RoegadynRoost

I've played FFXIV since 2013. I bought my PS3 and PS4 just for FFXIV. It's been a constant in my life since then. For better and for worst. I also met the love of my life through Final Fantasy XIV back in Heavensward. I reached out to a random FC recruitment listing in the PF. They wanted members and I have a solo fc so I didn't want to join but I love helping people with stuff and so I offered to help them with content and stuff. The FC leader introduced me to the officers, his partner and his bestie, and said bestie and I have been together now for a long time! We became friends quickly, bonded over our love of Final Fantasy and other games, and before I knew it we were together and didn't wanna be apart.

I think a lot about how I would have never met him in the day to day. We're from different parts of the country and I feel so lucky to have met him.

It is because of FFXIV that I was able to meet him.

When Stormblood released we played early access weekend together as a couple, and since then we've done the same for every expansion. We always take early access weekend to enjoy together.

Life has had many ups and downs since then, I've been dealing with health issues for six years now and some times it feels like I'm just waiting for life to start again. But through everything, he's there, constant, reassuring. I am not religious. But I feel so blessed!

Now Stormblood is my least favorite expansion story wise, but it has so many great moments in it, and one of them is arriving in the Lochs and doing the instance solo instance with Songs of Salt and Suffering playing in the BG. It's a high point in the game for me, and I fondly remember doing the story with my sweet heart and us getting to the Lochs and doing the story while we chatted via Discord, him on his PC, me on my PS4. Songs of Salt and Suffering is still one of my favorite FFXIV songs. And tonight they played it at the Distant Worlds concert, and I got to be there to hear it live with my best friend and love of my life holding my hand the whole time. I get lost in sadness a lot. Chronic illness makes it feel like I'm waiting to die and not living sometimes, but I am so grateful that despite me feeling like I'm falling apart, I have someone that loves me and cares for me, and makes me smile and feel cherished ever day.

And though there is a lot about XIV that disappoints me sometimes, I really do owe a lot to it.