#brother picked up a human and is keeping them willingly? what?? we're talking about the same nightmare right???

[wishing-stones]

Dream, why do you think Nightmare kept the human?

[natasha-in-space]

so we got the RFA as little fairytale things-- what about Saeran? any/all versions of him are good!

Oh, I'm always giddy to talk about Saeran! What's funny is that with him, I ended up choosing mostly mythical creatures. Maybe it's because I dived headfirst into my childhood obsession with all kinds of fantasy beings as I worked on the RFA? Well, either way, it was fun to ponder over these!

Ray

A siren. That's mostly because of the role he plays in the game. Ray is the one that lures you into Mint Eye with sweet promises of endless entertainment and happiness. You don't see his face up until the moment when it's too late to turn back, be it by you agreeing to come to him willingly, or him taking you as his assistant whether you want it or not. It's his voice that you hear. Guiding you. Reassuring you. Mesmerizing you. It's his voice that you trust your heart to. I can't help but associate that with a siren. And, oh, it is such an interesting concept for Ray. Can you imagine? A siren that falls in love with a human but doesn't believe that the one they love can ever return their feelings? That's why he relies on his hypnotic voice so much. Deep inside, he's scared. He's scared you're going to leave if he doesn't keep you nice and safe right by his side. But, you prove his fears wrong. Be it by you never actually submitting to his song in the first place, or you eventually finding a way to escape its mesmerizing call, you come to cherish him as he is. Or... you could imagine yourself forever trapped in his soothing voice that dulls all of your thoughts, however intense they may be. The choice is yours.

Suit Saeran

A vampire. Aside from me having a major soft spot for vampires, there are a few reasons why I would pick a vampire specifically for Suit from all the others. While vampires had countless differing portrayals throughout the years, they often symbolize a darker part of ourselves that we're trying to hide away. Vampires are also creatures of death. They come to life only after the person unfortunate enough to get turned had died, leaving their previous mortal life behind. Isn't that rather reminiscent of the way Suit views his awakening during the game? He sees himself as a monster... a creature that brings nothing but dread and destruction, especially when it comes to anything that Ray once held dear. We know that's not truly what he wants. But, it's what he has to do to survive. Just like vampires do. And yet, vampires can also symbolize defiance and rebellion. They are creatures that are often hunted and are instructed to be killed on sight, and this part of their existence does get explored sometimes, which I love. It's them against the world when all they do is try to survive. Saeran's choice to stand up for what's right and protect both you and Ray is a perfect act of rebellion against the environment that kept you caged up until this moment. I actually have a drabble with vampire Suit and my cmc you can check out here!

GE Saeran

A hippogriff. A hippogriff is a mythical creature that is half-eagle and half-horse. There's a purely symbolic reason behind my choice of this particular creature for GE Saeran. See, the birth of a hippogriff by itself is a miracle. It's a creature born out of love between a griffin and a horse, something that shouldn't be possible in any way since they are considered enemies. It's a representative of two opposing forces merging together to create something beautiful and grand against all odds. I can't help but compare it to how Ray and Suit joined forces once they both knew what was the right thing to do. And out of this mutual agreement, Saeran as we know him was born. Hippogriffs can also symbolize a strong sense of love, which plays a big part in GE Saeran's journey. Not just his love for you, but his love towards himself, his brother, and other people around him. I guess you could say that Saeran's birth was a miracle that symbolized a promise of happiness. A new journey of self-discovery that will last a lifetime.

VAE Ray

A winter fae. There are many, and I mean many differing interpretations of fayes throughout all kinds of stories, but for this instance specifically, I'm talking about winter fayes that are born from the shared suffering of mortals in our realm. Winter fayes are very sensitive creatures, in the sense that they can literally feel the pain that others are going through. Especially powerful winter fayes can even feel the suffering of living creatures throughout different realms. That being said, it's not all doom and gloom for them. Winter fayes are not explicitly unhappy with their ordeal, and they are very compassionate and kindhearted towards anyone who stumbles into their court on accident. It's all about balance. Without sadness, there would be no happiness. I just think that really resonated with both VAE Ray and Saeran in different ways. They both went through hell, and their scars will never completely fade away, both physical and mental. But, they learn how to live with them. They learn to open their tired hearts to others, even if they do that at their own pace. There's a melancholic beauty to that.

Unknown

Cerberus. There's something about Unknown being a vicious and unforgiving yet eternally loyal creature who will do anything that he's ordered to do without a second thought that resonates with me. Or, maybe it's the demon/angel au I have cooked up and his role in it. Either way, I can't help but think of Cerberus when I get to Unknown. What's especially intriguing is that Cerberus's ferociousness is rarely shown on full display. Cerberus is loyal, diligent, and observant. He doesn't have to do anything drastic for you to start trembling from fear in his presence. He's terrifying in a way that you don't really want to find out why he's so terrifying. The reason why Unknown is impossible to have a route with is that he's simply too far gone at that point. He doesn't care about anything but his duty and his revenge. You won't be able to sway him like you can with Ray. Unknown is a loyal guard dog, much like Cerberus. And, in a way, he's Rika's loyal lapdog, completely blind to the way his loyalty is disregarded time and time again.

SE Saeran

A chimera. Chimeras are the embodiment of conflicting and contradictory emotions merging to create something completely different and unnatural. But, in contrast with hippogriffs, chimeras are not born out of love between two creatures, and they do not inspire the same awe. Chimeras are often described as foul and ferocious beings, playing the role of the obstacle for the hero to beat. It's a creature of chaos and conflict. And while it can be viewed in an antagonistic way, I can't help but think that SE Saeran would find a sense of kinship in that. He is always at war with himself. He says one thing but thinks completely another. He thinks that he knows what he wants, but changes his mind at the drop of the hat. His heart and his mind are rarely in synk. He is a mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions, and he has to learn how to navigate that. Not to mention that he views himself as a disgusting monster. In a way, he would find comfort in chimeras.