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terramythos · 24 days

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Anyway here's my breakdown of the ffxiv jobs, my opinions on playing each, and the tier rank of how good their story was

TANKS

WARRIOR - warrior is so fucking funny why did they make it able to solo heal itself and the entire party in 90% of the content in the game. Raw Intuition/Bloodwhetting is so broken in dungeons its hilarious. And then they have like 3 additional healing skills on top of that. And they kept buffing it throughout Endwalker. So it is currently the easiest to play, does the most damage (i think...?), and has the best healing of any of the Tank jobs. 2nd fave probably.

Story Tier: C, it's ok, Curious Gorge is a good name. i have like nothing to say about it it's a generic AF story

PALADIN - I used to hate PLD but I think the partial rework they got halfway through Endwalker helped it a lot. It's much less clunky now. Probably still my least favorite Tank though Hallowed Ground is fun and it's pretty close to Gunbreaker for me.

Story Tier: F, this is the worst class storyline in the entire game. It's so stupid. The writing is so bad the writers acknowledge it makes no sense at all and I'm like. Yeah, thanks, I am experiencing this shit. Perhaps write a story that makes sense next time instead of pointing that out.

DARK KNIGHT - Unfortunately this is my favorite Tank 🫡 which is rough since it has the worst survivability out of any of them. But I love how you use MP and the silly number of OGCDs. The Blackest Night is such a fun ability and it's a crime that it's not a baseline skill you get from the start. Why do they have so many DRs that only cover magic damage. I must ask.

Story Tier: S, there's a reason it's the most popular and well regarded class storyline. It's really good, also the only questline I know of that uses the quest log text as part of the narrative. Outside maybe a few of the very late Endwalker quests. And, well... same writer lmao

GUNBREAKER: I think GNB looks cool as fuck and I like that it has 2 DPS rotations. The Gnashing Fang combo is so fun. Superbolide memes are always fun. My main issue with it is a skill issue because I am just constantly misaligning its burst windows.

Story Tier: C. It has some interesting lore but I found it pretty forgettable as a story.

HEALERS

WHITE MAGE: I hated White Mage for a while but something clicked and now I totally get it. I find it fun in dungeons cause you get to Holy spam and stun lock everything. As uh. The healer. That's fun. Once you get Afflatus heals (and then Afflatus Misery) it clicks. It's fun maximizing damage and playing chicken with the tank's HP.

Story Tier: B, you get a lot of lore around the Padjal, and I think the Stormblood story where you find a padjal living in hiding with her mother is pretty good! Also it's not technically the job storyline but there's a WHM side quest to get a unicorn mount? i guess it's technically a CNJ quest but same diff. no one else gets that shit. so that's cool

SCHOLAR: probably my least favorite of the healers... it just feels super clunky. You can tell a bunch of different design philosophies went into it over the years and none of them mesh very well. They've made it so the Fairy Gauge controls literally one spell. Why have the gauge at all? It's also a huge missed opportunity that there's no tie in or interaction with the fae in Shadowbringers. I love the idea of a battle tactician healer but I think it needs a rework.

Story Tier: B+, I liked the characters and its the main way to get backstory and lore on what happened with Nym.

ASTROLOGIAN: While I think AST has a similar issue to SCH (lots of different design philosophies over the years) I find it way more fun to play. I like the card mechanic and how it interacts with the rest of the party. AST is basically the only job that has its own like. Minigame? As part of its rotation. And I know a lot of people don't like the RNG for it but personally I find it fun. I know AST is getting a redesign in Dawntrail so hope it's good.

Story Tier: C? I think? I'll be honest I don't remember it super well but I didn't find anything objectionable about it. And I like the tarot aesthetic and lore and how it's healing based on manipulating luck.

SAGE: I think SGE is tons of fun, I'm not sure if I like it or WHM more. I love all the skills SGE has for preventing damage and the gimmick where your DPS heals someone in the party. Visually the hi-tech laser shooting healer is a lot of fun. IT HAS A GAP CLOSER. The only thing i wish was it wasn't so MP negative and that it did more damage. It's a little sad its DPS output is so low compared to the other healers (even AST when you factor in how it buffs the party). Since SGE is supposed to be a healer that heals through damage it's silly its damage kinda sucks.

Story Tier: A, I loved this storyline. Both the Endwalker job stories are very self contained and interesting. While the twist is pretty obvious it's still an interesting exploration of uh. Scientific ethics. Yeah

PHYSICAL MELEE DPS

MONK: I've probably played MNK the least of the phys melee but I like the whole adaptable combo thing. Not much else to say since I have played it so little. Might bring it back out and try again. It DID have the funniest guide in the Balance discord for a while.

Story Tier: D. I think? I remember thinking it was dumb, lmao. Sorry.

DRAGOON: MAN I wished I liked DRG more. It looks so fucking cool and I like how it interacts with the dragon lore. But I find it very punishing to play. To do good damage you have to align so many different cooldowns... and snapshot your DOT correctly... and screwing one thing up just fucks your DPS output forever. Like AST I believe this is being reworked in Dawntrail so I hope it feels better to play.

Story Tier: C+. I think it starts strong since you get to meet Estinien pre-Heavensward and it melds nicely with that story. But I found it pretty directionless post-HW which is a shame.

NINJA: I remember finding this one fun. I like that there are different combos you do that have varied finishers depending on the situation. I am just... bad at remembering which combo to use to get which finisher, lol. So I haven't played it as much. NIN gets a lot of flavor other jobs don't get with their unique run and jump animations. And you get a Bunny of Shame on your head if you fuck up a combo, which is incredible.

Story Tier: A. The Rogue story is probably the most memorable of the basic class quests. Ninja just has great characters and a fun story. What is with that one guy. Karasu? If you know you know. I also like how the Rogue characters show up later in the Ninja story. That's fun.

SAMURAI: I had a similar experience to WHM here because I initially hated it then really came around once it clicked. SAM seems very complex, it has a ton of buttons and different combos. But it is actually quite intuitive once you figure out the general pattern. And it does INSANE damage. I think it's the highest DPS output in the game? I love building the combos and then doing a huge finisher for a bajillion damage. The guaranteed crits and constant OGCD weaves make me feel unstoppable. I think this is tied with RPR for me.

Story Tier: B+. I found the exiled samurai character and his journey toward redemption very compelling. I won't spoil beyond that. However it does fall apart a little in the second half. Still fun but not as good.

REAPER: I love RPR, the teleportation is a lot of fun, and I love finally unleashing the demon form and going ham on the enemy. The weapons are the coolest looking in the game. Every scythe design hits. I probably played this the most in Endwalker. My main critique is the Death's Design mechanic. I hate having to keep a stupid debuff on the target to do damage. It's like a dot but without the optimized snapshotting. If they want to keep this idea i think it would feel better to change it into something like SGE's Kardia where you apply it to one enemy to do increased damage to it without having to worry about reapplying it. not sure how they would balance this for aoe but that's not my job. But even with that caveat I still really enjoy the job.

Story Tier: A+. While it doesn't reach the highs of DRK's story it comes close. I love the badass old lady main character. Her hunting a voidsent that possessed her grandfather would be cool enough but making her a Garlean exile in hiding who grudgingly agrees to train you just adds an extra cool factor. I really enjoyed this story. As a bonus theres a lot of incidental dialogue in the post-6.0 Endwalker story if you completed the RPR story because it ties in a lot.

PHYSICAL RANGED DPS

BARD: It's a bit clunky, its got some outdated design elements, it has one of the lowest damage outputs in the game... and i LOVE IT. this was technically the first job I ever played? totally different character like 8 years ago. and i was so so bad. I think i am actually pretty good at current BRD. the animations look cool. i like that it's a class you really need to work for and optimize to eke out that last bit of damage. and boosting everyone else's damage by existing is kinda neat.

Story Tier: B. I'll be real I barely remember this but I do remember it was gay as fuck so immediately gets an extra tier for that.

MACHINIST: MCH is really funny right now because like. It's phys ranged, right. The design behind phys ranged is you have 100% uptime cause you can freely move around and not have to worry about cast timers or melee range or anything. So the trade off is that they do less damage than other classes. Endwalker MCH did not get the memo and does insane damage anyway. My controversial opinion is that it has similar burst DPS to RPR. No i will not elaborate. I'm also bad at doing good damage on MCH which is impressive since it is easy.

Story Tier: B+. Some Ishgard noble's gay son wants to build machines instead of killing dragons the good old fashioned way and has to prove himself to get taken seriously. A tale as old as time. See I haven't done this quest in like years but I still remember it. He is a memorable character. It's just not like. knockout wowza compared to the A tier stories.

DANCER: Dancer is the second easiest DPS job in the game behind SMN. So if i am sleepy it's the one I like playing. You play simon says. you do a lot of damage when you play simon says then do almost no fucking damage otherwise. I think it's the lowest direct damage in the game? for a dps i mean. You have high stakes sexual tension with a DPS of your choice via Dance Partner. I wish other DNC players knew how Dance Partner works. YOU CAN DANCE PARTNER ANOTHER DANCER. THE BUFF STACKS. BUT YOU CANNOT DANCE PARTNER THE SAME PLAYER AS ANOTHER DANCER. THOSE BUFFS DO NOT STACK. ok i'm good. anyway

Story Tier: C. there's some shit about negative emotions and purging them? in theory i think this has some interesting implications with Endwalker lore considering Dynamis and its role in the story. Very similar mechanically to what's going on with the DNC story. but i really don't think the writers made the connection so it's like pure speculation and not the actual story. It's meh. fine i guess. i did like all the flashy dancing sequences.

MAGICAL RANGED DPS

BLACK MAGE: I am so so so so so so so bad at BLM. i pull up the guide. i read the guide. it all makes perfect sense. i go into a dungeon or trial or something. somehow i always get like Zeromus or some shit. and i drop Enochian or something and everything goes to shit and i'm yelling and i'm not even like slide casting or teleporting or anything i just run around crying. then i remember i have like 10 more buttons i haven't been pressing and oh god the dot fell off. people play this? for fun? i admire it. apparently they do a ton of damage if you can play it. could not be me.

Story Tier: B? There's some voidsent and Thirteenth lore. all the black mage characters are Lalafell because it's funny i guess. OH YEAH it has like the one named male Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te NPC in the entire game and he's fun. look at this twink:

sorry i don't have anything to say about BLM i am bad at it

SUMMONER: easiest DPS job in the entire game. they redesigned it for Endwalker so it is practically a new job. i have no idea how it played before. but it is super streamlined. maybe too streamlined? it's another one to play if you want to turn your brain off. i like that at 90 you summon The Actual Primals instead of little representations of them. and i like the way your burst phase switches between Bahamut and Phoenix. it all looks very cool. they should add Leviathan as a summon in Dawntrail.

Story Tier: C.. i don't remember a single thing about this questline except you interact with Y'shtola's half sister. i think you go to Cartenau at some point. idk

RED MAGE: RDM is one of those jobs that looks really complicated when you start then you actually play it and it is just super super easy. that being said i think it's really fun. I like balancing the white and black magic gauges. Dualcast is a great gimmick and it feels cool to lob two big spells in a row at something. Dualcast Verraising a chain of dead players is so fucking funny. it's a shame that the existence of Verraise means RDM does shit damage to compensate for its utility. It and DNC just sit at the bottom with BRD barely scratching ahead of them. i think? i don't remember LOL

Story Tier: A, I really like the story and characters. I like that you have a middle-age world weary catboy (catman) as your mentor. and i like that he canonically trained Alisaie too and you chat a little about that. it's a fun story!

BLUE MAGE: what the fuck is a blue mage

Story Tier: ???

#my posts

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alackofghosts · 7 days

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got tagged by tumblr user @fourteenthz (loved reading about thesa, by the way <3)! thank you very much!

— B A S I C S

name: lil guy i'm very shy, don't worry about it

nicknames: none based on his name, as it's quite short already, but will also respond to a fond and/or slightly exasperated "hero"

age: 33 as of 6.55

nameday: 27th sun of the 4th umbral moon

race: rava viera

gender: cis man

orientation: gay

profession: adventurer

— P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T

hair: black, naturally wavy, very thick and soft

eyes: dark brown

skin: warm brown, freckles easily, especially his face

tattoos: none

scars: burn scar on his left shoulder from his fight with ifrit, another burn on his right thigh from nidhogg. a few other scrapes here and there. notable lack of any significant scarring from shb and beyond, because that's how i see astrologian healing working - he feels particularly strange about not having a scar from his fight with zenos in endwalker

— F A M I L Y

parents: he has not been back to his home village, for obvious reasons, so doesn't know - but assumes - his mother is still alive and well; never met his biological dad. but because he showed signs of. however the viera would call/conceptualise the inner beast, one of the women called in a favour with a wood warder who was also a warrior, to take him under his wing to train. said wood warder, however, was wholly at a loss what to do with a child, having never taken in a ward before and decided to seek out an old friend, who had since left the forest. ...long story short, he ends up being raised by an all-viera dalmascan resistance cell, who end up packing up and leaving with him in tow after almost being rooted out by garlean forces. he views most of them as Parental Figures and loves them dearly, even if some of them have scattered into the winds after he left to become an adventurer

siblings: he isn't aware of any biological siblings, but the village took a very communal approach to raising kids, so at the time he definitely felt like the other kids were his siblings, regardless of any blood relations. one of the men in the resistance cell was a 'mere' 30 or so years older than him, so he also counts more as a sibling than anything else in his eyes

grandparents: he has definitely met his maternal grandmother, but as with his mother, he's not been back home and doesn't know if she is still alive (but in all likelihood: yes)

in laws and other: THE TWINS. putting an exact name to what alisaie and alphinaud mean to him would honestly not be Good or Close Enough, but they are absolutely like family to him and a reason to keep on going. he also has a very sibling-like relationship with lyse, who is always ready and willing to match his energy, tag along for workouts and tease the hell out of him

pets: he befriends an amaro hatchling at the crystarium during shadowbringers and during a later visit, her handler notes that she's been looking glum without him around. he loves animals, but his living situation has been far too chaotic after becoming an adventurer to accommodate an animal (that isn't his chocobo, who, at least, is much easier to house) and hasn't felt particularly inclined to change that. but after endwalker, he finds himself actually wanting to change that and has the time to do it... so, with a little bit of help from feo ul, he has a little amaro friend with him now

— S K I L L S

abilities: war + drk + pld and all that that entails. skilled and formidable fighter, good at navigating/strategising through a fight on the fly, quick study (as far as fighting is concerned, anyway)

hobbies: working out (especially running and swimming), hiking, he's been learning to enjoy fishing after endwalker

— T R A I T S

most positive traits: protective, caring, insatiable lust for life

most negative traits: too willing to let other people do the talking for him, impulsive, stubborn

— L I K E S

colours: warm red, gold, the bright green of sunlight filtering through leaves

smells: fresh earth, cinnamon, a meadow in early summer, the savoury smell of the stew one of his dads used to make

textures: soft grass under bare feet, tree bark, skin on skin, the scratch of ardbert's beard

drinks: water, pineapple juice, lemonade

— O T H E R D E T A I L S

smokes: no

drinks: only socially, and even then it's fairly rare. he did drink a little more often as a baby adventurer, mostly because he simply had more opportunities to do so: mingling was useful and it wasn't uncommon to have a rowdy bar night to celebrate a job well done. he is a bit of a lightweight and tends to withdraw when tipsy/drunk, so he actually has more fun when sober

drugs: also no (unless we're counting medicine for this. he won't be refusing painkillers if he's in pain etc.)

mount issuance: his beloved chocobo, who he dotes on very much, especially because it was something of a dream to have when he was just a baby adventurer - he could not have afforded to buy or maintain one at the time

been arrested: he's got in trouble for those rowdy bar nights - he's not the type to start a fight, but if someone were to pick a fight with him or his friends, by gods, he will be finishing it. no serious jail time, more like being hauled off with everyone else involved to sober up until morning, though

#meme tag #i draw sometimes #sjddskjhs i feel a bit nervous

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yasuosexual · 3 months

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hello! i may have been binging your posts they're so good-- i was wondering if you could write how the elezen men and thancred would react to finding out the wol is pregnant?

anon you have read my mind! 😳 this was next on my list to post!!! i had another request about naming the baby after them, so that is coming next!

warnings: pregnancy, established relationship, HW spoilers, SHWB spoilers (is that even the shadowbringers acronym…)

THANCRED:

- when you tell him, he is shocked at first— this definitely wasn’t planned. it doesn’t take him long to be overwhelmed with joy, though.

- brings you into a tight hug, but releases his grip as soon as he remembers that his child is inside of you. he doesn’t want to accidentally hurt either of his babies!

- “i’m going to be a dad!” sir you already are

- the first person he tells is ryne, who is elated to hear of the news. the rest of the scions are just as happy to hear that a new baby scion will be joining the league!

- the happiest of all, though, is thancred. he is over the moon with the idea that he will get to have a miniature version of himself. he kisses your tummy every single night and makes sure to talk to his baby. he loves to tell people that his child will be handsome like his father, but inside he hopes it looks just like you.

AYMERIC:

- with all that life has brought for aymeric, a bit of joy was in order. and he was filled to the brim with joy when you told him you were pregnant.

- you hadn’t seen his eyes shine with such intensity since the day you got married. his hands instantly wrapped around your sides as he looked you up and down. you noticed tears forming at the corners of his eyes which you promptly wiped.

- the two of you shared an emotional hug. both crying, for the same yet different reasons. you were both delighted with the thought of becoming parents, but aymeric had more on his mind than that.

- it didn’t matter that his child was yet to be born— aymeric made a promise to himself to always love his child for whoever they are and whoever they want to be. his child would forever be of house de borel. no shame, no guilt, no nothing, because his child is loved, and will forever be loved. and this day, aymeric swore to be the father he never had, and to protect his child no matter what comes his way.

HAURCHEFANT:

- he cried when you told him he was going to be a dad. salty tears of joy streamed down his face as he picked you up into his arms, very careful around your abdomen.

- haurchefant was overjoyed to become a father! he couldn’t wait to welcome the littlest knight of ishgard to his family.

- he didn’t take much time to relish in the thought— he ran right to house foretemps to tell his dad all about it. edmond, emmanellain, and artoriel were all excited to hear the news! emmanellain made sure to ask as many embarassing questions as possible, earning disdainful looks from his father and older brother.

- you didn’t mind the questions, though, and found it quite cute how the brothers fawned over you and their unborn nephew. despite haurchefant being his illegitimate son, edmond was happy to be given his first grandchild. and you were even more happy that your child would have the most loving family.

ESTINIEN:

- estinien is a bit puzzled at first… he coulda sworn that pull out game was strong …

- estinien is a bit puzzled at first… he is going to be a dad… he’s going to be a dad?!!

- after your words sink into his head, estinien cups your face with his hands. he’s smiling, like a complete idiot, and it’s a little scary! but you can feel the intense warmth radiating off of him.

- he pulls you into a hug and spins you around in the air. when he sets you down, he kneels to meet your abdomen. placing one of his hands on your hip and the other on your tummy, he rests his ear flat against you to listen.

- you can’t help but giggle at his gesture as it seems a bit goofy, but he’s actually obsessed with the fact that you’re going to have his child! he jokes that his child will become a great dragon-slaying warrior as he is, and you can’t help but smile and agree.

celly

aymeric’s story makes me so freaking emotional and i could write an entire book all about having a family with him like �� i relate to him in so many ways… comfort character moment

also i get that haurchefant’s isn’t exactly lore accurate… personally i’d like to think that if he didn’t die that the relationships between his dad and half-brothers was created/mended … one big happy family 🥺

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anneapocalypse · 13 days

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My eternal biggest struggles in FFXIV--and really in any game, but it matters way more when you're playing with other people--are visual perception and by extension reaction time. I have figured out just from talking to other people about how they perceive things that I simply do not process visual information as quickly or comprehensively as some people do. If I am focusing on one part of the screen I am not seeing what's happening in the other corner. When I'm looking at the party list I am not seeing my hotbar. When I'm looking at my hotbar I am not seeing the boss's cast bar. And so forth. The ability that most people seem to have to just absorb all or most of the information on their screen just by looking? I don't have that. I have to constantly, consciously be scanning all the places where I know there's important information. It is not automatic.

Which means that unless I know to look for a specific tell--like a specific cast or a symbol over my character's head--there is a good chance I just will not see it. I hesitate to even explain this to people because it sounds like I'm making excuses or not paying attention when I say "I just didn't see it." But it doesn't matter how much I'm paying attention if I don't know what I'm looking for. I will not process it, which is functionally the same as not seeing it.

And I can learn, is the thing. I know to watch for Ancient Flare in Labyrinth of the Ancients. I know that in Shadowbringers onward, where you'll get strings of really unforgiving, rapid-fire AOEs, that it's better to focus on getting myself to safety and sacrifice a heal or two and then do damage control when they let up, than to miss an AOE because I was trying to heal, and die and force another player to interrupt their rotation to rez me. It just takes practice, and there are things I won't get on the first run, no matter how hard I try.

I do care about playing my job well. I watch guides. I practice. I do my best to learn, because I love the game and it's satisfying to play well, especially as a healer--I want to be the kind of healer that when I'm in the party, you know I've got you, that if you mess up I'll catch you, and it'll be fine. Playing a support role well is very, very satisfying and rewarding to me! And so none of the above means I'm not going to do my best, or that I'm not trying to be better.

I don't get better from people yelling at me or calling me stupid. I get flustered, I lose my flow, I blank out on things that actually are obvious. I get worse.

And the all-or-nothing attitudes from that small but real subset of veteran players is just utterly discouraging. "Either you're playing your job correctly or you're sabotaging." "There are no non-obvious mechanics in regular duties." It reads to me as "Be perfect on the first try or go fuck yourself." That is a standard I will literally never be able to meet. And I'm not saying "poor me," that's not my point. Somehow I doubt that it's a standard the majority of players are able to meet--based on my own experiences playing with sprouts in many, many roulettes.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone learns differently, perceives differently, no matter how rigid the rotation of their job, no matter how "obvious" the mechanics. And for someone else who's struggling I would much rather be the person who gave them a better experience in the game than the person who gave them a shittier one. I don't want to be the person who makes someone quit trying to learn tanking for six months (as someone did to me). If you need to vent about how someone sucks, fine, do it in private. And even then, you know, maybe consider how you talk about it and to whom. Are your comments going to be the reason someone in your linkshell is terrified of learning a new role? Or the reason they're excited to try?

Personally I would rather come out of a duty with a party that struggled a bit but pressed on being kind and helping and encouraging one another and celebrated victory together, than leave someone never wanting to play again.

#ffxiv stuff #anne's ishgardian salt rock #i truly do love this game and 99% of my interactions with randos are fine to great #but boy when there's a bad one #it can just be such a kick in the teeth #not making this rebloggable because i don't want my notes full of advice #i promise you i have trusted friends to give me advice when i need it

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tishinada · 5 months

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I have to say, I hadn't expected Lalafells to be one of my favorite races when I began playing FFXIV. My reaction at first glance was they were meant to be comic relief or maybe halfling inspired. Halfway through ARR, though, I kept telling my daughter that they had all the classic traits of dwarves, a race I do love to play (she managed to suppress her snickers until I hit Shadowbringers...) And I'm not sure you can get as far as the beginning of HW without realizing that Lalas are just as complex and diverse in personalities as the other races. Pretty sure two of the top five most hated NPCs are still Lalafells, while there are definitely a couple in the most beloved (Tataru, for instance).

And they give Lalafells every bit as much loving attention as the other races, whether it's clothing, animations, expressions, or camera angles in cutscenes. OMG, Kass has some great clothing. And I was really surprised at just how GOOD the expressions are.

Possibly my favorite one of Kass...

And some other fun ones

Everyone looks *at* Kass when speaking to her. And in some cases, they even adjust body angles in a very Lala-specific way so it feels friendlier.

Or they change the camera angle, above and behind an NPC so Kass is more clearly in the scene.

There's never a moment when the game doesn't treat a Lalafell WoL as a serious adult. Not that people don't sometimes comment on your size. Lots of moments where it's funny when people react in terror to a Lala WoL. Or the Lalafells in the group are out in front to defend the non-combatants

Sometimes, the comedy of a scene is just that much funnier with a Lalafell. I'm convinced they chose the warrior trainer location with a Lala warrior in mind:

(SPOILER FOR SHADOWBRINGERS)

And of course this moment...

Even more than two years after starting to play, it's hard to explain how much that still means to me. Because more than a decade ago, I fell in love with Dragon Age: Origins. The dwarven origin stories were two of my favorites, and I particularly loved that the men and women dwarves had the same build. In fact, they absolutely HAVE to have the same build for the commoner dwarven origin to *work*. A fact which they completely threw out by the time they got to DAI (there weren't really any women dwarves in DA2 which was honestly a human-only game anyway.) Dwarves in DA: I were a very reluctant afterthought with that reluctance made clear because it was too much trouble to change camera angles, etc. for scenes with them, with the result that in a huge number of scenes, the camera was above the head of dwarven NPCs or there was furniture in the way. And they suddenly gave them extreme sexual dimorphism---my first thought on seeing a woman dwarf for DAI was that they introduced hobbits while men dwarves were at least twice as wide in the shoulders as in DAO, sigh. Which of course broke that DAO origin. Honestly, it would take a lot for me to get seriously interested in a DA game again because I felt I was sold such a subpar game as someone who played dwarves by preference.

So there's never a time I'm playing Kass in FFXIV that I don't appreciated the loving attention to detail, even if it's nothing more than an NPC looking down at her when she walks past.

#ffxiv #lalafell #oc: kass #ffxiv appreciation

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elliewiltarwyn · 10 days

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tragic hero arc

we all know how this story goes. when it began, you were almost the perfect hero, but almost is never enough. you lacked introspection, or you were too stubborn or vengeful or reckless - as reckless as the world that helped to ruin you. you were not perfect, and that's okay. we knew the story ended in blood and we watched it anyway. we knew you would die in the end and we still couldn't help but love you, just a little bit. at the very least, you are more human than a hero could ever be.

ow.

this is definitely a trajectory she could have taken, especially in a solo-verse where there's no one to be a tempering influence on her, or at least those who tried were cruelly taken away from her. but that's kinda why i wanted to do the shot here: shadowbringers more than most stories i've experienced really knew how to hit the same sort of beats as a tragic hero/heroic sacrifice sort of story without actually committing to the death at the end. and that isn't copping out but rather knowing how much further the hero can be pushed beyond those beats after the agony they've suffered, and how much richer the tapestry of their character can be if they get a chance to apply the lessons they've learned.

but this was definitely a possibility too.

:')

thanks for the tags @oneiroy and @cindernet-explorer!! this is again something i think i've seen most people on my dash do by this point, so. open tag for you if you feel like it lol. the quiz is here!

#tag games #ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv gpose #ffxiv screenshots #femroe #i can see the appeal of lightwarden bad end aus but it's never something i've delved into myself...they scare me T.T;#also i have less than no idea what a lightwarden form would look like for her >.>#also the shadowbringer sword is there it's just covered up by the border lmaooo #blood

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lizzy-calaxio · 17 days

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A not so quiet scene before the end of endwalker: Massive Shadowbringers and Endwalker spoilers characters mentioned belong to @the-littlest-kojin

I sit down on Archon Rayne’s couch, and pull out a book, and a quill. I try to start writing. “Warrior of Light, please save me.” “I need help Warrior of Light.” “Hydaelyn heed my prayers, guide us to safety.” “The Warrior of Light will save us.” The thoughts endlessly pour into my head. The throbbing never ceasing. A glow emanates through my sleeves – a blinding bright red. Red...I used to love the color, but now… “WARRIOR OF LIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?!” “Hydaelyn save us.” “Warrior of Light...if you’re out there….I need you now more than ever.” I hold my head, and Archon Rayne glances at me, and signs “Do you need to be put in a coma again?” I shake my head, and continue to try to write a letter. “Hydaelyn where are you?” “The Warrior of Light is strong.” The infinite stream of prayers screaming in my ears drowns out my own thoughts, drowns out any speech of those around me. A person I don’t recognize enters Archon Rayne’s office, they look like a student. I can’t hear what they’re saying. The words go on the page. I occasionally have to start over when I write a stray prayer I hear. “Azem, I need your strength.” “Where’s the Warrior of Light?!” “HELP US!” I’ve never felt so much pain coursing through me. I feel like I’m halfway in phoenix form. Archon Rayne can see everything I’m going through. I wonder what he’s thinking as he speaks to the student. My hand strays to absentmindedly touch my fresh Archon mark on my ribs. I got this, surely I can manage one letter. I owe it to her, at the very least. Shio deserves it. “I’m not worried about the upcoming battle, we have the Warrior of Light on our side.” Shio doesn’t deserve the weight of the world on her, I will happily shoulder this weight for her. I’m ok. I’m happy here. I’m handling this ok. “Warrior of Light, please save me.” “I need help Warrior of Light.” “Hydaelyn heed my prayers, guide us to safety.” “The Warrior of Light will save us.” “WARRIOR OF LIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?!” “Hydaelyn save us.” “Warrior of Light...if you’re out there….I need you now more than ever.” “Hydaelyn where are you?” “The Warrior of Light is strong.” “Azem, I need your strength.” “Where’s the Warrior of Light?!” “HELP US!” “Warrior of light-” “Azem-” “Hydaelyn-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” Stop stop stop, please just fucking STOP. Archon Rayne offers again, through sign, “Are you sure? My previous offer stands.”

I look at my sloppily written letter. I speak aloud, “Feo Ul, I need you real quick.” Archon Rayne hears, “Afnargle Spakrefon Lurgrapble.” surely thinking I’ve gone insane. Feo Ul appears, “You need a letter delivery?” I nod, and hand them the letter. “If….If I die, give this to Shio. And….can you give me some nice dreams in a minute?” Feo Ul nods, and disappears again. I sign to Archon Rayne, “Coma please, I need to rest before we set off in the Ragnarok.” As my eyes close, the prayers of everyone desperate for a saviour fade away. My thoughts linger on possible outcomes. I have a terrifying thought of what Omi told me. “If your aether gets more corrupted, you will turn into a Primal.” I have a flash of a vision of me, appearing as the Warrior of Light we fought on the first. But with phoenix wings, and using a samurai sword. I pray to Suzaku that this future does not come to pass. As I slip into sleep, I hope this rest lasts long.

#ffxiv #lizzy calaxio #shio shinju #conroy rayne #Omikhle

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spotofmummery · 4 months

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Amon's Evolution

(Borrowed from Hali and Inxli)

I rolled Amon sometime in 2016-2017 with all intentions to RP an Amon character (and had one failed attempt at starting a Tumblr for him in 2017), but I didn't make him my official RP alt until 2018.

Since then, he hasn't changed much physically. I think I used a fantasia on him once to change his eye shape very early on. I tried out a different hair style this past summer, but I tend to always go back to his scruffy style in the end.

ARR - Stormblood

Amon started out in the Brand New Gear like most folks. He had an in-character quirk where he had a slight phobia of showing his face, so he always wore a mask or visor of some sort in the early years.

He then evolved to the Allagan archer set that I could afford, even if I didn't love the way it looked.

Of course, he had Amon's set as glamour, but I rarely used it - still rarely do.

Amon's first real glam that he used for a while was this.

Which eventually gave way to this.

Oh, and I can't forget the Red Mage glams he picked up. This was his first.

Ultimately, this was one he wore quite a bit (you may see art of him in it and old emote shots I still use).

Shadowbringers

Shadowbringers brought a bunch of different glams that he rotated through over time.

And for red mage...

I was super happy with these two glams for a good bit of time, too.

In the meantime, I was leveling White Mage on him for a bit, and I still believe this is the glam I use for that job today.

Finally, the last glam for Shadowbringers was ironically this. I had no clue what that foretold.

Endwalker

I haven't changed his glam a whole lot through this expansion. Just two major glams that I can think of.

And finally, what I'm using today - it may or may not be a temporary glam. Just trying it out, but I do like it.

There you go! A history of Amon's glams in a nutshell. There were, of course, other random glams over time, but these are the ones he's used for a decent period of time.

#Amon of Syrcus #FFXIV #Screenshot

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noxtivagus · 1 year

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SHADOWBRINGERS.... listening to the song again n oh god i love the lyrics so so much we r ignoring the fact that i have to wake up in like less than 4 hours

#🌙.vent #i just have 1 assignment due tmrrw n i don't want to do it :') like yeah i'm definitely still going to but. it's a letter to ourselves....#i write a lot to myself that is very much evident but it's so hard to actually organize it. & fuck too bcs it's due 10 pm later today #i hate doing things for the sake of academics. says me w my grades lmfao but despite how well i manage i really do hate the school system #i wanted to ramble abt ffxiv oh no i get so distracted when i start writing. but. god my mind rn i don't understand #🥹 this stupid mental block ???? w the break nearly ending there's sm more i have to do but i need to sleep . but not having this started is #messing me up sm rn. i want to put a lot of effort into it but i'm at a loss for words. i wrote some ideas days back but i've changed a bit #this moment ideally right now where i'm in a better mood than i have been for the past few days but not as brain empty #a balance of fiction and reality. enough to keep me not sad but enough to keep me stressed?#i would like to get it started now. i know i want to. but i can't. i just can't seem to. it's not lack of motivation right now. it's.#....maybe a fear? a fear that gives me some sort of mental block. because i really really want to at least start writing something but #i can't start. & goddamn this is not what i meant to write about i wanted to write of shadowbringers & maybe a little of today #but i guess this just has been. bothering me for a while. buried somewhere in my mind #i've been this age for like. more than a week now huh. it's daunting it's scary but i've always loved & sought the thrill of challenges. bu #alright i wasn't able to read anything i wanted to. nor did i watch as much as i would've liked. & i didn't really bond with my friends #save for texts here n then. talking in ffxiv w that one too. & that very one call on bday yh. & tumblr too ofc c: but i didn't do the schoo #stuff i wanted to do this break. but my rank in pjsekai's lowering. nor playing arknights/nier again yet. & fixing my sleep. but....#i didn't wake up any later than 4 pm. i went out for a walk earlier with apollo. i wrote asks to a friend here on tumblr. new books.#new game. plans to make an fc in ffxiv. i ate what i could. i got up even when it hurt. i'm playing gbf again. i'm rlly happy abt that #perhaps it's not enough for me. i can't get rid of my heavy regrets so easily. but acknowledging what i have done that was good enough #trying my best to be kind to myself in this moment even though i feel like crying. acknowledging my pain. maybe. maybe that's #i'm listening to ashes of dreams rn fuck i'm actually going to cry i think bulbel is next in my queue i #it hurts yes n i feel like crying right now but there's. this ache in my chest that replaced the cold emptiness earlier #maybe that's not a good thing uhh but the warmth. that warmth. i'm alive i'm real n there's a tomorrow n that's enough hope #it has to be. it fucking has to be. just. little steps. guide my own self slowly n softly like i do for others. i deserve that too.#i'll give it to myself. surely i must owe myself at least that much. being human comes with its many burdens but i don't need to be #so harsh to myself right? ironic saying that right now while i know there's something so dear to me i'm denying right now #it's like i'm a wilting flower fighting against time to stay alive. but the petals slowly decay n it gets colder the longer the dark night #would an outside light help the blossom find its own light? or would it make it disappear. i wonder #did the flower grow to be meant to be undeserving of such kindness? or are there thorns on its petals that serve as an unbeknownst barrier?

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mosthuggableffxiv · 6 months

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Huggability Propaganda Collection: The Leveilleur Twins

Propaganda about Both:

Like come on

Propaganda about Alisaie

Since Square Enix won't let me hug my daughter I must submit her to this poll. Both of the twins have been through some tough situations and managed to come out the other side in one piece. Alisaie especially had some rough things go on during Shadowbringers.

She's been carrying a crippling inferiority complex for most of her life, believing she's not good enough and no one would ever like her or rely on her like they do her brother. She got two girlfriends and both of them get killed for character development. She cries on screen more than any other character and she deserves to be comforted and told she's loved.

Propaganda about Alphinaud

He's such a sweet boy and he's been through so much. The game has robbed us by not giving us the option to hug the twins.

he's been with you the whole time he's your little brother he's MY little brother. he's tiny and also a teenager and with all the trauma he's been through he deserves so many hugs. i wanted to hug him at the beginning of HW after the trauma of post-ARR and i'm very mad that we didn't get to do so. let us hug alphinaud, square enix. he needs them. he needs so many hugs. he is so small and needs so many hugs

He's been repressing his own emotions and making himself be the dignified leader/politician, and he's utterly incapable of dealing with loss, I think a good hug from a friend would throw him off his game and reduce him to a sobbing mess within a few seconds because he has not given or received any physical affection since he left Sharlayan.

#final fantasy xiv #ffxiv huggability #alphinaud leveilleur #alisaie leveilleur #shadowbringers spoilers #propaganda

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autumnslance · 10 months

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Year of the OTP - June 2023 - Confession

(Time to yeet out a scene I've sat on too long. Altered dialogue from late Shadowbringers 5.0, in Amaurot at the last quest. 1035 words. References a few other previous writings.)

“Well, this has put everyone in a solemn mood, hasn't it? Honestly, we're not even sure this will be the end of it. But I suppose we should speak our minds when we have the opportunity. You taught me that much in Amh Araeng.”

Thancred took a breath. The air was still and damp. The letters were a weight in his coat, but there was no time, no opportunity for her to read them; he had squandered every chance. “So forgive me this moment of sentiment, Aeryn. By dragging me into this sorry mess, you've given me the chance to think and act as I should have…”

Say it. Tell her.

“...For Ryne's sake.”

True, but not the only truth to be said, bloody fool.

He swallowed. “Words cannot express how much this has changed my life, or how grateful I am for your support…”

He glanced at Ryne, so lost in her own thoughts she didn’t even look up to frown at nor encourage him. He sighed, reaching out and taking Aeryn’s hands in his. Aeryn looked at him, head tilting in her usual quizzical manner.

Gods, she looked brittle. Her white-streaked black hair looked like straw, her skin splotched with pale discoloration and seeming nearly translucent. Her eyes were perhaps the worst; he had always been fascinated by the changeable nature of her gray eyes, how they so expressed her moods even more than her frequent blushing. Now they were nearly colorless—yet still hers, her intellect and compassion still present.

I don’t have the right to say it. To add that pressure when she’s already close to cracking…

“Thancred?” Her voice was still her own, clear and strong.

He could not let those lessons go to waste. There may not be another chance, much as he prayed there would be. “That’s not all I wished to say,” he said quietly. The thick hush of the ghost city around them almost swallowed the words.

“Mayhap your bardic skills have grown rusty,” she teased gently with a strained smile.

He chuckled. “Indeed; I haven’t had much need to be a charmer—not when I would rather be guarding your back, and standing at your side, for as long as you will allow me.” He reached up to carefully cup her cheek, thumb brushing across her skin, wishing he could wipe that dreadful light away. Her eyes widened, darkening with emotion until they almost looked normal again. He smiled.

“After everything, after all of this, I want—I need you to know, Aeryn, that I am in love with you.”

She sucked in a sharp breath and went very still.

His pulse pounded in his ears, but he’d said it, by the gods.

“I know my timing could be better,” he said acerbically. “And I haven’t forgotten my promise.” The damnable promise she had asked the day before, as they had left the Ondo to journey across the sea floor. “If anything, it makes it more important that you know—that whatever you need, whatever you ask, I can do naught else.” He paused, seeing the mists gathering in her too-bright eyes. “Our circumstances are wretched, so you needn’t worry about saying aught in return, just—”

“But I love you too,” she blurted, then blinked in the way she did when she surprised herself.

Thancred froze, afraid for a moment that he held her too tight, staring at her, the hammering of his heart loud enough to call attention from the shades around them. He was vaguely aware of Ryne now watching.

“I...am in love with you,” Aeryn repeated, with a little sobbing laugh. “I think I have been for awhile, but I didn’t know how to say it. When to,” she shook her head. “Perhaps you weren’t the only one who needed to learn something in Amh Araeng.”

His heart crinkled. Somewhere up the street Alisaie called back to them, though he couldn’t make out the words. He lifted Aeryn’s hand, brushing his lips over the backs of her fingers. “No promises,” he reminded her. “But we should talk later.”

Please let there be a later.

She made another half-sob, half-laugh sound, and nodded. “We should,” she repeated, voice shaking only a little.

“Meanwhile, even if words fail, I shall express my gratitude and love through action,” Thancred said. “No matter where you decide to go, I will be there, guarding your back.”

Or protecting Ryne and the others from you—as you asked. Gods, please don’t let it come to that.

Aeryn let out a long, shaky breath, and smiled. “That means…everything.”

He looked over at Ryne, who gave him a wan smile. “Now, I think Ryne needs a word. I’ll mollify Alisaie and Y’shtola’s tempers until you two catch up.”

Thancred hated stepping away, but he did, their fingers reluctantly slipping apart as he walked down the street while Aeryn turned to Ryne.

He’d said it. By the Twelve he had said it, and wondrously, Aeryn had said it in return. Would that he had been able to say it sooner—between everything with Minfilia and Ryne, his own base cowardice, and now, now Aeryn was—

It didn’t matter, he told himself. What mattered was that they had said it. That they knew. Their timing was shite, but the knowledge could not be lost now. Not between them.

“Everything all right?” Alisaie asked as he caught up to the others.

“Fine,” Thancred replied, a bit hoarse. He caught Urianger’s gaze, his raised eyebrow. Thancred smiled and gave a brief nod; his expression must have given away more than he thought, as Urianger visibly relaxed and grinned back. Y’shtola caught it too, brows drawing down together even as the ends of her mouth twitched upward. Had there been time, he would be receiving an earful, he was certain. “We each had our piece to say to our friend—though from Ryne’s expression, perhaps she needs to hear a few herself.”

The twins were peering at him now, stances their own but the gaze the same. They never realized when they did that. Thancred tried very hard to be nonchalant, to pretend all was normal, that his heart was not skipping and singing and screaming and sobbing all at once.

—

(I keep trying to write the parts around this but in the end...this specific little bit of Thancred's POV is it. Well, there's maybe a bit of Ardbert teasing Aeryn as a bro should, but that part's on Ao3.)

#final fantasy xiv #YOTP 2023 #Thancred Waters #Thancred x WoL #Wolcred #Shippy Nonsense #Aeryn Striker #Shadowbringers #Love Confession #Light Sickness #Lyn Writing #Lyn Edits

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lookbluesoup · 1 year

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(Spoilers for EVERY expansion to follow)

I have been thinking about Alisaie again and I just. Have an ache over how terrified she is of losing people she loves.

I also really do love how insanely protective of the WoL she is, as much as hurts how desperate she is for you not to leave her.

That antagonism toward loss is such a recurring element throughout her story. Her fear of losing the WoL comes up frequently, and she's shown to be much more overtly afraid of harm coming to them than most of the other Scions (not that the others don't also worry, Alisaie's just so loud about it.) Which, personally, I really like about her. She may idolize the WoL, but she never forgets that they're human, too.

Anyway, this is a theme for her from the very beginning, and Alisaie is faced with a major loss in every. single. expansion. Her grandfather, Emery, the Call taking the Scions, Tesleen, and Ultima Thule. And throughout those she learns to keep her heart open nonetheless, to keep trying, to keep caring. That's what she tells the Endsinger. "We take each other's hand. Share in each other's courage. Follow in each other's footsteps. And turn sorrow into strength!"

I'm gonna shove some rambles and a BUNCH of quotes under the cut, here, because they make me emotional and I like having them in one place. This isn't all of them, but it's some of the one's that stuck out to me most in my 95987324876423 screenshots (since Tumblr only lets me put in 30 per post >_> )

The Coils of Bahamut, where she begins to hope her Grandad is still alive, only to find his body has been possessed and turned into a tool for his enemy, and the man she loved is beyond saving, and that his body is now a puppet being used to try to kill her...

The loss of Emery in "A Malm in Her Shoes" official short story, when Alisaie shuts down and stops looking for companionship:

In Stormblood, trying to dissuade the Qalyana from following Lakshmi after the death of the leader's daughter:

As the other Scions get Called to the First, their souls kidnapped and their bodies left behind:

When it's just the WoL and her, about to face Garlemald on the battlefield:

That her instinct is to reach for the WoL when you're both Called again...

In Shadowbringers, when Tesleen is corrupted by the Sin Eaters and transformed into an aether-hungry zombie:

Later, when you have to kill "Tesleen", if you run the dungeon with Alisaie in your party, at the end of it she will be facing back down the road, where her friend's body was, and wishing her a peaceful rest. (And if Alphinaud is also there, he will notice, too)

Then, when the Fuath kidnap and attempt to drown you, she searches for you frantically:

When the Light in you starts to break free and the WoL collapses, she's the first to speak, "Are you alright? Say something!" and is also the first of those gathered to take even a step toward you. She doesn't walk, she runs, and only stops when the Exarch interferes - but she's immediately ready to throw hands with him too when she starts to think he means harm:

She lashes out in frustration when trying to find a way to save the WoL from the Light doesn't turn up anything

By Endwalker, you can see how much she's opened up to the WoL and the rest of the Scions. How she invites you to join her around Sharlayan, surprises you with food, and is just generally so much more open and happy.

After you go missing in Garlemald, her and G'raha are the only two who run to meet the WoL on the road when they're spotted returning to camp.

And when you don't answer immediately, she asks if you're alright, with a much softer concern.

If you speak to her before chasing after Fandaniel and Zenos in the Tower, a battle you will have to undertake alone, she will give you some bonus dialogue and pray in front of the WoL:

If she's the one that visits you the night after returning from the Moon, she has a really touching bit of dialogue to offer the WoL (if you have not watched this cutscene please go to the Unending Journey book to replay it and pick the Alisaie route, there's so much inflection the text just can't capture):

And once she's out of the WoL's immediate view she SPRINTS away, she's the only potential visitor who will do that, as if opening up to you so much was still frightening and her courage only lasted so long.

Finally at Ultima Thule, as your friends are taken one by one, she gets progressively more distressed... (I am running out of image space so I'll type a couple of the shorter ones)

"No... Not Estinien too..."

"Y'shtola, no! You mustn't!"

I wish I could post the whole cutscene here but - in Endsinger, when you send your friends away, the amount of screen time dedicated to showing Alisaie realize what you are about to do, and begging you not to do it. The shock and desperation as she recognizes that you're taking away any chance she has at fighting by your side - at protecting you. That same outstretched hand:

And when she thinks you're going to die...

“[Sobbing] You can’t leave us... Not like this... If you do, I’ll never forgive you… So come on! Open your eyes and get up!”

Of all the companions fighting desperately to revive them and call the WoL back, her's is first the voice the WoL hears clearly through the fog, too. It's the first uninterrupted line and actually gets a text box, where the half-finished fuzzy sentences you hear companions shout before do not. If Dynamis played a part in bringing you back, her desperation may well have been a tipping point.

And then she sounds angry enough through the tears that she might just murder you again anyway

I could probably fit another 30 in here but those are some big ones.

I think it's a big part of what makes Alisaie such a favorite of mine, the struggle she goes through and the courage she has to keep caring anyway - something you can go back and see her learn throughout the series.

#ffxiv #alisaie leveilleur #alisaie #shadowbringers spoilers #endwalker spoilers #meta #long post #text #stormblood spoilers #heavensward spoilers #arr spoilers #wyn gabs #lore #dialogue #shower thoughts

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