#And she doesn't have time to learn to be approachable or friendly because she's busy trying to be good enough at poisons to impress Viago

[teyrnacousland]

I have no idea why but when my other Rooks smile they look sweet and happy and precious, and when Asha smiles she looks like an alien trying out a human face for the first time

And when she's not doing that, she looks like this:

My Rook was assigned Resting Bitch Face by the character creator

[thiccpersonality]

Damian (Gremlin) Wayne...and his even more gremlin-esque family

A newly introduced Damian sits in Bruce's Bat-chair, observing his new "siblings" with judgmental eyes. His emerald green ones rolling into the back of his head at the ex-carny babying him: "Look you fool, I shall let you know right now that your efforts to entertain me like I'm some child will prove fruitless. Whatever I have done to make you think I'm approachable, forgive me, because I already hate you."

Richard's smile slowly fades and he clears his throat. His medium blue eyes narrowing into a suspicious glare, his lips forming a tight lipped smile: "Right down to business I see? I'll have you know that you may be the baby, but I was Bruce's first one. Whatever title you held before doesn't matter now...in fact, I would suggest you get rid of it before someone helps you get rid of it."

Damian scoffs and picks at his nails, swiveling side to side in HIS father's chair: "Worried about the competition already? As expected from a weak-willed and spineless peasant such as yourself. I suggest whatever title you held before-" his green eyes rake up and down Richard's lithe form like a predator with it's prey-"Which from your disposition I would say you are the favorite-ah! Or I should say EX favorite."

Jason grunts from where he's punching at a dummy: "Look you little shit. All we did was exist-"

Damian: "Then stop."

Jason: *stops punching to glare at the small fry* "Ex-fucking-cuse me? I already un-existed before, I am NOT doing that again. And drop the attitude before I drop kick you back to your mother."

Damian: "How cute. It's like a puppy learning to bark for the first time. I can already tell you are desperate for my father's attention like a dehydrated ma-"

Jason: *cocks his gun and points it at Damian* "Did no one tell you along the way here that I don't mind killing for Bruce? Would've tried to get rid of Bozo the Clown over there if I knew I could get away with it. And then I'd shoot Bruce myself."

Tim looks up from his tablet with a sigh: "Trying to kill another bird I see? I guess I wasn't enough for you?"

Jason: "That was due to my pit induced rage. I had no control over that-" gestures towards Damian-"But this overly confident little bitch is a choice."

Tim raises his hands in defeat: "Just saying that you shouldn't threaten the new one so soon. Plus...I'm the smart one, Bruce needs me more than all of you combined. And I know everyone's weaknesses well, do you really want to test me?"

Damian sighs and finally hops down from the chair: "Childs play. My mother has made sure I knew everything from acrobatics to knowledge of cultures, religions, languages, books and other things you plebeians would surely combust from the brains it takes to memorize such things. She made sure I had it all so I can replace all of you. And father will be mine and mine alone."

Richard plasters a friendly smile back on his face: "Seems like the one spot she missed was etiquette. Don't worry kid, I'll be happy to show you the way things work around here."

Before the argument can get further out of hand, a clearing of the throat stops the four boys. They quickly turn to see Alfred standing at the bottom of the cave steps with a tray full of cookies.

Polished shoes click across the cave floors unhurriedly, the older gentleman quietly serving the boys their cookies and turning to leave. Not before clearing his throat once again and turning to give the four boys stern looks.

Alfred: "All this bickering is pointless. You all are now family and I hope you lot will act like it. Master Bruce is already making arrangements for your schooling young master Damian, and he expects a somewhat peaceful dinner tonight."

The older man can't help the small smirk he gives, one that is confident and self-assured. "Plus, as long as I am here, there is NOT much competition. You may be his first child master Richard, but I am his first partner in anything he's done. I do hope from here on out you ALL will remember your places. Good day."

The four boys frown at the authority radiating from the usually calm butler.

Damian clicks his tongue and slinks into the shadows while silently plotting his new victims demise.

(Hello everyone! I write fics on AO3 by the same name, Thicc_Personality. I'm sorry this is my first post and it's nothing but chaos, threats and crack...they truly (do) care for each other, they just don't know it atm XD. But I am a sucker for gremlin bat family and an oblivious Bruce to the very obvious competition. That or he lets it slide so easily (especially for Damian) cause he thinks his baby son is the cutest thing ever. If anyone manages to see this...well, I hope there was some enjoyment found here xD. Stay safe, happy, healthy and of course lovely as always. 💜)

[moltensmusings]

Team Shadowgear headcanons/rewrites for fun. Note, it'll be a bit lengthy:

Levy, Jet, and Droy all get orphaned by the same monster attack on their village. Some older fairy tail mages save them from the destruction and one of them keeps the group housed even until modern day.

The trio have a sibling bond and are intensely supportive of each other, capable of knowing which areas they aren't great at and who excells.

The placement of Jet, Droy, and Levy's guildmark was chosen by levy, but the name rather than just being decided by Levy, was heavily debated among them for about a year before they settled on it.

In celebration of them going on their first mission unattended they get ear piercings. Almost like a rite of passage/adulthood. This was a Jet request as he always wanted some. (Note this is why I always draw them with the same piercings.)

They specialize in curse breaking, historical notations, and general collection of knowledge. Very much not a combat based group, often they go with other mages/groups for support and recon.

Levy has a habit of hoarding books. Droy and later on freed are the 2 who help her go through and remake books/rewrite them to help avoid rot that comes with older transcripts she finds.

Levy knows how to cast magic through sign language which is an incredibly complicated skill and can make script magic unstable of the mage isn't practiced enough. It's quicker to cast but trickier to get right.

Jet has to get specific magical shoes that are reinforced and sturdy due to his magic constantly wearing them out. He got so bummed about this that it leads to a decent portion of the guild spending a week helping him figure out how to preserve what he has.

Droy is the only one in shadowgear who can handle spice. He makes his food far too spicy and has learned to make separate portions for Levy and Jet.

Droy is the most friendly and easy to get along with in the group. It's not that they others are unfriendly, more that they get lost in their own worlds at times and aren't as focused on proper human connection. Though there aren't many close friends of Droy in the guild.

Jet has a more questionable sense of humor, he tends to find comedy in really tense and dangerous situations.

Juvia joins them a few months after getting into fairy tail due to a growing friendship with Droy as she takes up gardening as a hobby to try and figure herself out.

Gajeel joins a few weeks later, he actually would've become a bit more friendly with Jet since Makarov would've had both of them working on information gathering. Also Juvia wanting to work as a team with gajeel again.

Juvia bought Gajeel his guitar he always uses and considers herself his number one fan since she supported him even before joining fairy tail. She will fight people on it.

There is a lot of bad blood and tension between Gajeel and Levy at the start. She outright hates the man and doesn't take it easy on him causing him to have to work overtime to prove his intentions to improve and change.

When Lily does join he initially feels intensely awkward due to this hatred and an understanding that he should not involve himself and try to quell things. He tends to just pretend he can't hear or see anything since he knows how best to mind his business after years of politics and service to nobles.

Levy agrees to let Gajeel help her during Tenrou mainly because he's the only teammate who won't take it easy/will push her and it's the first time there's a clear amount of trust between the two of them enough for it to almost be said they're friends.

Juvia gets approached by Makarov before tenrou Island to see if she'd actually be willing to test for S-class, and ultimately, she refuses. Makarov wants his kids to improve but is also supportive of them figuring things out on their own and taking their time.

Droy grows various foods for the guild and guides plants into reinforcing damages the guild sustains. Him and Laki work overtime during the timeskip to keep the guildhall standing and develop a friendship.

Juvia starts a clothing line during the timeskip. Mainly, it's for children, though she also has a fair bit of exceed customers. She also makes custom dolls when requested to match her patrons.

Jet works mainly on infiltration and information gathering over the timeskip. Becoming closer with Warren, Vijeeter, lamia scale and the trimen as they all search out the missing members of the guild. He avidly refuses to accept anyone has died. Chico also assists in the efforts by conversing with spirits and making entirely sure none of the members appear after death.

Droy is naturally fat but was dieting and unhealthy with trying to stay slim, his focus shirting to caring for the guild means he goes back to his natural weight and is the most content he's been in years in spite of his grief.

Juvia post time skip is one of the main mages that keep the guild standing due to just how terrifying her abilities are. While the guild does have squabbles with rivals who want to take over the territory, no one is keen to cross her and she often calls some rain to make a point if people get to bold in their threats to the guild.

Jet started learning languages over the time skip. He and droy had a rough understanding of some prior to tenrou Island due to Levy's insistence, but as he runs more missions he does begin taking it more seriously. He's nowhere near Levy's level or knowledge, but he has a few learned by the time the tenrou crew returns.

Juvia knows how to speak 3 languages. What would be the equivalent of French, Russian, and English.

Droy is able to clock almost any plant and explain it's good and bad effects. He gets very excited about it and often rambles.

Droy, Jet, and Juvia typically try meeting for meals at least once a week just to catch up and keep the bond tight. They meet more often then that when Jet isn't on missions.

There's a noticeable shift in Gajeel and Levy's dynamic post Tenrou. Nothing explicitly romantic at first but Jet, Droy, and Levy see the beginnings of something and start a betting pool on what they think will happen. Most of the guild gets involved.

Pantherlily is fantastic with kids and considered the guild babysitter by most. He's the most easily able to handle being rough and grabbed.

I know I have more but that's my list for now. Featuring a height chart:

[leuke-rants]

Some fan facts about the four heroes in my rewrite of trotsh:

Motoyasu:

- He is half Finish-half Japanese. I like the idea of Motoyasu being a natural blond so he has to get the genes from somewhere.

- He is ambidextrous, though he favours his right hand.

- He has excellent memory and can learn things very fast if he wants to. I think this is kinda canon considering he learned the Melromarc language in just one day.

- He can speak four languages: Japanese, English, Finish and French (five if you count Melromarc's language)

- He majors in linguistics

- He is really into fashion and wanted to major in fashion but his mother shut down the idea rather quickly. Too many girls in that major .....

- He knows how to sew and cook (he is an average cook)

- Although he is very flirty and doesn't mind the idea of having a girlfriend he does not want to get married. His parents marriage is proof enough that it doesn't end well for either parties.

- He is a certified himbo

- He is a people pleaser and doesn't like making others upset.

- He trusts women more that men.

Naofumi:

- He is a very relaxed and lay back guy

- He knows how to read people and acts accordingly.

- Used to take care of his younger brother when his parents were at work so he has a soft spot for children.

- Just like his brother he has anger issues. He learned to control his anger over the years and even helped his little brother with his.

- He is generally friendly but his introverted nature make him seem unapproachable.

- He is rather distant and may seem a little cold to strangers but once you get to know him he is a the sweetest guy ever.

- His parents were so busy with work so he basically raised his brother.

- Learned how to cook for himself and his brother since their parents were barely home. He is an excellent cook and always tries recipes from different cuisines

- Just like his father he has a talent for the trading business. Because of that he majors in international trade.

- H is e also very good at gambling and knows how to manage money. Thankfully he reserves his talent for card games with his friends.

- He has no idea how to talk to women his age so whenever a girl approaches him he becomes a stuttering mess . He can talk to them normally if they are close friends or talking business.

Ren:

- The most antisocial person you will ever meet.

- He is autistic.

- He noticed that people treated him differently and not in a good way. Because of this he became really closed off.

- He puts the 'Too good to talk to you" persona so that people will leave him alone.

- He found solace in video games and spends most of his times in his room.

- He doesn't know he is autistic, he just thinks that people dislike him for no reason.

- Although he loves his parents and they love him back they have no idea what is wrong with their son and they can't seem to understand his problems.

- He has a bad reputation among the students for being the "creepy-quite kid". The teachers don't mind him,he is quite and has pretty good grades.

- He has no idea he is autistic.

- He really loves cats. His parents noticed this and bought him one. He named her after his favourite video game character and has been his close companion ever since.

- He is extremely blunt and people don't like that. That's the reason he has only one friend.

- He finds it easier to talk to people through the internet. He has a lot of online friends and they even have a discord chat together.

- His only friend is a senior girl from his school. They met at a comic con and became friends after they realized they liked the same anime and video games.

- He started to have a crush on her and fell in love after she defended him from her friends who thought he was a weirdo.

- He became heartbroken after she moved away and vowed to never get close to anyone ever again.

- After that he became more cold and intolerant of people.

Itsuki:

- Lives with his mother in an apartment complex.

- His father always told him to protect his mother and stick up for the little guys and he took that advise very seriously.

- He is being bullied for being a late bloomer and for his feminine features.

- He always defends other kids from bullying and isn't afraid to throw a punch. Because of that he gets into a lot of trouble.

- He has a talent for archery. He found out during gym class and ever since he took part in competitions and tournaments to earn some money and help his mother.

- He has dyslexia and isn't aware of it. Because of this his grades are not the best. He doesn't tell his mother about his problem because he doesn't want to burden her.

- He is very flexible and pretty good at gymnastics.

- He gets frustrated rather easily and can lose his temper quickly.

- He will either think things through or act on impulse, there is no in-between.

- He really likes animals and feeds the strays very often.

Well that's all I have so far. Perhaps I "ll make a part 2 or give information about their allies,who knows?

[alevolpe]

Do you think Ami's love is something that helps heal Mako's loneliness? Or will she have it all her life?

Well hello there Satan. 😂

Let's see, I think it definitely depends on the way you see the characters and their pasts.

For me and the way I see and write Mako and Ami, both together and separate, yes, Ami does help Mako feel better in some ways.

I try to focus less on Mako's loneliness and more on her trauma and survival guilt. Mako is a very friendly and outspoken girl, so I honestly don't really buy that no one ever tried to approach her before Usagi, even with her being labeled a delinquent. I make her and Mina childhood friends, so she's not so much lonely as she's an extremely traumatized girl, suffering from post-traumatic stress, at times extreme anxiety and frequent night terrors.

Ami helps her, but I think Mako will never 100% fully heal from her trauma, but that is also ok. She learned to accept that some days might not be as bright as others, but she won't let that get in the way of her happiness or her relationships.

People really underestimate how supportive and loving of a person Ami can be, mostly because she's so private, but she never does shy away from showing her loved ones how much she cares in her own unique ways. In a way, both her and Mako are caretakers, with Ami having some problems of her own also (don't they all tho lol).

I've expressed before that I see Ami being an extremely stressed person and how, even in her happiest self (where, tbh being with Mako is as close as she can get, I rlly think so) she doesn't live as long as the others and starts showing signs of aging earlier. That doesn't mean she's unhappy, but just that Ami's anxiety is self-fueled and no outside factors can stop it, only being able to ease it at best.

I think their relationship really does help them, both in supporting each other and fulfilling their own "needs" as caretakers in a natural manner. With Mako is pretty straightforward, she cooks, she cleans, she cares for Ami's health and well-being when Ami herself forgets or is too tired or busy to do so. This process makes Mako happy on a subconscious level with making Ami feel loved and happy in turn.

With Ami is a lil more subtle, like most things Ami, but I see her as almost a chameleon, she adapts to her partner's comforts and needs (with Ami I think is also an extension of her being an extreme people pleaser, where she finds the best ways to please people around her, as long as it doesn't breach her own comfort level.. most times). With Mako, I think Ami realizes pretty quickly how important physical affection is to her, so Ami, almost subconsciously, makes sure to engage physically with Mako on a regular basis. Other than that, I think Ami understands Mako extremely well. When Mako needs something, Ami does it, all this with no words spoken. Mako really appreciates this, and not only from a "thank for helping love" perspective, but also cause Mako understands Ami spends a lot of time trying to make sure she's happy and the thought of someone doing that for her makes Mako happy, because Mako wants to be loved and cared for.

The basis of Makoami for me is how these characters work so incredibly well at making each other happy in such a natural and almost effortless way. There are other things I love about them obv, but this warm feeling of pure love is so important to me.

[corvus-ace]

Okumura Haru, aka Noir: an analysis

so, my friend Keeper wanted me to help them get a sense of Haru's character because they missed her introduction and a fair amount of her confidant, and the result was this analysis. fast forward like a month and I realized "hey, this would be fun to post online actually" and here I am lol. fair warning, it's long and also in bullet point paragraphs cause I was trying to write quickly at the time and have since fleshed a few of them out a bit more (I have a lot of feelings about Haru lmao)

without further ado, here we go!

Haru's past

-first and foremost, Haru is the heir to a fuck off huge corporation. her father basically owns the equivalent of mcdonalds. though she doesn't always act like it, she is fundamentally a rich kid

-now in my original analysis, it had been a while since I'd actually gone through Haru's confidant, and I had mistakenly believed that Haru had at least to some extent been raised to take over the business. pretty sure I thought that cause I can't tell the difference between actual canon and stuff I've read in fics lol. but after playing through her confidant again and realizing she actually had zero business experience whatsoever actually makes her even more impressive in my eyes, because she more or less had to teach herself how to run an entire corporation, and by the end of her confidant she has a pretty solid handle on things already (doubly impressive because her confidant starts so late game, so depending on how fast you play through it... she's learning all this in like, two months max if you're getting through it before 3rd sem)

-in addition to that: rather than her father retiring and placing her in charge, she is literally thrust into it by her father's death. so she's learning all this business management, getting used to phantom thievery, and grieving her father all at the same time???? I could never

-presumably Haru inherited everything after her father's death, putting her in full control of his wealth? (I don't really know how businesses and shareholders work.) Haru's mother doesn't appear to have been in the picture, although to be fair that could mean she's either dead, has left, or is just never shown on-screen. I don't remember any distinct mentions of her

-her father's view of her: the conspiracy has obviously been in action for at least around two years (based on the timeline of the mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks inflicted by Akechi after he joined the conspiracy). Okumura Kunikazu's view of his daughter would presumably have become distorted during this time; obviously we don't necessarily know the timeline of any Palace formations except Futaba's and Sae's, since one was shown on-screen and the other discussed more than once. by the time we begin Okumura's Palace, he views Haru as nothing more than a tool for him to use in his financial and political ambitions ("subservient puppet" and her cognitive form's appearance as an obedient and extremely weak robot). he also is ignorant of her wants and needs, evident by him arranging to marry her off to Sugimura for his own political gain

-now, because Okumura becomes so distant from Haru as his Palace develops, whether intentionally or not, Haru is kept fairly far away from her father's unethical business practices. obviously she has her own suspicions as indicated in game, but seeing as her father doesn't really tell her anything, she presumably still had at least a decent opinion of him up until his Palace

Haru's character/personality

-Haru is very kind by nature. her childhood initially encouraged this (the cafe her grandfather used to run) but because of her father's distortion and changed parenting style she has mostly retreated into becoming a "seen but not heard" people pleaser. this results in a very reserved persona, but she isn't exactly shy - she is willing to reach out to help people, is generally friendly when approached (if you go up to her in the Shujin hallways before you even start the Palace, she's very polite, even if not explicitly cheerful), and as proved not long after we formally meet her:

-if a core belief of hers is challenged, she will stand up for it. one of our first interactions with her in game, she isn't afraid to tell us that after listening to our flimsy explanation of our motives as the Thieves, she cannot work with us. she calls us out immediately on not helping our own teammate, and tells us she cannot work with people who aren't certain of their motives/goals (I don't remember her exact wording but I remember it was definitely something along those lines). in short, she cannot trust us to truly want to help her father

-first proper meeting: other than the seconds immediately after her entrance alongside Morgana in her father's palace, she is very flustered and constantly getting things confused. based on my understanding of her as a person, I believe this is because although she already considers Morgana a friend, he's clearly established a role for her to play as well (replacing the Phantom Thieves with her, taking the spotlight for future changes of heart, etc) and she knows, deep down, that she is still being used, even if Morgana does have good intentions and wants to teach her to help people. deep down she knows this isn't the real her either. her full Persona awakening showcases this pretty clearly with all the fucking guns and rocket launchers hidden in Milady's skirt that are finally revealed (aka Haru's full, true strength simmering for a long time, hidden beneath the surface, because who in her life would have ever wanted her to be anything but obedient and weak?)

-she's also the one to push Morgana to be honest both with himself and the other Thieves, to admit he doesn't really want to leave and that he feels like this is the only place he belongs. she's struggled with being honest with herself in the past, accepting her true self and especially displaying it, and the Thieves helped her finally do that; given her kind nature I'm not surprised she wanted to be able to return the favor

-as we get to know her, we learn Haru is still very naturally kind and genuinely friendly. the thing is, she doesn't have a lot of friends. we don't see her interact with anyone (other than her father and fiance) beyond basic pleasantries until her formal introduction, including at Shujin. I'm fairly reasonably certain this is because almost everyone she's ever met has only seen her as "Okumura's daughter" rather than just Haru, her own person

Noir

-Haru is one of the strongest physical damage dealers, alongside Ryuji and Yusuke (both in terms of normal melee attacks and her powerful gun-type skills). she's also the only Thief other than Akechi who has gun-type skills on her Persona - and it's important to note that Akechi can only use gun-type skills in the third semester, with Loki and eventually Hereward, so Haru having gun-type skills significantly earlier in game than Akechi (especially with high crit chances) is quite useful. also her weapons are a grenade launcher and a large battle axe so that says a lot about her

-her Persona uses psy magic and ailment skills in addition to the gun-type skills. psy is particularly important since it triggers many kinds of technical hits, extra useful if you have a wide variety of ailments you can inflict via Joker's Personas. this also makes sense given the identity of her first tier Persona, Milady de Winter, the uncommonly beautiful and extraordinarily cunning female spy featured in The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Milady is also described as ruthless, which I feel is a good representation of how Haru acts as a Phantom Thief. now in addition to the other skills, she does have the ability to cure certain ailments and also recover more quickly from ailments, and can use heat riser to give significant buffs to a party member and makarakarn/tetrakarn to protect a party member from a magic or physical attack respectively. obviously the specific skills she has available to her depends on how you choose to build her in game (I personally tend to lean towards emphasizing her gun-type and support skills over her ailment usage/curing, since I have no shortage of ailments in Joker's Persona stock and prefer to use Haru as a damage dealer, but that's not really relevant lmao)

-also, Haru is a sadist who loves killing/destroying Shadows. probably all that repressed anger and unresolved trauma. as rich as her father is, I seriously doubt he paid for a therapist for her. rich and emotionally distant fathers are just like that

The Empress

-I have some issues with her confidant that I think are about to become very evident

-Haru is the Empress Arcana (number III) and it shows. she is a girl in a position of power (head of a corporation) and as mentioned before, she is very kind by nature, and quite nurturing as shown by her love and skill for taking care of plants. the people in charge of assigning cards did a particularly good job with her

-her confidant is less based on personal relationships like Ryuji's or Makoto's; instead it focuses on professional development and relationships with subordinates and corporate associates and shareholders. she spends a lot of time throughout her confidant events figuring out who to trust and how to shift Okumura Foods into something she can truly be proud of, with a strong focus on undoing all the unethical practices her father put in place. though she of course wasn't expecting to be put in charge so soon, she does a very good job managing the sudden responsibilities. we also have no reason to believe her grades were slipping during this time, so she appears to be able to manage her schoolwork (from a prestigious high school, no less) right alongside her new responsibilities

Miscellaneous

-Haru has no qualms about spending large amounts of money on her friends - we literally went to the equivalent of fucking disneyland after her father's Palace and she thought it was no big deal, although to be fair to her, that was technically a special situation as the park had already been rented out by her father for a company event that ended up being cancelled due to his change of heart, so she really just took over the reservation. it's worth noting that this point is heavily represented in fanfics (based on what I've seen across ao3), as fanon Haru is, for example, often willing to give Yusuke in particular plenty of money for food, train fares, etc. I have seen at least two fics (though I don't remember the authors or the titles) where she happily spends lots of money on the other Thieves

-out of the Thieves, Haru is one of the most vocal about her hatred and mistrust of the police. this is very, very evident in Strikers, and remains consistent throughout that story (and, side note, it's fucking hilarious seeing how offput Zenkichi is about it every single time)

-she also later embraces her brief stint as the "Beauty Thief" and it's something of an inside joke amongst the Thieves (not sure that's the right term but idk how else to describe it). there aren't any hard feelings; the Thieves are already pretty chill about it the moment she joins the group anyways. the other Thieves affectionately call her the Beauty Thief in Strikers, particularly Futaba and Morgana, and Haru is happy to really lean into it sometimes (Zenkichi does not understand this either and I think she enjoys that)

Final notes - based on my impressions of her; not really analysis

-Haru is one of the most willing to fight god, and one of the most likely to win

-mixture of cottagecore lesbian and warrior princess

-her association with purple is partially rooted in her psy abilities, of course, but it's also a color associated with royalty and elegance, particularly fitting for the Empress Arcana

-Haru is not allowed to drive and should never be allowed behind a steering wheel (Keeper, if you're reading this, you'll understand this much later)

-kinda already mentioned this but she's very good at gardening (can grow hp and sp restoratives for the Metaverse)

-she took ballet for years and was good at it, which makes sense since she's quite flexible, as well as having natural grace

Conclusion

well, if you made it this far, I hope you liked this self-indulgent analysis! I relate to Haru a lot, so I like to think I have a good sense of her, and hopefully I've done a good job of representing her in this post. there are a few other Thieves I have enough thoughts on to write analyses similar to this one, so I'll probably be making those pretty soon. and again, although this is very personally motivated, I do still hope someone out there will like reading them!

(and Keeper - I know you already read the first version of this and still wanted to read this version too, so a big thanks for enabling my brainrot lmao)

[rockybloo]

Silly ask, but between your main ocs, has some of them ever struggled with loneliness?

Loneliness is one of my top favorite bits of angst to write honestly so all of them have struggled with it.

Every member of the Fabled Five have dealt with loneliness.

Jack truly doesn't have any friends prior to the comic aside from Malt because he never really got along well with other kids his age. Throwing in the fact his eyes went green when he got too emotional and he's do irrational things occasionally and you have plenty of parents who didn't care too much about having their children around him. He spent a good chunk of his childhood just on the farm being homeschooled or wandering around the forest exploring.

Pinokuni is an automaton, and one made under special circumstances so he felt outcasted by both actual automatons and humans because of his origins. His family was the only one to really be there for him, especially after he started to hang out with Romeo and his group of troublemakers where he learned the hard way some humans will really never truly see him as a being with emotions. Plus, Pin spent a good while in the stomach of a sea monster before getting fished out by the giant and being rescued by Jack so he had rather long stretch of solitude.

Nana didn't grow up with any friends. The closest she had was her father and when he passed, she was devastated. Her mother was rather sheltering...a bit too much so she never really left the Lupine Forest save for going to Briar Patch. And even then, she is very introverted and isn't the type to really start conversations with people she doesn't know if it isn't important. Toss in the fact she has a resting face that looks like she doesn't want to be bothered and many people tend to hesitate on approaching her. The people in Briar Patch are very nice but it really takes Jack's oblivious ass to help build a bridge between the two.

Kai was a very sheltered prince back in his home kingdom. When he got cursed and winded up having to flee for his life due to a misunderstanding, he winded up going from a castle full of friendly faces to a world that often screamed at the first sight of him. Up until he encounters the Fable Five, he spent a good chunk of time by himself just trying to make it by via foraging and finding safe yet isolated places to use as shelter for the nights.

Ashe grew up practically outcasted by by her step family because she was Bookmarked and awakened her Märchen at an early age. She was limited to the house and her room was the literal attic. She didn't have ANY friends growing up because her stepsisters would spread around lies and rumors about her that'd scare people away.

Nova, after the situation with her ex where she found out he was using her to cheat on his girlfriend he had been dating WAY longer than her, was outcasted by the online world due to a slander campaign run by him to paint her like the homewrecker. Due to him and his girlfriend being big internet influencers and having large follower counts, many believed them over Nova who was just starting with her singing career. The only friends she managed to keep were the ones she had prior to meeting her ex but even then, they couldn't save her from the isolation of knowing damn near everyone had a screwed up false image of you.

It's the reason she's so quick to snap now because prior to the incident, she was literally a sweetheart and "cinnamon roll" as the kids say.

Pluto didn't even have the benefit of having friends as as kid as they grew up sheltered by their parents. And not in the good way where they worried about their safety but in the "We want to make sure you only hang around the people we want you to" and often that meant they were limited to only interacting with business partners to try and strengthen relationships for their parents. After the alien goop experiment which lead to them becoming their cyborg self we know now, those interactions stopped...as well as any actually. They went from being the neglected child to a research subject in a containment room.

Toss in the fact their parents had a new child over to replace them and Pluto was not in the best space mentally as a teen. Especially one who literally had their body torn apart and put back together for an experiment just to get their parents to love them and see them less as a hassle.

Bitterbat's time as a baby was tragic to be real with ya'. His dad didn't want anything to do with raising him until he could walk and talk so he spent much of his time crying in his crib without anyone to come in comfort him. And if someone did come, it was often a servant that snuck into his chamber because his cries were so pitiful and saddening that they felt the need to do something. It was important that these servants snuck in because if Lord Vile discovered they were "babying" his living weapon, he would make quick work of them. The man had a very strict "You will interact with this thing only when I tell you to" policy.

Bitterbat was fed and bathed to keep him alive and healthy but even as a grown man he still has nightmares about his time as a baby and toddler due to just how isolating it was.

Sweetheart was also deemed a bit weird as a kid. Not too weird it was concerning but she did struggle a bit with maintain friendships at an early age. It took her becoming Charmed, leading to the eventual creation of the Beloveds who each have their own struggles in social situations leading to them being known as the weird kids, that led to her having an eventual lifetime friendship. After Angel's death and the team breaking up, Sweetheart threw herself into a solo hero career. And going from having a big squad to being just yourself is a big jump. Especially when you winded up separating from someone from an entirely different dimension who you thought was the one for you with a single digit percent of a chance to ever meet them again.

Sweetheart's has stated that her solo years prior to Bitterbat's returned have been the worst years of her life.

[lemonlilactea]

V[ala] Yvonne Dorian

(& Vince[nt] Dorian (Twins))

She/They

26

Nomad turned Street Kid (via jackie)

Natural hair and eyes: blonde, dark brown

Both usually swapped for cosmetic appearance, hair no longer dyed after the biochip because of effort and time

Naturally a little distrustful, especially of city folk, but Jackie's dumb charm easily wins her over after their first gig. She tends to keep quiet, weighing her choices before speaking when possible. Sometimes brash, but has pretty good self control when it comes to handling situations, even if she sometimes chooses Violence. Left her brother Vince behind in the nomad clan and doesn't know where he went when it split.

She's not the most spiritual, but she's open to trying and learning, and hopes that if there is a God, He’s kinder than the world would lead one to believe, but she doubts it.

A net runner of decent quality before they come into NC, her skill rockets upward once she has good tech. Usually combat based hacks but they can wiggle through the Net if needed.

Often comes across intimidating based on resting bitch face and a tendency to lurk in shadows, a habit of avoiding sun from their Nomad lifestyle.

Missing their left arm elbow down, replaced with a cybernetic. Her arm was lost when she was about 13, during a raid from the Raffen Shiv. There was chaos, and she was trying to find her brother when a Shiv found her and attacked. Her facial scar is from the same attack, the same Raffen held her face against a piece of hot metal and seared the marred shape into her face. The pain still haunts her some days, waking up in cold sweat and with gritted teeth.

Lean, slim, has hip dips, tends to wear boots with a little platform for height and style. If doing netrunner shenanigans, she'll be in a runner suit (sleeveless), jacket when not actively on ice. Day to day is more comfortable, looser clothing, baggy pants and tank tops usually. Some scattered freckles, and her eyes are a little low lidded, giving a sort of half lidded glare when she’s resting her face. She has slightly sharp canines, and she’s considered having them made sharper or longer but thus far hasn’t. She stands roughly 5 foot 8 inches.

Falls a little in love with Jackie, but would never admit it, especially when he and Misty get close. She would rather he be happy, obviously.

Gets along well with most fixers, due to caution above all. Spends hours at Viktor’s when Jackie is busy, doesn't care about boxing that much but they'll watch the match together. She enjoys company even if silent.

She isn't quite as into boxing as Jackie and Vik, not at first, but she does join them to practice sometimes, or at least watch. Shirtless Jackie is a bonus. After a while it becomes a good stress reliever, and a fun little thing for just the trio of them.

She isn't cold, she's relatively friendly in conversation, but people rarely approach unless they have some kind of biz, likely able to tell her merc self from an average citizen.

Before the Konpeki job, the year and some after meeting Jackie, they don't play their full skill, tend to pull punches and hide the extent of their Net knowledge. In the past she's had people fuck her over for her skills, used it against her, so now she keeps her cards close, doesn't even tell Jackie everything.

She's more ambitious than she lets on, tending to let Jackie take the lead when they work together.

She was unwanted, her mother expecting one child and not two, and was thus unfavored. Her brother did his best to include them when possible.

When their clan melded into Snake Nation, she left just before they dissolved, having made it clear she thought it was a bad idea. They regretted leaving Vince, but he stayed for their mother, loyal to the end. She doesn't know if either of them are alive. She doesn't talk about it.

They've been in a few brief relationships, nothing serious, and a variety of hookups. She's never been picky about gender, but she is picky about trust and vulnerability which usually led to dead ends with partners. Closest she gets to being open is with Jackie, but then he's gone and she closes off again, noticeably. Viktor was likely her 2nd closest friend and he can see her recede back into herself, their chats shorter, like when they first came to NC. For a while they also become a little more free with violence, less careful during gigs where they'd have taken a quiet approach before. This, at least, fades a little in the weeks after Jackie's funeral.

They feel bad being so distant to Mama Welles, the only real mother figure she's ever known, caring in her own way. She pushes for Misty and her to get along, knowing they'll need the others' support. Especially knowing their own diagnosis after the biochip. In her mind it's practical to try and distance, to try and connect others to fill the gap where her life will be. Even if they'll fight for survival, she knows it isn't a guarantee. She's not so naive.

She also doesn't hold back as much as she used to, taking dangerous jobs where Jackie would've turned it down. It isn't a problem, and it's almost startling how quickly her name rises to be known. Fixers come to her first, rely on her skill and know the job always gets done. She makes sure to get Jackie’s drink named at the Afterlife.

Even if she’s gotten under the skin of most gangs, a few individuals in all of them owe her something at some point, simply by coincidence of her saving their ass in some way. She tends to pop up where trouble is, after all.

At first with Johnny, she's sharp right back to him. Belittling and insulting each other, or fully ignoring him at times when it's most convenient. But after some time, as their brain is slowly fried, they find some kind of middle ground. Johnny claims he wants to help her, and wants her to help him. Partners. She doesn't trust a word, at first, but as he opens up so does she. Notices how he'll appear in their vision to goof off, to point out things she might miss. They begin to work in tandem, like a pair of matched gears. When he takes the body to “tell Rogue about us” she’s hesitant but she does give in, give trust. But after the mess, waking up feeling like she’s been thrown under a train, head pounding, her temper rears and she snaps at him about wanting to simply take the body. A few days pass, quieter than usual, only broken when V and Rogue handle Grayson in their attempt to find Smasher. She doesn’t see a point in killing the pathetic idiot they’ve cornered, and for that she gets Johnny’s car along with his gun, which he seems at least somewhat glad about. That night, under stars in the oil field, she scratches a tiny memento to the man in her head who technically saved her life, and despite all odds, might still help do so again. She openly admits he fucked up, tells him that breaking trust when she gave it after so much hesitance, he only gets one final chance from here. In his eyes, reflecting the sheen of neon on the horizon, the city his halo, she can see truth and desperate gratitude. Even if it makes her a fool, she believes him, and her heart might always hold a beat for him, until it can’t anymore.

She hates corps and suits, which is a good starting point with Johnny, at least. It can lead to trouble often, but many things do, considering how often she ends up being shot at. Doesn't trust Takemura, not fully, and suspects he'd turn right back to Arasaka the moment Yorinobu is put down. While they’re grateful he saved their life, she knows better than to trust based on that alone. Nomads are generally alright, but the ones who go Raffen have to do something bad enough to be kicked out first.

She doesn't have a favorite gun, really, til she gets her hands on Johnny's. The fleeting memories, the somehow familiar weight of it. The solid, loud noise punctuating the air when she fires, and that buzz of adrenaline from herself and Johnny mingling in their brain. Another piece of the puzzle that is becoming them, slotted into place perfectly, every little thing making them feel like they were somehow made for each other, made to be whole and one, impossibly.

It takes a while before she reaches out to Judy to ask about Evelyn. It’s a combination of mistrust for the pair, unsure how much Judy had to do with all the chaos, and unsure if it’ll help at all anyway. Every avenue needs to be explored, though, and they’re careful and clipped until they realize Judy knows about as much as they do. They manage to track down Evelyn, in her state, and V is glad she didn't hold mercy on the way in. When they get Judy’s panicked call, arrive to find the scene of the suicide, they try to stay as stable as possible for Judy’s sake. It isn’t the first time she’s seen a suicide, or even the first time she’s carried that body, but it’s never easy. After finding out about Woodman, she’s doubly furious she left him alive. Not for long, I’m sure. At first, though, she refuses to help Judy with Clouds, thinking it too dangerous for her. But as time ticks down, as she keeps making connections and bonds that she doesn’t mean to, she can’t help but remember Judy, alone and miserable and reckless. A place Val herself has been often.

She and Panam butt heads a little, instead of bonding about being nomads, at least at first. V thinks Panam is a little recklessly vengeful. Hearing its Raffen Shiv, though, makes her willing to take action. It also makes her a little less trusting of Rogue. After a successful mission or two, they grow closer, and she ends up teasing Panam the way she might've with her brother. V has to remind herself that the Aldecaldo’s aren’t her clan, even if she kind of wants them to be. Another thing to keep to herself. It gets harder and harder to distance, to the point where they damn near adopt her into the family, and she has to run off again before they convince her. She doesn't even really want to tell Panam about the chip, the damage, but obviously after a point she has to. And truthfully, if the world was simpler, she might've just said yes when Panam asked her to come with them.

“You can count on me.” It slips out often, And at some point in her mind she hears an echo of herself. “Please, don't count on me. I won't be here for long.” She wants to help more, do more, be more. But she also tries so desperately to keep distance between her and the world now, trying so hard to minimize the inevitable hole left by her death.

A random encounter and a virus in a BD later, when she wakes up in the cold bathroom of the scav haunt she raided with Jackie, she feels an unfortunately familiar terror. Naked and likely minutes from being cut up into organs and implants, truly the only thing that snaps her back into fight and not flight, or just pure panic, is Johnny. He's calling her stupid, sure, but his voice and presence are enough to ground her in the present, enough to push away the past for now until she can wipe out this apartment for a 2nd time and get free. As tempting as it is to kill the fucker who sold her the stupid thing, she allows him to get the fuck out of the city forever. Then, she goes home and curls into a ball on her mattress, and recedes into her mind in a way that Johnny cannot see into. She can’t feel the concern of him lurking outside the mental door she’s closed. She’s never told him much about her past, never let him into the detailed parts of those memories, keeping them in an intentional fog when she feels him probing around. Shockingly for once, he has the wherewithal to not pry on this particular topic, not just yet, anyway.

She’s very hesitant to take the Peralez job, doubly so working with a cop, but he’s nothing like the usual badges she’s had to handle in the past. A sense of genuine justice is clear in him, almost to a point of naivety. It’s almost admirable, sometimes, even if she thinks he could stand to think longer on choices before making them. The fact there's a kid involved means she’ll help, no question. Always, always if a kid needs help V will burn buildings down for them. The entire situation with his nephew is insanely disturbed, and she can’t help but gravitate to little moments of connection with the family. Maybe she could call it trauma bonding instead of investigating the real feelings she shoves down, because she doesn’t trust herself to care about anyone, in any way, not when so much bad shit has happened in the past. Either way, she’s glad to see River has a family where she no longer does. She’s tempted to give in to his obvious flirting but she knows it’d be a fling, she’s not really in a place to be with anyone, and he deserves better than being hurt by the likes of her. Despite all this, she does give in for one night, but the next morning she tells him she can't do this, and tells him the truth of the relic chip. She doesn't want him hurt, so she’s honest, and he’s understanding, which softens the blow.

They're hesitant to give Johnny much trust after the initial joyride, but his thinly veiled concern for his old friend Kerry intrigues them enough that they’re willing to check in. It’s definitely weird, and neither of them fully know how to approach the other, but they grow an appreciation for their bond through Johnny and their roles as his unlikely and rare friends. She definitely thinks Kerry’s short lived rivalry with the Us Cracks band is ridiculous, but she’s not one to say no to a little chaos, and she definitely needs to burn off steam. Besides, she knows he wouldn’t fire a shot at them, he’s not the type. Not like her.

Excellent driver, enjoys the races when Claire brings her. Nomad life gives her extra connection to her own vehicles, and while she doesn’t ride Jackie’s bike, she lovingly cares for it once he’s gone. Her own bike is more scratched up, regular use meaning it runs on need and not aesthetic. When they rode together, he’d refuse to let her drive too often, knowing he’d end up gripping the seat in fear of a crash while she held back a grin, drifting the car/bike around yet another corner. She doesn’t drive for fun quite as often anymore, until Johnny starts chatting one day in the passenger seat and she takes aimless turns just to keep talking.

She bought back her old nomad car, clunker that it is, craving connection to family even if it barely exists. She likes to take a break from the city, pop out to the Badlands to drive like a maniac, no rules or people to endanger with reckless drifting. Johnny sometimes makes an appearance, and while he might swear or insult her driving, V can see the grin he’s trying to hide when she spins the car through another dust cloud kicked up by their wheels.

After a point, she realizes she expects warmth when she hears the little audio glitch that indicates Johnny nearby and he’s standing close to her, close enough it should feel like something. Time passes and little pieces of her lifelong walls begin to fall, pebbles at a time. Little things where she can see the cracks in his rockerboy asshole facade, where he can see the scared, lost nomad under the sarcastic surface of her.

Much to her regret, she can feel when the start of her fondness begins to turn into something more. She dedicates too much energy to hide it, keeping it buried, refusing to bring anything else into this insane dynamic they have with Johnny. Besides, he would never feel that way for her, he’s stuck on his AI girlfriend beyond the Blackwall, isn’t he? Either her or Rogue. So she keeps that shit to herself, as much as she possibly can, because who knows how much he can see into her head through the chip. She’s about as good at feelings as he is, anyway. Even after his body joyride, she doesn't remove the Johnny + V from her arm at any point, and on occasion will catch herself tracing the lines of it when she feels particularly lonely.

Luckily for Johnny, she already smokes, and likely smokes extra after Konpeki, at least for a while, until it gets hard to breathe on a good day. The biochip is hard on the body and brain, of course, and she has to push through migraines regularly by the time she and Panam get Hellman. Some days it's bad enough, Johnny sounds more concerned than she thinks he means to when he asks how she’s doing, feeling the crushing grip of a migraine behind her eyes, like her head might burst as she grips the steering wheel. Work to be done, always, always, no time to really rest.

She understands why Johnny hates Arasaka, to a mild degree, just from his memories. When he explains further, it begins to click into place even as she feels her chest squeezing in reaction to his outburst. He’s not some insane rockerboy with a vengeance, he’s got good reason for his hatred and he’s pointed it the right way, even if his methods are extreme. And hell, she can’t fully judge him for killing people, because that’s half her job, even if it couldn’t match the numbers of Johnny’s bloodied hands. She’s willing to hold them with her own, stained red.

She's scared of dying, she's human, of course she's scared. She doesn't really admit it to anyone aside from Vik and Misty that first night, doesn't even mention it to Johnny, but he obviously knows. He's in her head, he can feel it, he sees how she can't even sleep through the mix of pain and fear most nights. At some point she knows he knows, but she adamantly refuses to delve deeper into feelings with him, or risk saying more than she means to.

Her anger can be loud or quiet, depending on the situation. She still wishes she had a chance to beat the chrome out of Dex Deshawn, violently and painfully. But other times, their rage is like ice, seeping into their bones and making them stiff and harsh. At it’s peak, she’ll even snap at Johnny, not just a regular barb but a genuinely hurtful moment only she could find. He usually leaves for a while, and she spends a few days sitting in regret. That’s pretty common for her, she’s a pit of regret, a prison of her own making that she tends to ignore. Not much she can do about it at this point, if she dies first she can’t fix any of her many mistakes.

When she accepts a job from Wakako about killing some serial killer who may go free, a feeling in their gut stirs that something is wrong but they ignore and accept. Money is money. But then the client is shot, because he and V were both careless on approach, and both Johnny and this odd prisoner are asking her to go with them, and she does because what else to do in this situation? And Joshua, the man she was sent to kill, tells her about how he has murdered (so has she) and how he has robbed (so has she) and how he found God and seeks forgiveness (she does not). He asks about her, and she, at the table of a murderer and his victim’s family, speaks more openly than expected. Speaks about how even if there is God, that she might believe, but she refuses to worship. After all, if God is all seeing and knowing, He must know and see the state of the world. He must not care, and maybe He is right to turn his back. “You and I, Joshua, we are the proof that God is not looking. We may be his creations, but we are our own destruction, and He doesn’t want to see it.” She urges him not to sell out in a BD, as much as he wishes to get the message out, she can see he isn’t seeking God entirely of His message, but instead as redemption for the things he’s done. To live with his choices and regrets, to learn if God wishes to even be found, let alone by monsters like them. It may be best to let the world be, to hold onto the message you wish to send, instead of letting others profit from something you wish to share freely. But this is Night City, and even the word of God is a paid commodity.

The call from Songbird is jarring and the horrid, vice-like clench on her skull outside Dogtown brings V’s usual suspicion to the surface. Song seems earnest, but Val knows damn well not to let an appearance fool her by now. Beyond that, she's not exactly primed and ready to save the country, but if there's a peek of hope at the end of this mess, she'll take a look. Saving the President has to get something, you would hope. Meeting Reed was a lot less eventful than expected, but the cold press of iron to her ribs and the surprise (fear?) on Johnny's face is a bold start. After he takes Meyers out of Dogtown, V can't help but stare at the stupid little token and be glad she didn't take that oath. Either way she doesn't trust a soul here, not Song, not Reed and absolutely not Meyers. She just wants to chase down another possible lead of survival, at almost any cost. It's unnerving, and a little upsetting that Johnny has to be silenced in order for Songbird to actually get in touch, which adds to V's hesitance. With Reed and Alex both, she tries to keep her situation to herself until they absolutely have to know, and usually doesn’t outwardly align with the agent thing. She also ensures Reed knows how irritated she is about the continued omission of facts.

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

I have a question. After finishing chapter 42 act2, Vita is clearly a very flirtatious and teasing person but it's hard to tell who she really cares about, or whom she can take advantage of. Do you have any way to know?

Thanks to the monologue in the chapter 40 secret cutscenes I think it's pretty easy but I'll go over things in order. Let's go back in time for a bit shall we?

Vita riles people up often, she's been doing it ever since Salt Snow Holy City (though she was acting innocent so it was less overt). As early as chapter 37, she hints in the narration that she compliments Seele to see her cute reactions.

using old screenshots sorry

So teasing people seems to be something Vita deliberately likes to do... or has recourse to in order to lower people's guards, as the narration notes that Vita's joking around defused the tension of the battle.

Seele senses in that same chapter that Vita is hiding deep sadness; this is one of the first clues we get of Vita's true feelings. It is established that her happy personality is at least partly a mask to hide her negative emotions, though she doesn't refrain from showing grief for Grandpa Kaye. It is also noted that sad Vita was quiet. So a subdued Vita is likely to be a more sincere Vita.

This is supported by chapter 40. In the secret cutscenes, Vita elaborates on which parts of her personality is deliberate:

Due to the nature of my work, the second I open my eyes, I have to be an outgoing, friendly girl who’s equally shrewd and oblivious. As for why I need to act like that, who knows? Everyone just can’t resist that type of woman… Or, perhaps that kind of woman is disarming? Being amiable means that we can get along well without any pressure, and the hint of shrewdness gives me a nice veil of mystery. As for being oblivious… Being oblivious makes a flawless person more adorable. Do you understand?

Because of her job, she has learned to repress her negative emotions in order to get closer to and manipulate others and plays up her happy mask. So by opposition, when she's subdued or moody, she's probably not acting.

Important to note that this is Vita's monologue; she isn't necessarily saying the whole truth, either. She never admits to being lonely despite Hua picking up on it right after this scene. She does, however, tells Seele that she genuinely enjoyed her time in Salt Snow with everyone in chapter 38:

Is she lying, or saying the truth? I think she's saying the truth. When fighting Senti, she becomes subdued when she says this:

She even draws a line between her previous actions and her work persona, implying that she was largely genuine in her feelings, if not her backstory.

Additionally, when gauging why Vita says something, you have to keep track of what she isn't saying, what she is trying to hide. During the early Salt Snow parts of the story, she is hiding that she is their enemy, so you can put a lot of doubt on her sincerity... but she has no reason to hide her emotions by the time she's fighting Senti, since she's already been found out.

Further proof is that when she's confronted by the two Seeles they have this conversation, and Vita is subdued there too:

Her feelings towards the Salt Snow gang were genuine. Only in her business mode does she get seriously mean with everyone, taunting everybody... except Seele for some reason. She KEEPS complimenting Seele even past the point where Seele is no longer flustered by it. Favoritism? This is just before the boss fight:

VELIONA had to call Vita out on the compliments. VELIONA. Seele's number 1 simp!

The one time Vita does say something approaching mean to Seele is in chapter 38, during the brief lull time before they execute their plan. Though she hasn't yet realized Vita is an enemy, this is also when Seele realizes that Vita is playing up her naive and optimist behavior.

So what's the "mean" teasing that Vita says?

Yeah. She's... still paying her compliments, they're just slightly backhanded.

Also I just checked and Vita taunts Seele in an exclusively playful way during the boss fight. She really is never actually mean to her even though she didn't hesitate before calling Senti stupid........

After the boss fight, when "Fate" has finally been broken, when she no longer has a reason to hide, when no Sa is watching over her shoulder, she says this:

Seele has already picked up on WHY Vita acts like that! She calls her out!

But Vita placates her and explains the truth and we know at that point that she's being genuine since she is free and over the moon about it, plus her previous subdued words.

So Seele believes her, though she is STILL wary (Griseo would be proud), and asks Vita whether she'll interfere with her reviving everyone and going home...

We know Vita's serious self is real, BECAUSE Seele expects the mask, and doesn't find it. Vita genuinely cares here.

Now compare and contrast with any interaction Vita has taunting Griseo, well... it's a lot more mean-spirited, haha. She's trying to get Griseo angry, and she knows Griseo dislikes her. Hua understands and gets along with Vita a little better (she does get a number of compliments, and Vita notes both Hua and Seele are altruistic people, she even asks Hua for advice on handling immortality), but they're not exactly close. Hua compared her to Senti fhdjsgfs

Finally and most importantly, Vita in Phosphorus is playing around with everyone because she's hiding her real goal: take over Sa's power once and for all... becoming a god. Get rid of the threat looming over her, gain true freedom.

At the end of act 2 she's bullying Moriarty, and they don't like each other, but she does ultimately respect him. She also does something similar with Sa, looking down on her and mocking her but taking her warning seriously, and speaking a sad eulogy once she's finally dead.

So TLDR: Vita generally acts friendly, but she is deliberately mean-spirited when she's trying to misdirect or hiding her emotions, especially negative ones: with the little Vitas it's especially noticeable (for example she outright makes fun of Green for being attached to Orange, which prompts Green to tell her to stop).

When she is teasing someone she has a genuine soft spot for, she seems to skip being outright mean in favor of compliments or teasing cute reactions out of them.

When she is trying to distract someone or get their guard down, she'll deliberately say outrageous things, lie, tease and flirt to make them angry and flustered (Griseo). Note that she's even lying about not feeling guilt

When she's in a bad mood, she'll be passive aggressive (this will be very obvious with Misteln in ch42 act 3).

Hope that helped! I'm hungry now that took me like two hours.

[224terminal]

⋆⁺₊ ⋆ ☾ ₊˚. 𓆟｡⋆༄ 𝒸𝑒𝓉𝑜.

a few scattered ramblings about my twst oc!

> her name is ceto and she's an anglerfish mermaid from a very deep, dark depth in the coral sea. her eyes are milky white and aren't very reliable at times, so in human form she doesn't have the best eyesight. she wears prescription color contact lenses because she thinks glasses are troublesome to keep up with. also, she thinks pink eyes are pretty. as soon as she came to the surface, one of the first things she did was cut her hair to match the style of a drowned woman she happened upon when she strayed from her usual depths. it's a jellyfish cut. additionally, her nails are always sharp and manicured, painted in various patterns of hot pink.

> she has sharp, needle-pointed teeth like an anglerfish's. she likes to smile and show off her teeth, but her smiles are a little too eerie and wide most of the time, which unsettles most people. she dresses in a lot of formal business fashion. black and pink is the main color scheme in her wardrobe. she wears a lot of ocean-themed jewelry, but her go-to are the fishbone hair clips which she fashioned from the bones she finds on the sea floor.

> she's very energetic and friendly, if a bit morbidly disturbed at times with her odd sense of humor and textbook knowledge on the strangest, most obscure subjects (which cause most to avoid her), and despite her fearlessly outgoing and curious nature no one seems to know much about her.

> she likes rumors and gossip and will often spread them in passing. for that reason, you should be selective with what you choose to tell her.

> in mer form, she does have an esca like an anglerfish! in human form, it acts as her tonsils (it glows at night). her unique magic is called “bocca della veritá,” and it’s a spell that allows ceto to learn of the afflicted victim's deepest fears, secrets, or insecurities. when someone looks into her open mouth, their reality falls away and is replaced with that of their greatest terror, forcing them to confront things they may not want to confront. ceto doesn't use her um often, but she does like to playfully warn others not to stare at her too much or else they may just open their eyes to a nightmare.

> she is interested in the art of pinning insects and can spend hours poring over textbooks and video essays on the subject. she keeps a journal of dried and pressed flowers and has even tried to collect and pin a few insects of her own. butterflies and fireflies are her favorites.

> despite dressing in formal business attire, she has no interest in business. she just likes the fashion and how she's able to pair it with heels. speaking of heels, she taught herself how to walk in them because it was a challenge many mers-turned-humans struggle with and ceto likes to challenge herself with difficulties like this.

> most of her behaviors are sweet and disarming. it's a tactic she uses to lure others in, whether for friendship or to learn more about them for various reasons. she sometimes wears bright colors against dark suits (such as pins or other jewelry) in hopes that others will take notice and be compelled to approach her.

[betouma]

hai... it's velvet (beyuwol & bejaeyoung) again. LMAO. who would've thought! today i'm here with asakura touma, a rather impulsive app... even though he's been in my head for weeks... so as you can tell i'm woefully underprepared but i'm happy to introduce you to him!

under the cut is a short rundown of his background and some plot/connection ideas! here is his profile (the only presentable page lmao). please LIKE THIS POST if you'd like me to slide into your ims. i also have discord/twitter upon request (and i'm definitely better at responding there... for the most part).

background

born in osaka, japan

has a messy family, grew up listening to a lot of fighting between his parents so he learned to take care of himself so he doesn't bother his already busy & stressed parents

eventually his parents divorced when he was in middle school, and he moved with his mother. his mother remarried, and touma now has a step brother who is significantly younger

unfortunately, his mother and his step-father also fight. but this time, not wanting his brother to go through what he did, ended up being the peacekeeper and the mediator. he learned how to analyze/observe his parents behaviours and traits and tries to get ahead before things blow up out of proportion (they start yelling at him too, it gets really bad every month, and he learns to tune it out somehow)

was always an artistic kid, he started graffiti art as a way to vent his frustrations because he has nowhere else to dump then. he ended up connecting with music for that same reason too

he can play the bass and the drums, was in a band in school for a while just for fun

loves dancing, fell in love with choreographing in general. he thinks it's a beautiful way to express yourself, he would make up random dances to trending songs that he can do with his brother

his mother and step-father started relying too much on him to communicate and the stress is becoming a lot to bear. graduation rolls around and they were too busy arguing with each other to come to the ceremony

he finally wants out, and he enrolls in a university in korea. his mother is hesitant at first because he'd be staying with his biological father who moved to korea, but she relents when he mentions that he got a scholarship

it still kills him to leave his brother though, and he doesn't want to but he feels like he'll start losing himself the longer he stays

ironically, he decides to major in psychology

also became a freelance dog walker bc to him that's his free therapy

plots/connections

friends from japan! he'd be happy to see people from back home. he's always welcoming and it's easy to talk to him, so he'd also approach anyone simply because of this one thing they share

someone for him to take care of that reminds him of his younger brother

maybe he... walks your dog sometimes! touma thinks he does a good job at it, but maybe your dog got scared of something that's out of his control and now it won't leave his house

inevitable... exes. someone that came from japan, or a summer roamnce when your muse was in japan, that he ended up meeting here too. he's also been here since at least 2-3 years ago, so a more recent ex can work too! he can be dense and 'too friendly', might've acted more like a friend than a partner. would've coddled instead of treating his partner like a proper equal because he's not used to being taken care of instead lol

dancing friends! someone he would dance with, share choreos with, film tiktoks with... things like that

someone who scared him when he was doing graffiti art somewhere and in reflex he sprayed you with his paint... woops

uni friends, fellow artistic friends, friends who can teach him how to sing, composing friends that he thinks are inspirational

an almost fwb situation except he thought he was genuinely going to your home to see your pet and to eat actual ramyeon. he did not get the hint!

someone who noticed that he gets a little too involved when there's an argument happening around him which is... a bit! worrying! maybe!

someone that can use a 'therapist friend' except he's actually a psych major and it kind of just happens

anything and everything! i love talking about dynamics and whatnot B)

[waiting-on-a-dream]

about the ask i wanted to send before you posted mayumi, i noticed that you don't really mention the relationship dynamics between your prisoner ocs that often meanwhile i have this whole like relationship chart somewhere and wow there's so much drama going on, so i was wondering, what kind of relationship they all have? are there any prisoners who are friends? are there any prisoners who hate each other? do they get along well in general or they don't like each other that much?

(also, does mayumi like haku the most because he's, like, the most well-behaved prisoner here? i wonder what she thinks about prisoners like ichiro or akane then jsdksklsl)

Ichiro ♡

He isn't close to any of my prisoners and hardly acknowledges them actually. He doesn't have any friends, and he doesn't have any enemies (though he secretly finds Rin's whiny personality annoying). For him, the rest of the prisoners are just...there.

Though he would classify Noa as his "favourite" prisoner per say, since she's the only one he can tolerate that will indulge his childish questions. Daisuke and Kiyoshi are more than willing to entertain him too, but he doesn't like them much.

Akane ♡

Ichiro is weird and creeps her out when he spaces out with his gaze trained on her corner of the room. Hey, she knows she isn't exactly the best kid around either, but Ichiro is a different breed on his own. Even so, she can't help but feel a protective urge wash over her whenever he makes his strange pouting face where his lips pucker slightly and his eyes widen. He looks like a lost, clueless puppy. Damn it! It's not like he's her younger brother or anything. Stupid feelings.

Other than Ichiro whom she denies having a soft spot for, she's fine with Suzume, Haku, and Noa as well because they mind their own business. If any of them tried to talk to her, she'd prefer it to be Haku because he's straightforward and concise.

All the other prisoners annoy her in their own unique, infuriating ways. Kiyoshi and Mayumi are nice towards her, but their polite and friendly personalities rub her the wrong way. She thinks they're faking being nice for a reason. Are they?

Daisuke ♡

He's friendly with everyone! But he isn't actually close with anyone...

He tries to be nice to Ichiro and Akane, striking up conversations and humoring them and such. But Ichiro ignores him and Akane ends up getting pissed more often than not. Is he doing something wrong? Maybe he's old enough to be out of touch with teenagers already? Haku and Rin aren't any better. They both mostly ignore him too. TwT

Suzume, Yui, and Noa aren't very comfortable with him either, despite his efforts to get along with them. Hey! He's just flirting playfully. He doesn't actually mean anything by it.

As for Kiyoshi... Well, Daisule avoids him because cops make him nervous. Isn't that how it is for everyone? And for Mayumi? She unnerves him, so he avoids her too.

Suzume ♡

She wouldn't say she's close to anyone? (Despite that, the women of Milgram seem to like her very much.)

Yui approaches her often and offers to do her skincare. She thinks Yui might just want someone to doll up, so she agrees because why not? And Noa likes to stick to her side, so they end up standing next to each other in silence most of the time. She doesn't understand why Noa does that, but she's not about to ask. Mayumi is really friendly with her too, and she doesn't quite know what to do about that.

Haku ♡

He's not close with anyone. He's just popular with the adults because he's a responsible child. Almost like a role model for the other teenage prisoners, though it's obvious they aren't interested in learning from him. He goes through the motions in Milgram lifelessly. No one here interests him much. He misses his brother.

Yui ♡

She likes to say that she's friends with everyone in Milgram! (Haruto will clarify that she's WRONG in a heartbeat.)

Suzume is the prisoner she's closest to. She likes to do her skincare for her! Suzume has such a pretty face, like a doll. She's doing her a favor by making sure her skin stays soft and supple. <3

She likes to approach Noa and Mayumi too. Girls should always support girls after all! (But they don't seem to like her very much...)

She has a special annoyance reserved for Daisuke and Rin. They have the ability to ruin her mood with their general existence just like that. That's certainly an impressive feat on it's own.

Rin ♡

He's not close with anyone, nor is he very interested in getting along. He acts like his usual self as always, nitpicky and demanding and hypocritical. The only one that can reign him in is Noa, because she's so nice and sweet to him and reminds him of a certain someone. Unfortunately, she doesn't like to spend much time with him.

Noa ♡

She's really shy and awkward, so it's hard for her to be close to anyone in Milgram. Suzume is quiet and doesn't seem judgmental though, so she feels comfortable enough to hang around her most of the time. Mayumi isn't so bad too!

Daisuke likes to flirt with her, along with every other woman in Milgram. But he unnerves her, so she avoids him.

As the somehow appointed big sister of Milgram, she finds the kids approaching her often (except for Haku). Ichiro likes to ask her questions about whatever has caught his fleeting interest this time, and Rin has been tailing her around like a lost puppy ever since she returned something that he'd lost. She doesn't know how to deal with them at all! But she's pretty sure pushing them away isn't going to do her any good, so she just goes along with their whims for now.

Kiyoshi ♡

He's friendly with everyone in Milgram! Not everyone seems to be as friendly to him though. Such as Ichiro, who likes to ignore him. And Akane, who thinks he's being suspiciously nice. Not to mention Daisuke, who has a tendency to cut their conversations short.

He's on good terms with just about everyone else (though he secretly finds Yui and Rin a little annoying). He enjoys his occasional friendly conversations with Suzume and Noa. Mayumi is the only prisoner he could truly call his friend though.

Mayumi ♡

Yep, yep! Mayumi likes Haku because he's the most quiet and well-behaved prisoner in Milgram. She's on good terms with with Suzume and Noa too. But they can't compete with Haku who sits quietly in a corner and does his chores without being asked to. XD

As for what she thinks of Ichiro and Akane... She's nice and polite with everyone, but judging by the thin smile she wears whenever she's around them, she's not very comfortable. Ichiro is...weird, to say the least. And Akane is always so jumpy and aggressive. They remind her of the children at the ward that would always act up (she always wondered what was going on in their lives to make them so distressed). She's not equipped to deal with them at all.

As for Daisuke, Yui, and Rin, she prefers not to approach them. If they come to her, she won't be so rude as to chase them away! But she isn't exactly excited to keep talking to them.

Ooh, I can totally imagine her being friends with Kiyoshi though! They both stick to their ideals and have (unfortunately stressful) jobs that center around helping people. I think they'd get along well! :D

[thatdisneyboy]

Hey It's Me Again

6/21/2024

I'm gonna start throwing dates on these since tumblr has gotten less user friendly over the years. Haven't done one of these in a while, but it's time. I wanna try to be short. I'm still struggling. Every time I feel like I'm getting better, I actually think about it and I'm maybe worse off. I just know how to hide things better, even from myself. But if I sit with it for long enough, the pain comes flooding back. I don't have any friends to talk to anymore. The one that I had is so busy trying to essential oils, crystals and will everything to be better that she doesn't even talk to me on the human level anymore. She sends me these videos about those things and I just wanna actually talk. Not use this random video that I don't even give a damn about or believe in any way as a jump off point for me to give my thoughts. And then that's the only communication we have now because when I try to start conversations beyond that, I'm met with nothing. So that's been a huge blow to me. It's especially hard because I just learned that one of my moots over on twitter took his own life recently and he had so many friends around him. So anytime I hear about suicide, it does give me pause because I am not in a good place and people like me are higher risk for completing that if we attempt. So it just makes me nervous because it does go through my head when I see news like that.

My job still sucks, but I'm only doing one more year. It's interesting because I was ready to leave at the end of this year. That was actually my plan. But once I talked to my students, one really changed my mind. All of them wanna see me happy and don't want me to continue dealing with the bs that my job puts me through, but one (who will be a senior this year) shifted my perspective a tad. He was one of the main ones telling me to do what I gotta do and he'll be okay. But I saw how disappointed he was that I wouldn't be there for his senior year. And so that made me realize that if I'm gonna leave, I'm gonna do it the right way. I'm gonna approach the school year like it's my last one with them and really make the most of it. I'll get my seniors through to college, get my junior to a steady point, get my sophomores to their upperclassmen years with strong skills behind them, get my 8th graders into HS and have the rest of my kids in a good place moving forward. So hopefully going into the year with a different mindset will help me disengage from the stupidity from upper leadership at this company that I will inevitably have to navigate. So yeah, it's been bad, but I feel at peace. Also because I know I will be reporting them soon and I might bring up a lawsuit. Idk.

Finally, I told Preston that I have a crush on him a few weeks ago. It didn't go bad but it didn't go good either. I would've loved to have had him share similar feelings. He doesn't. Or he didn't really say much other than thank you and that he didn't know. But I kinda just let him know that I had no expectations and he could do whatever he wanted with the information. I'm probably gonna end up alone though. So that does make me sad. But I've been prepared. Kinda felt like there was no one out here for me back in high school. Just never worked out with any of the folks that I liked.

Anyway, that's all. Short little post today. I'm sad. I'm struggling big time. But I'm steel here (s/o to Tisha Campbell). And I'm trying. It's rough, but I'm working on things.

[poviamawriter]

GEE-nterview

Honestly, I wasn't able to attend the virtual lecture series and listen to the resource speakers. It was a regret on my part not because I unintentionally hadn't able to comply for the attendance. It is because I wasn't able to hear the unique start-up businesses shared during the lecture. So, for today's blog, I am just going to share my entrepreneurial mind journey for the last two weeks ago and the things I've done with my groupmates.

As a startup, one of the most critical aspects of our business is validating our venture with our target market. During the defense, we understand that without a solid customer base, our product or service will not be successful. That's why we embarked on an interview journey to gather insights and feedback from the target customers.

Our group just actually interviewed residents within Central Mindanao University, particularly those who are included in our target market. We also ensured that we were speaking with individuals who would benefit from our product and could provide us with valuable feedback. Before the interviews happened, we reached out to them through introducing ourselves personally, explaining our startup and the purpose of the interview. We also asked permission to take a video. prepared a list of questions to guide the conversation, but we also allowed for flexibility and encouraged the interviewees to share their thoughts and opinions freely.

The first interviewee we had, we weren't able to take a video because she don't want to. However, we still got answers from her that were valuable to our startup. With the second interviewee, we actually had a light talk with the man as he was very approachable and friendly.

This also happened with our third interviewee who is a food eatery owner. She even happily told us that there were already many students who interviewed her.

Totally, I had fun from the interviews we made. The participants were happy-go-lucky as they also shared witty comments and brief stories during the interview. Moreover, we took turns of tasks like taking a video, interviewing and reaching out, to make sure that everyone in the group had helped. Additionally, I was happy that we all got to talk during the times that we were walking all the way to certain places.

One of the most valuable insights we gained from our interviews was the importance of simplicity and ease of use. Our target audience is busy and doesn't have time to waste on complicated products. Thus, I think that having our machine as a service startup is on the positive lane. If they don't have time to personally deliver, our shop will be the one to collect.

Overall, our interview journey has been a valuable learning experience. We have gained a deeper understanding of our target audience's needs and preferences, and we have identified areas where we can improve our product to better meet their needs. We are grateful to our interviewees for their time and feedback, and we will continue to prioritize customer feedback as we move forward with our startup.

[thewul]

Meet the world's grumpiest cat, he should be like that but older, notice he has short legs, he doesn't seem to care about combing his hair either

He has to kill every mouse customer that walks into the shop, give them what they need send them on their way

War veteran, he's smart too he knows that he couldn't run the noodle's shop on his own, and being grumpy like that, he keeps to the kitchen and presents the waitress as his charm offensive

He's the behind the scenes stuff, but sometimes customers complain that it is taking too much time, mostly young, they pick on him, it's part of the experience

The kitchen is a small room in the back, at times he is behind the counter to set up dishes that he brings from the kitchen, help the waitress during rush hour

He finds youth lacking reverence and being always in a hurry about everything, but our trader approaches him about his war picture that's slightly better

He doesn't do that when the shop is very busy, he waits for the right moment after rush hour when things are quieter, grumpy, he's not the approach with caution stuff but he isn't the smiling stuff either

Yes well that young fool wants to know about the war picture, but he wants to know what are his intentions towards his waitress because he has been observing what's going on

He has been observing him too, he wants to know where he's from, what is he doing in Korea, what does he do for a living and how long he is staying here, doesn't he has a wife to go back to, men should be married at his age

Friendly he's not, he knows that the young fool is interested very interested in his waitress, and he has to fend off the young fool if he turns out to be just that

And you'd better not lie to the grumpy old man tell him that you're a trader when you quit, because he can read liar written on people's foreheads when they do

What you can do is present your case, you're interested in the waitress, you quit your job to stay in Korea and you're looking for work, he's ok with that at least you're honest, not a flat tire

And what kind of work is that you don't speak any Korean, at the same time the young fool has noticed that the noodle's shop is a lot of work that they could use extra hands, well he's honest and not dumb, which is not a bad place to start

But it doesn't pay much, it's not like I am going to make him rich that one, put him the kitchen pay him little money make him work hard that's if he really is serious about my waitress, if not he can go take pictures like the rest of them until his plane ticket is about to expire

What have I to lose, make him wash dishes set up meals maybe, if he quits after a couple of days because its too much work he will have shot himself in the foot, and my waitress cannot reproach me anything but she will if I don't give this young fool a chance

Especially with all the work that we have, well he doesn't look like he needs much, how much are you renting that room, too much of course because you're a foreigner that's why, but you can eat here save some money find out how expensive weddings are later

That's if you don't break any dishes that will come off your pay end up with nothing, but if it's just some dishes and I can rid of him so much the better

Well I knew the young fool had something, fast with his hands, first day on the job didn't break any dishes, even had extra time to learn to set up dishes and read his cooking book, about noodles, it's been a while we didn't have so much to do in a single day

He had experience in a restaurant during his studies, some experience is that, the plates are ordered by size, even the bowls, everything is clean, and the kitchen utensils are hanging exactly where he found them...

He's not such a fool after all and he works hard, why not its tourist season I have tourists here on top of the regular customers, see how it goes

Came on time, if he keeps coming on time and doing all that work it's sure worth his pay and meals

Not constantly blabbering about nonsense like the youngsters usually do, quite silent actually and only speaks when spoken to during work, there's education there maybe he's wealthy even, unlike a spoiled brat and more like someone who knows the value of hard work

Why he's working here for little money, he's not the type that is going to sit idle live off his family's wealth if I am right, he does look like he comes from a wealthy family, mostly his disregard for status and appearances, washing dishes and setting up plates in the back kitchen

Which is only something that you can do if you had plenty of money but didn't depend on it depended on yourself instead, trying to it make in Seoul on his own, he's serious about his relationship or he wouldn't do that, however I consider the situation he comes correct

He didn't concede defeat or accept failure, he keeps trying until the odds against become odds in favor, maybe its not the choices that everyone else would make but what good is it to be everyone else, might as well be nobody in that case

Maybe even he's not trying, he's doing, if I raise his wage a bit that's an income small but still, he has a job, an income, a place to stay, a serious relationship, that's as good as anyone else is doing here even Koreans, go back to America with his bride after a while, that's what I would have done if I was his age

It takes courage to do that and determination, which is what a young man has to be about, face the odds of life not shy away from them, it might not be easy but nothing is, what did easy do for me nothing, I have been working hard as early as I can remember, and then there was war

[plusanimablog]

Chapter 28: Diary Of The Tree-Leaking Day

Baby Senri!

And Upas totally knows him, Senri choosing him as the first to know that his father is taking him up the mountain. This natural survey is the first step to becoming a man, Upas wisely says. There, Senri wonders if he will have a bear Anima, like his father and Upas does...

Anyway, Commander Iggy tells his troops to be on alert despite things being currently chill with the Kimunkle. They're different people from a different area so it's literally impossible to predict what they'll do next. A troop member wonders out loud if the bear they saw earlier was a magical creature causing a few friendly Kimunkles to approach and explain that the bear is a rare Anima technique where they can attack or defend through a projection of their Anima spirit. Only certain people in the tribe can do it. Iggy has the appropriate reaction to learning there's a bear Anima in the tribe:

So the group is dealing with amnesiac Senri. Nana is taking it particularly hard, her controversial "shake and berate the person until they remember you" technique having to be halted by Husky because it was somehow not working on him. Husky thinks this may be the result of a head injury and Cooro asks Senri if there was something he wanted to forget. Senri doesn't answer and Upas approaches, Cooro casually dropping another drama bomb by saying he was the one who sent out the bear Anima earlier. Upas says this has happened to Senri before and reveals he's from the Tooa tribe, same as Senri. The Tooa tribe was destroyed by the Sairando and Upas was saved by the Shurosa while literally everyone else was either killed or sold off into slavery. Senri's father, Riiya, was Upas' best friend.

So it's good that Senri has surviving family, right? Nope, Senri doesn't remember him...in fact, now he double doesn't remember him due to his brain's recent factory reset. He lost his memory the first time when he was eight and his father died, getting anterograde amnesia that left him unable to form any new memories. Nana points out that while he was traveling with them, he displayed the ability to remember but Cooro minorly counters that he had the tendency to stare into space a lot...still, Upas recognizes this as important progress considering the state Senri left in. Then Iggy stomps over, identifying Upas as the bear Anima bearer.

He says at the battle at Moss Mountain, the one that killed the army commander (Iggy's father) was Upas himself. Upas asks that if he shows Iggy who killed his father, will he try to kill him? Iggy sternly says "maybe". Upas leaves instead, telling Iggy off for bring personal stuff into the business he's conducting for his country. To further muddle the issue, Upas thinks to himself that he can't just let Iggy kill his enemies off...

Husky goes off by the forest by himself and Cooro follows to see why (Nana sticks behind to try to make Senri remember; she's controversial in the medical community but dammit, she's the best chance we've got). Husky says that she won't help and Cooro points out that Upas, despite being family with Senri, didn't seem happy about seeing him at all. Husky says that Upas is masc and guys don't show emotion like joy or relief because it makes them looks like pussies. He's probably happy on the inside. Cooro still wonders though...

Senri flashback time: he and other Toora are going to climb a cliff wall to be like the bear. Flashback over...and Upas apologizes to the memory of his dead friend out of nowhere.

Anyway, Shira gives Iggy a task: go to the Great Red Rock Cavern and retrieve a sign. Iggy has to go alone with three of the Kimunkle to show him the way. He accepts, being told it's a test of strength. Upas then asks Shira to take Senri up the mountain. Nana understandably doesn't want Senri around Iggy but Upas points out the journey up the mountain might jog his memories. The group wants to come but they don't let children up the mountain so they have to stay in the village. The group is worried...but Cooro just tags along, reasoning that they'll just stay behind and fret anyway. They might as well follow. Not really having a way to dispute that logic, they follow after him.

Iggy is tired already but all of the Kimunkles are fine, Upas checking in on Senri's status. Senri flashes back to a time when he was told about a man-eating bear named Amurui. Then his dad tells him he'll have to kill someone someday...

In the present, Upas says that he believes that Senri can regain his memories...although some memories are best left forgotten. Then he leads him away, saying he's found some good friends...before turning into a bear, ending the chapter saying that it's time for Senri to die.