Daily Shaarli
May 11, 2024
Twenty years on from his death, Dermot Morgan’s place in Ireland’s public consciousness shows no sign of fading.
The back bar of The Clarence, Dublin’s most fashionable hotel, is a symphony of muted pastel colours and stark furniture. A fire burns cheerily in the grate, despite the May sunlight streaming through the window. There’s nobody here but me at 1.30 on a Friday lunchtime, which is a little alarming for the management (the place is owned by U2) but may be just a symptom of the new Irish Renaissance, in which no cool Dubliner would be so old-fashioned as to go for lunch in a pub. Among the myriad incarnations of the Renaissance (the Shamrock Economy, Boyzone, Mary Robinson, Riverdance, Angela’s Ashes, Irish theme pubs, Ballykissangel, Neil Jordan, The Leenane Trilogy on Broadway) one of the most striking has been the success of Father Ted, the Bafta-winning sitcom whose run came to an abrupt stop after three series.
An Eamon Dunphy parody.
I have no information on this record, other than that it was a Dolphin release in 1988 and that this image (from Our Father) was on the cover.
Morgan voices Voley. Broadcast on BBC1, 25 December 1998.
Auron suddenly seems to have the use of both hands. Tidus asks about it.
Call it, they said when they reached the plains. Summon the aeon, and vanquish Sin. But he could not call her, knowing she was his mother, and knowing she would be used for nothing but the renewal of this spiral of death.
After Dion is gravely wounded, Terence decides he needs to reveal his feelings.
Terence worries about his prince, and finds himself doing so even after Dion returns.
Clive expects to become a man on the morning of his first mission; he doesn’t realise it actually happens the night before.
Benzo finally convinces everyone of his talents. Benzo retrouve son destin.
Wedge and Barret go plateside.
When Izeel’s father suggests that she marry her friend and fellow warrior monk Auron, it seems like one of Bevelle’s better arranged marriages; but Izeel is already in a relationship, and is adamant that she won’t marry a man she doesn’t love.
Wedge makes Cloud an offer he can’t refuse.
Yuna dances; Tidus marvels.
The pilgrimage never really changes.
Zuke’s pilgrimage wasn’t in vain.
Auron gives all he can in battle. Braska watches.
None of Yuna’s guardians are as taken by their surroundings, apart from Tidus.
Braska finds himself relying on the kindness of strangers.
Two hands reach for the same bunch of gysahl greens.
Isaaru wishes Belgemine would evaluate him in a less cryptic way.
Zuke finds a welcome distraction where he least expected it.
Edgar’s brother has returned; Locke can’t help but distrust him.
Jecht gets to know his fellow students.
Dion continues to work for the realm. Terence wishes he would look after himself.
Auron attempts to serve Jecht a meal by the campfire.
Several years after Yuna’s mother decides not to visit her people, the family moves to Besaid. Braska and his wife find their marriage under pressure, faced with suspicion in their new community, their teenage daughter’s rebellious behaviour, and Braska’s nascent feelings for a dear friend. When Yuna declares her intent to take the summoner’s pilgrimage, the stakes are raised, and they find themselves not content with the mere defeat of Sin, but actively trying to destroy it.
Staying in the office late allows Reeve to work on what matters.
Auron ought to be able to let Braska go.
Lulu gains new powers on the road.
Héloïse has more than one secret.
Garnet’s reactions change.
There’s a lot of red tape to get through.
It’s rare for all of them to sleep through the night.
Jecht arrives at the entrance to Guadosalam.
Auron’s sword is confiscated almost as soon as he arrives in Zanarkand.
Learning how to fight again, Auron pushes himself too hard.
The discovery of the Macalania butterflies leads to a revelation about Yuna’s childhood that surprises a few of the party members.
Remus remembers, despite himself.
Discovering the nature of her friends’ relationship makes Yuna realise her own loneliness; but there is a solution.
Vargas’s relationship with his father deteriorates as he begins to forge a connection with Sabin. But that isn’t the whole story, and over the years he comes to realise that Sabin doesn’t understand him either.
Turns out the guy’s magic.
Gau grows accustomed to his new companions.
The Ronso is part of Besaid, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.
In Djose Temple, Auron faces Braska’s statue for the first time.
With the Hat out of action, Albus has to improvise.
There is Yevon, then there is Braska, and then there is nobody.
Sometimes children have to grow up too fast.
The Forest is his home, not some kind of terrifying otherworld.
Terra meets Strago in a pub. Others would take it as a sign.
He found himself [spoiler] and aged, at the same time.
Barret returns to North Corel.
A quiet night on the pilgrimage.
Jecht’s openness about his activities in the bedroom touches a nerve in Auron.
It will be good to have a guardian who is less invested, Braska thinks. Auron disagrees.
The boys like Quistis.
Only three of the party go to Kefka’s tower. Magic vanishes from the world before Locke has a chance to revive Rachel, and reuniting with his friends doesn’t go smoothly. Having failed both his quests, there seems little choice but to succumb to despair.
Celes, before and after her first period spent with the Returners: her arrest in South Figaro, and her return to Vector.
The Phoenix succeeds in its task and revives Rachel. Celes tries to forget Locke.
The party go their separate ways after [spoiler].
Tifa goes on an adventure with Aerith at Gold Saucer. They get more out of it than Barret and Cloud do.
One morning, Rachel meets a handsome stranger.
Every morning is the same. Every morning is terrible.
Fic writers often depict Braska as a white mage, perhaps because Yuna is as well and perhaps also because summoning seems to be the preserve of white mages in FF9. In the mobile games where Braska is playable, though, he’s more of a black mage: in FFRK, iirc, he was a black mage with fire affinities, and the same is (was? ☹️) true in DFFOO, where he has a couple of white spells (Curaga for one) but these are outnumbered by black ones. In FFBE, he appears to be some kind of support unit? It looks like most of his abilities just apply buffs, but I also never play this game and don’t really know what’s going on.
Some very dedicated trawling of the internet a few months ago led me to MintArisu’s collection of FFX character models, which includes various excellently obscure entries such as the shoopuf and several varieties of fiend. Today, the need to know the answers to such burning questions as “does Braska wear a wedding ring?” and “what is the exact configuration of beads hanging from Auron’s belt?” finally got the better of me, so I downloaded the Auron and Braska models and XNALara and had a look at them.
After last week’s teaser, fave number two finally became playable in DFFOO yesterday morning, and I spent a good hour in a hotel room in Poland diligently maxing him. Once again, I have a lot of unnecessarily pedantic quibbles with the actual storyline of the chapter, but will save those for the conclusion of this thrilling saga (a fascinating read, I’m sure) – this post is just a few notes on Braska as a playable character.
Started reading FFX-2.5: Le prix de l'éternité, aka the novel that everyone hates. I think I did skim over the extremely sub-par English translation a while ago, but seeing as the French version is a properly translated one and, er, I can actually read French, I realised that was not the optimum way forward.
I stand by my interpretation that Braska goes on the pilgrimage because he’s suicidal. Nobody makes reference to this ten years later, but why would they? Everything everyone (except Auron) knows about Braska’s motivations comes from two sources: Yevon’s official narrative, and Yuna’s memories of her father. Given the nature of Yevonite society I don’t think it’s a huge leap to suggest they would be highly offended by the mere notion of depression and suicide and would want to sweep that under the carpet as soon as possible. As for the other, Braska surely wouldn’t have been telling his seven-year-old daughter about how much he wanted to die. Not to say there’s no truth in “my father wanted to make Spira’s sorrow go away”; I’m sure that’s a valid reason for his pilgrimage as well. I just think going through with it allowed him to achieve that while also fulfilling the personal goal of putting an end to his own existence. He’d been disgraced and rejected by his people for the sake of his marriage, and now even his wife was gone, and … he was a very lonely and miserable person, who decided that becoming a summoner would be the most profitable way of ending his life.
When my father died, on February 28th, 1998, I wasn’t with him. He was in London and I was in Blackrock, with my brother and some friends. In my mind he could as easily have popped out for a newspaper and a late-night pint as have collapsed at home in the company of family and friends. I can only assume he died, and that it wasn’t a very sick joke on his part, although I wouldn’t put it past him. He was a brat that way. Since then my relationship with him has become an irresistible detective story, where I keep looking around for the essence of him, discovering more clues. But every time I think I’m getting close to him I realise I’m not. Twenty years on, here’s what I know about the ex-Dermot Morgan, who shuffled off this mortal coil to join his heroes Dr Chapman, Dean Swift, Lenny Bruce and Marty Feldman in the choir invisible.
An evening of standup raising funds for Amnesty International. Dermot opens the performance.
At this time, Dermot was making “regular contributions” to RTÉ radio programme Studio 10.
Apperance on “The Ian Dempsey Christmas Show” on 2FM.
In 1985, Dermot was presenting a radio show on Saturday mornings (possibly called “Guten Morgan” (source: review of The Dermot Morgan Special)
Where available, information displays on hover.
Morgan is a disconcerting man with whom to spend time because, while offering the most articulate of conversational skills, he also gives a running critical commentary of his performance in the conversation itself, which (deliberately?) makes it difficult to layer interpretation of your own.
Instead of returning to the Academy, Coriolanus goes back to Sejanus’ house with him.
Dion and Jill talk at the remembrance ceremony.
Byron buys Dion a drink. Dion remains convinced he is [spoiler].
Ten years ago, the narrative was different.
After Braska gains his first aeon, Auron gives him a bath.
Biggs receives a visitor. Un ami rend visite à Biggs.
San transforms. San devient une louve.
Auron and Jecht bicker.
That’s right, post #2 has hit 40 pages so it’s time for a brand new post! Share the gossip about our favorite up-and-coming SOLDIER First Class, Shinra’s cutest, Zack Fair!!
Zanarkand seems to extinguish its own stars.
On the road, they shower together.
Magic is part of daily life in Spira.
Cloud and Tifa gain a feline friend.
Yuna is convinced that becoming a summoner is her destiny. Wakka and Lulu take longer to persuade.
Genesis begins to [spoiler]; Angeal swears to hold him together.
There are some benefits to being a failed ex-summoner.
Isaaru hopes to inspire future summoners.
Braska writes a letter, and avoids a confrontation.
Braska gains the aeon of Kilika. Isaaru watches.
Setzer dreams of flying.
Braska becomes a summoner.
After healing Faramir, Aragorn visits him again.
Knuckles would like … one beer. One pint of your finest Heineken.
Blitzball goes on and on.
Faced with the spheres of his past, Auron struggles. Rikku tries to help.
Tidus becomes acquainted with Spiran flora.
Cloud recovers in Holzoff’s cabin.
Baralai, he thinks to himself, is kind of adorable.
Braska agonises over how to tell Yuna he is taking the pilgrimage – but it turns out that she understands his vocation.
The Al Bhed can’t own property, but there are ways of getting around it.
The journey north across the Moonflow is quiet.
There are practical and less practical reasons for buying new clothes.
Equipping for battle at Figaro Castle is always an adventure.
Braska decides to turn back.
Away from the Empire, there’s a better life to live.
Jessie knows what to spend her money on.
Emma’s family advise her to evolve her partner Pokémon. She’s not so sure about the idea.
Olivier survives the events in Twinside, and is freed of Ultima’s possession. At last, he might ask his brother about the glorious dragoons.
Now that it’s just the two of them, Celes begins to pay attention to Sabin, and to how he and she can support each other.
The teachings are more of a guide than a rulebook.
At the [spoiler], Haymitch remarks on Effie’s fashion choices.
White Bear Justice Park is open to all ages. Start ’em young!
If you don’t look twenty-six and you don’t feel twenty-six, are you really twenty-six at all?
Auron [spoiler] to Spira, and finds himself in the Sanubia Desert.
Cuthbert’s up in court against an obnoxious lookalike of himself, and his lawyer wants him to dress for the occasion, and this is all too much for a simple cake to handle.
By the time they land, Reno’s opinion of his partner has changed.
She says, “Yes. You’re just like him.”
I am nothing like him, he thinks.
When Zack breaks Cloud out of the [spoiler], his first instinct is to kiss him.
Maria wishes she didn’t have to spend the evening going over her lines.
There were always a few bizarre things going on back home, mostly stories your mate told you that never seemed like they could be true, but none of my friends ever had anything this weird happen to them. After I moved up-country for uni a couple of years later, I never heard about anything like it ever again.
The two boys’ love for Pokémon was starting to be a detriment to their friendship.
No amount of love can convince Braska to change his course.
The belts are very important.
A time machine sets out to make a friend. The friend in question has but one dream: to get a law degree.
Celes’ things keep going missing. When she realises why, she’s surprised to find she can relate.
Edgar and Sabin aren’t identical.
Squall can’t be a leader when this is happening.
Two visits Locke makes to his grandmother, some time apart.
Locke learns the moogles’ language, and somehow becomes an academic.
Men don’t get involved in others’ emotions, especially not kings.
Celes considers what she knows about her companions. There’s something different about Locke, but she can’t work out what it is.
Tom Nook works too hard but things turn out ok with some help from Isabelle and his true love.
Using the Sphere Grid
On the difference between fiends and the unsent:
“The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living.”
Back in November the young Auron costume was announced for DFFOO and this obviously made me unreasonably excited. At the time, the delay between JP and GL was consistent enough to make it possible to predict the exact day the content would be released in the latter. Young Auron was supposed to be arriving early last month; I had been hoarding materials since he was first announced so I could obtain and max his new weapons and boards, pretty standard stuff.
Today in “questions only I would ask”: how tall, exactly, is Braska? The FFX Ultimania apparently tells us that Auron and Jecht are 182cm and 190cm respectively. But there’s presumably no information on Braska, although fortunately in the spheres from his pilgrimage we do get a couple of shots where he stands beside one of his guardians. Based on these, we can measure Braska against Auron, or against Jecht, or indeed both. We have to make sure both characters’ feet are in shot, firstly so we can be sure they’re an equal distance from the camera and that there aren’t any proportion issues; secondly, to calculate the relative difference in heights.
It’s a good time to be a FFX fan who plays FF mobile games, because not only have I spent many hours over the past few days playing WotV in an earnest attempt at maxing ✨My Boy✨, but also over in DFFOO it’s finally time for BRASKA!!! Or, I guess not, as apparently he’s still not playable yet, even though the events of the chapter literally make reference to him fighting alongside Jecht and Auron … looks like I’ll have to wait another week.
There are a couple of places online that list Auron, Braska and Jecht’s lines from the final battles in FFX-2, but nowhere seems to have the complete list, and the lists I’ve seen have a number of lines that are misattributed. It must be really difficult to transcribe them from the game, where there are all sorts of other noises going on and the lines are only triggered by specific conditions. Going through the actual sound files (is clearly overkill but) gives a much clearer impression of who says what, so obviously, that’s what I did.
Do you like slash? Do you like suffering? Do you like celebrated but old videogames that are no longer especially present in public discourse? Then read on, friend, I’ve got a ship for you!
There are a lot of lines in FFX that are meant to add tasty bits of backstory to the experience, but sometimes they just don’t work.
Two characters, one description
This is some kind of fansite, I guess? It’s just a place to keep stuff of various kinds about Auron, number one blorbo since 2021. Maybe one day I’ll try to articulate why I like him so much; until then, here are some miscellaneous things.
Since my first son was born in 2015, I have been trying to understand my new role in the absence of my own father, Dermot Morgan, who today will be dead 20 years.
Father Ted star Dermot Morgan told of how he was looking forward to getting out of the dog collar and possibly returning to the comedy circuit, in an interview given just days before his death yesterday.
Late July 1978
Dermot Morgan’s new stage show, a nervous coalition of bitingly witty political satire and iffy observational humour, is a curious beast indeed.
Dermot performed “Getting Morganised” (standup?) as part of the ContemporEire festival in Dublin.
Released on DVD and CD under the name “Dermot Morgan Live”
Going by the sources below, there appear to have been two separate iterations of this show, in 1994 and 1995.
Every weekday on 98FM.
Aired on 98FM.
“Actor and comedian Dermot Morgan returns to his home city of Dublin after a year’s exile in Surrey. Can the craic tempt him back for good?”
Dermot performs the spoken parts on Que Sera Sera (We’re Going To Italy), side A of this single released by the Dublin City Ramblers.
Braska is no longer an ordinary man.
“It’s remarkably satisfying to spin, though,” Braska murmured. “Reminds me of a game we used to play at Home.”
Jecht watched him suspiciously. “You – no way. You used to play spin the bottle?”
Dion and Terence return to Twinside after the news of Olivier’s accession.
When it comes to the recruitment of his knights, His Highness has some dealbreakers.
Dion and Terence venture out to tame a wyvern, but get more than they bargained for.
Using those abilities makes Clive look like [spoiler].
The news from Insomnia arrives. Les nouvelles d’Insomnia arrivent à la Baie de Galdina.
Tidus asks Yuna if she’s an Al Bhed speaker. Tidus voudrait savoir si Yuna parle al bhed.
She can’t wake one of her guardians and ask them to keep her company – but an aeon, perhaps …
Baralai pays Gippal a visit, and they clear up some misunderstandings.
Braska’s elemental affinity is clear.
It’s the sight of Terra that convinces Celes to leave.
He’ll get over it.
Zack can’t get a break.
Tromell receives some unexpected assistance.
Yuna asks Auron about her father. Yuna voudrait qu’Auron lui parle de son père.
If there’s any time, any place, that might permit some relaxation, it’s now, here, on this beach.
Waiting to enter the Farplane, Braska speaks to one of the locals.
Luzzu knows Clasko needs a distraction.
Belgemine hopes to challenge a summoner; Shelinda does her best to help.
Auron adjusts to existence in Zanarkand.
Luzzu feels guilty; Wakka reassures him.
The night before the Final Summoning, Auron and Braska confess their feelings.
Snow is a fact of life in Narshe; not so in Mobliz.
There’s nothing Coraco loves more than eating plums.
On the way down Mount Gagazet, Auron wishes Jecht was with him.
Jecht would rather not spend his birthday in Spira.
Terra doesn’t remember Celes, but Celes has enough memories for both of them.
He was just doing it for the money; until he wasn’t.
Relm’s hair is different, but Celes tries her best.
It made sense for Yuna to be the one who went her own way.
As the pilgrimage goes on, the tea leaves show a clearer message.
Might as well give the poor creature another chance at life – as long as nobody’s looking.
Auron can allow himself to be gentle when he’s sure Jecht won’t remember it the next morning.
The most promising of the young warrior monks of Yevon gradually learns that some things are more important than his career. Pre-pilgrimage.
He wonders if becoming [spoiler] might have robbed him of his emotions.
A summoner and his guardians reunite [spoiler].
After Tidus learns the truth about the pilgrimage, Auron is disappointed in his other companions.
Lulu is suspicious; Tidus knows when not to pry; Kimahri learns the truth.
One relationship cannot be salvaged; another must persist.
The All-England Summarise Proust Competition demands thorough rehearsal.
Lenny and Carl are dispatched to do some shopping on Mr Burns’ behalf.
“You can drive?” he noted curiously.
Auron glanced down at his own hands on the steering wheel, looked back up at Tidus, and said, “Apparently.”
An exchange of letters, at short notice.
His sacrifice is over, but the marks cannot be erased.
Black magic could come in handy.
Newly widowed, Braska struggles.
Her daemon dies first.
She will not be going to that school.
Cyan can’t just eat as if everything is normal.
Rinoa should have thought about the girls sooner.
Certain Alexandrian traditions need revising, for the new queen’s sake.
The job of being king is relentless, but it’s not the only one.
Mobliz seems busier now.
Their bickering hides a secret.
He could never blend in, so he learnt to stand out.
The shoopuf doesn’t always pay for itself.
The Falcon stutters back to life.
It will be simpler if they believe him alive.
Percy is finding his own way.
Getting swallowed by an enormous creature was the last thing Sabin expected. Edgar finds it particularly difficult.
Edgar and Terra keep up a correspondence.
Marrying the king of England is overwhelming; supporting him is surprisingly easy.
Celes and Locke begin a life on the road and try to heal.
Figaro and the Empire make a formal agreement. Not everyone is happy about it.
Sabin takes his freedom, and leaves the castle, but the people who control Figaro are determined not to let him get any further. Wounded and grieving, he battles through the pain in the only way he knows.
Tifa tries to help Cloud get through, but sometimes she can barely get through herself.
Find out if you’re Braska, Auron, or Jecht by ticking the boxes that resonate most with you.
This is intended as an index to the recorded voice lines of Final Fantasy X. The audio files themselves are not stored here, but can be downloaded in WAV format from The Sounds Resource.
Tidus’ mother is dead, therefore she appears on the Farplane. However, Tidus’ mother is also not a real person. So dead dreams appear to be just as able to manifest themselves on the Farplane as actual people.
I watched the FFX kabuki. It was very cool! I definitely felt as if I was missing out on a lot by just watching it in our wee gaming room while also attempting to grapple with certain overly ambitious handicrafts, because it was clearly meant as an Experience: go to the theatre, spend the whole day there (the full performance lasts about six hours), have some tenuously FFX-themed food, buy some official merch (I’m still disappointed that I never managed to get hold of the Braska standee they were selling at the performances).
Happy birthday to that old game I’m still belatedly obsessed with! 🥳🎉
Still trawling through every single file from the FFX voice lines – I’ve just made it to the Via Purifico. A few lines have come up that didn’t make it into the final game (either the Japanese or English versions); I don’t pretend to be so familiar with the whole script that I can spot them instantly, but one component I am extremely familiar with is the content of the spheres from Braska’s pilgrimage, and it turns out that the scene where they meet Jecht in the prison has not one but two sections that ended up being cut.
The Final Fantasy Wiki says the following about the Al Bhed:
A mechanic called Alb created a race called Bedohls, humans who could not use magic but excelled at wielding machina … The surviving Bedohls became known as the Al Bhed, a corrupted mesh of their original name and their creator's name.
Ok, so you know how a lot of priests in FFX wear weird white semi-fingerless gloves? Do they not vaguely resemble the kind of gloves people would wear to treat arthritis?
More headcanons about Braska, less unremittingly Sad and in fact somewhat tongue-in-cheek featuring just a little bit of angst (because, a. me, b. Braska) – by the time he starts his pilgrimage, he hasn’t had his hair cut by a professional for at least eight years because everyone in Bevelle goes out of their way to snub him, and this for some reason includes the, er, barbers’ guild, all of whom are devout followers of Yevon I guess? Anyway, the reason Braska keeps his hair completely covered up isn’t because of some kind of religious thing, it’s because he’s been cutting it himself for years and he’s terrible at it. (fun fact I say this as someone who has been cutting their own hair for the last three years because going to ladies’ hairdressers as a GNC person is an extremely uncomfortable experience, and … let’s say it’s an adventure)
The lines from this part of FFX are “It’s all right. It’s been long enough. This is your world now.”, while the official subtitles from the kabuki are “I’m fine. I’ve kept Braska waiting for ten years. The world belongs to you all.” The first and third of those sentences aren’t significantly different between the two versions, so I used the lines from the game for those because they sound a bit more elegant and are better known; the kabuki’s version of the second sentence was the reason I made this gifset in the first place! Tfw your OTP’s shippiest moment in canon isn’t technically canon and only actually involves one of them in person … sigh.