sandsofcrystal-blog

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

Urianger warmup!! I had the honor of being retweeted by official FFXIV account for this drawing, thank you so much!! (ps truly living to the meme of -2hr doodle getting more notes than HOURS of full body drawing 😂)

#|| compatriots #etroveria's art is always so choice omg #lookin' good there Urianger

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

🏝- Could your muse survive on an uninhabited island all by themselves?

For a short time, absolutely! Long-term, though, as in permanently- I doubt it. He’s the type who thrives with others around him, and I think if he were alone, he’d sort of waste away. ;;

#|| ooc #|| reverie #unusual questions meme #thanks for the ask! #an excellent choice :D #thorstyr

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

Unusual questions for your muse

🛌- Does your muse prefer to sleep under many layers of blankets or only under a few? 🎀- Does your muse like to accessorize? What are their favorite pieces of accessories? 🎐- Does your muse like to collect/hoard anything? 🛋- Does your muse like to have company over? 📱- Is your muse the “oversharing” type? 🐰- Does your muse prefer soft, plush textures or smooth and glossy textures? 💎- Is your muse drawn to things that sparkle? 🔖- Is your muse a daydreamer? What do they tend to think about? Have they ever caught themselves while lost in thought? 📰- Does your muse like to read the news? 📇- Is your muse a gossiper? 🕹- What does your muse do to occupy themselves when bored? 🏚- Does your muse like to explore dangerous places? 🌋- Has your muse done something stupid and not regret it? ⛪️- Does your muse enjoy attending churches they don’t belong to? 🛣- Is your muse considered a wanderer? 🐺- Would your muse consider themselves a lone wolf or a social butterfly? 🤝- Does your muse forgive others easily? 🖖- What “Fandoms” would your muse belong to? 🎖- Does your muse enjoy praise? 🎟- Do they like “so bad it’s good” movies? 🎠- Does your muse like amusement parks/carnivals/festivals? 🏝- Could your muse survive on an uninhabited island all by themselves?

#|| ooc #|| reverie #unusual questions meme #' has your muse done something stupid and not regretted it ' #distant hysterical laughter

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

The Exarch snorts.  “Nor do I, so we are on even ground,” he replies.  He looks down at Athral with an amused smile and shakes his head.  “I do not think you will be able to pick a fight with me, my friend, though- you may certainly try, if the mood strikes.  I suppose I could bring something more to drink, but that seems a poor decision- everyone I have met seems to make questionable decisions while under the influence.  Instead, how about something to eat?”

As is his habit, the Exarch is walking the length and breadth of the Crystarium, not interfering nor getting in anyone's way- mainly just making sure everything is well and everyone has what they need. He is wandering the chicken coop when he sees someone sitting inside, then nearly does a double-take and walks over to the cage, curious- but also rather amused. "Dare I ask...?"

Most people so far haven’t strolled close to the chicken coop, except for one of the not-Amaljaa responsible for the animals here. Alas seeing the Crystal Exarch of all people step up to the cage (or step out of that tower of his where he seemingly likes to hole up) is a bit of a surprise. Athral raises an eyebrow at him and takes a sip from his almost empty bottle of rum.

“You just did”, he points out, sitting a little straighter on the empty nest that serves as his seat. “In short, this is the most quiet place in this city. And I am winning a bet.”

#|| rp #|| ic #elezenchaser #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

“Well... no.”  The Exarch smiled faintly and shook his head.  “Would I have, had it been necessary?  That is a question I have asked myself since he dragged me beneath the waves, and I have no answer that leaves me willing to look myself in the mirror.  There is a fine line between desperation and action, and I am thankful it is one I did not have to cross... at least, not like that.”

He watched her as she sharpened her blade, ruby eyes taking in each movement, each nervous glance.  She feared herself like Emet-Selch, then?  Perhaps what she would choose, if she were in that position?  He wasn’t entirely sure and it wasn’t a leap he wanted to make without knowing more, but... there was certainly something else to all of this.

“I think,” he said quietly, “that when someone comes along and offers you insight into yourself, no matter how evil or even how misguided they may seem, they earn a spot of importance in your mind... Ascian or no.”  He met her gaze and nodded slightly.  “That said, I would worry if you were so easily able to shrug his words off... or his death, in the end.”

sword-and-lance mentioned you in a post

…sure you can relate.” sandsofcrystal

Ah, yes.  The Ascian.

Though also tempted to sit down, the Exarch remains standing if only because it’s easier to see her face that way- and so instead he leans back against the railing of the walkway and casts his gaze upward.  He had learned much and more from Emet-Selch, especially after his own tour of Amaurot- both as it was, and as it ended.  It seemed to him then that the Ascian might have wished to harness the Tower to bring Amaurot back from the brink, but… he hadn’t.  In fact, it seemed the ordeal he’d been put through was merely for show, a show to keep the Warrior of Light motivated.

He lifts a hand to his chest and smiles faintly, then sighs and settles it back on the railing.  What a mess he’d caused, in the end- though it had worked out, Azeyma be praised… assuming She heard him anymore.

“To be entirely fair,” he said carefully, “I did the very same.  I saw the loss of someone I could not bear to lose, and here we are.”  He looks back at her and smiles, shaking his head.  “Consider this, however- even with me in his grasp, he made no move to avert the tragedy which befell his people.  It is not wrong to wish a better fate on those you love, neither is it wrong to wish that your legacy be remembered and carried on, for in truth, that is what brought me here in the first place.”  He pauses, then sighs and shrugs, lifting a hand helplessly before resting it on the rail again.  “No, I do not blame him, nor do I hold any ill-will toward him.”  Another pause, then his ears droop.  “Is that strange, do you think?”

#|| rp #|| ic #sword-and-lance #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers #hnnngh you're making me work for this one lol

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

… ‘tis good to be awake!

#|| ooc #my art #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers #I love how the crystal came out #that's probably my favorite part of this whole thing omg

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

G’raha: I believe I owe you all an apology. And you most especially. 

‘Tis good to see you awake, G’raha Tia. 

G’raha: Well… ‘Tis good to be awake!

Call him by his name. 

#|| ooc #|| reverie #he's so good ;; #this messed me up less than Mt. Gulg at least #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

“Oh, I don’t think you’re drunk,” the Exarch replies, struggling not to laugh.  "The tavern is called The Wandering Stairs.”  He’s beginning to wonder if Athral will be able to make it out of here on his own accord, and a fall from this high would surely do him damage.  “Well, then- may I keep you company?” He smiles charmingly, hoping that the mercenary will take him up on it- perhaps more to babysit him than anything else, but he’d always enjoyed his company if only for his blunt and scathing honesty.

Of course, if he said no, he wouldn’t go far regardless.  It wouldn’t do for him to break his neck by falling from a balcony.

As is his habit, the Exarch is walking the length and breadth of the Crystarium, not interfering nor getting in anyone's way- mainly just making sure everything is well and everyone has what they need. He is wandering the chicken coop when he sees someone sitting inside, then nearly does a double-take and walks over to the cage, curious- but also rather amused. "Dare I ask...?"

Most people so far haven’t strolled close to the chicken coop, except for one of the not-Amaljaa responsible for the animals here. Alas seeing the Crystal Exarch of all people step up to the cage (or step out of that tower of his where he seemingly likes to hole up) is a bit of a surprise. Athral raises an eyebrow at him and takes a sip from his almost empty bottle of rum.

“You just did”, he points out, sitting a little straighter on the empty nest that serves as his seat. “In short, this is the most quiet place in this city. And I am winning a bet.”

#|| rp #|| ic #elezenchaser #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

Somehow this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, and he grins as he rests a hand on his hip.  “Two whole hours,” he muses.  “That seems like quite a feat... and thus, the chickens.  Your logic is sound indeed.”  Athral had certainly been... spirited, back then- and it seems that hasn’t changed a single bit.  “What are the stakes, then?” They’d have to be fairly high for him to take this bet on, though given the man’s legendary pride... perhaps it was merely to prove that he could.  That wouldn’t come as a surprise.

As is his habit, the Exarch is walking the length and breadth of the Crystarium, not interfering nor getting in anyone's way- mainly just making sure everything is well and everyone has what they need. He is wandering the chicken coop when he sees someone sitting inside, then nearly does a double-take and walks over to the cage, curious- but also rather amused. "Dare I ask...?"

Most people so far haven’t strolled close to the chicken coop, except for one of the not-Amaljaa responsible for the animals here. Alas seeing the Crystal Exarch of all people step up to the cage (or step out of that tower of his where he seemingly likes to hole up) is a bit of a surprise. Athral raises an eyebrow at him and takes a sip from his almost empty bottle of rum.

“You just did”, he points out, sitting a little straighter on the empty nest that serves as his seat. “In short, this is the most quiet place in this city. And I am winning a bet.”

#|| rp #|| ic #elezenchaser #you're not wrong ;; #he definitely would!

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

@sunlitpeony

Blank Trust Banners

Because a number of folks asked about the banner for my Amon Trust post, I created some blanks for everyone to use. They’re not perfect by any stretch, but hopefully good enough to have fun with. 

I don’t know what font the game uses for the Trust UI, so you’ll just have to be creative about putting text and character image on it.

Here’s a sample of the in-game layout: 

Here’s the downloads - you can pull them from this post or get the originals from my Dropbox. 

-DPS banner download-

-Healer banner download-

-Tank banner download-

Feel free to download, tweak, fix, change, and just have fun with them! 

I’d love to see how you use them, so please feel free to tag me if you do! :) 

#|| ooc #here you gooo

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

“So I did.”  The Exarch crosses his arms, still amused.  “I admit to still being curious, however, and so perhaps you would indulge me by telling me the details of this bet.”  He couldn’t imagine what would lead one to sit in a chicken coop for an extended amount of time- no offense to the chickens, certainly- though Athral does have a point in that it is quite peaceful here.  His lips quirk just a bit as he catches sight of the bottle of rum- many foolish things have been done in the name of alcohol, and this, at least, seems to be one of the less dangerous.

As is his habit, the Exarch is walking the length and breadth of the Crystarium, not interfering nor getting in anyone's way- mainly just making sure everything is well and everyone has what they need. He is wandering the chicken coop when he sees someone sitting inside, then nearly does a double-take and walks over to the cage, curious- but also rather amused. "Dare I ask...?"

Most people so far haven’t strolled close to the chicken coop, except for one of the not-Amaljaa responsible for the animals here. Alas seeing the Crystal Exarch of all people step up to the cage (or step out of that tower of his where he seemingly likes to hole up) is a bit of a surprise. Athral raises an eyebrow at him and takes a sip from his almost empty bottle of rum.

“You just did”, he points out, sitting a little straighter on the empty nest that serves as his seat. “In short, this is the most quiet place in this city. And I am winning a bet.”

#|| rp #|| ic #elezenchaser #Athral please lol #what would Aymeric say? #shadowbringeres spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

|| apparently tumblr mobile is doing the unfollowing thing again-- sorry if I randomly pop back into existence on your feed D:;;;

#|| ooc #last time this happened I had over 600 followers on Aymeric's blog #boy howdy was that a good time

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

sword-and-lance mentioned you in a post

…sure you can relate.” sandsofcrystal

Ah, yes.  The Ascian.

Though also tempted to sit down, the Exarch remains standing if only because it’s easier to see her face that way- and so instead he leans back against the railing of the walkway and casts his gaze upward.  He had learned much and more from Emet-Selch, especially after his own tour of Amaurot- both as it was, and as it ended.  It seemed to him then that the Ascian might have wished to harness the Tower to bring Amaurot back from the brink, but... he hadn’t.  In fact, it seemed the ordeal he’d been put through was merely for show, a show to keep the Warrior of Light motivated.

He lifts a hand to his chest and smiles faintly, then sighs and settles it back on the railing.  What a mess he’d caused, in the end- though it had worked out, Azeyma be praised... assuming She heard him anymore.

“To be entirely fair,” he said carefully, “I did the very same.  I saw the loss of someone I could not bear to lose, and here we are.”  He looks back at her and smiles, shaking his head.  “Consider this, however- even with me in his grasp, he made no move to avert the tragedy which befell his people.  It is not wrong to wish a better fate on those you love, neither is it wrong to wish that your legacy be remembered and carried on, for in truth, that is what brought me here in the first place.”  He pauses, then sighs and shrugs, lifting a hand helplessly before resting it on the rail again.  “No, I do not blame him, nor do I hold any ill-will toward him.”  Another pause, then his ears droop.  “Is that strange, do you think?”

#sword-and-lance #|| rp #|| ic #sprinkles headcanons everywhere #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

… ‘tis good to be awake!

#|| ooc #rebageling this here 'cause I'm really proud of it #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

@thorstyr, I see that Cowboy Bebop lyric there :D

#|| ooc #I feel personally called out by this EXTREMELY RELATABLE CONTENT #I will never get sick of Call Me Call Me #like ever

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

The VA for the Crystal Exarch is ROCK SOLID.

Major MSQ Spoilers for Crystal Exarch under cut!

Keep reading

#|| ooc #shadowbringers spoilers #5.0 spoilers #YEP THIS IS TRUE #I rewatched both of these and noticed the same thing yesterday #his VA consistently knocked it straight out of the park #he's SO good

[sandsofcrystal-blog]

       B A S I C S

NAME:  Sorin ALIAS(ES) / HANDLES: ... just Sorin, ye! ARE YOU OVER 18?  Yes / No IS YOUR MUSE?  Yes / No WHEN WAS YOUR BLOG ESTABLISHED?  uhhh all of two days ago!

       W R I T I N G

ARE YOU SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU WRITE WITH ON THIS BLOG? No (anyone)  /  Semi (most people)  /  Yes (some people)  /  Highly (few people)  /  Private (mutuals only)

ARE YOU SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU FOLLOW ON THIS BLOG? No (anyone)  /  Semi (most people)  /  Yes (some people) /  Highly (few people)  /  Private (mutuals only)

IF YOUR MUSE IS CANON, HOW MUCH DO YOU ADHERE TO CANON? Not at all  /  A little   /  Some  /  Mostly  /  Strictly  /  Not Applicable

WHAT POST LENGTHS DO YOU WRITE? One Liners  /  Single-Para  /  Multi-Para  /  Novella

DO YOU USE ICONS AND/OR GIFS? No  /  Gifs  /  Icons  /  Yes

DO YOU WRITE ON OTHER PLATFORMS? No  /  Yes 

HOW DO YOU PLOT? Unplotted  /  Open-Ended Plots /  Semi-Plotted (one or two steps ahead)  /  Fully Plotted Epics (plotted beginning, middle, and end)

HOW QUICKLY DO YOU USUALLY RESPOND TO THREADS? Very Slow (more than a month)  / Slow (3-4 weeks)  /  Average (1-2 weeks)  /  Fast (less than one week)  /  Very Fast (less than three days)  /  It depends

WHAT TYPES OF THEMES DO YOU LIKE? (feel free to add!) Fluff  /  Angst  /  Smut  /  Violence  /  Tragedy /  Domestic  /  Family  /  Conversational / H/C

WHAT GENRES DO YOU LIKE? (feel free to add!) High Fantasy  /  Supernatural  /  Science Fiction  /  Historical  /  Horror  /  Comedy  /  Romantic  /  Drama  /  Action  /  Adventure  /  Espionage

ARE THERE ANY THEMES YOU’RE UNCOMFORTABLE WRITING ON YOUR BLOG? (not triggers) No  /  Yes  /  Sometimes

DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIGGERS?  HOW DO YOU REQUEST IT TAGGED? I really dislike body horror. ... which made this an excellent expac for me, laughs. :| 

       S H I P P I N G

WHAT TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS ARE YOU OPEN TO? Romantic  /  Platonic  /  Familial / Enemies

WHAT TYPES OF PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS ARE YOU OPEN TO? Romantic  /  Platonic  /  Familial  / Enemies

DO YOU HAVE OTPS? No  /  Chemistry Only /  Yes 

DO YOU HAVE NOTPS? No  /  Yes  

WHAT IS YOUR MUSE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATION? Heterosexual  /  Heteroflexible  /  Bisexual  /  Pansexual  /  Homoflexible  /  Homosexual  /  Demisexual  /  Sapiosexual  /  Asexual

WHAT IS YOUR MUSE’S ROMANTIC ORIENTATION? Heteroromantic  /  Heteroflexible  /  Biromantic /  Homoflexible  /  Homoromantic  /  Panromantic  /  Demiromantic  /  Sapioromantic  /  Aromantic

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WRITING SMUT? No  /  Selectively  /  Yes

HOW EARLY IN A RELATIONSHIP DO YOU SHIP ROMANTICALLY? Autoship  /  During plotting  /  After a couple IC interactions /  Several IC interactions /  Slow burn  /  Never

ARE YOU OPEN TO TOXIC SHIPS? No  /  Selectively  /  Yes

ARE YOU OPEN TO PROBLEMATIC SHIPS? (incest, canon history, age difference, complicated, etc.) No  /  Selectively (canon history/age difference/complicated) /  Yes

ARE YOU OPEN TO POLYSHIPPING? No  /  Selectively  /  Yes

ARE YOU AN EXCLUSIVE SHIPPER? Never  /  Sometimes  /  Yes

DOES CRACK SHIPPING EVER HAPPEN? No  /  Yes

tagged by: nobody, I stole it from @viisguard because it seemed like a good idea o/

tagging: whomever would like to fill it out!

#|| ooc #style and preferences #I feel like a lot of these need a big ol' asterisk haha but #for the most part this is how I'll fly with the crystalcatte #as always however please talk to me about whatever ideas you have! #for the most part I'll always roll with it #the only thing I won't do is write graphic smut #not that I haven't or can't mind you :| #but I prefer fading to black and focusing on plot in RP!