XIV SPROUT FRIENDS PLEASE DONT READ THIS THREAD. THIS HAS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR STORMBLOOD.

Okay now that that’s out of the way. I feel like sb was building to the entirety of the patches here, which makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but leaves me both happy and...not?
It’s probably the most engaged I’ve been with sb since the steppes + duking it out w/Zenos.

It was great seeing Gosetsu, and seeing Lyse actually rise to her challenges and put her beliefs into practices. I suppose her growth would be Impatient Punchy Lass -> understanding, do however long it takes to do what needs to be done for the country, but it was so......

Ignoring her 180 from her Previous Personality, I feel a lot of what she did in sb was a lot of...talking about her beliefs and not understanding other’s fear because She lacked it. It’s good to have flaws, and I’m glad she did, but it struck me as very ??? Because, well,

That one bit, in either the peering stones or right after we were done doing Magnai’s labour, where she reaffirmed her will to fight felt...empty? Pointless? We were already there TO fight....you didn’t lack this conviction before when talking to Namai or other ala mhigans???

I remember seeing that bit and going ?????? at it.

But in contrast I liked seeing her spare Fordola. I like how she’s not willing to give up, where before she lashed out and at one point could barely restrain herself. I like her willingness to ditch monarchy as a concept.

I feel the patches did her far better than vanilla sb, and I haven’t even fully SEEN all the patches just yet. It feels like they’re actually going into that potential with her instead of just “why won’t domans fight????? Why won’t ala mhigans????? I Will Fight Like Always.”

Hien I think should go a little more apeshit and fumble with leading more. He’s a very endearing character and I love how willing he is to lowkey jab at people or tease them, but I want to see him say it to someone’s face again like he did with Magnai.

Gosetsu describes him as an inexperienced leader/one forced into it too early or whatever, but a lot of his decisions are...sound. He’s a good man and he’s willing to do what’s Necessary but. I think there should be a tad more than just...bad at speeches or weird ultimatums.

I think the point of this is I think Hien served as a good foil to Lyse and while he helped catalyze some of her change in how she handled ala mhigo, I think the initial statement of said change was handled poorly.

I also think Hien should go a little apeshit.

I think we should’ve seen Zenos in the Flesh at some point just for pure shock factor, but. I’m sure there’s a very good narrative reason for him sitting behind the scenes Scheming and Raising Primals just like...another faction we know....how odd...........

Mixed feelings on yotsuyu cause cool motive, still murder, and she CHOSE to go back to the empire instead of staying with Gosetsu. Even if she had remembered, he likely would have argued in her favour,,,,,

I’m glad she had Gosetsu as a single positive person in her life at least

Trying to puzzle out who was inspired by Cyan more—hien, Kaien, or Gosetsu— is a fun little puzzle and one I must think on more, but currently Gosetsu’s winning for adopting ~26 year old prince and Childlike Person like how...Cyan adopted 27 yo prince and feral unloved child.....

He lost a child and his wife....idr if it was to an Empire that starts with G with Gosetsu specifically but. The parallel didn’t go unnoticed. I will dearly miss grandpa as he grew on me quite a bit,,,,,,

He is now praying because his heart is so strong.

SE didn’t disappoint me with Asahi being a burning trash pile of a man and WOW was it great. I spent the entire leadup just staring and WAITING cause they had SO MANY HINTS I was going to be so disappointed if they hadn’t lived up to that. They took their gun on the wall and shot

I’m excited to return to lizard land eventually and see what Magnai and Sadu and Cirina have been up to and flex being khadgan a bit more, maybe flex my new namazu friends,

Can’t wait to see how this leads into shb and I’m not even Done with the patch yet I think,

XIV SPROUT FRIENDS PLEASE DONT READ THIS THREAD. THIS HAS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR STORMBLOOD.