which inevitably leads to me going "goddamnit I wish the Binding Coils of Bahamut were more accessible beyond just unsyncing it at a ridiculously high level because this is the final chapter of the Seventh Umbral Calamity"

this is the OG Alisaie growth arc, because I love my darling gremlin ready to fight lil' sister but she was just as spoiled and snobby and sure she knew better as Alphinaud when she first arrived in Eorzea, she just presented it differently

Coils is where Alisaie learns to stand on her own feet and not in her grandfather's shadow, to form her own opinions about the world and how to live in it and how to help others; if you don't do Coils before she returns to MSQ in Heavensward patches, the dichotomy between her more worldly confidence and her initial appearance back before level twenty is incredibly jarring

as far as I am concerned, Binding Coils is integral to MSQ, wrapping up major elements of 1.0, and SHOULD BE MANDATORY CONTENT GODS ALL DAMNIT

FEEL THAT IN THE AIR, FRIEND?

Another lovely summer is upon us, and that means it's time to celebrate with yet another xiv event!!

Since the plan is to stretch it throughout summer, I’m doing a longer “deadline” for each prompt + an opening and closing day. This way, we can star/end together but still have our own pace in betweens <3

MAKE SURE TO USE: #XIV HEATWAVE FESTIVAL

Fifteen years later, she walks in without knocking and says, It's been too long, Master Matoya. Is that fucking Louisoix's granddaughter you have in tow, you say. Grandson, she says. Whatever, you say. You manage to say something halfway nice about his grandfather.

I need access to your forbidden research, your apprentice says.

You look at her. All grown up and saving the world and not even holding a grudge about all those things you said when she left.

You sigh.

You say, Very well.

Just like that? she says. She's surprised.

I'm going to paste some of the most relevant excerpts below, but if you want to look up the full quest consolegameswiki has stuff here.

First we have this particular dialogue with one of the brooms...

Self-possessed Broom: Em ot semoc eh/ehs, yllanif dna, swish-swish-aroo! So, you wish to know what is dearest to our mistress. That is a difficult question. From her research into aether to her herb garden, much and more is dear to her. Self-possessed Broom: What she loves most, I cannot say, but I know for a fact what she hates above all else: Y'shtola. Self-possessed Broom: How do I know this? Because she never, ever talks about Y'shtola. Why, she goes to great pains to avoid the subject. She wouldn't do that for something she likes, now, would she? (Optional)Self-possessed Broom: What my mistress loves most, I cannot say, but I know for a fact what she hated above all else: her last pupil, Y'shtola.

...which, after briefly reporting back to Saro Roggo, is followed up by this part with a different broom.

Serendipitous Broom: You are he/she who summoned me? Serendipitous Broom: I desire nothing of you, save that you desire nothing of me. I possess no knowledge that could possibly be of use to you. Serendipitous Broom: For my mistress has imparted unto me naught but memories—the memories of a young Y'shtola. Serendipitous Broom: The warmth of her hands. Her determined countenance. Her blossoming into a woman grown. Every mundane conversation they shared. Her sudden departure. The painful farewell. Serendipitous Broom: My mistress cannot bear to have these memories near, but neither does she wish to forget them. So it was that she entrusted them to my safekeeping and bade me to remain hidden. Serendipitous Broom: I can tell you naught more. Pray leave me to my sweeping."

So... yeah. Imagine. You're Matoya. And you have spent the last ten years of your life mentoring what was once this spitting little fireball of a kitten who had absolutely no qualms telling you just what a complete and utter mess your cave is in. And for all the disagreements you've had, all the arguments you've gone through, all the challenges and mistakes and failures and successes... this one ungrateful little coeurl somehow had the sheer godsdamned audacity to dare worm her little way into your heart and become the one most precious souls you have ever known.

And then she decides to just leave.

You're angry - worse, you're somehow feeling... lonely. You. The implacable Master Matoya - someone whom even the dolts at the Forum know not to argue with. You. Are heartbroken.

And so you shut those memories away, stuff them into one of your familiars and send it off somewhere else. Somewhere where it won't remind you of how much it hurts. Somewhere it will be safe.

say something nice about prev!!! find something cool about them!! give their blog a skim!!