#eloise plays persona 5

[sexybritishllama]

after many, many, MANY hours, i have finally completed persona 5 royal and am now presenting my thoughts. overall i think i have to rate it a 4.5/10, with a note that rather than being generally mid, it swings so wildly between the good and the bad that it evens out just below average for me

spoilers for ALL of the game under the cut including 3rd semester

the good:

this game is STYLISH. that is probably the first thing everyone says about this game but it's true and it has to be said. everything from the hud to the settings menu is themed, it's slick and fun and just really well done

the music slaps. again, gets said a lot, but has to be acknowledged. so good

in theory the gameplay loop is fun. the swapping between dungeon crawling in the palaces and the daily social links is interesting, and for the first good 40 hours of the game or so i found it really addictive and well balanced (yes in spite of the tutorial)

the characters were (mostly) likeable and there were some good social link stories- notable mentions include futaba, sojiro and yoshida

i loved walking around tokyo, it felt very immersive. i used to travel to shibuya all the time for work and it was a lot of fun recognising the spots and even the way you walk out of the train station!

the bad:

IT'S TOO LONG. it's just too long. my save file is at 119 hours after completing the game. i spread this out over an irl year of playing the game. i was still so burnt out when i got to the end my main emotion was RELIEF. you could cut this game down to like half of this run time and it would only benefit it. there is so dialogue spent just repeating points you already know, or scenes that you have to play on a regular basis (eg me spamming through doing affinity readings or kawakami making coffee or WHATEVER), and it is not to the benefit of the game at all

the excessive length also makes other parts of the game that would otherwise be forgivable into absolute slogs. stuff like the combat being mostly way too easy (with the exception of random frustration spikes like okumura), or the fact that so many of the confidants follow the exact same pattern down to which rank you’re going to be asked to arbitrarily go to mementos to solve their problem- these would be much less annoying if i didnt have to do it SO MUCH AGAIN AND AGAIN

on that note oh my god mementos. i fucking hate mementos. most boring content in existence and when i found out they made more of it in the third semester i screamed out loud

ren/akira/joker as a self-insert main character did not work for me and that negatively impacted just about every character relationship with him for me (especially the romances) because it just felt like there was nothing for people to connect to. he’s just so… nothing, but at the same time wasn't enough of a blank slate for me to feel like i could fully project onto him as a self-insert

i think joker could have worked better for me if they either a) made him a more defined character (my preference), OR if they insist on sticking with a self-insert, make the dialogue options were varied. i don’t expect branching options but i do appreciate it when you at least pretend to give me some agency about the replies my character gives, it can mean a lot in a roleplaying game to actually feel like you're, yknow, roleplaying

i generally like the bombastic wild designs persona has for enemies and stuff but i really struggle to take some of the characters seriously when their masks look like this

IN PARTICULAR why is futaba's whole metaverse outfit so ugly. do my girl justice

akechi is a character who i feel will make for very compelling fanfiction but unfortunately i found his actual canon depiction underwhelming

the entire way they handled kawakami as a confidant and the fact you can choose her as a romance option. INSANELY uncomfortable and negates the point of her entire story arc about deciding to care about her students again and not get extorted anymore, but then you as the player character can date her, can continue to get her to do your manual labour for you and give you massages, which you're heavily incentivised to do because it's so useful as a gameplay mechanic. it is SO UNCOMFORTABLE

maybe i'll make a separate post breaking down my thoughts about each confidant because i have other issues with other peoples arcs but kawakami was the most egregious. as if people havent heard me rant enough already

in general that thing of the game undermining its own messages for the sake of either very bad comedy or fanservice is a reoccuring issue. unfortunately very anime in that sense. as well as kawakami: - you spend the entire first dungeon of the game talking about how shitty this perverted teacher is for his treatment of ann and trying to assault her and then i have to spend the rest of the game sitting through MULTIPLE fanservice jokes about ann (this underage girl btw) being really Hot and Sexy and forcing her to strip for yusuke - ryuji risked his life to save the others and then the girls... beat him up for it? it was clearly meant for comedy, but god did it land flat - the game proves over and over again that the police and justice system is corrupt and ineffective but they never actually seem to... want to do anything about it? makoto literally says she's going to become a cop at the end of her confidant arc!!! girl!!!

their solution to the justice system being shit is to get people to confess to their crimes and Feel Bad, where the villains then proceed to.... be handled under the same justice system we have i guess? as though the issue here was just the fact that bad guys wouldn't confess, and we don't need to look at, hey, why do these people commit the crimes they do, how do we handle punishment vs rehabilitation, etc.

it's weird because they do sort of dance around this topic sometimes (like with akechi's fucked up upbringing) but it always feels like they're scared of diving too deep into it. i don't expect a full marxist re-examining of society from highschoolers but idk man, for SUCH a long game i feel like it was a weirdly shallow reading of the societal issues around authority and crime

also: why does the 'rebel against social norms!' game still not let me romance same-gender confidants. let me date ryuji you cowards

[shameonmeeguiltypleasure]

Seducing Mr Bridgerton Author rambles: 04.08.2022

Hi guys 👋

So I'm sick and I have to take a few days off from work. But I feel soooo guilty about taking sick leave I've been typing away at my laptop as if to play pretend like I'm still working 😂😅

What does this mean? Well it means I've been doing aloooooot of thinking for SMB and it's future plot events.

And y'all don't even get how much more is left to be written!!

I think all that's left from book Canon is the Cressida lie, Church scene, carriage ride, engagement party, then Daphne's party (I think).

Chp 9-10 of SMB is defs the kiss and the aftermath that follows.

But I've decided to ignore the 'Colin insecure bout his writing' thing. I think the whole Sir Lee thing is a bigger aspect to my Colin. And a whole lot more interesting to write and explore. I mean he still writes.... He's just not insecure about it. (I have plans. I will explain it eventually 😂)

I very much feel like we are entering the second half of SMB once Chapters 9 & 10 are posted.

And I intend for chapters 11 onwards to focus more on Lady Whistledowns persona, My version of the Featheringtons, and Colin and Penelope fully embracing their true selves without care for the opinion of others.... It's gonna be glorious 🤩 Like take all the tension between Colin and Penelope now, then make it LW & Sir Lee. 💥🤯💥

Secrets will be revealed, confessions will be made and dares will be issued. I can't wait to share it all!!!

In saying that... I am confirming the next fic for this series will be 'To Sir Phillip with Pleasure'. Once SMB is finished I want to leave my Polin characters to marinate in their ending for a bit.

Also, with how many Eloise scenes I've been cutting out of SMB I think she's due some major attention.

My Eloise is nowhere similar to Canon Eloise. And in her prologue you're gonna really get to know how she became so different from canon and really get to see SMB Colin's influence on her growing up.

I will say that I'm using Marina from the show' characteristics. I think I already mentioned it in SMB. But Marina is Penelope's cousin, and Eloise and Phillip met a little differently than canon.

First half of Eloise's book will mostly be letters between her and Phillip and her POV on SMB Polin events. Second Half is her running away and how she and Phillip get on.

Only once Eloise's book is finished will i return to writing SMB's direct sequel "Loving Mrs Bridgerton".

LMB will follow my version of Polin after Eloise's wedding. As I won't be using any canon sources as references this entire plot is going to be completely original. Despite the title, the story is gonna be more adventure, thriller and action then it will be romance. Let's just say....

Colin has some unfinished business to properly wrap up before he can officially retire his alter Sir Lee. With his beloved wife along for the journey, Colin is determined to see it done swiftly & properly. Having successfully retired Lady Whistledown and no longer being a spinster , Penelope is all for the new adventure. But only time will tell if she'll be able to handle the danger Colin has been risking as Sir Lee while traveling all these years. He's terrified the truth of his travels will cause him to lose her. She's not sure what to expect... But from the way her silly husband is acting, Penelope's determined to overcome it all...so long as she gets to keep him.

.... So yeah.... I'm suuuuuuuuuuper excited!!!!

I've got 1000 something words done for Chapter 9 and estimate a final word count of 5-7000. I will be leaving you readers on a cliffhanger BUT I fully intend on posting chapter 10 a week or so after. Chapter 10 is estimated to be about 7-9000 words long because there are lot of things to happen.

But Chapters 11 is currently planned to focus on the Featheringtons.

Honestly!!! I'm super excited so for all of this to get done 😆😆🤩🤩

It's exhausting but I love it!!

Anyway, hope everyone stays healthy,safe and strong ✨💪😘

[beyondalicerp]

Congratulations, Thi, You’ve been accepted for The Necromancer! Please look over our Acceptance Guide and submit your character blog within the next 24 hours.

OUT OF CHARACTER:

Name: Thi Age: 23 Pronouns: she/her Timezone: GMT +8

IN CHARACTER:

Desired Skeleton: The Necromancer Full Name: Eloise Sinclair Age: 45 Date of Birth: February 13, 1974 Gender: Female Sexuality: Pansexual Residence: Harmony Grove Occupation: Healer Species: Bringer Affiliation: N/A Faceclaim: Madchen Amick

Biography:

Thea Sinclair was born in a different time than her daughter, the rulers quite different from the one that resides over Wonderland now. She was nothing but a simple healer who did what she could for those who sought her gift out. Life had been cruel to her as she was widowed far too young, before she could even start a family of her own.The guilt of losing her own husband when she was able to save countless others weighed on her heart for years. But by the time she had gotten to him, he was already too far gone. It was a dangerous line that she had always been told to never cross. No one knew of the consequences of playing with life and death and her principles overpowered her own love. Thus, she was able to heal those around her but unable to heal her own broken heart.

The word of her powers soon spread through Wonderland which was how she caught the eye of the King of Hearts. Those who were wounded in service were sent to her and she was given many tokens of appreciation by the King. Innocent as she was, she believed his interest in her went only as far as gratitude for her help. In her, he saw a very different woman from whom he vowed to share his life with. She was diligent but kind with a sadness hidden behind her eyes. And in her loneliness, Thea soon began to see the man as a confidant who was there to listen to her, who would console her when she spoke of her guilty conscience. It was in one of those sleepless nights that they crossed the line into sin. When Thea awoke, the King was nowhere to be seen. She would still receive the men who were injured but she never saw the man himself. Even someone as naive as she understood that she would likely never see him again. With the night they spent together a secret, nine months later she only had a child to remind her of the man who had showered her with affection months before. And putting the past behind her, Thea decided to raise Eloise on her own, keeping the truth of her heritage a secret.

As a child, Eloise was quite curious and a stark contrast to her mother. Where the latter was reserved and timid, her daughter was boisterous and easily excited. She had no qualms in approaching strangers and there was a true wonder in her eye as she observed the world. The loneliness in Thea’s life disappeared with her daughter by her side and she gave her all the love in the world, training her from a young age to use her magic to heal as well. Eloise’s curiosity proved quite useful when she would mix different potions and it was clear from the start that her daughter had inherited the very same gift that Thea had. It was when the girl was 5 that they moved into the palace to work as the King and Queen’s personal healers. Eloise had no idea of course the importance of the choice taken by her mother. It was a moment of weakness that made her accept the offer. A desire to get a look at the man whom she had last seen years before. It was selfish and dangerous, she knew. But for the first time in her life Thea thought with her heart rather than her mind. The Queen had taken a liking to the woman who was subservient and skillful. The same sentiment wasn’t extended to Eloise whom she saw as too loud and curious for her own good, so the child’s skills were her only saving grace. While Eloise explored the Palace, marveling at the way in which royalty lived, Thea and the King were skirting around each other, both too scared to approach the other.

Perhaps life would have turned out differently if they continued to keep their distance. But it became impossible when the King fell ill and Thea was asked to heal him. She had lost a man she loved in the past, she couldn’t do it again. Staying by his side night and day, she tended to the sickness which seemed to be greater than anything she had ever dealt with in the past. It was in a moment of lucidity that they revisited their past, memories and apologies spilling from their lips. It was then that Thea revealed to the man that Eloise was in fact his daughter. Everything beyond that point happened too fast for Thea, the woman who had one moment been sitting beside the man she loved telling him that they shared a daughter, and the next stood before the Queen of Hearts, watching as she ordered her young 7 year old daughter to be executed before her very eyes. With the King not there to issue a pardon quietly, the young Bringer watched in horror as yet again, she was unable to save someone whom she loved. She was banished from the Palace, her daughter’s body given to her as a reminder of the sin she had committed. And it was deep in the woods, with very little energy to her that she crossed the final line. She had already lost too many people in her life to allow death to take Eloise from her as well.

The details of how she managed to bring her daughter back from the afterlife remain unclear and she would never dare divulge the information to her young one. But the feat took its toll on her body and she grew extremely frail following the revival. Not knowing whether the King survived or not, she vowed to keep her daughter from falling victim to the Queen’s treachery once more, fleeing far and keeping a low profile. It was only when the word reached that the Heart’s reign had ended that Thea felt she could breathe again. By that point, her daughter was 9 but the Eloise she had brought back was nothing like the sweet child she had raised before. For the young girl, the noises and taunts from those who had crossed over were endless. She could get no peace and quiet at any point of her life, and it began to drive her mad. No longer did she approach anyone, too scared of discovering they were in fact spirits and those in town kept their distance from the child who seemed to always be speaking to no one. Her mother tried to find ways to heal her daughter, but the consequences of playing between life and death truly were dire. Layers of guilt kept Thea from recovering from the night she had lost it all, her body giving up. And Eloise, despite wanting to save her mother, found her powers were so great that she could feel her mother’s life force entering her own body. With taunts from the voices around her and her own power being too strong to control, she gave up her attempt, wishing to send her mother on to the beyond rather than subject her to a life like her own.

By the time she was twenty-two, she found herself completely alone. People who heard of her kept their distance, only seeking her out when they were desperate and needed her magic. Eloise was reminded of the night that she tried to save her mother and never again used her magic. She couldn’t be sure how to control her powers nor could she be sure what she might cause if she tried to heal. Potions were the only thing that she could do but for a while, she absolutely detested what she had become. And it felt as if there was no out when she realized that her fate kept her from properly passing on. She was stuck in a limbo between life and death, not knowing how she could move on. She witnessed the different reigns, heard whispers of information that could prove valuable to those who were in power. But her experience with the Palace was traumatic which kept her far away from its walls. Though it took years, she finally came to terms with the state of her life and began her search for normalcy, whatever that might have looked like for someone like her. A glimmer of her past persona appeared whenever night fell and she was alone, but that silence is so hard to find these days. Resigned to her fate, Eloise doesn’t even know what she needs to kick start her life.

[sexybritishllama]

I HAVE FINALLY. FINALLY FINISHED PERSONA 5 ROYAL. OH MY GOD IM FINALLY FREE

[sexybritishllama]

what do you mean there's even more mementos

[sexybritishllama]

listen i know that as a ffxiv enjoyer i am throwing stones from a glass house. but persona 5 is simply too long a game

[sexybritishllama]

‘several cutscenes will play in sequence’ energy

[sexybritishllama]

i have been playing persona 5 for so long. how am i only in november in-game

[sexybritishllama]

it’s cute how the last boss of p5r has turns where it says ‘Unable to guard!’ as a warning in the corner. as though ive guarded once in any video game ever

[sexybritishllama]

any appeal that akechi's character in p5 might have for me is immediately ruined by his goddawful fit and the fact his japanese voice actor goes way over the top when he's doing yelling/angry scenes and just sounds like he's gargling mouthwash. tragic really

[sexybritishllama]

stupid fucking okumura fight bullshit SEVEN WAVES of robots with increasing shitty difficult fucking skip all out attack asshole tactics 'my fathers words are absolute' bastard unskippable text again and again and again and then fucking big bang order and fucking self destruct order who designed this goddamn fight FUCK

[sexybritishllama]

attempting to pick up my persona 5 playthrough again but okumura is kicking my ASS. im this close to just summoning one of the top level personas from the dlc so i can cheese it completely. send help

[sexybritishllama]

they put crack in this battle music

[sexybritishllama]

i love that we've unanimously agreed that famous detectives are a thing that can exist in fiction. this kid is a HIGH SCHOOL detective who is apparently well known enough to go on talkshows? obsessed

[sexybritishllama]

i love ryuji but his 3D character model drives me up the wall. why is he so slouchy. i wanna crack his spine like a glowstick and straighten it out

[sexybritishllama]

i wanna inject these into my veins

they put crack in this battle music