My Penance
Every now and then, no matter how much of an emo self-absorbed paranoid pessimistic jerk you're being, things turn out okay, even though it's a different sort of okay than you had in your master plan for how things should go.
For example, of the two items I need for my summoner currently, I figured that I could get the Fenrir item needed for the Evoker's Ring in a couple hours but was prepared for a long haul on the Yinyang robe, occasionally losing to competiting parties, occasionally not getting help because of the ToD going late, and occasionally losing the blasted thing entirely because of linkshell events similar to what could have happened with the Joyeuse.
(wow, I'm really on a roll with the old-entry linking thing today)
Anyway, I'll save you the mock suspense. I got the ToD yesterday and decided to have a go at it. I got a group of seven good people to help and there were seven other people there in a competiting group, but we (actually Kisa, RAWR) claimed it and it DROPPED THE ROBE. So, uh, yeah. 1/1 on Yinyang Robe on my first try against competition with no THF even.
It's EPIC WIN. I've heard the stories about this robe.0/4, 0/7, 0/15, can't get help, can't get claim, can't keep ToD. Heck, I'm still level 70SMN. Apparently I have a lot to learn about human nature and getting help for different things. The other group was courteous in defeat, congratulating me and even going so far to even kill a few of our links. They were probably just happy to see me get the robe so I wouldn't be there again to camp against them, but ya know, I'll take what campsite chivalry I can get. It's a nice change.
And now for something completely different. Did the first salvage run last night in a while. We didn't have enough of the regulars to go after Battleclad so we did Arrapago remnants. As soon as we zoned in, I got that half-psychic vibe that's oh-so-rare but completely accurate. I knew the Macha's Coat was going to drop. I just knew it in a certain way that's totally impossible to describe to everyone else but never fails me. And, sure enough, it dropped off the second floor Treasure Hunter.
It was up to me and a BLM to lot it. I knew I would win the lot. It was just one of those kind of days. He lotted a 499, giving me exactly a 50% chance of beating him.
I passed the coat. I told him it was his and he earned it.
At this point essentially everyone I know went "Whaaaaat?!"
There's a couple of minor reasons. I don't have nearly enough to upgrade the coat right now and didn't want that hanging over my head. The guy I passed to, indeed, earned it - he's been with the group nearly since the beginning and hasn't gotten squat (compared to my one piece and close second). He's also has very high attendance and dual boxes another character on the odd days we can't even get six. I also like him as a person, he's pretty cool.
But you could make an argument against every one of those in favor of me taking it, except for one big reason; because, every now and then, you have to pass up on something you want to prove that you still can. I don't like who I've been the last couple days on this game. I come too close to being one of those close-minded self-centered elitist scumbags that won't do anything if it doesn't involve helping them (in my case, a Fenrir run). When it comes down to it, if I can't pass up on a fake item in a fake world that will make someone else really happy if they get it, than I don't want to be me anymore, because I've just turned into someone ugly.
I've had a night to sleep on it and it still makes sense so that's probably good. I may regret it in like a week, but meh, that was my good deed for, like, the next few forevers.
I still have this blasted bane-of-my-existance Fenrir hanging over my head, but it seems a little more trivial now. I'll get him when I get him.
I've been typing this entry for like two hours since I've been adding to it between pulls in a SMN/SCH party. That's an excellent combo, by the way. Maybe eventually I'll say why. But, I think this entry is long enough as is. After the party ends I'll edit in some screenshots.