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So Aymeric likes adding some birch syrup to his tea -

(Source)

- which is adorable! But I can’t help but think there’s an assumption here that any tree sap syrup is like maple syrup - sweet. That’s not the case with birch.

Birch syrup is much more savoury, even woodsy. Personally, I found it very bitter (though I also thought it might work as an ingredient in a BBQ sauce). So either Aymeric likes his tea woodsy, or birch syrup is sweet in Eorzea?

Regardless, I’ll do anything that makes Aymeric happy. 💙

Bonus fun fact: maple sap is mostly water - it must be boiled down into syrup at a roughly 40:1 ratio. (Forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. That’s why real maple syrup is expensive, alas.) Birch syrup comes at a roughly 120:1 ratio, if I remember right. So uh, good thing FFXIV didn’t take a more realistic approach to gathering/crafting maple and birch syrup, huh? 😅

#final fantasy #ffxiv #aymeric de borel #maple syrup #birch syrup #the more you know #i did a thing

07 - Prescient Advice

Aymeric POV

“So many things I had believed to be impossible, she needs not honeyed words to make me believe. She shows me.”

Our favorite Lord Commander recalls the bliss of the weeks following the Scions’ arrival in Ishgard.

Some spoilers for post Heavensward content, cw for implied death.

Enjoy (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

A united Eorzea. Upon first meeting, Alphinaud had promised that one day we all might look back on our discussion at Camp Dragonhead as the first steps towards a united Eorzea. I was hesitant to believe it, but perhaps that was truly what we had done that day.

When I asked that the Scions investigate the heretics as well as Lady Iceheart’s interference, they delivered. I was not able to see the battles they waged directly, but to see its’ effect. Oh, to see the impact she had on Ishgard. That they all have. The heart of our nation beat with thunderous vigor. The relief that I witnessed on the faces of the Temple Knights, knowing that they finally had a way to end the seemingly endless terror of the Dravanian Hoarde. For every life lost, there was the possibility of keeping more with us.

The dining halls were alive with chatter, tales of her strength. An occasional remark of unprofessional nature, about the length and shine of her hair or the way the room smelled of roses once she left. Not ungentlemanly, but unbecoming. I quieted this talk while silently smiling, full glad to know that I was not the only Ishgardian who took note of these facts.

It was my intent to meet with the Eorzean leaders and to announce my intention to fully champion Ishgard’s entry into the Eorzean alliance. For every kindness they had shown us, every life still alight from their efforts, I intended to repay our debt. My guilt and shame from the sins of our fathers, failing to act at Carteneau were quelled at the banquet. To be embraced by leaders who spoke directly and passionately about their nations was as big a relief as the balmy night air of Ul’Dah.

I scanned the room, eager for the Warrior of Light’s presence during my speech. I wished for her to see that her faith in Ishgard, in me, was not misplaced. That I desired a united Eorzea as strongly as she did, and that our continued work together would only bring it about sooner. I had hoped I could speak in the sultana’s presence as well, making my intentions clear. That there would be no turning back, only my promise and my commitment to the realm. Alas, neither were to be found at a banquet intended for them both.

If only I had stayed longer. I couldn’t have known that the warning of attack in Ishgard was a ruse, what fate was to befall the sultana, nor the fate of the scions. To hear the tale told from Lua’s own lips, there was not much that I could have done. Some weeks afterwards on a lazy afternoon in my office, she told me of her suspicions of General Aldynn’s feelings for the sultana. I am not one for idle gossip, but my mind turned as she told me her thoughts on the matter. The roar like a wounded animal when he learned of Nanamo’s fate, the refusal to believe. That he would rush into the heat of battle to put down any who would hurt her.

I wouldn’t tell Lua for fear of perpetuating gossip, but I felt the deepest empathy for the man. What would I have done if I had been present as the evening unfolded? Would I have lost an arm defending the Scions from Teledji’s accusations? Would I have followed her through the tunnels, given up my freedom or my life for her escape? For her future, what I believed she could do for us all? For the hope that I hadn’t given myself freedom to imagine? I didn’t know then what I was willing to do for her, but I could hazard a guess.

Through a great many losses, she continued to fight for us. They continued to fight for Ishgard. Her face began to soften in my presence, no longer suspicious of my intentions. Perhaps less suspicious of Ishgard as my nation became more trusting of her.

An early morning knock came to my door at the Congregation. Lua’s arms squeezed together to hold a clinking, overstuffed basket.

“I have a delivery, a levequest”, curtly tumbling off of her lips

“I haven’t made such a request”

“Oh no, I insist, it is absolutely for you. Lucia puts in a leve for birch syrup like clockwork. Once I realized that it was for one person and not for the entirety of the Temple Knights, I had to deliver it in person. Do you really eat this much in less than a fortnight?”

Her straightforward curiosity took me aback, red spreading across my face. I attempted to sputter out a response but she spoke again,

“Oh! I apologize. I didn’t mean...I was just impressed. Anyone who works that hard deserves to treat themselves to something they love. I suppose the amount of syrup is commensurate to the amount of work!” she laughed as she set the heavy basket atop my desk.

“If that’s true, how does the Warrior of Light treat herself?”, I asked

She inhaled sharply, eyes rolling to the top of her head as she thought. Her body relaxed. I wondered if anyone asked her questions like this, if they cared enough to match her unabashed curiosity. Did anyone care for her the way she cared for Eorzea?

“Reading, playing a tune on my guitar, cooking for leves from mysterious knights” she laughed. Her face darkened slightly, “Spending time with the friends I can keep with me. There’s so little I can keep in times like this, I cherish everything I have.”

She excused herself, “a few more deliveries today”, and left me alone with her words in my mind.

I’ve never been wont to trust someone known for their skills in persuasion, but her power over the hearts and minds of others is undeniable. To think, when she had brought Lady Iceheart- Ysale, back with her to Ishgard, that the Temple Knights would even consider fighting alongside her. That Estinien would consider Ysale an ally, to travel and fight alongside her. Alas, the Warrior of Light and her party have convinced us through the strength of their efforts. So many things I had believed to be impossible, she needs not honeyed words to make me believe. She shows me.

This is true of many things, from the possibility of a united Eorzea, to the truth of Ishgard’s founding. That the history we had known for ages was a lie, a foul lie to perpetuate war was unfathomable to me but it had come from her lips. The reality of it, carried on her back and unto Ishgard. Beyond the skepticism that normally binds me to reality, I believed her. She had lit a fire in my heart. That she would carry the weight of my nation’s shame, that she could be honest and bear it to me mincing no words. To trust me to follow through on the labor she and her comrades had begun.

All of my wishes for Ishgard suddenly had a clear path, to end the war between man dragon, to sever the link between status and happiness. Anyone could have been descended from the high houses. What could become of ordinary Ishgardians once they knew that their blood was equal? Could they truly see each other as equals, from the high houses to the Brume?

Another afternoon, Lord Edmont found his way into my office to sing her praises. How helpful she had been to Artoirel and Emmanellain, how keen Haurchefant was to be by her side. He confided to me that he feared Haurchefant had never been truly comfortable at Fortemps Manor, that Haurchefant believed himself seen as a bitter reminder of his father’s indiscretions. I smelled wine on his breath, confirming the reason for Lord Edmont’s sudden confessions. He recalled the nights he had spent talking with Lua late into the crackling firelight, her encouragement to speak plainly to Haurchefant, suggesting the urgency of speaking our true feelings before the time is lost.

Her advice was prescient. She couldn’t have known that Haurchefant would throw himself into the arms of certain death for her sake. Perhaps the honesty she suggested was a hard won lesson from the experience of a woman always on the edge of life and death.

@actualanxiousswampwitch

Yup. It's like maple syrup, but made from spring birch sap runs. Great source of minerals, but not as sweet as maple. Late-run doubley-so, and typically used for cooking instead of as a table syrup.

EDIT: Also typically requires twice as much sap to make the same amount of syrup as maple, so tends to be pricier.

#alex rambles #birch syrup

Outside of the tropics, it's hard to grow your own sugar cane. Just about everywhere else has some type of tappable tree that you can use to make your own backyard maple syrup. On average, a

If you have even a single maple tree in your yard, that’s one pint of delicious syrup available to you. Whatever you do, never boil sap exclusively in your house. Since it takes forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, the amount of water and moisture you are putting into your walls and ceiling will grow mold. Although sugar maple is the most commonly eaten syrup because of it’s high sugar to sap ratio, there are many different syrups and birch and walnut trees also produce a delicious sap.

#syrup #maple syrup #birch syrup #trees #tapping #diy #sustainable lifestyle #sustainable #zero waste #tap #food #cooking #baking

YAS! Another FFXIV commission complete, this time for @ahlis-xiv It’s her character, Ahlis with Ser Aymeric The situation is that Aymeric needs his birch syrup for his tea; looks like he won't be getting it anytime soon as long as Ahlis has it lol This picture took me a pretty good while to finish because the drawing and most of the coloring was done in Clip Studio Paint (first time using it; already use to it XD); the lighting effects and grayscale painting for the background was done in Photoshop I’ve always wanted to learn the grayscale technique since I see many artists use it - now I see why. It does take a lot of time, but the final result is very satisfying! I shall keep practicing because practice makes perfect ;) Ser Aymeric belongs to Square Enix

#commission #ffxiv #ser aymeric #aymeric #birch syrup #he's not getting it anytime soon lol

Looking forward to late April into May because late-season birch syrup.

#alex rambles #birch syrup #birch sap run #birch trees #birch sap

Winner of multiple taste awards, the Escuminac Yellow Birch Syrup is a pure nectar that stands out because of its unique and delicious taste

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Our yellow birch syrup is unlike anything you have tasted before. Unique and rare, this birch syrup is natural, produced from sap harvested in spring, mainly from centuries-old Quebec forests. It adds the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness and is perfect for starters, desserts, and even cocktails.

#birch syrup