Tuuf is...xp'ing?

It's really strange. I used to hate xp'ing. Well, not exactly hate, but getting experience points on my other jobs, and merit points on my Black Mage was certainly nowhere near the top of my list of things to do.



After coming back, I seem to be on a bit of an xp binge of sorts, and I don't know why. What's even more puzzling is that I'm actually sorta liking it, well, except for the so-so party in Kuftal Tunnel this morning that got me 3k before I died, so I only came out 1.5k or so ahead. -_-



I know compared to some of the most hardcore people, the amount I xp even now is nothing (I've heard of people going on multiple 9-10 hour xp runs, and I don't think I could handle that ^^;) but compared to what I was doing before? It's a heck of a difference. I even joined one of Xmode's and Sakurato's merit parties without my usual fussing! ^^



I guess my break has something to do with it, and has in one way or another, renewed my taste for the good 'ol Chain #5 (or more!), but the Campsitarus blog (which you really ought to have bookmarked!) is definitely another factor. Interestingly enough, my Summoner dinged 53 yesterday, and I have yet to see a Robber Crab on my Summoner. Not that I'm complaining, of course, but I'm sure one day, my choice of strange xp mobs is going to get my party killed. ^^;



It's kind of refreshing to xp out in obscure locations though. My Summoner's certainly gone through some strange places, for example:





Alraunes in Purgonorgo Isle (I'm very proud of this screenie, btw ^^)





Plants in the Lufaise Meadows (Do people even know these exist??)





And more recently, the lower-tier weapons in Ro'Maeve.



They're not exactly the most convenient of locations, but I like finding new spots to go to, although I wish I could bring more than my Summoner to the table. No matter how I try to convince myself otherwise, I can't help but feel my spot in a party would be better served with another job, although since it's my party, I kinda have to, well, be there.



I've also been meriting a bit, as a bit of a reunion with Sakurato and Xmode, and after blowing up Demons in the Uleguerand Range for a bit, I decided to go ahead and form my own party without Saku and Xmode (they were camping Fafnir -_-), and went up to the Celestial Nexus for some more roaming parties.



As an aside, I actually like roaming parties as a Black Mage. Granted, I don't contribute much in terms of damage, but the subtleties are there, or so Saku tells me. Personally, I don't really think I contribute that much to the table, but hey, maybe there's something I'm missing. I really ought to level my Red Mage for meriting though, or even better, level a Bard to merit and get more campsite logs down!



(/em wahahas.)



Anyway, my Celestial Nexus party was enough to get me my fifth stored merit point (15th lifetime), and bingo!







Level 5 Thunder potency ftw! (And that took me way longer than I expected...-_-)



On a completely different note though, I was wandering through Port Jeuno after the abovementioned party, when I came across this,







Now, is it just me, or is that a chocobo in the middle of Port Jeuno?



(By the way, if I'm sounding a little different than normal, bear with me- I just came back from overseas, and am quite jet lagged. ^^; I feel like I'm running on adrenalin right now...something like that, yeah.)