lightningfinaldays

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State of the blog 3.26.17

It’s been several months now since I’ve gotten to play Lightning Returns. For those of you who were keeping up, I’m sorry about the absence. The main reason I’ve been gone is that I’m studying (extra) full time. And then I became a fan of Fire Emblem which has taken up what little time I have had to devote to gaming... In that time, however, I have found myself longing to complete this game. School wraps up in less than a month. Hopefully then I’ll have the opportunity to finish saving the world with Light.

In a funny sense, it’s been a very good break. I am now nostalgic about this game. I think that will make the ending all the better.

If only I could have Lightning on the go in Brave Exvius... Still holding out for her.

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I’m coming back to you...

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This has got to be one of my favorite cosplays

It’s not a question of can, or can’t. There are some things in life you just do.

…so let’s mosey.

Lightning Farron, SOLDIER First Class

photog: @zerochromatic

buster sword: iWood Cosplay

leatherwork: Ribbons and Rivets

c: Khaleesi Cosplay

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This is our ark—our haven. It will be called ’Bhunivelze’… and it shall be the new home for the human race.

—Hope Estheim

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How does Lightning’s over the shoulder hair thingy manage to stay in place?

Been playing FFBE and I’m so excited to (hopefully) pull these two soon!

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I still don’t really know what happened in this questline. How exactly did I bring salvation to Snow? Didn’t the necklace do it all?

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After a near month-long hiatus, I finally got a chance to game again! Today I saved Snow... I think. Truth be told, I have no idea what happened or how. Post upcoming?

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Still around...

And still v busy. I'm hoping to get to play some more and write more posts soon. I'm currently sick so maybe I'll spend my day off recovering with a dose of Lightning after I finally fill out my voting ballot!

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A photo of my (rapidly) growing collection of FFXIII Play Arts Kai figures. No pictures I've encountered really do justice to how beautiful these figures are. Something to pass the time with instead of new writing posts for now :)

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A note...

I have been getting really busy lately and thus have been neglecting gaming and writing for this blog. I’ll try to keep posting regularly as best I can.

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One of my favorite works off of the FFXIII soundtrack, too

Final Fantasy XIII Week: [Day 4] - Favourite Location: ↳ Sunleth Waterscape

Step into the rainbow, world you never knew Chase the arcs of light, soar beyond your sorrows Dance among the colors, let them be your dreams Close your eyes and see anew Dawn of the new day Clears all our gloom away This is the hope that we need to go on 

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Lightning Returns: FFXIII - Luxerion Cathedral

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Divine City of Light

Lightning Returns: FFXIII - Luxerion Cathedral

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Day 2.3 - Noel’s Salvation

[As always, spoilers ahead]

Last time I saw Noel, it was not in the happiest of settings.

After a seemingly endless journey across centuries and back, Noel tried to undo his grim future as the last survivor in the world. He had to relive the deaths of all the people around him, especially that of Yeul, and was forced to kill his last friend and mentor, Caius. It seemed all of it might have been worth something in the end until Serah also befell the same fate of the seeresses. And if that was not enough, the world he thought they had saved was engulfed in Chaos not long after.

This young man just doesn’t get a break.

Though I think the transition from XIII to XIII-2 was pretty rough, I am a big fan of the game nonetheless. And I really liked Noel from the start. Part of it may be an immediate bias I had towards him since he’s voiced by the same person who voices Haku in Spirited Away (one of my favorite films). More importantly, he is somebody who really cares for the people he meets. He is a valiant and kind friend who encourages others to find their strength as well.

I see this most prominently in his relationship with Serah. In XIII, she was the captured damsel, the motivation for several of the main characters with little apparent agency of her own. Noel comes around, however, and immediately encourages her to stand her ground.

I feel this is drastically different than how she was treated by the other characters in XIII. Lightning and Snow wanted to protect her; keep her safe and untouched.  In this scene, Noel sets himself on more equal footing. He makes it clear that, although he will try to be her protector as well, he will depend on her to make her own efforts and trust her to rely on her own strength no more than his own.

He is a strong male character without needing to be hypermasculine. What’s more, his motivations to save his female companions do not appear to be romantically inclined. He’s trying to protect and save these people because they are his friends. He also recognizes his limitations and is not weary of asking for support. That’s too often rare in these kinds of settings.

All of this is not to say that Noel is my ideal for an alternative to the young hero/macho archetype. His often stubborn heroics are paired with a pragmatism that make him realistic, however, instead of an “I’ll do it because I can and to show off to my gal” kind of attitude (looking at you, Snow). Simply put, he defies some expectations of what it means to be the male hero and that makes him all the more approachable to me.

I was eager to save his soul in Lightning Returns. The poor guy has suffered so much and has had five long centuries to live with his guilt of killing Caius and Etro, and in so doing, inadvertently bringing about the world’s destruction as well. Lightning recognizes this must be where the darkness in his soul stems from. Even worse, as she notes, it was she who set him on this path that took away everything he had cared about.

Hope: Once long ago he tried to change the future for the better, but instead, Chaos was unleashed on the world.

Lightning: Yeah. That’s a hell of a burden for anyone to carry.... And I bet he hasn’t forgotten that I’m the one that put it on his shoulders.

I was not surprised, then, to know he intended to kill Lightning. It made sense that he would think getting rid of her would somehow fix things. At the very least, it would be cathartic to confront her. I was really hoping this battle would bring closure to his strife.

I must say, at first I was left wanting more for Noel. We learned he had focused all his energy on fulfilling the prophecy in the oracle drive that promised him another chance with Yeul, even if it meant killing Lightning. He ultimately decides he cannot go through with it, no matter how badly he wants to hold on to any glimpse of happiness. Seeing Yeul and having her affirm his decision is what saves him. I was left feeling this was just another promise of hope, asking Noel to wait once again.

But as I was preparing this post, I inevitably rewatched these cutscenes. Lightning’s apology and description of the new world she can promise him, seem like the truly best things to offer Noel.

This world has given Noel enough hardship. Maybe the best thing is to start from a blank slate. Not undo what has been done, instead be given a completely new opportunity. And what better way than alongside companions to rely on?

Noel’s was the first main quest I completed. I have plenty more tragic heroes to save and offer this vision of a new world to. It’s an idea that’s so personal to me... There are so many messy things in this world and yet, we’re not looking for a perfect one. We simply want one that will allow us to continually grow and shape it the way we’d like without fear of difference and change, together.

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Noel trusts in Serah’s abilities and strength in a way Lightning and Snow seem not to at first. Like them, he sets out to protect her. Unlike them, however, from the beginning he trusts she has a fighting chance of protecting herself, too. She is not just a damsel in distress; she and Noel are companions that rely on each other to succeed.

Day 2.3 - Noel’s Salvation

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