#elise doesn't have many 'typical' fears

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Random OC question! (For your warden ❤)

Was there a time in her life when she had to face her worst fear? What was it, and how did she face it?

Random question! Excellent! Thank you so much! >:D

Hmm, Elise's worst fear... Elise's worst fear...

Ah! Took me a bit, but I realized that Elise had grown a fear of becoming attached to people. The girl could face down demons in her mind like it was nothing, traverse the Fade without a slip, but when it came to the Waking World and interacting with people in it? She was a tad lost, and most of all, afraid.

Elise is my quietest OC. She keeps her head down, her mouth shut, and her hobbies and opinions close. She's the type of person to find a corner in a library and settle in, hoping no one finds her. It isn't until the Blight that she starts to wiggle out of her shell, but in the beginning, she was terrified to even speak to Alistair. She would offer tiny smiles to show that she was acknowledging him, but after what happened with Jowan, Elise was careful and fearful of establishing another connection as tight knit as that one had been. (Elise supported Jowan until the end. Her first act of rebellion, actually~)

Over time, Elise did begin to open up. She would share her interests with Leliana or Morrigan (especially Morrigan). She'd sit by the fire with Alistair and talk about what happy memories she could recall, and offer that same courtesy to him. Her mabari, Archon, really helped by creating situations in which she had to interact, too! So, Elise overcame the fear of growing close to people she could possibly lose by cherishing the time she did have with them. She hates being barred from certain privileges due to what she is, and she felt she was doing that to herself in the beginning. So, it took some doing, but she worked at correcting it! :3

...Until the Landsmeet put the fear in her heart again. *laughs nervously* But the fear at morphed due to Elise feeling she had betrayed someone she claimed she loved and cared for. Mainly, it turned into 'If I get close to someone, I'll hurt them. It's better if I keep a distance.' It wasn't until everything at the Vigil and meeting Nathaniel that Elise overcame that specific fear. She realized she had to stay close, stay near to protect the ones she loved above all else.

[sexandloveforlife]

The Purpose Of Homosexual Men's Chemsex

At the recent 3rd European ChemSex Forum in Paris, Stéphane, a volunteer with the French nonprofit AIDES, set the tone by discussing why he still uses chemicals during sexual encounters. He claimed there are numerous explanations, many of which are shared by other people.

First and foremost, he stated, "the idea of pleasure is fundamental."

"Other fears include the inability to survive without help and the fear of falling short of expectations.

the using of recreational drugs such crystal meth, GHB/GBL, and mephedrone before or during intercourse.

a vague or strong feeling of disquiet, such as anxiety or fear Anxiety disorders are problems where anxiety takes over a person's life or manifests itself in specific circumstances.

a field of medicine that focuses on the identification, management, and avoidance of mental, emotional, and behavioral problems. Prior to specializing in mental health, psychiatrists received conventional medical training. They have the authority to issue prescriptions for drugs.

a persistently depressed mood brought on by a mental health issue that interferes with daily life.

a different term for sexual arousal.

"The lack of inhibition allows me to temporarily forget about my body, which I find difficult to accept, as well as other people's judgmental looks and remarks.

And it's undeniable that the loneliness that many gay men suffer contributes to this behavior.

Since the initial chemsex forum, which took place in London in 2016, the conversations have progressed at these gatherings. While the previous forum had a ton of survey data, there is now greater focus on the intricacy of people's experiences. Three private sessions for "chemsex veterans" were held at the most recent meeting in Paris, and the main conference featured a lot more individual testimonies.

Pleasure Even though it doesn't always remain carefree, most men's involvement in chemsex starts off with a desire for pleasure. Berlin-based physician and activist Jan Großer defined pleasure as a system that provides positive reinforcement and encourages us to repeat behavior. Sex can be rewarding in terms of connection, belonging, and identity in addition to the intrinsic reward of sexual (physical) pleasure.

There might be benefits in understanding what makes us unique as people, with whom we belong, and what attributes other people see in us. We can gain prestige as a couple or as members of a community that prides itself on being sexually active. Sex can let us escape the struggles of everyday life and satisfy our desire of adventure and curiosity.

Some of these possible benefits, meanwhile, can be at odds with one another. "It's really tough to have both," he added. "You may sense intimacy or you may experience being admired." "Intimacy is something that has to do with being able to show yourself and feel secure and accepted in doing so, whereas admiration is something that is typically very much tied to performance."

There are both positive and negative rewards that can be received (they remove some pain or distress). According to Großer, negative reinforcement is especially important when it comes to sexual behavior and drug usage. A effective defense against internal conflict and the associated sensations of guilt, worry, ambivalence, and loneliness may lead to pleasure.

Shame One of Elise Nelis' patients was reported by the psychiatrist and sexologist at GGZ inGest in Amsterdam. He was raised by pious parents who hardly ever discussed their sentiments or emotions in the little village where he was raised. They had a generally unfavorable attitude about sexuality, thus he delayed coming out as gay until he was 28 years old out of fear of their judgment. A few years later, he received an HIV diagnosis, which he found to be very tough. He felt guilty, hated himself, and feared that he would never be in another relationship again. He struggled with erectile dysfunction, low libido, and despair.

He claimed that using crystal meth allowed him to let go of his barriers and ultimately gain sexual confidence. His underlying problems with self-stigmatization, poor self-worth, and loneliness were not, however, resolved.

According to Jan Großer, there are a number of ways people cope with feelings of shame: rationalizing them, projecting them onto others, launching an angry counterattack ("How dare you?"), seeking confirmation, pretending they don't exist, and avoiding them to the point where we don't feel them. Drug usage is frequently an avoidance behavior and can numb painful emotions.

If your defense is good, you might not even be aware that you are experiencing these conflicts or feeling these emotions, according to Großer. This is not to say that there aren't conflicts; they will just manifest themselves in different ways.

Escape According to London-based activist and former chemsex user Adam Schultz, services must concentrate on the unique problems that each individual faces. He claimed that the focus is always on the person who is attempting to flee rather than on sex or drugs.

He added that it is incorrect to imagine the lives of chemsex users to be chaotic. He claimed they are frequently those who struggle with striving to be "too excellent" and having too much control over their life. He was stable, had a fulfilling career, and was in a committed relationship. However, he was dissatisfied and craved excitement and a sense of independence.

The disinhibition brought on by the medicines permitted this other person to manifest, he said. But when it finally took control, it resisted letting go since that individual had been denied his voice for such a long time.

Encouragement of men to be emotionally open and honest with one another, according to Monty Moncrieff of London Friend, is a crucial component of the therapeutic groupwork that his organization provides. For males whose past encounters with other homosexual men were primarily sexual, this can be a novel experience. He said that the sessions covered far more ground than only the drug problem. It examines identity, relationships, sober sex, and intimacy-related anxiety.

Sexuality In the same way that HIV changed homosexual sexuality in the early stages of the epidemic, Dr. Alexandre Aslan, a physician and sexologist who oversees chemsex concerns at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris, claimed that chemsex was doing the same thing today.

He talked about how chemsex can disrupt the typical sexual response cycle. Men who use drugs or watch porno may skip the first stage of desire (sexual ideas and curiosity) and jump right to the second stage, which is bodily arousal. However, the medicines frequently cause issues with erectile function, specifically in the arousal phase, and make orgasm challenging to reach, leading to a 'plateau' period that never ends.

It might be challenging for many guys to resume having sex like in sex vietsub without the use of drugs. After a history of chemsex, it might be difficult to help people relearn the association between strong drugs and sexuality, according to Arnd Bächler of the counseling organization Schwulenberatung Berlin. pornsexzone.com

[pansyelisep]

a letter to Elise

"Oh Elise, it doesn't matter what you do, I know I'll never get inside of you to make your eyes catch fire the way they should"

So little is known of Pansy Parkinson, he dreams, her vision, her philosophies, her passions; born into a so-called "pureblood" family, her loyalty to the Slytherin Prince Draco Malfoy and so on, of course, she was aware of how much she was disliked by the other students, was she proud of the reasons? Well into a retrospective into her teenage years, of course, she was, looking forward to fitting in with the stereotypes her family and society had on her...and of course to get Draco's attention.

Now into adulthood, into maturity, into the selfless idea to fit, to mend things, she wasn't proud of what she had done. The reproducing thoughts of the so-well-called purity of blood, just made her ill "How could I still follow that Mama?" Pansy asked her mother holding her tears and looking at her green eyes "Elise... it is the way it should be, look at yourself dearest" Mrs Parkinson reached her daughter holding her face with her hands whipping away the tears that fell off her face "You are the daughter and heiress of a great wizard, who as many others fought to give his family recognition and a place among the greatest wizarding families; my darling one, you shouldn't be ashamed of what you are or what you have become, let's put it this way, it is in your blood" Pansy could only feel her body shaking as her mother spoke, she knew deep down it wasn't right, the trauma of seeing bodies all over Hogwarts just stalked her at nights. The emotions were too hard to explain, was it anger? fear? anxiety? sadness? "I know, what Papa did...but I was ruthless mamma, lied, hurt but whatever for? I am hated, taken for granted as the bully, as the typical Slytherin, elitist and the list goes on" Pansy cried "I am not asking for you to change, but to understand what I did was not right!" the youngest Parkinson screamed and put away her mother's hands "I can't live with it, everything that /they/ fought for made me see the reality, it is ludicrous to still hold on into that state of mind Mama" Mrs Parkinson just sat back into her chaise and sighed "What happened to my little girl? All that non-sense war had changed you, I have lost my only daughter." The senior Parkinson said as she looked away from her daughter's eyes.

"I'm sorry mother, I am getting a divorce and leaving as soon as possible to Scotland, I have nothing to do here if your decision is final " Pansy replied "Draco nor I want this absurd marriage, I am taking over my life and moving on from this" she sighed standing up and closing the door behind her putting all her hopes, memories and dreams into her suitcase and close to her heart, in the end, she knew it was right, to leave all behind and forgive herself. High hopes for her future relationship with her mother, for her to understand the greatness of her only daughter without a marriage, a bright witch that could move forward into her career.

[sealofreconciliation]

Fates: was the story as bad as people say?: a response (Part 2: Birthright 1/2)

Link to the original post here, link to playthrough with the english patch here.

Starting with another translation issue:

>”And Father will forgive you. I know it."

>This is a strange comment given what Xander - and indeed the other two older Nohrian siblings - know of Garon. Camilla even says "Father never forgets a slight" after the prisoner fight. It's also not clear exactly what Garon is supposed to forgive Corrin of; going missing for a few days and being captured by the enemy?

Xander never said that:

>Kamui... You are indeed originally a Prince of Hoshido.

>You and i don't share a drop of blood.

>But from the day you came to Nohr, you were a real brother to me.

>What i'm trying to say is...

>Kamui, you are my precious family.

>Camilla, Leon, and Elise, too, they all share my feelings.

>Even Father, surely.

This is just Xander saying Garon still values Corrin as family, because he doesn't know about the assassination attempt on Corrin yet.

> "Father... evil? How could you say that, little prince/princess?"

>Now, Xander's opinion of Garon is something that'll be touched upon multiple times in this analysis series, but setting that aside for now, Corrin's opinion of the man shouldn't exactly come as a surprise to Xander. Ever since Corrin got out of the Northern Fortress which in-universe is unlikely to have been much more than a month ago, Xander has seen Garon order Corrin to murder prisoners of war (and then Xander himself to kill both the prisoners and Corrin), give Corrin the evil sword, release Hans, and now order a full blown invasion of Hoshido. Hell, the prologue even shows Xander being suspicious of the sword Garon gives Corrin.

Given how desperate Xander is to believe that Garon can still be turned back to the decent man he was prior to the start of the game, and the multiple rationalizations he makes for Garon's actions throughout the story, i don't find it difficult to believe he can rationalize those too:

The P.O.W. murders were ordered because there was no further point in giving them food and shelter, the Corrin fight was ordered because a soldier that won't follow orders is useless to an army, he straight-up has no evidence Garon gave Corrin the sword with the intention of having it be used to try and kill them, there's no point in leaving a strong and capable soldier to rot in a jail cell because of a few murders when they could be helping you fight (an experience Xander is personally familiar with thanks to a certain retainer of his), and Nohr needs the food from Hoshido.

As for the prologue, his only dialogue there is silence; he can just as easily be suspicious of why Garon gave Corrin such an important sword despite no real proof of their combat skills as he can be suspicious of it because he somehow knows there's something wrong with Ganglari.

>I realize this isn't the perfect time for Xander to logically go through everything that has happened, but we now come to the next part of this problem: Xander's confusion over calling Garon evil is so completely detached from people playing the game. Garon looks, talks, laughs, and acts like a typical bad guy with a pencant for arbitrary cruelty; nothing that we've seen him do or say in the prologue suggests he's anything but evil, and the murder of Sumeragi and kidnapping of Corrin suggests he's been like this for many years.

I don't care whether or not people irl are convinced by Xander's loyalty, fear and doublethink towards Garon. That's too subjective to argue for or against.

I DO care whether said doublethink makes sense in-universe, which it does: Garon was a nice person once and Xander is both scared of being killed if he disobeys him and hopes that Garon'll come back to his senses one day if he keeps following orders, which is heavily implied, if not outright stated, multiple times in both the story and supports, but i'll get there later.

>Xander mentions fearing that the Hoshidans have brainwashed Corrin, a bizarre accusation considering it was Nohr who kidnapped and tricked Corrin into believing he was a Nohrian prince to begin with.

Less than four arguments in and we're already at the second translation issue:

>Marx: I'll bring you back, and you'll return to the way you used to be before Hoshido seduced you.

Note the lack of any accusations of brainwashing. This is just Xander threatening to take Corrin back by force and, out of desperation, assuming that going back for a while will cause them to return to Nohr's side.

>To top it all off, Xander admits to have known and hid these facts from our protagonist. This betrayal, that Xander has lied to Corrin their entire life, is glossed over.

I don't think Corrin would care that much; even if Xander had lied about their blood relation, they still had a close bond with all the Nohrian siblings that couldn't have been faked, especially given that they disobeyed Garon's orders for Corrin to take the fort without support in order to help them.

Whether they lied about their relation to Corrin or not, their relationship was still very much real, and that's what Corrin and Xander care most about in this situation.

>The battle is soon on, and it's once again worth pointing out how the conflict is centered around Corrin, rather than the invasion of Hoshido. Only a few battle/defeat quotes do not relate directly to Corrin,

Battle quotes for the Nohrian siblings (exluding the ones when they fight Corrin directly because ofc they're going to mention them in that circumstance):

>Marx: How reckless. To oppose me means to die.

>Camilla: I won't hand over Kamui to anyone...Yes, even to you...

>Leon: I have no intention of showing mercy to an enemy. If you're going to fight, prepare to die.

>Elise: Give back Big Bro Kamui...!!

Defeat quotes:

>Marx: Damn...I underestimated you...

>I have no choice but to withdraw... Kamui...

>Camilla: I can't accept something like this... Kamui...

>Leon: Damn...You were more capable than i thought...

>Looking down on me, of all people...

>Elise: For such a thing...to have happened...

Half and half does not equal “only a few”, and even if i concede that this is a nitpick, of course the siblings are still going to be upset that the sibling they've known and loved for many years just betrayed them and is fighting for the enemy.

>and as soon as the battle is over, Azura tells them they don't have to fight if they don't want to. While I understand the focus being on the protagonist, it is striking how little other characters acknowledge the full extent of the situation; the actual reason for the battle becomes an afterthought.

Yeah, she can tell it hurts for Corrin to fight their own family and suggests that they retreat and leave the fighting to Ryoma and the others if they can't handle it anymore. What else was she supposed to say to them, exactly?

>Chapter seven starts with Corrin on their way to Fort Jinya to help the wounded soldiers there. Where are Takumi, Ryoma and Hinoka? Why doesn't Corrin know where they're going? How much time has passed since the invasion attempt? What is the strategy for dealing with Nohr? None of these questions are answered.

Takumi and Ryoma went to Izumo, unexpectedly had to start fighting off an enemy ambush near it's border, and got separated from the rest of their party in the confusion, as explained by Saizo and Orochi at the end of this very same chapter.

Hinoka was going to stay in the imperial capital, but when she heard that Takumi and Ryoma were headed to Izumo she decided to head there and meet back up with them in case they needed help, as explained by herself in the very next chapter.

The rest of the questions are fair, and i do wish they'd explained why Ryoma and Takumi went to Izumo in the first place too, but i'm fine with them, since none of those questions being unexplained really contradict anything in the story itself.

>The Nohrians, led by Silas, calls himself Corrin's best friend. Once he's defeated, he talks to Corrin about their past together and is easily recruited. Together with Kaze who's acting as Corrin's retainer by this point, the number of characters who are to a large extent defined by their relationship to the avatar is steadily increasing.

Well, Mikoto is dead and Garon plus all the Nohrian siblings minus Elise all hate Corrin at this point in the story for their betrayal, so if anything it's decreased from 16 to 13. Sounds like an improvement to me.

Also, i'm genuinely not sure i'd even count Kaze as being particularly defined by his relationship to Corrin; he feels like he owes them his life for sparing him, even when at risk of getting themselves killed in the proccess, and becomes their retainer as a way of repaying the favor.

Afterwards, most of his dialogue is pretty Corrin-neutral; he mostly just gives status reports to the party and comments on the immediate situation, aside from one chapter we'll get to later.

>Silas knew Corrin for such a short amount of time so long ago that Corrin barely remembers him, while Silas even as an adult is ready to forsake his country and die for Corrin.

That's one hell of a downplay regarding how close the two of them were:

>???: Heyyyo, Kamui!!

>Kamui: Eh?

>???: Still… Is that really you, Kamui? It was true you were a prince of Hoshido…!?

>Kamui: You are…?

>Silas: What? Don’t you remember? I’m Silas! We played together a lot as children! Did you forget about me!? You said I was your best friend!

>Kamui: Best friend…?

After the battle:

>Silas: It was “a knight’s vow”. You saved my life. As a child, when I tried to take you outside of the castle, I was almost executed, but you volunteered your own life to protect mine… At that time, I made a vow. That life you saved… I would always be prepared to throw it away for you.

>Kamui: !! Silas…

>Silas: This life is for the sake of my best friend. So why won’t you kill me?

>Kamui: …Thank you, Silas. I finally remembered. How we always played together as children. Back then, the first glimpse I had of the outside world was because of you…

>Silas: Honestly… it’s a bit late to remember. Absentminded as usual. …But even if you’re a prince of Hoshido, you’re you. For me, nothing changes.

So, Silas and Corrin used to constantly play together when they were children, to the point of Corrin considering Silas their best friend, and they were close enough that Corrin offered their own life in exchange for his when they were caught outside of the fortress, stopping Silas from being executed on the spot.

Silas, understandably, is incredibly grateful to Corrin for that, and decided to become a knight in the hopes of serving under them one day.

One other detail this part forgets to mention is that it's implied throughout the game that Garon did something to Corrin's earlier memories. It took Azura's weird magic ritual-thingy to get Corrin to remember Sumeragi's assassination, it took at least two conversations with Silas for them to remember their best friend, and multiple supports have Corrin stating that they remember next to nothing of their early life in the fortress.

Therefore, it's pretty uncharitable to say that Corrin “knew Silas for such a short amount of time so long ago they barely remember him”; given that their relationship was clearly pretty meaningful to both of them, it's much safer to assume Garon did the whole memory-fuckery thing at some point after Silas got kicked out of the fortress.

>Once the battle is over, you're told by Saizo and Orochi that Takumi and Ryoma went missing on their way to Izumo. Hang on, now the question of how much time has passed is raised once again. There was no scene nor even exposition explaining why the Hoshidans split up, or what their strategy for combating Nohr is. Corrin just arrived at a fort in the middle of Hoshido, which one would assume is closer to the border than Izumo to the far south, yet Corrin seems to be told by people who accompanied Ryoma and Takumi at least part of the way there that they've gone missing, so they must've been on their way to Izumo and then gone to Fort Jinya in the same amount of time it took Corrin to reach Fort Jinya. The timing and logistics behind this make absolutely no sense.

Is there anything implying that Ryoma and Takumi couldn't have just gone to Izumo long before Corrin went to Jinya?

>Furthermore, I want to highlight how bizarrely vague the details surrounding Takumi and Ryoma's disappearance are. Orochi and Saizo are wounded, indicating they've been in a fight, but Takumi and Ryoma only "went missing" on their way to Izumo "last anyone saw them". Does this mean they were split off from each other during a battle, or did something else happen? Orochi phrases this as if going to Izumo was an impromptu decision,

Orochi never said that:

>Orochi: The group on the other side of the border… Lord Ryouma and Lord Takumi…

>Sakura: …Eh?

>Orochi: Those two went missing in the border principality of Izumo…! They could be captured by the enemy, or worse, killed…!

There's nothing to imply going to Izumo was impromptu, and their fear of Ryoma and Takumi being captured by the enemy means there was an enemy, nearby, that could capture them, despite their being in neutral territory, meaning they were very likely in a battle. That's basic logic.

And yes, they were pretty clearly separated from each other during a battle, at least according to Saizo:

>Saizo: At that time, I was only able to stand around like a bystander as Lord Ryouma was separated from us!

>but Yukimura is gathering forces to "march on Izumo" (which really means something else), indicating that there are a lot of Nohrians on the way there (there aren't).

Translations get weird at this point.

Fateswartable:

>Right now the strategist went to the village to command the battle, and when there was a lull in the battle, to confirm the safety of the two, went off toward the Principality of Izumo. Somehow, please help.

Timestamp is 24:00, BR chapter 7 by linkmstr:

>Orochi: The commander right now is Yukimura, but the battle has entered a lull.

>To assure their safety, i'd like to head to the Kingdom of Izumo immediately.

So, Yukimura went to wherever the battle was taking place to help out the remainder of Ryoma and Takumi's troops.

I'm not sure which of the two is more accurate regarding what Yukimura did afterwards (i'll be generous to Fates and assume it's the latter and Yukimura is staying to help organize the troops, if only because him going to Izumo makes no sense given how Corrin never sees him there and he's supposed to be leading the country in the royal family's absence), but either way, there's nothing implying he's gathering troops at that point in the story.

>We also don't know what has led to Orochi and Saizo suspecting Takumi and Ryoma of having been captured (they don't say they saw that, nor that Ryoma and Takumi were fleeing or anything)

Yes, i too wonder why Saizo and Orochi could possibly suspect Nohrian soldiers of ever wanting to capture two members of the Hoshidan royal family. I'm sure being able to hold two of the highest ranking and most important members of the enemy military hostage wouldn't do Nohr any good whatsoever.

>nor why they're going to Corrin to report this if Yukimura is the one gathering forces - wasn't there a reason for Corrin, Sakura and Azura to stay behind?

Already answered the first, but what reason are you talking about, exactly?

The closest they come to saying that someone has to stay behind is Kaze telling Sakura not to go with them because it'll be too dangerous.

>Hinoka continues adding mystery to the logistics and time span of the story thus far. I will keep it brief, but she was in the capital for unexplained reasons, then suddenly decided to try and track down Ryoma and Takumi despite not knowing they were missing. That means she reached the capital before Corrin reached Fort Jinya, despite the former location being further away, and then reached the Wind Tribe before them as well.

Is there any evidence she went somewhere else after the route split battle? Wouldn't it be much more likely that she just stayed at the capital, which was very close to the plains already?

Also, travel speed feat being used as a criticism for the third time in these posts, but this time it's even worse because Hinoka can FLY. Of course she's going to get to places faster than Corrin's party, especially when she doesn't have to climb a stupidly large set of stairs like they do.

>Also, Leo shows up, but he has six lines; three for Zola and three for Corrin, then he leaves. The game never explains why Leo came to Izumo to kill Zola (which he doesn't thanks to Corrin), but I think the actual reason is clear: the game wants to hammer home the fact that Corrin's Nohrian siblings now treat them differently. However, the very brief time he's there, for such a poorly explained reason, doesn't raise the stakes, it just raises more questions.

Leo hates Zola, (somehow) knew about his plan, and was watching him to see whether said plan would work and whether he'd be given an excuse to kill Zola or not, supported by the fact that he immediately catches Zola and stops him from escaping as soon as he manages to give Corrin the slip. Izumo's a neutral state. We have no idea where Leo ran off to after the failed invasion or how long it's been since then. I don't see any issues with any of what just happened from a logistical or character standpoint.

>Now you may be asking yourselves "this all sounds like a lot, what do you mean these last two chapters aren't important in the grand scheme of things?". Well, like the prologue, a lot of things happen but are never thoroughly developed. I don't think the Wind Tribe, Izumo, or the prophecy are even mentioned ever again.

Firstly, the chapters reintroduce Hinoka, estabilish that the Yato can grow stronger, set up that Leo, Elise and Xander are all taking Corrin's betrayal badly, has the party finally be given a concrete location as to where the battle between Ryoma, Takumi and the Nohrian soldiers took place, and introduces Zola, who's going to be extremely important for the next few chapters. Setting up and foreshadowing future plot points and characters is pretty important for a story.

Secondly, the examples you just cited are things that aren't important to the plot, not things that are under-developed. Most of what happens in Chapters 8 and 9 is worldbuilding, and it's fine to have chapters dedicated to fleshing out the world and characters.

>Leo's six lines (one of them being just "no") before leaving summarizes just how little time the game spends on one topic before it moves on.

Those six lines are more than enough; they estabilish that Leo hates Zola, has taken Corrin's betrayal so badly as to start killing his own subordinates for the sin of retreating when they know they've lost a fight instead of staying and dying for no reason, and wants to personally kill Corrin for their betrayal. There's no need for him to stay any longer, especially when he gets a chapter to himself later on anyways.

Also the “no” line isn't in the original script, 0/10 post

>Zola joins you in the next map as an NPC tag along. By this point he's already got comparable screen time to a Hoshidan royal, and it's odd that the game focuses so much on him when so many characters compete for screen time.

It's because he's integral to the first time the main theme of Birthright, trusting in your allies/friends, gets challenged in a major way by the plot, and is neccessary for future plot points in general, so yeah. He's gonna have to be focused on.

>Corrin is called "too kind" for daring to take him with them, marking the third time someone has said that already since the game began.

This is nitpicky as fuck, but then again, so is the original point, so i guess they cancel each other out:

>Aqua: Honestly… So soft-hearted.

>Hinoka: Huh… It seems my brother is from another planet. It’s dangerous… To leave him be.

That's the closest anyone comes to calling Corrin “too kind” during Zola's recruitment.

>Hang on, Izumo is located a fair bit to the east into the Hoshidan part of the map; it's nowhere close to the Bottomless Canyon based on what we can see on the map, but I suppose that doesn't matter much. It's not like the borders are clearly defined.

>Takumi: That battle… it was extremely difficult. …I remember fighting at Izumo’s border, but the battlefield spread to the Infinite Chasm… While moving, I got separated from big brother.

This just means the soldiers chased him all the way to the Bottomless Canyon. I don't see an issue with those logistics.

>Chapter 11 might be the least important one thus far, as you're attacked by invisible soldiers again, but once more this kerfuffle is not mentioned ever again, and there is not even any real exposition or character building offered here.

This chapter is mostly dedicated to developing Zola's relationship with the rest of the team, along with further estabilishing the “trust in your allies” theme.

Start of the chapter:

>Takumi: Yeah. Haven’t you considered it? Nohr could have a mole in this army, someone that’s reporting our movements. Especially a person like that mage… he’s suspicious.

>Zora: E- Ehhhhhhh!? I- I- I am-!?

>Hinoka: …Well, you are suspicious. Extraordinarily so.

>Takumi: Big brother Kamui told me… Apparently you lured everyone into a trap before becoming an ally. It’s not strange that you’d be plotting something.

>Zora: W- Wh- Wha!?

>Hinoka: …Right. Like I promised, I’ll strike to kill.

>Zora: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~~!?

>Kamui: …No. Stop it, everyone. Do not doubt an ally.

>Hinoka: Kamui…

>Kamui: Is that okay? There’s no evidence that he’s a spy. If you chose to believe in someone once, continue to believe in them.

>Takumi: Brother… Even if you say that, I cannot trust him.

>Kamui: Is that so… Certainly, I haven’t been able to explain to Takumi properly. My apologies. I’ll speak to you later about this. So, if, possible, I want even you to be able to believe in Zora.

>Takumi: ………… …I got it. If it’s Big Brother Kamui saying it, I’ll make an effort to trust him.

>Zora: Lord Takumi…!

>Takumi: What’s with you. I didn’t say I’d trust you immediately. Because I heard it from Kamui, I’m really considering whether you’re trustworthy. Don’t call my name as if we’re friends.

>Zora: …Sorry.

End of chapter:

>Kamui: !? Takumi, behind you!!

>Takumi: Eh!?

>Zora: Lord Takumi!!

Zola protects Takumi from an enemy attack

>Takumi: Zora!?

>Zora: Damn… Move now!

>Takumi: ! A- Ah…! That bastard, how dare he target me… Haaa!

>？？？: …………!

>Takumi: It’s over…

>Zora: It is indeed, Lord Takumi… Um, sorry. I shouldn’t have called your name.

>Takumi: No, that…

>Sakura: Z- Zora! You’re badly wounded…! I’ll heal you immediately!!

>Zora: Thank you very much…

>Takumi: …………

>Kamui:　…………

>Kamui: Are you okay, Zora? Thank you for that. For saving Takumi.

>Zora: No, something like thanks… I was too familiar. I just thought Lord Takumi was in danger, and my body acted on its own.

>Kamui: Even so… Still, thank you.

>Takumi: Hey… Zora.

>Zora: ! L- Lord Takumi! Ah… Sorry. I said your name again…

>Takumi: No, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter if you call my name familiarly. Zora… I’m sorry for being suspicious.

>Zora: Eh…?

>Takumi: Is it alright? Just now, you… you saved me yourself. If you hadn’t come at that time, I could’ve been killed. And yet, I didn’t trust you… It was bad of me.

>Zora: That…! Lord Takumi, please raise your head! Something that I did, you don’t have to be grateful for such a thing! In Izumo, I was surely going to be executed by Lord Leon… Protecting me from magic is the same as what Lord Kamui did for me then.

>Takumi: Ehh!? Kamui, you did something so reckless?

>Kamui: A- Ahaha… Well, something like that might’ve happened.

>Zora: That’s right. And since then, I’ve changed. …Thanks to Lord Kamui.

>Takumi: …Is that so. I’ll believe that story. Now as a fellow, I look forward to working with you, Zora.

>Zora: Likewise… I look forward to working with you.

>Kamui: …………

Zola's only contribution prior to that chapter was trying to kill the party in an ambush and then begging them to let him join the team, only after Leo made it crystal clear he'd kill him if he ever went back to Nohr. The rest of the party would have no reason to trust him in the next few chapters if it wasn't for him saving Takumi's life here for no apparent reason other than selflessness, and it wouldn't develop the theme of whether to trust in your allies or not either, since most of the party would still hate and mistrust Zola if it wasn't for what happened in the boat and wouldn't consider him an actual ally to be betrayed by in the first place.

All in all, it's a pretty important chapter for the plot and themes of Birthright.

>Why doesn't anyone need to stay at home to manage things?

They need as much manpower as they can get if they want to try and kill Garon on his own home-turf, especially when Yukimura can just run the country for a few weeks in their absence.

>The plan is to fight Nohr once you've found Ryoma, but Corrin is bringing very little in terms of manpower, and Ryoma is still missing in action even though we're nearing the halfway point of the game.

The Hoshidan royal family is also borderline superhuman thanks to the divine dragon blood in them, allowing them to take out rank-and-file soldiers like it's nothing, both in gameplay and story. They don't have much to fear unless they either get surrounded by large amounts of the Nohrian army or have to fight the Nohrian royal family, which is unlikely given that their plan is to sneak up on and assassinate Garon before retreating back to Hoshido.

Also, they have at least 14 people to help them, assuming no one died and disregarding mycastle or paralogues, all of which are either high-ranking members of their military or were hand-picked for the sole purpose of protecting a member of the royal family from danger (minus Silas, but he was given command of his own platoon, so he's probably good in a fight). This is far from very little manpower given how many enemy soldiers playable units can kill in FE games.

>Put it another way: the plot feels aimless, with the main characters just improvising and reacting to what the world throws at them.

They decided to go to a fort in order to help heal injured soldiers, fought off a Nohrian siege, decided to go searching for Ryoma and Takumi after finding out that they went missing, had to fight their way through the Wind Tribe territory, which is the fastest wy to Izumo, to convince Fuga to let them through after being tricked by Iago, countered an attempted ambush by Zola and got Izana to give them a more exact location as to where Takumi and Ryoma went, found Takumi and dealt with his possession early on, defeated the leader of a small country who'd betrayed Hoshido by siding with Nohr and trying to kill them, rescued Kagero, went to meet back up with Ryoma so they could finally start fighting back against Nohr, and in the very next chapter take advantage of Garon being distracted to try and assassinate him.

I'm not sure i'd call any of this aimless, and even if i give you that they get ambushed a lot, it's mostly due to their choosing to be proactive in the first place; this isn't a lack of agency insomuch as it's a consequence for their agency.

>The conflict - the war - is forgotten about.

A small group of Nohrian soldiers tries to take a Hoshidan fort, another group ambushes Ryoma and Takumi on their way to Izumo, Iago tries to sow dissent between Hoshido and it's allies by tricking them into attacking each other, Zola impersonates Izuna and tries to kill half of the Hoshidan royal family, and Kotaro breaks Fuuga's neutrality pact and attacks Hoshidan soldiers in exchange for land from Nohr.

Even if the two countries aren't openly duking it out, this is pretty blatant evidence Nohr's trying it's damnedest to destabilize Hoshido, which we later find out is thanks to it's planning to invade Hoshido soon. A war is more than just two large groups of people killing each other, it's also trying to gain an advantage over the opposing side.

>Next up you run into Camilla. The battle itself means little,

It's mostly there to show that Camilla has taken Corrin's betrayal especially poorly. She's also the only one of the Nohrian siblings Corrin hasn't seen or heard from since the route split, so it's even more surprising for them to see Camilla having a borderline mental breakdown over their treason.

>Camilla, you were right there when Garon effectively told Xander to kill Corrin for standing up to helpless prisoners of war. You also know that Garon kidnapped Corrin as a toddler and kept them locked inside a fortress for their entire life. This isn't news to you.

>Kamui: Camilla… listen to me. King Garon… I was tricked by the man I used to call “Father.”

>Camilla: Father…?

>Kamui: Yes. The reason I was let out of the castle was not because he loved me like his own child. I was a pawn for him to use to invade Hoshido at the cost of my own life!

>Camilla: ! That’s…

>Kamui: The cursed sword he gave me before I left was a weapon to destroy Hoshido. Because of that sword, innocent people of Hoshido were killed! This is a war started out of his cruel ambition, and if you do not bring him down from the throne, more lives will be lost!

>Camilla: Is… Is that so… Nohr… Father- did such a terrible thing… I’m sorry, Kamui. I- didn’t even know such a thing had happened…

She's surprised at finding out that Garon used Corrin as an unintentional suicide bomber, not at the very idea of him being willing to hurt/kill Corrin.

>To put it another way: Corrin and the Hoshidan siblings remain strangers throughout Birthright.

Eh. Their relationship as siblings, ignoring supports, isn't particulary focused on in BR, sure, but they do grow to like and trust each other more throughout the route, even if only as allies.

>The entire premise is based around Corrin's family. It's front and center of the story, and as such not focusing more on their interactions in the main plot is an odd decision - do we really need Zola to do and say more of value than Hinoka?

It might be front and center in the marketing, but in the actual story, Corrin's choice to side with Hoshido has nothing to do with his supposed blood relation to them. Every single time they justify their choice, it's because they don't like Garon and want to kill him in order to stop him from continuing this war. The premise is more about doing what you think is right even if it means hurting the people you love than anything to do with Corrin's relationship with the Hoshidan sibs.

And yes, we do need Zola to do things, because his betrayal is neccessary for Corrin to start doubting their trust in people; so far in the story, they've only been rewarded for expecting the best out of the enemies they recruit, such as trusting Silas to be telling the truth about wanting to join them and being right about that despite only having his word and their memories as proof.

Then Zola comes along and, despite giving every possible reason for the team to trust him (he's been banished from going back to Nohr, doesn't seem to be secretly working for the enemy given that Leo would have killed him if Corrin hadn't intervened, saved Takumi's life and nearly died in the process), trusting in him as an actual ally ends up costing Hoshido a chance to end the war early. He is integral for the development of BR's main theme, and is the only one who could have done so since all of Corrin's other allies so far ARE trustworthy.

>Outside of gathering the siblings - a completely arbitrary task based on the unexplained reason as to why they split up in the first place - and reaching Garon, Birthright has nothing going on in terms of arcs. There is nothing like the Laguz/Beorc tensions or Crest system that ties the narrative together and allows different characters to have a different understanding of the conflict at hand.

I don't see why Fates would need something like those. “Go there and kill the evil king” might be generic, but it gets the job done.

>What I'm saying is, there was definitely room for a subplot where Corrin finds out about not being related to the Hoshidans, which could've caused them to question what they're actually fighting for, but we get nothing of that.

Unless they changed Corrin's entire motivation for choosing Hoshido from “Garon is waging an unjust war against this kingdom and i want to stop him” to “yeah these strangers told me i'm related to them, guess i'll join them then”, Corrin wouldn't have given a single fuck about this surprise reveal even if it was plot-mandatory.

Their choice, and reasoning for said choice, already has nothing to do with their relationship (or lack thereof) with the Hoshidan siblings, and i really don't see any way in which that reveal would have been so devastating as for them to question their entire reason for fighting just because they found out Mikoto fucked some undisclosed person instead of Sumeragi.

>Congratulations, you've found Ryoma - and now what? What does Ryoma actually add to the story of Birthright? Well, he sucker punches Leo, that's funny. ...And what else? He's got no arc, he doesn't help any other character grow in the main plot, he doesn't have any time to bond with Corrin nor have an interesting dynamic with any of the Hoshidan siblings. Practically every single line he has in the main story can be said by someone else - it's not like knowing about an apothecary in Nohr is Ryoma-exclusive knowledge.

He goes from being prejudiced towards Nohr, not knowing about the living state of the majority of the people living there and blaming Nohr as a whole for Garon's actions, to being more understanding of their plight and promising to do more to help them after the war rather than just staying in his paradise while the people of Nohr, and even of neigbouring countries, suffer, along with encouraging Corrin to not doubt his allies and friends when he starts buying into Iago's story of there being a mole in their ranks.

Start of chapter 17:

>Ryouma: What’s wrong, Kamui. You seem to have a lot on your mind since Makrath. If there’s anything you need to talk about, I’m here. I want to be just a little bit dependable.

>Kamui: Big Brother… Actually… There’s something I’m a little worried about.

>Ryouma: What…? You’re worried?

>Kamui: …Yeah. About what Macbeth said in Makrath. He said there was a traitor among us… I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s weighing heavily in my mind. I should believe everyone, but I can’t stop the doubt inside me…

>Ryouma: …That’s not like you, Kamui.

>Kamui: Eh…?

>Ryouma: It isn’t like you to doubt people. Right now, you are the commander of this army. As a commander and to continue being a commander, you must earn everyone’s absolute trust. You believed in and trusted everyone. I heard… You trusted Zora, who was once an enemy, as a friend. What happened to those times?

>Kamui: I can’t afford to be like back then… Too much has happened since then. I’m no longer the child I used to be, not knowing anything.

>Ryouma: ………… Hey… Kamui. Do you believe in me?

>Kamui: O- Of course.

>Ryouma: I see… What about Sakura? Takumi? How about Hinoka and Aqua and Silas? Is there anything they’ve done to make them suspicious?

>Kamui: No way… I’ve already decided to believe them.

>Rouma: Hou… Why is that?

>Kamui: “Why”… that’s…

>Ryouma: …You don’t have to say anything. You still believe people freely. It’s your weakness. And also your strength. Everyone, drawn by that strength of yours, is here now. So, only you can believe in everyone until the bitter end. Succumbing to that man’s words is just what Nohr is expecting.

>Kamui: Big brother… …Thank you, somehow I feel better. I won’t doubt anyone anymore. No matter what, I’ll believe in everyone’s actions.

>Ryouma: Ah. There’s the Kamui I know.

Start of chapter 22:

>Ryouma: This is the capital, Windam...

>Kamui: Nohr's capital...I've finally returned...

>...But no one is walking in the streets. The Hoshido capital is always so crowded...

>Ryouma: That's right...It's too quiet. Is this really the capital?

>Silas: They have no business being outside, or the Nosferatu will prey on them. That's the kind of country Nohr is.

>Ryouma: Silas...

>Silas: In the forest canopy i saw them scrambling, reaching like trees for the moon and starlight...

>Competing for a small amount of food and light, they never stop fighting.

>So, they invade other countries in search of the sun, having no other means to survive.

>Ryouma: I see...when Hoshido wins this war, it would be right to give Nohr what we can spare.

>Those who have something should give to those who have nothing so that there isn't any reason in this world to hate each other.

>Silas: You would give, asking for nothing? Prince Ryouma.

>Ryouma: That's right. Since Mother is dead, i will be crowned king if i return safely to Hoshido.

>After that, my first line of work will be to change the hardship of Nohr.

>We have more food than we can eat, and it will only rot.

>So the surplus food will be given to the hungry people.

After beating Shura later in the same chapter:

>Ashura: I'm Ashura. A long time ago my family served Hoshido royalty...as shinobi of the now dissolved Kouga Principality.

>Ryouma: What...!? You're from Kouga!?

>Kamui: Takumi. What is Kouga Principality...?

>Takumi: It was the neighboring principality to Fuuma, and produced similarly outstanding shinobi.

>But... the two countries had bad blood, and Kouga was destroyed. That territory is now Fuuma's.

>Thinking about it now, perhaps that's when Fuuma aligned themselves with Nohr.

>Kamui: That's...

>Ashura: That day...The day Kouga was destroyed by Fuuma, the people were chased out of the country, never to return to Hoshido.

>We had no other choice but to become bandits in Nohr.

>Ryouma: You have my condolences. That our royal power could not reach you is a painful thought.

>However, you can return to the country after the war.

>Stealing in a place like this is no way to live.

>So, why not cooperate with us, Ashura.

>Ashura: Lord Ryouma........

>Yes, if you're okay with me, i'll cooperate.

>Gold isn't necessary.

>But... if you could, the day you are enthroned, please lend your power to help with the reconstruction of Kouga.

>For Kouga to be rebuilt... that is all i wish for.

>Ryouma: i understand. It's a promise.

When he sees the underground city for the first time:

>Ryouma: I see...So this is the real Nohr.

>The poverty can't be hidden, but this place isn't so different from Hoshido.

>If these are the people, i'm sure a friendship can be built.

It's not the most complex character arc in the series, sure, but it's incredibly disingenuous to claim he doesn't have any arc at all, much less that he doesn't help other characters grow.

The rest of the post is just Odo repeating previous complaints i've already responded to, so i'll end this response here.

All the flaws with these posts that i outlined previously are still present and accounted for here, unfortunately, but this time with two all-new problems: claiming that any part of the story that he doesn't have anything particularly bad to say about is meaningless filler and framing it as if nothing of importance happens there (chapters 8, 9 and 11, despite all of the important plot points, character introductions and set-ups that take place there, all get this treatment), and criticizing Birthright, not for anything to do with the route itself, but for not being what he wanted it to be (a family drama about Corrin having a breakdown when they find out they're not related to the Hoshidan siblings).

Don't worry; it gets much worse than this in the next post.

See you later.