamber of the Fayth and into the Farplane, where Nooj and Gippal give Yuna two more Crimson Spheres, telling her to give them to Paine. Back on the Celsius, Yuna tells everyone about her encounter with Shuyin while on the Farplane, learning that Lenne wore the Songstress dressphere over a thousand years ago.

Only when pressed on the deck of the Celsius does Paine reveal a little of her past with Nooj, Gippal, Baralai, and the Crimson Squad, telling Yuna how the four of them dreamed about having an airship, traveling Spira. Later, she assists with finding Tobli to set up Yuna's concert in the Thunder Plains, as a way to calm the tensions rising between the Youth League and New Yevon. During the concert, Lenne's spirit appears and it is revealed she and Shuyin were lovers who were gunned down by Bevelle soldiers after she stopped him from activating Vegnagun. Lenne was a famous songstress and summoner from Zanarkand, who was called to the front lines during the Machina War and Shuyin tried to use Vegnagun to save her. The Gullwings receive another Crimson Sphere, this time from Leblanc herself.

With the final Crimson Sphere obtained, Paine, Rikku and Yuna enter to the Den of Woe and discover the truth behind the events two years ago involving Paine's team. Den of Woe is the place where Shuyin's spirit lingered for a thousand years, and his painful memories and anguish were imprinted on the abundance of pyreflies in the den. When the Crimson Squad entered the den the pyreflies possessed them driving the squad members to kill one another. Shuyin escaped the den by possessing Nooj, which was why he shot his comrades in the back, severing their friendship. Emerging from the den with renewed purpose, Paine is determined to free her friends of Shuyin's influence. Realizing that during their meeting under Bevelle with Baralai and Nooj, Shuyin's spirit left Nooj's body to possess Baralai, Paine asks the Gullwings to help her face Baralai and defeat Shuyin. Now knowing the holes in the temples lead to the Farplane, Yuna plans to tell Shuyin how Lenne felt before they died to calm his spirit.

The Gullwings and Leblanc Syndicate enter the Farplane and, with help from Nooj and Gippal, defeat Vegnagun and Shuyin in a joint effort. Lenne emerges from Yuna's Songstress dressphere to console Shuyin, convincing him to rest in peace before they return to the Farplane together. The Gullwings drop Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal at Luca but leave to return Yuna home to Besaid. When Rikku worries about missing a big party back at Luca, Paine says they party enough on their own. Paine later joins Rikku in watching Yuna and Tidus reunite with each other.

[goddess4302]

Before the events of Final Fantasy X, Rikku's mother died in an incident involving a faulty machina. Rikku's father is Cid, the leader of the Al Bhed faction, and she has an older brother named Brother. Cid's sister (Rikku's aunt) married summoner Braska, Yuna's father, thus making him Rikku's uncle. Rikku and Brother are Yuna's maternal cross cousins.

In Final Fantasy X, Rikku is the first friend Tidus makes in Spira, and she becomes Yuna's final guardian on her pilgrimage.

In Final Fantasy X-2, Rikku convinces Yuna to become a sphere hunter, and accompanies her on her personal quest that evolves into a bid to save Spira again.

In Final Fantasy X, Rikku is fifteen years old and has medium-length blonde hair in a ponytail and braided pigtails with orange feathers. She has the Al Bhed trademark green eyes with swirled pupils, although in FMV cutscenes in X-2, Rikku's eyes have normal pupils instead.

When she is first met aboard the salvage ship, Rikku wears a full Al Bhed combat diving suit that conceals her identity. When she joins Yuna's pilgrimage and sheds the suit, she wears a pair of flared green short-shorts with an orange belt and an orange sleeveless tank-top with side straps and two long blue ribbons hanging from the back. She wears a pair of goggles around her neck, a pair of boots, a gauntlet and arm guard for her right arm and a large protective forearm mitt for her left. Around her right thigh she keeps a pouch for her alchemy materials and equipment. Rikku's nails are painted yellow. Despite carrying goggles around her neck and wearing them while salvaging and piloting machina, Rikku never wears her goggles again after she takes them off on the Moonflow.

In Final Fantasy X-2, the now 17-year-old Rikku wears her longer hair loose and braided, tied atop her head, adorned with colorful beads, and held by a blue bandanna. Rikku has unique outfits for each of the thirteen dresspheres used in combat with details that distinguish her from Paine and Yuna. Rikku's default look is the Thief dressphere, where she wears a yellow g-string bikini and an olive green mini-skirt, carrying two pouches at her waist and ruffle sleeves. A long yellow and red scarf hangs loosely around her neck. Wearing the Thief dressphere in combat, she wields two red dagger-like blades designed for rapid attacks.

In other dresspheres, she wields Yuna's Tiny Bee guns and summoning staves El Dorado and Spiked Rod, as well as Tidus's Crystal Sword, Auron's Katana blade and his Masamune katana. Her deck theme for the Lady Luck dressphere is clubs, and her Mascot dressphere is a Cait Sith.

In Kingdom Hearts II, Rikku's hairstyle remains unchanged and her default Thief dressphere has a minor changes: she wears a yellow tube top and an orange skirt with two yellow ribbons and white ruffle sleeves. Her long scarf is now red with an orange tint. She now wears white knee-high socks and her boots are white with blue folded sleeves.

During Rikku's childhood, a machina went on a rampage and her mother was killed. Rikku was attacked by a fiend while playing on the beach and Brotheraimed a Thunder spell at the fiend to fend it off, but the spell missed and hit Rikku instead, leaving her with a fear of thunder.

After Tidus is ambushed by a fiend in the Underwater Ruins, he is rescued by a group of Al Bhed led by Rikku. While the others believe him to be a fiend in human form, Rikku objects to killing Tidus and instead knocks him out so he can be taken to the Al Bhed Salvage Ship. As the bilingual member of the group, Rikku enlists Tidus in reactivating an underwater power plant to salvage a sunken airship. Striking up a friendship and surprised by his claims of hailing from Zanarkand, Rikku promises to take him to Luca so he can find someone he knows. The two are separated when Sin attacks the ship and Tidus is washed overboard.

Tidus drifts to Besaid and ends up joining Yuna on her pilgrimage. When Yuna's group crosses the Moonflow via Shoopuf, Rikku pilots an underwater machinato kidnap her and stop her pilgrimage, but Tidus and Wakka dive in after her and save Yuna by destroying Rikku's machina. Ejecting from the damaged machina, Rikku washes ashore and Tidus finds her. Rikku discards her Al Bhed uniform to move about incognito and joins Yuna's pilgrimage as her final guardian. While the others know of her heritage, Rikku's status as an Al Bhed is concealed from Wakka, who does not approve of the Al Bhed for personal reasons. Though she enjoys the hospitality at Guadosalam, Rikku stays out of the Farplane while the others go for a visit, saying that the images of the dead Farplane conjures for its visitors are mere memories, and she prefers keeping her memories to herself.

Rikku's astraphobia is revealed while the group cross the Thunder Plains, pleading with the others to rest at the nearby Rin's Travel Agency. Auron's harshness causes an upset Rikku to momentarily overcome her fear by the time they reach Macalania Woods. On the way to Macalania Temple, Rikku defends Yuna from her brother when he attempts to kidnap her. When she tells him she will protect Yuna using her native tongue, Rikku finds herself insulted by a shocked Wakka. She retorts by telling him to think for himself for once without Yevon's influence, and show proof of his claims that her people are to blame for Sin. If Tidus rides a machina sled with Rikku to Macalania Temple, she reveals she is Yuna's cousin and articulates in a roundabout way that Yuna will die if she continues her pilgrimage, but Tidus is oblivious.

At Macalania Temple, a guard, disbelieving an Al Bhed could be a guardian to a summoner, denies Rikku entry until Auron comes to her defense. After the group confront Seymour for his role in murdering his father, Jyscal Guado, which escalates into a battle that kills Seymour, they are pursued by the Guado and fall to the bottom of the frozen Lake Macalania, where they are whisked away by an encounter with Sin.

The party regroups on Bikanel Island but cannot find Yuna. Rikku leads the others to the Al Bhed Home that is under attack by the Guado. They locate Rikku's father, Cid, and Rikku reveals to an unaware Tidus that Yuna will die if she performs the Final Summoning. They escape on the airship the Al Bhed had restored from the salvage operation Tidus participated briefly in.

At Bevelle, the party drops in on Yuna's forced wedding ceremony to the now-unsent Seymour but are forced to watch it continue while held at gunpoint. After Yuna escapes on Valefor, Rikku tosses a flash bomb to blind Seymour and the warrior monks so that the group can retreat into Bevelle Temple. After Kinoc holds them up, Rikku tries to warn Tidus not to exit the Chamber of the Fayth with Yuna, but it is too late, and they are arrested and held on trial for treason.

Rikku is thrown into the Via Purifico with Tidus and Wakka but they escape from the dungeon's monster and reunite with Yuna and the others. On Bevelle's Highbridge, Seymour transforms into Seymour Natus and confronts the group. They defeat him and flee to the Macalania Woods where Rikku hopes Yuna would quit her pilgrimage now that they know the truth about Yevon's corrupt ways, and although Yuna is set on continuing Rikku and Tidus decide to come up with a way to save her. During the group's climb up Mt. Gagazet to the Zanarkand Ruins, Rikku becomes increasingly distraught over Yuna's impending fate and pleads with her not to go through with it. Yuna comforts Rikku and thanks her for her help, but Rikku refuses to accept Yuna's choice.

Within the Zanarkand Dome, the party learns of the Final Summoning's true nature as a continuation of Sin, and Rikku is overjoyed when Yuna rejects it as a false rite. The party decides to fight Sin via other means and Rikku tells Shelinda to spread word of the plan to pacify Sin by using the "Hymn of the Fayth". They fly the airship into the calmed Sin and traverse its innards to reach the core. After Wakka makes his peace with her people, Rikku joins the others in defeating Jecht in his Final Aeon form to destroy Yu Yevon.

As Yuna sends her aeons, Auron dissolves into pyreflies and departs for the Farplane. With Yu Yevon no more, Sin, the fayth, the aeons, and Tidus begin to fade. The party returns to the airship and Tidus says his goodbyes to everyone, but Rikku does not accept his departure, saying they will meet again. Some time later, Rikku is present with Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri as Yuna delivers a speech in Luca Stadium to announce the onset of the Eternal Calm.

Final Fantasy -2

The Gullwings gain a rivalry with the Leblanc Syndicate, another sphere hunting group, led by Leblanc. One day, Leblanc steals Yuna's Garment Grid and performs a concert in Luca while posing as Yuna. Rikku and Paine crash the concert while Yuna dons a moogle costume to keep a low profile. Rikku and Paine chase Leblanc out to the docks and Yuna joins the fray and reclaims her Garment Grid.

The Gullwings explore the recently discovered Floating Ruins at the peak of Mt. Gagazet and claim the treasure sphere that contains images of Zanarkand. At the Zanarkand Ruins they find half a sphere. The Gullwings travel throughout Spira and encounter many old and new friends, including the three most influential Spirans: Youth League leader Nooj, New Yevon Praetor Baralai, and Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction. Gippal, a ladies' man and an old friend of Rikku's, embarrasses her with a crack about the two of them having "made quite the couple". News spreads about an "awesome sphere" found in Kilika, which draws the attention of both the Youth League and New Yevon. The Gullwings seize the sphere whose footage displays the mysterious man who resembles Tidus standing before a large weapon, mentioning someone named Lenne.

The awesome sphere is returned to either the Youth League or New Yevon, and it is learned from Nooj or Baralai the colossal weapon is called Vegnagun. Leblanc broke into the airship and stole the Gullwings' broken sphere from the Zanarkand Ruins, and in Leblanc's headquarters, Chateau Leblanc, the girls discover Leblanc already had the other half and stole their half to make it whole. After watching the restored sphere it is learned Vegnagun lies hidden underneath Bevelle. Forming a truce with the Leblanc Syndicate, the sphere hunters enter the underground passage under Bevelle formed after the fayth's disappearance and find a secret complex filled with machina.

When YRP reach Vegnagun's lair, they face an antagonistic Bahamut and the girls are forced to fight it. Vegnagun is gone and a large hole is left in its place. Fiends pour out of the temples, and Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal go missing. After defeating a possessed Ixion in Djose Temple its surprise death blow attack sends Yuna falling down the hole in the former Chamber of the Fayth and into the Farplane. Rikku, Paine, and the others soon hear from Yuna again when she emerges in the Bevelle Underground.

Back on the Celsius, Yuna tells everyone about Shuyin and Lenne who lived during the times of the Machina War a thousand years ago, and Lenne's spirit coalesced into a sphere, which the Gullwings now use as the Songstressdressphere. After learning about Shuyin and Lenne from Maechen after Yuna's 1000 Words concert, Rikku pities Shuyin, as two years ago, she, too, went to great lengths to try and save Yuna from a tragic fate. Now knowing the holes in the temples lead to the Farplane, Yuna plans talking to Shuyin and tell him how Lenne felt.

Rikku feels that people are always leaving her behind, but Yuna thanks her for 'kidnapping' her and letting her join the Gullwings. YRP descend into the depths of the Farplane in search of Shuyin and Vegnagun. After destroying Vegnagun and defeating Shuyin, Lenne's spirit puts Shuyin's hatred to rest and they return to the Farplane together. The Gullwings leave Spira's leaders at Luca and ride the Celsius to Besaid where Yuna reunites with a revived Tidus.