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One thing I appreciate about Zenos' place in the writing/story is that he provides an avenue for WoL to be someone else, something more than what the core narrative simply directs you to be.

You're the hero, you do everything in your power to help those around you. Zenos allows you to be less than virtuous, if you so choose. You don't have to agree with or take up the personality he ascribes you. He can be wrong about you. But... He can also be right about you.

You can be the WoL that feels bloodlust, that began the journey simply because you wanted to see the world and challenge yourself. You can fall into the role of virtue, adopt the mantle of hero, but feel tired and regretful of the responsibility hoisted upon your shoulders.

You will always rise to the occasion, because that's what's inevitably required of you, but you don't have to with unending enthusiasm. And when you finally, finally reach the end of the universe. Make the penultimate sacrifice for the sake of everyone and everything else...

He gifts you one final opportunity... to fight for *yourself*. To be *yourself*. He tells you you can walk away, this is your choice, whether it be for duty or pleasure, you act for *you* and what you want. No one is asking you to save them, to fight for their sakes. You fight for yourself and for your very own hopes and dreams.

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pondering ffxiv by starting a million wips and not finishing a single one of them

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@tillman 's dagon btw.

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A lesson learned young.

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You're never gonna catch me saying stuff like, "Zenos had to die, in the end. He'd just hurt so many people. 😢 It had to happen. 😢"

Because I am one of those people who look at the long trail of blood behind the Warrior of Light, and their characterization moments in HW, where they pursue vengeance, in SB, where they're like, "I'll kill your god even if I don't have to," in the entire Dark Knight questline, and I go, "Yeah, nah, we both should be dead, then."

The Warrior of Light forges numerous relic weapons that use the blood of people to give it strength, when you think about it, but nope. It's ZENOS who's the only monster here.

Sure, Jan.

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Ego finis et principium 🌅🩸

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anhedonia

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If you ever wonder what I mean by the game does a good job of Showing Zenos' internal self but fails at Telling it is: Unlike with Yotsuyu, who you not only get to see the past of but you also get told about it from her and other NPCs that knew her closely, Zenos gets next to nothing OTHER THAN assumptions by characters who don't have clear pictures of him themselves.

But like. First scene. Guy talking to him. Mentions an ambush and only one survivor. You can HEAR in his voice that Zenos is impressed by the enemy. Which lets you draw a conclusion that his sense of morality? Of allegiance? Very fluid. Very whatever he wants it to be. Because any actual die-hard Garlean military leader would be pissed or appalled that their men were attacked, their men lost, etc. but Zenos is just like, "Oooh. Good for them. Well done."

And then. The survivor. Zenos kind of, "There's nothing wrong with having a desire to live." So, whereas Garlemald typically treats desertion as a capital crime, Zenos just shrugs. Again: Zenos doesn't care about the usual rules. He is, in fact, quite disrespectful of Garlemald. You can FEEL IT.

And then of course you get the cowards line. Where the commander is all, "Yes. The XIIth is no place for cowards." And there's a PREGNANT pause that you instantly understand as this man signing his own death warrant. Because you already know HE'S the coward. You can already tell Zenos is going to remove the actual coward from the ranks.

The cinematography, the pacing, the use of well-known tropes with the character. I found it very easy to read Zenos from the visual cues and such I was being given.

But not everyone is good at that. And when they try to use the information given to them via text, by ignorant characters, they get a skewed idea. Which becomes the wrong idea.

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He says it like an order, but means it as a plea.

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I also appreciate the storytelling of Zenos taking the form of Shinryu again to chase after the WoL.

Because it has long been established that Midgardsormr flew from the Dragonstar to Etheirys. Dragon flew through the universe, passing multiple worlds, to get to one that still had abundant life. Because, at that point, most of the worlds were dead. And Midgardsormr could make that trip because dragons aetherical density is fucking staggering and their scales and eyes are full of it. That's why we have the whole Vrtra scales protecting against aetherical corruption blahdy blah.

So taking the form of the dragon allows Zenos to literally fly through space, across the known universe, to get to you. He didn't take the warp drive portal. That closed behind us. He had to do it the hard way. And man broke speed records, I can assure you.

Man also didn't have Hydaelyn's coordinate crystal. He just zeroed in on your soul and booked it.

Fantastic. No notes.

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my enemy, mine

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ZENOS my henemy

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friend had a dream i drew her a pic of zenos playing a tiny piano

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Stormblood

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