Tag Archives: Tam

FFXIV: The Elder Primal

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So life has been busy since I last wrote: between work, a dire cold, a (working) trip to Europe (trip pics coming out… between XIV stuff), and Shadowbringers, I haven’t had much time to write. However I’m determined to put a dent in the story now, as a lot of the writing I did do is recording thoughts on 5.0 happenings, so I do want to catch up to it sooner rather than later lol! Still going to take me years…

My spoiler-free thoughts on Shadowbringers now that I’m done: it’s SO GOOD! I love how the focus closes in from Stormblood’s sprawling war epic to a highly character-driven conflict, getting closer to people we already care about, the lore bombs (oh the lore bombs), the tension and drama (cried multiple times, screamed of excitement multiple times, will upload video evidence). That ENDING. My heart. Respect. I am not sure how I’m going to write it with 8 people. Also Soken is a GOD. Still. I’ve tried the new raid and I think it’s going to be the best raid yet; I don’t even remember much of FFVIII but the XIV plot is really intriguing. Still haven’t downed any of the EX primals, though I’ve actually made a go of it with friends and without, but I do want a weapon. Also, to fit the story, I fantasia’d to Vivienne! And also one thing that made me way too excited was a part where Alphinaud said words that inadvertently title-dropped this fic! I started writing this almost two years ago! I can’t believe it, it’s too perfect lol Continue reading →

FFXIV: Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

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Snip-snap, another chapter; going to try to keep them shorter and punchier and more frequently updated after the slog that was Crystal Tower. I finished 4.56 MSQ, and watched the Shadowbringers trailer, and I NEED IT omg it’s so exciting. HW trailer is still my favourite piece of videogame cinema, I think, but ShB has brought the hype! And everyone’s gone goth, lol. So now I want to get Achiyo and this fic much closer to it! My goal has always been to hit HW in the fic before ShB drops, but we’ll see if I can’t get partway through HW too. And hold down my myriad irl jobs. And get Illinia up to 4.56 and Fantasia back to Rinala. And get Tam’s ilvl to 400. And a bunch of other things that I’d like to do but will probably not end up doing because that’s already a lot of stuff.

Chapter 13: The Beginning of the End

 

Chapter 14: Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

 

“What did you think of them?” Rinala asked, on chocobo-back on their way to the Boulder Downs. “I thought they were both rather intimidating: so cold and watchful. I think we can trust them, though.” Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Beginning of the End

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The chapter I’ve been waiting for since I finished 2.0!! The Beginning of the End, huh? Don’t worry, we’re not even at HW yet, but this is kind of where I feel the happy fluffy 2.0 simple fairy-tale vibes begin to fall away to plunge us deeper into a typical emotionally fraught dramatic FF story. So I guess it might be more accurate to call it the End of the Beginning, but that’s less dramatic.

I’ve been reading about translations of the Japanese and it makes me concerned about presenting the best story here that I can (and also what I’m missing out on by only understanding English!) but in the end, since I do only understand English, I will have to make the best of what I’ve got. I’ve also edited the story about Nael, and about rezzing.

Chapter 12: The Sleeping Emperor

 

Chapter 13: The Beginning of the End

 

“So this is going to work perfectly and nothing bad could ever come of it, right?” Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Sleeping Emperor

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Oh my gosh this chapter went long. At first I had my hands full with this catboy trying to turn everything into The R’nyath Show but since this is basically his chapter to protagonize eventually I let him have his way. Lots of cameos of my game friends, and a few retainers/OCs to make up the balance! I hope it’s not too overwhelming!

I’m excited to get back to MSQ next chapter!

Chapter 11: Life in Mor Dhona

 

Chapter 12: The Sleeping Emperor

The lead-up to the tower was a massive, mysterious facility that they had been briefed as being titled the Labyrinth of the Ancients. The ceiling seemed malms away, the walkways leaping over what looked like lava, but R’nyath really didn’t have time to look about. The resident monsters came at them in waves, and he had his hands full watching out for R’inwa and taking in Kekeniro’s orders. Kekeniro had set up a linkshell to relay his directions to the entire group, though he mostly referred to the team leaders when calling out. “I’m seeing several succubi and a Valefor up ahead. Achiyo’s team will take the Valefor, and Chuchupa and Vivienne’s teams will deal with the succubi. Try to draw them away from the Valefor so we don’t get interference.” Kekeniro had pretty good eyesight for a bookworm, R’nyath considered. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Life in Mor Dhona

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Wait, I finished a chapter? Turns out Crystal Tower was turning out longer than I was expecting it to, even condensing the overly-convoluted plot (e.g. Nero’s here already) so it’s now two chapters. And we didn’t really get to the meat of the action in this one. It’s a bit self-indulgent with all the character relationship developing, but I’m enjoying it! Also if you play on Midgardsormr, keep an eye out for the names of my FC mates, haha!

That one line Thancred says is from way back when Alphinaud was investigating the Ul’dahn uprisings, but it was too good to not use at all.

Chapter 10: The Deep Dark Green

 

Chapter 11: Life in Mor Dhona

It was a bright, cloudless winter’s day in Mor Dhona when Achiyo rose from her bed in her room in the Rising Stones. The sun was silver through the window and she looked out upon the town for a moment. Everyone was just rising; the shopkeeps were setting up their stalls, the guards were changing at the gates, dogs were already chasing hens. There was a frost on the ground, and folk had to walk carefully across half-frozen puddles. The frost would be gone by early afternoon today, but Tam predicted snow before another sennight had passed. Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Deep Dark Green

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Big chapter again! Some focus on some other WoL who don’t normally get spotlighted, today. And two more primals down! Achiyo can almost get her Kirin that she’s going to ride until she can get the HoH horse. I got her the fire pony, but Garuda’s been stubborn and refusing to drop anything. I have to wait until more of my friends are back from vacation and can carry me through unsynced nonsense.

It would help if my cat would let me sleep at night >:I

Chapter 9: Shinobi

 

Chapter 10: The Deep Dark Green

Tam approached Thancred, who was doing that thing again. “Her soft features belie a strong will and quick wit. Aye, this Doman maiden would be-”

This time, he seemed to sense Tam’s presence, and abruptly turned to see him, arms still crossed. “Tam, I think we may need to have a chat about your habit of sneaking up on people.”

Tam raised an eyebrow at him. “Kalma. Habit. And I find your reactions amusing.”

Thancred covered half his face with a hand. “I’m glad you are entertained, my friend.” Continue reading →

FFXIV: Shinobi

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Oh boy, a new chapter? Kekeniro gets some PoV time here, and was quite forthcoming about his backstory. Nice. He’ll probably have another go at PoV during T13. Took me a while to write T9, however, and I have not yet tried to attempt it synced. Maybe over holiday break. Except I’ve been grinding hunts and trying to finish my second Anima weapon. Also I have ended up with 5/6 ARR ponies, mostly by chance, but Ramuh won’t give me a thunder-pony and I’ve been punching him in the beard at least once a day for the last week.

EDIT: Nael always seemed strangely convoluted to me, and when my friend read out Nael’s entry in the lorebook, revealing that Nael was a woman all along, who took the place of her dead brother, I was terribly confused. Haillenarte on tumblr did a translation of the relevant bits and now that I’ve found them, they’ve helped a lot! So I’m kind of keeping that Nael was masquerading as her brother still, hence Alisaie saying ‘him’ in the first cutscene, but Nael no longer has a reason to pretend to be her brother, so after they find out Nael’s a woman, I switch the pronouns.

Chapter 8: Business As Usual

 

Chapter 9: Shinobi

“You’re late,” were Alphinaud’s first words to them, standing next to a small ship of foreign design in the Vesper Bay harbour. Achiyo peered at it, wondering why it should look familiar. “No matter, I know where our visitors are headed.” Continue reading →

FFXIV: Business As Usual

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Chugging away on this, hoping to get up to HW by the end of the month. Of course, that means first getting through Bahamut (synced! if possible!) and Crystal Tower (will be tricky to fit in all my planned cameos).

Rinala and F’lhaminn kind of ran away with my imagination here, which I think is really sweet.

Chapter 7: Once a Hero

 

Chapter 8: Business As Usual

“Ul’dah is our home, Alphinaud!” Minfilia protested vehemently. “To cast aside everything we have built and start anew in that desolate wasteland would be beyond reckless!”

“Oi,” Tam said. “Mor Dhona isn’t a wasteland.” Continue reading →

FFXIV: Once a Hero

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To write this chapter, I took Achiyo (level 52 PLD) and rounded up a party finder of folks willing to fight Coils 1-5 synced to level 50. Twintania took a couple days to beat, and when we did, it felt awesome!! It’s a lot harder than my writing implies… But the chapter was tending to the long anyway, and Twin isn’t really worth the epic writing, not compared to Phoenix and Bahamut will be.

Starting to feel like writing Voltron fic, stand by. : P

EDIT: I was never happy with Chuchupa’s little bit, or her backstory; I’m still not totally sure what it is, but it’s not what I had here before. I also added a bit for Vivienne, because her brother has thus far not made a single appearance and she seems kind of distant from him, like he’s not necessary to her story. Which means he probably isn’t, which I would like to fix.

Chapter 6: For the Light

 

Chapter 7: Once a Hero

Rinala had passed out from exhaustion not long after they had escaped the Castrum, and she did not hear much else until about eight hours later, when she woke to find herself in a tent with the sun smiling down outside. Someone had dressed her in clean clothes, and someone – probably one of her Scion friends – had even got out her Thancred plush and laid it in her arms while she slept. She squeezed it happily, sleepily, then decided she should probably get up, she was ravenous. Continue reading →

FFXIV: For the Light

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After half a dozen+ fight scenes, this ridiculous thing is over.

…For Season 1. Next up, Bahamut… synced… ilvl120… uh-oh…

And yes, I know Rinala cheated a tiny bit in two of the fights; it’s for character development, okay? XD

Started a new SWTOR Imp Agent, what? (I hear it’s good, though. I wonder if I should keep slogging through the other storylines that I haven’t finished, either? Maybe one at a time?)

Chapter 5: Lies of the Free

 

Chapter 6: For the Light

Cid, as it turned out, did not wait remain behind with the main host after they’d been briefed on Phase Three of Operation Archon, but commandeered a random Reaper – this one in better kept condition than Maggie and Wally had been in when they acquired them – and joined them in their daring, near-suicidal assault on Castrum Meridianum. The good news was that yet again, the Grand Companies were making the distraction – a frontal assault on the main gate of the castrum, while the nine Scions smashed through a different gate and began breaking things in their quest to shut down the magitek field around the inner Praetorium. Continue reading →