precious moments looking ankle biter

Finally actually rolling harder through an FFXIV playthrough and genuinely enjoying it! Follows from cinnabuntastic.

[luckyspriggan]

Hello there, I'm Jay (they/them)! I'm not necessarily new to the game, but this is the first time I've put a serious effort into playing FFXIV. Stumbling through with my little White Mage, Kiipa Gotou. Active on Dynamis/Cuchulainn.

I follow back from @cinnabuntastic, and much of what I post will just be talking about my (mis)adventures and the occasional screens of my awkward lizard girl. Pleased to meet you!

[luckyspriggan]

Joking with my friend last night and concluded that Kiipaa looking at Haurchefant while talking to him is just the ambient music, gentle blowing wind, etc. Haurchefant looking at HER while talking to her is pink filter, cherry blossoms floating across the screen, loudly blaring "Careless Whisper" saxophone solo in the background.

And Ren watching this exchange looking at Haurchefant is just a dead, stone cold glare with "LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR" on repeat.

[luckyspriggan]

'Cause I love her with all that I am And my voice shakes along with my hands 'Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea But I'd rather be here than on land Yes, she's all that I see, and she's all that I need And I'm out of my league once again

[luckyspriggan]

He doesn't suspect a thing. @somekindofweasel

[luckyspriggan]

Ren's resting bitch face is so good.

[luckyspriggan]

Ren Hasegawa, formerly Arik Sagahl, a deserter banished from his tribe for defying his father's orders to align their interests with those of the Imperials. Beaten within an inch of his life, he fled, eventually managing to make his way to the village where a young healer lived with her family on a small farm.

Giving up his old name, he took on the name Ren Hasegawa and, initially, paid back the Gotous' kindness by doing heavy labor around the farm. When the Calamity struck, however, he did his best to ensure as many as he could were seen to safety. And though he couldn't save Kiipaa's family, he was able to at least keep himself, Kiipaa, and the family's ancient chocobo Momo safe.

Since then, he's devoted his time to becoming stronger so that he can protect the young woman that saved his life... the very woman he's fallen in love with. He has dedicated his life to her service, and wherever she goes, he's never far behind.

[luckyspriggan]

Grynewaht is such a loser but I'm sitting here thinking about like. Part of Ren's backstory is that his tribe threw their lot in with the Imperials, and he stood up against his father and got the shit beaten out of him for the indignancy.

I 100% think one of his old friends is running with Grynewaht, and since Ren's always with Kiipaa everywhere she goes, he's just like "Oh let me beat the SHIT out of him please it'll feel so good."

[somekindofweasel]

she's bwu now

[luckyspriggan]

I have officially finished Heavensward!

And let me tell you I am actually so much sadder about Papalymo than I was about Haurchefant. Though I think that may partly have been due to the disconnect that jarred me out of the cutscene a bit of being a white mage sitting there and not even trying to help with Haurcehfant lmao. Papalymo though... I loved that little guy. :C

[luckyspriggan]

I finally got Momo turned snow white, and I got her the White Mage barding. I didn't put the hat on her because I like her cute little head, but we match now!

[luckyspriggan]

"Nay, here we have forged a new legend, a weapon beyond all compare. The ages will echo with its name- Nirvana Zeta!"

HOURS of work, but so worth it. It looks so good on her!

[luckyspriggan]

I think my one issue, as much as I like the story and the gameplay when I'm not forced into instances with other people, is that the skill floor feels so high. I really like WHM, for example, but I never feel like I'm good enough when I have to play with other people. I can't keep up with the standard tank behavior of "pull literally everything" and I know as a tank I'd be scared to pull wall to wall and just drag everyone down.

Then you see forums and reddit posts talking about "idiots who can't be bothered to stop holding everyone back" and it's so discouraging.

[luckyspriggan]

I like to think that during this scene, Kiipaa was telling Alisaie that she knows how it feels, to not be able to understand why you've lost people so senselessly. Why they would be taken away from you. Because she lost her whole family during the calamity, and now she's building a new one.

[luckyspriggan]

I mostly took this screenshot because I couldn't stop laughing. That plate is as big as the whole her. Please, Aymeric, she's only 4'9" tall.

[luckyspriggan]

I'm choosing to believe that whenever this happens, Kiipaa interrupts like "I'M RIGHT HERE" only more politely.

[luckyspriggan]

So I've had some time to think on this, and I think that the conversation between the WoL and Emmanellaine goes a bit different for him with Kiipaa. Because unlike what he assumes about her, she has had a ton of responsibility on her since even before it was realized she possessed the Echo and was a simple healer in her home village.

She had been trained by her father as a healer, with the intent that she would be the primary source of healing for those in the village when he retired from the role. But it became very clear very early on that she possessed a much stronger magic than expected, and the villagers began relying on her more than they did her father. It was expected of her to step up, and she did without complaint... but then, the whole village was lost during the Calamity, with only she and her companion Ren escaping.

Since then, after he left her in Gridania to move on to Limsa Lominsa (to better learn how to protect her, according to him), her life was anything but her own to live. Taught by the conjurers, she was eventually directed to the path of the White Mage. When it was uncovered she possessed the Echo, the call to help was stronger than her apprehensions.

So she gets it, even if he didn't think she did. While it may seem she has the freedom to move as she pleased, Kiipaa hasn't truly been free since she was a girl of fourteen, laying on hands to a farmer wounded in the field at her father's side.

[luckyspriggan]

I have thoughts about Emmanellaine and Kiipaa from the cutscene I just got through after the protest scene at Falcon's Nest, when he talks about how he's always had other people making his decisions for him while the WoL has the freedom to come and go as they please.

I'm just too tired to put them into words.