rionaleonhart: final fantasy versus xiii: a young woman at night, her back to you, the moon high above. (nor women neither)
Riona ([personal profile] rionaleonhart) wrote2023-08-21 07:02 pm

We're Going To Need A Bigger Sword.

Some more notes on Final Fantasy XVI! I'm just past the second significant timeskip.



I've taken to stroking Torgal whenever I complete a quest that will have made Clive sad. This happens frequently.

Clive, Jill and Cid have booked a private room in a brothel to have a strategy meeting, creating the perfect setup for the Clive/Jill/Cid threesome I mentioned wanting in my last entry about this game.

Jill doesn't like being in the brothel and gets a bit snippy! It feels so good to see a side of her that isn't just 'nice and polite'.

I love that Cid facetiously goes 'we're going to need a bigger sword' and Clive takes it completely at face value.

I'd been spoiled for Cid's death and was not looking forward to it - he was my favourite character! - but I do enjoy the weird intensity of him making Clive take Ramuh.

Oh noooo, I'm really upset about the attack on the Hideaway! Don't take away my home base!

It's five years later and I've taken my dead friend's name??

I reached the Hideaway and my first thought was 'oh, I can visit Cid!' before I remembered the terrible truth.

It's cool to see how the Hideaway has expanded and changed, though! It's also a neat detail that Clive knows everyone's name now, so the interface displays a name rather than a description whenever someone speaks.



Below the second cut, a few notes from the process of writing Talking Strategy, the Clive/Jill/Cid fic I posted earlier today. Like the fic itself, these notes allude briefly to sexual assault in Clive's past.



I still want that Clive/Jill/Cid fic. Cid goes 'anyone with eyes could see you two are into each other, but it's too intimidating to make a move when your feelings are that strong; what you need is a mediator to take the pressure off' and Clive and Jill go 'what?' and Cid goes 'what I'm saying is I think it'll be easier for you to spend time in bed together if I'm in the mix' and Clive and Jill go 'what???'

And... now I'm actively working on the fic. Whoops.

'Hmm. If I'm writing this fic, I need to work out whether Clive has any sexual experience. Let's see: he was a duke's son, but he was abducted, enslaved, branded as subhuman and forced to serve in an opposing nation's army for a decade from the age of around sixteen, so... oh. Oh, shit.'

Bit of a tonal challenge here. Hey, everyone, here's a fun, lighthearted threesome fic! Please don't think too much about the brief allusion to the sexual assault in Clive's backstory, because, look, I don't know what to tell you, it definitely happened and it'd feel weird not to acknowledge that.

This feels like an unusually dark headcanon to hold about a Final Fantasy character. But I can't shake it.



As is often the way, I'm feeling more engaged with the characters now that I've written fanfiction about them! I'm looking forward to playing more.
necrophilia: (pic#16135920)

[personal profile] necrophilia 2023-08-21 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm very excited to read this fic once I'm home. (I've also set some time aside tonight to write your letter, so I'll put all my thoughts in there.)

I did enjoy seeing Clive form genuine bonds with the characters in the hideaway. Not only does the same tell me it's been five years, but I fully believe it's been five years. One character gets introduced and though I don't typically like that particular trope, it's so seamless that I can't be mad.
necrophilia: (pic#15775099)

[personal profile] necrophilia 2023-08-24 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Fortunately, Clive has a great future ahead of him as Mario.
lassarina: (Default)

[personal profile] lassarina 2023-08-22 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't spoiled for Cid's death but I saw all the death flags draping him as that mission got set up, and while it's a narratively solid death....goddamn it come back here I wasn't done ogling dat ass.
lassarina: (Default)

[personal profile] lassarina 2023-08-25 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, he leaves a huge hole :(
lassarina: (Default)

[personal profile] lassarina 2023-08-25 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Oh right it's not the only thing I miss but I was so enjoying him being there and being snarky and hot and good at heart.
rosa_heartlily: (Default)

[personal profile] rosa_heartlily 2023-08-25 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I managed to completely avoid spoilers, thankfully. The event you mention hit me HARD ;(