Summary: Through tunnels beneath Gran Pulse. Cie’th missions 18 and 19. Fang’s past, Vanille’s Eidolon.
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Helping Hands
-Finally moving to the next zone: Mah’habara, Maw of the Abyss. Sounds pleasant.
-It’s a cave filled with rusted metal.
-I check out a side path, and HOLY CRAP that’s a tough enemy! A Juggernaut. Barely survived.
-A Gran Pulse fal’Cie made this path. They clear terrain which citizens make their life on. A different sort of relationship than that of the Cocoon citizens and fal’Cie.
-Atomos is the fal’Cie! Makes sense.
-The ground starts to shake and we Atomos barreling through like Sonic.
SNOW: “Let’s hitch a ride on that thing!”
VANILLE: “Now you’re thinking Gran Pulse style!”
That seems likely to result in… well, death.
-The next Cie’th stone mission appears, #18, “So Close, Yet So Far.” Another of those boxy enemies.
-Analect #7, “Hallowed Pulse.” Not sure what triggers these.
-Pulse is the entity who made the fal’Cie and then left. I’ll bet that’s another name for the Maker.
-We emerge from the cave to a beautiful flower-filled opening. It literally makes Vanille frolic. (Not that that takes a lot of doing).
-Fang thinks she’s to blame that Gran Pulse ended up like this. Really?
FANG: “I remember everything. I became Ragnarok. I scarred Cocoon. And I left Gran Pulse in this mess. It was me.”
Doesn’t Vanille have the same memory? Were they both Ragnarok?
-Vanille angrily pushes back. The stress makes her brand glow. Eidolon time.
-SHE’S SO FUCKING COOL! Her design reminds me of the Dark Souls 2 boss, Darklurker.
-Fang did this on purpose. She was lying to make Vanille expose her own “I don’t remember” lie.
-The Eidolon is Hecatoncheir. Fighting just with Vanille and Fang.
-Heals and debuffs raise her Gestalt meter.
-Got her! Not too bad. Her tentacular arms transform into guns. She becomes a mech warrior.
-Fang first guessed Vanille was lying when Vanille knew who Ragnarok was before Raines told us.
-Fang is pissed at being lied to, but super understanding of all the shit Vanille went through.
I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH
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Helping Hands
-Finally moving to the next zone: Mah’habara, Maw of the Abyss. Sounds pleasant.
-It’s a cave filled with rusted metal.
-I check out a side path, and HOLY CRAP that’s a tough enemy! A Juggernaut. Barely survived.
-A Gran Pulse fal’Cie made this path. They clear terrain which citizens make their life on. A different sort of relationship than that of the Cocoon citizens and fal’Cie.
-Atomos is the fal’Cie! Makes sense.
-The ground starts to shake and we Atomos barreling through like Sonic.
SNOW: “Let’s hitch a ride on that thing!”
VANILLE: “Now you’re thinking Gran Pulse style!”
That seems likely to result in… well, death.
-The next Cie’th stone mission appears, #18, “So Close, Yet So Far.” Another of those boxy enemies.
-Analect #7, “Hallowed Pulse.” Not sure what triggers these.
-Pulse is the entity who made the fal’Cie and then left. I’ll bet that’s another name for the Maker.
-We emerge from the cave to a beautiful flower-filled opening. It literally makes Vanille frolic. (Not that that takes a lot of doing).
-Fang thinks she’s to blame that Gran Pulse ended up like this. Really?
FANG: “I remember everything. I became Ragnarok. I scarred Cocoon. And I left Gran Pulse in this mess. It was me.”
Doesn’t Vanille have the same memory? Were they both Ragnarok?
-Vanille angrily pushes back. The stress makes her brand glow. Eidolon time.
-SHE’S SO FUCKING COOL! Her design reminds me of the Dark Souls 2 boss, Darklurker.
-Fang did this on purpose. She was lying to make Vanille expose her own “I don’t remember” lie.
-The Eidolon is Hecatoncheir. Fighting just with Vanille and Fang.
-Heals and debuffs raise her Gestalt meter.
-Got her! Not too bad. Her tentacular arms transform into guns. She becomes a mech warrior.
-Fang first guessed Vanille was lying when Vanille knew who Ragnarok was before Raines told us.
-Fang is pissed at being lied to, but super understanding of all the shit Vanille went through.
I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH
-The datalog clarifies that while both Fang and Vanille were given the
Focus to destroy Cocoon, only Fang became Ragnarok. The act must’ve
destroyed her memory since only Vanille remembered.
-On through the tunnels when we reach a block.
-Hope steers a Juggernaut accidentally into Atomos’ path. A bunch of other Juggernauts jump between him and Atomos and save him from the rolling fal’Cie.
-But why? Are they sentient and helpful, or is this some sort of programming to protect their users?
-omg, we’re really going to board Atomos. How is this going to work? He’s a ball. As he rolls forward, how do we not get crushed?
-I see. His spines rotate to cut a path while his body stays steady.
-Atomos rather helpfully drops us off up ahead. Thanks, buddy!
-Cie’th stone #19 awaits at the other end, “Triangle of Tragedy.”
“We were always together – he, my princess, and I – but it was he who won her love. Were he now to turn to crystal, I fear it would break her heart… and so it must be me! Then my princess can live out her days in happiness.”
A love triangle lasting beyond death.
-This game has such raw physical beauty! Atomos took us to a grotto.
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Speaking with Serah
-Vanille and Snow discuss Serah… and then, flashback time. To Day 9.
-Vanille hung out with Serah. She loved Cocoon’s beauty, and decided to do nothing… which (in her mind anyway) caused others to get dragged into the “Destroy Cocoon” nightmare.
-I like Snow/Serah, and I’d never get in the way of Vanille/Fang, but this is a very Serah/Vanille scene.
-Vanille vaguely recounts her Ragnarok nightmares for Serah.
SERAH: “Well, if it’s too much to deal with, face it later. Sometimes, things seem easier when you look at them from a distance.”
She’s talking as much about herself as Vanille. Two women dealing with fal’Cie burdens.
-Back to the present. This is the first time Snow learned that Serah and Vanille met.
-Vanille thinks Serah saw the same visions of Ragnarok as our party, and that Dysley was lying about her Focus. Iirc, Dysley said her Focus was to save Cocoon. So her Focus was really to become Ragnarok and destroy Cocoon.
That’s kind of what we already thought, right? That Serah’s real Focus was to bring us together to destroy Cocoon…
Or, wait. Did Dysley tell Serah that her Focus was to destroy Cocoon, and if it’s a lie as Vanille thinks, her Focus was really to bring us together and save Cocoon?
[Non-rhetorical question: I think it’s the latter – is it?]
-On through the tunnels when we reach a block.
-Hope steers a Juggernaut accidentally into Atomos’ path. A bunch of other Juggernauts jump between him and Atomos and save him from the rolling fal’Cie.
-But why? Are they sentient and helpful, or is this some sort of programming to protect their users?
-omg, we’re really going to board Atomos. How is this going to work? He’s a ball. As he rolls forward, how do we not get crushed?
-I see. His spines rotate to cut a path while his body stays steady.
-Atomos rather helpfully drops us off up ahead. Thanks, buddy!
-Cie’th stone #19 awaits at the other end, “Triangle of Tragedy.”
“We were always together – he, my princess, and I – but it was he who won her love. Were he now to turn to crystal, I fear it would break her heart… and so it must be me! Then my princess can live out her days in happiness.”
A love triangle lasting beyond death.
-This game has such raw physical beauty! Atomos took us to a grotto.
---
Speaking with Serah
-Vanille and Snow discuss Serah… and then, flashback time. To Day 9.
-Vanille hung out with Serah. She loved Cocoon’s beauty, and decided to do nothing… which (in her mind anyway) caused others to get dragged into the “Destroy Cocoon” nightmare.
-I like Snow/Serah, and I’d never get in the way of Vanille/Fang, but this is a very Serah/Vanille scene.
-Vanille vaguely recounts her Ragnarok nightmares for Serah.
SERAH: “Well, if it’s too much to deal with, face it later. Sometimes, things seem easier when you look at them from a distance.”
She’s talking as much about herself as Vanille. Two women dealing with fal’Cie burdens.
-Back to the present. This is the first time Snow learned that Serah and Vanille met.
-Vanille thinks Serah saw the same visions of Ragnarok as our party, and that Dysley was lying about her Focus. Iirc, Dysley said her Focus was to save Cocoon. So her Focus was really to become Ragnarok and destroy Cocoon.
That’s kind of what we already thought, right? That Serah’s real Focus was to bring us together to destroy Cocoon…
Or, wait. Did Dysley tell Serah that her Focus was to destroy Cocoon, and if it’s a lie as Vanille thinks, her Focus was really to bring us together and save Cocoon?
[Non-rhetorical question: I think it’s the latter – is it?]
-The datalog entry on this region, Sulyya Springs, warns me of a danger to come.
“[The bioluminescent plants’] beautiful, ghostly plays of light often draw unsuspecting onlookers to the water’s edge, where the area’s guardian fal’Cie is quick to strike.” Leviathan maybe.
-I like how different the Cocoon fal’Cie feel from the Gran Pulse fal’Cie. The Cocoon ones feel organized, industrious, almost corporate. The Gran Pulse ones feel more like wild gods.
-A pool swirls in the nearby water. I can examine it. I’ll bet this is the local fal’Cie.
-That’s a 10-4. Bismarck.
-He summons a bunch of islands with treasure and sahagins, so I go around and clear those.
-Hm. I thought after I cleared the last, he’d be a boss. Apparently not. I actually like that he’s not a boss. We don’t have any real need or incentive to kill him. He’s like a force of nature, not really hindering our path.
It’s something I like about the fal’Cie in general. Most of them are just doing their own thing, not necessarily direct antagonists.
-The other end of the grotto opens up. Serah looks up at Cocoon: “Hey, Serah. What dreams are you having?” We’re so far from where we started.
-We camp here for the night.
-Hee! Lightning threatens that Snow BETTER marry Serah when we win.
Quiet threats are Lightning’s core mechanism to communicate emotions and, well, everything else too.
-I wonder how close we are to Oerba.
-Reached a new zone. Taejin’s Tower. Gonna call it for now.
---
Next time: towards Oerba.
“[The bioluminescent plants’] beautiful, ghostly plays of light often draw unsuspecting onlookers to the water’s edge, where the area’s guardian fal’Cie is quick to strike.” Leviathan maybe.
-I like how different the Cocoon fal’Cie feel from the Gran Pulse fal’Cie. The Cocoon ones feel organized, industrious, almost corporate. The Gran Pulse ones feel more like wild gods.
-A pool swirls in the nearby water. I can examine it. I’ll bet this is the local fal’Cie.
-That’s a 10-4. Bismarck.
-He summons a bunch of islands with treasure and sahagins, so I go around and clear those.
-Hm. I thought after I cleared the last, he’d be a boss. Apparently not. I actually like that he’s not a boss. We don’t have any real need or incentive to kill him. He’s like a force of nature, not really hindering our path.
It’s something I like about the fal’Cie in general. Most of them are just doing their own thing, not necessarily direct antagonists.
-The other end of the grotto opens up. Serah looks up at Cocoon: “Hey, Serah. What dreams are you having?” We’re so far from where we started.
-We camp here for the night.
-Hee! Lightning threatens that Snow BETTER marry Serah when we win.
Quiet threats are Lightning’s core mechanism to communicate emotions and, well, everything else too.
-I wonder how close we are to Oerba.
-Reached a new zone. Taejin’s Tower. Gonna call it for now.
---
Next time: towards Oerba.
