#also canto is just. so difficult

[ruinaimagines]

Really wanna see some romantic don quixote hc, don't see that stuff often

Did someone say Don Quixote. I’m alive speaking from the casket over here, ringing the little bell in the coffin to signal IM ALIVE. This includes pre- and post-canto parts. 

Don Quixote x Reader Headcanons:

Don Quixote as a partner is, as you’d guess, easily excitable. She revels in your time together, fantasizing about your adventures as two brave heroes who gallantly traverse the lands! 

Hand-in-hand, any new experience she wishes to rush forward will always be with you to accompany it.. Even if you aren’t aware that you’re going to be involved. Nonetheless! No time to think, for she’s devised a plan for your own enjoyment!

It’s the eccentricities and solid code of justice she upholds that are so charming, her lack of shame to step in when no one else would. And considering you’ve found yourself in a romantic situation with her, you’re likely well aware of all her mannerisms. Perhaps participating in them yourself!

I do think that she would do well with someone who either shares that energy, or knows how to listen intently and treat her with a mutuality. And in return, she’d listen to you a tad more! A tad. That’s more than the majority of the sinners can succeed in herding her, so they’re already grateful.

It isn’t that she doesn’t retain what you tell her or ward her of, rather that when the thought surges of something she must do, it’s an impulse. Most often it’s acting without considering the consequences, and it might take a soft nudge or similar to bring her back to reality.

But trust me, she tries to absorb what you tell her, especially if you regale her with your own travels. The imagery plays out visible before her eyes; you, standing tall and proud as the lighting hits just right or! Or! Maybe it’s more of a tragic tale, one of woes.. But fret not! You will be back on your own feet in no time, that she knows!

Don Quixote would not stand whatsoever for any slander on your name. Any rude comments, she’s practically scrambling to retort before you can even process what was said. It doesn’t matter whether you took it personally or not. You may have to defuse the situation lest Outis will need to strangle her back again.

It doesn’t sit right with her that people can get away with saying or doing such vicious things when it coincides with what she’s passionate about. She’d voice this to you, about how you shouldn’t tolerate such behavior. It’s more complicated than that, but getting that through will be difficult.

Perhaps.. It is just the more noble route for a knight to extend the grace of mercy and forgive, yes! That ought to be it! She finds her way around eventually, even if it’s through her own peculiar mind loops.

When I consider it, I do think that she would be quite good at communicating about being upset. She feels strongly, and voices that. And in instances where she may not, it is rather easy to tell when she is disgruntled or put down.

I don’t think all too many arguments would occur as she wouldn’t want to fight with you. Her perspective is more prone to mending when it comes to you. Which you might have to be a bit wary of. She trusts in you absolutely, but that also means not quite being able to accept you doing wrong– which isn’t humanly possible. So keep an eye out. It’s good to acknowledge that the perspective she comes to should be one that she believes. 

(Not saying this blind following would extend to blatantly cruel things that go against her definition of justice. As in saying you can’t just kick a child in an alleyway and give a thumbs up and go along the way. She’d have an adverse reaction. But if you’re with her, doubt that would be much of a situation you run into to begin with.)

With dates it's rare you’re sitting in just one place, but that’s the fun of it! Often they’re her idea, given it usually spurs from one thing she overheard through the fixer forums she’d read and wanted to try. She is motivated often by things she wants to do, but this doesn’t mean she won’t go places you ask. You just have to remind her.

Getting into her canto and post canto there is a lot of change to unpack. Learning that she herself was one of the bloodfiends she so despised, that the others were family, and what happened to her father is a major strain.

I don’t think she’d want to face or acknowledge you at that time, truthfully. You may be outright ignored. She’s picking up the pieces of her own history, and it’s distressing that she does care for you, that she can’t simply return to her family because there are things holding her back. (She does have other reasons contending for why she stuck with the sinners, of course, but focusing on you)

Her own self-definition is really being challenged, and with that comes another reason she tries to avoid you; with all her self-loathing she entirely expects for you to no longer want to be with her. She’s not the same person you believed her to be, who you’d grown to love, so why would you? She believes she has (wrongly) already figured out your decision.

Surprise. That's a flawed train of thought. Of course you care! It might take some expressing in your words that she is still herself, just as she was long ago, just as she is as a sinner. She still truly felt those things, did she not? And it wasn’t as though she was intentionally lying.

It is a rough canto for the both of you, but you make going forward a lot more approachable, possible. She chooses to go forward with the enthusiasm you’re used to, but so are you aware and appreciative of her more grounded moments.

She has greater control in her impulses now. Still not happy if people are being rude to you. But you’re able to talk her down from certain things without as much resistance. 

She was already quite loyal, but I think it’s rooted even deeper now. In a way your accompaniment helps her avoid falling into the blind mistakes and cycles of the past.

Not going to lie it may be a bit of an awkward subject to broach at first; being a bloodfiend that is. There is no easy way to bring it up, but highly recommend doing so in private. It allows her to be more earnest without needing to upkeep the title of Don Quixote.

Expect a lot of patience to be needed. Chances are she won’t feel ready to acknowledge or confront it all. She trusts you, she does, but it’ll take time. 

Ohhh I do imagine there is a great regret she feels after the LCB checkup event with her attacking the rest of the sinners and you. Being so overwhelmed with bloodthirst that you aren’t rationally in charge of your own actions is a terrifying experience, especially when it can come to harm you.

But it might prove to offer the window you need to talk one-on-one, learn more about what it is she goes through, and confirm that no, she is not some beast. You still love her, and it need not be something she deals with on her lonesome.

Though a lot is similar to how she acted in the past one notable thing is her more often fetching you things that you like. She acknowledges that you choose to remain by her side, and she is very deeply appreciative of it. So rather than scrounging around fixer catalogues to find things she wants, she'll try and figure out what you'd want as well. Now how accurate that is to your actual tastes is... debatable. its the thought that counts, right?

[gizmocreates]

assorted canto 8 p 2 thoughts

part 2 dungeon jumpscared me!!! While it definitely was super fitting and a wonderful way to show the full scope of the hierarch war, it also is terrifying to see a dungeon… and know what lies within isn’t the end of the journey.

seven hour dungeon torment nexus. jia qiu fight whittled down all my sinners until it ended in a solo duel between fanghunt lu and jia qiu. i escaped that fight by the skin of my teeth

Honestly. I’m gonna say this one’s more difficult than the Canto 6 boss rush. Considering that your sanity gets reset right before every major fight the only real things you have an advantage with are ego resources and maybe ego gifts. And with how intense so many of the fights are… yeck, they don’t really provide much relief. (to be fair the teams i use aren’t The Meta but still. Jia Qiu’s Zilu skill can go to hell.)

i know it’s early to say any current survivors are actually, yknow, surviving, but we had a shockingly low death toll for the City’s Version Of The Hunger Games. fully expect Lin Daiyu’s health to deteriorate since she was shot with an EGO bullet, but she’s still alive, somehow.

they didn’t make xue baochai Secretly Evil (tm) thank fucking god. I was fully expecting it but i would’ve been a bit disappointed if it’d happened

jia qiu really just walked up, aura farmed, beat the shit out of hong lu until he formed an honest opinion and then fucked off. goodness i need this man carnally

speaking of which, between the frequent trauma dumps and him trying so goddamn hard in the end to say *anything* Jia Qiu would want to hear to avoid actually having to say something as simple, and yet profound, as wanting kindness… god, I felt hard for Hong Lu in this chapter. It may seem silly that it took him so long to get to such a seemingly vapid conclusion, but like… when you’ve been the vessel of suffering your entire life, so consumed by an inability to let your choices matter, why would you ever see the pursuit of kindness as something attainable? Not just some lofty, selfish goal, sinful to even utter a word of? Not something you feel you deserve, no, and not something you have a right to give others.

seeing garion made me ill bro i need her too (to kill me)

Gubo toxic yaoi is funny as hell. Bro really just tried to guilt trip Yi Sang for leaving his bum ass and Yi Sang said “you are NOT turning this around on me mister”

the duality of jia huans is really interesting. a young and innocent boy who simply was jealous because he didn’t understand Hong Lu’s actual position in life… had his life taken from him, and his name was taken by a embittered, violent man who still does not— and now likely refuses to— understand Hong Lu. Not that Hong Lu did him any favors.

Heathcliff, Yi Sang and Sinclair have been trying so fucking hard to reach out this canto, bless them. Too damn bad that they’re talking to a brick wall. Hopefully in part 3 their slow but methodical cracking of his facade will bear fruit, especially now that Jia Qiu has shaken him.

anyone else think about how sinners usually only resonate and show their memories at the peak of their emotions?? and how that entire time, while his face was still a near-perfect mask, hong lu was practically strobing us with a million memories a minute?? Yeah this man’s mental state is in shambles and he will Not let anyone see it. The allusion to prey animals near the beginning of the chapter is notable to me because… a lot of prey animals hide their injuries, too. Any sickness or hurt they might have, they’ll hide it until it kills them, because otherwise they might be seen, and to be seen is to be hurt further. he very much knows that the elders are watching. That jia mu will Know if he actually speaks his mind. And so. He’s given up. All he can do… is smile.

also xichun becoming the hierarch instead of Dying is rad as hell but also what a way to do it lmao. We knew it was coming but god the fact that even in character everyone’s just like “what the fuck just happened. What” is so funny

please let us fight jia mu/the elders next part please please please

[almostswagkid]

Little Rodya analysis + thoughts on Sonya

Okay, I've noticed that we lack Dmitri Razumikhin in the story. A lot of other characters too, but not about them now

So, my theory now is that Razumikhin is Rodya's facade.

Dmitri in the book was friend of Raskolnikov. He tried to distract Rodion from dark thoughts and pretty much always been there for him. Basically, Dmitri lacks any negative traits, which would be perfect for the ideal person Rodya wants to be. He is kind, optimistic, simple and honest. Which is, in my opinion, what Rodya wants people to think she is

And, if I'm right, it is interesting how Razumikhin is described as "the person who knows how to love" and Rodya's canto called "The Unloving"

Plus, bonus point: Rodya is the one who asked to call her by nickname. In the book Razumikhin was the one who called Rodion "Rodya"

My copy of the book is obviously in Russian, but it's there

Now, about Sonya. I'll keep this section relatively short cuz we have very little info about him, but trust me I can yap about it a lot. Let's keep it simple: I'll refer to Limbus Sonya by his name, and to book Sonya by her surname (Marmeladova)

I believe Sonya is not Marmeladova. I actually believe that Sonya represents that idea of Rodion, that he's special and has the right to decide fate of others. Sonya is fanatic, he firmly believes that his plan will work. Just like Rodion did. And, obviously, Rodya's character development should go into direction where she admits that she's not special, thus abandoning her theory. Which means, leaving Sonya and staying with Limbus

I actually think that Gregor is playing a role of Marmeladova. Hear me out: they both had a very difficult life; they both had to endure disgrace from their mothers; both used to being shunned and humiliated; both are not very good at talking to new people (tho Marmeladova was literally afraid, and Gregor just sucks at it); both feel like they're an outcast, who doesn't deserve attention and love from "normal people"; they both will bend over backwards for people they care about

There's a lot more similarities, especially in interactions between Rodion and Marmeladova, but I think you get my point

Also, on the side note. Please, if you want to give Rodya her full name it would be Rodion Romanovna Raskolnikova. Russian is gendered language, and "Raskolnikov" is male surname, as "Romanovich" is male patronymic. It doesn't offend me in any way, it just sounds weird to me as a native speaker

[mossy-green-aka-ferrythem]

Recent Intervallo was amazing.

Also it made one thing clear.

Though I before interpreted Heathcliff and Ishmael's current standing as "Oh she's a bit rough on him, but they're good friends deep down." but now? I kind of doubt that.

To be honest Canto 6 feels like a regression point for a lot of characters. Sure, character growth did happen, but then you also have the messy decision that happened at the end which to be honest doesn't make too much sense even now.

It's def better than before but at the same time it's noticeable as hell. One could say it was just as bad as it was before.

Heathcliff tends to have an issue where he has trouble properly belonging. Cathy was the only one he felt secure being with, and even still, that relationship really was quite unstable.

Now he's been making more of an effort to get out there, but there's no denying he can be quite the divisive figure in social circumstances.

Some sinners have always gotten along with him, some have eased up on him, while it feels that some have sort of regressed.

It's interesting how it is with Ishmael. Because honestly? It feels like Ishmael's sort of regressing. Like did you see that look in her eyes when Ricardo showed up and she talked about "Payback" ? Something's up with her. That and it feels like her temper has gotten shorter. I feel like this is due to her being snubbed multiple times lately, if I remember correctly (correct me if I am wrong), and her planning/certainty based approach not being vindicated. Faust has already sort of let herself understand how linear yet freefloating her path is, Don Quixote knows what it takes to be a heroic fixer, in that things may not always go to plan, but something tells me Ishmael's been a bit more difficult in that regard. If someone's got a better read on her though, don't hesitate to speak up.

Anyways, where was I...

Guess I just talk about the sinners in general.

Outis is interesting as hell.

She puts on a rather thin facade that one. Though she lays it on thick enough to fool a lot of people around her, it's rather telling how she feels.

I feel like that shady look in her eyes represents both a sort of facetiousness and dedication to whatever act she's pulling off.

I feel like her seeing Qingtao be the way he is made her realize a lot of things.

One thing that sticks to me is Qingtao's line where he said something about how "Hong Lu is one to be locked up and cherished so no harm can come to him."

and I could be misreading this

But I feel like that just spells out her true feelings towards Dante.

In that Dante is a lifeline for her, and as long as Dante is alive, she too will be alive, so she can keep trudging forward to whatever end goal she has in mind.

Also, looking forward to what Hong Lu has to offer with his character. There's an emotional maelstrom brewing within that one.

Anyways, yeah, messy post.

Please do contribute to it y'all if you have something to say. I could be misreading some things, but I also like to think I am observant, and generally good at picking up what they are putting down.

[leonawriter]

When I see the argument "Why does Dante have to be a pre-existing character? Why can't they just be themself/just Dante/a completely original character?" I can't help but feel that the people saying that... aren't really looking at the bigger picture, and especially not of the running themes of Limbus Company, and the way the Sinners' stories go in general.

For one thing, we have had a running tally of times Dante's past has been brought up even outside of the prologue, with them being referred to as having once been "a big shot" and during the Regular Check Up, Hohenheim points out - before being shushed by Faust, which emphasises how big of a deal this was - that Dante is integral to the flow of the world.

They are clearly someone of great importance.

Even not counting any theories on who they are, we ARE going to find out who they used to be. Even at this point, it's an inevitability, due to the nature of the story itself.

Why is that?

Because it's in the nature of Project Moon's works.

In Lobotomy Corporation we are first introduced to the Sephirot, who have all lost their memories and have been programmed to believe that they've only ever worked in the Facility. It takes the Manager (Ayin, often the very one who hurt them in the first place) working with them in order to get them to remember, and then we find out who they used to be. In fact, in the process of finding out who the Sephirot are, we find out that the Manager himself isn't just "Manager X" but he's been Ayin All Along.

In Library of Ruina, we the player are expected to have already gone through Lobotomy Corporation, so we already know who the Librarians and Angela are. Roland, though? Our point of view character is, again, a mystery... who gets slowly unravelled as the game goes on, to the point that the very last thread is only pulled in the endgame.

Now, in Limbus Company, we have Dante. Who has amnesia, which we SAW them do to themself. Judging by what's happened in the past two games, wouldn't it stand to reason that the same applies to them? That over the course of the Cantos, we aren't just finding out more about the Sinners, but also about Dante themself, and no matter who they end up being, we WILL see their original face, AND memories of their past self, sooner or later?

That's only in comparison to the previous two games. If you compare Dante's storyline to that of the other Sinners, the picture I get at least is that all of the Sinners have something that they are effectively running away from, a home they usually don't want to return to, and consequences that are catching up to them.

Let's face it. It's gonna be pretty difficult if the game just goes through all of Dante's storyline and never reveals who they were. Not just narratively, but also for everyone involved. Dante themself has been wondering, too, even if they don't want the information unceremoniously dumped on them.

I've seen some suggest that Dante should just stay as they are, or refuse to face their past, and... wouldn't that go against the character development we want the other Sinners to go through? We want the others to develop and grow and learn from their experiences, becoming stronger and more able to face themselves, right? So why not the same for Dante?

There's this concept I read about a long time ago in a book, which suggested that in order to know your present, you have to also understand your past. You have to know how you got to this point in order to know that you're able to move forward properly.

Personally, as is stated in my many meta posts and in my blog header right now, my own theory is that Dante's past self was Ayin. Personally, I don't think that Dante will change all that much at all once they have their memories back - or at least, the changes would be no different than Don Quixote's. Dante would have, first and foremost, context for everything.

However, I do think that no matter who Dante ends up being, the person they've been for all this journey is now a part of them. No matter what. If someone's afraid that they're going to change because they've got their memories back... well, yeah, they probably will. And I'm sure it won't be fun for them either.

But, y'know what? They definitely won't be fully who they were before, either. That's how people change as humans.

[dsknsk]

Canto 8 and the Chinese language (and how to pronounce the character names + other words)

Long before this Canto started, I've felt the need to make a post about how the Chinese language works, at least on the basics that I've been taught. I feel like understanding at least part of the language also makes you peer into the hows and the whys of things...and you at least get an idea of how to pronounce them.

First off, the term "Chinese language" is fairly cloudy to begin with, and the reasons as to why are beyond the scope of this article. If you want to know more, here's a pretty good explanation. It's also the reason why, outside of this article, I only ever address the language with the word "汉语".

Note: I am a HSK3 graduate. My Chinese won't be perfect, and I won't be good as a native, and this post only describes the approximations to give a general idea of things. Please don't go "well ackshually assumptions based on translations are bad" or "you're inaccurate because xyz" on me, I don't intend to be entirely accurate, just to give a general idea of things. See my post as malarky if that suits you better and move on. Please.

Basics

When I first learnt the Chinese language, my first lesson didn't actually contain any new words. My first lesson was all about pronunciation.

It was also the furthest my mother and the other participants got before dropping out, so I will try and make this as concise as possible.

Chinese is a tonal language. Many people hear it and will say that it sounds as if they're singing all the time. The Chinese language has four ways in which a given syllable (I'm using the "a" as an example) can be pronounced, and then one loose toneless way.

The "flat" tone. This is shown in pinyin like "ā".

The "rising" tone. This is shown in pinyin like "á".

The "falling-rising" tone. This is shown in pinyin like "ǎ".

The "falling" tone. This is shown in pinyin like "à".

The "toneless" tone. Which is only ever used in words that end a sentence like question particles to indicate that the sentence is a question, like 呢 or 吗, or as the last syllable of a word in some cases. This one is also shorter than the others and you know it's this one if there's nothing above the letter in pinyin.

To get the best example of how these sound like (which is better than me trying to describe them vaguely) is to just listen to this guy pronounce the syllable "ma" in the first four tones in order here.

I will try to put an approximate English word/tone to kind of show you how it sort of is pronounced, though it isn't entirely accurate as...well, Chinese has certain things that English just doesn't have, like how they pronounce their "r" or their "ie" sound, which cases are a bit more difficult to transcribe. If you want to know exactly how the syllables and letters I use are pronounced, this page will be a large help since I also took a lot of it from there (in combination with my own experience of course). But below, the letter that I mean in the word is bolded.

A big part of Chinese wordplay consists out of "the same/similar pronunciation, a different word", i.e (near-)homophones. Think of how we have the word "bat" which can refer to a piece of sports equipment as well as to an animal. A large example of this is actually present - there are the families Jiǎ (賈/贾) and Zhēn (甄), where the aforementioned "Jiǎ" is a homophone with the word 假, which means "false" or "fictitious". Meanwhile - predictably - "Zhēn" can be written as 真, which means "real". And yes, the book has a Zhēn Bǎoyù.

This can even carry into social customs. It is considered to be rude and unlucky to give a clock or a pear on a wedding, since both of these relate to the pronunciations of the words "seperate" and "to leave". The likely reason why it's customary to give apples at the year's end in District 8 is probably because the word for "apple" sounds similar to the word for "safety".

One more thing - and this is purely about the written version of the language. You may have seen that sometimes, I use two iterations of the same word. In that case, the first one is the traditional, and the second one is the simplified version of the word. Somewhere in the long history of China which I won't get into now, they decided that, in order to stay with the times and to maintain ease in relationships with other countries, that they had to squish down all words that could not be written within 10 strokes. The country I hail from, Taiwan, however, still uses traditional (as well as Wade-Giles instead of pinyin - they basically just stuck to the old ways). This is why some words look wildly different, yet some are unchanged.

Funfact - there are currently two locations where pinyin can be found in the actual game with their tone tags. One is, of course, the name of the season, but it can be found way back in Kurokumo Hong Lu's passive name:

Names

For the sake of keeping this post to a respectible length, I will only include the names of the most important characters in the Canto.

Hong Lu/Jia Baoyu

鴻路/鸿路 hóng lù "h" as in Scottish "loch"; "o" as in "hold"; "u" as in "looking" meaning is in article text

贾寶玉/贾宝玉 jiǎ bǎoyù "j" is sort of like the English "ch" but a bit different (for the experts, it's called alveolo-palatal pronunciation) that's a bit difficult to describe, I personally stick with the "j" in "jade"; "b" is a hard "b" (sorta sounding like the English "p" in "spy"), see for more notes on the "u" in Xichun's name but here it is kind of like the "u" in "tune" literal meaning: surname Jia; "precious jade"

To start with the centerpiece, Hong Lu. Many people mistakenly pointed out that his name was directly taken from his source book's title. This is, however, not true. The translation note in his introductory video (in the English subtitles - note that said video also has subtitles for both traditional and simplified Chinese) states that it means "great jade". 鸿's secondary, older meaning (the first is "swan") is "great" or "grand", 路 refers to a "path" or "road" and in this context refers to a "path jade", a hollowed jade bead that's worn around the neck in a necklace. It is called that way because when the wearer walks, the jade will also "roll along" due to the friction; thus, wearing a path jade makes one's path as smooth as the jade.

It should be noted that this is the only name that does not have a "source" - all other Sinners minus one have names that are directly mentioned in their respective books, with the only other one, Yi Sang, being a writer. Hong Lu meanwhile, his name is not taken from a character, with his name just being the words "great (path) jade". This gives off a facetious vibe even before we get to know it is indeed a chosen alias - fitting with the book's theme of reality vs fantasy.

For your complete clarity: the name of the book is written as 紅樓夢/红楼梦/, and spoken as "hóng lóu mèng" (same h and o again; "ou" as in "loud" but more of an emphasis on the o, and "e" as in "understatement"). They are very much different words with different pronunciations, though I wouldn't entirely rule out that it could've simply been a pun - as the Chinese often do.

Jia Xichun 賈惜春/贾惜春 jiǎ xīchūn "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya"; "xi" is spoken as "see"; "ch" as "chowing down" and "un" as in "under" literal meaning: surname Jia; "treasuring spring (as in the season)"

Many people think that the "u" in Japanese and Chinese must always be as in "you", similar how they use it in the place of "you". However, in some cases in Chinese, it can be just the "u". An example of the "u" just being "u" is the second word in Xichun's given name, "chūn". Another example of the "u" sound changing would be "Lin Yüxia", where the u is also in diaeresis (this is not always the case, but is more common where the u happens to end the syllable, like in this example where the syllable is "yü" (meaning "rain")). Funnily enough, her third skill's name "Crimson Spring" references her name. In the book, she and her sisters all have the word "spring" in their name, with the theming being that their names describe the spring as it passes. It's kinda like how several of the Kardashians have their names starting with the letter K, only a tad more poetical. Xichun, "treasuring spring", being the youngest, thus denotes the last days of spring as it goes to become summer.

Jia Huan 賈環/贾环 jiǎ huán "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya"; "huan" is similar to "one" but with an "h" in front of it that is the same "h" as I described with Hong Lu literal meaning: surname Jia; "ring"

Funfact. 環 is pronounced "tamaki" in Japanese.

Jia Qiu 賈丘/贾丘 jǐa qiū "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya"; "q" is like the aforementioned "j", just with aspiration; the "iu" is somewhat like "you", but as if one would add a "w" sound to the end of it literal meaning: surname Jia; "hill/grave" (short for Confucius in this context)

丘 derives from 孔丘, Confucius. Even though this character was never a character in the book, it is possible that he represents Confucian values that are also a theme in the book.

Zilu 子路 zǐlù "z" as in "cats" but without aspiration; the "i" in this case is nearly silent but kinda sounds like "uh"; "u" as in "looking" literal meaning: "child's path", courtesy name of Zhong You

Zigong 子贡 zǐgòng "z" as in "cats" but without aspiration; the "i" in this case is nearly silent but kinda sounds like "uh"; "g" is like "k" but unaspirated, like "scar", "o" somewhat like English "awe" literal meaning: "child's tribute", courtesy name of Dianmu Ci

Wei 卫 wèi you know the memes. "way". It's really as simple as that. literal meaning: "guard"

This guy's just really simple.

Jia Mu/Shi Miyin 賈母/贾母 jǐa mǔ "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya" literal meaning: surname Jia; "mother" (arch-mother in this interpretation); "shi" is similar to "sure" (yeah, "i" following "sh" or "s" is pronounced differently)

It's a title. Even before she says that she took on the position of Jia Mu, you can figure that out if you know that 母 is the word used. I unfortunately do not posess the hanzi and pinyin over her original name.

Jia Zheng 賈政/贾政 jǐa zhèng "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya"; "zh" is a bit similar to "chat", the "e" is actually a dull "uh" sound (which is often the case), "ng" as in "sing" literal meaning: surname Jia, "rule"

Jia Yuanchun 賈元春/贾元春 jiǎ yuánchūn "j" as the hard j of "jade"; the "i" in "ia" is typically semi-silent and "ia" is uttered as "ya"; "yuan" is similar to the aforementioned "huan" but with a soft "y" sound; same "chun" as in Xichun's name literal meaning: surname Jia, "first spring"

Yuanchun is the oldest of the spring group, and such her name denotes the start of spring. She starts the group that Jia Yingchun ("welcoming spring"), Jia Tanchun ("seeking spring") and Jia Xichun ("treasuring spring") follow.

Xue Baochai 薛寶釵/薛宝钗 xuē bǎochāi "x" is similar to "sh" but with an alveolo-palatal pronunciation; the "ue" is...uh, like the "wa" in "away" I guess, the "bao" is the same as in Baoyu's name (which is kinda relevant), the "ch" is the same as in "chun" used before literal meaning: surname Xue; "precious hairpin"

As you can see, Baochai shares one part of her name with Baoyu. Daiyu shares the other part of the name. This is on purpose.

Xue Pan 薛蟠 xūe pán "x" is similar to "sh" but with an alveolo-palatal pronunciation; the "ue" is...uh, like the "wa" in "away" I guess, and the "a" is an open one, like in "ah" literal meaning: surname Xue, "to coil like a dragon"

Lin Daiyu 林黛玉 lín dàiyù The "yu" is the same as in Baoyu's name. literal meaning: surname Lin; "blue-black jade"

Daiyu shares the other part of Baoyu's name. This is still on purpose.

Hua Xiren 花袭人 huā xírén The r is kind of weird in that it's similar to z in zoo in English, but with a retroflex articulation. I personally learnt it first in the word 热 (warm) and I still kind of have a bone to pick with it, "en" as "un" literal meaning: surname Hua; "assailing people", literally "flower assails people" facturing in her family name

She's not mentioned with her family name in the Canto, but in the story she has an original family name. In most translations of the story she is, like the other servants, given a non-human name like "Aroma" or "Pervading Fragrance"; the translation I had gave her (translated back) the name of "Charm". It's chosen by Baoyu himself due to her last name reminding him of a line of poetry.

Lei Heng 雷横 léi héng "lei" is similar to "lay"; the "e" and the "ng" are the same as in Zheng's name literal meaning: "lightning", "across"

So the funny thing about him is that his name's actually from one of the other three Chinese Literature Classics, Water Margin.

Concepts

The Chinese subtitle of Canto 8 不思觀望/不思观望 bù sī guānwàng "b" is a hard "b" (sorta sounding like the English "p" in "spy"), "u" as in "looking"; "s" is like an English "s" butwith the tongue on the lower teeth; "g" is like "k" but unaspirated, like "scar", "uan" sorta like in "one", "a" as in "palm" literal meaning: either "don't wait and see" or "witnessing without consideration" depending whether you factor in 思 or consider the phrase a 成语 and you don't. I'd say both of them can be intentional, knowing the Canto.

Daguanyuan 大觀園/大观园 dàguānyuán the "uan" sounds are like before but differ a bit due to the preceeding g and y literal meaning "grand view garden"

H Corp's full name 鴻園生命工程集團/鸿园生命工程集团 hóng yuán shēngmìng gōngchéng jítuán The "hong" is the exact same as Hong Lu uses ("h" as in Scottish "loch"; "o" as in "hold"); "y" is like an English "j" but it's semi-silent; "uan" sorta like in "one"; "sh" is like the "sh" in English but with a retroflex articulation; "i" is like the English "ee", "e" is a bit like "uh" literal meaning: The great garden's life sciences (biology) group

Keep this one for last, people.

But hey. You've made it to the end of the post. Which I think, in my opinion, deserves a treat. I made this some time ago and this pretty much describes the hardship of learning the language when you're starting out. (Includes subtitles translated by me)

[unma]

I'm not going to be able to write my typical long rambles for a bit (need to catch up on important work), but here's a short list of things I wanna talk about with the latest canto.

Spoilers, of course.

The entire Canto taking place after the ending of Don Quixote (the first Don, I will not call him the Actual Don because our Don is as much Don Quixote as he is) is not something I expected, but makes so much sense and made for a wonderful story. There are themes of identity, struggling to live under a broken system and GOD THE FAMILIAL TIES. THE FIGHT AGAINST THE TWO MIDBOSSES + THE PRIEST HAD SUCH MAGNIFICENT STORY BUILD UP. AND THE PRIEST'S ENTIRE MOVESET. UGGGH I WANNA TALK ABOTU IT

Hey. Outis. What did you mean by that. We all know what I'm talking about, right? This is the first time I know of that she's actually given even a smidge of info about herself somewhat directly. Somewhat. Everything else is just in how she knows things and acts. Here she is asking a very specific question and god, I need to know more about her now.

Good job Sinclair. And everyone else. But good job Sinclair.

Vergilius with Sanson's face/mask is cursed.

I continue to feel so so bad for the Bloodfiends. They did the best they could in a world that gave them only two horrible options. I couldn't help but compare La Manchaland to the Tokyo Ghoul:RE ending, because the hemobars reminded me of the artificial meat, except in TG:RE it worked and here, well. We saw how that went. I think it's a great idea to start with the after of their solution; this isn't a situation with a possible solution, they tried that and failed. Who knows if there is one that works? Does it matter now that they're all dead?

I'm going to be very weird about Camille once this is all said and done, but I do want to note that the pretty boy being turned into a flower and having a name very clearly gotten from Carmilla the flower (and maybe the book? Haven't read it yet so idk if he's taken from there) is very cheeky. I still wish I could've besting him up myself. This isn't me critiquing the writing, this is me being weird.

The QTE in the ending cutscene of the boss fight was cool and really added to the feeling of fighting against and overcoming a clearly superior foe.

I wanna hug Don Quixote the First. He's such a ray of sunshine and deserved better. Even if he was somewhat delusional, at least he genuinely cared for his family.

What happened to Hong Lu's sister? Did she just vanish? I didn't notice until later on, so I'll probably need to go back and check myself.

Bari is the Librarian of Death (edit: Nameless Bookhunter, thanks for the correction AE)? Idfk and idc for now. If Bari ends up showing up again or a moot of mine decides they wanna talk about it, maybe I'll look into it.

The familial themes here are most certainly also going to be related to Hong Lu's story, which once more is a reason I really should get to reading all the books for this game.

Ryoshu accepting death from the possibility of fighting Don Qui the second was really funny.

The abno fights here are really good, and I love how Limbus is making unbreakable coins the standard from now on. Makes it so you can't just blaze through fights taking no damage, and these battles genuinely feel difficult. That's good. Their designs and mechanics are also pretty easy to understand and match with their ego gifts pretty well. God I wish we had more Rupture ids that could stack as much count as the Lasso abno.

Sancho fight was cool as hell. The clashable 10 speed skill was so good and made it feel like a massive improvement on the Cassetti fight. So good. On use coin power did mess me up a little given it doesn't show up in the clash numbers, but that was on me for not reading tbh.

Fun fact: final boss can be Meatlantern soloed really easily. So easy in fact that that's how I cleared it. Doing it with a full team didn't end well for me. The solo's also really consistent, which is nice.

Mili song is really good. As usual. I need to go listen to it again. I need an in-game mix. I need it. The childishness of Sancho's side of the tune compared with the seriousness of first Don's side is lovely.

Also. Please, in the final clash where you use Don's base ego. I hope you looked at the name of the ego and the name of Don the First's attack. Please. It's such a good detail. And it's so much better when you remember that Sancho was always the one making weapons for Don. He calls Sancho's lances much more graceful than his. It's so lovely. You can tell these two genuinely love each other. It's so good.

Also the fact that basically every fixer we went in with got wiped out by weakened Bloodfiends really shows just how powerful these bloodfiends are. Camille had to resort to using ego gear to survive. Sheesh.

That'll be all for now. Expect a long ramble on any of these points when I'm more free, aka never.

[sage-lights]

with you, there's no pretending

word count: 2165 chapter: 1/? Ever since freshman orientation, when Angela first noticed Amanda sitting in the gym bleachers, she’d been head-over-heels in love with her.

Angela was going to kill Arasha.  

Earlier that week, Arasha asked Angela if she could interview her about playing Grace Chasity in their high school’s upcoming production of Nerdy Prudes Must Die. Arasha eagerly volunteered to write this article for her journalism class, hoping that Angela’s insight would help her assignment stand out. Angela knew her friend had been working all year to impress her teacher and secure the position of Editor-in-Chief for the next school year.  

Just for fun, Angela made her best friend beg, playfully acting stubborn and difficult about the request—much to Chanse's amusement, who had a blast recording the whole thing and laughing at the two of them. In the end, Angela agreed, and the girls made plans to meet at their favorite local coffee shop on Saturday.  

That morning, she took Spork to the vet for a routine checkup, which, thankfully, hadn’t taken longer than anticipated. After making a quick stop to drop him off at home, Angela arrived at the coffee shop just in time to find a table near the back before the usual afternoon rush filled the place. She sat facing the door so Arasha could easily spot her when she arrived, then mindlessly scrolled on her phone to pass the time.  

Out of the corner of her eye, Angela noticed a girl with long, wavy brunette hair enter the coffee shop. She looked up, expecting to see her friend rushing over to greet her. But instead, in her place stood Amanda Lehan-Canto.  

Ever since freshman orientation, when Angela first noticed Amanda sitting in the gym bleachers, she’d been head-over-heels in love with her. She remembered leaning over and whispering (a little too loudly judging from the pointed looks the kids in front of them had given her) to ask Chanse who the new girl was.  

“Who are you talking about? There’s like a million people here,” Chanse responded, wildly swiveling his head around trying to figure out who Angela was referring to.  

Angela slapped his arm and pointed discreetly to the girl a couple of rows above them, “Over there, idiot!”  

“Oooooooh, someone’s got a crushhhhhh!”  

“Stop it! Could you be any more obvious?” She sunk further into her seat, “Do you know who she is or not?”  

“Nope, but I could find out.”  

Later, Angela learned her name and that she’d just moved to Los Angeles from Boston. Despite Chanse’s insistence that Angela should introduce herself and befriend her, Angela just hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it.  

That was almost four years ago, and even now in their senior year, Angela was no closer to Amanda than when she first laid eyes on her. Even when they’d been in the same AP Psychology class sophomore year, Angela had always been too nervous to say more than a few pleasantries. She didn’t want to come off as overly eager or that she was scaring Amanda away.

Angela admired Amanda from afar, how she greeted a table of friends with hugs and a “How are you?” and how freely she chatted and laughed with the baristas. The coffee shop seemed to brighten with her presence. 

But then Amanda turned and met Angela’s gaze. Shit, she’d been caught staring. Angela tried her best to recover, her face reddening. She turned in the other direction, pretending to search through her tote bag for something. She fumbled with her AirPods and pulled out a book, quickly flipping it open to her bookmarked page.  

“Hey! Angela, right?” Oh no, Angela recognized that voice. She glanced up at the girl speaking to her. Thank goodness for all those acting classes that taught her how to mask her emotions. She hoped her face looked calm and nonchalant, but also friendly and inviting. Oh, and maybe cool and suave as well. Honestly, Angela would take anything over looking overwhelmed at the fact that her long-time crush was now talking to her.  

“That’s me!” Just be cool.  

Amanda sat down in the seat across from her, and that’s when the panic really set in. “I’m Amanda. We had AP Psych with Mr. Hecox together.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” She prayed that her voice wouldn’t embarrassingly start cracking, “His class was definitely an interesting one, especially with the random dark jokes he’d thrown into the middle of his presentations.”  

Amanda chuckled lightly at her comment, and Angela felt her smile widen and her shoulders loosen. But when there was no indication of her leaving, Angela got nervous again.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude, but is there a reason you sat down? Not that I mind talking to you. Not at all. It’s just, um, I’m meeting my friend, Arasha, here in a little bit—oh, you might know her from Journalism then. Since you’re the Editor-in-Chief this year, right? Well, so you probably know that she’s writing a piece on the school’s musical, and she asked to interview me. So, I don’t think you can stay here for long. Oh my god, I sound super rude right now, don’t I? Shoot, I swear I—,” 

“Angela, breathe,” Amanda leaned forward and placed a hand over hers, interrupting her rambling. A thousand questions began spinning around in her head. Can she tell I’m freaking out? Is my hand abnormally sweaty? Am I making a fool of myself right now? Is she this touchy with everyone? Why. Is she. Touching. My hand?!

So much for keeping it cool.

“Did Arasha not tell you? I’m actually filling in for her. She messaged our class on Slack this morning asking if someone could take over because she woke up super sick,” Amanda explained.

“Oh shoot, maybe I missed that text from her,” Angela opened her texts with Arasha and briefly scrolled through to check even though she knows for certain that this a certified Arasha prank.

angela: you’re kidding me arash no way you’re sick

Immediately, Angela got a response. She could just picture Arasha’s smug face.

arasha: oh yeahhh i’m totally sneezing up a storm rn

angela: arasha lalani more like arasha lie-lani

arasha: lame but you’ll thank me later now go have fun on your date! but not too much fun ;’)

angela: NOT A DATE i hate you sm

arasha: you’re welcomeee

Amanda raised an eyebrow playfully, “Everything good with Arasha?”

“Yeah, everything’s good,” Angela fumbles with her phone again, shoving into the pocket of her zip up hoodie without even turning it off.

“Okay, good.”

“Good.” Oh no, did I just make it weird?

Amanda pulls her laptop out of her purse, “Ready to get started then?”

“Let’s do this thing.”

Amanda readied her fingers over the keys and looked over at Angela, ready to take notes like a professional journalist. “So, what can audiences expect from your performance as Grace Chasity in Nerdy Prudes Must Die?”

“Soup,” Angela answers cheekily.

“I’m sorry, soup?”

“Yep, soup! I mean who doesn’t like soup? A classic chicken noodle? Or a butternut squash soup?” Angela gasps animatedly, “What about a garlic tomato bisque? With a grilled cheese?! Come on, how could anyone hate soup?”

Amanda chimes in with a grin, “Broccoli cheddar though? Very divisive, I will say!”

“Ugh! I do secretly love a broccoli cheddar!”

“So do I! But have to ask again, Angela, what does this have to do with Grace Chasity?”

“You’ll have to wait and see. I will say though, Grace’s preferred soup is definitely dirty.”

Amanda laughs, “I feel like you’re purposely trying to confuse me now.”

“Gotta sell tickets somehow, Amanda!” She winks, to which Amanda laughs again. That sound, the resonance of it, settles into Angela’s chest and fills her with a blooming warmth. 

As the interview progressed, Angela’s initial jitters fade away. Each question Amanda asked felt less like an interrogation and more like a conversation she’d have with friends. By the time they reached the final question, she realized she’d very much enjoyed Amanda’s company.

“Alright, I think that’s everything,” Amanda closed her laptop and slipped it back into her bag. “Thank you again for doing this interview with me. I know I’m not who you were expecting, but I’m glad I got to chat about the musical with you anyway.”

Angela shook her head bashfully. “Of course, it was no problem.”

They both gathered the rest of their things and stood up, though Amanda suddenly moved in for a hug. Angela returned the embrace, even though she was still a little shell-shocked from the whole afternoon. Note to self: Amanda’s a hugger.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Amanda pulled away. “I always forget not everyone’s down for physical touch, and then I go and make it uncomfortable by hugging you.”

“No, it was alright. Don’t worry about it,” smiled Angela, reassuring Amanda. Neither of the girls said anything after that, leaving them staring at each other in awkward silence for a little too long. At least, it was awkward for Angela, given the whole “I’m in love with you” part. She really hoped she wasn’t smiling too much like an idiot. Maybe she should stop smiling. No, that would be off-putting as hell to randomly stop smiling. Maybe she should say somethi—

Amanda cleared her throat, “It was nice talking to you. I hope to see you around sometime.” Phew.

She waved to the retreating Amanda, “Yeah, I’ll see you around.” But there was still a voice inside her that urged her to say something more. This is your chance, Angela!

“Wait!” Angela called out, causing Amanda to turn back around. “You should, um, get my number. You know, just in case you have any more questions while you write the article.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Amanda handed Angela her phone with an amused expression. Angela carefully entered her information on the new contact page and passed it back to Amanda before saying a last goodbye and letting Amanda walk out.

Angela blinked a couple of times, hoping to snap back into the present. It didn’t help—she was too dazed from the whole interaction. Amanda Lehan-Canto had just talked to her. Holy. Shit.

After collecting herself a little more, she hopped in her car and drove home. Every moment of their conversation replayed in Angela’s mind: the answers she had given, the stupid jokes she had cracked, the way Amanda had sounded when she laughed. She pinched her arm over and over again to prove to herself that this all really happened.

As she pulled into the driveway, her phone lit up with a notification from her group chat with Chanse and Arasha—it was unfortunately named “ANGELAAAAAAA!” after the way her friends often called her name in disappointment.

arasha: your location says you’re home angela spill how did it go

angela: wtf are you stalking me

arasha: that’s beside the point

chanse: explainnnn pleaseee

arasha:  i set ang up on a date with amanda lehan cantooooooooo

chanse: A DATE?!

angela: NOT! A! DATE!!! it was an interview that arasha FLAKED ON

arasha: semantics

chanse: HOW DID IT GO

angela: it was chill she asked me about nerdy prudes and i gave her my number in case she had follow up questions

chanse: you gave her your number???? damn ang is finally make some moves took you long enough

arasha: YOU’RE FUCKING WELCOME MAN she would still be sitting on her ass pining away if it weren’t for me

angela: jeez it was just a casual thing calm yourselves

chanse: why don’t you text her and say you forgot to mention something earlier just to get the convo rolling

angela: um bitch i’m tryna play it cool here don’t wanna seem too eager plus i just realized i didn’t get her number…

chanse: angelaaaaaaaaaaaaaa dude you fumbled that big time

arasha: i put in so much work to make that happen and you fucked it wasted effort

chanse: you idiot i cannot believe you

arasha: you got no game fr

angela: Y’ALL I WAS PANICKING CAN YOU BE A LITTLE MORE GENTLE

chanse: no you don’t get a pass for this arash do you have her number

arasha: nah we text on slack also it would be hella strange if ang had her number without asking directly

chanse: ugh true i guess

At this point, she had made it up the stairs and into her bedroom. Frustrated with her friends, Angela tossed her phone onto her bed before promptly flopping down and burying her face into the pillows. And then, she screamed. So loud and so long that she barely heard the “ding” of a new notification.

Angela rolled over and felt around for her phone, already groaning at what she expected to be another annoying message from her annoying friends.

unknown number: hey this is amanda

Her eyes widened.

unknown number: i realized way too late that i never gave you my number so i thought i’d shoot you a text so you could saved it too :)

Angela threw her phone again and went back to screaming.

a lil author's note: i started this amangela high school au a longggg time ago, practically when this blog started because it's one of my favorite tropes to mull around in my mind. funnily enough, this first chapter was written for the smosh girlies week back in feb, but i deleted the whole thing because i hated what i wrote, so the first draft has been lost to time. then, i wrote it again and abandoned it again. it wasn't until my wonderful friend @babychosen asked me about it recently that i decided to revisit it and finally finish it for all y'all to enjoy! this is for @babychosen, @unknownteapot, @poppyfamily, and @shesmore-shoebill. thanks guys for always yelling about amangela with me <3

[firestorm09890]

y'all I was going to make SUCH a post about how the Ashes to Ashes + Dust to Dust = Soothe the Dead EGO recipe is unbelievably Ryōshū-coded and then they added the fucking papa bongy cookbook to the recipe

I'm just going to pretend it isn't there and make the post I was going to make

Dust to Dust is pretty easy to interpret as someone on their knees, surrounded by smoke, but Ashes to Ashes is a little more difficult to read. It looks like it could be a wonky face going >:) which is what I thought it was for months but it is also someone on their knees, cradling something

with a line extending up from the back of the neck area, perhaps implying a noose?

And then there's Soothe the Dead, which is a half burned Okina Noh mask. I unfortunately don't know a lot about Okina or Noh but I do know that this specific mask is one of the "old man" masks.

Okay let's talk about Hell Screen!

Yoshihide (who Ryōshū is based on) was an old painter who was ordered to paint a large screen depicting the Buddhist hell. Unfortunately he can't paint something without having seen it so he tortures his apprentices a bunch and finally for the centerpiece he tells his lord that he needs to see a maiden burn in a carriage. The lord burns... Yoshihide's daughter! Yoshihide finishes the painting and then kills himself out of grief and regret, specifically by the way of hanging.

And then the real kicker is that Hell Screen ends with the narrator saying Yoshihide's body was buried in the ruins of his house and that over the years, anything marking who he was ended up eroded by wind and rain and overgrowing plants. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

You could maybe say something about how Dust to Dust appears to be depicting the death of Yuzuki (Yoshihide's daughter) and that Ashes to Ashes depicts the death of Yoshihide but it's not really that clear- it is a little strange for abnormality gifts to parallel one specific sinner's story to that extent. Either way Rising Ashes abnormality EGO coming with Canto IX trust me

[gremio0]

your limbus oc looks SO cool do you have any info on him.... he compels me i want to know more about him

HI HELLO thank you for opening the floodgates I have a lot to say about Bentinho actually. in the wise words of oomf I’m like a vampire and need to be invited into talking about my ocs otherwise I physically cannot do it

Don’t expect any structure from this I’m not particularly sure half of the words I’m saying even exist

Alright. So.

He’s based on the book Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis (actually my favorite author of all time! I have a physical silver medal from a national literature olympic on this shit). Though it’s not really possible to directly translate the title, “Dom Casmurro” is a nickname given to Bentinho in his old age, “Dom” being a mockery of his high status and “Casmurro” meaning something between “stubborn”, “spiteful” and “grumpy”. His full name Bento Santiago is also interesting with “bento(a)” being a rarely used word for “holy” (as in “holy water”/“água benta”) and “Santiago” being derived from the word for “saint”, neither of which actually fucking apply to him; “Bentinho” is the diminutive form of the name. As an LCB Sinner, Bento is kind of an insufferable little bitch who I created with the explicit purpose of suffering the consequences of his actions as much as possible because he doesn’t get nearly enough shit in the book for being such an asshole all the time.

The Sinner Bentinho has a rather erratic demeanor, always literally and figuratively looking over his shoulder. He’s an arrogant and bitter man who doesn’t seem to be looking forward to much in his life. Although he does his best to maintain an appearance of collected elegance, his paranoia and jealousy often slip through the very plentiful cracks for all to see. He’s distrusting of most of everyone, and a pathological liar; talking to him can be rather difficult if you’re not careful with your words, as he has a way of finding non-existent malice in every other sentence, but it’s not particularly difficult to gain his favor if you know how to stroke his ego.

As for general Limbus stuff:

He has Midnight Green (#004952) as his signature color, and I generally use ☕️ as the emoji to represent him. The reference should be clear if you’ve read Dom Casmurro <33

He does not have a sinner number yet, but I’ve been considering #18 (because Machado de Assis, and consequently Bentinho, lived around the 1800s)

The word engraved in the hilt of his rapier, “Desprezo” (NOT to be confused with “depressed” it’s happened too many times by now) is, in portuguese, the feeling of despising something or someone.

His base EGO is called “Tu Serás Feliz”; “You Shall be Happy"

In his LCB Sinner Identity, he has Lust, Pride and Envy sin affinities.

His Canto is called “The Truth Revealing”. It would be placed somewhere from mid to end game, as the way it’s structured would require Bento to already have established relationships with the other sinners. I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the philosophy he presents in one of the earlier chapters in the book: “life itself is much like an Opera”. Notably, the majority of it takes place in a theater, visually inspired by the Rio de Janeiro municipal thetaer. I’ve reduced the cast of the book a bit to focus on the conflict between Bentinho, Capitu and Escobar, though characters like Ezequiel, José Dias and Dona Glória also play a part.

He has a lot of associations with opera and theater but it’s hard to elaborate on those without a full summary of his Canto. Maybe one day.

I think that’s just about enough information for a decent introduction but I’d be very happy to elaborate if there happen to be any questions. wink wink nudge nudge. He’s been very rudely occupying my brain without my consent for the past few weeks and I doubt he’ll be going away any time soon. He should die one of these days that would be great.

[scalpelsyringe]

Limbus talk below.

Are any of these IDs worth uptying? It's difficult deciding what and what not to uptie, especially when thread is so sparse, and there's so many combinations for teams.

Solemn Lament Yi Sang - Likely should, especially since we use him. Just put off due to the high cost, since it is a 000 rarity.

W. Corp Yi Sang - His supports seem good enough, we just don't run charge teams often

My Seven Association - High cost -_- Also, it's a small thing, but I do prefer my nonuptied art for this ID far better... Sighs, but she also uses it frequently. So she supposes if it's worth it.

My Multicrack - Skill 3 and passives all seem good, high cost. Don't use charge much.

Kurokumo Clan Wakashu Ryoshu - Skill 3 and passives seem good, high cost.

Liu Meursault

Dead Rabbits Meursault - Seems fine enough, especially since we often use rupture.

Liu Hong Lu

W Corp Hong Lu

Fanghunt Hong Lu - Seems good to uptie? May do it once we personally reach Canto 7 on our account.

Seven Heathcliff - Skill 3 seems decent enough

R Ishmael - Have heard it's good but honestly it seems shit. Someone justify it to Faust.

Edgar Butler Ishmael - Ishmael wants to. And we use sinking often enough.

W Outis - High cost, don't use charge often

Blade Lineage Salsu Outis

Ring Outis

Zwei Gregor - Have been meaning to, since we use him constantly. Just a high cost...

Liu Gregor

Rosespanner Gregor

[myreputatioooon]

Ya'll I need a fic where Outis being a war criminal with a body count haunts the cantos

The ✨drama✨ of Nelly's reunion with Heath being interrupted by her noticing Outis and asking "Mother?!" and Heathcliff being inflicted with staggering because he's been beefing to high hell with his nanny's MOTHER and oh fuck Outis is gonna hold this over his head

Outis remarking to Olga how she picked up everything from her father except maybe her fighting ability much to Olga's confusion

Outis being real awkward around Sinclair especially during his Canto cuz she might have birthed/sired one or more of his parents kids . . . Who may or may not have been sibling(s) to Sinclair . . . Or Sinclair because shit he looks like that man she shagged

All the sinners being off-the-wall frustrated at how damn difficult Aida and Los Mariachis are to fight but Outis herself is also smiling the whole way through and after Aida flees for the first fight she's just smirks and goes "good enough show for my daughter" giving one or more sinner whiplash

Outis as all the sinners die of poison spitting at Hopkins, "not even letting your own half-sister to die in your arms, and now this?" And Hopkins having no clue wtf she's talking about so he walks away faster to get the hell out of dodge

Outis remarks looking at the Lion, Wolf & Panther "you have your fathers/'s eyes" and it is never clarified who or how many she was referring to

[melonisopod]

Convinced Priest-Gregor was designed to acclimate players to the idea of running their Sinners at low health.

Also! Jia Xichun being a Rupture unit (and having enemies that are Rupture-focused as well like the Fanghunt Fixers and Rose Hunter) got me thinking that we may be getting our "Season of Rupture" very soon, at the very least Canto 8.

So this got me thinking, "Okay, Rupture is almost too broken an archetype on its own to be giving out truly meta-defining units to, and Rose Hunter alone was a nightmare to deal with because of his high Rupture stacking. Now, if I were a game designer, how would I try to balance this? How would I try to weigh out my shiny new roster of True Damage Powerhouses with enemies that still make the fights sufficiently challenging, and perhaps even difficult enough to make the Hot New Rupture Gameplay enticing enough to make people roll the gacha?"

My best guess would be a really consistent heal-per-turn mechanic akin to the K. Corp. mobs, but potentially worse. If the enemy can proc enough heal or maybe revive to keep pace with, say, a full roster of shiny new Rupture Meta doing enough damage to erase a whole health bar in a single hit, that seems like it'd be my first answer. Just give an almost annoying amount of healing or revival. Heck, we already have units in the game with infinite revive (YOU WANT TO GET BEAT? HURTILY? <-no that's what they're called it's not a threat) (K. Corp. Hong Lu's Ampule passive, and more recently Priest-Gregor; to an extent there's also Erlking's teammate revive proc though that's only one turn) so it wouldnt' be a stretch to imagine just doing more of that.

So if my theories are right (which, last time I tried making theories I was about half-wrong with a lot of them lmao) in about six months we're going to see a lot of enemies that proc self-heal or revive.

[fictionfixations]

god this is so difficult

i feel like im making progress but i also dont understand wtf im doing to get here

ive really just been using heathcliff's ego whenever i can, like the one with the gears, overclocking it and praying he targets the boss because he does BIG damage (like 200 💀)

ive been like targetting like the stuff around the boss and then using the rest of the characters on attacking her hoping that the one or two attack i spare for like the i already forgor wehat its called but like the branches stuff, hoping the attacks do enough to take it out

ive also been focusing on when the characters are stuck in them

and trying to save heathcliff to just attack the boss cause again big big damage

wondering if theres anything i could do better? cause im getting like a vague understanding of what to do but like if you asked me to explain i would not have the words (i have two friends whove played this game before and their thoughts are either 'idk how i beat it either i was stuck on it for 2 years 😭' < said they were using like defense moves but i dont understand what timing is good and they dont understand either so.. and 'i had an event that coincided and helped me level my characters, tho its definitely a spot ppl get stuck in a lot')

ive only had like 5 pretty strong units because they were the main 5 i was using but oh its 7 now... i read that its a good idea to not fill them in so your stronger units can have more attack moves but its not working so ive been adding like my friends support but idk which identities are good for this boss so im kinda just going for the high level ones and praying for them to carry

i got the choosing an identity to get from s1 on the hello new manager login and my friend advised me on getting like g corp gregor so ill try to get him like leveled up and uptied and see if that + friend support will make any difference

or if itll make it harder

but i mean what else do i do ive realized the max level for me right now is 40

the only thing i can do is spend more time leveling the rest of my identities, uptieing them to 3 (and threadspinning additional egos)

and then if that still doesnt work idfk i guess.... pull and pray for more egos???

heres what i have right now. the other alternative is switching gregor for either faust or outis but idk which are good so im trusting in my friends opinion more. ive got him leveled but hes not uptied and id feel better having him at least at like 38 cause you get like an extra level to your clash thing if you have a 3 level advantage then your opponent and vice versa right? before i fight the boss

and also i ran out of enkephalin leveling him so i cant run it again anyway 💀

on supports. idk. ive kinda been switching who it is every time focusing either on identities with multiple egos, or identities that are like level 55 just praying that theyre strong enough (im wondering if thats either like max or if there are even higher level identities, idk, but im still like really new so im hesitant to friend someone with like a really high level 😭)

think i just gotta be patient about this since i have kinda been speeding through tis only natural to hit like a roadblock and be stuck on it for awhile........... i just. so i heard compass and its finally what pushed me to get into limbus company and i wanna hear it ingame (and i believe its in the next canto? ive also heard a few songs for the other cantos besides that that i really wanna hear in game too so regardless of order im happy. i think Hero is my favorite out of all of them)

also actually almost 24 hours yippee

[writing2changetheworld]

I need to post more positive things - the RELIEF I feel lol.

Someone on here ( @sweettenderheart ) told me Angela [Giarratana] refers to the word "crazy" as "the bad C word" also when playing Resident Evil 8 with Amanda [Lehan-Canto] and Spencer [Agnew].

Honestly, even just watching a little bit of the game made it difficult for me to breathe so I didn't go back. I watched this part because I needed to witness it for myself lol.

I'm sharing this for multiple reasons.

1.) To highlight Angela.

2.) In addition to recognizing and acknowledging the improvements that still need to happen, it's VITAL to recognize and acknowledge the positive things.

3.) To remind other disabled people who may have not great people around them: good people exist. People that care exist. People who publicly show they care exist!

(They said it's in part 6 and between 13 to 15 minutes in (I found it at a little over 14 minutes) if anyone is curious!)

[ruinaimagines]

what do you think it would take for Heathcliff to warm up to somebody? because right now I feel like he'd scare a lot of people off with how brash and violent he is, but it'd be interesting if someone managed to befriend him.

I love him. And yes, I am alive! I am still crawling on. somehow.

Heathcliff Warming up to Someone Headcanons:

It is true that his outwardly brash nature is what a lot of people are initially met with, especially if they happen to be of some authoritative stance, but that’s mainly because of his own preconceived judgements. He’s a rather reasonable and good man otherwise.. Just a bit quick to jump to opinions.

If he doesn’t feel as though you are demanding respect from anyone then you have quite a decent chance of getting along. Talk to him as though he’s an actual person and you’ll find he’s pretty cooperative unless what you’re telling him to do is something he deems as outrageous.

Even though I lovingly call him an idiot, he’s quite the opposite. Heathcliff is a very apt man. We’ve seen this during Canto II with how he diverts the attention of the casino guards. He’s just a bit impulsive in some cases in the same sense that Don is. If he sees something he considers to be wrong, insulting, or similar he is quick to action if no one else is. He’s very good with short-term solutions but doesn’t immediately consider the implications for the long term. That’s Faust’s job. He’s clever and witty.

His recklessness also stems from the fact that death isn’t actually a problem for him (poor Dante), so not much is stopping him from speaking his mind. Unless the situation is really dire he has no desire to shut his mouth. Will still mutter under his breath.

He would immediately get along a lot better with you if you share any kind of similar passions in disrupting the system, calling people out, and overall being very blunt on the blatant ignorance and audacity some people have. While not to say the other sinners don’t agree, they just typically don’t really comment on it either. To have someone else that he can rant with and be brutally honest with? Ohhh that is just going to fuel the flames.

Would find you funny as hell if you insult the smug, sleazy workers of the city you happen to run into. Even better if it’s directly in their faces. Will back you up even if you don’t know each other much at this point because it’s entertaining. 

I believe that you have a pretty solid chance of getting along even if you don’t immediately call out someone to their face so long as he overhears you complaining about it later. Not all people have the confidence he does, and sometimes it’s easier for you to let it be in the moment as long as it’s not too treacherous or there’s quips here and there.

The most crucial part in befriending him is first and foremost about establishing a sense of likemindedness. If he doesn’t see you as an agreeable person, then chances are he won’t think well of you either. You don’t have to be as loud about it as he is but even stating something along the lines of ‘That is wrong and it needs to be acknowledged and not smoothed over’ after the fact works for him.

I think that it would be a lot more difficult for him to see eye to eye with someone who so compliantly follows along with orders and seems indifferent to the cruelty and justice around them. There needs to be some kind- any kind of proof that you have humanity and aren’t willing to stay complicit with continuing what is seen as morally wrong by him.

He’s a very passionate guy which can be a little difficult to navigate because he can very easily get lost to more aggressive feuds or grudges, in these situations he’s a bit unreachable in that he is very unlikely to hear others out. When it calms down though his opinion may alter slightly especially the longer he knows a person. Still sticks very close to his own truth nonetheless.

With this it becomes easier to talk to him because there’s no longer that  preconceived notion he holds over you, whatever it may be. You might find him even gravitating more near you or valuing your opinions a little higher than the others. When Faust is droning on he tends to tune her out, but whatever you’re saying he’s more encouraged to listen in on. There isn’t much of a difference in the moment, but you’ll notice that he’s completely forgotten what Faust has advised whereas he brings up a note that you mentioned instead.

Don’t expect the bickering to go anywhere. Friend or not, there will still be snide remarks here and there, though if you’re on good terms with him they’re meant in a more playful snarky way as opposed to a genuine complaint. Best be quick witted yourself.

You’re one of the few who can get away with insulting him without paying the typical price of being smacked over the head unconscious with his bat! Something that has happened an unnecessary amount of times with the other sinners much to the displeasure of Dante. Don’t expect to be completely devoid of being pushed around though. I imagine him to be the type of person to slam his hands around your shoulder with such force that it will completely knock the wind out of you for a joke.

Heathcliff is sort of hard to reach emotionally, even if you two get along very well. It can be kind of difficult to delve deeper into his own problems no matter how good on terms you are with him. He’s approachable in the way that his inferiority complex makes it extremely unlikely for him to ever mention his own shortcomings or communicate his distress in a way other than anger. Heathcliff does not want to have someone pity him, and above all he doesn’t want to be seen as weak.

It’s very hard to navigate, there’s hardly a right answer of how to go about it because it’s something that’s so emotionally fuelled that your best case scenario is just trying to listen and be more casual about it if something ever did get brought up. It’s a sore spot, don’t be surprised or feel bad if he snaps at you because he feels like you’re trying to be his therapist, it’s a spur of the moment thing and he’d feel bad afterwards. He just wants to be seen as a person.

Try to pry very little, what small trace amounts you get from him of his own personal experiences is something you’ll just have to take. Heathcliff might seem to be in particularly pissy and broody moods from time to time, whether from a bad interaction or something deeper, you can ask him what happens but if he says to drop it then it's recommended you do.

I feel like he isn’t ready to unpack everything, he finds it unneeded and a hindrance to get all sappy and focus on how he feels. That said I don’t know if there ever would be a proper time… aside from his canto.

You become his complaining buddy. He will trash talk either the others or some unpleasant person you’ve met while at work. It’s honestly fascinating some of the most obscure and abhorrent insults he can construct, beat only by Ryoshu of course. Her’s is just vulgar.

He is so biased it’s not even subtle. Heathcliff might seem a bit unapproachable at first but you’ll quickly come to realize that if you offer a sort of loyalty then he will return it. Might make fun of you for getting into a tricky situation, but he will do everything he can to pull you out of it and I think that’s what makes him such a good companion.