Elysia

The field music for the Churning Mists has taken its place as my absolute favorite! I've been known to dump gil on a teleport there just to soak in the sounds and atmosphere on my griffin. I love field music / map themes in general and "To the Sun" is a close second for field music (the piano version on From Astral to Umbral is perfect). Also that enigmatic final portion of "On Westerly Winds". Really, I can't get over how amazing the battle themes are in this game either - I am very partial to "Fallen Angel" but have a special soft spot for the Midgardsomr one because piano, how could you go wrong with that? I love that there's so much of that instrument in Heavensward and honestly, I couldn't gush more about all the new HW music. Soken and team really outdid themselves with that one. /edit for special mention for the Foundation night theme. It played a major role in getting me to love the city and the whole Ishgardian storyline, despite my initial reservations about it.

I've discussed this with friends before. The "Odd Wanderer" type fits Avis as well. She'd be that NPC who dishes out cryptic words of advice to strangers that don't seem to make sense until later in the game. She probably wouldn't even be named, and might just be labelled as "Mysterious Woman" or something. I can also see her as the character you have to talk to to open up some kind of menu for access to a database or lore encyclopedia. OR that side-quest nerd loitering around dubiously outside of dungeons / ruins, waiting to thank the protagonist for beating the crap out of the boss before she goes in for the scholarly loot. She wouldn't have much of a backstory or be connected in any important way to the main party. I see Qara as a mid-to-late addition to the Final Fantasy party, the one the player rarely bothers using or leveling because her OP-or-miss witch doctor skills are so strange to use, and more likely than not a liability anyway at this stage. (Think Relm / Quina / Cait Sith-level weird.) She'd have a short side-quest or two where you figure out bits and pieces of her backstory, though it'd never involve travelling to her distant homeland. She's likely to pull an FFVI Shadow of some sort in the ending and disappear on the party. No one ever figures out what happened to her... not that they discuss this much either during celebratory epilogue shenanigans.

Ah, you have been sitting on my friends list for quite a while! Our characters really ought to meet soon.

Hey there! My character, Avis, is a nosy, free-spirited arcanist who admittedly only makes rather sporadic appearances at the guild. She's a self-proclaimed scholar / researcher who's currently on the hunt for prospective magic students for her boss, and is both puzzled and intrigued by the number of arcanists employed as customs officers in Limsa - why are they 'resigned' to such an occupation with an art like theirs to wield? are they actually leading double lives and being dubious wizard vigilantes after hours? - She's based at the Mizzenmast Inn and I'd also love to get her to make more Lominsan friends or acquaintances. It'd be interesting to see how they get along (or not, which could also be fun to play out) - Avis is always curious about people, asks a lot of questions, and is fond of philosophical conversation. I can only be found in-game during very odd hours as well, so I'm more than happy to do something across PM or any other platforms. I also tend to be long-winded and thinking on my feet is hard for me, so it seems our playing styles might suit each other.

Could my character (Qara Qalli*) possibly be added to the listing for Tumet as well as an ex-member? Her Tumet heritage forms the most important component of her backstory, so I'd love to be able to discuss headcanons with other Tumet characters too. I had also... written a tiny dirge-of-sorts for the Xaela, which I think befits what I see as the relative stoicism of the Tumet tribe, and snippets of other things for my songbird. If anyone's interested, let me know! *Lala-esque name, I know. Unintentional alliteration.

I actually conceptualized my Xaela's backstory way before all the tribal lore was released. (Such a massive amount of information - I still wish it could've been released earlier for us to plan, but I shan't complain further because of how amazing it all is!) So I've had to do a lot of splicing and tweaking here and there to fit my character into the tribes. Currently, it seems that my witch doctor / bard lady was born a Tumet but drifted into the Qalli tribe much later in life. I'll be doing more with the beliefs and possible shamanistic inclinations, if any, related to the Tumet clan and the 'sacred trees' - and K'nahli, I absolutely agree with you on the tribe's emphasis on strength and discipline! 100-word descriptions honestly give us quite a bit of flexibility with what we want to do with our characters in their respective tribes, so I'm hoping we'll all manage to make our headcanons work together, somehow.

Avis is perfectly happy listening as well, though she does go on off tangents easily if you mention even a word or phrase that piques her interest. She'd be happy to meet Mitsuko too. You can look out for me in-game or PM me to find out when I'm on (sometimes I'm leveling an alt). Hammersmith, throwing you a PM very soon - this ought to be intriguing. And Vetiver, you give me too much credit! Your character is adorable and it was a fun 4-5hs for me too. :3 They will meet again.

Hey there! Both characters sound fascinating to interact with (I peeked at their wikis). I think Avis would love to know more about the Twelveswood through Vetiver - but I have absolutely no idea how interaction with Foxglove would be like for my character. Which should be very interesting, really. (I also think my Au Ra should meet Foxglove when she actually exists.) We should set a time and date to meet! Kurt! Aren't you in the Land of the Rising Sun at the moment? I trust it's been exciting anyway. :3 I should be online most nights... and perhaps even all day in our timezone if I decide to become the occasional hermit. Feel free to nudge Miss Inkwood for RP anytime (unless she's been dragged into HM dungeons by a 'Meow'). Hello! I'm in GMT+8 which puts me exactly 12hs ahead of those in EST. For the month of June, however, I might actually be able to make it online on most EST evenings. We can plan ahead, plot, arrange a meeting (:

...because we know there's no way she can outdo a certain duskwight friend of hers in nerdy nonsense. /sort-of-shameless plug Ummm. Hi. I am dragging my chronically shy self out of hiding to post this because I am finally, finally freer for the next, well, four weeks of so of vacation perfection. I'm looking for more connections for my main, Avis, who's basically a nosy, restless, poetic goose looking to get herself in all sorts of trouble. Here, have a picture. [align=center] [/align] RP hooks: Avis is based in Limsa Lominsa, so potential friends and enemies of all kinds are welcome to accost her. She's a ghostwriter / letter writer / scribe and doesn't necessarily charge gil for her services. She'd accept almost anything in exchange - the more amusing, the better. If your character enjoys telling or listening to stories, he or she might find a fine companion in Avis. ...Someone has also recently gotten it into her head that dropping cryptic, poetic, anonymous notes all over Eorzea for curious travelers might be an Interesting Thing To Do. If your character would like to come across and pick up any of these Questionable Words of Wisdom, please PM me. Your character might have caught glimpses of Avis around if he or she is part of the Arcanist's Guild. Please disabuse her of the notion that all of its members are dull and pedantic by nature. If your character enjoys wandering in 'the wilderness', Avis is a likely person to run into. She could be roaming anywhere in Vylbrand and, more recently, the Shroud. She's especially fond of high places and old sites of historical interest. Avis always enjoys a good tavern, strong drink and meandering, philosophical conversations. Especially if your character indulges her thousand-and-one questions. While Avis generally keeps away from Ul'dah and the Goblet for reasons no one has actually successfully coerced out of her yet, I'd actually be interested in letting her run into old Ul'dahn associates - especially those on extreme ends of the social spectrum. Let's plot. Avis likes adventure. Please involve her in any witchy / scholarly shenanigans - or plot of any kind, really - if you like. She is mostly curious enough to want in on and laugh at everything, and she finds everyone exciting. Other notes: I am from an impossible timezone (GMT+8) but when June hits I'll actually be around on EST evenings. Even on weekdays. If this interests you, I might have to PM you to schedule an appointment. I still have other RL commitments to attend to, sadly, and also a slowly leveling Au Ra alt, but I definitely want to make time for RP. :3 I am very, very much down for a reasonable amount of plotting. I like throwing my character into actual situations, though tavern chatter can sometimes be wonderful as well. I could be that long-winded para RPer from hell. ...At least, that's what I'm most naturally inclined to, so if you're the same, we need to be friends. That said, I (like to think that I) am equally capable of being concise when I have to! ...This post totally proved otherwise, didn't it. I also do forum RP, Skype, and 100-page Google documents. There are a few of you here that I'm supposed to hunt down but may not quite have gotten around to yet... I haven't forgotten you! *kicks timezone* ;_; I do not belong to an FC. This is partly due to commitment / timezone issues... but I am definitely more than open to recommendations (pref a smaller / more close-knit one), & for linkshells too! And if you're so inclined, let's talk Xaela, too. If you actually made it through all of that, you're amazing and ilu. Thank you. *slinks away in mild terror*

This is too fun.

Well! ... ... that's... perfect timing. I'm actually about to get to SoF for the first time today. Maybe. Wish me luck.

And then there's Avis, also a book / history nerd, recently a restless, rabid, ruin fan... who has had weird conversations with both Ramona and Xavarian and is the perpetually missing personal assistant of Mister Darkbore. I am mildly amused. But gee, we could all hang out.

Every year I fall in love even more with Yoko Shimomura's work for Legend of Mana. Just listen to its opening theme. It explains everything. BMKovBcgr1o And then there's Joe Hisaishi, of course, with all the wonderful music he's composed for Studio Ghibli: vFkSuPe3vIY

The Rebellious / Badass / Tomboy Princess trope, from having grown up with Disney female leads, YA fantasy novels and Final Fantasy IX. The "rogue with a heart of gold" cliche never gets old either. ...and to tie it all nicely together, after all this time, I'm still a fan of the absurd Rogue x Upper Class Lord/Lady pairing. *hides*

I killed my sleep for this. Still deciding between these two (help):

Yes. I haven't seen the anime but I was mad about the manga for quite a while. I think Ai Yazawa does tend to excuse her male characters a little too much for the things they do, but her characters are never one-dimensional and I appreciate that. This series has the most beautiful art, and I'm also still hoping for NANA to be revived someday. :cry: I rarely delve into the shoujo genre, actually, but Honey & Clover epitomizes slice-of-life genre for me: [align=center]http://download.minitokyo.net/Honey.and.Clover.352631.jpg[/img][/align] (I am putting up a manga cover here because I absolutely love Chica Umino's art style.) It's... a very slow-moving series about the love lives and ups-and-downs of five art college students. That's basically it. The general summary. I find it unique for how it splices the most ridiculous slapstick moments together with some genuinely beautiful, realistic and sometimes hard-hitting meditations on art, talent, love, and life in general. Also,every episode in the second season includes a different insert song by SPITZ. What's there not to love? Another recommendation from me: [align=center]http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/294/a/3/paranoia_agent__or_why_satoshi_kon_hates_kawaii_by_phan2angel7-d6rddkt.jpg[/img][/align] If you're a fan of Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress etc), this series really shouldn't be missed. Paranoia Agent's a psychological thriller that is incredibly metafictional (it also parodies RPGs and the animation industry in the most macabre fashion at one point), it critiques pop culture and society with one of the most innovative approaches I've ever seen, it's self-indulgent and... completely overturns your expectations with every episode. It has the standard Hirasawa Susumu theme that will make you question your sanity after you discover its addictiveness. Also I completely concur with Cylin on Juuni Kokki! I never finished it, though I plan to someday. it also has really amazing music, BGM (pentatonic perfection) or otherwise. :3 Edit: ^ FUSHIGI YUUGI oh my goodness. That brings back so many memories. The first anime I cried my eyes out over, even at the end, though I detested the main couple so.

They'd both been pensive and quiet while returning to the Mizzenmast, though both their minds swirled with thoughts, and after the books had been carefully placed in their new lodgings, they'd taken their leave of each other at her door in much the same uncomfortable, tensed manner. Avis stood by the shut door for a few moments, frowning as Xavarian moved down the hallway. Under other circumstances, she would certainly have asked him to stay - at least for a while. This little realization only compounded her melancholy, a unique brand of vexed sadness? anxiety? that, most days, she managed to ignore. She hated it when It ambushed her, like this, of all times; for the moment it laid her bare and she couldn't pretend it was alien to her. Avis sighed. Poor Xavarian - she'd worried the duskwight, she knew. She had to shake herself out of this. She turned to them then, the two columns of books awaiting ravishment on her desk. These new spoils from the Professor's library seemed to afford the perfect solution. Despite her weariness and mood (and perhaps because of these), she allowed herself, indeed, willed herself the indulgence of the tomes' visual and textual distractions. It worked. Somewhat. Her uneasiness had largely faded by the time information on certain beasts' mating habits brought an incredulous not-quite smile to her face, and before the bell was done, Eorzea trivia had fogged her mind over and sent her into a sprawling slumber across her desk. [align=center]***[/align] Avis didn't remember ridding herself of her goobbue-spattered garb and stumbling into bed, but there she was some number of hours later, with a Lominsan morning pouring itself insistently into her face through the window. She felt greatly improved - new 'todays' always did wonders for her - and the letter she located soon after only cemented her optimism. Damn it all, Xavarian, you've done it again. In fact, said letter whisked her out of the room in a feverish flurry. The one clear thought running through her mind - currently a terrible whirlpool of wonder and gratitude and scattered vestiges of the It - was how she would very much like to smother Xavarian in Messes of a particular nature that very moment. Yes, bed hair, morning breath and all. But it was day, of course, as she belatedly realized. When she reached his door, her attempts to alert him to her presence ranged from whistling and soft raps on his door to stomps along the corridor. Had he been awake, he'd certainly have heard her, but she knew these sounds weren't enough to rouse him. Briefly, Avis considered some more drastic measures - hollering in iambic pentameter was one of them - but eventually she resigned herself to his absence... for now. He was likely very weary, especially if he'd been up writing that story for her right after the Nymian expedition. There was still so much to say about the Wanderers' Palace. Avis retreated reluctantly to her room then and re-read the letter. She perceived that a response was necessary, but littered the floor with at least a handful of crushed drafts before she settled on something somewhat acceptable. [align=center]***[/align] Mytesyn fiddled with scraps of a fishy brunch and, from the snugness of his counter, watched. The dark-haired Hyur with the "curious disposition" had been passing fretfully in and out of the Inn's entrance, dressed for travel again, a conspicuous folded piece of paper between her fingers. After the sixth or so display of indecision he called out to her with a mouth still half-full. "Do it an' put y'both out of yer mis'ries," he quipped, smirking at her as she irritably approached him. "His mood's darker than 'is skin as it is." Avis bit her lip. "Oh, stop looking at me like that. If you know so much, you can decide for me. Please. And you rhymed, did you know that? Is rhyming in vogue, now?" She practically tossed the paper at the good Innkeeper's large and chewing face, and it missed the bones of his meal by an ilm. But she did return his expression of amusement with one for herself, a short, ironic laugh. Then she hurried herself off before she could devote too much thought to her choice of action, and it took another undramatic journey to the Twelveswood, and some quiet, pleasant wandering among the trees, before she eased. Meanwhile, the Innkeeper played courier.

This is an interesting discussion. As an "Asian", I do find the broad skin colour categories quite reductive when they are implied to be representative of nationalities, ethnicities or cultures. But skin colour is one of the most salient / visible indicators of ethnic difference and I support consciously contributing to diversity in an MMO. There were a number of reasons why Avis looks the way she does (and why, all that being said, cosplaying her won't be difficult for me at all. At least in terms of physique and hair color!). Her Ul'dahn heritage was one consideration, as was her similarity with another dark-haired incarnation from a story I used to work on... and there was also the fact that I generally preferred my mains to be... very ordinary people. So nothing out-of-the-world for them, in terms of appearance. However. I'm "yellow", of Chinese descent, while Avis seems fair by Eorzean standards, but I certainly don't see her as either 'white' or 'yellow'. Or even as anything close to the Doman gene pool, even for her dark hair. I gave her a slight olive shade for an Ul'dahn tan... at least, that was my intention during character creation, but she largely shows up as white or Asian in-game in harsh lighting. Still procrastinating on getting that Fantasia to rectify this... So I don't think it's bleed, or a bad thing, just because you look like your character. We all have our own reasons - story or otherwise - for why / how we design the people we have to stare at through the days and weeks leading up to 50 and beyond. The rest of my (invisible, sadly) alts appear darker or have a more 'alien' skin color. This is both a deliberate choice and an aesthetic preference.

I'm going to jump in on this. I definitely have an Au Ra Xaela in the works and I love researching on and conceptualizing cultures and customs, so. Would love an opportunity to discuss and make connections! Looking forward to more lore as well... It's all I'm waiting for ;_;

Hey there! It sounds like our characters might have much in common. Avis can't keep her hands or nose to herself, and she also loves asking questions about history. Between the both of them, their combined curiosity might manage to kill a lot of cats. I have a bad schedule and come from a terrible timezone for RP, but if you're interested, we can trade PMs and set something up! :3

Since I barely get in-game RP because SCHEDULES, I'm going to jump in on this again! Character Name: Avis Inkwood Wiki link/short description: Here! Have you completed the MSQ up until end of 2.55: NO. Oh dear. I must be the only one. My character should be anonymous: Either works.

Ohhhh, my character like stories (and secretly enjoys telling them). So that might be fun. As long as she doesn't have to talk about her personal life. (...Make her uncomfortable, that would be fun too.) And alrighty, I'll look you up in-game when I actually manage to get online!

Jumping in to say I love your character concepts! :3 I have a character who loves to wander and would really be interested in chatting up a map-maker. She doesn't need a map yet... maybe someday... not sure if she'd ever be able to offer much in terms of payment, though, but she'd certainly be able to plough Theula'sae with much effusive questioning. ...I am also from Kurt / Ram's timezone, so. >< But if you think Avis would be good to interact with, let me know!

Hello, and welcome to the RPC! Your character sounds interesting, and I think my restless, poetic scribe might enjoy a run-in with your character. Even if she gets pick-pocketed - though I highly doubt she carries anything valuable enough to be worth stealing if she's sitting in the Wench or walking around in Limsa. Which she's based in, so she could be a possible 'contact', and she used to mix around quite a bit with the underclass of Ul'dah. She would also never be able to resist card-readings. Let me know if this sounds good and we can arrange something by PM or otherwise! I... actually come from a crappy timezone so I'm never around on EST weekday nights. (Except Friday.)

I've been thinking about this and I've come to realize that Avis is a good blend of the following: Jane Austen's sense of humour, Emily Dickinson's introversion, the way Yuuko Ichihara (xxx HoLiC) alternates between being cryptic and playful, + a good dash of Princess Jasmine / Rinoa Heartilly (whom I dislike...) / the Rebellious Brat Princess archetype!