#i hold this game in very high regards. i love it i wish more people knew abt it

[averageallogene]

Resubmitting because my WiFi weirded out when I was posting.

Jean convinces Diluc to dump you for her, because you are, in her own words, 'Not noble enough'.

With nothing holding you back in Mondstadt, you return to Inazuma to take up your Clan duties.

Less than a year later, you receive Diluc and Jean's wedding invite and you attend with Ayato as your plus-one.

At the reception, Eula instantly recognizes your Clan crest on your obi belt.

Jean proceeds to mock you as she makes her rounds to greet her wedding guest and Eula defends you, stating that your Clan is the overseer of the Tri-Commission *and* the First Clan of Inazuma, out-ranked only by the Raidan Shogun and Yae Miko. And you are its Clan Head.

Diluc ♡⊹˚ Not Enough (SFW)

fem. reader (3rd person) ; angst. cw for jealousy, heartbreak. Implied Ayato x reader.

4k words.

notes. Alright I am back with a bag of piping hot telenovela drama! I had a lot of fun writing this, even if I fear my Jean and my Diluc turned out a little ooc? Oh and Ayato is a petty menace. Well, suffice to say I took some liberty with this one- I hope we can just slide past through it and I’ll get better at their portrayals  eventually <3. Enjoy!✧˖°

The tranquility of Mondstadt, accompanied by the welcomed breezes it brought daily, was enough for anyone to fall in love with the country. The land of the Anemo Archon was blessed with peace, as well as a beauty to behold as its people were one of the most welcoming [F/N] had ever come across. It had been enough to compel her to stay a little longer when she’d begun traveling around Teyvat, with it bringing something more that urged her to remain there.

Diluc Ragnvindr, an otherwise very well known bachelor of Mondstadt, had certainly caught her eye. The feeling seemed to have been mutual, for [F/N]’s appearance and Inazuman style of clothing definitely stood out amongst the usual crowd. It had begun friendly enough, the winery tycoon seeking information regarding the Inazuman palette when it came to alcoholic beverages. Of course, as a businessman Diluc had plans of expanding to other nations, with  or without vision hunt decrees meddling in the middle. During that time, [F/N] had remained in Mondstadt, visibly stressed with the fate of her country. Thankfully, she had a friendly shoulder to rely on on the same wealthy bachelor. It turned out Diluc wasn’t all appearances, his very being burning with a gentleness that was enough to swoon the young woman off her feet. 

[F/N] was far from her family during said time, and exchanging letters was difficult. She’d never been exactly too open when it came to them, yet no one wished to pry. With the borders closed, she had next to no possibility of returning without possibly being detained, regardless of status. War reeked with personal vendettas after all, and to someone of high status as herself, many would indeed covet to take what was hers amidst the chaos. Unbeknownst to her, it had been these early signs of trouble that had helped her in convincing her father of letting her seek out the world whilst she could, sending his only daughter off to the land of the free before she too were to be caged down by duties and unfortunate circumstances.

Homesickness was terrible, but thankfully she had Diluc to aid her. Together they’d spend time together, whether that was in Angel’s Share as the bustling tavern closed its doors for the night, or whenever he offered her to have a tranquil walk through the Dawn Winery. His estate had quickly become one of her favorites, the scenery and the sound of the rustling leaves bringing an inner peace strong enough to temporarily wash away her worries. With the more time they spent together, they found more in common that they had, including dreams, plans for the future, even hobbies. It wouldn’t be difficult to find the pair reading by the fireplace, or even discussing various topics while enjoying a game of chess, hence many murmurs of Diluc’s sweetheart beginning to circle throughout Mondstadt. 

Still, he was a traditional man when it came to such affairs. Diluc was one to take things slowly, yet it was more than noticeable the way he held her hand gently, the way he’d open doors whenever they arrived somewhere, the way his hand would linger on her lower back as they walked through the streets. It wasn’t as though they were official yet, but to [F/N], it was more than apparent she was being courted. And truth be told, her heart couldn’t leap any higher.  Sadly, her expectations would come crashing to the ground, coincidentally just as the climax of the vision hunt decree took place miles away in Inazuma. 

Diluc had grown hesitant, a little distant even. He was a man to remain firm in his beliefs, yet with the right approach and from the right people, even the most determined man could falter. He’d told [F/N] of stories of his childhood, of happier times when his father was around, of times he and Kaeya got along well. Of times he had friends over at the winery, when his mind would only be preoccupied with fantasies he’d construct with his friends at the height of their innocence. [F/N] had listened to him happily, content with the idea of him having a good childhood, of having good friends. Good friends such as Jean Gunnhildr. [F/N] had noticed the way her glance would sparkle at him, yet they were only friends he’d reassured her, and it would’ve definitely seemed as such before it no longer did. The young lady wasn’t ignorant; the way Jean eyed Diluc paralleled the way she did as well, yet she had confidence in the chance she had with him until he’d taken the first step backwards.

He’d been calm, gentle with her upon shooting her down. His heart was murky, he had too many responsibilities. He had a lot to take care of between his tavern and his winery, as well as other responsibilities she wasn’t aware of. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to commit, and he was most sorry for leading her on. [F/N]’s heart broke with the way she was shot down, yet she gracefully smiled still, thanking him for his honesty. Even though she was the one being rejected, the woman placed a friendly hand on his arm, ensuring there were no harsh feelings, as well as wishing him the very best. Wishing that he soon find himself, reassuring that she would always support him. The urge to cry was strong, more so with the way his often gentle gaze shifted away from her. Yet, [F/N] persevered, pushing back any theories her mind crafted as the man she’d grown to love was swept away from her fingers. 

A gut feeling whispered to her that Jean had been the instigator, yet with no concrete proof, [F/N] was left out in the rain as Mondstadt grew less and less picturesque. The winery didn’t feel welcoming anymore, the once bustling streets of the main city were now noisy instead of charming. The mere sight of the crest of the knights of Favonius irked her, for it reminded her of the woman she knew was the reason Diluc had grown distant. In all her years of education back in Inazuma, [F/N] had grown to know when a rival struck through the shadows. She’d grown to realize the subtle signs, yet she’d held on faith for her beloved’s friend. It had proved futile, and now, bitterness replaced the fondness she’d held for the city of freedom. 

[F/N] held a letter that had finally reached her from her home country, bags being packed by the few escorts that had arrived to retrieve her. She’d arranged for them to only move at night, lest she wished to have unwanted attention on her as well as the Inazuman samurai her bedridden father had sent for her. Her duties ripped her out of her wishes to remain in Mondstadt, reality beckoning her back as her dreams were left behind with a broken heart, swept by the breeze. 

Ironically enough, Kaeya, of all people, had been the only one to notice her that night. There was the faint scent of wine on him, yet he was still sober enough to have a coherent speech. He’d waited for her by the city walls, a small expression of regret as he inquired if she really had to go. The relationship between the brothers was brittle to say the least, yet Kaeya would’ve been a fool to deny how Diluc seemed happy with her. How he liked seeing his brother happy. The Cavalry Captain voiced his wish for her to stay, explaining how he enjoyed her company, how Mondstadt did. It stung [F/N], yet with a sad smile, she told him she couldn’t stay even if she wished to. And without explaining further as to why she had to leave, Kaeya suddenly let out with a bitter chuckle.

“Is it because Jean sees you as not noble enough? I can assure you [F/N], no one here really cares for such superficial reasoning.”

It had struck a chord in her, for her suspicions were confirmed. All of this heartbreak had stemmed because [F/N], no matter how hard she tried, would never be one of them, the children of the wind. She was from the land of lightning, and apparently to some, appreciating and learning of their history wasn’t as good enough as being directly related to it. Her hands grasped her coat tightly, and with a curt response of how it was due to other things, she’d thanked Kaeya for everything before leaving the city in the middle of the darkness.

The voyage back to Inazuma had been long, but even more so bittersweet. She’d just arrived in time to say a final goodbye to her father, too sick to even get up from his bed as he held her hand one last time. He could see the heartbreak in her eyes, yet he was too weak to inquire on who was the monster to hurt his beloved daughter. All he could say was that the future of their clan lay now on her hands, the pressure nearly suffocating her. Amidst the conflict with the vision hunt decree, her eldest brother, who’d sided with the rebellion in secret, had been murdered, his drink poisoned. And even as justice had been served, life needed to move on, leaving the seat of Clan Head now to her. 

Days in Inazuma were vinegary. Her homecoming had been filled with heartache, having lost her brother, and soon after her father as well. Days, weeks, months, they all passed in a blur, [F/N] focusing on the heavy task of overseeing the tri-commissions as she donned her clan’s crest with pride. 

Not noble enough, it kept repeating inside her head every day, every time she put her obi on. The young woman hated to admit it, but the pettiness of it all had become her drive, fueling her as she surpassed her father in more aspects than one. In a short amount of time, she’d proved herself as a worthy ruler of her clan, an iron fist masked with elegance and grace as her name grew more and more respected by all the other clans. 

Despite her secluded life filled with responsibility, as well as her still distrusting heart, [F/N] allowed very few people in. She could count her friendly acquaintances with solely one hand, but amongst them were the Kamisato siblings. Businesses aside, they were able to lay down their crests for an afternoon every once in a while, enjoying each other’s company over finely brewed tea as they watched the sunset together, recounting stories to one another as time flew by during such leisure moments.

It had been during one such rare occasion, that [F/N] found herself enjoying tea with Kamisato Ayato, his sister busy with her own set of duties whilst the Commissioner took a much needed break. His trained eye could see how she was tense, eyes lowered as they remained narrowed with a bitterness he’d known all too well. Gently, he’d inquired if all was well, and with a quick glance, [F/N] debated if she should burden the already busy head of the Yashiro Commission with her petty bickering.

“You should know by now that I’m not one to ask things out of courtesy, [F/N].” Ayato had calmly stated, an enigmatic smile dancing on his lips as she took a sip of her tea. “I’m genuinely inquiring about your well-being, for I do in fact care. So please, if something is troubling you, do not hesitate to say.” 

And with a heavy sigh, the woman placed her cup down, before finally coming clean. From her large sleeve she revealed to him a sealed letter, one with a wax stamp of nothing more than the Ragnvindr clan displayed on it.

“It seems one of my acquaintances back in Mondstadt is about to get married, and has decided to invite me to his wedding.” Ayato hid his grin of amusement with the way she spat the word acquaintance with such distaste. It was enough for him to have an inkling of what could’ve transpired during her stay in the land of the Anemo Archon. “I suppose it’s his way of voicing his wish of letting bygones be bygones, but I cannot help but taste the sweet irony of it all.”

“Oh? Has he, perchance, hurt you deeply?” He’d inquired, watching as she lowly nodded her head.

“I was under the assumption he’d been courting me,” [F/N] revealed to her friend, remembering the way her heart clenched upon first reading its contents. The fact he was marrying after such little time apart, and to Jean no less, still filled her broken heart with such indescribable bitterness. “But then… Nevermind. I was needed to return, regardless. One way or another, it would’ve ended in tragedy.”

“My deepest condolences.” Ayato spoke softly, his hand gently resting atop hers before holding it cordially. “Do you intend on skipping the wedding? Just know there is no shame in doing what’s best for you.”

“I’ve thought about it.” She sighed, holding his hand back with a thankful squeeze. “Yet, I can’t bring myself to shut him off entirely either. He was, after all, someone who had helped me a lot during my stay in Mondstadt.”

“Ah yes, the heart is a most complex little thing…” Ayato breathed out, a faint smile on his face as he offered her an understanding glance. “When is it taking place?”

“In about three months.” [F/N] had nearly sulked, still glaring at the letter as if her sheer glance could burn the whole thing. Ayato had simply nodded, before insisting she take a little longer to reflect on what would be best for her.

In truth, Ayato decided to free up his schedule for three months into the future. Not only could he be a little petty when it came to his own allies, he truly did care for the well-being of his friend. In all honesty, perhaps it was best he didn’t know the full details of how she’d been shot down, lest he make an even bigger, yet still elegant, ruckus. In the end, he’d offered his company were she to decide on going to the celebration, and against all odds, [F/N] had accepted. With Ayato by her side, the young woman felt a sudden surge of confidence. Perhaps it was the idea of her being accompanied by a kind, and well accomplished man, that had her feeling that way.

And with her confirmation letter being sent with the intent on bringing a plus one, time was the only thing between [F/N] and her return to Mondstadt. Diluc was surprised she’d accepted, but he couldn’t deny he was happy. In all honesty, he truly wished for them to start over, for her friendship was deeply valued to the man. Jean on the other hand, was a little flabbergasted she’d accepted. To her, it had solely been a courtesy to send an invite, yet she’d be lying if she hadn’t predicted her decline of attending their wedding. Despite the slight disappointment, the Lionfang Knight was already stressed as it was; perhaps it would be best to just ignore it, and prepare for their big day as best as she could. 

The day for their voyage had arrived, and true to his word, Ayato accompanied her on their ship. Everything had been prepared, their duties being fulfilled by others for the duration of their trip. It was a much needed breath of fresh air, a small vacation he’d joked, smiling with eloquence even when he wasn’t one to enjoy large group gatherings. He’d insisted that he and [F/N] both dress in their finest clothing, for they were representing their Clans on foreign lands, and by extension, representing Her Excellency as well. Their crests displayed proudly on their clothing, made of the finest silks and brightest tones, arms linking together as [F/N] held her fan to her lips as they finally disembarked at the docks. 

Ayato had surely made a statement with the entire entourage he’d organized for the two of them, it almost seemed as though he indeed knew of what had been the reason given for their breakup. Then again, [F/N] thought, perhaps he did know. Ayato was a man of many means after all, who was to say he hadn’t read her bitterness like an open book? The way [F/N] looked at him smiling in that knowing way of his didn’t help her case, either… Well, it was too late to go back, anyway.

The way they’d arrived on Mondstadt had certainly caused an uproar, citizens watching in curiosity as the samurai escorted them to the hotel where they would stay until the day of the festivities. Most of the Knights of Favonius were busy as per usual, away from their arrival save for the guards stationed at the city gates who had warmly welcomed them upon confirming their identities and the purpose of their visit. Gossip was quick to follow, yet Ayato paid no mind, calmly chatting away with [F/N] as they were led to their rooms.

News of wealthy guests from the east reached the couple’s ears, yet neither Diluc nor Jean paid much mind. After all, Diluc had many wealthy acquaintances, most of them stemming from his businesses within the wine industry. All he cared for was to ensure all their confirmed guests had indeed arrived, including [F/N]. And upon being told she had in fact, he only nodded his head, not inquiring any further. Him and his bride were much too busy making the final preparations after all, and unbeknownst to him, Kaeya only watched in the background, an amused grin on his face as he patiently waited for the big show.

The bells rang with vigor on the big day, [F/N] jolting inside her room as she wasn’t exactly used to the way their Church would announce anything so loudly. Ayato had already finished preparing, smiling her way before offering his help in adjusting her obi. 

“You look positively beautiful.” He’d stated in a matter-of-fact tone, watching as she smiled at him with an honest, thankful gleam. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” She had sighed, nodding her head as she inwardly psyched herself up to go forth with the day. And without much issue, the pair left their hotel and made haste for the sight of the ceremony. 

Amidst the sea of guests, their presence had gone mostly unnoticed. It was best as such, [F/N] gazing ahead as she watched the man who she’d once thought would be the one marry another woman. Her heart still clenched slightly at the reality, yet Ayato’s presence helped her in grounding herself as she took a deeper breath. Her arm remained around his, admiring how beautiful they looked, how happy they gazed at one another. Even if Jean forever held a deep stain in her eyes, she couldn’t deny how radiant and gorgeous she looked in her wedding gown. The warm glow of the church veiled around them in a romantic manner, the union finally being tied as the main ceremony came to a close. For the first time in a while, [F/N] found herself smiling at the sight of Diluc with another. Perhaps, she thought, she would eventually get through this. Even if it still hurt, even if she still thought back on how she hadn’t been enough. 

Customs between Mondstadt’s weddings and Inazuma’s weddings differed, yet she and Ayato found themselves easily following along as everyone moved on to the reception. It was during this time that the guests began conversing more freely with one another, finally having a look around as they noted who had come to support the happy couple, who had come with whom. It was during this time that [F/N] could feel eyes on her, glances of surprise to herself and her partner being shared as she commented on how the food was delightful with Ayato. 

“Is that… [F/N]?” Eula had commented with Kaeya, who had nodded his head with an amused grin on his face. Despite the elaborate way she dressed when in comparison with the way she did when she had stayed in Mondstadt, nothing could escape her eye as a noble herself. “She looks radiant. And the man beside her…”

[F/N]’s voice could be heard not far, Ayato relishing in the way his comment had brought a laugh out of her. He patted himself on his back for having gotten the willpower to deal with such a packed event, for the way his friend seemed more relaxed had been more than worth it in his eyes. They kept on chatting together, a select few female acquaintances of [F/N]’s joining them as they soon found more company to converse with.

“[F/N]! It’s been so long… How have you been?” 

“You look amazing, [F/N]! I heard you’ve returned to Inazuma suddenly, is everything alright?”

“Who’s your friend there, [F/N]?” Followed with a knowing wink, causing the woman to blush before denying their accusations any further. 

Despite everything, the attention directed to a corner of their reception definitely wasn’t unnoticed by the happy couple, more so by the bride as her violet eyes gazed around. Jean found herself surprised upon landing her eyes on [F/N]’s face, recognizing her rather quickly despite the intricate ornaments she wore on her hair and the delicate makeup. She looked stunning, she thought, before stopping herself and clearing her throat. 

Her wandering gaze hadn’t gone unnoticed by Diluc, whose eyes followed before landing on [F/N] as well. It took him a moment to register who it was, and when it did, his shifting expression caused a stir of emotions deep within his bride.

“[F/N]?...” He’d muttered, Jean squeezing his hand lightly to return his attention to her.

“Come Diluc, we have to thank everyone for coming.” She’d hastily led him to the table where the rest of the Knights dined, all raising glasses of champagne and wine as the couple approached them. 

“Ah, Diluc, Jean! The ceremony was wonderful,” Lisa had smiled their way, a giggle following. “I nearly teared up at the vows. Goodness, weddings always make me so emotional.”

“The food is also delectable.” Kaeya grinned, his glass rising slightly above the others as he gave his brother a nod. “Congratulations to the both of you.”

“Congratulations! May your years be blessed with happiness and good fortune!” Amber smiled brightly.

“Yes, congratulations.” Eula complemented, smiling softly as Diluc held Jean close.

“Thank you everyone for coming. It is an honor to share such an important day with you all.” Diluc said with the utmost sincerity, smiling softly as Jean rested her hand on his chest.

“It’s a great pleasure.” Eula’s gaze narrowed as she could sense an unnecessary comment bubbling within Kaeya’s chest. The way he grinned spelled trouble, and just as she predicted so, the man swirled his glass of wine before he continued. “Of course, we wouldn’t miss your wedding for nothing! But perhaps it’s to those who’ve come from the furthest you should extend your greatest gratitudes.”

“Of course, we intend on thanking everyone as we go around every table.” Jean huffed with a small smile, still not following where he was headed. She rested a hand on her hip as she raised an eyebrow softly, Diluc too eyeing his brother as if expecting more.

“Oh, that’s great! I was beginning to think you were rounding around [F/N]’s table on purpose. But then again, you must still be thinking about how to properly thank her, no?”

“Kaeya!” Amber sighed, shaking her head as the mood slightly shifted around the table. The man simply shrugged, sipping on his wine before sighing with content over the wonderful undertones, as he explained. 

“Ah, Diluc! Congratulations, you lucky bastard!” Varka’s voice roared across the reception hall, hands plopping down on his shoulders as he laughed loudly. Diluc could only remain awkward as he quietly thanked him, the Grand Master practically whisking him away as he further congratulated him and gave him lessons on how to ensure his wife’s happiness.

“Honestly, I was surprised to know she’d be coming.” Jean watched her husband not stray too far, finally letting out a small sigh and folding her arms across her chest. “I’m still not quite sure how we’re going to address this, as her presence seems… Rather ill-intended.”

“Oh?” Kaeya’s gaze turned to her from the corner of his eyes, finding her choice of words amusing as he let her ramble on. 

“Diluc had voiced his wish of inviting her, and thinking it was just a formality I decided to agree with it. But for her to actually accept and show up seems bitter.” It was clear the stress was racing to her head, the table listening awkwardly as she rambled on. “While I understand it still must hurt given the circumstances, we would’ve hoped she would’ve let bygones be bygones. I simply find her actions to lack in-”

“Nobility?” Eula scoffed quietly, eyebrow raising quietly before watching Jean hesitate if she agreed with her or not. It was her turn to cross her arms, speaking directly to her. “I find it quite the opposite. I think that accepting and coming by to show her support shows just how noble she is. After all, for the head of her clan to not show up would’ve been scandalous. Do you know what kind of rumors that would start up, Jean?”

“Wait- Did you just say head of her clan?” Amber repeated, her eyes widening as Eula nodded her head.

“Yes. Haven’t you all realized? Look, notice [F/N]’s obi.” The group found themselves rather indiscreetly gazing towards [F/N]’s table, the crest displayed with pride as she enjoyed Ayato’s company. “It’s the crest of the first clan of Inazuma, otherwise known as the overseer of the Tri-Commissions of the nation. Basically, it’s the oldest still standing clan of the nation, only surpassed by the Archon herself and their Guji.” 

The table slowly digested the information, Eula proving yet again just how well educated she was not only to what concerned Mondstadt, but aristocracy of other nations as well. Her legs remained crossed as she finished explaining herself, leg bouncing lightly as she battled with herself to remain cordial despite not having quite liked her friend’s statement. Even if Jean was overly stressed, or their situation with [F/N] hadn’t been ideal, it had most definitely been an unnecessary comment. 

“Besides, the man next to her is none other than the head of the Yashiro Commission. Their Commission has many duties, including overseeing ceremonies and rituals that do include weddings. So, her choice of companion can most definitely be seen as yet another layer to her virtuous acceptance of your invitation.”

Kaeya found himself grinning unabashedly at the way Jean glanced away, clearly embarrassed with the outcome of the situation. She still held her arms crossed around her chest in a defensive manner, the Cavalry Captain thinking it would just be best if she left to avoid any further hits to her pride. For the first time in a while, he found himself agreeing fully with Eula, letting her take the reins of the situation as Jean’s ego was put in place. Sure, Kaeya liked Jean. Yet still, he couldn’t deny he thought [F/N] would’ve been a better match for Diluc. Call him petty, but he was enjoying the situation. 

“Sorry about that,” Diluc sighed as he returned to their side, his hand resting on Jean’s waist as he gazed around the table. “Erhm, everything alright? You all look, how should I put it…”

“Nothing to worry about.” His brother grinned, waving his hand dismissively as everyone began eating their food. “You go and thank everyone for coming by, yeah? Enjoy yourselves, after all it’s your wedding day!”

Despite the confusion with his sudden upbeat tone, Diluc simply nodded, leading his bride to continue on going through table to table. Needless to say, now that it was he who took the lead, they soon found themselves at [F/N]’s table, the man surprised to see her so intricately dressed and in the presence of someone of such stature.

Nonetheless, and despite the sudden lump of awkwardness that lodged itself in his throat, Diluc took his time to properly thank them for coming, [F/N] simply gazing at them and replying it was their pleasure. Ayato was the one to take charge in their response, smiling cordially as he basked in the way his bride seemed to avert her gaze from them. If looks could diminish someone’s presence, Jean would’ve been long gone, reduced to atoms. And Ayato would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it, holding [F/N]’s hand with such delicacy as if they were more than friends.

And as they left, he carefully leaned over her ear, watching as she met him halfway to hear what he had to say.

“Well, that was amusing. Perhaps next year we should invite them to our wedding. A fun retaliation, no?”

“W-What?”

[reddorkredemption]

i'm planning on writing 1914! jack (as in roleplay writing, not fanfiction writing) and i was wondering if u could maybe describe his personality / his things because i struggle at doing that . . . *sits in chair* of course if u don't wanna do it that's fine !

Thank you so much, I'm glad you like my fic! I love writing for Jackie. <3

But oh man, that's a big question haha. First off, 1914 Jack is a very open-ended character, so there are a lot of ways you could write him. (I mean, low-honor Jack and high-honor Jack are practically two different people personality-wise lol.) I'll describe his personality and stuff the way I write him (high honor), but just remember that this is just my interpretation.

The way I write him is based on a mixture of his 12/16 year old personalities, the way he acts/his dialogue in the rdr1 epilogue, and some of my own personal experiences and knowledge about how trauma can affect people. So here's a little bullet point list of some of the details and things I keep in mind when writing him:

He hates the government/law enforcement/military (for obvious reasons).

He's a lot softer and more sensitive than John was, and he hates that. He wishes he was more like John.

I know no one likes to hear this buuuut, Jack doesn't remember much about life in the gang or the old gang members. He was only four when the gang fell apart, so he only has vague memories of them. I think his experiences while on the run with John and Abigail shaped him a lot more than the gang did.

He's not very socially adept. He stumbles over his words a lot, he says the wrong things, he's awkward, etc. Partially because he's a 19-year-old boy. And partially because of how isolated he was growing up. He was constantly on the run and never really had the chance to socialize and make friends. There's probably a bit of neurodivergence contributing to this as well.

But even though he isn't great at socializing, he is still hyper-aware of the way people around him are feeling. When you spend your life surrounded by emotional turmoil like he did, you get good at recognizing the subtle signs that people around you are upset.

Jack definitely has a temper. He can lash out a lot. But one thing I noticed in the games is that he almost always seems to feel guilty for it afterwards. Like he'll yell at John and then seconds later apologize for being moody lol. He knows it's not okay, but he can't help it.

He still cares a lot about what his parents would think of him. He knows when he's done something that would disappoint them, and he feels awful for it. He wants to make them proud.

And because he holds his family in such high regard, he gets very angry if anybody insults them.

Jack is very traumatized by everything he went through (especially by John's death), and this trauma shows up in a lot of different ways. It makes him more irritable/anxious/depressed and causes him to lash out at people even more.

And since he lost everyone he loves, he's terrified of losing anyone else he happens to get close to in the future. This results in him either isolating himself or being a bit overprotective of the people in his life.

He tries his best to avoid thinking about the past and avoids any reminders of it because it's too painful.

Deep down, he still loves all of the things that he used to. He still loves reading and writing. He still has a desire to help people. Depression just has an annoying way of overshadowing all those things.

Honestly, I could go on forever about the little details haha. But in short, 1914 Jack is very hurt and sad and can be a bit abrasive because of it. But under all that, he's still a dork who loves to read and write and spend time in nature. He's kind-hearted and likes to help people (who deserve it lol). And the more he heals from everything he's been through, the more you'll see of that softer side of him. <3

I hope that helps some! If there's anything else/anything more specific you wanna ask, don't be afraid to shoot me another message! <3 I love to talk about my boy lol.

[feybeasts]

I'm never gonna play SLARPG- not from any sense of disdain, god no, quite the opposite- from the amazing impact it's had on my dear friends, the things it has done for the community, the voice it lent to folks who so desperately need one- now more than ever- it's a game I hold in incredibly high regard, ditto its creators who worked so very hard to make it happen!

It's a wonderful, heartfelt thing that I'm certain would tug at my deepest heartstrings- and that's exactly why I can never play it.

I don't really know how to put it to words- or rather, how to put it to words without sounding like a terrible bore- but... I've learned as I've untangled and addressed a lot of the pain in my life that there are certain stories, certain tropes that hit consistently close to home, tugged on chords I'm not really able to have tugged, even now. Stories of personal relationships, disappointing and ultimately reconciling with the ones we love, of identity, of doubt, of anguish, even the catharsis of defeating those things. For all I care about stories like that, for all I wonder if someday I'd tell my own- something in me broke years ago, and... well, now it's something that sets off the post-traumatic stress like a bomb.

All the harder when you know the stories told would speak to your heart of hearts.

I say all this not to sound like a miser, or to make any of this about me- god no, it's not- but I thought I'd share my experience, as I do, and just express that, even as someone on the outside and always looking in, what these folks made is something that gave the people I love- and the community I cherish- a voice, and many of them, faces and figures to look up to, to aspire to.

And I don't have to play a game to know that's the highest honor, in my eyes, a creative work can gain.

So good work, each and every person involved- and I wish you all the greatest success in whatever comes next <3

[13keithxpidge13]

I got around to creating my Lucemond love children on Artbreeder! I hope you guys like them! This isn't exactly how all of them are supposed to look like but it's pretty close to what I imagined them to be like! Enjoy!

First up; Renaela Targaryen

She's the firstborn daughter of Lucerys and Aemond almost five or so years later after the events of Forest Fire. Next in line for the Driftwood Throne, Renaela is headstrong, very outgoing, and practically the leader of all of Aemond and Luke's little band of ducklings. She is now sixteen going on seventeen in the main story.

Age: 16

_

Vaenyx Targaryen

Secondborn daughter and first twin to come out Lucerys, Vaenyx is a bit mischievous and pulls her twin brother along in her games. She likes to fool around and dress up in the prettiest dresses. She's somewhat of a diva, definitely spoiled, but loves her family and her twin brother more than anything.

Age: 14

_

Vaenys Targaryen

Firstborn son of Lucerys and Aemond and second born twin out of the two, Vaenys was originally named this because Aemond thought that he was born the girl and Vaenyx was born the boy due to how much hair he was born with. In reality, it was the opposite but Aemond and Lucerys kept their names as they were. He's somewhat quiet, somber, but has a deep love and affection for his family. He loves his twin sister more than anything else and would protect her no matter what.

Age: 14

_

Aenelys Targaryen

Firstborn of the second pair of twins that Lucerys and Aemond have, Aenelys is quiet, ill-tempered, and a little troubled. She has always felt different than her siblings, having to get used to whispers and stares throughout court in Kings Landing whenever their family visits, and it makes her quite bitter growing up. Even so, she has a strong love and devotion to her family-her twin sister especially.

Age: 12

_

Rhaenerys Targaryen

Secondborn out of the twins, Rhaenerys is named for her grandmother; Rhaenyra Targaryen. But, no one could have predicated how much alike the two of them really would be. She is a confident, happy, sunshiny little girl who loves pretty dresses, jewelry, and cake. Out of all of Aemond and Luke's children, she's definitely the one who cares about her looks and status the most. Quite spoiled, she is, but still attempts to be very humbled in the presence of others. She holds a strong love for her twins sister and spends most of her time by her side.

Age: 12

_

Visenys Targaryen

Firstborn triplet. Out of all the siblings, Visenys is most like Aemond. He is a brash, moody child that prefers to be left alone and tries hard to earn his father's approval, even at such a young age. He wishes to be Renaela's personal guard when he's older and tries very hard to please her. As expected, he's very much a people pleaser but very harsh mannered. If he does not know you, he will not make any conversation or make any attempt to get to know you.

Age: 9

_

Visenya III Targaryen

Secondborn triplet, Visenya couldn't be more different than her namesake. She's a spoiled, happy-go-lucky little girl that has no interest in battle nor training. She prefers to dress in extravagant, over the top dresses, and loves to be the center of attention. She's the darling of the Court in Driftmark and claims to be Luke's favorite child (he has none, he loves them all equally, haha). But, she very much looks up to her parents and her older siblings and works hard to earn their approval and feels great shame in disappointing those she holds in high regard.

Age: 9

_

Visenyx Targaryen

The third born triplet, Visenyx is a very well-mannered and happy little boy. He holds a love for books and tries to sneak out to ride his dragon almost everyday. Very much like Aemond, he holds a fascination for dragons and lords and ladies in court whisper how they think he is more dragon than human. He has no interest in training to be a knight but merely wishes to travel across the Narrow Sea and see the great wonders of the world when he grows old enough.

Age: 9

_

Jacaerys II Targaryen

Jacaerys is the firstborn twin and the last of Luke and Aemond's sets of twins. He is a loud, obnoxious child and has a somewhat unhealthy attachment to Lucerys. He doesn't have much of a personality that is truly his own yet but instead follows in the footsteps of his older siblings and does what they do. But, Lucerys is sure he'll grow into a fine knight and dragon rider one day.

Age: 5

_

Dacaerys Targaryen

Final born twin, Dacaerys is practically mute but is incredibly smart for his age. He loves to read and loves it when Aemond reads to him. He's mostly attached to his father more than Lucerys but, does find peace with both of his parents. Jacaerys and he don't have the strongest bond yet but, surely one day, that will change.

Age: 5

_

Aemma II Targaryen

The last child of Lucerys and Aemond, Aemma is named for her great-great grandmother in remembrance of Lucerys' mother's most treasured person as a child. She's quite the smiley girl and loves to be with her grandmother; Rhaenyra. She's as beautiful as a Targaryen is expected to be and finds joy in watching dragons fly and dance in the sky.

AAAAA That's all of them! I hope you guys like them! I had so much fun making these little guys! I hope you enjoy my little gremlins and I hope to get to writing little stories about them soon!

[dwarvenbash]

Something a little niche today, the Touro heavy Mech and Buckmaster light Mech from Brigador!

These neat little killing machines actually come packaged with a few weapon options, allowing you to mix and match a bit, which is very true to the original game's spirit.

Especially fell in love with the Touro even more as I was putting it together, it's a very cute little lump of pewter that is quite satisfying to hold.

If you've never heard of Brigador before and are curious, more info about that and these little guys under the cut!

For the accurate Brigador experience, it's best to keep reading while listening to this track on loop:

Now, although those are miniatures up there, Brigador is a video game rather than one of the table top variety. While that may be a distasteful prospect to some, I can assure you it is still quite fun, as evidenced by this screenshot:

There are like fifty levels and I've beaten (nearly) all of them with every loadout, evidence of me doing as such with the really hard ones have been conveniently omitted in this screenshot however.

The game uses these awesome old-school 3D prerendered sprites for everything, which really scratches my nostalgic itch for that old Diablo/Starcraft look (or any 90s RTS for that matter). Here's how the Touro and Buckmaster look in game!

They're somehow even cuter...

The excellent art direction coupled with some really solid writing made Brigador a staple game for me. Whenever I have a couple minutes to kill and I'm at my computer, I'll usually just boot up Brigador and try to clear some challenge I've been working on. It's a very relaxing habit, despite the tone of the game which is actually quite grim! (Hopefully this doesn't reflect on me badly...)

Anyway, enough about videogames, we're here to to discuss miniatures!

Now while I am still very pleased that the developers of Brigador decided to release their own pewter miniatures based on designs from the game, I must warn you, my dear reader, that these sculpts may have some pretty gnarly flash and mold line issues. I can't say anything for sure, because all the pieces on my Buckmaster were free of residue and too much flash, but both of the Touros I picked up still had enough mold release where they needed a wash, and their chassis pieces had pretty big chunks of flash. I had picked up two to convert one into a Corvid mech (I can't decide between a Sweetheart or a Fatshoe) anyway though so it isn't that big a deal. The Touros were the first models they released, so I'm sure they've worked out the kinks at this point.

All that being said, I still had a good time putting these guys together and I'm very excited to paint them up in their proper NEP livery. I think I'll put them on Battletech hex bases since theyre about the right size and could work as stand-ins for some underdog Inner Sphere mecha, perhaps.

Funnily enough, these miniatures are also technically 1:144 scale, which is exactly the same scale as a Gundam High Grade model kit! Here they are next to a 1:144 scale Pilot to give you a sense of how big they would be in real life:

Something very satisfying about being able to do this with miniatures. I wish Battletech played this nice with regards to scale...

....aaand now compared to a Mobile Suit:

Makes you realize how ridiculously huge Mobile Suits are, huh?

One shot from the Touro's Abbot could probably still blow that poor Leo up, though...

Thanks for reading this far! This one has been especially indulgent, but it's always fun to talk about something underrated in the hopes more people will check it out.

Going forward on here, I'm considering making more "short-form" posts (yes, it is possible) with more quick updates on what I'm working on. Most miniatures probably won't necessitate an entire screed to accompany them either, believe it or not. I'll still be writing up long ones like these though; I have a long, long list of opinions and diatribes and I am desperately trying to spare my loved ones from being subjected to them. Most importantly, though, it's fun to write about this stuff. :P

[detectiveaku]

dsmp characters as valo mains

my credentials are im iron 3 and watch a shit ton of foolish and etoiles valo streams :) based on fighting styles mostly cause i. love thinking about their fighting styles

ctommy - gekko creatures! so many creatures! also i feel like he would want the spike every round and be the first to peak every corner.

ctubbo - cypher very sneaky. teammates just give him half of the map to hold by himself. always by himself despite not having any offensive util. still carries every game best agent i love you!!!

cranboo - phoenix self-sufficient kit, also able to provide cover for teammates. still manages to bottom frag every game.

cwilbur - killjoy ho16 is some shit only a killjoy main would pull. setting up some cringe lineups and playing offsite so you don't actually have to shoot your gun. also the ult is clearing an area of the map without killing anyone which is basically plan bomb.

cquackity - brimstone sorry cq but im giving you brim cause ive never known a brim main that was good at the game. completely dogshit always all they do is sit in corners with a shotgun. just play support and whiff your ult like you're supposed to.

cdream - chamber controversial but like. its an agent dependent on accuracy and playing cringe and being toxic. got a massive nerf and is now unplayable.

cpunz - sage cpunz is literally dreams pocket sage. ult is a resurrection. both a support character and an offensive character.

ctechno - raze kaboom i mean. what do you want me to say. high damage good movement. requires you to be good at the game. teammates take him for granted and enemies hate his ass.

cphil - sova dogshit agent with horrible util but if you're in a 1-v-1 with him you are losing. snipes you clear across the map and then all his teammates come and fuck your shit. super non toxic which just makes you hate him more.

cniki - skye generally regarded as support character until they have to clutch a 1-v-5 because their teammates all suck and then they clutch the fuck out of it. this is my main hi niki nihachu !!!

cschlatt - reyna weird pick but reyna doesnt really have any abilities if you arent killing people but if you are its super strong. very imbalanced its either you are dying first every round or hitting an ace.

csapnap - omen every time i see someone be really good at omen i wonder why they arent playing a good agent instead. which reminds me of csap. pls just play yoru or something

csam - deadlock cause prison warden get it??? hahah. deadlocks use all their abilities on one person and still they end up killing her cause shes a terrible agent. L

cponk - breach in theory super strong but in practice i always wish i just had like. anyone else.

cjack manifold - KAY/O i almost forgot you just like i always forget KAY/O exists. even when theres a kay/o on my team i forget about it. also robot hc.

cslime - viper slime goop. falls apart whenever anyone actually attacks them but crucial for the team.

this is canon i asked the dream smp discord server and they all sent me this. i hope i didnt forget anyone im very tired

[blazescompendium]

Shin Megami Tensei is 31 years old today.

image provided by Vesk Scans. Please follow her archiving work!

Yeah, Shin Megami Tensei for the Super Famicom is now 31 years old. It is surprising for me how a game that came out full 6 years before i even give my first breath on this Earth, would be so important for me and my life. But here we are.

Even after playing the entirety of the mainline franchise, and a lot of spin offs, this game still holds its position very well in my heart because it is such a unique game. First, i always loved mythology and religion, so much so that i pursued it as a career. It started when i was little, with the influence of my father who was a scholar (albeit amateur) of those fields. Religion always played a major role in my life, both for the good and the bad, and although i don't actually align with any religion at the moment, i was studying the bible in a religious school since a very early age.

So, when i found out about Shin Megami Tensei, it clicked really, really well with me. I know that it is just a game, and even if it tries a lot to be faithful, as a researcher and scholar of Mythology and Religion we got to say it not always gets it right. But it tries! And when it tries, it can achieve very good results, and that's why i love it so much.

And that was when i was a teen/young adult. Now i grew up a lot, and even started my career in those fields, and still regard this game very high.

The characters are great for me, because i love how this game can be incredibly inclusive. Your main character is not a destined hero, or magical being. It is just an average guy, going to the groceries when the world start to end. He lives with his mom, have its problematic friends, and lives an average life. He always acts like any other person would act, and even his looks are just average.

Now, the thing is that this game did not aged well, but its absolutely playable and very fun to play. The old SMT titles have this ''survival horror'' energy, where you have to take care of resources while advancing in the game. ''Should you use your complete party in this dungeon, since its dangerous, but risk to deplete your MAG stock?'' Stuff like that got me.

And this brings me to how much i hate Atlus as a capitalist company. They made this effort to show us they care about the anniversary of the franchise that kick-started their business, but did not do anything about it. Just shoved merch to the US audience, that is not available anywhere else. Us, from outside, just did not got anything from this ''anniversary''. And i thought the Persona 25th was bad enough lol. But i guess merch hoarders are happy?

And that was a big fucking lie

I honestly don't want anything out of the ordinary. If they could at least port the SNES titles to the Switch Online at the west, because its already available in Japan, i beleive we would be very grateful already. Playing and presenting this games for a new generation is a pain. And i believe Shin Megami Tensei deserves it as a series, not only for its uniqueness but also for everything this IP did to Atlus.

But hey, i guess we are getting something, right? We have a whole new Persona 5 spin off coming next week! I am so hyped to see the same characters, exactly as they were 7 years ago, in another story about teen rebellion or whatever.

Im sorry, SMT. We failed with you. But your legacy will never be gone. I beleive SMT message keeps relevant to this day, and even more so as the time passes by. The world is a very different place then it was in 199X, but still a very divided and extremist place. SMT was the only game of its time to tackle this issues.

Happy anniversary to Shin Megami Tense, as a great game as one of my favorite games of all time. I wish more people could play it at least once!

And yeah, to celebrate i think i will be beating SMT 2 tonight, after lectures!

[nibwhipdragon]

I'm glad you asked! (Staring at you intently. Shaking incredibly hard)

So. You know when I was talking about that one game whose fandom consists literally only of me? Yeah it's this one. Help.

The game's a turn-based rpg, with a battle system sort of like deltarune now that I think about it? Anyways. Plot. You play as Yuu, the child of this legendary hero who is now being raised by a dragon who was besties with the hero. And she wants to become an awesome legendary hero, just like her dad! So the plot of the game is about her adventures as she makes friends and meets new people while she learns how to be a hero. Except. The dragon was this very powerful monster, did a lot of very evil things and killed people. As you do! And so he's training her to eventually kill him so she can actually become a legendary hero. I'm telling you that bc. The game is not subtle about it at all. Main selling point of the game. The plot is SO good. There's much more to it but I keep that a secret. Going in fully blind is such a great experience. Top 10 videogames to scream and cry and throw up to

Speaking of plot. Sidequests (called Acts of Kindness in the game. Very cute!). So many of them. And they all add to the plot too. It gives the world so much more depth to it, all the characters you help have such distinct personalities and they have their own arcs that you see them go through as you complete the quests. They're also all interweaved together, like for example you can't start/continue a questline if you don't help a certain other character first, as that character is meant to help but has their own issues at that moment. You also have to complete all the sidequests for the true ending, but it's actually fun instead of a hassle! :3

I also reccomend you complete as many sidequests as you can before continuing the plot. The game can get pretty grindy (RPG moment) and it'll help alleviate that a bit.

Artstyle. Very good. Directed by the same person who directed The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince, but they've gone with a more colourful style this time.

Here's some screenshots of the game! Very pretty to look at, as all good games should be.

Idk if you've played The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince before, but the director REALLY loves giving their games a children's storybook sort of aesthetic (I say as they've only directed 2 games). The cutscenes are narrated like it's a passage from a storybook! The images are always static and when they change it gets pulled off screen like it's a page it's awesome

The soundtrack as well. Ough the soundtrack. It is SO good I'm so sad it's as short as it is. It uses a lot of like. Organic instruments like flutes and such, it really fits alongside the visuals of the game!

There's also the secret bosses which allow you to get a secret item. Very hard but very fun to fight. You can only fight them once per save though...but you'll have no issues with that though! The game has 32 save file slots! I'm not kidding! This should be the norm! Speaking of that. After you make your choices in battle, the game gives you around 3 seconds to cancel it before it goes ahead with your choices. Ever misclicked in a turn-based RPG or realised that you could've made better choices but it's too late now? The 3 second wait allows you to rectify yourself! I wish this was the norm!

The credits are also unskippable. Not because the game doesn't allow you to, but because it shows off the events of things prior to the game. The game rewards you for watching the credits! How awesome is that! Very epic and cool.

There is more stuff I could talk about, but it'd be spoiler stuff and this is one of those games you really want to go into blind.

As to how to get it, it's on PS4 and switch! It should be available to buy on their stores digitally. There are also physical copies too (I have one!). However I think they were limited (why does Nippon Ichi do this man. I can't find Mad Rat Dead physically ANYWHERE) and you could only get them via the special storybook/treasure trove editions. So if you wanted a physical copy then uh. Good luck! I can try find one as best I can for you if you want but. Yeah.

Hey I think you should go play The Cruel King and The Great Hero. Please

[mochiwrites]

20 BDubs and whatever ship you choose?

send me a prompt!

Being teamed with Impulse for this game is unexpected, but certainly not unwelcomed. Of all the people Bdubs could have been soulmates with, he's confident on his chances of survival with Impulse. The man is a genius redstoner (though his redstone is nowhere nearly as perfect as Bdubs'), and he's great at survival. Bdubs has no worries about the two of them!

(there's unease sitting beneath his skin, buzzing at him)

Besides, they hit it off incredibly well after determining their soulmate status! They're in love, for crying out loud. And it is a very happy marriage, thank you very much Etho!

Bdubs doesn't have a single problem with hanging back while Impulse goes off to gather some supplies for them. In fact, he busies himself with humming and throwing together a floor plan for their little home.

(he ignores how familiar it feels)

He chops down trees for spruce and gets a little farm started so they don't starve. Impulse doesn't hurt him once, and Bdubs is in pretty high spirits when his lovely husband gets back. They've got a wall of spruce and steadily growing farm, and a little dug out space within the mountain.

(he doesn't give himself time to think)

"Honey, I'm home!" Impulse's cheerful voice rings out, making Bdubs grin.

"Welcome home dear!" He replies, sounding equally as cheerful as he heads out to meet the other. Impulse smiles at him, and Bdubs is nearly blown away by how lovely his smile is.

"I've got a gift for you!" His soulmate declares, and Bdubs thinks he may just have to marry this man again when they return to Hermitcraft.

"OOOOOO! What is it? What is it?" Bdubs questions, immediately crowding his space, eyes shining.

Impulse chuckles at his reaction, and he brings him inside. He turns toward their furnaces, "Hold on, let me just put it together real quick. Close your eyes!"

"Oh I see, you're trying to drag it on!" Bdubs teases, though he does close his eyes as told. With his sight taken away from him, a sudden fear takes hold of him. Impulse could kill him right here if he wanted to. Or Impulse could have formed a pact with someone while he was away, this could all be a trick.

Bdubs swallows thickly, but tries to ignore his racing thoughts and growing anxiety. He reminds himself that his and Impulse's lives are tied together, that Impulse wouldn't do that to him. That Impulse isn't like him in that regard.

And when Impulse gives him the all clear to open his eyes, there's a part of Bdubs that wishes there was a sword waiting for him.

Instead, there is a clock sitting in Impulse's hands, outstretched to him.

"A clock!" Bdubs exclaims, trying to ignore the way he wants to run away or take the clock and smash it to pieces. Whichever urge he gives in to first. He stares at the golden thing, and it stares back; as if mocking him. Memories flash in his mind, and he can only run from the pain for so long.

Perhaps the final nail in the coffin is when he looks up at Impulse's face. He's still smiling, but his eyes act as windows to his old wounds. It's like a knife to the chest, and Bdubs feels frozen. He isn't sure what kills him more, the fact that the first thing Impulse had done was make a clock for him, or that he worried Bdubs would make the same decision twice.

His breathing hitches, "I-I can't." He says weakly, looking at Impulse. Grief encapsulates him, and his hands tremble.

Impulse's expression turns pleading as his smile fades into a ghost, "Please. For me." He begs, voice bordering on something low and sorrowful. He holds the clock out to Bdubs, and Bdubs' gaze flickers down to his hands.

He inhales through his nose, and takes a step forward. "...Okay. For you." He sets his hands over the clock, and he takes gentle hold of Impulse's fingers. "For you."

[samarecharm]

thank you for the long response! it was geniunely a very interesting read!! also i did not want to imply that you have to 100% like something or else drop it, that was not my intention (/_;)/~~ i just wanted to know what were the pros that outweighed the cons for you to continue the game!! i definitely have my own rant about the persona 5, as much as i love it.

i'm someone who has sunk hundreds of hours (i think about 400) into persona 5 royal, i have played the original as well and,,,,, i don't remember every bit of it as i got much more into royal, but your response definitely dug up some memories of my own gripes with the game as it was then. i bought strikers once i had a switch!! i was super excited to see ryuji and the rest of the gang again, but due to life stuff and me generally not being a fan of button smashers/combo games, i only got like 3 hours into it before i left it alone. also the lack of akechi was disheartening since after royal giving him more story i was wanting /still want more of him as royal, while not fully fixing his confidant, still improved majorly on his character in my opinion. but i trust your judgment, so do you have any tips to get back into strikers? it's really the gameplay that sticks out like a sore thumb to me, i'm not very dexterous with a controler and i get the hang of things quite slowly,,,, but again, thank you geniunely for responding so kindly and elaborating!! (*^ω^)

You are welcome 😊 I try to give the botd for questions like this, bc I have seen and received some very silly comments wrt to complaints of this game (and others people hold in high regard). Not that I am happy to see that you remembered some gripes w a game you liked, but it is easy to become a bit rosetinted about media you enjoy, and its good to go back and say ‘hey actually, theres some stuff i DO wish couldve been changed to make the experience better.’ At least u were polite about asking lmao

I think I am going to have the same problem I had before, so im going to preemptively put my strikers tips under the cut to stop it from bloating up dashboards 😭

I am aware that the warriors style gameplay is not for everyone; its very repetitive by its nature and it can be really bad on the hands if youre not used to it, so I unfortunately dont have a suggestion for making the combat portion of the game easier. But I am halfway through a ng+ of that game, so I at least have tips on how to make the combat less confusing, and how to spend less time on the actual combat itself.

Stick to one character and ignore literally anyone else in the beginning. I am so serious about this. The upgrades you get for ranking up teammates is used to enhance their combos, and that can be confusing in the beginning of the game. I had to fall back onto normal difficulty until i got the hang of everyones combos, so i suggest you do the same.

The ai for your teammates is surprisingly well done, and they will target enemy weaknesses and heal you before you NEED to be healed, which is always better than them simply forgetting to do so. They buff often, but they are a bit lax about debuffing without manual input (ann has Tarunda as a spell AND as a combo finisher, but she refuses to do either unless its targeting a tough enemy). You should prioritize builds that buff your entire team (so the competent team ai rips enemies to shreds) and debuffing enemies.

Combos are almost entirely optional if youre willing to jump in and out of Jails to replenish SP constantly. Spam spells, and switch teammates to spam their spells as well, then leave the Jail and return. Unlike the mainline games, leaving the metaverse does not pass time; only hitting important plot points like getting to the treasure and fighting the jailer counts towards progressing time, so you should abuse it as often as possible.

Due to [REDACTED] spoilers, you WILL need to at least master or understand three characters and their movesets. I obviously suggest Akira as one, but pick two more characters that work well with your playstyle. Ryuji was personally the easiest to understand; hes resistant to flinching, and his finishers are ‘hold X to kill everything around you’. Haru has a wide aoe for her combo finishers, letting her spin and shred through enemies or spam her grenade launcher infinitely. She has the added benefit of gaining more armor and reduced flinching during her hold finishers, so shes good for fighting bosses.

DONT fight those super hard burning enemies. They arent worth it 😭😭 you need to be at least 3-4 jails deep before u can even fight the one in shibuya jail 😭😭 theyre very easy to avoid, so just shimmy past them or ignore the area theyre in outright.

If you focus on understanding Akira, know that each persona has a unique set of finishers (yes, literally each one). If you are thinking of learning combos instead of just spamming spells, I suggest learning the pattern for executing his combos before focusing on what the finishers actually do. From there, you can test out finishers for each persona, and decide which ones are worth keeping based on that. I will say though, that the finishers kinda dont mean anything until you get to the end game, where high leveled personas will have spells like Concentrate or Debilitate as Finishers; but always know that a finisher spell is ALWAYS a spell that you can just as easily cast with SP. Dont make the game more stressful or complicated than you need it to be.

(As an addon, if you can understand Akiras moveset, then learning the other ones will be WAY easier since they are all virtually the same. The only thing you need to memorize is exactly what spell is used on their finishers; it took me forever to realize that Yusukes last finisher is…a combo enhancer…that makes his finishers last forever… and you would NOT know that unless u started learning his moveset since his ai never uses it)

If youre someone who wants to farm and level up to gain access to more personas, you should find the strong enemies around a map instead of constantly reclearing the entire jail. Unlike the mainline games, enemies do not respawn after leaving a floor; you gotta leave the jail and come back to make them respawn. If you are okay w the repetition, it is easier to memorize the spawns of strong enemies (not the minibosses that are burning) and beat them up for good exp and money, esp since all spawns are static. Silky in the Shibuya jail is the first one that comes to mind, since Ann is able to stunlock her w Agis, AND she spawns very close to one of the checkpoints (its before the underground section of shibuya but i cannot remember the name of it) making it easy to jump in and jump out to replenish SP, and continue farming.

And finally, despite what I just said, dont take the bosses of this game too seriously. They arent easy but they are absolutely doable without insane builds and optimization. Bosses have aids in the form of interactables of their respective weaknesses (Shibuya has party poppers with wind affinitiy thats eventually used on the boss to stun them.) Stock up on healing personas, Stock up on Items from Sophias shop, and target weaknesses whenever you can to force an allout attack as fast as possible. The combat can be overwhelming, but at the end of the day, the combat is really just ‘run around from attacks and spam spells or combos until the thing dies’. I hope that helps a little bit, and if push comes to shove, i will always recommend watching a playthrough instead of fighting through a game that feels like a slog to get through. Most of the story comes from the cutscenes and city interactions, so you arent missing much by watching someone beat up shadows for u lol and bc i genuinely LOVE the characters they introduce, its worth it to learn about them.

It sucks that Goro isnt in the game, but it was made prior to Royal iirc (the japanese release was the only one available for some time). I will say though, the themes of this game fit him so perfectly, and if youre of the mind to speculate and make aus, then you will be joining me in the obsession of making Goro interactions w the team. Palaces were about corrupted peoples desires distorting the world around them, and they were always someone so reprehensible, you were not intended to sympathize w them and even debate if what the thieves were doing was wrong. But Jails serve an entirely different purpose, and the end result is having Rulers with depth to them, and the overarching theme of ‘if you fuck up your life and others over the decisions you thought were correct, can you recover?’ And the answer is always ‘yes. No matter what, you can always start over if you intend to do better and be better’, and I think thats a good reason to see the entire story through :)

[akanesheep]

I wrote about my MC as she is to me, please don’t come for me for not writing them as gender neutral. 😥 feel free to interpret all pronouns as you wish.

My MC:

My MC is much like myself. Although she’s smaller… because I wish I were 5’2” for some reason. I’m only a few inches above that, but to me short = cute. She has fluffy soft curly hair that is a soft auburn color. She frequently dyes it all different colors though.

She’s soft spoken, and can be a bit timid with new people, but once she gets comfortable with someone, she opens up quite a bit. She’s very kindhearted, and easily gets her feelings hurt, but also very forgiving. She’s self-conscious and doesn’t see herself in the best light. This stems from the bullying and mistreatment she received in her childhood.

She’s clumsy. Like she can trip over air. She always has bruises from bumping into things, tripping on the carpets, etc. She usually has little dots of ink on her hands from writing, because she somehow manages to miss the pin cap, or bumps her hand against the end of them pen/marker somehow.

She holds little attachment to the human realm, she doesn’t care much for a place where she never felt welcome. There are a few people there she cares for, but not enough to want to be there all the time. Aside from those few individuals, if the human realm decided to end it’s existence, she wouldn’t care much.

She likes to make things, sewing, quilting, crochet, floral arranging, wreaths, painting, crafting, she loves them all… her room is always containing some work in progress, and the supplies are always neatly arranged in her closet, unless she’s currently using them.

She’s stubborn, insanely stubborn, and refuses to back down when she knows she’s right. She rushes in when her loved ones are in danger with no regard to the consequences. No matter how many times her husbands admonish her for doing so, she turns right around and does it again.

Along those lines, she defends those she loves vehemently. Don’t come to her with requests that put one of them at a disadvantage. Don’t coke to her and speak ill of those she loves, she will react poorly. This applies to her husbands also, they aren’t immune to her anger should they start trying to put themselves over the others, or just trash talk the others in general. She will hear our complaints and give her advice and if necessary, intervene, but this isn’t Jr. High, she doesn’t play games. All of those involved are adults and they knew what this was when they chose to be involved.

She listens, calm and patiently. Whether it’s Levi on a rant about a game or anime, Mammon about his schemes, Lucifer letting off steam, Satan on a tangent, Diavolo’s excited gushing about a plan… you get it. She only interrupts to ask a question, or to ward Mammon off a particularly bad idea. Otherwise, she lets them talk it out of their system. She loves talking with all of them, hearing their thoughts, wants, and dreams.

She believes in them wholeheartedly, she sees each and every one of their individual worth.

When she loves, she loves deeply. It takes a lot to shake her devotion. Because of this, her past is littered with failed relationships. Those who would fill their time with her and then be done with her. Those who would abuse her until she found the strength to leave. Those who would just abandon her when she needed them the most. Due to this she fears betrayal and abandonment, she’s anxious, and fears each argument will lead to her being left alone. She has trust issues, but is still more trusting than she should be.

She doesn’t fully believe in hearing ‘I love you’ so she needs to be shown. She doesn’t fully believe in acts of love so she needs to hear ‘I love you’. She knows this is a huge contradiction, but doesn’t know how to resolve it.

She desires a protector and defender. To be protected from and defended against the pain she has suffered and those that would bring more to her. She doesn’t seek fame, glory, and isn’t on a quest for power. She simply wishes for happiness for herself and those she loves. She can’t but to meddle and try to help those around her.

She is very self-sacrificing. She’ll give whatever it takes to make those around her happy, even if it means giving her life. Her final thoughts as Belphie took her life were ‘I guess if it brings him peace, I can die…’

That doesn’t mean she was ‘ok’ with what happened. She had to take time to be comfortable around him being in the same room, much less alone… but she knew that Belphie was someone who in his own twisted way, had opened up some to her, and was hurting in his own ways. She decided to try to believe in the love he had for his sister, and the faith his brothers put into him.

She’s self-depreciating at times… she knows being poly isn’t the ‘norm’ in the human world… and until she found herself in the Devildom, she wouldn’t have believed she was poly. In those early days of finding herself falling for the brothers, as well as Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, and Solomon, she cursed herself and cried regularly, memories of untrue accusations of being a ‘whore’ or ‘slut’ would ring in her mind… except now, wasn’t it true? Is that what she was? She struggled immensely with this, even as she continued to fall deeper into her depression. She broke one night while Asmo was doing her nails, as he happily chattered about his day, and their plans for a date the next day, how they’d have outfits that complemented each other perfectly, etc. she felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks.

‘MC?’ Asmo questioned, looking concerned, ‘Oh my lamb, what is it?’

‘Asmo… I’m horrible… I’m a terrible person’ her voice shook as the tears increased, poring now down her face.

He pulled her to his lap, words of gentle admonishment regarding her words, and comfort slipping from his lips and he held her. ‘Talk to me MC, tell me what this is all about. I need to know why you feel this way’

‘Asmo, I can’t… you’ll hate me’

He chuckled softly, only a whisper of it escaping his lips as he pressed soft kisses to the side of your face, then turning you to face him. ‘Nonsense, nothing in this world could ever make me hate you’

‘You will, because I’m disgusting’

‘Love, you’re sounding like Levi…’ he teased, lifting her chin gently. ‘Now enough of that, tell me what is going on, I can’t understand if you don’t tell me’

Sobbing, she looked at his honey eyes, his face worried, and whispered her darkest truth, ‘I love you, but not just you… I’m in love with your brothers too…’ she looked away, ashamed and waiting for the inevitable explosion of anger and words like blades.

Instead he laughed…a gentle chiming laugh that he only used when he hears something he already knew. ‘Little lamb… did you honestly think I didn’t know? Me?’ He turned you to face him again. ‘Lovely, I’ve known since the beginning. I’m the avatar of Lust. Emotions like lust, and love, are my domain.’

‘But Asmo, I’m wrong, something in me is broken’

‘Why is that?’

‘Because I love all of you… that means I’m a whore’

Asmo scoffed offended ‘Does that mean you see me as a whore?’

‘Of course not!’ Her eyes look panicked, fearing she’s said the wrong thing again.

His eyes remained soft and gentle as he cupped your face. ‘Then why would you be?’

‘B-because I’m not supposed to…’

‘Says who?’

‘Everyone’ she gestured around her, then her voice lowered to a whisper, ‘Even if you aren’t, they hate me for the thought’

Knowing her past, Asmo sighed softly. He cupped both of her cheeks and wiped her tears away. ‘I’m going to tell you something about the Devildom, as well as demons, that I thought you already knew. We’re a polygamous society. Monogamy isn’t encouraged or discouraged, and the same is true of polygamy. I’m sure you realized that most of the female demons here are succubi? Did you think that just changes when they settle down?’

She looked at him, quietly crying as she listened. She shook her head at his question. Of course they didn’t, they’re succubi.

‘See? And me? I’m the avatar of lust after all. While I’m not an incubus, I still feed on the lust of those around me, as well as the lust and love of those I’m intimate with.’

‘But what about other demons that aren’t succubi or incubi’

‘Well if most females are succubi, that would imply they have multiple partners, yes? So do incubi… but rarely are they in a relationship with each other… their lusts and passion would feed into the others drives and only make them more hungry. So they seek actual partners that aren’t either.’

‘Do you have other partners’ she asks blushing.

‘You and Solomon are my only ‘partners’’ he said firmly, ‘however, I have had casual relationships when you are both away, to keep myself from becoming too hungry. Think of it like Beel’s hunger. If he doesn’t ‘eat’ he goes on a rampage. While I wouldn’t destroy buildings or eat furniture, I could cause a lot of issues if I don’t stay in balance’

She nodded, understanding the demon in front of you in a new light.

‘But your brothers aren’t incubi’

‘No, they aren’t. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t able to understand and love just as much. I can assure you that any conversation you have with them won’t be a closed-minded one’

‘How do you know?’

Asmo laughs softly and pulls you to him, ‘Still afraid little Lamb? Let me as you this… do you think that even as large as this house is, that we don’t know when you’ve intimate with one of us? As shy as you are, the adorable sounds you make aren’t what one could consider quiet’

She blushes deep red. ‘N-no… that’s so embarrassing…’

‘Eh? Not at all.’ He teases, ‘Despite this, and how much we notice the marks on your neck, have any of us confronted you or said anything to you or each other?’

‘N-no?’

‘There you have it. We also know when you’ve been with any of the others outside the house as well’

‘What?? How?!’

‘Silly,’ he pets your hair as he teases you, ‘ Lee can smell it on you when you come home’

‘Oh God’ she cries, mortified, she covers her face.

‘Such language’ scolds Asmo, acting horrified, ‘to think my girlfriend would bring up Father’s name when I’m right in front of her’

The dramatic teasing pulls her back from her embarrassment.

‘Asmo, what do I do?’

‘Do? Love, whatever do you mean?’

‘I mean, now… what do I do knowing what I know, and knowing what you all know?’

‘Nothing. Live happily and let us care for you. Live in the knowledge that you are loved and will always be loved.’

She does just that. She does have conversations with all of them at some point, because her mind needs concrete proof that everyone is in agreement. She learns that Mammon and Levi go through jealous bouts, but don’t question her love for them, and want this to continue. Even Diavolo is fully on board. Which surprised her, with the royal bloodline and all. Turns out the complication wasn’t so complicated at all.

She feels unworthy of all the love she’s showered with, but she’s also happier than she’s ever been in her life. She doesn’t know what she’s done to deserve such joy, but she refuses to part with any of them. Perhaps it’s the influence of her lovers through the pacts she shares with them… but she takes pride in them, greedily wants to spend time with them, gets envious if they talk to others, gets angry on their behalf, loves and desires them always, revels in their love like Beel at a buffet, relishes in the time she can just be there with them comfortably.

She’s prideful, greedy, envious, wrathful, lustful (and loving), gluttonous, and lazy… with some chaos, diligence, patience, loyalty, and grace mixed together. She is my MC.

I hope you all enjoyed this. I’ve really been wanting to in some way show you all my MC, but my art abilities suck. So I gave you an imperfect narrative.

[lillianlewellyn]

MY OC, Lewellyn as a yandere

*･゜ﾟ Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Depending on his mood, Lewellyn if he so wished he could have crushed the 'pests' that were blocking his and his darling's relationship with his own hands, dragging them into the dungeon where he experimented on several of his creations, allowing the poor fellow to pass through the seven torments of hell from the inhumane experiments he gave them. But if he had been more generous, Lewellyn would have just made that person's life a living hell on earth where he was ignored and hated by society, his family and friends from the many rumors and incidents he created.

*･゜ﾟ Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

Lewellyn will treat you like you are his goddess that he worships and adores, he will previously watch you like a panther from the dark, watching with dedication what amuses you, your likes and dislikes, your hobbies, habits you may not even have. aware of those little things, he recorded them all in his daily diary with full detail and kept them in a secret locker in his study room. Of course he won't kidnap you right then and there, he will first get you to trust and be comfortable with him, become someone his darling can rely on in their lives and after a few months have passed as the darling's (fake) friend, at the same time he will make your reputation so badly destroyed that everyone even your friends and family will hate you which leaves only one person darling can hope for, namely Lewellyn alone, the only one darling can interact with and lean on.

*･゜ﾟ Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

Of course not! Lewellyn is not the type of person who considers a relationship just based on attraction, he is someone who has high value on a relationship and also not someone who will play with the feelings of his partner/girlfriend/wife. Very dedicated, loyal, caring, understanding and indulgent towards their relationship and will do anything to please their partner, however, there are exceptions when the partner wants to leave this sacred bond, until death, lewellyn will never let you go darling~.

*･゜ﾟ Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

None of your punishments are physical, but they are mental. Lewellyn has a way with words and she knows how to use them well enough to make you doubt yourself and others. It's subtle. And if you have behaved really badly, Lewellyn, however hesitant, can use guilt tripping against you where he will bring up how he tried to be by your side even though everyone else shunned and hated you, how he had been a friend trying to protect you. from people who have bad intentions towards you and so on, of course he will add some sweet words that sound like devil's whispers to be embedded in you which makes you more dependent on him.

*･゜ﾟ Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

As a childhood, due to his dismal childhood and being regarded as a bearer of evil towards anyone he interacted with, Lewellyn had a poor outlook on the world and love because it was love that made him suffer regretfully, causing him to always have misgivings and not fully believe. against someone, especially with the death of his loved one (a nun named Marry) who died miserably for protecting him from the villagers. And because of his fear and powerlessness to lose a loved one a second time, Lewellyn acted even more cruelly than before, which might make you or the people around the darling take the brunt of his negative feelings.

*･゜ﾟ Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

I would say you could try to get Lewellyn's sympathy, show him that he has soured your relationship, show him how he hurt you by holding yourself to himself, how his actions only made things worse and would make his beloved sister, to grieve from heaven because see how he grew up with that thought. But it is unlikely that he will listen or agree to it.

*･゜ﾟ Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

No, Lewellyn is too dear to you to make you suffer or to break you. He loves you so much for who you are, in your natural beauty that made him fall for you. And he is not delusional, he fully knows that you hate him and want him dead, but he is patient and dedicated even though he has to put up with the dagger-sharp words to come out of the darling's mouth every day and get beaten up by them, he will only smile and take care of you with all their heart because he really loves you.

[vasito-de-leche]

also, also —

I wrote out so many quotes 'cause your language is beautiful and you manipulate it to express complicated figures with simple words so easily is breathtaking. SO I took many quotes and one seriously got on my mind

"would you forgive him just as readily if he were to kill someone in front of you?" I feel like I'd need you elaborate on that one. The thought looks curious as an idea for a situation but at the same time I understand how easily forgiving reader would be borderline ignoring severance of the situation(maybe??? Im still not sure how this works since we got fans already knowing he unalives ppl easily in the first place + the whole setting does collocate with high death rate so...) and on the other hand, abandoning him is just gameover. So I thought the closest to actually getting through this situation without being too unrealistic would be two options

First one is probably classical "y/n already knew it before and them getting close to FMN was with that fact taken into account" and the second one is (mourning the loss of life then) turning to him to adress the issue and try to figure some other ways to "win" without killing anybody(paralyze potion??? More mind games? idk). As if it's _our_ problem and not just his. tldr: jokes on him we are not getting off of that ship.

sorry for this getting too big. you've awakened a dog and it's rabid

NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS, I LOVE LOVE LOVE DISCUSSING THINGS IN-DEPTH WITH PEOPLE! this is us right now, we're sitting and talking about FMN's unstable mental health together and we're holding hands and we're having fun

when I wrote that oneshot, I wanted to keep everything as vague as possible when it came to the reader - this includes their involvement with FMN's and how they tackle the ticking bomb that is his personality and moral compass!

the only thing regarding the reader that I wanted to come across is that the reader cares about him to some degree - the depths of those feelings are pretty much up to you and how you feel about FMN

the SECOND thing I wanted to come across is the fact that FMN lives in his own head, so everything HE perceives about the reader is either projection or wishful thinking, like. you CANNOT take him at face value because everything he thinks and says is a contradiction. he's obsessed with you but both denies it and revels in it, he spends so much time observing you but also misses INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS things about you. he loves you and he hates you. etc etc.

so when FMN starts thinking all that shit about how would you react if he were to kill someone in front of you, that's all intrusive thoughts. they make no sense and are fueled by impulse and things he doesn't actually want to engage in (but might, just because he's one hair away from constantly ruining his own life in one way or another, FMN is self-destructive above all else)

the message underneath is that he simply just wants to keep being awful and irredeemable because he wants to show you that he's ugly inside and outside because he's STILL pretending to be a smooth and very hinged person. it wasn't meant to establish that the reader NEVER saw him kill or commit any other atrocities, or that they're willingly blind or anything else - again, those aspects are left vague for whoever reads this to fill in the blanks AND FMN cannot be trusted in here, especially when reading his POV

ultimately, I can't start elaborating on how the reader would react if they saw FMN kill people fireworks style after this oneshot - because YOU are the reader, I don't control your thoughts or perception. in this oneshot, the character of the "reader" lacks any sort of backstory, motivations, or any solid info to even start thinking if they'd forgive FMN or abandon him or whatever, if that makes sense. I didn't establish if they're an arcanist or human, if they're mixed or infected, if they're willingly siding with Manus or are blind to FMN's affiliations with them, etc. it's all up to you in the end! you get to pick how you'd react in the aftermath!

if we were talking about more specifics like, "how about a reader who rejects the foundation and believes in manus?" or "can you write about a human reader caught up in the crossfire?". those things I can deffo work with because there's context for me to start from

hope this made sense, and ty for the asks!! always a treat to see more FMN fans <3

[goodfellowe]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what originally got you into Hatstache? (If you ever answered this before, I am so sorry)

anon firstly i'm so sorry according to tumblr this ask has been sitting here since october 6th. i keep looking at it trying to word my thoughts and then telling myself ill answer it later and then... not doing that. lol

i got into ahit waaayyy back in 2019, when the fandom was mostly saturated with snatcher content at the time (people who have been following me since then probably remember that i hated him for like a solid two years just because he was everywhere lol). i remember very distinctly feeling very dissatisfied with how the game treated and wrote off mu after seeing her storybook, and i couldn't really find any postgame content that gave her a happy ending that i felt personally satisfied with. i ended up finding the hatstache tag on ao3 completely by chance trying to find that postgame content i wanted only to find that there were exactly two fics (neither of which i will not mention out of respect/not wanting that tied to my blog) that did not appeal to me for reasons lol.

the concept of it really stuck with me, though, even if i didn't find anything to fuel it with at the time. i like relationships where people who are hurting/have hurt each other work through it. and i am someone who looks way too into every little detail of everything, ever, and its always felt like mu both holds hk in a very high regard+was very hurt by her actions throughout the same. (see: dialogue+cut dialogue, graffiti around the game, the finale+mu's dialogue before it, the paintings, hk's 'betrayal', etc). paired with what little official content we did get of them being friends (postgame? maybe?) and it was a natural progression ehe

but even then i didn't actually feel super strong about it for a while. it was mostly just thoughts like 'damn, wish we got more content of them interacting' and 'it would be cute if mu had a little crush on hk without realizing'. i didn't actually get super passionate about it until i started writing the original version of twtt that summer/autumn (known as a crack in time at that point), and i only really wrote the ship in because 1.) i thought it would add some flavor and 2.) it made me really sad that there weren't too many options for people who wanted to read a hatstache fic at the time. and even then...

(screenshot from august 3rd, 2019. transcript in alt)

... it wasn't actually endgame. woah woah if you follow me for twtt please for the love of god put the pitchforks down they're endgame now and that's what matters. the story to twtt was significantly more different than it was now, but by the time i had actually wrote hatstache in, the ending i had planned for it was pretty bittersweet. it was just something i wanted to explore in my own self-indulgent way (as i always do ehe), and i was working through some stuff with my own sexuality and relationships at the time, so... yeah. threw it in for spice :D

then i started actually writing it and i just instantly fell in love with their dynamic and just how well their characterization worked with each other. i tend to write them as characters who come off as opposites at first interaction but are very similar at the core and that just makes them bounce off of each other really well. i got attached really fast, and as the story went down a totally different path than i originally expected, i was incapable of letting it go. it really just kind of worked its way into my heart. and the more i analyzed things and learned about the game and all of the little stuff hidden within/cut out, the more it seared itself into my brain until i was like... damn. i understand why they call it an otp now because i would go down with it. even when i trashed acit and took my year-and-a-half break from the fandom, hatstache was just a dynamic that lived in my head rent free.

it has a really special place in my heart because it is, in a way, what pushed me to start writing again and really exploring what i was capable of with my writing, too. and again its just a dynamic that i think can be explored in so many different wonderful ways. despite it all i want them to be happy and by god they will be... eventually :)

i guess basically to answer your question i just kind of wrote myself into it... but i hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane+some history behind the creation of twtt (there's a lot of it)

thank you for asking <3

[pallastronomy]

3 (both in and outside of frontier!), 5, and 12 for the revstar ask game!! teehee :3c

Going to try so hard not to give multiple answers for these but am probably going to fail lmao

Putting this below the cut. Azure ramble purposes you know how it is

3. What is your favorite friendship / character dynamic from the franchise?

In Frontier? Aruru and Shizuha hands down. It’s a dynamic I don’t think gets explored enough which makes me sad bc the parallels are there!! Albeit for different reasons both of them were terrified of aiming for position zero and bottling up parts of themselves for fear of hurting people and ending up alone and it’s just. Something about Aruru finally giving Shizuha the push she needed to keep moving forward and Shizuha being the one spearheading the effort to give that same push back to Aruru in Arcana Arcadia is just. Augh. My fucking heart. I want them to bond over that more in the future I want Aruru and Shizuha rivalry with the mutual understanding of ‘I don’t have to hold back or hide anything from you no matter what happens or where we go from here’ please

Aruru and Misora is a very close second bc hehe… the siblings ever. And also bc I am very very partial to friendships with my kins that remind me of me and my best friend and Aruru and Misora is definitely one of those lmao.

As for outside of Frontier? Uhhh. Literally any Fumi dynamic but Tamafumi and Akifumi especially. Idk what it is they just fucking fascinate me I want to study them under a microscope.

5. What is your favorite revue song?

Gotta hand it to Koi no Makyuu. I’m an absolute fucking sucker for good brass sections I’m sorry. Super Star Spectacle, Wagamama Highway (but specifically That One Section in the middle. You know the one), Hokori to Ogori, and Starlight are really close, and Yami o Terasumono gets an honourary mention by virtue of both being a banger and killing me instantly in context

12. What character(s) do you wish you knew more about/had a better read on?

Uhhh Seiran and Siegfeld juniour high kids by virtue of ‘I don’t know anything about them because I’ve barely seen them storywise’ but in regards to characters I’ve seen in action…. Surprise it’s a Frontier answer again. I’d have to say Lalafin on that front! I’d like to think I have decent understanding of Misora + Tsukasa + Shizuha and Aruru is… well. That’s literally me lmao. But I just don’t have that with Lalafin for some reason. I wanna know more about her man! There’s a level of understanding with what we know of the others’ backgrounds (and Shizuha and Tsukasa’s first year) where it sort of clicks that ‘oh yeah that’s why they do this or that’ but Lalafin just. Evades me. Maybe it’s because the info is scarce since the Frontier kids as individuals haven’t really been a focus until AA or maybe I’m just not picking it up but I’d love to be able to piece her together like I do the others. I’d also love to dig into more stuff with Shizuha just bc of the very clear density of stuff she’s got going on that I want to pick apart the details of more but she’s got more to work with too so. Honestly I’d kill for a better read on literally all of the non-Aruru Frontier kids. I want them to get more screentime I want more to work with! I want what Arcana Arcadia gave me with insight into Aruru but for the other four they deserve it I want to study them all

[alyjojo]

March 👵🏻 2023 Monthly - Libra

Whole of your energy: 7 Pentacles

You’re biding your time, waiting on the success of something you’ve already put your time & energy into, but may ruffle some feathers. So you’re keeping quiet for now. You know everything will work out just fine and you’re not about to listen to people telling you why you can’t do xyz, you’re like watch me. But…indirectly.

What’s going on in March:

8 Swords:

You’re extremely stressed out about money, and your career, but you probably don’t open up about that much to those around you. You already know you have a million other options that are possible, but you still feel kinda helpless and trapped to this specific thing. Maybe it’s a qualification or a confidence thing, there’s a lot of fear regarding this and you’re either not ready mentally/emotionally, or not finding what you need to find.

8 Pentacles:

You seem to have been applying other places, or even waiting for some sort of promotion or bonus where you are currently. So far it’s been a waiting game that you wish was moving a lot faster than it has. If you’re applying elsewhere, you’re not getting called, and you’re not saying anything to anyone until you’ve got news to celebrate. You seem very resistant to anyone’s possible help or advice.

2 Wands:

You’re planning on leaving where you are the minute you find something better, there’s no question. It’s possible you’re even calling in to work or bailing on them last minute in order to go out with a group of people and celebrating something. A birthday maybe, wedding, party at the pub on a Thursday, whatever it is. You’re really worried about money, but on the surface you present yourself as 9 Pentacles, you’ve got it all covered don’t you worry.

9 Cups:

You’re getting clear with yourself on your wishes and manifestations, exactly what you want vs. what you don’t want. These may include some financial overindulgences, if that applies. There’s nothing saying you won’t get what you want, it’s just going to take some time, and until then you’re stuck at this place you don’t even want to be. It just makes you try harder, updating the resume, keeping yourself at a high and not letting yourself lose faith or give up. It’s coming, it has to, just…when?

3 Cups:

This could be a celebration you’re having with friends and blowing off your job for, if so you’re not saying a word about it. Or not blowing off the job, that won’t apply everywhere, but you are hanging out with friends and putting on a big show that doesn’t authentically show you how you really are right now. You hold back a lot, avoiding any topics you don’t want to discuss and staying more surface level than anything. Changing the topic when the subject isn’t something you want to delve into. I don’t see any concrete answers, but friends are always good to have around, and the vibe is very positive overall. You’re keeping yourself distracted.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Aquarius, Gemini, Aries, Leo, Taurus & Virgo

Oracles: ✨

“Decide your vibe. It attracts your tribe.”

41 Self Love 💆🏻‍♀️

We always try to think so highly of the ones we love. We even give strangers the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to self-love, many of us fall woefully short. To love oneself is to accept imperfection, embrace learning and battle through the all-consuming fires of self-doubt in order to find the energetic balance inside each of us. Be aware of the small, insidious voice that perhaps repeats the negative self-assessment you had as a child. Maybe an ex-lover or friend put a label on you that you’ve accepted. These self-judgements have no place in a whole, healthy relationship that is vital to have with yourself. It’s only when you find your love for yourself that you can sincerely offer love to others.

We enter into March as:

Pink From Pinkton 💗

“I am more than I think I am.”

Pink shows us the process of self-awareness. Are you trying to recapture a past moment that no longer fits? You may have outgrown something, and while it can be a challenge to admit it, being fully who you are is much more glorious than trying to fit yourself into the past. If you are presently upset or struggling with a difficult situation, it may be because you are trying to make something work when it simply can’t. You may be seeking to keep something far less than what you deserve. With self-awareness and discovery comes a new obligation, using your new knowledge. New ideas, projects & opportunities can only come if you stop blocking them.

What is to be learned in March:

Rose Without Thorns 🌹:

“It is time to face my true feelings.”

You are most fortunate. As we mature, we learn that to enjoy the beauty of a rose, we must occasionally risk getting pricked by a thorn. You are not facing “the same situation”, this is the dawn of feelings being awakened and a new truth being born. You’re being presented with a different way to live. Trust you will know what to do. Stay open. Time changes us all if we’re lucky, it’s time to surrender and make the change. The best incentive to change is often love.

Red may be a lucky color ❤️