Currents of Time

What is this entry even really for? I DON'T KNOW. That is my disclaimer and your warning.

So, anyway, hey, I was clicking around YouTube, as you do, from one of the videos in the last entry, and ended up tripping my way to the FFXIV theme song. It's called "Answers" and is sung by Susan Calloway. I was familiar with the name, but I hadn't placed her as the singer in the clips I'd heard before. (They play a short bit of it during your intro, no matter which town you choose. The whole WALK FREEEEE bit, for those of you who witnessed the picture spam.) I'd been rather unimpressed, really, but that might've just been the repetition getting to me. Now that I've heard the whole thing, I find I rather like the song.

Except it is kind of not so great at being The Song for the game! Which is kind of disappointing! Maybe it will make more sense once they add in a storyline (BE FAIR THERE IS A STORY it is just rather a bit scattered and you haven't seen much of it). And, as far as I know so far, they never actually play the whole song. Final Fantasy XI's main song (well, I suppose there are two of them, now) was played in its entirety in the game's opening, and because of that (and probably in part because they actually say Vana'diel in it a few times), it's very much FFXI's song for me. (Said opening video. Or, if you'd rather just the song, click this one. The former has the benefit of including the lyrics and their translation - it's sung in Esperanto. OR, they're also up on SongMeanings.) (Memoro de la Stono's melody pops up all over the place, actually, though you only hear the lyrics in the opening movie.) And the other song is also heard in game, at the end of the Chains of Promathia story, which was huge and epic and definitely deserving of its own song. (Link to that, as well. AND OF COURSE. Obligatory lyrics link.)

I cannot listen to either of those without thinking of the game. (Despite having not yet finished the Chains of Promathia story, myself. Also, for reasons I am pretty sure I am never going to understand, Memoro de la Stono manages to slam right onto my IRRATIONAL EMOTIONAL REACTION button every single time I listen to it. Nostalgiaaaa. And sometimes eye-watering. I don't get it.) (Actually, the phrase "That world was [called] Vana'diel" also triggers something similar. MY BRAIN. I do not understand.)

...SINCE I'M ALREADY LINKING EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE, THIS ONE - sung by the aforementioned Susan Calloway - is the version of Distant Worlds that I much prefer. It also has a nice version of Memoro de la Stono in front of it, though they cut out the last verse, wtf.


But what was I saying. Right. Yes. So then I listen to "Answers" (the lyrics have trouble, I picked it for the pretty video. If you want the lyrics, this one has a better version of them), I think, wow, this is actually a pretty song, and I like it, but I do not see the connection. And I don't know if this is SE failing to get XIV up and running properly, or if it's just not a fitting song, or what, but it kind of makes me sad that I don't get it.



While we're here rambling pointlessly and incoherently about Final Fantasy music, though, here, have a listen to the English version of Suteki da ne and then wonder with me at why on Earth they would feel the need to do such a thing. I dunno, maybe I just have too much of an emotional attachment to the original (by "emotional attachment" I mean DAMN IT FFX STOP MAKING ME CRY EVERY TIME I BEAT YOU). ...(lyrics! - which, if you look at, you'll notice the English version isn't really that far off, but that doesn't stop me from wondering why they bothered with it.)

Moving on.

HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT

Using my real name that people call me (as opposed to my real full name which no one uses), I am #610, a Flying/Dark Cat-type. Height 12′10″, Weight 391.8 lbs. "It eats 6 kilograms of trash a day. It howls elegantly and is said to represent the lake."

(Answers change depending on whether or not you use capitalization, but you always get the same answer for the same name.)


Since we're on the subject, anyway, have a video. I cannot believe the time and effort it must have taken to re-skin all these creatures (all the summons and no small amount of monsters), oh, my gosh. They had serious dedication to this. XD


And speaking of Final Fantasy MMOs, Squeenix used the wrong "right" on their Rite of Passage certificate and I laugh at them. (Well, it's more like I snort in amusement, but same difference.)



And in entirely unrelated news, my mother finally made it home from California (she's been stuck out there due to Weather delaying flights and then my grandmother being stuck in the hospital, but that's a looong story, and it's probably not that interesting.)

I was up a little too late last night running around Vana'diel. Questing around with Nabiki, then fighting in Besieged with Aniko after Nabi went to bed, and then Aniko and I stood around trying to thin or something to do when...

The two Tarutaru Summoners behind us started spamming /dance, and when we turned to investigate, Aniko saw something strange. The Carbuncles were dancing! Summoner pets don't dance. But I didn't see them doing anything. (Neither could one of the Summoners, actually.) I really wanted to see what they were talking about, though... So I turned up all the settings (as I've mentioned, I typically play with them fairly low), then ran off until they were all out of loading distance. Then I ran back!

... And still saw nothing. Augh! Buuut.... then one of them summoned a Light Spirit, and... wait a minute, what was that?! Normally they bob slightly, but this one was bouncing around crazily! Check it out!

Does this mean I can see the atomic squirrels dancing now?! :D?

YES, IT DOES!

They had two different "dances" they did - one involved spinning in the air, and the other was some kind of strange seizure twist...

Both Carbuncles twisting around.

Carbuncle flipping.

(OH, HEY, SEE? I learned how to compress the video files, so now they upload without any problems! Maybe someday I'll go and replace the chocobo ones.)

Other random clips:
Flipping and twisting.
Twist 1
Twist 2
Twist 3
Twist 4
Twist 5

It was awesome, and well worth the lost sleep.

Time wasting on YouTube. Almost six minutes of my life that I should probably feel I've wasted, but don't. They aren't words anymore.


There are some very strange and very, very bored people in this fandom. 4:42 - 4:50 is one of my favourite scenes ever, and the rubber ducky gets a cameo at 5:04.



Of course, now my spare few minutes are over and I have to go back to working. It was worth it for the entertainment factor.

It is Sunbreeze Fest time! The late summer event. Much to my unending joy, SquareEnix has reinstated the Dungeon Crawl! Yay! My favorite event! It was introduced in the first year of the event (they called it Summerfest that time, and I haven't quite been able to shake that as the name). You partied up with someone, talked to the Moogle in town, and were sent to a high level area with different spells on that kept you safe from detection - the monsters and Beastmen (intelligent monsters, really) couldn't find you to kill you - and you had to find the Goal Point. Your partner was sent to an entirely different location, and you had to meet at the goal, where another Moogle would greet you and give you a prize, which you could then exchange for items in town. We all got yukatas!

Second year (and the third year, which was last year) was an event called "Azimuth Circle," or something like that, where you had to guide your partner to a goal using a really annoying compass-thing. First year we got swimsuits, second year it was yukatas again. I wasn't fond of that game.


But Sunbreeze has other things! From sundown to sunup, they launch fireworks over the towns and play a silly little tune. Lots of people hate it, but I actually really like it, so. (If you would like to listen to the silly music, here it is.)

There is also Goldfish Scooping! The towns with fireworks all have an NPC who sits near the closest pool of water and tells you how. I absolutely adore the one near San d'Oria - my hometown for all of my characters (I love San d'Oria, bagpipes and all). I've heard the others aren't nearly as amusing as wonderful Saradorial, which is really very saddening. He chats a lot, so when you're near him you keep seeing his dialogue scroll across the screen. He says, among other things:

"Come, my children...
Enter the world of goldfish...
Let your guard down and be one with our aquan brothers...
Bask in the bounty that the goldfish provide us..."

WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?

Also, Mithra are so, so ridiculously cute when they scoop goldfish! Especially the way they twitch their ears, and Hisime especially so, because I have an extreme bias and insist she is the cutest Mithra in the world and yes cuter than even the Mithra that have the same exact model. I have taken a few videos using my digital camera of her fishing! They are not great quality, because it's my computer screen over a camera, but still. Proof of adorableness! (She is wearing her swimsuit! Also, the way she sulks a little when she loses her catch is far more cute than it should be.)

Also, I have a bunch of screenshots. They are all of Hisime fishing, except one of the chatlog, because Saradorial is amusing. (He can be seen in the background of some of the shots - he's got a green-ish name. The person next to me with a light blue name is my friend Aniko! We were in a party together.) (Sometimes she is wearing her yukata and Dorky Hat - not its real name - and sometimes she is in her swimsuit.)


Edit:
Aha! I knew I had seen her name before. It was on Fanfiction.net. Obviously. Now I know. Though looking at the list there, I would've known this a lot sooner if I bothered to check over there more often. I can't help it. It's been overrun with new people who are writing things and I am easily intimidated and don't like crowds. No, not even internet-crowds. Demophobia! Don't you judge me.

May I reiterate, I do not hate or even dislike the influx of new fans. It's the only way to ensure the canon continues to come, at the very least. It's just I am intimidated by them. augh, people. People everywhere.

I seem to recall saying I'd link to these at some point, but I'm not entirely sure. Either way, this is half for me (spares me having to look them up because, gosh and golly, it's just so tedious, or something) and half for anyone who's not ever seen the series.

Beast Wars

Beast Wars is one of the many series and continuities of the Transformers-canon. It's got definite roots in the original 80s cartoon - characters show up, references are made... But you don't need to have seen the original cartoon to like it! I know this because I had no real recollection of the original cartoon, and I know my brother couldn't have, being younger than me, and we adored this show. (I still do, but that is another story.) It's 52 episodes long, three seasons... It has an overreaching plot, as well as some good stand-alone episodes, the characters are wonderfully (and realistically) developed, and their interactions are delightful. There isn't a character on this show I dislike, even though a few of them are outright disturbing. Also, a few episodes from season two break my heart.

It's good - startlingly good, considering it's a kid's show designed around a toyline. This is part of my longest - and strongest - running fandom. YAY TRANSFORMERS!

If you don't want to watch all of it, I can recommend episodes. (I didn't upload these, by the way. I'm just linking them.)

( Episodes Listing and Linking )

Beast Machines

Beast Machines is the less popular but more controversial sequel to Beast Wars. I happen to really like it, but a lot of people do not. I will not fault anyone for not wanting to watch it (hey, Beast Wars has a great ending. Why ruin it, right?), and I will not fault anyone for watching it and not liking it (though for the latter I may try to talk you into liking it...).

26 episodes, two seasons, and you can't skip any episodes if you want the rest of it to make sense.

Some of the stuff in this series is confusing to some people. Please, if anything about it bothers you (episode 6 is where a lot of people stop watching) or confuses you, poke me and I'll try to clear it up!

( Episodes Listing and Linking )

Really, if you're bored, I recommend it (obviously, I think it is fantastic, if I went through and compiled all of these links into one entry solely for my own benefit, despite also owning the DVDs). I love the characters so much. (I will not be the least bit offended if people tell me I am a lunatic for this, by the way. I'm well aware.)

The BotCon exclusives are the three remaining jets (Dirge, Thrust, and Thundercracker), and someone named Bugbite (probably another Bumblebee repaint), and Dreadwing (probably a Sky/Jetfire repaint).

... well, there went my checking account.



I don't think anyone appreciates how hard I have to try to contain the massive amounts of fandom-induced incoherency I'm experiencing right now, between this information and the two - two! - new trailers that hit the internet recently. (The trailers can be found here, for anyone interested who hasn't seen them yet.)


I am going to explode, I swear. Stop being awesome, fandom, or I am going to die.

As you all may or may not know (or care), next July, a new Transformers movie is coming out. Live action, even. This is really old news over here in the fandom, of course. (It is all I can do to not laugh when people, after discovering I like TF, immediately go, "omg did you know there's a new movie coming out, then?! I bet you didn't!" Guys, I knew there was a movie before the announcement was aired as a preview with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.)

Anyway, today they launched the first official trailer, and I have finally stopped watching and rewatching and squee-ing over it long enough to catch my breath and eat dinner.

( Spoilers and Squee-age )


Obviously, I've no idea if the story itself will be good, but there is no way it will not be gorgeous. (Helps, of course, that they're not going the complete CGI route.) Why is it not July yet? omg. *squees*


My apologies to anyone who looks at this post and can only see, "robots robots robots robots robots robots robots." You don't know what you're missing. (Go here and correct this now.)