#since it’s the final area in ShB and all

[starrysnowdrop]

The girl who was named after the ocean travels to the bottom of the ocean and sees all its wonders up close and personal. 🌊🐬

[wanderer-of-light]

I should have maybe made these all separate posts, but I am very tried today and just wanted to share the pics I took of my FF group for Halloween :3! It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad we did it again this year!!

[picaroroboto]

so, the name of Dawntrail's final zone - I was a little baffled when I first saw it, but I guess it doesn't have anything to do with the ShB roles questline. (don't give up hope, Shadowkeeper-heads, we'll get our day...next expac maybe) but thematically, the idea of "Living Memory" overlaps - to learn about, understand, and most importantly remember those we erase and those who are long gone.

...how many times, how many people and worlds, has the WoL become keeper of memory for? Stories no one else knows or would understand - we see that most people know the broad strokes summaries of things the WoL does, but no one else can see it from the same angle. you could teach people the revelations of the Ancients, but no one but the WoL and their party felt what it was like to walk the streets of Amaurot, and to watch it burn. could you tell someone who lost everything in the Final Days, that Hermes, the man who triggered it all, was one of the kindest people you ever met?

the little things, too - I've done very sidequest in Ultima Thule, been the last helping hand for beings who no longer exist. y'know, there was this one sidequest in Ishgard about a street urchin who stole a gem in hopes of pawning it for enough money to leave the city, but froze to death before she could. I still have that gem in my inventory, and every time I clean my inventory I remember not to sell or discard it. I've carried Hydaelyn and Endsinger totems with me ever since the end of Endwalker, and brought a Shinryu one with me all the way to the First and back. even though they moved the aether compass to a seperate menu a few updates ago I can't bring myself to dispose of the key item version, because it was a gift from Haurchefant.

I suppose I'm just getting sentimental, because it's late at night and the vibes of this area are getting to me. But as much of the weight of the world that the WoL carries is their heroic duty, that much more of it is the weight of all these memories, big and small, good and bad, that they have to take with them everywhere they go.

[humblemooncat]

Primal

Ah yes, Eros' home turf. Time to round this out with the last of the addresses! <3

Per request, we're saving Exodus for last. Which works just perfectly for me. :3c

@zoroarkthief - Primal, Famfrit | Shirogane W13, P38

Though the placard says it's under renovation, what I did get to see was very charming! There were a lot of cleverly-placed items that made the space so unique and fun!

For example, I had no idea the faerie table fit so well in the Sharlayan sink basin! It looks so pretty together!

I also had a toot around the rooms available, and was wowed by all of them! The layouts of each were very nice, and they all had their own charms! <3

@katarh-mest - Primal, Lamia | Lavender Beds W5, P6

Okay. I am absolutely FLOORED by the interior here.

The designer did an absolutely stellar job on every facet of it. The idea of a cityscape leading to an elevator for all the residents is such a good one! And it was executed flawlessly, I feel! This FC has been spoiled, honestly!

I didn't pop into the rooms since they weren't mentioned, but will absolutely come back to if I get the okay!

@wind-up-nhaama - Primal, Leviathan | Lavender Beds W22, P27

Pendants Suite!!

I've been meaning to visit ever since I saw your post about it, and I'm so glad I finally get the chance to!

This place was so well-decorated, and really gives a nice spin on the Pendants suite we're so graciously gifted in ShB. It had such a cozy, homey feel while still sticking to the aesthetic we know and love from the Crystarium.

10/10, amazing set I'd recommend any of my fellow Shadowbringers fans to come visit!

@sae-mian - Primal, Exodus | Lavender Beds W17, P44

I didn't spend a stupidly long time outside doting Minasha, idk what you're on about...

Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't snooped around your houses already. xD

Both of the sets in your house are so lovely! I love all the greenery and water features! And the balcony area downstairs is so pretty! The dim lighting also lends itself really well to the atmosphere.

I might just come pose here every so often, they're beautiful backdrops!

Lavender Beds W17, Lily Hills Wing 1, Apt 89

I didn't expect to cry today.

This is a beautiful tribute, and I am so sorry for your loss. I've paid my respects. <3

If anyone wishes to visit - and I urge you to do so, it's beautiful - all that's asked of you is that you be respectful of the space.

Goblet W25, P35, Room 1

Oh, hey! I live here too! Have a lala Eros for the house itself. :3c

As for the room; It's very cozy! I like the simple two-tiered layout of it, and the knickknacks littered about the space which make it look lived-in. It seems like the perfect place to come hang out after a long day. <3

Just mind the fireplace. It's infested with rabbits. ;3c

And thank you, @sae-mian for coming to be part of the last picture. I hope 'Sae's *totally unrelated burns* heal up soon. <3

♥♥♥ - Primal, Exodus | Goblet W25, P35, Room 66

Whew, that was a LOT of houses-

What do you mean we're not done??

I figured, while I was in the house, I might direct everyone to Eros' room as well!

It's meant to be his little personal space in the Burrows where he entertains guests or simply rests with his husband.

Once I'm able to get him a home of his own, it will be an occasion, as I see Heimir being the type of Carpenter main husband to literally build his man a house. Until then, though, he's content in his little space. <3

And with that, we end out this housing crawl!

Primal had some real heavy-hitters, I'm impressed! Thank you all for allowing me into your beautiful homes!

And now to go compile all these loose posts for ease of perusing. <3

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 15-18 author notes

Shall we sit back and go over the recent episodes together? C:

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

Obligatory ShB spoiler warning.

Any theme song enjoyers? I associate this song with this moment, and generally with Exarch’s longing and excitement that can’t be shown. “And in my usual voice, I say, there you are”.

Go away grandpa, you crashed an otherwise perfect party :’>

Had this followed the msq more closely, i.e. had Feo Ul not been the first to find Vivi, or had it happened in an environment more familiar to him, he might've asked Exarch if he's shy, or just ugly. Kinda like if you’re a bully in your school, you might still wanna keep a low profile in a new school.

Vivi treads lightly in a new world, at least tries to. He doesn't yet know how thick or thin is the ice under his feet.

Exarch doesn’t know about the tree since he was busy waiting for Vivi in the Ocular, having just finished the summoning spell, tense and giddy, hood up and all. Minutes passed, nothing happened, then Exarch started getting antsy and finally turned on his tv to find Vivi in Lakeland.

“Hey it could’ve been your spine” I hope is clear: as in Vivi could’ve landed on Lyna instead of the aforementioned tree, not a threat to snap her spine in a fight. He knows better than taunting random people.. Moreover, people stronger than him x’D

Artist achievement unlocked: managed to make a hooded person look expressive. IN THE BACK VIEW.

SPROUT?!

He’s more cute than he deserves to be here and you’ll perceive him.

Being at the end of the episode, “we’re friends, yes” is the first and only line almost nonchalantly tossed to Vivi! Exarch wanted to buy time and observe him, how he’s changed, how’s best to approach him now.

..And Vivi needs rest and new clothes, he spent AN ENTIRE DAY in one outfit. We've seen him around several people so far, and, while he's always genuine, he's the most himself with Exarch, even at this early stage.

But yeah, he’s jaded, regrets many choices in his life and wants his money back.

Vivi's tailored for this ship. Before I even knew that I wanted to write a comic of this size, I asked myself, what condition does he need to be in at the beginning of ShB for the chemistry to happen? The answer was, well, "terrible". I’ve got the juicy deets, but you’d have to be patient and keep an eye out for more flashbacks sprinkled in throughout the story.

What matters now is that, finally, both of them are sufficiently tired to start noticing something else than gremlins in each other.

Have fun living with the knowledge that there’s no face where it’s supposed to be :>

Exarch has a way with the fae: don't flinch, offer them something nice. He offers rest to Vivi without hesitation, as soon as he sees his emotionally battered state. And, oh, he’s still an archer, landing that perfect shot first try. This here is a genuine spark of interest, surprise and gratitude in Vivi’s eyes.

I went balls deep with the visual subtext here. Despite being shown up close, Vivi’s broody face takes on a secondary role as his mind literally closes in on Exarch in that moment, on the mystery man that’s suddenly so unlike the rest. Even if he’s yet another quest-giver, even if shit’s on fire, he allows Vivi to go? Rest? Have some time for himself???? Exarch is, or is about to become, his only light in the darkness :3c

Exarch’s stiff posture is also intended here. He must’ve rehearsed this scene sooooooooo many times, he was prepared for hostility, interrogation, tantrums, but this Warrior’s indifferent and just wants to leave?

Magical boy de-transformation! Headcanon time, two of them even.

Firstly, the Tower can register living presence in its vicinity, a passive ability which Exarch can casually tap into. Being aware of an entire city’s population is, mildly put, overwhelming, thus he’s learned to shrink the “radar” area down to his Ocular, or wherever he’s at the moment and whenever he actually needs it. He feels that Vivi’s indeed left, therefore he can safely remove the hood.

Secondly, the hood shadow’s magicked. The panel above demonstrates how it’d look naturally, if it were a normal shadow. But he casts a pitch black glamour that also extends to his hair.

Just a cool crystal flare that I feel like showing off :>

None of you would believe me now if I said this isn't a horny scene? Although this looks lewd, for someone who’d spent a century clinging to memories and tales the lingering scent is just another confirmation that all of this's real. He can't even touch the WoL (or so he thinks), the scent could be the most he ever gets. Bearing in mind the stress of the day, I genuinely don’t think that he’s in the mood here. But no worries, he’ll get plenty of horny opportunities later on :>

The subtle characterization in the way he opens a door to a supposedly empty, still unknown room.

An unironically normal reaction to the Light, and shadowbringing \o/

This. This goes into my personal collection of the best vivifaces I’ve drawn.

He’s quick to react to a threat (?) popping out of nowhere in a supposedly safe room.

GOMU GOMU NOOOOOOO-

I know the arm’s too long, but I like to incorporate some animation princliples :>

The Champion of Eorzea uses a stick to cure a 100 years old depression, ca. 2023, colorized.

Vivi didn't mean to pierce him, actually. While the space's more than enough for living, it's still cramped for fighting as a dragoon, and he simply misjudged the distance while spinning around and lunging at the source of that eerie voice. There’s also an ooc explanation: I couldn’t quite align all of this in one frame, and thought hey, Ardbert’s a ghost, it’s okay to pierce him!

Both are quick to handwave the fact, and let’s be honest, self-defense of that sort must be a mundane thing for a WoL.There’s more important stuff to discuss. Both are desperate to vent to someone they could trust. They may disagree on things, but generally they vibe pretty well with Ardbert.

A lil shoutout to @agent-jaselin​ for commenting this under the respective episode. I almost forgot to point it out while making this post. Vivi tries to see if he can relate to another WoL, if his struggles are valid, or if he’s overreacting to a typical hero life. Ardbert had a whole friend group adventuring alongside him, the Scions don’t measure up unfortunately, on top of that Vivi (emotionally) stays the fuck away from anyone post-ARR for their own protection (and his own if he ends up losing someone else), so it’s not quite the same experience for him.

One of the few redeeming qualities: Vivi keeps his word. This's gonna be relevant in like 2025 :'>

He baby, THAT’S his problem.

From pointing his spear at him to comfortably undressing and falling asleep in his vicinity. Ardbert's possibly the first man to be asked to stay and not get laid by Vivi :’>

While the Crystarium and its people seem nice, it’s still Vivi’s first day (one loooooong day since the beginning of chapter 2) in a brand new world, and Ardbert’s the only somewhat familiar person here. A ghost? Even better. The supernatural’s easier to deal with and is less likely to backstab you.

The sweet-voiced hooded guy says that it’s okay, that he’s safe here.... Yeah that on itself is a flag for our mr doubter. He’s grown reasonably paranoid since ARR, (almost) everything he does has a nice cynical-flavored logic to it.

While this’s a wolgraha comic, it’d be bland without support characters. Ardbert doesn’t play a massive role in this particular story, still you’ll keep seeing him here and there.

The next several episodes focus on the main two and Feo Ul, they’ll claw their way in even if they were left out x’D

[windupiceheart]

25: Call it a day

wc. 1181, B'ig and Vertical also Celric, SHB

“B’ig, you can call it a day.” Celric walked through to the backstage of the Beehive where B’ig Nunh was waiting for his queue. 

“Really?” B’ig perked up. 

“Yes, you did great today.” Celric ruffled his hair a little. “Take the day to enjoy the city. Just make sure you come back to my room tonight.” He winked. 

“Haha… Okay… Uhh, sir, can I have my clothes back then?” The Beehive dancer uniform consisted of grey trousers, sandals, a mask, but not much else. At this point, he had gotten used to being shirtless, but he still couldn’t quite feel comfortable. Also he didn’t have his hat. It was very important to him. 

Celric walked over to a shelf and grabbed some clothes that were definitely not his clothes. “Wear these.” 

“But–” B’ig was interrupted by Celric’s smile. “Th-thanks, sir.” He took the clothes Celric gave him and went into one of the change rooms. He was a little disappointed he wasn’t getting his clothes back (for now at least).

B’ig looked into the mirror. A bright purple vest and a black sarouel. It isn’t too bad I supposed, but I do wish it were blue. The neck was also a bit lower than B’ig would have liked, or at least he’d like it if Celric had given him a shirt to wear underneath. It would have been like his usual attire. But this would have to do. He walked out of the changing room, Celric stood there waiting for him. 

“Let me see you, B’ig.” B’ig did a little spin. “Very good. Have fun, B’ig. See you soon.” He put his hand on B’ig’s shoulder before walking off. 

“Haha.. Yes, okay, thanks sir,” He couldn’t help but use his polite guest service voice with Celric since he was his boss, and honestly he was quite scared of being kicked out of the city if Celric decided he didn’t like him anymore. But Celric did seem to like B’ig, so hopefully that wouldn’t be any time soon. He still had to find Vertical and the other scions. 

Finally walking out of Beehive, he made his way to the plaza and– Oh my gods is that. B’ig ran across the room as fast as he could. “V-v-v-v-v-v-Verrrrrrrtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicalllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!” 

A quite tall Elezen turned her head towards him and braced as she saw a Miqo’te sprinting head on towards her. “b’ig?” Vertical caught him as he leapt onto her.  “nice outfit.” 

B’ig had a koala hold on Vertical as he started crying in her arms. “Vertical I misssed youuuuuu…”

“were you here the whole time?” Vertical let go of B’ig as he climbed down and wiped his face. “oh, alphinaud is also here, he’s working.” She pointed in a direction, and then another direction, and then another direction, before shrugging and giving up. The Canopy wasn’t that big, B’ig made a note to catch up with Alphinaud when he eventually bumped into him. He nudged at Vertical to come sit with him at one of the tables so they could catch up. 

“I landed here in Eulmore when we got split up in�� in the void?” B’ig scratched his head. “Well, wherever we were taken through.” B’ig pointed towards the outdoor area. “That’s where I landed.” 

“ah.” 

“Yeah, right? I fell face flat and then one of the guards came up to me and told me I was suspicious. And then a man, he’s called Celric, came up and saved me. Claimed he was my patron. And then he did become my patron? I think.” 

“alphinaud and i also have a patron. we paint–no, he paints. i’m his assistant.” B’ig had to stifle a giggle because he knew that both he and Vertical were not the most talented artists. At all, actually. 

“Right, so Celric’s been making me sing and dance–”

“you’re singing and dancing?” In Vertical’s head, flashbacks of her accidentally walking on B’ig Nunh singing or dancing causing B’ig to stop and get overly embarrassed flew by. 

“Listen!!! It’s life or death over here. Okay, so he’s making me sing and dance at the Beehive, and uh… some other stuff.” He didn’t really want to get into it with his best friend if he had to be honest. “Oh they did try to make me be one of the honeybees, like a host, but decided that performing was a better choice for me.” 

“mmhm.” Vertical gave him a look behind her eyepatch and long bangs covering her other eye.

“I swear I’m a good flirt… at home. I am!” 

“okay,” 

“I am!!! Nevermind that, the worst part of all of this is that they took my clothes.” He sadly waved his hands towards himself, showing off the clothing Celric gave him earlier, then pointed to his head. “Look no hat,” he made himself look as pathetic as possible. 

Vertical patted his shoulder to comfort him. “we’ll get it back.”

“Really?”

“of course.” Vertical smiled, or at least she felt like she was smiling. It probably looked like her usual stoic expression, but B’ig could tell nonetheless. “mm, i had things to tell you.” 

Vertical did her best to try to explain what happened on her end. About landing in a place with purple trees and meeting Lyna and then the Crystal Exarch, the man who brought them here. Also that the other scions were here and have been here for quite some time, since time ran a little differently than home. B’ig got the gist of it. “the crystarium is… big.” 

“Oh gods, did you get lost?” 

“yeah, it’s okay though, he got someone to escort me.”

“Man, I wish I had been there with you.“ But he shed a single tear in his heart, because he knew that she would still manage to get lost even if he had landed in the same place as her. 

“mhm…” B’ig leaned back, but suddenly sat straight up.

“Aw shite, what’s the time?” he frantically got up and walked to Vertical, putting both hands on her shoulders. “Vertical. Please don’t die. If you get lost, this floor is a circle, if you keep walking around you will be okay. Stick to Alphinaud if you can, he’s smart. I… need to go back to Celric because…” he trailed off thinking of what to say. He couldn’t just say ‘because he probably wants to do some weird sex thing’. Should have just ended the sentence at Celric, idiot. “...He’s my patron and he told me to. Will you still be in Eulmore for the next while?” he said with pleading eyes.

Vertical nodded. She and Alphinaud had their own mission in the city so they would be here regardless. 

“ah, wait,” she dug into her bag and took out a small object. She handed it to B’ig. “you left this in here.”

B’ig did a little gasp. One of his heart hair clips. “Thanks Vertical, I hope to see you soon… please.” Vertical gave him a small wave.

With a grin he ran off to go up to the residential area where the free citizens resided. 

[sunkeeperxiv]

FFXIV Write Day 13: Check

ShB timeline/spoilers; ~850 words

Y'shtola checks Daca'li over after he experiences a minor scare.

Y’shtola examined Daca’li closely, watching the subtle flow of aether through his body, alert to any and all irregularity. He stood still as she circled him, patient and quiet, but the rhythmic swipe of his tail across the rough floor betrayed his nervousness.

He had all but burst into the quarters she kept in Slitherbough that morning. He’d hidden his worry well enough not to worry the Night’s Blessed, but it was obvious to her, and he’d shown enough sense not to try to deny it.

I need you to look at me, tell me if anything seems off, or wrong, or… He’d trailed off then without elaborating, but she could guess at what he’d meant. So now she was examining every ilm of him, every tiny eddy of aether that made up his body, for any hint of Light still lurking within.

Eventually, she gave him one final, appraising look before smiling and nodding to him, hoping his relief would be as great as hers. His aether was still entirely and completely his own. What they would have done if she had found it, she couldn’t say. Thankfully they would not need to consider it.

His posture eased immediately, his shoulders slumping and ears flicking back and forth in obvious relief. He took a seat across from her and ran a hand through his hair. She left him there for just long enough to lean out the door and ask the elf woman working the cooking fire for hot water. She promised to bring it to her door when it was ready and she turned back around, leaning up against the table next to him.

“Good. Good. Thank you for looking. I realize that likely wasn’t the best start t’your morning.”

“Not particularly, no,” she replied. “But I am always more than willing to lend you my assistance.” She put a hand on his shoulder and he hummed contentedly at the touch. “Although I must ask. What was it that worried you so?”

He took a deep breath in, raising a hand to his hair again. “Some of my hair’s been turning white. Not all of it, just spots here and there, but enough to worry me. Thought maybe a little speck of Light had been… hiding inside me.”

She frowned. “You are experiencing physical symptoms? Now? It’s been weeks since your ordeal. Months, even.” She took another intent look at him, focusing on his head. After a moment’s study, she motioned for him to stand up, placing a finger just over his heart. “This is where the scarring begins, yes?”

His stance shifted ever so slightly, but he nodded. “Aye. From there up to my collarbone. An’ on my back along my spine, from tail to neck.” Thancred had described it to her, not too long ago. A bright, almost opalescent mark against Daca’li’s dark grey skin, beginning at his heart and following his bones. He had almost no sensation along that mark, not registering pain at all and barely able to feel pressure. Grim evidence of how close he’d come to breaking under the onslaught of the Light.

She couldn’t see what Thancred had described exactly… but she could see something. A blockage. An area where his aether should have flowed freely, but was instead sluggish, if not completely stagnant, in the vague shape of the scar that had been described to her. Raising her eyes to his head, she saw the same blockages, areas void of movement in the same way.

“I believe they have the same root cause,” she said, stepping back. “It is more of the same scarring, of sorts, from the Light. It only took longer to make itself known, as your hair took time to grow out and show the damage.” There was a knock at the door - Ersabel with the hot water. Y’shtola fetched it, thanking her, set it on the table, then retrieved cups and tea leaves from a drawer. Once she had set a mug in front of both their chairs she took her own seat. “There’s no lingering pain, is there? No weakness or impairment?”

He shook his head. “No, thankfully, there’s been nothing of that sort. It just gave me a scare, was all. As scars go, my hair goin’ white’s a pretty insignificant one.” He picked up the tea and sipped at it gingerly.

“True, I suppose. Although it is not unthinkable that your aether’s flow may heal in time.” She picked up her own tea, enjoying the aroma briefly before relaxing against the back of her chair. “So. What have you been occupying yourself with while we wait on the Exarch’s breakthrough? I cannot say I’m surprised you decided to remain in Norvrandt while we wait, but I know you haven’t been just dallying around the Crystarium. You’ve never been one to rest on your laurels.”

He smiled and sat forward a little. “This an’ that. Was helpin’ a bounty hunter track down a lingering Eater the past week or so—“ he launched into a recounting of their exploits without preamble or warning, but Y’shtola was content to relax and listen.

[winterdeepelegy]

Endwalker finished - thoughts

Personal release ranking:

1. Shadowbringers

2. Heavensward

3. Stormblood

4. Endwalker

5. ARR

6. 1.0

I will preface my opinions by saying that I completely and fully understand the extent of challenges they were dealing with in development, due largely to development happening remotely as a result of the pandemic.  But there are some things they still could have improved upon.

Thoughts/spoilers behind the cut below.

I honestly don’t know how to feel about this one.  After seeing so many people rave about Endwalker, about how “good” it is, and about the feels it invokes, my expectations were pretty high.  Suffice it to say, my experience wasn’t the same in that... I feel like it was lackluster.  It didn’t feel all that impactful to me, and there were definitely things they could have done better, or done with less of. Truth be told, I felt like the end of 1.0 going into ARR really drove home the feeling of dire stakes.  The realm was in imminent danger, and they brought you into the thick of it by showing it happening in real time.  It was interactive beyond one or two dungeons and a slow spread.  You could see it coming. And when it happened, it happened everywhere over Eorzea, in the open and in the cities, it was constant. That, to me, felt more like an “end of the world” scenario than what we just experienced. The only place in EW where I came anywhere close to this feeling was Vanaspati. The skies raining fire is not a new thing in XIV, they’ve been using it since 1.0, and to my brain that felt like an overused flex.  The slow spread of the Final Days “off camera” really made it feel a lot less urgent.  If its affects had started sooner in the course of the MSQ and actually -spread- to more areas as you progressed, especially to the main cities, or had streams of Blasphemies showing up in affected areas, I might have felt differently about it. The last region and leg of the storyline didn’t invoke any feels for me.  Knowing you could undo what was being done to your comrades really took away from how impactful that could have been.  It felt like there were no stakes. “This is fine”. Endwalker could have benefited more from a named NPC or two dying to really drive things home.  Ahewann barely got there, but he was a minor character. Is it fair to say my experience in 1.0 might have colored my reaction to EW?  Yes, it’s entirely possible.  On one hand, I feel like nothing will ever top that moment.  On the other hand, a part of me is glad that this didn’t cheapen that moment as I feared it would. “Oh, you thought Bahamut breaking free was bad? Hold my beer.” It is, however, 100% a FInal Fantasy game and, as some have said, the most Final Fantasy game that ever Final Fantasy’d storywise.  I just wish I could have felt the feels that everyone else felt in the course of playing it. Among the worst parts of EW, imo, were technical decisions.  It really felt like some of the indoor lighting in the new areas was a broad step -backwards- compared to the improvements they made over the course of HW, SB, and ShB. It’s little better in these new areas than it was in early ARR, and really makes characters look terrible. And don’t even get me started on all the follow/stalk quests.  Who thought this - or having so many - was a good idea?  I don’t mind walking around with any of the NPCs, but the fucking follow/stalk quests need to go and whoever thought they were a good idea needs to rethink their career choices.   These were a huge drag and sticking point, and really took away from how enjoyable EW could have been.  The first one I could understand, but past that they didn’t need to keep doing it. The maps of the new zones?  While pretty, most were a pain in the ass to navigate before flight, and certain areas prevented you from acquiring flight until you were later into MSQ.  TWICE. This was cute with Kholusia, but this was a pain in the ass this time dealing with two zones like this.  Slow me down with meaningful story events, don’t slow me down with bad geography design. For positives, the trial boss designs definitely had Yoshitaka Amano all over them.  The designs for Hydaelyn and the Endsinger were INCREDIBLE, especially the latter.  Radz-At-Han has become my favorite of the new locations, which surprised me as I really thought I’d enjoy Sharlayan’s aesthetic more.  Elpis was also stunning, and I could spend oodles of time just hanging around there.  As for the Loporitts, I’d happily go anywhere the adorable little bunny people wanted me to go. The ending? Pretty satisfying over all, and both looking forward to and dreading whatever comes next, in equal measure. They’re going to be hard pressed to top the last decade. All in all, it’s a fair wrap-up of 11 years of continuous storyline.  Honestly, I’m content, I just still feel like it could have been a lot more than what was delivered.

[windup-dragoon]

Home

|| Kiri x Hien  || Post ShB  || Words 1551 || Fluff 

There always seems to be something comforting about Shirogane at night. The gentle lights, the smell of the ocean on a brisk breeze, distant sounds of waves mingled with the trickling of ponds here and there. She truly had become fond of this faraway place. Eorzea had become too busy for her taste. The hustle and bustle of Limsa Lominsa; the constant movement in Gridania be it the folk who inhabit the area or the trees themselves; and Ul’dah simply felt too stifling after all her adventures there. None of the city states in Eorzea felt like home; not in the way Shirogane was beginning to feel. 

The boat that carried them from Kugane to the shores of Shirogane came to a stop alongside the lengthy pier just as a full moon deigned to appear from a break in the clouds. With a glittering ocean around them, Kiri looked to the distant horizon. Shirogane wasn’t the home she knew, but it was a close second. But in that moment, she swore if she were to look hard enough, squint even, she might see a cluster of moonlight jellyfish dancing on the surface of the tides; the kind that frequent the coastal region of her village. They only appeared on nights like this; to absentmindedly bathe in the cold silver glow of the moon. As a youth she had always wondered what that life must be like. To simply exist without thought. To be born from the ocean, live in it, and die peacefully beneath the rolling waves. Was it like sleeping? Do the jellyfish dream in their state of eternal slumber? What then, do they dream of? 

A hand on her shoulder startled her. 

“Kiri?” 

Hien was crouched on the dock beside her, kneeling with an outstretched hand for her to take. “Is aught amiss?” 

While his soft eyes skimmed the ocean where she had been vacantly staring, she knew he wouldn’t see what her mind wished her to find out there. The ocean around Kugane and Shirogane, while connected to her own, didn’t seem to harbor the same fauna as she had been so delighted to find in her own village. Maybe one day she could return with Hien in tow. Together they could watch the jellyfish float and twirl beneath a glassy surface, or hear the lullaby of the whales as they traveled endlessly forward. 

Kiri shook her head when his attention returned to her, offering him a smile as an apology. “Thinking. Just thinking.” 

Overhead the lights of Shirogane had come to life; warm colors dancing like fireflies captured in vibrant paper lanterns. The way the lights softened the angles of Hien’s features had Kiri admiring him as they made their way up from the docks. 

Even now, in such a familiar place as Shirogane, his eyes were alight with curiosity. He spoke with such honest excitement as he pulled her from vendor to street vendor in search of a late night snack to share once they returned to the apartments. Telling her the Doman word for simple ingredients or tools used to prepare cuisine unlike that seen in Eorzea. And when his eyes met hers, enchanted by his delight, color dusted the crest of his high cheeks; his hand tightening his hold on hers. 

It made her heart flutter, as if a skittish minnow, when he gave her that sunny smile. Her breath caught and heat rose to her cheeks when he moved closer to brush stray hair from her cheek. She wondered, if distantly, what he saw when he looked at her in such ways. Did he know that he made her feel as if a coral reef was coming alive? An orchestra of heartbeats and swimming thoughts. 

-

“Pray, enlighten me.” Hien began now that they had arrived at their final destination for the evening. Once the door was locked behind her, his arms came around her middle to draw her close, regardless of their bagged meal in hand. “You’ve been quiet since our return from Kugane. What has you transfixed, Kiri?” 

His hold on her was tight, but certainly not unbearable. Warm and comfortable, actually. She felt herself melt into his embrace, laying her cheek against the crook of his neck. He had the scent of sea water still on his skin, thanks to their beach adventure at the Ruby Sea only hours prior. Her reply was simple as she closed her eyes. “Thoughts.” 

“Truly?” He stifled a chuckle by brushing a kiss into her quicksilver hair. “You of all people, lost in thought? What have you done with the real Kiri, you fiend?” 

The laughter that rumbled in his chest echoed in her ear. It was music, plain and simple. To hear him talk with such spirit, to hear that genuine humor. 

She raised her head, smiling, “A fiend, am I? Then I’ll hear no objections ta’ takin’ yer share of dinner, eh?” 

Hien playfully gasped and pulled her closer still, their noses just a whisper away from touching. “I dare you to try.” 

Her apartment was small to say the least. But it brought her comfort. They could scarcely stand side by side in the kitchen while preparing their meals, but every exaggerated bump or purposeful brush of a hand only brought about more laughter between the two. While a pan simmered in sauce, the two were delightfully tangled with one another; the lack of counter space soon being remedied by eager hands sweeping aside unnecessary cooking appliances. And while the apartment didn’t have a formal dining area, Kiri sat perched on the counter happily sharing her food with Hien who stood between her legs. 

“One day,” he hummed as he took a piece of grilled fish in a pair of chopsticks and brought it to her lips. “I promise to show you how to properly use these.” 

“I didn’t ask to be fed, y’know.” Kiri protested, gesturing to a piece of cutlery left abandoned beside the sink. But still she ate the offered piece with only a light huff. 

Hien set aside their shared dish and smiled. “And yet you continue to eat. Odd how that happens.” Softly his thumb brushed her bottom lip as he leaned impossibly closer. The heat of his breath whispered at the curve of her neck, the smell of sake so sweet. His free hand came to rest on her waist while tilting her chin up with the other to better examine her features in the low light in the kitchen. 

She busied her own hands by tugging at the belt loops of his pants, wishing for a miracle to allow him to be closer than the counter would allow. Mismatched eyes lifted to stare up at the prince through thick lashes and stray silver hair. “If we were to speak of mysteries, dear sir,” Her own voice was a soft whisper now, low and heated. “then pray, explain how we keep endin’ up like this.” 

He tilted his head with a knowing look and a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I believe some call it attraction.” Matching her low tone, Hien responded with capturing her mouth in a kiss. Soft, sugar sweet and gentle. But when he drew away, looking at her with hooded eyes, they were both breathless. “But I prefer to call it love.” 

“What a poet.” Kiri chuckled before being swept up in another kiss. “You should be a bard.” 

To this Hien laughed, leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her jaw. “Your voice is much more preferable, Kiri.” 

-

Moonlight pooled around them, pouring in from the open windows across the room. The fire in the fireplace had faded to occasionally cracking embers, a trail of haphazardly discarded clothing led from the kitchen to their futon where they had finally retired for the evening in each other's arms. Kiri lay with her head on his chest, listening to the beats of his heart just as she would the waves against the shore. Absently her hand traced outlines of his muscles, following the curve of his chest and occasionally wandering when discovering a scar to outline instead. 

She wondered, in her half awake state of mind, what he would dream of that night. Would he see Doma? Perhaps memories of a time long passed. Of her perhaps? As she closed her eyes, she thought again of the jellyfish; the oceans little dreamers. She thought of him and her, standing at the docks of her village, watching a cluster of jellyfish rise to the surface on a clear evening. While the night was peaceful and a hush had fallen over the village, they were still surrounded by all their loved ones. Even Eyriwolk and Lynawyb, who she hadn’t seen for years now were there to greet the two of them. Everyone had gathered to watch the ocean; the one thing that connects them all together. 

Before sleep could take her entirely, Kiri realized why Shirogane had come to feel like home to her. It wasn’t Shirogane at all. It was the company she kept that gave her a sense of comfort. A place of safety to be herself and relax from a world trying to kill her. She was home right now, so lovingly held in his arms.

[aspectedstar]

[Info updated as of Patch 5.55]

Name: Listelle Viyrel

Unsundered Name: Ephine

Gender: Female

Age: 21 in ARR, 26 in EW

Race: Raen Au Ra

Relationship: Official with an untempered Elidibus, but still lowkey that not a lot of people know of their status.

Family: Biological family is unknown. Her adoptive Miqo'te parents she keeps in contact with. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn and Elidibus are her main sources of 'support' these days.

Orientation: Bisexual / Demisexual

Nameday: 16th Sun of the 4th Umbral Moon [August 16th]

Abilities/Talents: Archery, Botany, Cooking, Able to speak multiple languages [thanks Echo], Healing, Reading.

Job: Former conjurer turned White Mage; Archer/Bard; Adventurer; A Scion of the Seventh Dawn; Botanist whenever help is needed.

Appearance description: A pale-skinned Raen Au Ra that stands at 4 fulms and 9 ilms. Listelle has dark blue, shoulder-length hair with bangs that naturally curls at the ends. Black highlights are added into the mix and always reapplied whenever they start to fade. Sometimes, puts up her hair in high side-ponytail that has a braid embedded around the back of her head. Has side bangs that hang from her face with this hairstyle as well. She has heterochromia eyes with her left being a pale blue, while her right is a bright purple. Listelle is slightly muscular, but also petite. Her body has vanilla scales peppering her body here and there. Mostly can be seen on her face; Her horns a slightly curled, but go backwards only a bit from her face. The tail she has a few spikes here and there, but it's thin. Mostly spiking at the end of it. Usually wearing a pair of reading glasses, because her eyesight isn't 100%.

Unique features (scars, tattoos, etc.): Multiple scars across her body from battles over the years. The biggest one was from the first meeting with Zenos, where he ended up nailing her in the abdomen badly. The scar is a jagged line in sideways line that covers a good portion of her middle to lower back. Listelle is very self-conscious about this particular one; Doesn't like wearing gear that shows off that part of her body.

Personal Beliefs (religious or otherwise): Fully believed in the Mothercrystal and the Twelve, but has changed since the events of SB into ShB. Mostly because of what Elidibus and Emet-Selch had told her. Still believes in a sense of one's wrongdoing will bite them in the ass later in life.

Residence: Medium house plot on the beach in Shirogane, Hingashi. Amaurot on the First.

Birthplace: Somewhere in the Black Shroud.

Dreams: When the world is done being saved, which is almost never; Wanting to have a peaceful life with Elidibus as much as possible; Hoping that one day more White Mages can be sanctioned by the Padaji; Maybe one day have children, but that's not as important.

Fears: Dying when the world needs her the most; Seeing close friends and family die in front of her again and again; Injured to the point she can't fulfill her duties as Warrior of Light; Losing any of her senses.

Introverted / Extroverted / Ambiverted (bold what applies)

How do they handle stress?: When in front of people, she tries her best not to show she's bothered. There are ways for others to know she's about to hit her limit. Listelle is known to pace around a room, fidget with her hands, and get teary-eyed, but the latter is hard to see. Only ways she can combat it is behind closed doors, or out in the wilderness when no one is around. Going out into nature to find plants or hit trees with her axe is one way. Another way is to basically beat her frustrations out in cooking or baking foodstuffs. Resting under trees when only one can hear naturalistic sounds.

What’s the state of their living quarters? (messy, clean, etc.): That depends. Usually, it's a disorganized mess. Much to Elidibus's dismay, she can usually find things easier than him. If he ever tried to clean her home, she'd yell at him on not being able to find anything. It's not completely trashed, but enough to know someone lives here. As the Warrior of Light, she doesn't get enough time to do homely chores. So, it's mostly left go for weeks at a time.

How do they handle meeting new people?: Listelle usually is kind and friendly to people she meets. Though, it depends overall on the new person (or group)'s attitude, body language, voice tone, and facial expressions. If they come off rude and negative, she is more reluctant to be as nice back. However, since she is not the diplomatic person, she usually leaves all the table-talking to her fellow Scions. Will chime in with a few words, if asked. It all depends on the situation and people involved.

When facing certain doom, what’s their outlook?: It's...questionable. Try to keep a stoic facade, but inside she would be screaming. Or, she'd probably look at like this: Why not going out with a huge bang of glory, and take her foe(s) with her? As a healer, she understands death, but is afraid to die at the wrong time. Regardless, she will tackle it the best she can.

What do they do to relax?: Reading any books she has in her shelves. Have Elidibus tell her stories of the world before it was Sundered. Cooking and baking when she has the time. Gardening, when she has time, yet again. Sitting under trees listening to nature. Go to the beach when no one is around. Stargazing with Elidibus at night.

What’s their favorite outfit?: Her 'civilian' clothes with the Azem constellation crystal as a necklace pictured blow.

Traumas: It's been several over the last few years of becoming the Warrior of Light. From being a healer, she has had a hard time accepting she can't save everyone. The loss of Haurchefant hit her physically hard. He saw Listelle as herself, not just the 'hero' or a weapon to be used by the city-states. Still goes to visit his grave in Coerthas when she can. Seeing the turmoil Garlemald had done to Ala Mhigo and Doma's regions. Zenos yae Galvus, because he reminds her of herself at certain times. How they can relate, as much as the Raen wishes not to admit it. The entire events of Shadowbringers with fighting for another world to holding in the light corruption. Her aether is still a mess, even after Ardbert had joined his soul with hers. Ending Emet-Selch's life, even when she understood his plight and ideals. Having to fight and kill Elidibus; The ONE PERSON that understood and had true affection for her. Yet, he was tempered by Zodiark, so they were forced into battle. It still haunts her to this day that she may lose Elidibus forever.

About them as of current story patch: As of Patch 5.5, Listelle is struggling on what to make of seeing that being surrounded in light. Being told the Final Days is coming--which is no doubt with Fandaniel and Zenos--and the entire world is on her shoulders. This is stressing her out to no end, even with Elidibus trying to keep her calm. He is her main anchor to keep her grounded currently. With the possibility of going to Sharlayan, she is not happy. Possibly having to keep the untempered Ascian unseen, depending. For now, she is stressed and pacing about what to do.

History: Listelle was found outside the doors of a Miqo'te couple living in the Black Shroud. Only a single note saying: "I cannot care for her; I'm possibly dead by the time you read this. Her name is Listelle; Please raise her well". The baby was an Au Ra Raen female, but they had no idea if there was such a family nearby. Living mostly in an isolated area, they didn't get many visitors. Just some adventurers, botanists, conjurers, or miners that came through the area. Despite this, they willingly took the baby in. They had issues trying to concieve their own child, so Listelle would fill the void. The void of trying to have a child, which they had now.

The Raen would come to know her parents as Sizha Vebei, her mother, and Rehzih'li Vebei, her father. They lived in a small cabin in the Southern part of the Shroud. Away from settlements like Camp Tranquil and Quarrymill, they kept to themselves for the most part. They raised their adoptive child as good as any adoptive parents could. With the times that Rehzih'li would go to Gridania for work and supplies, he would ask around about Listelle's family. He usually came up empty handed as per usual. This went on for years, until the Seventh Umbral Calamity hit Eorzea.

Listelle was 16 summers old when Bahamut broke free of Dalamud to reign terror from the heavens. The Black Shroud went up in flames in several areas. Thankfully, herself and her parents survived, but lost their home to the flames. The family was devastated, but then they decided to move on to a battered up Gridania as other refugees. They would have to make a new life within the city-state.

To the five years leading up to ARR, Listelle practiced conjury within the Stillglade Fane. Her parents had taken up other odd jobs to support themselves and their daughter, so Listelle had decided to do the same. With people becoming adventurers, the Raen decided to do the same. With her aetherpool higher than most, she fit right in with the Conjurers' Guild. Even with weird looks, the Au Ra flourished under their guidance and care. She would learn how to properly harness healing magics, as well as learn to borrow from the very Elementals of the Twelveswood.

Eventually, Listelle would become more involved with restoration efforts to help Gridania. Only her efforts would soon become widespread. Widespread enough for a certain organization to recruit her to their cause..

Feelings towards others: (add or remove as relevant)

- Elidibus – Her official partner, who she had a rocky relationship for years. However, it changed much after his defeat by her hand on top of the Crystal Tower in the First. She loves the Ascian dearly and would do anything for him. He had been there as well for her during some stressful times, despite him being under Zodiark's influence. They confide in each other constantly, and is a major support pillar for Listelle.

- Emet-Selch [Hades] – Despite their brief interactions, Listelle came to understand more about the Ascians. Even if it was a hard pill to swallow, the brief details Elidibus mentioned to her started to make sense. Like pieces to the puzzle was finally coming together. She would indulge and ask him a lot of the Ascians' history, the Old World, and the like. As much as her comrades didn't like their Warrior of Light conversating with their worst enemy, she ignored them...sometimes. She was upset to end his life when they couldn't come to some sort of understanding. She still has sobbing fits over Hades' demises, because of the fact of the Azem constellation crystal she has. It was even hinted that he knew of something going on between her and the Emissary at the time. Listelle always denied it, but there was a twinkle in those golden eyes that he knew of something.

- Feo Ul - As much as Listelle appreciates them, she can't deal with their sudden mood swings. The Fae being the Fae, she can't understand the times she gets yelled at for not summoning them. Being called cruel and heartless by Feo Ul made her uneasy around the pixie. Just over the course of the Shadowbringers, she saw the good in the King of Faeries. They became the next Titania, yet, they still treated Listelle as their most precious mortal. After all, they WERE connected by a pact! Feo Ul was another pillar during her struggle to contain the light corruption within her. The constant affection and support helped keep the heroine to move forward.

- Alphinaud – Meeting him the first time made her want to rethink her choices. However, with his constant presence helping her with 'official talks', she has been grateful for him. He has come a long way and has grown. Listelle hates meetings, and groans anytime Alphinaud tells her she has to go. Because she is the hero, she has to go, despite her wild protests.

- Alisaie – It took a bit for them to grow on one another. Alisaie understands when Listelle has her moments. Moments she wants to hide, but also treats the Raen like an actual person. Not just the hero, not just the Warrior of Light. Listelle finds herself getting teased when Alisaie fawns over her, depending if she's down or upset about something. Mostly by Y'shtola though.

- Y'shtola – Their relationship is...weird at best. Y'shtola and herself have their moments when they get into arguments. However, she knows the Miqo'te woman wants the best for her. During the events of Shadowbringers, she was worried over Listelle's state of taking in the Lightwardens' corrupted aether. Y'shtola and Ryne were there for her as they journeyed to Emet-Selch's domain. Full of Light, the heroine had a hard time doing basic tasks at times. Due to this, Listelle appreciates her. Just doesn't like when she teases her about Alisaie and G'raha's constant admiration of her.

- Thancred – Saw him as a flirtatious man who she didn't want to deal with at all. He even made comments about her 'beauty' on several occasions to get under her skin. However, as the years went by, she began to learn he was a lot more. Mostly learned this during her time on the First with the others and Ryne. Just the interactions between him and Ryne made her heart ache for them both. Including when they had to go back to the Source.

- Urianger – This Elezen made her want to rip her hair out most of the time. Just the way he spoke, his mannerisms made her so confused. Had to get the other Scions to repeat what he said to her many, many times. Still not fond of his secrecy behind her back on the few times. However, she does understand it's a necessary evil, yet she hasn't completely forgiven him yet. Though, she does appreciate any vital information he can provide her.

- Tataru - Oh sweet Tataru...Listelle loves the receptionist to death. Another person who treats her like she's a normal person. However, how she manages to get things done makes Listelle double think herself. Like the time the Lalafell wanted her precise measurements to get her outfits made. Just the way Tataru brings up results is quite...scary. The heroine watches herself whenever she's around the Lalafell woman.

- Minfilia - The first person to understand she had the power of the Echo. All those years of not understanding random visions she had when she was a child. She learned more from Minfilia over the course of the years. Only to be upset when she disappeared, then find out she was connected to Hydaelyn. She looked up the Hyur and she still misses her from time to time.

- Papalymo - The duo of 'Yda' and Papalymo made her giggle at times. There were times she didn't quite understand the relationship between the two. She got along with the Lalafell fine. That is, until he sacrificed himself to contain the newly born primal at Baelsar's Wall. She wanted to stay behind and help him, but alas, was forced to flee with the others. She still thinks about him from time to time, hoping he's watching over them from afar.

- Lyse - Wasn't sure how to feel about her until after the whole incident at Baelsar's Wall. She had come to understand Lyse as someone who wanted to fight for her homeland. As they journeyed over Gyr Abania and Othard, she had come to see the woman in a new light. With how she handles matters in Ala Mhigo with Raubhan at her side, she hopes the city-state flourishes under their care.

- Gaius – Rivalry since taking on the Ultima Weapon. However, with tackling the Weapon Project, she put aside her dislike for him. In order to stop these machines of death, she would work alongside him. Listelle began to see him in a new light as the Weapons consumed most of the orphans he saved back then. With only Allie left and the Weapons done with, she hopes Gaius can find some sort of peace.

- Nero – Despite him working at the Garlond Ironworks now, she still finds him quite annoying. Though, she has to admit he has helped her on several occasions when Cid couldn't. So, she'd tolerate the man at best.

- Cid – Thankfully to the Garlean many times over. With his few interventions to save her from certain doom, to helping her take down Omega. The accomplishments and shit they've seen and done is enough for a novel or two....or several. She gets along with him fairly well.

- Haurchefant – The Elezen man from House Fortemps and Camp Dragonhead. It was no wonder the silver-haired male admired her from the start. Even wanting to rush in to stop her from taking on Shiva. Never do anything reckless again! He had said to her, which she had meekly agreed to. When fleeing from the bloody Ul'dah banquet, he was a pillar of strength during that time. With most of the Scions gone, she blamed herself for their loss. Alas, Haurchefant wouldn't have none of it. Always cheering her up with hot chocolate and word of encouragement. However, when he died in her arms saving her from a pillar of light...Listelle was devastated. She was depressed for a long time, and still is when she thinks about it. Still blames herself for his death, even if he wanted her to smile. "A smile better suits a hero"; A statement she won't forget easily.

- Aymeric – The first meeting with him..she wasn't impressed. She had heard Ishgardians were uptight and unwelcoming. As much as he sounded polite, she didn't trust him off the bat. However, as time went on, she began to realize he was much more than. Even inviting her to a dinner after Nidhogg's defeat, which she enjoyed. Just his question about what she wanted for herself? She knew not the answer to that at the time. Regardless, the Raen goes to visit him when she can.

- Estinien – This dragoon is so stiff was Listelle's first thought. She didn't exactly like him off the bat. However, the journey across Dravania opened him up to her. She did try her best to understand him, but it was hard. As the years went by, she had come to know he had paid respects to Yysale, which she appreciates. Even the time when she collapsed in the Ghimlyt Dark, trying to persuade Zenos/Elidibus to stop this madness. Estinien had rescued her, which opened her up to that he was more good than she thought. Now with him joining the Scions, more opportunities to know him better have opened.

- G’raha – Annoying scholar to deal with when looking for the damn aethersand. Made it a game, then she promptly yelled at him for making her run around more than she had to. Investigating the Crystal Tower together, she did appreciate his work. When he locked himself away in the tower, she was a bit sad to see him go. Listelle did understand why he had to do it though. During the events of Shadowbringers, she had her suspicions on who the Crystal Exarch was. She couldn't completely confirm who it was, until she was being consumed by Light Corruption. Despite all this, she scolded him greatly after winning the fight against Emet-Selch. She knew he had a deep admiration for her, but only saw him as a friend. Regardless, their friendship is still healthy and blossoming.

- Other Warrior of Lights - Appreciates their hard work and resilience to keep the fight going. No matter what, as long as there is a light, they can still prevail.

[Character sheet made by @lizzy-dotharl. Template taken from @earthlystar.]

[primalvessel]

So, it’s been a few days, my thoughts are not in order but hey ho. What did I think about Endwalker? Obviously heavy spoilers for said expansion from start to finish. Please do not read if you don’t want to be spoiled for any part of Endwalker. This is also long~

I enjoyed it, I think that much goes without saying. But perhaps controversially I think I enjoyed Shadowbringers a bit more or at least found its story beats to be more impactful in general. Endwalker most certainly had its moments though and I think the bits of Endwalker that got to me, did so more than the ones in ShB.

I had a bit of an issue with every one of those sweeping vista introductions to the new areas being when it rained or was foggy though, so bright vibrant Thavnair was not very bright and vibrant for me sadly. There was one of those scenes where I could only see like, yellow fog.

The first dungeon was a cool idea but I was kind of disappointed in it, visually at least. Not very interesting to look at, though the bosses were cool. The dungeons that followed it were all fab though. I really enjoyed them.

The whole bodyswap section? Scared the absolute shit out of me. Knowing the amount of damage Zenos could do if he wanted to get a reaction out of the WoL. It really got to me. That said, while I was relieved that nothing really came of it, I was also really disappointed that all Zenos did was smirk and give the game away. The whole of Zenos’ intent has been to get a rise out of the WoL, to make him stop looking at the whole End of Days thing and make the WoL look at him. Imagine how the WoL’s priorities would change if Zenos had fucked shit up at Broken Glass in the guise of the WoL. Not only would the WoL potentially have perceived Zenos to be the greater threat but the heartache it would have caused.

Just. Ugh. After all that panic running through Garlemald and Zenos does nothing but smirk? Weh.

I did enjoy everything about Garlemald though. The story there was fantastic, the bleakness of the city, the desolation there was eerie and I loved it. Hearing the story of the Garleans was interesting too, invoking a little sympathy for them but still not excusing their actions.

Labyrinthos was an interesting area and I love the idea of the Gleaners. Made me want a Gleaner oc ngl. Erenville was also cute. Sharlayan on the whole was kinda not interesting to me though and since Maru can’t actually read (those quests where reading was required, he asked people instead) it wasn’t really his kind of place. Though I will say that I liked the development of Fourchenault towards the end and Ameliance was lovely to meet.

Elpis was neat but it was getting to meet Hythlodeus that made me particularly happy. He was a fab character and the way he played off Emet-Selch’s dour nature was always fun to see. Venat was fab and I loved hanging out with her.

I think my biggest gripe has to be with Zenos. All the way through Endwalker he just pops up to say a few words and express his disappointment before leaving again like ‘hi, I’m still here!’ Even the ‘meal’ scene before the bodyswap reveal felt awkward. And when he meets you in the endgame, it’s really cool that he’s a dragon until all you do is ride on his back. He’s just a platform. Maybe that gets changed up a bit in the extreme but I was disappointed again with that. The final fight was neat though. The fist fight felt a little contrived but at the same time, getting to punch Zenos in his stupid face at last (sorry Zenos you were better in earlier expansions) was kinda nice actually.

I wasn’t a big fan of going all the way to the edge of creation for the finale though really. I felt it took things too far away from the Source and gave everything a feeling of detachment from the disaster back in Eorzea. The areas themselves and the dungeon and trial all felt cool with interesting ideas but so far removed from skies raining fire back home that it felt difficult for me at least to connect the two. And the sacrifices the scions made didn’t feel impactful because Thancred ‘dying’ offscreen wasn’t very impactful and kind of gave away the fact that he wasn’t dead and therefore the others wouldn’t be either.

I did like the WoL activating the teleporter and then letting it go so it didn’t take them with it.

And finally. I think our return to the source would have been far more interesting if the WoL hadn’t woken on the journey back. You’d have everyone celebrating the return of the Ragnarok, the skies are clear and the End of Days averted and then the scions filter out of the ship with the WoL borne on the litter. I’d have liked to have seen Fourchenault’s reaction to the promise of keeping his children safe kept, but at the WoL’s expense. I did like that they made it clear that the WoL was hurting though and he didn’t just walk that one off.

So all in all, I enjoyed it a lot. Please let me romance Thancred or Aymeric though. Pls. I’d like to be wined and dined by the Speaker again.

[demi-chimera]

OK, take two.

It’s been just over a week since I finished Endwalker’s MSQ, so my initial hype has calmed, and I’ve mulled over the experience a bit. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone I can talk to about it yet as I’m the only one in my very small group of friends who has finished. So my opinions might not be as well-formed as normal. That said, I wanted to make type up my general view on the story. I’ll try to avoid specific spoilers, but I will be giving some overview, so skip this if you want to play it yourself first.

Unfortunately, I think there are a few weaknesses, which I’ll be going over first. The main one is pacing, some sections of the story didn’t delve in deep enough and felt rather rushed as a result. While others felt like they were dragging on, adding little despite the length. Garlemald for example feels a little anticlimactic, the empire has been the big bad of the setting since ARR and when you finally get to the capital the story spends all its time hanging around the outskirts of the city and practically no time in it. There is only really one or two cutscenes that establish any sense of the ruins being anything more than just there. Could have used more time in the middle of the zone exploring the city proper. What was there was decent enough at least, just very lopsided making the area not feel fleshed out enough.

On the flip side, the moon just drags on for far too long. Specifically the part after the Loporrits are introduced, up until then is fine. They are pretty one note and you get the gist of what that note is after only the first few cutscenes, however the story drags this part out for a what feels like hours. Cutscene after cutscene of the same thing happening basically. I think this was mainly due to them trying to make each zone last for roughly the same amount of time and the moon only having the first trial and the loporrits really go over didn’t have enough to fill the time, resulting in it being very stretched. Outside of this one section though not much time is wasted. These is too much going on for that.

Zenos suffers from this as he winds up not really doing much of anything for most of the run time despite being hyped up as a major player through the tail end of the Shadowbringers patches/ Endwalker promos. When he does actually get some time it’s basically over. The slight hint of some development for him is just passed over as there isn’t really any time left for it. I hope/ suspect he will return in the patches and what was started will continue, but as it stands he was underused.

Finally, the amount of time spent reading textboxes vs the amount of time spent actually doing anything active is very high, I think even higher than the rest of the game. If you’ve played through ARR to ShB you’re pretty much used to a lot of text, so it’s not that big a deal? Shouldn’t put you off playing at least.

Pretty much everything else was great. The zones themselves were all fantastic this time around, in fact there were two times during the story where I didn’t realize I was in a new zone until the narration begun, which is an achievement. All of them had something new to see and were generally enough to keep you wanting to continue.

Going in I wanted to see characters like Kryle who had been largely left out up until now get more screentime, and I was not disappointed. Pretty much every scion gets a good amount of time and role to play. In fact, pretty much every character in the game period did. They did an excellent job bringing characters from every location into the story and tying everything from the ARR to present together. The sense of everyone coming together throughout the EW story was really well done. It really feels like the whole of FFXIV is being built on and utilized incredibly well. What you get off the back of it is a very stratifying conclusion to the FFXIV story/ setting so far.

I expected Fandaniel to be very annoying, but they actually did a decent job giving him so development and he winds up not sticking around any longer than he needed to. Not the best villain in the game by any means, but he was fine in his role.

The music ranged from around what you’ve come to expect from the game to some really outstanding, emotional music, the latter showing up very appropriately towards the end of the expansion. The last zone’s music in particular is one of the best in the game.

So all in all a very, very well done expansion all round, despite some wobbly pacing in the middle. It manages to capture both the breadth and depth of FFXIV which after a decade of build up. Combined with some of the best sound and visuals we’ve seen so far, and you’ve got a more than worthy conclusion to the story that leaves you highly satisfied.  In the end I’m very thankful I decided to try FFXIV out, it’s been a beautiful ride and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

[faelune-home]

FFXIV Write 2020 #14: Part

(A/N: I think I’ve accidentally stumbled into a theme with my writing on these prompts. It doesn’t apply to everything yet, especially since I have a piece featuring my other WoL Yuri and maybe others will be about her, but this theme is slowly building around Fufu, and I’ll have to see if the other prompts inspire similar works. Works focusing on Fufu’s relationships with others and themes of loss.

So this is a more introspective or broad look at the partings Fufu’s endured. Some hinted at spoilers but nothing explicit in terms of loss. The biggest spoiler is for the end of ShB actually lol.

Also, while I had this idea and decided to write it focused on Fufu, I actually thought of a prompt idea focused on Yuri. But I don’t think I could write two pieces to enter, so I’ll hold on to that one for now and I might write it later as a bonus, maybe for when I post this fic to Ao3 later next month.

Word count: 478

@ffxiv-writers)

Goodbyes were always the hardest. Especially when you didn’t always get the chance to say goodbye.

Some were easier than others --

Leaving home when she set off for Eorzea, or even the casual ‘Till next time’ whenever she went though the archer’s guild to pick up work or a lesson.

Coming and going from the Waking Sands, each new mission a promise of a new adventure in areas she hadn’t seen yet.

-- Other partings were harder, yet tempered by the thought of meeting again --

To see Alisaie off after their forays deep into Dalamud’s inner prison was a bittersweet experience; having grown close to the girl in so short a time, Fufu both worried for her out in the world, yet similarly felt a keen sense of pride at how much she’d grown. Knowing she left the Burning Wall with her head high, finally freed of the mystery of her grandfather’s death and with a new appreciation for the people he sought to protect, she promised to return a changed woman. Fufu had every faith that she would…

...on the other side of it, even knowing how capable the young girl’s brother was, so long had they travelled together, Fufu felt nothing but concern for Alphinaud as he decided on a mission deep into enemy territory. Even under the banner of it being a diplomatic venture, and knowing his skills of discussion and persuasion, she fret and frayed at the idea of him going off without her.

Yet all the same she had to have the same faith in him. With all her strength to smother her fears and bite back her protests, she could only wish him well.

“I believe in you.”

-- But the loss of friends and loved ones stung all the same. Whether goodbyes could be exchanged or not at all.

The cacophonous splashing of water growing fainter as so many opted to stay behind, fighting back their pursuers, until only one emerged unscathed from the aqueduct.

The sight of a man crumpled on the floor, smiling even as he bled from a glowing wound. The sight of a woman falling from the heavens, glittering ice crystals tumbling with her.

A mage standing alone to seal a beast. A woman set off for a distant world. 

Warriors that wished only for respite for their home.

A girl denied a happy life, a woman embittered by the world.

She who had wished only to aid the sick; he who had wished only to protect his daughters.

He who spent a thousand thousand years mourning his people.

Fufu had grown weary of goodbyes. For once, it was nice to say hello, or welcome back.

“Tis’ good to see you awake, G’raha.”

[katzenkrieg]

Headcanon - Random Notes (some lewd)

Started out writing down notes to myself on what Cam thinks of the fact *so many arcanic/ghost/whatever entities* can just show up and watch him sleep whenever they feel like it; segued inevitably onto notes on Cam’s sex life.

And Cid’s and Nero’s. Honestly, half of this will end up in Nero’s entry when I finally write it up. Cid/WoL/Nero OT3. 

Spoilers for ShB, also just lewd silliness, including BDSM. Nothing explicit or graphic, though! I’m generally a PG-13 kind of writer; R at the very most.

Cam has absolutely woken up to find Emet-Selch watching him sleep--and looking as bored as he always does. Cam’s so used to having people watch him sleep--Ardbert, Feo Ul, Midgardsomr, Shanoa, etc., etc.--that he’d just throw a pillow at him or throw him the Eorzean equivalent of the bird and go back to sleep and/or get up and attempt to shove the Ascian out of the room/window/off any nearby cliffs or into any nearby thorny underbrush before going about getting ready for the day.

Cam never sleeps naked. Way too many people have the ability to just show up wherever he happens to be and watch him sleep. (Cid finds this tendency of arcanic entities to just suddenly *be there* in the bedroom/kitchen/bathroom/whatever a lot more disturbing than Cam does. Cam’s just like, “Tell them to fuck off and/or ignore them, I don’t know why they don’t all have better things to do.”)

Feo Ul has *absolutely* shown up while Cam and Cid were having sex. So has Midgardsomr. The commentary they offered was very different. Shanoa and Mochi (I headcanon the black coeurl kitten minion as Shanoa, and have lore for Cam’s Fat/Fatter Cat being an arcanic entity) both have to be forcibly shut out of the room, and will still occasionally and inconveniently just appear suddenly in the middle of the bed.

So far, Nero has *not* shown up while Cam and Cid were having sex, though he’ll certainly stop to watch and make snide comments and offer suggestions if they ever kiss or flirt anywhere he happens to be. And he *has* walked in when they were clearly about to start something and been very “hey, don’t mind me, I’ve seen at least half of all of this before” and then showed no signs of leaving.

Cid is ace-adjacent/demisexual. He’s prone to forgetting sex is even a thing, though he’ll respond when Cam reminds him. Cam and Cid don’t exactly have a wild sex life, but that’s fine by both of them. When you’ve already got the whole world(s) following your performance and pressuring you to give more than 100% all of the time in all other areas of your life, *not* having that in the bedroom (at least not with your primary partner) is actually a relief to Cam.

Cam has had sex with Nero, and they continue to occasionally get together even after Cam and Cid are married. Cid’s aware of this and has no problem with it. It helps get Nero off his back (literally, if Nero had his way), and, contrary to what you might expect, it actually seems to be good for all of them. Nero just wants *someone* to dom him, ffs. And it looks like it’s never going to be Cid, so the Warrior of Light will do as the next best thing. Cam’s actually quite competent--though obviously very *quiet*--as a dom. And, hey, he grew up in Limsa Lominsa around a lot of fishermen/women; he’s pretty good with knots. Unsurprisingly, Nero is a very mouthy sub, though he’s also remarkably creative and quite a bit of fun. 

Nero is also 100% the kind of sub who *will* try to get out of any ropes/gags/anything else and then try to get them on Cam--and if he succeeds, immediately go “wait, now what, this isn’t half as much fun.” Despite being very loudly interested in performing scientific tests (on his aether density, his memories/brain functions since Ardbert Rejoined with him, the sin eater mutation in his throat, trying to figure out whether he’s Tempered, etc.) on Cam when he’s around Cam in public, he’s not pulled anything like that in the bedroom. He would never admit it, but Nero absolutely knows where the boundaries are--and that if he crosses them, he’s not just out of Cid and Cam’s lives, he’s likely out of Eorzea altogether.

Nero *has,* though, left Cam handcuffed to pipes/machinery/desks/whatever in the Ironworks. But only in places/times where he’s absolutely certain the only person who’ll find Cam is Cid. This just makes Cam roll his eyes. And Cid go “You kill gods regularly, don’t tell me you couldn’t get out of that if you wanted to.” (Cam could.)

Nero has also never pressed for a threesome--in large part because he’s afraid Cid would turn out to not be very good in bed (by Nero’s standards) and that the experience would confirm that Cid is not attracted to Nero at all. Nero would rather not have these suspicions confirmed.

[fleetingfigures]

|| 2020: A Retrospective ||

With the year coming to a close soon, thank god, I thought it’d be cool to take a look back and see what’s transpired in FFXIV as well as this blog! Anyone also reading this, I invite to do the same, if you have time of course. It’s always nice to close out the year thinking of the positives. Though, without further ado let’s goooo~

Blog-Related

- Actually, well, started using this thing! Met a lot of cool peeps and had the chance to actually break out into the world RP thanks to it.

- Almost hit 100 followers, just 5 shy! 

- Top 10 Posts of the Year!

1). Promise Me You’ll... 116 notes - Aug 19 2020 

First and only post I’ve had reach 100 notes! Mighty proud of the posing I pulled off for this, and who knows, I might make a sequel in due time. WoL!AU’s are still very much my weakness. And G’raha. He’s a weakness of mine too, if it wasn’t readily apparent already.

2). LFRP - Saerno Glista (Balmung/Crystal DC)  75 notes - Jan 28 2020. 

Ah... My old LFRP. I even updated it, but I feel the need to change it again, especially given the fact I’m Giving my Carrd a complete overhaul. Might do the same to this blog too lmao. New Year new me as they say, but in actuality a lot has occurred for a certain catboy and things must be adjusted.

3). I Was Busy Thinking ‘Bout Boys  70 notes - Dec 5 2020

I was surprised this even got the attention it did lol. Seems NPC-related content is my most popular stuff. Also I am highly disappointed no one could recognize Arnott from the HW anima weapon quests. Y-yea he’s a very minor NPC, but I think he’s a cutie.

4). Black Mage is a Fun Class 51 notes - May 6 2020

The first of my fun class series! Originally wasn’t supposed to be a series at all, but I decided that every class in the game deserved some love! Also can I just say how much I love staves? Oh and the pagos bandana. It fits oddly well Sae imo.

5). Eden’s Promise Eternity 46 notes - Dec 18 2020

One of my more recent posts, and one not all too involved in the posing. Though, like I said in the post, the MOMENT I saw that arena, I fell in love with its lighting. OST is also a banger. Glad that people enjoyed random glamour shots with Gshade improving the already good lighting.

6). A Guide to Arcanima 42 notes - Sep 28 2020

The post I put the most time into... Photoshopping became so tedious at some points, but it was well worth it! I’m proud of the result and the opportunity to share some of my views upon the RP-flexibility of Arcanima.

7). Random Shower Thought 32 notes - Feb 9 2020

...I genuinely do not remember making this post.

8). Astrologian is a Fun Class 31 notes - Nov 30 2020

My old healing main, but still without a doubt the most beautiful class in the game. I wish Tumblr didn’t restrict gif sizes, but I understand the need for people’s devices to not implode when loading resources. So much grain could be reduced and more detail could be added, but alas. The screenshot at the end is still my favorite screenshot of Sae I’ve taken, even if it’s not IC.

9). Crystarium Coat of Scouting 29 notes - Mar 20 2020

And I still stand by my statements today. Since last tier is a patch behind us now, I could spare some augments to finally dye the coat. And, like a basic bitch, I’ve made Saerno’s ninja Rogue glamour jet black as far as the eye can see; all leather, of course. What is a rogue really without their leather?

10). 26 notes - Nov 16 2020

One of my first gifsets next to my Ninja ones! It Showcases the wonderful land of La Noscea, Sae’s only true home, and highlights some of his personal favorite areas! Hence why Limsa is barely pictured. He likes the city, but growing up in the country makes one appreciate the more natural side of La Noscea.

(Created by TumblrTop10)

In-Game

- Levelled all classes to 80! Though it does feel a bit hollow not being able to get xp for doing stuff now...

- Started Raiding... Well, seriously. I used to be a scrub and only do e1,e5 and e6 savage in PF, but a friend’s static needed a healer and they all but convinced me I was good enough to join. It’s been a hell of a ride, I’ll finally be going into e12s soon, but my experiences thus far have been awesome to say the least. I feel like I’m actually getting the most out of this game now that I both savage raid and take the time to RP.

- FINALLY GOT A HOUSE ON BALMUNG. 

God was the release of the new wards hella stressful. Stayed up all night, logged on the second I could, booted up next to the ferryman. Didn’t get my ideal plot, but got the neighboring one. I finally got to house something with more than 100 slots, and for that, I am eternally thankful.

- Finished those goddamn Shared Fates. And all so I could get a piece of music and possibly make a few million gil selling other SHB area themes. Crystarium night theme is the GOAT and you cannot tell me otherwise.

Roleplay

- Actually RP’ed outside of my circle of friends! Now I haven’t had the time recently to seriously go back to it like I once did, but the things I’ve learned and the people I’ve met... I wouldn’t trade it for the world. With this upcoming new year, and me taking a small break from Uni, I think I’ll begin in earnest again! First I’ve gotta update all these damn sites first to better reflect where Saerno is now.

- New Plotlines realized, old ones closed up. It’s cathartic and oh so satisfying, in a way, to see your OC go through legitimate change and to have them put a cap upon a phase of their life, slowly moving on to the next. While Saerno is still as brash as ever, he’s begun to realize just how fragile his life is. To slow down, to sit back, rest, to think about the direction his life is headed, that is the essence of his new arc.

- Secrets to uncover. To keep things brief and without many spoiler, Saerno has made the transition from Arcanist to Summoner, but with it comes its own host of problems, ones that Saerno has to grapple lest things take a turn for the worse.

- Potential Alts. Well, now that I have money again... I may actually follow through on one of the many alt ideas I’ve had, some tangentially tied to Saerno’s own story, others completely unrelated. A tailor with an unrequited love that’s inspired him throughout his hardships? Perhaps the prodigal daughter of a family whose cunning nature only fuels her desire of pure freedom? Or maybe the son of Doman liberators, trying desperately to gain the approval and praise of others so that his parents’ name do not die out completely. So many choices... 

And, well, that’s all! So far while 2020 has been quite terrible, at least I have these moments to look back upon fondly. Thanks to any and all of your who have been here this year, and here’s to hoping for a wonderful 2021! 

[autumnslance]

3. Least favorite class/job? 9. Favorite trial? 10. Favorite dungeon? 11. The trial/dungeon that you will never do again unless forced to do so? 15. Favorite mount? 24. The next seasonal event provides you with a dating sim like experience, who would you pursue? (Assume all character deaths/disappearances are negated so you may pick from anyone and everyone) 25. Which area/location would you live in if given the opportunity?

Favorites are hard!!

3) I have played all of them yet! That’s the next project after getting crafters up: Finishing off the DoW/DoM jobs. But of the ones I have played...

Melee is my bane. I have not great hand-eye coordination and reflexes, so while most ranged classes I can figure out and position myself comfortably, melee’s constant need to shuffle kills me. Particularly monk’s heavy reliance on positionals. Dragoon, much as I love it conceptually, is also difficult to play with those long rotations, though it’s SO much better now than it was in 4.0, that was utterly ridiculous. Haven’t been able to make myself care for Paladin or Warrior, either, though there’s nothing particularly wrong with them.

9) Final Steps of Faith as the climax of both the HW and DRG stories was pretty nearly perfect. Mechanics are neat and there’s so much weight to the story, especially since I did level DRG my very first time through the game, and our focus on Ishgard all through HW made it work.

I do like Shiva, Lakshmi, and Tsukuyomi; they’re all visually cool and pretty fights with music I enjoy, and the latter two especially have interesting mechanics (while Shiva gets by on being classic/nostalgic and including the Diamond Dust fingersnap). I do think as a climax to StB, Tsukuyomi got shorted by the split story focus and lack of buildup that Nidhogg automatically came with in HW, though.

10) Swallow’s Compass and Ghimlyt Dark are up there for music, visuals, and general atmosphere. None of the mechanics are super annoying, either. I’m fond of almost all the initial dungeons in ShB despite running them a hundred times with Trusts. Still like Sohr Khai and Arboretum, too.

11) Malikah’s Well is the exception of the ShB dungeons. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just...boring, and another underground level after we had that with Qitana Ravel. Also I hate that armadillo boss; when trying to farm with Trusts it inexplicably suddenly starts hitting only the PC for way more damage. So MW will only get run as needed for MSQ, maybe some Trust leveling but I dunno how much I’ll do that on the alts.

Otherwise, there aren’t any trials or dungeons that I’ll refuse to do. Even MW if it comes up in roulette I’ll grin and bear it.

15) Of the ones I have, I like Aeryn’s pegasus (though the horse designs in this game make me cringe hard). The Fenrir motorcycle was a gift and I use it all the time on Dark, and it just fits so well. Wouldn’t mind the sparkly fire bird but that means going back and getting all the birb mounts and eh. Maybe sometime.

24) Someone else asked this, so it’ll go on another post!

25) Somewhere out on the edges, outside the city-states control and away from people. Maybe in Dravania in/around Idyllshire.