#have some pity on Shiki's soul

[purplelea]

Neku "Spicy tuna roll" Sakuraba. Reblog if you agree.

Vote here.

[greysfall]

My 4444-word review of NEO TWEWY (with personal illustration + heavy spoilers)

My overall critical score for the game is 7.5/10, while my personal enjoyment score is 8.5/10. This review is posted as I have 80% completed the game, got the secret ending and achieved the Angel psychic rank. I’ll first start with the main pros and cons as follows.

PROS:

-        Enjoyable as a whole, still upholding the first game’s spirit in world building and sharing the same backbone - which was mostly revealed in the Secret Reports, it’s impossible to grasp the story without reading them.

-        The new cast and new game is charming in their own way

-        The old cast’s return is one of the biggest highlights for sure, it was fun and impactful. Everyone stays true to themselves and also had their own stories wrapped up nicely.

-        Boss designs are cool, new pins are fun to use and collect

-        The connection between the old and new cast is well written and executed, including but are not limited to the tension between the old and new protagonist, the weird but fun interaction between the 2 Composers, the new friendships revealed and formed

-        Sho being in the main cast is something so uniquely TWEWY and uniquely Sho

-        Still good music

-        Still many fun side quests, some of them really uphold the same quirky spirit of the old game and some are surprisingly touching

-        Many new nice stores and yummy looking foods to explore

-        The map is really easy to memorize for me, it’s fun to travel around the “current” Shibuya to see all the differences compared to the past

-        The social network is crazy and interesting to read through

-        Has an anti-frustration system to help 100% complete the game more easily and earn money faster, so post-game is relatively managable.

-        Overall, I really feel the efforts the team poured into making this as their passion project, not just during the development process but for all the last 14 years. They showed the vision of what they wanted to make, at the same time giving something to both the old as well as new fans.

CONS:

-        The biggest problem with the game is scenario writing. The story is so heavily back-loaded. The director himself thought it would be better to balance out the tension flow by adding more at the beginning but gave in to the scenario writer in the end, probably due to time pressure. This results in an underwhelming execution of characterization and lots of wasted potentials for the first half of the game.  

-        I struggle to view it as a stand-alone game, since the backstory and the old cast both play such an important role in the core of the game. If someone plays this game without having played the OG, they can only enjoy it on surface value at best.

-        The new cast is nice but most of them aren’t quite as intriguing as the old cast, maybe it’s cuz they’re all too nice deep down that they lack a little bit of an edge, of that batshit craziness that everyone in the OG used to have? I think some characters (Fret, Nagi) ended up weaker in terms of characterization because the writer is too afraid of making them unlikeable – which kind of backlashed cuz they only became likable in the most expectable way to cater for a specific group of fans. I would have wished for the other team leaders to be more crazy too, had they not suffered 30+ loops of the Game…

-        The CAMERAWORK IS HELL.

-        Gameplay does get tedious at certain points with all the time travels.

-        Shiba is so badly written as a villain, some Shinjuku characters should be given more screentime cutting into Shiba’s– like Hishima or Kaie or even, Hazuki (though his limited presence also solidified his importance).

-        Some of the main character designs, for example Beat’s hairstyle and his food reactions are hilariously bad. What’s the point of covering up most of his unique facial features?

-        Some of the minor/side characters’ design are too cool for them to have such a small role (eg: Ayano, Eiru). Ryoji did get much screentime but is nowhere as fun as Makoto was.

-        Overall the scope of this game is made a little too big for the team to handle as perfectly as the last game that was very compact, it felt somewhat rushed in development too so the missing pieces are clearly there in the final picture

The entry fee versus paying for it all in the end

An important difference between the Neo game and the original Shibuya game was that the Shibuya rule asked for an entry fee that is the Player’s most important asset, stated as a chance the Composer gives them to reexamine themselves. Meanwhile, the Shinjuku rule neither encourages nor allows personal growth and ultimately aims to erase as many Players as possible. It’s a pity we were never introduced to the full Shinjuku rulebook, as it seems like the system there focuses more on building up power and a grand government to compare with the individuality-driven system of Shibuya.

When you have to compare the new game and the original game (OG), this is an important factor to consider. Also, the OG has a serious storyline running through and through, locked with a different partner/GM creating unique atmosphere for each week and you don’t get to see your old partners again until the end. NEO’s team system does not allow such deep insight and communication between the Players. All of your teammates are always there throughout, the dynamic does change with each new addition but it is not as prominent as a partner change.

Another important factor is how the OG was built from scratch for a new platform as “something no one has ever seen before”, while Neo recycled a lot of old unused ideas from the previous development (check out this interview for more details). The development team for NEO lacks 2 key members and had a change of writer so the final product is not as strongly bound together as the last game.

The new cast is definitely inspired by today’s teenagers (from the view of creators), compared to the old cast they’re more sociable and always seem to take whatever works for them despite feeling unstable inside. They are all innocent and genuinely nice kids, avoiding to hurt each other to a degree that they end up keeping some sort of distance. They’re also unable to communicate at deeper levels, always stagnant at this half-baked stage of equilibrium without any motivation to get to the core of things. That is the cost of entering the game without an entry fee, without even dying or having a reason to be there/to fight seriously. These kids were stolen from the RG into a Game that was decidedly the worst environment for them to change or develop, just wandering around cluelessly to find a way “out” until tragedies started to unfold one by one and they ended up being charged the total sum of the price for their actions – ultimately losing everything in the end.

That is, I believe, a story arc which can resonate more to the youth of today rather than of my generation. If the message of the old game was to “listen”, enjoy life to the fullest and accept to trust others, the message of the new game is to “speak up” from the inside, trying to understand yourself and take actions instead of just going with the flow and finally, to take responsibility for such actions.

If Neku was handpicked by the Composer for being the special one with an all-dense soul to ensure victory of the game then Rindo was just a normal kid chosen out of random by Kubo to be his back-up plan, who just happened to have a high enough imagination to awaken the incredible power from his pin. Rindo was then officially chosen by the Composer as Josh picked up and handed the pin to him again, this time not as Josh’s personal Proxy – but as the Proxy to represent the normal people of Shibuya and via whom he could gamble if humans can fight for their own fate.

The underworld heroine and the hero with little of his own

Shoka is for me a refreshing and layered heroine. She’s the kind of character that took at least 3 trials of creators to form as a complete individual – that included Nomura who gave her the base design and Reaper background, Gen who gave a more cunning touch and the writers who made her English dialogues more punchy. Dishonesty equals “tsundere” is such a cliché, so the English writers tried really hard to avoid that trope in my opinion, while still letting her good intention come through.

She serves as the character who is informed of everything the players should have known, and there was almost nothing she could do about it. Almost. Until she met Rindo.

They were drawn to each other by sharing a state of “not having anything of their own”. They both started out with not being able to truly know themselves, Shoka even hated her RG life but also managed to mature from that stage before Rindo. She must have vibed with Shiki’s love and passion in the Gatto Nero threads, initiating her connection with Shibuya and understanding herself more. With Shoka as Swallow, they were able to open up to each other and offer mental support… but was still not getting to the centre of their problems because for all this time, Shoka could not tell Rindo the most important things about herself.

How did Shoka feel when she met Rindo at the UG? She probably didn’t want to hope that he would live the day until she witnessed the Twisters’ potentials. From the very beginning, they were both incredibly conscious of each other and also constantly frustrated that the person they happened to “notice” was such a condescending bitch/a clueless loser. The Shinjuku Reapers are overall quite drunk in power and uncompassionate to Players, Shoka included. She is also a master of dissociation, which results in her constant boredom, tone swings, haughtiness and subconsciously distancing herself from the friend – the boy she cares about – from false hope, as she judged from facts that it was a hopeless situation where nothing could ever be. Maybe she is naturally a bit of a chameleon just like her name suggests (Shoka 紫陽花 = hydrangea, the color-changing flower), so putting on an act and always dissociating herself from what’s important was easy, while hiding her contradiction was impossible. It was the ex-Reaper Beat who broke it out to her, that she should decide whether she really cared and wanted to do something for a change. He knew how it felt like to cross that line, and knew she wanted to too.  

Shoka is endeared by many of the Shinjuku Reapers and has shown independent acts of kindness (the Shinjuku ghost), proving that her kind and truthful side is as real as her harsh and dishonest side – which makes her a nice mirror to the previous heroine Shiki, who also embraced a dichotomy of self-complex and self-love within her character. In the end, she was the first of the new cast to ultimately accept all that is important to her and independently made the decision to help save Shibuya despite all costs.

She was jealous at Rindo’s interaction with Tsugumi and Kanon but remained silent cuz she wasn’t at a place to have any say about it. She also didn’t reveal about Swallow because that would only add an awkward irrelevance to their current situation, as she was too ready to face erasure at the end of the Game. She only wished to “play a game” with him, be it FanGo or the Reapers’ Game. The tension that the team could only feel at the end, she’s felt it the entire time. The song “DIVIDE” is applicable to not just one bond in the game, but it always makes me think of theirs. There is always a “divide” between her and Rindo throughout the course of their journey, as the living and the dead, as a Player and Reaper, as someone who has a place to return to and someone who doesn’t, someone who knows little but wields too much power and someone who knows a lot despite not being able to do much.

“If only I had the chance to connect with you on the other side

But time goes on, and without us realizing it

The battle is getting heated

Time goes on, and without us realiazing it

Divided again”

To be honest, maybe I didn’t grow any affection for the new main cast from Rindo’s perspective but from Shoka’s. Since I started to sympathize with Shoka, I started to see the boy in a more “real” way. The real Rindo, behind his peaceful façade with others, would lash out on Shoka for her unfairly harsh attitude while none of the others cared. He could also subtly feel that mantle of unspoken secrets from her, her own contradictions, the unresolved chemistry between themselves – and not knowing what to do with it rather than to feel angry with all the unfairness he could not process. (As a Libra too, he’s triggered the most by unfairness!)

It is actually a positive development as he’s at least “reacting” to something strongly now rather than to keep evading his problems. During my replay, I clearly saw the difficult situation Shoka was in, her remaining harshness after the Motoi incident was due to her internal struggle with a mission to save her own life, versus a chance to really be with the team. Her decision was to do both at the risk of losing favour from both sides. Rindo started to accept her layer by layer, as the person who resonated the most to her contradicting nature from the start and knew that via learning her resolve, he has learnt his too.

Later into the game, she even got too much of his attention. Maybe even without knowing she’s Swallow, he’s familiar with her thinking direction and Swallow had always been closer to him than any other friend. It was only after she had to betray her important ones twice that she could start being truly honest. The scene when she died a 2nd time left a strong impression in me, the little reveal let Rindo know that he is also losing Swallow as he’s losing Shoka – and that only death could drive the last secret out of her. Her final “Later, loser” echoed through Rindo as it was the final truth, with only him remaining to hear it: they had actually, already lost everything.

Rindo was the boy who never dared to face all that matters to him until he lost it all, fighting an unfair battle in the faith that they would somehow still win. Shoka was the girl who always knew what was dear to her, but never dared to think she could be together with them ever after and still threw her all into a battle she knew was losing. I think they stir each other on naturally to fill out their gaps, similar to what the Shibuya game partner systerm would have aimed for. The end reward was a little divine intervention to help close up the divide between them once and for all.  

During the game there was not enough space to process anything personal so at the ending when they officially became “friends”, it was an important affirmation of their bond. Some people complained it was friendzoning but it’s not, they just have arrived at the perfect place to start something more. “From now on, we will truly be together” – I read it as that kind of message.  

The heroine from a lost battle, with her story taken away

After reading the secret reports and playing the game to be surprised of how small a role Tsugumi had in the main game despite being the “Hype-chan” thought to be a major character of the next TWEWY installment, many fans would feel sad at a missed opportunity to see the Shinjuku arc in full depiction.

It was shown clearly that, a Shinjuku arc was very carefully planned out and is a vital part of the whole story, yet it could not be made due to various circumstances behind the development scene. I would assume, that the team were not able to make a TWEWY game that ended on a despairing note, but it already happened in their mind, thus becoming a mental burden that forced them to break away from it and started the game anew with NEO. A significant part of NEO became the healing arc for the Shinjuku characters, especially for Tsugumi though I really wished more emphasis should have been placed on her rather than Shiba. We didn’t even get to see her brother – Shinjuku’s Conductor who had a vital role and instead was given the clueless Shiba, who had absolutely no idea what’s going on all the way until the last day in NEO. It’s as if Tsugumi has had her story stolen away from her, because her own battle ended with a saddening loss.

I think every time the game creators look at Tsugumi, they would feel that sadness too. Maybe to them, she is a bigger character than what is seen by the fans, as despite their failed effort to depict her story, she’s lived in their mind for all these years through periods of destruction, healing and rebuild.  Though it is a pity we could not get to experience the full scope of the Shinjuku story, the creators was clear about the place they wished for it to arrive at.    

Individuality, connection and the social network

The team system adapted from Shinjuku rulebook does not allow much room for personal development, as the team dynamic is closer to a work relationship forced to bear results, than a spiritual bond to max out all corners of understanding as found in the partnership system. The old Shibuya system allowed only 1 winner and 1 week limit per game, while the new rule declares for a 1 winning team and only the team at last place will be erased – the other teams will enter another loop. Furthermore, whichever team to challenge the unwinnable Ruinbringers will face the risk of ending up dead last followed by erasure. As a result, the longest-standing teams are most likely not the strongest ever recorded, but the ones who have figured out a strategy to simply survive until something changes, enjoying their newly found social constructs while they are at it. Basically, it is a system to hypnotise players into the illusion that they are still “living”.

Therefore, we as players would not get to the core of each Player individually as fast and directly as we did in the last game. The Twisters were able to stand out not because they’re powerful, they only started to have a real chance after growing enough to each form a meaningful and personal connection to another teammate. It did not come as a team, nor did it intiate from the existing friendship between Rindo and Fret. In fact, I did not find much solidity or anything truly note-worthy about the main team and new characters within themselves until they started clashing with other team members, Reapers and new recruits from week 2 onwards. Rindo found his personal development with Shoka (via a clash with Motoi and pretty much a mini dating sim between them), then via the confrontation of his role with Neku; Fret found his with Kanon then Nagi, the team learned about the real Neku via Beat, Neku entered the UG via Coco’s wish to save Tsugumi… it was not the team but their personal links that empowered them to fight and solve each of their problems.

The other team leaders may have failed because they did not form such personal links, after 30+ hopeless loops Fuya’s team all fell apart to pursue their own interest even at the cost of erasure, Motoi quit his KOL façade to work like a dog for the Reapers (probably to save just his own ass not his team), while Kanon dropped her tricks to find changes via honest cooperation in acceptance of a fair loss. The despairing note in that is huge without making much of a scene because their failure didn’t happen at their best effort to “win”, but in their last attempt to find a way “out”. Even Shiba got his way “out” in the end thanked to his personal friendship with Hishima and Tsugumi.

Something has shifted in the mindset of the game creators in the last 14 years, as both games are about “connection vs individuality” but the last game focuses more on connection between just individuals and this one on the overall network that is formed out of those individual connections.

The introduction of Beat into the main cast was truly the bridge between old and new, they helped each other out in several turns before officially recruiting him. Beat is a character whom a lot of fans including myself have felt somewhat concerned about after Neku disappeared from the RG, so when the new kids welcomed Beat with warm and organic interaction and Beat seemed happy, I started to feel like I wanted to help them out too! I think the overall team chemistry is enjoyable enough for new players, but I could warm up to the new kids more from the pov of a returning character – whom I’m glad to be Beat, as the older brother figure who is genuinely kind, fun, serious and upbeat at the same time; who is needed and needs the kids in return.

The social network is a fun and refreshing feature. You can read all of the crazy tidbits about Shibuya and the links each character have formed with the town people, it’s also fun to visualize how the characters act off screen. Characters’ profiles provide extra insight into their background too, like how it reveals Tsugumi has been friend with Coco during her time in the RG. During the game when not all characters have showed up, you can sometimes guess which empty spot will belong to whom. For example there is a 1 character linking to Neky that is not linked to anyone else, so I could guess that was Joshua, and that another character linking only to Joshua was probably Hazuki, hinting that the 2 Composers are related before either of them even showed up.

Hazuki only showed up for 5 minutes, but his presence is so vital and true to the game that I think he is the most memorable out of the new cast. The two Composers have such an intriguing bond, with their yin/yang or phoenix/dragon themes, opposite color design, the sempai/kouhai tone and the way they keep some sort of distance/work relationship as if it’s mandatory between Higher beings, yet at the same time they can talk so casually because they are truly equal – and different from one another. I have written a separate meta on them here.

Some people pointed out, that all Shinjuku characters’ names and themes are based off Hanafuda cards and the Phoenix in Hanafuda belongs to the Paulownia suit – which is Joshua’s name flower. This is so interesting because it feels like the creators somehow saw it as a sign to interweave the Shibuya and Shinjuku storylines together. Though it doesn’t come out much on the surface, it’s fascinating nonetheless considering both Josh and Haz had at some point interfered with the other town’s affairs.

“Shibuya tour with Haz” was such a special scene, as it happened between 2 characters who do not/no longer have a reason to care about Shibuya, on the subject of what is worth saving about Shibuya. Hazuki carried out the purification of Shinjuku and stepped in to restore Shibuya just as part of his job and unlike Hanekoma or Joshua who both possess profound understanding of humanity, he really didn’t know humans at all. Rindo’s irrational wish invoked in him a sense of curiosity, to try gambling on something irrationally and learning a bit of what his senior have experienced. With all the pieces put together, it provides an overview on Higher beings as a whole, and that Joshua and Hanekoma are really the odd ones out with Hazuki being somewhere in between them and the rest.        

The old friends

It’s easy to have returning characters overshadow the new cast as they have already matured out of their personal story arc and stayed in our hearts for all this time. In the end, I have managed to enjoy both the old and new cast separately and altogether, and they will both find their own place in our memory of this game for the long term.

Sho is truly as crazy as ever, the game wouldn’t be the same if Sho is any less of what he is. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like Neky or Beat is younger than Nagi at all, with moments when it seems like Neky has aged 14 years instead of 3 years. His friendship with Coco surprised me pleasantly, and their interaction together with Beat was fun to watch. Rhyme’s found a new dream and her friendship with Kaie is precious too, especially considering that she can still talk to him online after the game ended. Josh and Neku’s interaction suggested that they have resolved the past and are on equal terms now, they even parted ways in good spirit and I don’t feel any worry about them like I did before.

Neku and Shiki’s reunion scene was beautiful, theirs is such a special bond that it has grown and supported them even without being able to see each other. I am so happy to see them all again and that they stay true to who they are, albeit looking more grown up, cooler and happier than ever before.  

Overall, NEO can’t become a classic on par with the OG, but is definitely a good sequel and a good game in its own rights. I’m happy with whether or not there will be a 3rd game to complete the 3 monkeys theme, but if there will be – I hope the creators can really find the time to learn from the last 2 games and start over with a fresh mindset and strong core.  

[windmaedchen-fairytail]

Just Like Mine

Niko had seen the pictures plenty of times from afar. They hung above a small sideboard in the entry hall of his home. It’s been only recently that he was tall enough to actually see and recognise the faces on them. And so today, as he glanced there out of boredom, one face caught his attention.

He stretched his neck and leaned onto the sideboard to see better but it wasn’t enough. He pulled over the small stool from the other side and climbed onto the top of the sideboard. Resting on his knees he was now real close to the picture he wanted to study.

It was a black haired young man with darker skin and some facial hair decorating his chin. He smiled, looking sideways to a beautiful young woman, who reminded Niko of his mother. He didn't know who either of them where but what interested him extremely, were the pointed ears of the man.

His hands came up to his own ears. He felt the dreaded tips, bending them around with his fingers. The only other person he knew had them was Erik. He was the husband of mom's best friend. Erik didn't mind his ears, in fact, he loved them for he can hear really, really, really well. Niko, however, couldn't hear any better than anyone else. So why would he need to have different looking ears? They weren't special. Dad doesn't have them, mom doesn’t have them, gramps didn't have them, his sister doesn't have them. All his friends have questioned him and he just didn’t know what to say.

Niko’s finger traced over the features of the man in the picture.

"What are you doing?", came the voice of his mother behind him. She had come from the living room with some dirty laundry in her hand.

Niko turned around. "Mom, who’s that?"

Astra came closer to take a look at the picture her son pointed at.

"That's Ivan and Aurelia, your father's parents."

Niko looked back at the man and woman. "Dad's mom and dad?”, he paused for a moment. “I thought, maybe that was your sister?"

Astra smiled. The similarity was there. "I know, we really COULD be sisters, could we not? The truth is, however, that we are not related at all."

Niko’s eyes stayed on the picture. "Look, mommy. He's got the same ears."

"Yes. That's true." Astra placed the dirty laundry onto the bottom steps and then stepped closer to hold his son by the shoulders. She bend forward and tried to kiss his ear from the side but Niko wiggled himself away from her. He was too big for kisses now. Astra protested playfully. "Hey... I truly loved your ears from the day you were born."

"But you never said anything about this Ivan. I always thought there was only gramps..."

"We HAVE told you about Ivan. Just not... much by name. But that Grandpa Makarov was your great-grandfather, that you should know."

Niko pointed at another picture. This one showed a group of mages, among them stood Ivan, older here, with a full beard and slightly shorter hair. "That's Ivan, too, but you can't see the ears so well. Did he work for Fairy Tail, too?"

"Yes. He grew up in the guild, much like his own father and then his son, Laxus."

"What kind of magic did he do?"

Astra smiled at his son. He didn't take his eyes of the picture for one second. His curiosity lifted her spirits and heart. She had hung up the pictures some years ago, just before Makarov’s death. More than her own fate at the hands of Ivan Dreyar, she pitied the old man. His mind hadn’t found rest ever since Ivan died and it was quite understandable. Despite everything his son had done, Makarov still loved him very much and it was those conflicting emotions that the old man suffered from. Astra didn’t know whether he found peace through it, she can only hope, but they had begun to create and sort the family heritage in attempts to re-establish relationships. The pictures hanging here were a start. They wanted to do so much more, but then Makarov passed away and Astra alone had been slow in continuing. She hoped her children might become catalysts to this project and she stayed to answer her sons questions.

"Three kinds. You would find the shikigami use to be most unique but for power and attacks, he often combined them with his dark force magic. Just power to push and blast things away and to pieces."

"What's shikimagi?"

"Shiki-gami. He created small paper dolls with an empty soul, so he can make them do whatever he needs them to. Tiny expendable helpers."

"Like those." Niko stated and pointed at two hand-sized paper dolls that were put into a frame at the very top of the wall. He always wondered what they were for.

"Yes, exactly. Although, I drew and cut them myself. See how badly I drew the unique markings? If it was a real one it would just fly off one day..."

Niko giggled at the thought. "So they fly around when they are real?"

"Yeah, if you need them too. And then, Grandpa Ivan also was quite a proficient user of Illusion Magic. Creating false people or items to mislead your opponent in battle."

"Like you can do, Mom?" Niko finally turned around to look at his mother. She smiled faintly and tilted her head. Her eyes darted to the picture of the older Ivan on the wall.

"It was him who taught me some of that."

"Really? You knew him then, too? I thought he is dead?"

"He is. I knew him for a couple of years before that, however, that is something I will talk about some other time."

Niko was still way too young to know what Ivan had done to her. Or to Laxus. Or the guild. Not yet.

"Daddy's going to come home very soon. I’m going to prepare dinner. Will you help me?"

"Hm." Niko seemed to affirm, but when Astra turned around a few minutes later to look at his son from the kitchen, his eyes were still glued to the pictures on the wall and his fingers by his ears.

She smiled and left him to the world of his imagination.

[the-collectim]

.:RP:. By Your Side

Characters: Bai Biming (male Keeper of the Moon, @ninetales-carbuncle​ ), Atlas Tenebrous (male Rava)

Origin Date: 24 Feb 2020

“…it isn’t things and proximity, or even blood that holds us all together. What makes a family is love and loyalty.” – Genevieve Dewey

In the wake of Suiren Temple’s investigation into the yokai haunting a yakuza family, Atlas goes to relay the results to his dear friend and the master of the temple.

(Note: This is from an RP session. So there is a back and forth of writers. A - in between paragraphs indicate a change in narrator.)

---

Bai Biming was a creature rarely seen outside his theatre. Though on this occasion he was in the Bokairo Inn. One of the large rooms bordering the garden selected so he could enjoy his tea and watch the chattering of the birds. Of course he used one of the many pseudonyms in his collection: Xehn'ir Loh.

A tray sat to his right, filled with a sample selection of treats. Their flavor pairing well with the honey-touched lotus tea. The cup being lifted to his lips for a sip to chase down a bite of strawberry shortcake.

There was some tension in his form. Biming was still weary of what the results of the Yurihara Kai estate would be. He had heard the old assistant Tanaka had been dragged into the estates gaols.

Not idea, but it was proof something had gone well.

-

There was knock on the windowsill just outside the room. A specific pattern that would be well-known over the years.

Atlas rested in the cover of an overhand and banner of the inn, easily able to traverse the inn's walls.

-

Biming looked up. The silver Keeper moved from the floor to the window to take a look. Though he moved to touch the latch and carefully nudged it open.

"Whatever admirer has found their way to my window?" Lord Bai couldn't help but tease as teal eyes looked every but where he suspected Atlas to be. "Hopefully it's not that dame from the hot springs I ran into earlier. I saw that ring, and Lord Bai is a virtuous soul."

-

"If Lord Bai believes so."

A neutral tone as ever as the Viera crossed his arms, enjoying the residual warmth on the building as the sun retreated. It would be unnoticeable to all but the most trained eyes but there was a bit less of that stoic tension from Atlas around this certain cat.

-

Biming leaned upon the sill, and let his chin settle upon an arm. The tea and treats forgotten for now.

"You don't believe me, Atlas?" He inquired. "Well, I suppose you know me better than most." A weak spot in his armor, he'd never admit to of course. "That said, how did the events at the Yurihara Kai go?"

-

"Sweet first."

Of course he could smell them even out here.

-

Biming laughed at that, and slipped back. "Of course, Atlas."

The lord smoothed out the sleeve of his haori as he went back to the small stable with the treats and tea. The small sampling of cakes decorating dessert plates in a select pattern. A half ate strawberry cake sitting next to his cup of lotus tea.

"Would you like tea too?"

-

A shake of his head no as he took a cake in either hand, eating one immediately and grabbing another as he chewed. Good, this was how he was paid for good work.

-

"Ah, do take your time and enjoy the flavor at least." Biming cautioned as he sat there.

Of course he was patient for when Atlas was happy enough with his payment to give up details. The tea sat down to take up the fork to take a bite. Those teal eyes focusing on Atlas.

-

There was no sign the Viera had been in battle besides two missing arrows to his quiver. It had been a fortunately uneventful thing.

"There was a yokai. Weapons and lost souls. Lured by one of their own."

One cake down, he nibbled at another.

-

"Is that so?"

There was something in the tone of his voice that said something more was up. Biming quietly observed the missing arrows. It was good that it was not an awful encounter at least. His attention shifted away to the window once more.

"A bait was set to draw out the resentful energy clinging to the weapons of the Yurihara Kai's lord." He recited easily enough. "Waking up the souls of the ones they cut down needlessly that had clung to their blades."

That silver tail tapped at the floorboards. The tea was back up for a sip. Biming looking peaceful of mind.

"It is a perfect opportunity for our people to build relations with them. We'll need it."

-

Those leaf green eyes looked over, his serious demeanor not at all affected by frosting on the corner of his mouth. "Build relations? But they are the enemy."

Politics and intrigue was above the Viera's normal way of pondering things. He was a very straightforward soul, unliking of that side of things.

-

"Mine, but not of Suiren Temple." Biming said it lightly as he looked sideways at Atlas. He didn't expect the Viera to get it, yet he didn't want to explain it all. "A pity Old Tanaka got pointed out. He just lost his daughter to her despair, but perhaps he'll find peace in knowing we will handle the Yurihara Kai for him."

-

"So...they stay? Even if they'd done bad things?"

He frowned as he stuffed the rest of cake number two in his mouth to reach into a pouch at his belt. From there, he holds out a pretty paper banner. It was incomplete, a work in progress but undoubtedly one of Chuuya's pieces. No works in progress should have been available with Suzume in ashes unless they were taken the night of.

-

Biming took the scroll. Yes. Chuuya who was important to his second guard, and that shop. The piece being carefully unrolled to look over it.

"For now. They have become entangled with a bigger beast, which made them brave enough to strike in the first place."

-

There was the subtle look of disapproval on the beastmaster's face but he nodded, trust in his master. "Then they will die soon?"

Believe it or not, Atlas did form ties to others though it took an immense amount of time. He knew An Yeung was close to Chuuya and that, by proxy, meant that it was his duty to protect.

-

"Yes." Lord Bai confirmed with a press of his lips into that customary thin line. "We will deal with them, I promise. For now we must play them." A look to him. "Make sure Chuuya isn't assigned to any tasks going near to Yurihara."

A hand lifted then. The fingers touched his chest and tucked into the folds of the top. An envelope being drawn out as he offered it over to Atlas.

"And make sure Aoki-san gets this. It's communication from Thavnair. The ship sailing for Morning Logistics has left their port for Limsa Lominsa."

-

He wiped his frosted fingers on his leathers before taking the letter to tuck away in between the layers of his light armor. A nod to both requests as he then finished the third cake.

"Any trouble for you?"

Concern towards Bai first and foremost.

-

"No. No trouble for me, Atlas." Biming shook his head. "If I run into some, you will be the first one I tell. Promise."

-

Another nod. Despite finishing his cake, he lingered. It was odd for the Viera, usually a creature of very direct and efficient behaviors and he'd been given a request.

-

It didn't go unnoticed.

"Is there something more on your mind? You can express yourself freely with me, Atlas."

-

"I am odd here."

An obvious statement but a way for him to frame his thoughts. Words were always something he'd struggled with. It was only thanks to Biming that he was where he was now.

"And people stare."

-

"Viera are rare outside of their homeland."

Biming reasoned as he watched Atlas. It was always interesting to watch how the Viera went through the motions of thought to form his statements. So much went into each statement and action. A much simpler means of communication he could appreciate.

"Males even more so." The tuft of tail tapped the floorboards. "We male miqo'te are no different, but certainly more common. Maybe they are curious, or perhaps they want to get closer to you?"

-

The instant frown showed what Atlas thought of 'getting closer' to strangers. Ick.

"Is it...troubling? For you." Indeed how could he go unnoticed and not be connected to Biming as things became more active in such public places like this.

-

"For me?" The silver ears ticked at the question. "No. You should grow close to others, and make a life for yourself. Not stay caught up in the Magpie's games like you are."

-

A quick shake of his head, cream-colored hair ruffled in the motion. He had enough sense to stay hidden though. "I will stay forever."

-

Biming paused at that statement, and gave a nod. "If that is what you want, Atlas. I won't impose upon you to stay, or to keep your life devoted solely to me. This kind of life isn't ideal."

-

"It is my life. My decision." Where would he be without Biming? He held his hand out, palm towards the miqo'te in that old familiar motion since their first days.

-

Biming gave a weak winded chuckle, and met that hand. Just a light touch. The Viera's hand was certainly bigger than his own.

"I'd not demand you do anything you'd not wish to."

-

The grounding motion helped as his thoughts often strayed beyond his duties when talking to this one that let him express himself without judgement. "I will do all to help."

-

"I know." Biming acknowledged.

It was definitely calming to be in contact with someone who could at least be genuine with. Though his attention went to the clock to see the time, and he sighed. He had no desire to chase off his friend, but there were some things...

"You should go before Officer Shiki gets here, Atlas. I'd rather my contacts not learn of you."

-

With reluctance the Viera drew back his hand and nodded. "I will deliver the note. Be safe." He stepped back a bit. There was always a bit of foreboding when separated from his master for so long. He was unable to pin down what caused it.

-

"Always." Biming gave a light smile to reassure the viera. "I'll send word when we are to meet next."

-

Another nod from the beastmaster at that. "You'll always have my eyes." A look up to where the hawk was perched, giving small peeps. One of his trusted companions that never strayed too far from the playwright.

-

There was a nod. Biming knew well enough, and would keep it in mind. Even as he glanced to the hawk who waited and watched. It gave some peace, and a tinge of warmth but those sentiments had to be discarded for now.

They were potential weaknesses. Mihn'a had lost those conveniences just as he had lost his name after all.

"Yes. Now get going, and be cautious."

-

Another order he took another step back before disappearing under the shadow of the banner and into the growing evening, no sound to even mark his passing. Still the hawk stay perched, watching over the inn with soft noises every once in awhile.

[grayserigala]

— steel

(v.) mentally prepare (oneself) to do or face something difficult

☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆

He couldn’t meet their eyes as he staggered back towards the ship, though he knew that they were watching him, it was why the vessel hadn’t taken off. But he still stubbornly kept his eyes trained on the ground, as he pressed his mouth into a thin line. There wasn’t anything he could do to make this better, every time he opened his mouth, he just dug his grave deeper. He clenched his fists and forced them to stay at his sides instead of hugging himself and shying away from the crew that he was slowly approaching.

He couldn’t bring himself to look up and see the disappointment that he knew was there. He couldn’t. Because he was so scared about what else he might see if he looked up, the reason that he had pulled this stunt in the first place.

What had he been thinking trying to jump ship and go with those pirates as soon as they arrived? Why did he think that pirates were a better alternative to idiots? Because they had his heart. They were somewhere in the muscle that he had locked away for years and years, yet somehow they got past the defences and now they were there to stay. He did care for them, he wanted to keep those smiles in tact, but God had he royally fucked that up. A grimace passed over his face as he made the last few steps of his walk of shame back to the team. He had been so scared about them leaving him, and what that would do to him, that he had been looking for an excuse to get out before they had the chance. It’s why he almost betrayed them all those weeks ago when they fled Norma and were caught in the Skull Fairy’s tractor beam. It was why he had done all the awful things to them since he had joined their crew.

He came to such an abrupt stop that he tripped over his own feet and gave a pitiful little stumble. Swallowing thickly as he felt his stomach churning, threatening to rise up, as he found that he couldn’t walk any further. The team was only meters away, the people that his heart had dared to call family, the people who could tear him apart or build him up. He was too scared of the former being realised that he couldn’t let himself even give the latter a chance. He knew they were good people, Shiki was too innocent to turn his back on someone who he thought was a friend, Rebecca had the eyes of someone who knew pain but still had the capacity to understand and love, Happy and Pino and Sister and even Homura! They were all noble people, that was why they were waiting for him at the entrance of the ship, waiting to see if he would come home or leave them forever. But the problem wasn’t that they were good people, it was that he wasn’t.

He was a thief, he betrayed for a living, he fought to survive, to just be able to wake up the next day and say that he was free. Even if it was a lie. And somewhere along the way, his soul had been tainted. He didn’t look up at them, too scared to see love behind the disappointment, but even more so of the hatred that might be where love once was.

He thought he was going to be sick. And it made him want to curl into a ball and cry until he couldn’t feel this devouring guilt anymore. But he steeled himself, and his eyes remained dry, though his throat began to burn.

“Do you think we’ll just accept you with open arms?” Homura’s voice cut cold, as cold as her blades were. He only barely swallowed the grimace. “After what you’ve done.” She sneered. He didn’t reply.

“You hurt us.” Rebecca followed up. “Sister was nearly killed because of you.” Her voice wasn’t hostile, just accusatory and saddened. He had put that tone there. He still didn’t reply.

“Mr. Weisz... do... do we really mean so little to you?” That was Pino.

There was a quiet sigh as footsteps approached him, and his gut screamed at him to run, to not let them touch him, to protect. But he couldn’t move. As Shiki approached, he had never felt so small.

“What are you so afraid of?” Shiki asked, his voice quiet, when it should be yelling and cursing at him. He had betrayed them. Willingly. There should be no forgiveness in his voice. But there was and there was nothing Weisz could do to hide the way he hunched his shoulders.

He opened his mouth but was cut off.

“You’re our friend, right?” The ebony-haired teen cut in. Evidently his arms were crossed as he was trying to understand Weisz, but he couldn’t be sure, as he couldn’t dredge his gaze up from a point to the right of Shiki. “These last few weeks, they can’t be a lie. I don’t know much about you, but I do know about friendship. And even though you tried to hide it, I saw... I saw. You... you...” He sighed, seemingly cutting Weisz some slack as he didn’t force the blond to admit that he cared. “So why?”

He opened his mouth and a weary, pained whine worked its way out of him, and he wanted to hide again. He was being so pathetic in front of these idiots. He had to shove these emotions away before they left him exposed. He couldn’t be exposed. Because that’s when they would leave, and that’s when it would hurt.

“I... I don’t know...” He breathed.

“That’s not good enough.” Shiki rejected. “Try again.”

“I... I really don’t, though...” He frowned.

“You do, though.” Shiki pressed on, he wasn’t backing down, but there was something gentling in him, and Weisz wanted to yell, to make them fear him, so that he wouldn’t have to do this, so that he didn’t have to feel anything gentle or undeserved.

“I... I can’t...” He tried, fruitlessly.

“You need to or you can’t come with us.” Homura warned, as she and the others followed Shiki’s lead. That got a reaction, as he flinched inwardly.

“Why did you leave us to die?” Rebecca asked.

“What are you so afraid of Weisz?” Shiki whispered, drawing out another flinch. No... no don’t say my name... please, please you can’t... you can’t care about me... Despite his trembling frame and quivering lips, he finally looked up at them, as he finally found his answer.

“Y-you.” He breathed. “I’m scared of you.”

The crew came loose as something like pity entered the many pairs of eyes watching him, and it cut him like a burning knife. He didn’t want pity, he didn’t deserve any kindness. Didn’t they understand that he was a traitor? The girls clearly did, but he wasn’t sure about Shiki.

“You’re too good, you’re too kind.” He continued, though he wasn’t sure why he was still speaking, but now he couldn’t stop. “That... that isn’t me... I’m not kind. I don’t put others first. I don’t save people just because it’s right. I don’t do friends. I’m not... I can’t be one of you.”

“Then what has this all been?” Shiki asked, his eyes were beginning to lose there vigour.

“I... I don’t know...” He shook his head uselessly. “Something temporary... I- I think...”

“You think?” Rebecca scoffed.

“And what do you want from us?” Homura cut in front of Rebecca’s words, and Weisz felt his throat go dry.

“Nothing.” He murmured, as his gaze fell away from their faces again. “I don’t want anything.” He was too scared to open up his heart again.

“If that’s the case, is this where we part ways?” Homura asked, her voice taking on a sad quality. “Because you’re either with us or not. We can’t have traitors on our ship.”

God, Weisz didn’t want it to be.

He was in limbo, half way between wanting to stay and half between wanting to run away as he always did.

“Or do you want to try again?” Shiki followed up, receiving sharp gasps from the girls as he extended out a metaphorical olive branch.

“I... I...”

“Don’t say that you don’t know.” Shiki interrupted quietly. “This isn’t about thinking. What do you want, Weisz?”

Trembling, Weisz felt the tears coming, though he still fought them back as much as he could.

“You.” He whispered. 

And somehow that was all that took for the tension in Shiki to drain away, the change in mood was jarring, as that signature smile slipped into place. Or that's what it looked like from Weisz’s periphery. Shiki stepped closer and Weisz startled when gentle fingers took his jaw and guided them upwards so that their gazes met.

“Then let’s go. We got a distress call whilst we were waiting for you. Are you coming?”

This still wasn’t right. There was still so much danger and Weisz was so scared. Why was he walking forwards as Shiki threw an arm around his shoulders? Why were they smiling at him?

But against his better judgement, Weisz sighed in relief as he steeled himself some more as he realised that today wasn’t the day that they parted.

☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆▪☆

[in-the-gardens-of-inspiration]

No Fox Given

It was equally insulting as it was amusing: they expected him to give Kurama up, as though, after all the various fuckery the pair of them had been through, that their fire-forged bond meant nothing? And for what? A selfish childhood dream? No, Uzumaki Naruto refused to give his partner up for a pity-nomination to be named the Hokage's successor.

____

It had been a long road, from an impulsive brat with a deeply resentful chakra beast dwelling within him, to something resembling friends, to partners and brothers-in-arms. Naruto and Kurama both had walked through hell and back manifold times, and had come out stronger for it, had come to trust the other; after all, their existences were linked.

Looking out to the peaceable village, mind tumultuous in juxtaposition to the glorious sunrise before him, Naruto cast himself into a meditative state, and centered himself, his roiling thoughts and ideas.

A darkly amused chuckle broke him from his musings sometime later, Kurama's own feelings on the Issue pervading his. 'Look alive brat. Your best friends are on their way.' Naruto projected an exasperated roll of his eyes at the oversized kitsune. 'And they call me obvious.' The blond snorted. One of the upsides to surviving his own brand of hell on earth for seventeen years was the learned gift of become a Sensor-nin.

As bijuu and jinchuuriki spoke, some of his comrades (formerly friends and rivals and teammates) approached him.

It would have been so easy, to spin them some yarn about how it would take years upon years of personal and private research coupled with a few sounding boards and the like to figure out how to "reverse engineer" the containment seal that was an alteration of the now lost Uzumaki: Shiki Fuinjin. It would be so easy to fall to the honeyed words of "friends", friends that didn't know how to be a friend and had, in some measure, betrayed his trust for them. It would be so easy to turn his cheek and a blind eye to the disappointed teachers that remained in his life. It would be so so easy to fall back into the mask of lies and mediocrity that Uzumaki Naruto had once, not so long ago, been.

Acting on a whim, Naruto shunshined away, to his apartment, then to the Hokage's office, then to his friends.

_____

Wholly on impulse, for that was a feature the blond had inherited many times over, Naruto began to seal his belongings and pack his apartment, drawing up paperwork and a plan of action.

Over the next week and a bit, Naruto gathered his things and made plans to sell his apartment, he gave his friends his best regards and a request to give any mail they had for him to Kakashi.

Naruto was leaving Konoha, amicably, but he was leaving.

In another world, Uchiha Sasuke would have left Konoha after the end of the war to do some soul searching. In this world, Uchiha Sasuke was tried, put on probation and allowed to be the back-up member of Team 7

________

It was a strange three years that passed. Far from the same as his first excursion, Naruto saw the world from fully independant eyes, and sought to do what good he was capable of.

From sometime during that first year, Naruto returned to Konoha for Iruka's birthday, and stayed barely long enough to catch up with his peer group. During the second year, Naruto returned with a disciple in tow, an Inari, a young man from Wave Country that had been one of the first people to have experienced the now infamous Talk no Jutsu. The pair stayed for more-or-less a week, and it was becoming clear that Naruto was flourishing outside of Konoha's walls.

During the third year, Naruto returned during the Chuunin Exams; with two sealed scrolls worth of manuscript for a book, and a fierce determination to make chuunin. At nineteen- nearing twenty, in spite of all of the setbacks and drama, Uzumaki Naruto made chuunin, found a few test readers, edited like he would die the next day, and promptly disappeared from Konoha's gates the next morning.

Roughly six months later, a half-inch taller and only slightly more filled out, genuine happiness radiating from him, Naruto returned with three clones carrying boxes filled with books, and the other members of Sasuke's Team Taka/Hebi/Whatever in tow.

There was a change in the sunny young man, for all the strife he had, he seemed stronger, polished.

When Sasuke and Sakura, now affianced to each other, cornered him to talk, he looked resigned but agreed to chat. That should have been warning enough.

It hadn't been, and Naruto was getting tired of staying again in Konoha. His accumulative six and a half years of traveling for the sake of traveling and training had given him wanderlust.

He wasn't without company, having old friends and allies to talk to was a balm on his soul, as was having Kurama, who had been with him at his highest and lowest, with him consistently. Upon his travels, he and Kurama had figured out how to manipulate a clone into being a human shaped vessel for Kurama's endless scathing insults and friendly vitriol. Konoha didn't know this. Naruto didn't know that his prankster/trapper past had an effect on Kurama. After this, he'll never forget it.

[rem-is-best-almond]

[Review] Dance with Devils Urie Sogami/ Urieganof Fuser’s route

The token Flirt of the group (or in his case , the fuck boy) who’s the vice president of the Student council. He’s childhood friends with Rem but his route seems to trample all over their relationship.  At first, I thought Urie was charming in a way but boy did his route slapped me in the face cause of how full of shit he was. Honestly, I sort of had expectations for Urie to NOT be as bad as what some reviews say but turns out he is and I honestly didn’t think his character development was anything great because he never owns up to the things he did wrong even at the end of it.

[Spoilers under the cut , this is a summary of his whole route, including some CGs] 

Left Door routes:      Rem   Lindo   Roen

Right Door Routes:  Mage  Shiki

<< Previous (Mage)    Next (Shiki)>>    Final thoughts >I

After finding out the truth about Ritsuka, Urie wants to use her to his own advantage to make Rem jelly of him so he requests Rem to assign him to watch over Ritsuka . He invades her dreams and acts all sweet taking her around his in-dream Carnival until onii-chan cockblocks him. Despite this, Ritsuka wants to confront Urie and finds him in the school’s Greenhouse with his thirsty fangirls clinging onto him. Things get heated up when Urie claims that Ritsuka is his special Butterfly ,so his 蝶々ｓ start chasing her and shoving her around. He pulls her into hiding but instead of defending Ritsuka , he just goes “Oh, but they aren’t bad girls” like they didn’t just tried to claw her eyes out over him =.=

Unfortunately, Ritsuka does trusts Urie so when he pulls the victim card that she was doubting their trust, she takes off her protective pendant and this gives him the chance to turn her into his own blow up doll that only knows how to say “UwU Urie” 24/7 == Also, he blames it on her for being stupid and because she was something important to Rem (being the Grimoire that is) . He goes to show her off to Rem but Rem doesn’t want to deal with his bullshit and leaves. Urie acts all sad because Rem-senpai won’t notice him but continues to treat Ritsuka as his blowup doll anyway. His UwU sessions with her are so gross and cringey even Mage and Shiki are sick of his behaviour. Rem gets reprimanded by his father for letting Urie have the Grimoire first so Urie thinks it feels great to surpass him but somehow thinks it’s boring too and I’m just 凸ಠ益ಠ)凸

Due to the effects of Urie’s magic, Ritsuka gradually turns into a zombie and doesn’t even remember who she is. Rem asks if Urie had found a way to get the grimoire out of Ritsuka and tells Urie that he shouldn’t treat her as his blowup doll anymore or he’ll turn her into a real doll but Urie’s like “pfft, relax she won’t die, you’re just jealous.” (;¬_¬)  Ritsuka eventually starts calling out for her mother and brother despite her trance so Urie shits bricks and tries to gain control over her by forcefully kissing her and groping her but she manages to free herself from his spell and tells him to fuck off (You tell’em gurl) .

Unfortunately, Ritsuka goes back to being his prisoner in exchange for him helping an injured Lindo. Even so, she doesn’t let him treat her as his play doll so he gets butthurt and fucks his harem of girls instead. Ritsuka wants to know why he’s being such a jerk so she asks Rem about Urie. He tells her that Urie has an unquenchable desire to make everything around him his and would do anything to get what he wants.As a result, he was never satisfied with anything.So when it came to Rem, Urie wouldn’t stop comparing himself to him because he sees him as a perfect existence and wants to surpass him in hopes to gain some sort of satisfaction within himself. Ritsuka wants to know why Urie’s like this but Rem says that she should ask Urie himself if she wanted to get to know him better. So Ritsuka confronts Urie and he tells her about his family.

Urie’s father is no ordinary fuckboy cause with the amount of women he fucked , he ended up having 36 children and Urie’s the oldest. Because of this, his mother criticises his father’s womanising ways by fucking other men as well and is never home. She hates Urie because he was also following his father’s fuckboy ways. So Urie continues to fuck multiple women and eat their souls because he doesn’t believe in genuine love anymore. He also thinks that by surpassing Rem, he could somehow fill the void in his heart  ಠ_ರೃ

Ritsuka wishes for the best for him but he’s like “ You’ve lighted a fire under my ass by saying that so will you be my bride instead?” and at first, she agrees out of pity but he ends up kissing her in her dreams and abacadabra she’s madly in love with him now ! (´∀`) They go around the school during the school festival and at some point were chased by Urie’s 蝶々ｓ but manage to escape from them. Urie takes her to the dance yet Rem and Ritsuka end up being the king and queen so Urie gets jelly and pulls Ritsuka out of the ballroom because he realises that he can’t hand her over to Rem. They danced and he ends up confessing to her and she says that she loves him too. Jek crashes their party but Rem and Co come to the rescue. Jek is defeated but before he dies, he exclaims the method to obtain the Grimoire like he’s high on drugs and vanishes into ash.  

Devil route:

The King of Vampires, Nesta (I’ll call him Nestle from now on :)) ) invades the school with his hoard of Vampires. He’s after the Grimoire and because he’s too OP, Rem tells Urie to take Ritsuka and run. They run to Urie’s eden and find Lindo already awake. They explain the situation to him and Urie assures Lindo that he would protect Ritsuka. Lindo tells them to go to a cave where he used to do his exorcist training to kill time until the Grimoire vanishes. While in the cave, they found Professor Tachibana’s diary and find out that Ritsuka is actually a half devil. The diary also recorded down the method to make the Grimoire vanish from Ritsuka’s body, that is to turn her from a half devil into a full fledged one. Urie offers to do just that but since he’s an incubus, it can only be achieved if he fucks her ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) So they bang in the cave but they don’t bang happily ever after because this ends up turning Ritsuka into his love doll ＼| ￣ヘ￣|／

Urie brings Ritsuka back to school to tell Rem what had happened and although he’s bummed that the Grimoire’s gone, he decides to go settle the score with the vampires and bring Maria back. He tells Urie that he has until midnight to figure out how to break Ritsuka from her love doll state as they had to go back now that the grimoire’s gone. Urie tries taking Ritsuka to the places they had spent time together but it’s all for naught as she doesn’t recall a single thing.

Devil end 1 (Good end):

Rem manages to rescue Marie  and Urie offers to take her back home along with Ritsuka. He leaves her at the front door and although Ritsuka saw both Lindo and Maria, she still didn’t break from her doll like state. In a last resolve, Urie decides to take her to the school’s garden for a dance, he kisses her and this magically returns her back to herself. In the epilogue, Urie brings Ritsuka back to his home in the demon realm as she’s one of them now and they ichaicha all the way in their love shack (￣ω￣)

Devil end 2 (Bad end):

Urie ends up bringing Ritsuka to see Lindo but she doesn't recognize him. So he brings her back to school as they patiently wait for Rem to bring Maria back, Hoping that seeing her would jog Ritsuka's memory.  Nesta comes to them instead and reveals that Rem and Co are dead. He then kills Ritsuka and heavily injures Urie. She returns back to herself right before she dies as Urie cries in anguish. In the epilogue, Urie kills Nesta in a fit of rage and eventually dies too. 

 Human route:

After the incident with Jek, Urie decides to follow Rem’s orders. He takes Ritsuka on a date and reveals to her the truth about his intentions.He also purposefully leaves the door to his eden open in hopes that she would escape. The next morning, he comes in to find Ritsuka waiting for him. She isn’t escaping cause she loves Urie to trust that he wouldn’t harm her. So Urie decides to strangle her to prove a point. Ritsuka refuses to believe that Urie had intended to harm her, saying that she wants to be happy with him. Urie finally gives in because he can’t bear to kill her so he’s going to ditch Rem instead. Rem’s of course not pleased that Urie’s betraying the Arlond family so he chases them all around the school and out into the streets. Ritsuka manages to fend off Rem and Co with her pendant and she and Urie both escape.

Human end 1 (Good end):

Urie decides to escape with Ritsuka to his dream carnival to kill time until the Grimoire vanishes.Rem and Co manage to catch up with them and he and Rem both have a duel to settle their differences. Seeing his friend’s determination to protect the girl he loves, Rem decides to give up on the grimoire just as the clock strikes midnight, saying that there’s no use to pursue it anymore.  Turns out, it was  a fake clock chime that Rem had anticipated because he just wants an excuse to give up on the grimoire lol. The real time passes and the grimoire finally vanishes. In the epilogue, Urie is playing Shogi with Rem ,who decided to stay with his friend in the human world, but he’s losing so he asks Ritsuka to try instead. She eventually loses to Rem but Rem praises her potential if she practiced. Rem then leaves the room as he had duties to attend to. Urie states that as long as he has Ritsuka, he doesn’t mind losing to Rem.

Human end 2 (Bad end):

Urie decides to put Ritsuka into a deep sleep in the dream world he conjured up until the Grimoire vanishes. He then goes to confront Rem. They both have a duel and Urie loses in the end. As Rem was planning to land a final blow, Urie exclaims that he’ll die where he wants to die and vanishes back into his dream world where Ritsuka was still sleeping. He ends up dying beside her. In the epilogue, Lindo laments about Ritsuka’s comatose state, having found her in Urie’s Eden when he woke up. He blames Urie for all of this but Azuna says that it’s possible that Ritsuka chose to stay this way and that Urie’s not all to be blamed.

Concluding Thoughts:

This route just made me want to flip a million tables and fling my Vita out of the fucking window multiple times (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻  The fact that Rem gets all the blame for Urie’s shit is just wtf and I don’t know how the writer even had the nerve to do that. Things literally went from ‘I’m doing this because I want to surpass Rem for my own selfish reasons’ to ‘I was just doing what Rem told me to’ and the plot fucking follows through with it. Urie never tried to genuinely fix the mess he made and everything falls back onto Rem’s shoulders ლ(ಠ益ಠლ . 

I know Urie’s scum at first so that makes him ‘realistic’ but honestly , this route cut his development short by completely changing his original intentions, that is he wanted Ritsuka for himself and wasn’t locking her up for Rem yet after he kissed her, every bad thing he did before was because he was following Rem’s orders like WTF (Ironically, Rem told him to stop TWICE) . At least in the devil route, he did feel sorry for treating Rem the way he did being envious of him and all but he never really felt sorry for what he did to Ritsuka and she just easily forgives him after he kisses her so I felt that part was kind of Bullshit.  

Also, I’m both surprised and Salty that Azuna and Lindo weren’t out searching for Ritsuka like crazy since I’m pretty sure Urie kept her with him 24/7 and it was for quite some time and not just a few days. Meanwhile, they’re everywhere in Rem’s route =.= 

Overall, I really disliked this route and the character development here wasn’t all that great imho. 

Left Door routes:      Rem   Lindo   Roen

Right Door Routes:  Mage  Shiki

<< Previous (Mage)    Next (Shiki)>>    Final thoughts >I

[uncheckedtomfoolery]

So I wrote this piece for a friend a while ago, but since I’m grumbling about Eiki anyway, I might as well put something up. Story below the cut.

Once, there was a stone. It was by nature a gentle stone, a kindly stone, with all the sun-drenched warmth that a rock might carry. It was the sort of stone that, were it thrown at someone, would do all it could to veer off-course and bury itself in the mud. It owed this to its shape: A Bodhisattva statue in the shape of Ksitigarbha (a mouthful by anyone's standards), who had once sworn not to ascend to buddhahood until all the souls in hell were free. The kindly stone stood there, and it watched over the road. Watched over those who passed by it, its unmoving face smiling gently at them, guiding their steps so they would not wander from the path. They would come to it, the lost and the frightened and the confused, and they would pray. It could give them no miracles, but it hoped to give them peace, hoped to give them guidance.

One by one, they prayed. Prayer is a buoy. Enough of it tied to a thing or a person will carry its object up, making it soar, whether it chooses to or not. The stone resisted for as long as it could, lingering through spring and summer, autumn and winter to guide just one more traveller along those dangerous roads. Finally, after four seasons, it passed.

But this is not the story of the stone.

Once, there was a traveller. She was a stone before, an irony lost on the host around her. So much seems to be lost on those quiet, stoic figures that row their boats all around the one she occupies; enough to make one wonder if they are even alive, or if they have forgotten such things. Their eyes turned unnaturally in their heads, one fixed perpetually on her, one on the route ahead. Was it a route at all? The silent rowboats made their way across an endless, mist-wreathed black river, hours from the other shore. She could only assume her entourage had some destination in mind.

Eiki Shiki, they called her. Eiki of the four seasons. The one who lingered, who clung to earth, who resisted being carried upward by a thousand prayers. It was not praise or condemnation for her stubbornness. They did not judge. It was not their place.

"So you're the new hire, huh?" The ferrywoman that shared her boat was animated enough to make up for all the others, though not without a certain sense that she was forcing much of it. She called herself Komachi Onozuka, and of all those rowing the small, quiet ships, only she had volunteered a name. It was explained to the traveller that she was to be a yama. A judge of the dead, who examines the life of a soul, its character, and sends it either to heaven or to hell. The thought sent a shiver of inexplicable fright down the spine she had not even had for very long. They told her that she was to represent all that is just in the world, the law sewn into its every fabric. Her every action, by her very nature, would be right, would be just and good, beyond reproach.

"What if I'm wrong? What if I make a mistake?"

The seven rowing around her said nothing, but there was something in their one-eyed stare, something strange. Not pity, as such, but it struck her as a look they might reserve for a dead woman walking. Komachi laughed instead, shaking her head, wearing an expression of utter amazement.

"Shiki, was it? Or, ah... Lady Eiki? I think you might be the first one to ask that! Don't get your type around here often."

That stood to reason; most yamas, she was given to understand, were made for the task, not ascended, if that is even the right word. Her nature, as much as a piece of rock might inherit that of a Bodhisattva, is to empty the hells, not fill them.

Komachi told her that this was nothing, that she made no mistake; indeed, that she could make no mistake no matter how hard she might try. Komachi told her that the ride was a long one, finally, and urged her to sleep. Everything would be alright; there was no harm in her question, or in her sentiments. That was when Eiki learned how easily a yama can discern a lie.

Condemning soul after soul was a task that would call for only the purest sort of person, and a task that would grind down any such person very quickly indeed. The solution, she realised, was to create judges tailor-made for it, a far cry from a person of any sort. It was not an answer, she realised, that left much room in the equation for her.

Quietly, gently, the ferrywoman prayed that this one would last longer than the others she had heard such stories of. That she would be the exception to the rule. Prayers could soar, even then and there, ever higher; far enough to find themselves in the same hands that sent the weathered statue down this river.

But this is not the story of the traveller.

Once, there was a judge. She had travelled far, and lived in the yama's courthouse, opulent and vast, built up in intimidating gold and black. Its full extent was covered up in river mist, and the stories said that the mist only showed itself to a sinner's eyes. It was only a legend, but it was one that struck fear into the souls that walked in. For all its size, the world seemed to narrow down to a point as they stand there: The judge, Eiki Shiki, on her massive throne, inscrutable and imposing.

She hated that throne. Hated the decadence of the courthouse, and all its splendour and finery that might be better put to use elsewhere. It was almost painful, sitting there on something so clearly made as nothing but a show of grandeur to inspire terror in petitioners. Seeing the ones she was supposed to guide looking up at her with frightened eyes, making their case and staring into the cleansed mirror that sifted through their lies. Even the ones they thought to be true.

She was not meant to be filling the hells, but emptying them. And yet, one by one, away they went: The misguided, the ones who had made their little missteps, even the ones who likely deserved their place, but left her wishing to see some good in them. They filed away to their fates, given to them from on high. The judge held fast, implacable and impassive. She had to be, in the courtroom, through case after case. She could not let them see anything else. It was just work, she realised one day, that she did here. It did not call for a cruel woman who reveled in this, much less a kind one who mourned over every petitioner; something she had pieced together on her first day, and tried to ignore every day since then. It was work best fit for a machine, a gear in Samsara's workings. She was no machine. She had heard stories of others like her, now and then, the ones who failed to fit their role. One by one, they were ground down and replaced by someone- by something more fitting.

Another soul stood before her now, and prayed to the judge, to the gods, to whatever mercies may be listening. His prayers soared, as they always did, until they were caught in the rafters, going no further.

But this is not the story of the judge.

There is a prisoner, who calls herself judge. Whispers in the ministry turn to rumour, then to decree: She will be stationed in Xanadu, an affectionate title among those who remember their old posts fondly, as much as they are capable of fondness or affection. Gensokyo by another name. She will be the yama of paradise. Do they think her fitting for it? Is this some strange mercy? Over a century later, she still doesn't have so much as an inkling.

Days of sentencing fade to the small mercy that is mindless paperwork for the ministry. Here, at least, not a soul is hurt. She works day after day after day in her cramped office - cramped by choice, rejecting the luxury that would be customary for her - toiling over endless sheaves of papers, and sometimes collapsing face-first into them for the briefest moments of sleep. She does not rest, even in the rare breaks she is given; instead, she wanders Gensokyo, trying to guide whoever she can away from the paths that would force her hand in a cruel sentence. It's a mercy to them both, not entirely selfless, in her mind.

They never listen, of course, and it never seems to make a difference, but perhaps some day it will.

She is trapped here, in the courthouse that is so clearly not meant for her. She does not begrudge it, not consciously. The thought never occurs to her. She only works in her pursuit of mercy, as much as she is allowed to give any, day after day. She says little of this to Komachi, but after so long, they have an understanding; some of it comes through, try as she might to keep quiet. The yama is small, almost childlike in appearance. Some call it a symbol of innocence or purity. Others, a small piece left over from her days as a diminutive stone statue. To Komachi, she only looks terribly fragile.

The prisoner of the Sanzu works day after day, tirelessly, but nothing she can achieve seems to be enough for her. There is a mirror in her office, a badge of office carved from purest crystal, said to scour away all lies and show even the smallest sin in the hearts of those exposed to it. Some days, Komachi notices her staring into it, sometimes for hours at a time.

It's a shame, Eiki reflects to herself at times, that she has risen so high on the backs of prayers; there is no one, in turn, that she might pray to, whether for help or simple guidance.

But this is not the story of the prisoner. As she would be quick to say herself, there are far more important ones to be told.