Tag Archives: Lucia goe Junius

Ambassador of Ishgard

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I was reading Kyota Ko’s Japanese Folktales books and also listening to a ton of Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli’s composer) soundtracks and then my friend and I rewatched Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind and then I read Spirited Away fanfics for 10 hours straight and it all made me want to write a Japanese-themed fairytale. So I did. Immediately. Abandoning all my other creative commitments.

This fairytale is set in the FFXIV world so I don’t have to do too much world-building/character-building, but it’s set in an AU. Don’t think too hard about it, it’s a fairytale. It features several of my WoL from my main fic, For Love and Life, but you don’t have to read a single word of that for this fic because this fic is in an alternate reality in which the Dragonsong War was somehow resolved in the recent past without the WoL, and Hingashi is currently entering something of a Meiji period in which outsiders are permitted entry. Which is why a couple of my characters who are not from Hingashi (Chuchupa is from Limsa, R’nyath from Gridania) are portrayed as being from Hingashi for purposes of this fic.

Achiyo, my main WoL, has always had Ashitaka’s Theme for her theme song, but lately I’ve been feeling like Nausicäa’s OST would work for her as well, and specifically for this fic Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away OSTs were very inspiring (shout out to The Rain too). Maybe some Inuyasha inspired me too? Idk, I just like the idea of the Japanese wilderness completely infested with supernatural beings and animism. (They’re not the only culture to have this, obviously, but they’re the ones I’ve been reading about so that’s what we’re doing today)

Since this is mostly a romance, I really wasn’t expecting this story to have as much horror element as it did? Japanese horror is inspiring but I didn’t think I’d have that much of it? Arachnophobes should probably skip this one. Or at least, stop reading after the bit about flowers.

I hope it’s entertaining!
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FFXIV: Going Home

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An onsen and shopping? It’s like all my anime filler episodes have COME AT ONC- (gets slapped to the First)

Eh, it’s frivolous, but I had fun. : )

All Achiyo-related flashbacks can use Parting Ways as their soundtrack.

Chapter 51: When the War Is Over

 

Chapter 52: Going Home

Setting sail the next morning was as quick and efficient as even Chuchupa could have hoped for, though Urianger showed up at the last second to give a gift to Alisaie, a new rapier of silvery steel that would be easier for her to wield than her summoned aetherial weapon. Achiyo could see that had gotten Rinala’s hopes up, but no sign of Thancred was forthcoming before they set sail – with a remarkably full complement of passengers, for besides the eight Warriors of Light, Lyse, Alphinaud, Alisaie, Tataru, and Lilidi, there seemed to be a number of rogues in green caps who looked like pirates but not part of the crew, and a Doman ninja. Rinala seemed to know all of them, and how, she had no idea. Perhaps they would explain over the next two moons. Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Edge of Gyr Abania

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3.5 ahoy! I’m feeling a bit more inspired for this one. Maybe because Aymeric is more in it? Apparently I need a husbando around at all times for maximum investment lol.

I was really tempted to name this chapter ‘Border Walls Don’t Work’ but I thought that might be in poor taste lol.

I recommend Hyper Rainbow Z from the OST for the tea break shenanigans. : D

R’nyath wears the Holy Rainbow Shirt of Aiming, but like… more.

Chapter 46: An Echo Across Worlds

 

Chapter 47: The Edge of Gyr Abania

R’nyath sat with Hilda on a wall high up in Foundation, looking out at the Stone Vigil. The castle was no longer the abode of dragons, which was great, but there was now no need to repair it either since there would no longer be any dragon attacks. From what little R’nyath knew, the Ishgardian parliament had decided to spend their national budget elsewhere, leaving both the Vigils to fall further into ruin. At least they were pretty ruins. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Dragonsong

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We made it, you guys.

Nidstinien’s model is really cool, too bad it’s always covered in flashy lights from everyone trying to kill him. XD

Writing this boss fight felt nearly as intense as fighting this boss fight. XD Gods I love the music.

Chapter 38: Resolve

 

Chapter 39: Dragonsong

Aymeric felt his blood run cold as Ishgard came into view below him in the dark, smoky morning. In the short time that Nidhogg had been ahead of them, the Steps of Faith were become a scorched ruinous hellscape, and though he had heard the rumble of the guns from over the horizon, testifying to their mighty efforts in keeping the dragons out of the city proper, smoke was still rising from many parts of the city. Black dragons swarmed the Steps of Faith, aiming for the gates, and knights of all liveries had sortied out to meet them. They were few, now, too few – but he saw Lucia’s distinctive armour among them, and breathed a sigh of relief. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Shattered Peace

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This area of plot is where I may “deviate from the prepared remarks” a bit; there’s a lot of headcanony stuff and game adjustments for a while. But you’re not exactly reading this in order to just experience the game again, are you. : )

Song at the end is “The Rose“, which sounds like a traditional folk song but is actually from the 70’s written by one Amanda McBroom; my preferred recording is the King’s Singers’ choral arrangement. It’s also on the Only Yesterday soundtrack in Japanese!

Chapter 36: Rousing Spirits

 

Chapter 37: Shattered Peace

Achiyo and the other Warriors of Light saw little of Aymeric over the following few days; it seemed all of Ishgard had been plunged into a whirlwind of activity and preparation. Honoroit was out of bed with only some scarring on his brow to show of his ordeal, Emmanellain was somehow back to his old self without being back to his old ways, and Alphinaud was looking much more confident. Continue reading →

FFXIV: A City in Chaos

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Wow, it’s been nearly a year since I uploaded a FFXIV chapter? How!? I got stuck on these BRD quests but I felt they were important. (also work, yadda yadda, lack of energy, yadda yadda, cosplay yadda)

Gordon Lightfoot passed away since I last posted. I didn’t know his music as well as I should (and I should since 1: it’s gorgeous and 2: I’m Canadian), but I did know it a little bit, and I submit for your consideration Song for a Winter’s Night as a good song for Aymeric shippers.

I’m working on a Vivienne cosplay for Halloween! I tried to do it last year, starting with Cronus, but Cronus is a huge complicated scary project and I was still pretty burned out. I seem to be doing much better this year, I already have the chestpiece cut out of craft foam.

Chapter 32: Thancred

 

Chapter 33: A City in Chaos

“If you ask me, it sounds like naught but a faerie tale,” Guydelot said, folding his arms and glaring off at the gate of Tailfeather. “I’d wager that ‘heavens’ is just a metaphor for a natural phenomenon. We’ve hit a dead end – I say we return to Gridania for now and look for other avenues.” Continue reading →

FFXIV: Thancred

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Somehow, I wrote a chapter. It took a long time because I am chronically overstressed with work right now, and future chapters will probably continue to be slow (until the winter holiday season? I might write faster then.). But now that I put Scrivener on my tablet, I can write in comfy places, and even times when I’m not at home. It’s nice to be able to do that.

But exciting things have happened! First of all, Aentfryn talked to me and we worked out a character arc for him! I’m so glad, he felt a little pointless until now. I had wanted a contrasting character to all the young hot excitable heroes when I made him, but since he didn’t openly want any of the same things that they did, it was tough for me to figure out what his deal was. But he has an arc now, and that’s why we’re starting this chapter with him, to celebrate!

Another thing is that despite the game plot being absolutely thrilling and me wanting to show you the impact it has on my PCs, I need to not forget to focus on the relationships between the PCs, and between the PCs and NPCs, above all else (and not just the romantic ones). I want more bonding moments between all of these people! They’re friends, right?

Vivienne gear update! Yes, she is beginning the Anima Weapon quests this chapter, but also – I have decided that she’ll get her “character design” Omicron chestpiece at level 70, when you’re supposed to get it, so at this point in the story she should be wearing something like the High Allagan chestpiece, that’s also a pretty sexy tank chestpiece.

I’ve been playing through ARR on a new character and I’m really excited at the changes I’ve seen so far. Toto-rak isn’t the worst dungeon ever! Copperbell’s new bosses feel better too! The new piñata-less Rhitahtyn battle is so awesome I almost want to go back and rewrite my chapter! Castrum is beautifully streamlined! However, despite the mechanics of the new Lahabread battle being much more exciting, I can’t condone canonically killing (and rezzing) the WoL so soon in the story. We’ve been a zombie this whole time??? No, even if it highlights Laha’s ancient power and the WoL’s noobness, that doesn’t sit well with me.

Finally, I learned that I actually know more of the ARR voice actors than I thought! For instance, Urianger is the same voice as Fenris from DA2! (and Raubahn is Hawke : O ) And most importantly, Thancred is voiced by Taliesin Jaffe, under an alias in the credits! No wonder I thought he had a sexy voice in ARR! It’s a lot like his Percy de Rolo voice. I like Taliesin’s Thancred better than Peter Bramhill’s Thancred (his is a lot less sassy, imo) so now that I know who it is, I can just think of Percy. : ) Continue reading →

FFXIV: On the Hunt

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So my grandparents gave me a bonus gift this year, so I used it to buy like 5 FFXIV books, including the first Ishgard artbook and both Encyclopedia Eorzeas! I have no idea when they will arrive but since I think the Encyclopedias are being reprinted they probably won’t arrive until I’ve finished HW. Sure, all the info is also on the wikis, but it’s nice to have it in book form to flip through. (Also the Primals Blueray concert, let’s go!)

Vivienne isn’t actually ice-aspected; she’s Umbral Earth (Althyk, December birthmonth) and I headcanon that Fray is lightning-aspected. So when Alain mentions elements he’s really speaking more poetically.

Chapter 28: At What Cost

 

Chapter 29: On the Hunt

Cid had been enlisted into the chase, naturally, as the archbishop had left upon an airship heading into dangerous territory, and who better to aid them than the man with an airship and no fear of danger? The engineer was delighted to bear them on another adventure, and sailed them cheerfully into the Sea of Clouds to the far north. Continue reading →

FFXIV: At What Cost

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Achiyo’s theme songs are Bibliophobia (for in-game tracks) and The Legend of Ashitaka (for out-of-game tracks). They maybe don’t fit the asskicking that happens in this chapter, but I thought it was worth a reminder. : )

As a pipe organist myself, the Vault’s soundtrack made me nearly cry with happiness when I first heard it because it’s so beautifully Baroque (I was seriously freaking out musicgasming all over the place haha). A videogame piece for organ that treats it seriously and not just a trope for “intellectual bad guy”! I mean, it doesn’t even sound specifically like videogame music, and I think that’s one of the great things about it. It sounds like heavy Buxtehude, tbh. IT’S SO SPARKLY. I really want the sheet music. I tried transcribing it myself but there’s so much reverb it’s really hard to hear a lot of the individual mid-range notes. Though it’s also so cool how when you go to higher floors of the Vault you hear less and less of it, just the bassy pedal notes that would naturally carry farther, it’s a great detail, I love it. I also appreciate how Soken weaves the organ into random other soundtracks (and bagpipes, my other favourite niche instrument, though I don’t play that) purely for the timbre.

And then I cried with sadness, obviously. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Victory Achieved

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Hey guys! I know it’s been forever since I uploaded… I’ve been trying to finish Devil’s Due, because there’s only 3.5 chapters left in that… but I’ve headed (deliberately) so far away from the source material that I’m basically writing original fic, and it’s really complex and hard and I’m too busy to brain it through. So I’m coming back to something more relaxing.

So you guys know the video on YouTube where (among other things) some people test the bite strength of a T-rex as portrayed in the classic Jurassic Park movie? Now imagine that strength test for Nidhogg. :3

I actually didn’t mean for Lilidi to get so involved? But she’s not the sort of person to sit around when people she cares about are in danger. I’m actually not sure how that’s going to develop! I didn’t make a plan!

Next chapter is the one everyone’s been not waiting for… Some of my readers have referred to it obliquely, saying they’re not prepared, and that was years ago… you prepared yet? Just kidding, no one’s ever prepared. (Liam O’Brian voice: you are not prepared– wait wrong game) Continue reading →