#also i personally don't think arcana's really dead dead

[please-let-this-work-oh-my-god]

Chapter 6 checkup (The text on Vertin says "Alive but gay" btw)

Inspo (also spoilers for Madoka Magica and Ninjago lmao):

(Fyi, I didn't know how to do the gray out thing so the black text is supposed to stand in for that)

Up to date version of this image with chapter 7 spoilers below the cut

[utilitycaster]

How Funny is it for Chetney to die on the Next Long Rest: 3x82

since I started this only last episode here is a link the previous edition to refresh your memories re: the vibe. Also only 15 minutes or so have passed since then which means most of that post is still entirely relevant. It's okay though because for my own entertainment I have added a bonus feature at the bottom:

Hilarity considerations:

Just hard-carried the thinking of the party; farewell to what few arcana checks were made

finally: a werewolf that has reached the moon! what shall he do oh he's dead huh

there's still plenty of time on the moon today for him to pick up a piece of predathos BEFORE the long rest. Does the responsibility to pass that along fall to the rest of the party? THERE'S a shenanigan to be sure?

Does he have a death letter. He better have a death letter. Everyone should have one (Molly is excused bc he is proudly barely literate bless his heart and also Taliesin's letter for Percy was good enough for two games). If he does it's gonna be LIT.

No really imagine you are Matt though and Chet just fucking dies on the moon. This is a complication for Matt but it is funny for me.

I think he should play as Yussa if this happens.

Hilarity complications:

Honestly they are roughly the same as last time but I did just remember Dorao too. Plot is stored in the Travis Character. I don't mind plotlines ending bc of this death but man that destroys any ongoing non-moon plotlines basically except whatever the fuck is going on with Delilah. You know how two of the three post-Campaign VM one-shots are specifically because Grog pulled a card from the Deck of Many Things? This would be like the opposite of that. Campaign ends ten episodes earlier than it would have because we don't have any of Chet's stuff.

What if he plays one of Ishto's party members who DID actually make it but got trapped on the moon. That's a weird dynamic.

The return to the war council becomes messier and messier...Bells Hells has: raised the alarm for basically every Reilora. Otohan is here. They have left SO many witnesses. And now they got a new guy.

Forecast: 1% chance of Chetney Death. A weird arcane lightning rod level of hilarity.

Bonus because this might get repetitive (fun fact, the wizard tracker? also launched just as shit got WICKED repetitive because every episode was like max 3 hours of real time. it is my gift, and my curse.) Things in this episode with slightly more personality than Otohan Thull:

The polymorphed possum

The nervous unnamed Vanguard member in the tent

The tent

The hypothetical concept of Tent Kite

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

• Forgot this one. It’s tied with death but not tied to the subject of Arsa and mc’s resurrection.

OKAY so you know in Muriel’s route how they meet Khamgalai in the Arcana realm after she dies? I know you don’t HAVE to be dead to see dead people ( Morga, Lucio, Khamgalai, etc ) BUT Since Julian TECHNICALLY died in his route, what do you think of the possible idea of him seeing/meeting his parents in the Arcana realm?

• As I said earlier “ I know you don’t HAVE to be dead to see dead people “ so What about Portia seeing them when she’s in the arcana realms in her route? What about Muriel meeting his parents in his route? What about Lucio meeting his dad in his route? Just something I’ve been thinking about.

• The arcana realm is a bit confusing so I really hope I’m not remembering wrong. I think it both does and doesn’t function as an afterlife. I think Khamgalai brings up the concept of it when you meet her again after she dies but again I can’t really remember. ANYWAY, That’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while now

Love your stuff!

-🥥

Ahhh these are such good questions, anon friend! Short (ish) answers below the cut ^.^

The main setting behind the characters seeing or speaking with the dead in the story is resolution. The dead who get the most involved in the plot and the MC/M6's lives are the ones who don't have the closure they need to rest. This applies to the ghosts in the Lazaret and (depending on the route) Khamgalai and Morga. There are also moments late route where a ghost who needed closure interacts with the living again to confirm that things have been made right, but the circumstances for that are unclear.

All that to say, I think it would be entirely possible/plausible for the characters with dead parents to be able to get in touch with them! The question is whether it happens because 1) the character has reached a point where they need to have a conversation with the dead, and circumstances allow them to connect, or 2) because a character has learned enough necromancy to do so, which seems to be a rarer, more dangerous, even taboo use of magic.

The worldbuilding in the Arcana universe is uh - vague? - at best, but one of the base concepts/explanations for the patrons and realms in general is that they aren't corporeal. They seem to exist on what appears to be a purely spiritual level. With a death/dying system where spirits frequently continue to exist consciously after the body dies, it makes sense (to me at least) that they're still able to travel through and interact with spiritual planes of existence like the realms. I don't think that designates any of the Arcana realms as "the afterlife", though. Otherwise, Lucio's weird purgatory of being stuck "in between" the living and the dead would make less sense to me personally since he spends most of his time in the realms.

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Discussing lore and story predictions for 2.2 CN story "Tristes Tropiques"

(Major spoilers for 1.9 and beyond)

There will be images below, if you are here before the 1.9 livestream DO NOT READ this, major spoilers here.

(Disclaimer: I am neither Brazilian or have read Tristes Tropiques. This is only a discussion from purely a lore basis and as the first mainline chapter of the 2.0 story)

Alright.

(I already talked about Bessmert/Martha in a previous post so Im not mentioning here, also image limit)

What the hell is happening here? Either this is early on in the story or near the very end/ climax of the version story. From 2.0 story the previous owner of the robot toy was Eternity, then the Preacher released Kimberely/ Anjo Nala against Joe, and by the end of that patch supposedly the robot was in the hands of a Manus Footsoldier.

(From this point Im refering to Kimberely as Anjo Nala, the first maybe an Alias? Im not sure which is which)

In 2.1 Anjo Nala was working with Ms Grace (appeared at the end of 2.0) and reported to her at the end of the event story, Im assuming that the robot was in her possession at that point.

But here? This guy works like a Zeno officer, Igor mentions the Zeno branch here or at least a part of it muntinied and killed their commanding officer, the final bit of the PV shows dead Zeno officers and seems to be a continuation of the first bit of the PV. How he got the robot is beyond me, Igor theorised the mutiny included Manus so maybe thats how he got it?

As for Vertin, really how did she end up alone completely? Wheres Lilya and Sotheby? Also noticing the willingness to show onscreen violence and blood, before this was implied in text and now we are seeing it. Mind you first chapter of the patch and immediately Vertin gets strangled nearly to death. Im guessing where we se her fall unconscious is the moment Anjo Nala snaps and attacks the Officer.

(Side note: since she is playable and ofc that means joins the suitcase, we know Vertin does have the tendency for physical affection like holding hands or patting the heads of some of the suitcase residents. But here? Potential trauma and Anjo Nala having a different line for the head and hands touching? Vertin being outright uncomfortable with it? Just conjecture.)

Time for Manus.

Oh wow we finally see Arcana being literally vaporised. I think the PV confirms that everyone truly believes she is dead EXCEPT Druvis in the inter-chapter of 1.9, so I don't think she is dead but instead as created a matryrdom out of herself to manipluate characters like Sophia and the Apostles Brotherhood.

Speaking of them, Igor refers to them as a notorious gang in Sao Paulo, likely not actually affiliated with Manus but choosing to align with their goals and eventually joining them (the name Order of Enlightenment maybe just refers to the Manus worshippers in the US maybe?). This is probably gonna be a big point for Lilya's character, potentially placing her at a tension point over Zeno's ethics or even a crosswords between Zeno and Vertin.

The name Moldir is the only one we haven't met yet, either this is the guy who looks to be leading the Apostles Brotherhood or

This person hugging Lopera (or the same person, lighting is different here)

What is noticeable is that everyone (idk Mr Duncan and White Rum) are members of Zeno) Lopera literally leading a firing squad here. Also it says here arcanists and humans showing the both of them, either Lopera or this person is human? I have a feeling they are the doomed people this time around.

This came before the last image, forgot the order but its Lopera and Anjo Nala interacting here. Maybe they have met? Where this happens I don't know, also if this place was hit by a Storm (some people were saying 1950s?) then maybe since we know Anjo Nala was stored in the robot for some time in the Foundation then Eternity, maybe its like Marcus and Heinrich and this is Anjo Nala's era, or this is Rayashki again and shes returned to the same place at a different point in time?

Ok Mr Duncan, one of his lines was "old friend" addressing Vertin Im assuming, either this is just a friendly greeting or as in literal we have met before is again speculation.

More importantly he is probably gonna tie to Sotheby's character in this patch and arc, he already reminds me of Mr Karson, what if they are related? Also they look to be doing a handshake of sorts (If he is related to Mr Karson oh no the pain)

Again what is going on with Vertin she seems to be catching Ls everywhere. Why are you in the sea again (river maybe). Maybe this is the first interaction she has with Anjo Nala here, there is a shot of Anjo Nala on a boat, maybe she's rescuing Vertin falling off Red-38 or something.

In terms of plot the focus will be on the Zeno Mutiny in Sao Paulo, the Apostles Brotherhood being associated with the Manus. Maybe that Zeno Officer is similar to Stephen in 2.1 and thinks Vertin is a murderer over Arcana, proceeding to attempt to kill her through Anjo Nala. Maybe Lilya might be forced to choose between Vertin and Zeno? Again conjecture.

[sonjuponju]

now YOU tell me about YOUR ocs...!!! (if you want) is your pfp enix...🧡

IT IS IT IS!!! that drawing turned out so good i just stick it everywhere now 😭

the thing about my ocs is that i hardly get anything done with them if i don't have someone to constantly validate my choices and help me build ideas and stuff so most of my stories are pretty incomplete and all over the place 🥲 but i do have some bits and pieces that i can share!!

ima put everything under a read more cus there's gonna be a LOT of stuff. you really don't have to read all of it if you find it longwinded, i just really love rambling about my dudes (but only if someone asks 😭)

ENIX, he/him - he's actually one of my older ocs, i created him way back in 2017 when i was like 11 😭 fun fact! his original name was vixen but due to the definition of the word bugging me i recently changed his name to enix :3 another fact but kind of an embarrassing one - he used to have DID, and my 11 year old ass played RIGHT into the "evil alter" trope, so yeahhhh... the only good thing to come out of that was that the "evil alter" eventually became a wholly separate blorbo, named feliks! who we will get into now B)

FELIKS, he/him - my fucking sweet baby. my angel. he has gone through so many transformations it's hilarious

here he is in his "evil alter" days. already got the black eye to signify his "evilness". though i don't think it took very long for me to decide that he was actually the host of the body, not enix. in any case his usual day-to-day activities included pissing everyone around him off and trying some evil schemes every now and then

in like 2018 i got REALLY into this visual novel called "the arcana" and feliks was the ex best friend of the MC my friend cooked up for our version of the story. i didn't want him to be a cyclops for this iteration because i thought it didn't fit the theme, so he had to get a human design. he didn't have DID in this version, but he did have an identical twin brother, named vance. in this story feliks killed vance and became the boyfriend of the villain of the story, also becoming one of the villains in the process. his ex best friend ellis ended up defeating him and he got hanged with his boyfriend for their crimes

now here's where the story gets really juicy. feliks reincarnated in the modern world, and i think i ditched him having DID and instead the "alters" turned out to be the fragmented parts of feliks' dead brother's personality. vance had basically come back to haunt him in a form that was kind of comparable to alters, but also not really

the main arcana characters alongside ellis also reincarnated and ended up finding feliks (who was still evil btw). they were kind of like a friend group for a while until shit hit the fan when everyone found out that feliks killed his brother way back in their past life (they had no idea up until now). ellis became incredibly angry with him and him being a magician turned feliks into water and put him in a vase so he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone ever again

before this happened though i think ellis and his also magician boyfriend were able to piece vance back together and give him a body, so he was reincarnated too. after receiving a second chance at life, vance got himself a boyfriend, and even got married with him. the happiness didn't last for long though when feliks was able to sneak himself in his water form into vance's husband's water bottle. the husband drunk the water and ended up possessed by feliks 🙃 feliks killed vance AGAIN, was able to return to his own body by also killing vance's husband, annnnddd... then ellis caught up to him and beheaded him with his scythe. (god i still love this story)

after death feliks became a demon in hell, and that's basically where his story ends. idk i must've gotten another interest at this point because i didn't get any further with the story

in 2020 i decided to revamp him AGAIN, this time making my own fantasy universe for him. i got a couple of my friends involved with it too (this was basically a species i made specifically for that thing and my friends made ocs of that species). the story for it was really juicy too but im not gonna be telling about it cus it's almost identical to my current project with him and i might wanna make it into a real thing one day so.. SPEAKING OF WHICH

HIS CURRENT DESIGN. MORE PHOTOS.

I AM SO NORMAL ABOUT HIM!!!!!!! GAAGAHAJJSDJDKSK

anyway. yeah, there isn't much i can tell about the story, but i can tell you about how SHIT it is trying to come up with fantasy clothing. i am no fashion designer, not by a longshot, so my boy has his tits out 24/7 because i can't think of anything he could wear (and also i just love seeing him bare chested ❤️). i kinda don't even know where to start with the clothes cus i don't want them to be the generic european medieval stuff you see in fantasy CONSTANTLY and i am awfully lazy at researching anything that isn't my number 1 interest so. yah. to combat not being able to draw him with a canon design, i made a domestic modern au 🫶

here's feliks and his roomie clancy :3 they are my biggest blorbos rn and i would REALLY love to talk more about them but um. yeah this post is long enough especially considering there is still one oc i wanna mention

here's valo!! she is feliks' sister. you might think wait you didn't mention feliks having a sister? no i didn't because she is his BROTHER. I GENDERBENDED VANCE. BECAUSE IT WOULD FUCK. and yeah she is absolutely incredible i love her from the bottom of my heart. valo and feliks still have kind of a complicated relationship but at least in the au feliks doesn't kill her :D she's just kinda chilling with her gf until i come up with a story for her too

so ya that's all i wanted to talk about for now!! if you read this far then thank you 😭🫶 i had so much fun writing this. i was busy the whole day today but i just kept thinking about how much i wanted to answer your ask haha. i didn't plan for it to get so long though but im super grateful if you read this far 🥹

[firsttarotreader]

I've read from Bella and nico Parker that to get to pedro is to give him compliments and love prince or music,movies or art in general. Like how easy is he to flirt or get his attention in friendly or romantic way? Like solo loewe interview they asked him about girls and get his attention, I don't remember the question exactly but I remember him saying he is very easy and looks for someone who doesn't take him too seriously and someone to have fun with Like laugh a lot with. Could tarot give some insight?

Hiya! Mami is inspired today and giving you a second reading! 😁😁 I asked if he’s easy to pull these days (remember I did one recently about his theatre days), if he’s easy, and that’s it. 😃 The Major Arcana were The Chariot, The Wheel of Fortune and Death.

The Chariot means he’s gonna be in it, he’s horny, with a high sex drive, action oriented, in control, and open to let things progress. The Wheel of Fortune, however, is once again showing us he’s not really the love and sex machine Oberyn is, he has his ups and downs, his moods might change, he might be open one day and closed off in another. Death is interesting because it represents his need to be really “changed” by the person. He needs to feel like that’s it, game over, he was “charmed”, he’s “dead”, they got him, player down.

The Minor Arcana were the 5 of Wands reversed, 9 of Pentacles and Page of Swords. 5 of Wands reversed with The Chariot points to any internal conflict or competition ending, no more struggles, as if he feels he doesn’t need to resist anymore, to compete or argue. He likes the chase, but that chase needs to end at some point, even if he plays hard to get at first. He might even like people who disagree with him, who “put up a fight” in the beginning (before any romantic or sexual developments). 9 of Pentacles with The Wheel of Fortune point to him being more open and getting more “in the mood” for it when he can enjoy some good time with the person (yes, exactly like he said in the interview 😄😄), as this Minor Arcana represents joy, abundance, prosperity, good opportunities and stability. Since it’s a Pentacles card, it’s connected to the material, which suggests something more concrete like going to dinner together and enjoying a good meal and good conversation. Page of Swords with Death makes me think of how much he really does need a good conversation to be won over. This Page is an intellectual and he’s curious, chatty, witty, communicative and inspired. And THAT will be the death of him. If the person is trying to flirt with him or on a date with him and on a mission to win him over, a sharp tongue and quick wit will do it for him. He needs that intellectual stimulation to be an “easy” pull. Since he is very energetic, he might question things a lot and that could put some breaks because he’s probably gonna be talking a lot.

So curiously, he seems to be easier now than before. He may choose not to date or not to have many hookups but this is a conscious choice. He seems to not be so hard to flirt with and pull if he actually wants to let himself be “won over” by someone. The Chariot is an important card because it also shows he’s in control of his own life and his own “availability”. He decides when he wants to do it.

And since I know you’re gonna ask, this is the interview the anon mentioned:

[dicebound]

Stolas 5e Build

The Barnaby post did so well that I decided to go ahead and make a Stolas build as well. 1. Lineage - Winged Tiefling Owlin again for obvious reasons. Alternatively, you could go for the winged tiefling option and reflavor your appearance as an owl. 2. Class - Wizard/Scribes So Stolas powers as far as we have seen them are demonic, celestial and tied to a grimoire. That gives us a few solid options for classes the obvious being Wizard, Warlock, and Cleric with honorable mention to a single subclass of Druid. Wizard and Warlock both can use spellbooks and have access to a lot of the starry/spacey spells as well as creepy/demonic spells. I'll admit, Warlock and Wizard also hedge out the others a bit in my mind for their access to the Flesh to Stone spell. For Wizard Subclasses I would recommend Order of Scribes or Divination School. Order of Scribes really is just Wizard+ allowing to squeeze everything you can out of your spellbook and really helps shine how important the Grimoire is. Divination school fits the scrying we've seen Stolas do in the past, but doesn't give a lot of star flavor otherwise. For Warlock, Pact of the Tome is a given with Fiend Patron being an obvious choice to represent getting his position and power from the Ars Goetia. The Great Old Patron also stands out for it's expanded spell list and the ability to make thralls, befitting the possession Stolas did while in the human world. For Cleric we've got solid choices in Knowledge Domain and Twilight Domain with his god assumedly being Asmodeus (in D&D/Forgotten Realms terms). Knowledge domain fits gleaming supernatural knowledge from the stars, but Twilight Domain has really strong flavor for night and shadow thats difficult to discount plus the subclass is among the game's most powerful. Finally for Druid, Circle of Stars has the strongest starry flavor in the game but the spell list, lack of demonic flavor, and ties to nature just don't scream Stolas to me.

For the purposes of this build I'm going with Order of Scribes Wizard, but any of these options fit the character and have different pros and cons behind them.

3. Background - Noble The Noble background is stand-out choice for Stolas, not much to be said here. 4. Skills For his Wizard Skills I think Arcana and History are the best choices. With the Noble background he gets Persuasion automatically and for it's pure utility I would grab Perception. 5. Stats With +2 Intelligence and +1 Dexterity from Variant Tiefling (Origins) and using point buy I would distribute his stats as follows: Str - 8 Dex - 14 Con - 12 Int - 16 Wis - 12 Cha - 16 Stolas is described as a "scrawny twig ass" by Stella, leading me to believe that most of physical stats are rather poor. Str as our dump stat and only okay Con, we pump Dex for AC and move on. Int is our casting stat so we prioritize it over all others, with finally a middling Cha and a low Wis. You could swap Wis and Cha around tho, and I'd believe you as he has both been a poor read of people and not very personable. 6. Spells Assuming spells for a 3rd level character, here are my recommendations. You want spells that are spooky or starry in flavor, plus just general utility. For Cantrips I'd grab options like Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, Dancing Lights. For damage, I'd grab at least one attack roll cantrip such as Ray of Frost or Firebolt and out thematic one such as Toll the Dead or Mind Sliver. If you take Magic Initiate at 1st level you can focus on Wizard's utility cantrips and pick up your damaging options from the feat. As Wizard, Stolas could know any number of spells through spell scrolls and the like. As always choices like Detect Magic, Identify, Magic Missile, Mirror Image, Mage Armor and Shield are just plain useful. For thematic options you want spooky and starry so things like Augury, Shadow Blade, Tasha's Mind Whip, Hold Person, etc. For things we've seen Stolas actually do, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Misty Step, Disguise Self, Darkness and Cause Fear stand out me. 7. Feats (Optional) If your GM allows Feats at First Level, then you have some solid options here. For plain utility Tough and War Caster are solid options. If you went with Variant Tiefling for your lineage, Infernal Constitution is also great as it gives you a lot of resistances for a squishy wizard. For build/fun stuff, Magic Initiate (Wizard/Warlock) are a solid choice to get even more spell options. If you take Warlock in particular, grab Eldritch Blast as the best damage dealing cantrip in the game and one of the options I mentioned in the Spell section. For the 1st level spell, Hex, Hellish Rebuke, Cause Fear and Arms of Hadar stand out to me as good flavor or just useful. Finally, Telekinetic, Telepathic, Shadow Touched, Metamagic Adept and Eldritch Adept can also be fun choices to get more ways of manipulating your spells/options.

for Eldritch Adept in particular, Eldritch Mind, Devil's Sight and Armor of Shadows stand out as very solid options for Stolas. Eyes of the Rune Keeper is flavorful and on theme even if it is more situational.

[tiredflowercrown]

Mal of the Moors

Core 4 time baby!

Ancestry: Teifling - Bloodline of Feirna

Could I have made her a Fairy or an Elf? Yes, but Teifling plays around with Hades and Maleficent's dynamic a bit better.

A teifling is ether descendants or blood packed to devils. They are strongly considered to be working on their behalf, even if they have had nothing to do with their birth. Mal is the daughter of 2 very powerful forces of evil. (Even if Hades isn't really evil) She already has the stigma in canon, why not here?

Plus Bloodline of Feirna is tied to manipulators and forceful personalities, so added bonus.

Class: Draconic ancestry Sorcerer

Sorcerers is the only class to have inherited magic, everyone else is learned or gifted, and to have inherited magic means it had to come from somewhere thus draconic ancestry. Also her mom is The Dragon.

When choosing draconic, you get to choose what type of dragon they're descendants of.

I can't decide between posion, fire, or lightning. The Canon scene from sleeping beauty almost looks like lightning even if it is fire, but green is THE poison color in dnd. Sooo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Main Ability Score: Charisma

People see the word charisma and think charming, but it also is intimidation and deception. It's all about making people believe what you want them to believe which is like half of Mal's personality.

Skill Proficiencys: Arcana, Deception, Intimidation

Arcana is a bit self explanatory.

Mal gets up in the world by reputation and when that doesn't work then she destroys them. She's very used to lying, to AKs, to other VKs, to her parents, and her gang. (and even to herself) Thus intimidation and deception.

Background: Feylost

The Feylost background is the idea of being once among the fey and now not. It's a home away from home no matter how said home treated you.

She is still Maleficent's daughter for better and for worse. They may not have a good relationship (or even a relationship to begin with) and she's heard a lot of stories about the land she's supposed to rule

Feats: Spell Sniper

Spell Sniper allows the character to produce more powerful and deadly spell casting.

She deserves it as a treat.

Weapons: Dagger

Listen, all Mal wants to do is cast her spells and maybe stab someone if they annoy her too much. All she wants to not be around idiots is that too much to ask for? (Yes)

Armor: Mage Armor

She has magic, why would she need armor.

(Because people want you dead, Mal that's why. They don't like you)

That's it for Mal! She was the first one that really had multiple options and interesting choices to play around with, so if you see her a different way that's perfectly fine

If yall want me to explain or go more in depth just let me know!

[arcplaysgames]

Ooo okay what would your ideal p5 cartomancy be?

hmmm do you mean what I would assign everyone, arcana-wise?

Lemme think.

Yusuke: His story seems to be a complete wrap at this point so I think I feel comfortable saying he should be The Wheel/Fortune. His life is a series of twists of fate, even more than everyone else. The beloved son of a single mother who is basically murdered. An orphan taken in by an artistic master. A master who winds up being a leech who ruins the lives of other artists. The freedom from the atelier at the expense of his loss of support. The artistic slump, then the false offer of help to the true offer of help. For Yusuke, that wheel keeps fucking spinning and it's a miracle he's able to hang on at all.

Also, I think the running joke of him being broke all the time would be funny with Fortune, honestly. He has the semi-charmed kind of life you'd want for a Fortune arcana. The way he wanders into opportunity (the yakuza guy in Shido's Palace for instance) is very apt.

Sojiro: I really don't like Hierophant for him, though I was able to make it work for me personally by positioning Wakaba Isshiki's memory as the thing he is dedicated to.

I think the easy choice is to envision him as the Emperor, ruling over his corner of Yongen and the cafe as his kingdom, and the principle conflict being a threat to his kingdom that is in turn handled by his retainers. That fits well honestly. He'd make a good King of Cups for the same reason, for the easy symbolism of coffee cups and the fact his power is over understanding emotional truths.

Makoto: I'm kind of flirting with the idea of Makoto as the Hierophant, actually. I feel like out of all the Thieves, she is the most interested in changing the broken aspects of society from the inside, and is often the one to suggest using connections rather than force to get things done. Her power comes from her understanding of the police force and investigations, and her 'god' in this case seems to be the memory of her father. I'm not doing her SLink but I know it ends with her deciding to be a cop. That attitude, of knowing a structure of society is corrupt but wanting to fix it rather than discard it, that's Extremely Hierophant.

Joker: The Hanged Man.

This is partially me being a slut for the Hanged Man. I literally have a bronze pendant of the Hanged Man card that I wear often. It's my favorite of the Majors by far.

But also I do think Joker fits for it. The Hanged Man is, at its core, about taking a tremendous risk for the opportunity of tremendous reward. The Hanged Man is not strung from the neck, it's more gymnastic than that. They are suspended from a single foot, their other crooked to form a 4, the number of death, and thus transformation. By inverting themselves, they are literally inverting their view of the universe in the hopes of reaching some kind of epiphany, some insight that will radically change them.

But as the allusions to death indicate, it's a risky move. They may discover new vision and insight. Or their view of the world may be fundamentally broken, shattered. It's a card about a calculated risk with transformation to see who you are on the other side, a genius or a madman or a dead man.

I feel by now that Joker fits Hanged Man very well. He has always made the choice to put himself on the line to discover the truth. His entire stunt with averting Akechi's murder feels like a perfect performance of the Hanged Man, and the stakes were so high, they suit the high stake nature of the card.

[grandhotelabyss]

Was just reading your now nearly decade old piece on “Penitential Realism”- I dig the term, it’s probably a more useful way to look at the (still) currently prevailing vein of literary fiction than the other term one often hears (and irresponsibly throws around.)* I wonder if you’d add anything to it ten years on- how do you see your idea having held up, what would you add or subtract from it?

* Autofiction, sure but Renata Adler is autofiction if anybody is, and Speedboat is a delightfully funny book, whereas it’s that bruised, wounded confusion we’re expected to take deadly-seriously that I suppose really bugs me about so much of this stuff, especially knowing the class of person who produces it. (Not saying you can only write what you know of course, but part of why Beckett works is that he actually beheld the burning cities- but even then think of Vonnegut, who I don’t really like either)

Thanks—the reference is to an essay of mine from 10 years ago (!) trying to define the prevailing mood of then-contemporary fiction after the waning of what James Wood had called "hysterical realism."

I think the piece holds up well enough, except that some of the books, hyped at the time, are now forgotten, which fortifies me in my resolve not to read hyped-up new fiction lest I fall for another Submergence.

I like almost every book on that list less now than I did then, and I didn't like a lot of them then. I exempt Ishiguro, who possesses an ineffable genius irreducible to categories, and won't judge late DeLillo too harshly given the strength of his best work; I've always been ambivalent about Sebald, finding him gimmicky and even somewhat tacky with his "after Auschwitz" mode of goth glamor, though he is, in his way, entertaining; Coetzee was an enthusiasm I haven't been able to sustain, and I suspect I liked him as much as I did at one point less on the actual strength of his work (so dry, so spare!) than because of the types of positions his work allowed one to take in academe (i.e., burdened by conscience but still formalist and non-Marxist), which I no longer care about at all; I have no opinions about the other novels on the list nor do I even really remember them. I don't have the same ambition to survey my contemporaries the way I did then; I'm too (apologizes to the forgotten Ledgard) submerged in my own work and its dialogue with the literary dead and the unliterary present.

I will say this: I've recently mentioned Leave Society and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. These might be the two most prominent American literary novels of the last half decade. They actually found a popular or pop-cult audience and were even read across the political spectrum. They superficially seem to resemble penitential realism—they're short and benumbed and burdened with suffering—except that each is its way finally light, affirmative, wholly jailbroken, in a way that the prior books aren't, even thought the "out" in both cases is somewhat mystical (Li's psychedelia, Year girl's perceptual awakening). It occurs to me that this is also true in its heavier Dostoevskean way of Coetzee's Jesus trilogy, which concluded in the same period, and of Ishiguro's strangely luminous fable Klara and the Sun, too. An open mysticism or sense of the numinous or even religiosity seems to be coming in.

This turn to the beyond is probably a step in the right direction, but still, a lot of new books seem—I rarely finish new books—to be very "I" oriented and small. I almost want to say, "Come back, hysterical realism, all is forgiven!" Not really; the flaws Wood noted in that mode were there, especially its facetiousness in figures like Rushdie, Pynchon, and Wallace (not DeLillo).

As the polemical, almost belligerent omniscience of Major Arcana indicates, however, I believe it's time to maximize and to universalize again—to "affirm and persist" as the manifestation coaches say. Writing little "me" stories won't save us from the fact that writing is a hostile act (as Didion told us) and an arrogant one (as Vidal maintained). If we're going to presume to write at all, we might as well try to wrestle the whole world to the ground—and not in a cell, but in the open air.

[twilightknight17]

I posted 608 times in 2022

That's 44 more posts than 2021!

65 posts created (11%)

543 posts reblogged (89%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sakurabomb

@littlehidingowl

@ace-in-a-pocket

@takashi0

@eu-kleides

I tagged 606 of my posts in 2022

#persona - 129 posts

#persona 5 - 79 posts

#video - 65 posts

#silly - 52 posts

#art - 40 posts

#hell train - 31 posts

#persona 3 - 31 posts

#pokemon - 29 posts

#hours!verse - 26 posts

#persona 2 - 26 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#i was rereading a completely nonsensical featherman conversation that technically could have happened during kingdom and laughing

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

"Wow, I'm glad I didn't know anything about the ending of Powerwash Simulator ahead of time" is a sentence I didn't think I'd ever need, but...

Wow, I'm glad I didn't know anything about the ending of Powerwash Simulator ahead of time. :D

99/100, Game of the Decade

14 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

#4

I can't believe Akechi fans just let Atlus dangle his fate for six years instead of asking for them to commit to something. I know how much Goroboys want him dead, but this is just shit writing.

Anon, oh my gosh.

Anon.

I was literally sent a twitter link about this like, yesterday. You are incredibly lucky, you persistent little weasel.

There you have it. This is kind of what I've been saying all along! If you were the sort of person who refused to give up on him, maxed his confidant, and wanted him to survive... you get the ending where he did.

Is it a little bit unsatisfying to not have a dramatic reunion? Sure. I mean, I'm always down for a heartfelt epilogue or something. Skip ahead six months like P4G did or something.

But it's not as bad as people make it out to be. There's nothing wrong with leaving it up to interpretation. And there's nothing that says we won't get a Royal sequel eventually.

So maybe calm down a little. If you want him to be alive, he's alive. And if that's not good enough for you... I don't really care?

14 notes - Posted October 25, 2022

#3

The contrast in tone between the timeline where my Hours fic currently is and the timeline where Jade's Hours fic currently is, is hilariously sharp. One is relatively lighthearted shenanigans with a side of roasting Akira, and one is potential world-ending calamity with a side of emotionally destroying Ren.

At least Ren's prison outfit looks awesome. ^_^

17 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

#2

So in a non-April Fool’s context, I figured I would post at least one piece of art today. XDDD Four years has absolutely improved my editing skills, huh?

32 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Maruki as the Councillor Arcana is fitting not just because of the name, but also because the Councillor holds the corresponding position to the Magician, who is the main character's best friend and second-in-command. So when Maruki shows up with a Magician-variant and starts trying to insinuate himself into Akira's life, you could argue that he's trying to take the place of the actual Magician. This can be further extrapolated after he takes control of reality, where he goes so far as to potentially usurp Morgana's position as Hope, too, because in a world where people can be made happy with the wave of a hand, there's no need to hope for things. In this essay, I will—

263 notes - Posted October 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[crest-of-gautier]

IM BACK IN THE FUCKING BUILDING!!! (i played 2.5 hours of PQ today!!!)

some thoughts under the cut! today has been mostly exploring the 2nd spot/floor of the group date cafe and i'm like 79% done with it :3 (and i did the whole arrest the food bandit! quest today)

i really enjoyed returning to this game, the sidequests and character interactions i saw today were fun!

i was particularly endeared by naoto's enthusiasm and interest in aigis, i think it's really neat that he's just so curious about her! i mean.. who wouldn't be LMAO

there was also an event where aigis says:

"Including incidents within Tartarus, Junpei-san has now run into a total of 27 dead ends."

and i honestly thought that was the funniest shit ever??? and how they go on to talk about how aigis's data is piped to fuuka's database on her pc. i really enjoyed how this interaction highlights this aspect of aigis and fuuka's relationship, they definitely make a good team given fuuka's inclination toward technology.

i think that's what a running theme of persona spin-offs are to me- i just enjoy seeing other ways in which the different character dynamics between cast members can be expressed!

and i think that's why i really enjoyed doing the arrest the food bandit quest too- i'm very endeared by the dynamic between the velvet room family. i feel like from what i remember in mainline persona games, it's something that only really gets alluded to in the attendants' dialogue lines (as opposed to seeing the siblings actively talking to each other). i fucking love elizabeth she's great.

there's something about the attendant's curiosity toward life (and how much they have to learn) that i find very charming, but i also think that this aspect of them is great for like.. absurd situations that don't make me cringe. (this is a not-so vague at teddie, i find that atlus tends to focus on teddie's more grating traits aka Hitting On The Girls?? which im not fond of LOL)

the way theo was the culprit because he didn't understand that chie was speaking in hyperbole about yosuke being a dead man if something bad happened to the meat jelly is just. the funniest thing ever. so have an excerpt of my reaction/liveblog document from obsidian that has some transcriptions of the event:

like genuinely. i love the velvet room attendant family a lot. i think they just hit a lot of Appeal PointsTM for what i personally find interesting in fiction (characters learning their way through life who have wonder and curiosity for the world), so i've just been?? thriving off of any interactions they get from the sidequests??? it's great.

mechanics-wise i am very interested in seeing if there's stuff i still can unlock...? it's been kind of a pain in the ass to level up sub-personas specifically (i haven't finished the legendary medicine quest bc i needed to raise a guy up to get an agility binding spell... and now that i did raise the guy i just need to Use It). so i am assuming that there's a mechanic that compensates for the lack of arcana bonus exp LOL (and i'm pretty sure in P5R you could sacrifice ur personas to each other?? can we do that here? thanks.)

anyway that's all for pq liveblogging (more like reflecting but y'know). i'm excited to pick up the game again- i might try and finish the group date cafe this month assuming i don't get carried away with other thingiemajigies!!

[violetarks]

Arguing With Them/Making Up With Them

Games: Fictif/Arcana

Characters: Asra Alnazar, Julian Devorak, Felix Iskander Escell, Sage Lesath

A/N: Kind of went over board with Felix, oops, and spoilers for asra's route in his part, but really just minor spoilers. ALSO I COULDN'T ADD THE PHOTOS BC TUMBLR SAID I EXCEEDED THE LIMIT >:((, please tell me if you spot any use of pronouns for y/n!! i've tried to fix it because i previously used she/her by accident

Asra Alnazar:

getting into a fight with you would not benefit either of you

it was obvious how much you two liked working together and time apart would not help

and fights don't actually happen frequently, only once every few months

asra is a very grounded person and they don't enjoy it when the two of you ever have an argument, no matter how minor the actual problem is

but they would always be the first to apologise, coming to terms with the way you viewed things and ultimately understanding it

so fights never lasted too long with this person because of how much they really love you

you'd be back in their arms the next minute, because Asra could've fathom the idea of not having you at their side as they love you that much

fights never lasted more than just 30 mins with them, truthfully

you couldn't bare to leave it more than that because it hurts to be away from each other for too long

which is why asra finds it difficult to go on trips without you after you two make it official

and you'd apologise first a few times too, since you knew when you were wrong and didn't think asra was the one who really needed to say 'sorry'

nevertheless, you always came back to each other

this time, however, it went further than expected

this fight had lasted hours, most of it yelling back and forth

you and them were going through with your normal routine when you had suddenly dropped a specific potion that Asra had been keeping to themselves for a while

it was smeared on the floor and you couldn't help but feel upset at yourself, no matter how many times the white-haired person in front of you had dismissed it

you could tell they were very disappointed that they no longer had a stash of it and frustrated with himself for not getting spares

so you had sought off to get some while asra was away on another trip, and they again hadn't told you how long they'd be away, so you believed you had some time to retrieve it

you were originally going to close the shop for the time being, but then asra's parents had come around at the perfect time

they had offered to take the shop until you came back

it took you longer than expected since you had to track it down yourself, asking people around town and ending up at a merchant just outside of town who gave you the directions and specific instructions

you recognised the name of the town they mentioned, which is the same town on the lable of the bottle, so it had to be right

you were dead set on wanting it to be a surprise, and returned home around two weeks later, opening the door to see Asra pacing around the room

they were still wearing their large scarf and their bag as well as their hat was carelessly thrown onto the chair, so it was obvious that asra had just arrived home recently

their parents were nowhere to be seen, so you assumed that they had left already

asra's head turned at the sound of the little bell above the door and they widened their eyes once they saw you, rushing and engulfing you in a big hug

you thought asra was just happy to see you, since they had been separated from you for a while

y/n: "hey, did you miss me more than usual?"

asra: "..."

y/n: "usually, i'm the one who jumps on you like this, heh. what's got your panties in a twist?"

asra doesn't reply, only tightening their hold on you

which was definitely weird

asra would almost always have something sneaky and flirtatious to say in return, but not this time

you clench the back of their vest before pulling away, now realising the frustrated look on their face as they looked back at you

asra asks where you were in this tight voice that seemed unfamiliar, and it only got worse when you admitted where you had headed

it was dangerous, from what asra remembered and the thought of you being there made their chest tighten

and asra was correct, it was dangerous, but you made sure to stick to what you were taught for protection and look, you made it out without a scratch

but asra didn't see it that way at all

asra let all their waiting in agony come at you in a loud yell that had shook the candles hanging from the ceiling

you were shocked, holding onto your bag tightly as asra continue to tell you off for what you were doing

sometimes you'd attempt to support your decision, but that was lost in asra's words

asra: "y/n, do you realise how reckless you were? that place is swarming with trouble and it's even worse for someone who hasn't been there before!"

y/n: "i was only there for a few nights, i booked a hotel the rest of the time on coming back home—"

asra: "but you were still there! how am i supposed to protect you when i don't even know where you are? you should've asked me, and i would've come with you."

they would go on and on about how you should ask them and such, and throughout the whole entire thing, you held the souvenirs in your bag close to yourself

you didn't know how to give it to them now that they were mad at you

and you were frustrated as well, because you've grown so much and you're able to do whatever you please

it made you bring out your sarcasm more, which was a habit you had picked up ages ago

it had developed over the years of asra shutting you in and out of danger bc they're too scared of what will happen when you're alone

you two are rarely ever apart from each other already bc of your living situation, sharing the bedroom and the whole shop

y/n: "asra, i believe i am fully capable with taking a trip like you do"

asra: "i know, i just don't want you going there, y/n, i don't think that's too hard to follow"

y/n: "oh, i'm so sorry asra, why don't you tell me where else i'm allowed to go?? am i back on my leash with you, huh? can i go to the bedroom, master?"

asra had blinked at you a couple times before feeling themselves break, a few tears forming in their eyes

the word you used to address them as always made their heart pound in the worst way possible

because that's what you used to call them before they let you go, and now asra hates that word with all their being

you were so irritated with them that you hadn't noticed, now pacing around the room like asra was as they stands there, struck

asra: "don't... don't call me that..."

y/n: "oh, so now i'm not allowed to say things?"

asra: "i just want you to be safe! isn't that what you want too—"

y/n: "no, asra, i just want to do what i feel like and not have you breathing down my neck about it, alright? i understand that you don't want to lose me and that you love me, but that's exactly how i feel about you and i still trust you enough to go out there without me or any other form of help"

you're not even looking at them at this point

if you were, you would see that asra's actually crying and they're just staring at you

you're looking at the floor as you clench your fists at your sides, one holding the strap of you satchel

y/n: "i'm not the helpless person from years ago asra, i'm stronger now. i hate depending on people when i'm perfectly capable by myself."

asra: ",,, so you don't need me anymore? is that it?"

this is the moment where the two of you are just staring at each other, finally linking gazes

asra was already crying, it was silent and slow

they tend to do that, cry quietly so nobody had noticed unless they looked directly at their face, even then they tried to hide

they trained themselves to keep their voice steady when speaking as asra cries because they would rather not warn the other person about it

you were on the verge, angry and sad tears already forming

you were aggravated by yourself, knowing full well that you should've at least mentioned it to asra. they worried about you a lot, and that was a fact regardless of what they really thought of you

you were sad at the two of you for even starting this fight, they could've solved this better with just talking normally and not shouting

y/n: "i never said that"

asra: "but thats what you meant, isn't it? you... you don't want me to worry about you, and i can't..."

this time, you walked towards them with a focused expression

they were wiping their eyes before seeing you waltz up to them, utterly surprised by the look on your face

asra goes to say something when you suddenly bring your hands forward to collect their tear-stained cheeks in your palms

the two of you stop, another time to take a breath

you looked them right in the eyes, you heart beating hastily before biting your lip as you tried to hold back your own tears back

asra's fingers brushed against your elbows, holding onto them in reassurance

y/n: "i'm... i'm sorry for not telling you where i was going. i just... wanted to replace what i broke and i wanted it to be a surprise. but it was reckless of me. i should know better by now..."

asra: "no, i just worry about you too much. i want to protect you and be there for you but... it's like you don't need that anymore."

y/n: "asra, i don't need you to protect me. just... just be there for me. love me until you can't anymore. in return, i'll do the same for you."

you couldn't ever see yourself not wanting or needing asra ever

you two have been through so much and you're together til the end, you will make sure of that

having asra's face in your palms, you kissed their forehead lovingly and slowly, telling them what you had thought about that

it would not be the case, ever

asra was embedded in your life and you couldn't imagine anything without them

asra: "but what if something happens?"

y/n: "i'm sure that we'll both be able to handle it. i don't want you shielding me. i want to stand beside you, asra. aren't we equal?"

asra: "of course! i'm just scared of what might happen..."

y/n: "you don't have to be."

as you spoke, asra only pulled you in closer, wrapping their arms around you

you dig your head into their shoulder and hold onto them like they were doing to you

the two of you cry together in the middle of your shop, nothing but hushed whispers leaving either of your lips

after a while, asra mentions the lateness of the day and brings you up to the bedroom

the two of you go to sleep right after that, asra laying on top of you as you brushed fingers through their hair

a habit after fighting is always being the closest you can with each other, letting the other know just how much you forgave them and still loved them

Julian Devorak:

julian was definitely a hard one to get into a fight with

arguments and disagreements were only natural for a relationship of any kind

but julian was the type to not voice his feelings purely because he was afraid of what the other person might say

he didn't want to lose you and if anything he speaks does that, then he could not forgive himself, so he thought it was better to just keep it inside

he hated disagreeing with you more than anything, which is why you would only get a statement or two about it before he decides to just keep quiet about it

a habit between that's formed because of this is that you tend to not push him too far

he made you more independent with your decisions but also take into consideration his points

there's only been a few times where you two have fought for real and it had taken a toll on the both of yous

one time was when you had been frustrated all day while making plans for a certain mission and you had gotten into a disagreement with julian about something small

it started off as something he tried to make sweet and joking

but he hadn't seen just how much today had taken a toll on you

nadia was busy with forming different groups to specialise in certain things and she was already trying to calm down her servants and city from the recent events that threaten them

asra was caught up with travelling around and getting information about the whole affair to help you guys win

so then you offered to help with setting up the plans and such for each group as well as the four of you, thinking it couldn't be that hard. just devise a plan that is foolproof. and it shouldn't be that hard.

but julian was talking a lot for someone who should be keeping an eye on the enemy in the chambers

y/n: "but why would we take the scenic route when the backway is way more safer for us?"

julian: "because, my dear, if this is really our last night alive, i'd rather spend it staring at the sunset with you."

y/n: "julian, i am not putting you on that ride if you're thinking that way, we don't need some saviour out there trying to get himself killed."

julian: "my, my, darling, what's going on with you?"

y/n: "look, i'm sorry, but could you leave for a few minutes? this is really important and nadia needs to set the fighters in place by tomorrow morning."

he gets the idea of it once you say that

he now understands that you are stressed from all the work you had taken on, and he even offers to take some of it off your shoulders

but you just say 'no'

and that stumbles him

you rejected because he had played his part already and you didn't feel right about giving someone else your workload when you took the responsibility yourself

but this is one of the times where julian wasn't quite sure how to handle situations like this

he was so used to himself being the one who was pulling away and you being the one to understand that and know when to stop

but it was switched here and julian didn't know what to do, or even how and when to pull away

so he stands there quietly as you draw lines on multiple maps for separate army guards to follow

all the two of you hear is your pencil against paper and you sighing out when you have to reach for the eraser

you could feel him watching you and just tracing your every move, which made you feel uneasy and frankly, make you work even worse than you were before

y/n: "..."

julian: "..."

y/n: "..."

julian: "... *coughs*"

y/n: "please, julian, leave."

julian: "what did i do?"

the breaking of silence makes you drop your pencil, resulting in you pinching the bridge of your nose and squeezing your eyes shut

maybe that would help you feel better

but it didn't as julian begins to hum some obnoxious tune

you're looking at him with a very serious and annoyed expression, making him feel even more confused

it results in a fight in the study room that makes all passerby people immediately leave the area

they wouldn't want to be mixed up up in any of that just by the sounds of it

you're yelling because you just want julian to leave you alone for a few minutes, thinking it would help you get some things done before you can see him again, and you can't focus with him just looming over you

julian's yelling because he doesn't know how to deal with this and he's trying to comfort you, in the worst way possible, but it's something and he isn't used to leaving you alone while you're upset without him there

it's frustration and confusion hovering in the air

you were piling up in stress because of this and it caused you to say things you surely didn't mean

which caused julian to say things he didn't mean either

a few times, asra or nadia would nearly walk inside but hear all the commotion and decide to come back later

they knew better than to interfere

last time one of them did, the two of you stared at them for a while, ceasing all talking and expressions before just walking away from each other, now silently arguing with each other

having another party try to butt in made you two feel like you were blowing it out of proportion, so you thought it was better to just ignore it

you're already gathering your things

y/n: "yknow what? if you won't leave, then i'll leave. i can't get this done when you're constantly talking to me."

julian: "ah! hey, i'm just trying to figure out what's wrong! i'm—i'm trying to help!"

y/n: "julian if you really wanted to help, you would've left me alone when i asked you to. i really need some space right now."

julian: "space? from... from me?"

y/n: "for only like... an hour or two! you know how important this is is nadia and all of vesuvia. i need to get this done. if i don't, i can't even comprehend how many people will die and if that happens because of... please..."

julain goes quiet as he hears the amount of desperation in your voice

you're really stressing hard about all of this and it definitely shows in your tone and face

julian finally sees how much weight is on your shoulders and decides that he should give you what you initially asked for

he decides to leave you alone

but he doesn't do that without rounding the table and giving you a kiss on the side of your temple, whispering a small 'i'm sorry' and 'i love you so much' before he leaves

you finally get moments of peace and quiet in the room and yet your ears are ringing loudly

you can't help the frustrated tears that escape you and the way you harshly rub them away before getting back to work

all within one minute

of silence

and without julian

you end up getting all the work done within the next hour and a half and you can't bring yourself to leave the room after everything you said to julian and you know for a fact that he won't be waiting very far

a servant comes around after noticing the quietness and asks if you need anything, and you ask for a drink (wine, really, it's been a long day) and you get it the next minute later

usually, they'd give you a glass and hang around with the whole bottle

instead, the servant hands you the whole entire bottle itself and a chalice before leaving quickly

you silently thank nadia for her good choice in people

you're by the window, sitting on the table and taking a swing from your cup, when you hear the door being opened

you expect julian, but hear another voice

asra: "is there a reason you left this guy walking around the palace like a lost puppy?"

with your cup still to your lips, you turn around to your friend and see him holding the taller man by the elbow

your boyfriend looked like he just got caught stealing, refusing to look in your eyes and only away at the wall

asra knows full well why, but he just tugs julian along towards you

y/n: "where'd you find him?"

asra: "the garden."

y/n: "which one?"

asra: *points*

y/n: "ah. okay. thanks, asra. i'll see you at dinner. tell nadia that i've finished and we'll go over it tonight."

he nods and leave you guys alone

julian stands there like a kid about to get told off

you're sipping your wine as you watch the vines and flowers outside

y/n: "so you were waiting just outside the window, huh?"

julian: "... just in case you were in trouble..."

y/n: "i'm on the third floor. how would you help from the garden?"

julian: "i can climb."

that makes you chuckle, and julian sees that you're looser than before, meaning he can relax as well

he walks towards you, sitting himself down close so your legs are touching

you hold out the chalice of wine to which he takes, pouring in some from the bottle

he clinks his glass with your bottle before you both take a sip

it's a nice silence between yous before julian bumps his shoulder with yours

julian: "i'm really sorry about earlier, darling. it was completely unnecessary and you needed to get things done. i was wrong."

you can tell by his voice that he's really meaning this, and he's playing with the rim of the chalice

y/n: "it's okay, julian. i should've been straight with you and just asked politely, but i took it out on you. i'm sorry, and i hope you can forgive me."

he smiles at you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into a hug

julian: "only if you forgive me, my love."

he gives you that smile that makes you believe that everything is okay

because it is and he really loves you

Felix Iskander Escell:

fighting with felix is very,,,,,, interesting

he's very stubborn and always wants to get what he wants

sometimes you just cave and do it his way because you don't have enough time to fight

more times than he'd like to admit, it's over very silly things that is just a preference for his every day life

like once you two got into a little argument about laundry day and how he needed to get all his dirty clothes together the day before, but he thought it was preposterous how he had to dig up clothes deep within his wardrobe to wear until his clothes dried

it was very useless

but sometimes you wouldn't see a proper way around doing his idea, so you fight to do yours

sage and anisa didn't particularly like getting involved in you fights, mainly because you were both ruthless and vvvv stubborn with your own points, depending what it was

felix would tell anisa that she was too uptight to understand where he was coming from

you would tell sage to butt out because he's too drunk to hear the bullshit he's spitting

you both endlessly apologise to the both of them in the end, because it's just plain rude and they didn't do anything

one time, you guys were in the middle of a fight with troops made up of sage's friends and anisa's peers, against some horribly strong enemies

felix was not good with close range attacks, so he happened to miss out on some assassin drawing in close to you, who was covering his vanguard

he calls too late as you get slashed in the back and grunt before turning around and slamming them into the way, breaking their helmet and watching the blood drip from behind it

you take a moment before stepping away and tripping back on your feet, landing on your rear as felix calls your name and stays at your side while your coworkers did what they needed to

you hear sage call out your name but felix tells him to go on while he takes care of you

felix: "i need to get you out of here. now. a... a first aid station or something."

y/n: "we're in a battlefield, felix, and the closest thing to a first aid station is that bathroom over there."

it gets blown up as soon as you say that

y/n: "nevermind."

felix: "then i'll find a way to assist you here."

felix knew nothing about closing wounds and how to heal them quickly with magic

he once tried the same thing with sage and he ended up in a ghost form for two hours, where he haunted felix and messed with anisa's hair

he was panicking though

he needed to help you

felix pulls off his coat and wraps it around you, pulling your arms through the sleeves since he knew if anyone saw one of their leaders injured then they'd be disheartened

anisa had warned them about that

y/n: "not now, we have things to do."

felix: "but you'll bleed out before you can finish anything useful! y/n, just allow me to bandage you up."

y/n: "you'll have an easier time the faster we finish this fight, come on."

you stand up, ready to continue with your weapon in hand when felix yanks you back with some magic

you look at him confused

felix: "haven't you ever read those tales? the injured back away from the war, y/n, not rush into it again."

y/n: "this is all we've got. nobody else is going to fight for us except for us."

felix: "don't be so deluded! listen to me—"

y/n: "after."

and you sprint off with your weapon, heading towards the group anisa is leading

this area was clear, and you trusted felix to know better than to wander off without any help

you're doing well so far, since you were wearing a black cloak over your back

sage was fairly good with a sword so he had taught you to use one

you told anisa to go on ahead so that you could make a round to find any other enemies that would be holed up in this facility

the fight was continuing outside

just as you get the area cleared, you feel your arm being tugged in the opposite direction

out of pure instinct, you flip them over your shoulder and hold them down harshly

takes you a moment to realise it's felix

you immediately let go and get off of him, calling out his name in surprise

y/n: "god, felix are you alright? you shouldn't scare me like that!"

he doesn't answer you for a moment before he slowly gets up and turns to face you, hand on his head

felix: "i'm taking you home."

y/n: "we're not finished!"

felix: "i do not care for this stupid war! you're bleeding through your back and i can tell how much pain is residing within! do not test my patience! my decision is final!"

all the yelling runs to his head, making it worse as he grips his hair

when he pulls his palm away, blood begins to drip down from his hairline

you're staring at him

you must've hit him hard,,,

felix: "i'm... i'm fine..."

and he passes out

you're kind of torn, because you need to get out there and fight but you also don't know who can look after felix

you groan as you haul him onto your back, making way for a nearby tower that you could hide in

felix used to teach you a few things about offensive magic, but gave you books about it since he wasn't able to teach that stuff

so you were shooting magic fire arrows at enemies when felix wakes up, bandage around his head and throbbing pain everywhere

you only had just enough for him

you look to him for a moment, focused look before turning to the field

you hated arguing with felix

this might not have seen like much to anyone but this was a breach for you

you trusted felix in his study, making plans, doing crazy experiments

and he was supposed to trust you on the field and protecting the others

it was like he didn't think you would do right here

you hated that

you spent so long to earn the respect of people around you in Porrima and anisa had warned you that many fighters did not trust you

you needed to prove how good you were and how much you intended to help

you promised to be on the front lines

but now, you were in a tower providing sniper aid while your lover was trying to recollect what happened

you shoot another arrow, getting an enemy square in the shoulder

y/n: "done whining?"

felix: "excuse me?"

y/n: "i only stayed back to make sure you were okay. they're expecting me out there."

felix: ",,, you didn't even treat your own wounds, y/n."

y/n: "busy."

he's so confused

why don't you just take a break???

it's not that hard???

felix knows a certain telepathy spell that lasts a few seconds for him, so he decides a quick look into that head of yours should help him understand better

you were only a few feet away from him, pulling back another magic arrow before you feel felix tug on your arm, making your arrow shoot within the room

it sputters around the room, hitting all the walls around the both of you

you tackle felix down and hold his head to your chest, making sure he was covered so he didn't get hit and you're also getting irritated

the arrows shoots out the window and you pull yourself up, taking a breath of relief

you shoot a look to felix

y/n: "what the hell is going on with you? what were you thinking?"

felix: ",,,,,"

y/n: "felix, we don't have any time for this! we're in deep shit right now, i don't need you trying to pull me out of the fight when i need to be there!"

you stand up, grabbing your sword and opening a portal like how felix taught you too

you're about to walk through

felix: "you don't need to prove yourself to anyone, y/n."

you stop and turn around to him, asking him what he said

felix: "none of this is of your concern, y/n. this is porrima's affairs and you are not even from here. i don't understand why you would make this a problem of your own."

you're still confused as to why he's saying these things

the portal closes behind you, making felix give a sigh of relief

he stands, carefully

y/n: "i'm fighting for my friends and their home"

felix: "you're fighting for the sake of being known, being seen as someone. y/n, that is selfish and you know it yourself. don't let a dream like that delude you from what is reality."

his words are harsh and he knows this, because if he doesn't speak this way then he won't get his point across properly

you look like you've seen a ghost

you're horrified

because you know he's been through your mind

a part of you knows that it's true

y/n: "shut up. you don't know what you're talking about."

felix: "i was just in your thoughts, y/n, i know. you shouldn't think of yourself something you are not."

y/n: "i'm trying to help! what do you want?"

felix: "you need medical attention. you're... you're back is drenched in crimson and you look pained whenever you draw back an arrow."

you shake your head at him because you can't believe how selfish he is making you sound, so much that you'd risk your own life to be seen as a god in the end?

you throw your sword to the wall

and grip felix's collar harshly

he's startled at the sudden movement

y/n: "listen. i've become too close to everyone here to just let them die. you have to let me do this."

felix isn't worried about himself in this situation like he would be whenever someone stronger began to threaten him

he's seen into your head so he knows where you are mentally

he only holds onto your wrists

felix: "you don't always have to be the savior, y/n, there are other people in the world."

y/n: ",,, and what if they fail?"

you've been burdened with all of this because of the mystery around your sudden appearance making everyone either think you were a traitor/assassin sent to kill them all, or some powerful all knowing being

you worked hard to get everyone's respect and attention

no way are you letting that all down now

but you're pushing yourself way too hard

you're shaking and your grip is getting looser

felix: "well... if you really want to, then you should face them when you're healed and okay. no point in trying to save the world when you're low on health, correct?"

y/n: ",,, right. but... but i can still help them."

felix: "of course you can, but please allow me to heal your back first."

you nod your head before sliding off the jacket, letting felix see the damage done, it was a lot

after he finishes, you apologise immediately and he does so too

he gives you a shy kiss to show that it's fine now, and by the sounds of it, the fight has stopped

you two meet up with sage and anisa and explain the situation that had happened, and they understand immediately after seeing how much bandaging your back needed, in private of course. your whole area from your chest to your waist band, blood still seeping through your back

in the end, everyone praised your bravery and nobody blames you, making you feel a lot more better about yourself

Sage Lesath:

sage is

not the ideal person to get into a fight with

not only does he constantly hide his emotions from everyone else until the bottle can't handle anymore, but he also blows up and says a lot of hurtful things when he's upset

however this is with anyone, he just gets so frustrated that he ends up tearing the person he's arguing with a new wound

he gets very emotional when he fights

tears are almost a given

yelling and headaches

but sage tries to get better

when he hears it himself after he says it, he instantly regrets even opening his mouth

immediately tries to apologise to whoever he yelled at, but there are a few times where he's gone too far

that would mean the person he yelled at would need a day or even a week to fully forgive him for what he's said, and more often than not it's someone he's close with, which makes it even worse

but sage knows when he goes too far

it's just that he has a hard time getting over it himself

this has happened between the two of you at some point in your relationship

you guys had been on the rocky side of things because he had a fight with anisa and felix about something important and you had just walked in as it hit the middle of it

you asked what was going on, and when they explained it to you, you had agreed with the duo rather than with sage

that made him frustrated, because now it felt like the world was against him today

and he started yelling at you as well

y/n: "sage, there wasn't another way to go around it. anisa and felix made the right decision, they couldn't do anything else."

sage: "maybe if they listened to me, then we wouldn't be in an even bigger mess!"

y/n: "nothing has changed though. we're just in the same spot, so we can retry everything."

sage: "oh my god, but this was the perfect opportunity to move forward! and those two dumbasses wasted it!"

you tried to calm him down even more and the other two have stopped talking at this point

you don't like it when sage faces his problems without a good mindset, you can tell he is frustrated by what happened and can't see the bigger picture

sage just doesn't understand why you can't see things the way he is

both of them recognise that this is no longer about them but about you, which makes them confused

why did it suddenly change? was it because you were involved now?

sage had already had a go at anisa and felix, spitting some harsh words at them that the two only overlooked as they knew about him and how he acted at these times

however, it lingered in their head about whether or not sage would go that far with you

y/n: "calm down, please. it's already happened, so we might as well just figure out our next course of action."

sage: "oh to hell with that. where were you when all of this went down, huh?"

y/n: "i... i was here."

you backed down for a moment, feeling a little useless at this point

anisa realised how sage was going to take this and stepped in herself

anisa: "i asked y/n to stay, sage, that was my fault. if you are angry with that, then discuss it with me."

you didn't like it when either of them fought, but what could you do?

sage was in no agreeing manner and anisa held firm to her statement

it was incredibly hard to sort things out in this group

sage: "but that's it. y/n was here while we were out there risking our own lives. what's the point of you being here if you aren't going to help us?"

y/n: "i am helping! anisa asked me to gather whatever information i could about the opposition!"

felix was about to ask what you found, since you had asked him to transport you to a very enemy secluded area and he was worried about your safety

but he was ignored

you two were still going at it

sage: "well that's now fucking useless, isn't it? we lost."

y/n: "you didn't lose."

sage: "and how would you know? you weren't even there!"

felix and anisa seat themselves down

at this point, there's no trying to stop them or even separate them

this had gone on for too long to go back, so they had to ride it out

it goes on, your frustration building up so much that you start to yell just out of pure frustration with sage

he falls deeper and deeper into the hole, pulling out things that would surely anger you further from just hearing about it

it would usually be that the two leave the room, but they haven't seen you this heated before

it was strange and they wanted to be careful, especially considering that you haven't mastered using your relic yet

sage: "you're so single-minded, oh my god! i just want you to see things my way, is that so hard for you?"

y/n: "sage, you can't expect someone to put themselves in your shoes if you can't do it for yourself! anisa and felix could've died out there and all you care about is winning that one fight! there will be others to redeem yourself if your pride and reputation as a mercenary means that much to you!"

you don't mean that

you know how much he cares for his friends but you're baffled by the fact that he'd prioritise the mission over them

and you're sure that they are as upset as you are

they give each other a look before listening in to the both of you

you were usually the calm one in this situation and it would take a lot to rile you up

and these two didn't know if your relic would come out to play in these times

you weren't someone who would resort to violence in a fight but your emotions are tied to your weapon, so if you were pushed far enough then it would appear

sage: "i don't even know why you even got involved in the first place."

y/n: "because you're acting crazy at the moment"

sage: "you keep saying i'm overreacting when you won't even hear me out."

y/n: "calm down first. you don't know what you're saying when you get this angry."

he's walking up to you and is now standing right in front

he's glaring holes into your head and getting more heated up that necessary

you've never been afraid of sage and you aren't now

you know that no matter what, sage would never ever hit you

and of course he wasn't going to

standing right up in front of the person he was arguing with was a habit that he had formed after years of having to fight for himself with no one to back him up

it was like an unconscious practice between him and fighting with anyone

so when he got up in your face, you didn't think anything of it

sage: "you know, y/n, what you have to say doesn't even matter. you're just some random person felix brought from another world, you don't matter when it comes to our lives. you mean nothing to what we have to do. to us."

this was the first time that he had hit that deep part in your heart

a sense of alienation when it came to you and porrima

you had mentioned this to sage before when you were feeling homesick a few days after your arrival

you were very vulnerable at that point and sage was there to help comfort you

you never brought it up again because everyone had made you feel a part of their lives and more comfortable, considering you were in a whole different time

when sage hears what he said, his head begins to reel at his sheer stupidity but he doesn't let it show on his face

he still believes that he is right

his pride gets in the way a lot

anisa: "that is far enough, sage."

she's angry with him, mostly because she had never believed that sage would treat y/n the same way he treated them in arguments

she believed that y/n was the only one who could properly calm sage down but it seemed this was just a bit too much

felix is wide eyed at the both of you, still processing what was happening

this was the first

he hadn't pictured sage yelling at you like that

and what was worse is that you feeling alienated was more of a silent secret kept between the group because of the nature of you coming into this world

everyone had a hint of it

but you hadn't actually told them, which made this even worse

you trusted sage with this and now he just confirmed it and resurfaced the problem when you were so close to forgetting about it

felix: "sage, that was a bit much, don't you think? it was uncalled for."

sage: "you—... i just..."

anisa: "are you alright, y/n?"

everyone's eyes are on you now

you give your best calm smile

y/n: "i'm fine. i supposed that clears that up."

everyone knew you weren't talking about the argument between the three

you left to your bedroom right after that, feeling your face burn with embarrassment and your chest tightening

anisa and felix were lecturing sage about it, making his tail only brush against the floor beneath them

they leave soon after

you had originally gone in there to give anisa the information she needed, written on a few sheets of paper, so the knight took that and began on her way to building the next step

felix wanted to come along as well, seeing as y/n needed time for herself and sage wasn't in the companying mood

sage would be in the study by himself for a while

until it was dinner time

he went into the dining room to see anisa and felix seated down, already beginning to eat what was prepared

sage: "where's y/n?"

felix: "hasn't left the bedroom. i tried already, but my efforts were useless."

anisa: "perhaps i should try again."

but before she can stand up fully, sage is already scooping up the two dinner plates and utensils in his grasp, leaving the dining hall against felix's calls

he's in front of your room in under a minute, using his foot to gently knock of the door

sage: ",,, hey, um... it's me? can i come in?"

he's met with silence

sage: "anisa and felix said you didn't come down for dinner, so i brought it up with me here. i was hoping we could eat together... and talk...?"

he hears a few shuffles before you open the door, allowing him to come inside

he sets the plates on the desk before engulfing you in a tight hug, arms around her shoulders and head dug into your shoulder

he's apologising almost immediately, which stops you because it happened all so quick

y/n: "hey..."

sage: "i was such an ass to you and you don't deserve any of that. i know how hard it is for you and i didn't help. i don't think you're nothing, and those two sure as hell don't. you..."

his grip on you tightens as strands of his hair falls over your eyes

he takes a shaky breath in

sage: "you're the first thing to mean everything to me. so please, forgive me. i'll do whatever it takes to make up for this."

he's crying and you are as you wrap your arms around his torso

y/n: "please don't talk about that anymore..."

sage: "i promise."

y/n: "okay,,, i'm really sorry about everything i said. i know you were worried about the others and that you're better than your pride. but i... i still think they made the right decision."

he takes a moment before brushing fingers on the back of your neck as a reassuring act

sage: "i understand. they probably did, i have no idea what was going on, i was freaking knocked out."

you asked if he was okay and he responds with tilting his head so his cheek is facing you

sage: "kiss it better?"

of course, you obliged

[utilitycaster]

You mentioned last week that we didn't have enough information on who might be (and stay) dead to do a real analysis of what you'd like in a back-up character to complement the party. Now that we know that Laudna is dead and might at least stay dead for a while, what would you like to see mechanically in a Marisha back-up character?

------

Grouping these all together!

In general, mechanically, I do lean towards wizard or artificer, but also just. High intelligence. High intelligence. We need high intelligence. Anything else is just a bonus. I don't care if she plays a barbarian who somehow managed to stack her INT score, just. please.

Because Marisha would be replacing a glass cannon, she can play a glass cannon (whereas, say, if Orym or Fearne had died, I'd want them to not add a third fragile character to the party), hence wizard; I also loved how she played Patia and would like to see her get a chance to play a wizard in a longer term campaign, and also I just like wizards and think people should be less afraid to play them, because they are one of the best classes. However, because Laudna was sort of a DPS/support hybrid and this party is short on neither of these things, and because Warlock/Sorcerer is a combo that imo doesn't pay great dividends until kind of late in the game, in terms of party comp, she really can do basically anything.

In terms of wizard and artificer subclasses, honestly, for me? It's purely my personal preference. I would not go with enchantment - this group already has plenty of charisma/detect thoughts/charm stuff - and we've seen transmutation in-game so I'd skip that. I think Evocation would let her do some of the DPS she did with Laudna while not hitting the three melee characters, and potent cantrip is really good. I also always love divination, and I always love short-range teleporting so conjuration is fun too. But seriously...any wizard. I am so desperate for a good arcana score that I will accept a bladesinger with open arms.

For artificer, I really do love alchemist the most, but again, any would be fine. I think if she wants to continue ribbing Taliesin with her characters, artillerist would be hilarious. It has a banger of a spell list, and I think Marisha can have a flamethrower, as a treat.

[hamarhemmo]

More LGBTQ+ book/movie/game etc. recommendations!

Games:

Stradew Valley: A lovely game with simple pixel graphics. Basically you live on a farm that your dead grandpa left you and you get to make friends in the small town the farm is in. There's 12 characters that you can marry (6 guys, 6 gals) and also one friendly shadow person who you can take as a roommate. As you could guess all of the bachelors/bachelorettes are bisexual. Costs about 10€, available on almost all gaming devices I think.

The Arcana: A dating sim. Yes, they are pretty cliche but Arcana is seriously great. Basically you're a magician's apprentice, and you get to date cool people. You can even play all routes at the same time if you want. You get to choose your characters pronouns (he/she/they) and name. You can change them anytime. Of the dateable characters 3 are guys, 2 are gals, and one is enby. Julian's and Lucio's routes have some sexual humor but nothing extreme, and Muriel's route has some talk of past child abuse I think (haven't played it yet). The remaining three routes should be suitable for anyone. Free, for mobile.

Movies:

Mulan: Everyone already knows the plot, right? Technically not about a trans guy but I've still always enjoyed watching it on dysphoric days. Also Li Shang is a bi-icon.

Night at the Museums: If you follow me, you've probably already seen them, but basically they tell about a nightguard in a museum where everything comes alive at night. One of the characters is gay (Octavius) and I'd dare to say that Jedediah isn't straight either. Also Ahkmenrah just acts really gay. They are very funny and the characters are mostly historically accurate. The movies are on Disney+ at least.

Old Guard: The movie came out in 2020 so it has actually good LGBTQ+ characters :D. Anyways, it's about these immortal guys who do cool stuff and try to keep their immortality secret. It has five main characters of which two are dating (Joe and Nick) and one is wlw (Andy). Joe and Nick are the sweetest couple I've ever seen. Anyways I think there's gonna be a second movie in a few years. It's based on a comic thingy I haven't read. The movie is on Netflix.

YouTube:

One Topic At A Time: A lovely YouTuber, huge ally, and a dad figure for us all. Makes mostly videos where he reads memes from LGBTQ+ subreddits. Notoriously doesn't get innuendos. He's just a very sweet person, okay?

Kurtis Conner: A popular commentary YouTuber. His videos aren't necessarily about LGBTQ+ but he always tries his best at being inclusive, and has raised money for LGBTQ+ charities.

Lucas Cruikshank: Probably the gayest person I know. Does commentary and reaction videos. A bit questionable humor here and there but mostly suitable for anyone to watch. Definitely entertaining. He's the guy from Fred movies.

Jammidodger: A bisexual trans dude. Makes a lot of videos about LGBTQ+. Often goes through Reddit and has collabed with One Topic. His fianceé/wife is also bisexual and makes videos. (Her name is Shaaba.)

I may add something to this post later if I can think of more stuff.

Also tell me if I should keep the pictures or nah.

EDIT: I somehow forgot the TV show:

Shadowhunters. (It's also a book series but I haven't read it and it's very different, so i'm gonna only be talking about the show.) Anyways, the universe is hard to explain but basically there's humans (mundanes), shadowhunters and downworlders. Shadowhunters are part human, part angel, and downworlders are part human, part demon. (Also there's seelies who are part angel, part demon but anyways.) Basically shadpwhunters kill demons and are usually racist aginst downworlders. Let's get to the gayness: There's a lot of characters but of of the important characters one is gay, one is bi, one is ace, and the rest just give huge LGBTQ+ vibes. Also there's a lot of LGBTQ+ side characters. In my opinionthe gay stuff is really well done, considering the fact that the author is a cishet woman. I don't really know what else to say, but I definitely recommend.

[balleater]

because i'm bored and thinking about it, some things i've been thinking of in regards to what i personally would pick for some potential bells hells backup characters:

liam: liam has mentioned going for the main 4 old school rpg classes in the past so i think, in theory, the most likely would be a cleric. he's played a few in one shots but the same can be said about fighters before orym so i think its not an unlikely pick. like i mentioned before, arcana domain would be my personal pick for a cleric or knowledge domain since lore is a big thing this campaign, and he did just play a wizard so knowledge might be a little more likely of the two? also, super not sure if they'd go for another 2 cleric party. a lot of people have also brought up college of tragedy bard which would be an extremely funny pick as a backup character in my opinion.

my personal pick for him though would be a ranger because it's been So long and also i want one lmao. a ranger would also cover some of the bases orym did with high dex and high wisdom while also getting a little bit of healing potentially depending on spell choices.

ashley: i honestly have no idea if i could even pretend to predict what ashley would do lmao. bard was my top pick for her pre-exu trio in campaign 3 reveal so i think that would still work pretty well? i think college of creation would be extremely funny after the issues bells hells had with furniture super early in the campaign tbh. if she wants to continute to lean in to more rogue-adjacent things theres also college of whispers that has that vibe but i don't know if any colleges really stand out to me in terms of being fitting overall, it's mostly about skills and ability scores tbh.

also literally never gonna give up the chance to say i want a paladin because it's literally always true so like. that would also be a very sexy and cool option for her to choose.

marisha: at the moment she's the least likely of the three to need it so i haven't thought as much about hers. she's both not dead yet and has so much going on around her that could happen with external things as well as delilah so. y'know. but otherwise i think seeing marisha play an artificer or a wizard would be Very fun. we got a little bit of wizard with patia but i'd love to see her get more of a chance to do some fun fucked up wizard shit. i don't super have a preferred subclass for either, but i do think order of scribes wizard would be very fun.