blood red skies

For all the times I gasped at the sunset in Limsa with my shader preset, I've not managed to take a good screenshot of it. This is close, not ideal but close.

material

After a particularly draining day of P2S on PF, I was catching up on my youtube feed which I've neglected ever since EW dropped. Amongst all the year-end round-up type of videos, I've only watched Bliss Fosters and oof am I glad I did. 

Part 1

Part 2

I'll need to spend some time digging into most of the mentions, but I happened to start with Nensi Dojaka. Am very much liking the semi-transparency with tulle, it's amazing. 

(I also went to check out Peter Do's new stuff and there's this pleated skirt with double slits that is calling my name)

But the point I want to make is, I love watching analysis of high fashion but it sure does make me want to buy new clothing. And I did enjoy not buying new clothing during last year, both in terms of I have enough to wear (and I like what I already own) and freeing up money I can spend elsewhere (like buying glams on mogstation! Because let's be real not all of it is going towards savings). 

Akadaemia Anyder

New job, new glam. I am determined to be a good SCH player ah..haa..haaaaa.

Basic leveling version (Gridania inn room, VERY good gpose location):

and the start of the end game version in white, with the Elklord (PVP) codex. I may switch over the Hades in the end because Hades, but I'm quite liking the red glow currently. Will need to farm the Elpis dungeon for the white leg piece tho, I don't like dungeon farms at all...

cutouts

Omg, the very best line I've heard about "plus size" models being cast in runways is its the same token gesture as Sichuan restaurants having a "mildly spicy" option. The comparison is so fking on point. 

Also I think I really Mugler??

(the simile starts at about 15:20)

integral

Alright this beam of green light in Ultima Thule is officially one of my favourite places to gpose at. First time playing with dramatic, colored lighting. Also DNC has such nice poses ;o; if only there was a less finicking way of advancing the animations from frame to frame.

Though I really ought to increase my resolution when I gpose, the image quality is lacking and it bothers me when looking at it at 100% zoom.

flower

Got my DRK to 90 recently so what better way to celebrate than some gpose for my Ishgardian themed glam? Also I was today years old when I discovered that the pose where you draw your weapon has another option with change pose ;o; Was wondering how all the other drk are posing with their giant sword stabbed in the front.

plus a bonus from the Lv 80 job quest

Mist

We return to FF screenshots, this time featuring the Limsa housing ward where I am slowly spending more time afking in. My shader preset makes the sunset such an intense red, too bad I was panicking for a good location to gpose at that I missed the actual sunset, but the blue hour is nice too. 

The Overcoat

First book of the year read! Gogol's collection of short stories. It's my first time reading him and I'm not entirely sure I appreciate the satire. Maybe because I'm so far removed from the subject that he is criticizing that I just...don't get it. They're fine stories tho. 

swirl

Thanks to another year with the looming presence of the pandemic, this will be a quick reflection. I am actually writing this on NYE (with a surprisingly long login queue!) despite this being published later. 

Easy things first.

I bought a total of one clothing piece this year and its the fabulous La Robe Bahia dress in lilac. Does it have an atrocious cost-per-wear, yes. Do I regret buying it, not at all. 

I read 11 books this year, very off the mark from my goal of 35 but FF14 is entirely to blame for that. The books are:

1. The Death of Ivan Ilych and Other Stories
2. The Undocumented Americans
3. Department of Speculation
4. Strange Weather in Tokyo
5. Zobra the Greek
6. Braiding Sweetgrass
7. Eastern Wisdom, Modern Life
8. Perilous Bounty
9. Dressed
10. Demian
11. The Haunting of Hill House

Yes there is a horror (I'd say its actually more psychological than horror) novel, I somehow agreed to a friend's recommendation, it was not as bad as I thought and actually enjoyed the writing a good bit. 

Otherwise, work has felt stable. There were a few months where things were difficult and I felt dangerously close to burned out but am feeling better now. A small promotion and raise at the end of the year felt respectable. Will need to suck it up and submit my experience form for licensure next year, ugh. 

I made a decent effort to catch up with friends at some point in the year, it is a bloody pain to commute into the city though. Next year will definitely involve moving back out, the awful process of finding a reasonable place to rent be damned. 

With that said, I have shamelessly stolen my theme for 2022 from said friend who recommended the horror novel. It shall be playfulness.

shadow walk with me

Some days ago I finally got my drk to 80 and finished the ShB tank role quest & void quest. One thing about the void quests first, this is a total set up for an next expansion (or part of one) but its side quest status make me question if this is indeed the intention. Ugh I am unsure. 

But the tank role quest is great just like the other three role quests. I can see why people are not as impressed about the EW ones in comparison. But it is the nature of the difference between the two expansions, with ShB able to have a tighter story whereas EW has to close the entire saga out. 

My reward from the tank quests are as follows: one very pretty pond to float in (and the refraction!) and one quotation that is also entirely applicable to my favourite ascian:

and memory seeps into my grasp

 I interrupt the regular FF programing to bring you an Epik High song:

Lakeland

Exhibit A of getting distracted while trying to gather the materials I need to spam some leves for gil-making: 20 mins spent on sulking in Lakeland.

Send help.

You know how some people restrict their social media usage on their phones? I need a lock-out timer for gpose.

South Tide Gate

And in contrast to the previous post, here is how pretty my chocobo best friend looks. This is taken in Limsa's fields of all places. I feel that after admiring all the zones in EW, I'm finding new appreciation for the zones (and bgm!) of the older expansions. This only means I get distracted by gpose whereever I am in game now, which has been horrible for when I need to get anything done. 

Asphodelos

The raid entry area is amazing, nice bgm and the perfect match for my drk glam!

I regret posting the glam on Eorzea Collection with a Doman background now :(

And one bonus image of me trying to channel Dark Souls without actually playing the game. All I remember is me trying to get through Demon Souls very very badly.