#sometimes it surprises me when i realize how much i really do love emet's character

[noxtivagus]

i am thinking about ffxiv. my head still aches but in a good way now

[shadowbringcr]

Talk about your favorite ships for Lycelle!

send me a topic to write a meta about my muse on

Putting this under a cut because it gets long and. I may or may not be shy. Also spoilers!

THANCRED. Everyone who has been to my Twitter at least once isn’t surprised by this.

As someone who started on Ul’dah Thancred was the first Scion she has ever met - and she has knowledge of his reputation, although it was something she didn’t pay mind to at the time. But it was during the Ifrit expedition where she started feeling something for him that was decidedly not platonic: even today she would still count her first experience with the primal as one of her weakest moments. It was Thancred that comforted her through those times despite his overwhelming guilt in failing her. Lahabrea possessing him was devastating for Lycelle, and saving Thancred have been her firstmost priority upon delving in the Praetorium.

They’ve been through a lot, going from casual friendship to something deeper. The world has made both of them bitter and cynical, but they have been able to support each other through it all. There is mutual admiration between them - while Thancred admires her strength and accomplishment, Lycelle admires his resilience and clever thinking. Sometimes they would playfully snark at each other, offer snide commentary to the comings and goings around them, or - Lycelle’s favorite - set off traps on purpose, much to Thancred’s annoyance.

The reason why their dynamic works is the fact that these two normally closed-off individuals are very much willing to be open with each other. They are each other’s confidant and comfort, especially in times where they feel weak - because they’re not afraid to be vulnerable when they are around. They trust each other to have each other’s back, no matter what the world throws at them. Lycelle also doesn’t mind voicing out her more negative thoughts with him around, such as her disgust for politics or weariness towards chores, because he’s someone who understands and someone who wouldn’t judge her for it.

Y’MHITRA. This one is unfortunately a bit lacking in material compared to the other people in this list by virtue of Not Being An MSQ Character, but Lycelle bonds really well with the Summoner instructor! In a way they are peas in a pod, researchers in the same field and posessing an intellect that rivals her sister. She was a great source of comfort at the times where the Scions were missing or whisked away.

Their first meeting was also the first steps of her current career - by Y’shtola’s recommendation was how they first met, as someone capable of learning the art of the Summoner as well as someone qualified of joining the Sons of Saint Coinach. Y’mhitra may be the closest friend Lycelle has outside of her duties as a Warrior of Light.

HAURCHEFANT. A love unrequited. I believe it’s a very common headcanon-verging-on-actual-canon that Haurchefant is someone who sounds very infatuated with the Warrior of Light. He admires them to no end. And while Lycelle sees him as a dear friend and in fact one of the few reasons why she decided to lend a hand to Ishgard in the end, she never held romantic feelings for him in the end.

The thing was she believed that the person he was in love with was one of the many who only see her as the persona she puts up in public - the heroic figure, strong and steady, an exemplary inspiration to all. But Heavensward happened to be one of her lowest points in her life, and she didn’t think she was worthy of that praise. It was innocent hero-worship, but hero-worship nonetheless, and she knew his opinion would drastically change once he realized that she was a mess barely keeping herself together.

Lycelle was very aware of his feelings, as unvoiced as they were, but she pretended not to see it because she didn’t want to break his heart. Unfortunately it is now too late to say anything, and she would never knew which side of herself Haurchefant truly loved.

EMET-SELCH. But it’s complicated, even when you don’t take her current Existential Crisis into consideration, and I’m not sure if I can accurately put these into words but I Will Try.

The thing is that Emet-Selch possesses a personality that she’s attracted to despite how much he is a pain to deal with. He’s someone she could match wits with, someone who was all too happy to reveal the truth to burning questions.  The initial plan was to take out of Urianger’s leaf and gather as much information as she could under the pretense of mutual benefit, but deep down she did want to be friends with Emet-Selch.

Of course, there are quuuuuuite a few problems that make such camaraderie hard to do. Such as, oh you know, the fact that he’s an Ascian bent to destroy the world she knew and sacrifice all of the inhabitants within it. And as much as she likes someone that’s just not something that she could abide to, and thus was their story condemned to be one between hero and villain.

And yet, if she could, she didn’t want to kill him. Remember that we once lived, he said - but how, exactly? Despite everything she felt like she didn’t learn enough still. How was she supposed to pen their legacy down in history with such bare records, when she had no memory of the past? It was not entirely out of kindness either, she didn’t feel like oblivion was an apt punishment for immortals who have caused so much conflict. Yet at the same time, it was because she wanted him to see what may come next - what she wanted for Emet-Selch was not an ending, but a new beginning.

She knows of his beliefs, of how he saw them as malformed and incomplete creatures incapable of being the new stewards of this world, and she wanted to challenge that belief - prove that he was wrong so hard that he feels it within every fibre of his being, accept the beauty of mankind…and then perhaps he might find peace.

I imagine their dynamic is something messy - sweet and gentle simply does not suit them, not even in defense of each other. They keep each other on edge. He has his expectations, and Lycelle being the stubborn ambitious person that she is she wants to fulfill those expectations and then some. And as strange as it is, the fact that they can be awful with each other (since they’re enemies) is an uplifting experience in Lycelle’s end.

Above all, his proposal for cooperation was something that intrigued her - for it was a collaboration unheard of, yet it was a path that promised so much potential. She truly believed it to be possible. She does want to keep him in her life.

[illegiblewords]

Oh god so sometimes I double check FFXIV cutscenes either for shits and giggles or because I want to see if I missed something.

All I want in life rn is a scene of Emet-Selch learning the precise circumstances of Lahabrea’s death, because every single time I have gone back to the final Heavensward quest (as in, the quest literally titled Heavensward) his plan gets more and more unfortunate. It makes me laugh and cringe and yell at screens. Out of every character in the game Emet-Selch 100% canon confirmed understands EXACTLY WHY that was such a horrendous idea and I just need to experience that moment in real time.

Because holy shit it just gets so much dumber with each watch. I’m actually mildly upset, but not in a “devs goofed” way but in a “GO THE FUCK TO BED LAHABREA JESUS CHRIST” way.

Because apparently it is also canon that the guy was basically loopy from sleep deprivation 24/7 by word of Gamescom, and Igeyorhm is just not very bright and a terrible enabler. And this is consistent with her little “hahahaha I kind of fucked up one of thirteen shards of existence we desperately need oops” escapade.

But okay I’m gonna try to recap this because I haven’t posted my rant about why Lahabrea messed up so badly and needed to go the fuck to sleep on tumblr. My affection for him as a character increased exponentially after realizing he is sort of a loser and all the other Ascians are catty-judging him for it. While I’ll acknowledge the devs and say he probably has solid ideas in him somewhere past the HAHAHAHA LORD ZODIARKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!111!! and sleep deprivation and $5 words, those are not good odds for success.

Basically.

There were like a billion points preceding the moment where Thordan up and ate him that Lahabrea should've gotten the hell out of dodge. The entire reason he didn't was because he had to do his flashy experiment with Igeyorhm on the Warrior of Light. The way she agreed gives me the impression that he'd probably been nagging her about it behind the scenes for a while. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if he'd tried asking other Ascians too and she was just the one who actually entertained him. Everyone else was like “LAHABREA THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA GO THE FUCK TO BED” but he’s loopy so of course he ignores them. Guy’s face basically lights up when Igeyorhm’s all m'kay lets do it on going Ascian Prime. Doing a high power experiment involving your own aether and a colleague's aether while a known Ascian-killer is in the room, without necessarily knowing how it's gonna go and what the effects will be? That alone was not a good idea. But oooooh they'll be so powerful, surely then they'll be able to defeat the Warrior of Light once and for all. Right? Right? Lahabrea and Igeyorhm were so wiped after that stunt failed that neither one of them could stand, let alone make a dark tunnel to flee the scene. Igeyorhm dies literally the moment after she suggests retreat, when the WoL uses auracite. Lahabrea, who really really should have had a little voice at the back of his head by then going "maybe I should focus on getting out of here", instead gets cocky and comments that now there's no way for the WoL to murder him too. Still can't even stand upright. Just running his mouth. Thordan enters with another eye. Thordan repeatedly makes ominous comments about being 500% done with Ascian nonsense for about five minutes. Thordan takes on a millenia of prayer from the notoriously devout Halonic church plus Nidhogg eye #2. No little voice for Lahabrea. Kind of read like it didn't occur to him he was in serious trouble until the moment primal Thordan said he condemned him to death. And by then he's still staggering around like a baby deer from the Ascian Prime misadventure plus being trounced by Warrior of Light.

But then.

THEN.

It fucking hits me.

Lahabrea after getting thrown out of his Ascian flesh-mecha is all WTF HOW DID YOU DIVIDE US WITH THE POWER OF LIGHT????

And I stared for about thirty seconds before just going “oh my god.”

Because another tidbit Emet-Selch confirmed?

Hydaelyn was tailor-made to divide shit. That is her biggest power. That is literally her MO. It’s the reason why, with less overall aether at her disposal, she was able to defeat Zodiark anyway. She was strategically designed to exploit that weakness.

Warrior of Light, blessed by Hydaelyn herself... what the fuck do you think their power’s gonna include?

Motherfucking division.

And like. Any alert Ascian who wasn’t Igeyorhm would probably have a moment’s pause and be like “no Lahabrea it’s a bad idea and it won’t work take a nap”.

Then instead of pausing to consider why he’s getting this response over and over again, wondering if maybe he missed something obvious--impossible of course, he’s Amaurot’s greatest orator and top of phantomology. Couldn’t possibly have fucked up.

...he gets indignant, conscious that people make catty comments behind his back, and determined to prove them all wrong. With this doomed plan.

And Igeyorhm is just like YAY ONE OF THE UNSUNDERED IS GIVING ME A CHANCE TO PROVE I’M NOT A FUCK UP AGAIN RIGHT ON, and is oblivious enough that the issues in Lahabrea’s plan shoot right over her head.

I still hope that through some weird twist the guy isn't totally dead just because he needs to be held accountable for how stupid that whole escapade was for him. And.

AND.

To add insult to injury.

Result of Lahabrea's experiment wasn't even impressive either. Ascian Prime was not particularly powerful. If he really, really wanted to try fusion--WoL is not where you do the test run. Even if it's the first time one of his fellow Ascians agreed to indulge him. Igeyorhm has a history of questionable judgment and of all people Lahabrea should have known better. ಠ_ಠ

EDIT: I am leaving old analysis up for posterity but have since reblogged a new understanding under this post that is sad as fuck rather than funny. I don’t begrudge past!me or other peeps for laughing at the old interpretation, but it’s kind of an “oh. oh no shit I fucked up and laughed at a terrible thing in ignorance” situation. Still love Lahabrea to bits and I think Igeyorhm is rad as hell, have added respect and appreciation for both now.