#i love in the star lore and the focus on sisterhood

[cienie-isengardu]

Star Wars Visions 2

Visions volume 2 is the first in a long time Star Wars content under the Disney mark that honestly kept me excited from the first to the last episode. I love all the unique styles of animation, the music and especially the great number of female characters on which the narrations were focused on. So refreshing experience and the cultural diversity of the presented worlds is both striking and heartwarming. Visions 2 definitely feels better in my opinion than the previous season did - sadly, the all Japanese animated season did not impress me much with exception of The Elder and Duel, which of course does not mean those other stories were bad animations rather that those did not meet my expectations. 

This year however I’m especially pleased with Screecher's Reach (and really, this studio was my must-watch story) and the Spy Dancer but I liked every episode in their own right. The focus on imperial cruelty and crimes but also the patterns on how Force sensitive people must leave family and friends to follow their destiny were especially interesting as each story had its own original way to present those issues. I hope every new season of Visions will bring more of this wonderful creative diversity and rich cultural background.

[caydesgirl-uldrensprincess]

More about my Warlock

Guardians name: Isabelle Aubrey Brigham

Age: 27

Race: Awoken

Pronouns: She/Her

Class: Warlock

Preferred subclass(es): Void

Ghost's name: Hermoine

Fireteam name: The Sisterhood

Fireteam teammates: Chloe Brask, Tori-3, and Sage Heathcliff

Favorite legendary weapon: The Supremacy

Favorite exotic weapon: Hawkmoon

Favorite exotic armor: Felwinter's Helm

Favorite ornament armor set: Celestial

Favorite weapon ornament: On Ashen Wings

What stats do they focus on: Mobility and Recovery

Are they offense, defence, or support: Support

Do they prefer being close, mid, or long range: Long

Do they lean more "Element of Surprise" or "Upfront and Aggressive": Element of Surprise

Strikes, Gambit, or Crucible: Crucible

Who was their mentor(if they had one. If it is a character you created, tell us about them!): Ikora Rey

What ship do they have: Starfarer 7M

What is their Sparrow: Always on Time

Favorite Ghost shell: Star Map Shell

Favorite shader: Dawn and Dusk

Favorite color: Pink

Favorite food: Italian

Favorite piece of Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any): Her Nook e-book portable reader

Favorite Pre-Collapse music(if they've heard any): Disney and pop

Favorite place in The Last City(if it's a place you created, give a little description!): the giant park in the middle (it's kinda like Central Park in NYC)

Favorite NPC(s): Uldren/Crow, Ikora, Orisis, Saint-14, Shaxx, and Eris

Favorite patrol location: The Dreaming City

5 things your Guardian likes(can be anything): read, cook/bake, dance, sing, and going to Disney

Least favorite food: Kale

Least favorite shader: Indigo Matrix

Least favorite patrol location: Nessus

Least favorite Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any):  not really

Least favorite NPC(s): Asher Mir

Least favorite weapon ornament: Bound Hammer

Least favorite ornament armor set: Intrepid

Least favorite legendary weapon: any pulse rifle

Least favorite exotic weapon: Coldheart

Least favorite exotic armor: Sunbracers

5 things your Guardian dislikes(this can be anything): Mess (Isabelle has major OCD),  liars, Spider, Riven, and cats (she's allergic)

Your Guardian has to rest. What is their living space like: A very clean and spotless apartment.

Does your Guardian have any casual wear?:

What hobbies and/or skills does your Guardian have: Cooking, memorizing (she's a walking encyclopedia), and strategy

What would your Guardian's lore book be called: Forbidden

Where was your Guardian reborn?(If you created the location, give us a little description!): London, England

What were they wearing when they were reborn: a blouse, dress shorts for women, and flats

What was their reaction to being reborn: "how is this possible?"

What was their reaction to their first rez: *looking at her ghost* "You can do that?"

After being reborn, did they meet friendlies first or hostiles: Hostiles, Isabelle ran into the Hive

Who was the first other Guardian they met?(Same thing! If you made them, give a little description!): Osiris

Did your Guardian get reborn with, or find, any indication of their past life? If so what do they have/found: no

How did your Guardian get their name(if they didn't rez with past life momentos): Her ghost just knew that her name was Isabelle

Going back to your Guardian's lore book, what would be some some quotes or passages from their book: "I love you, Uldren, unconditionally. Your dark side won't scare me off." "You're my best friend, of course I'm coming with you!" and "Dreams are something that we truly wish, we only need the courage and perseverance to make them come true."

Does your Guardian have a significant other: Uldren/Crow

Did your Guardian go explore first before going to The Last City? If so, where to: Isabelle explored this old library in London, she found so many books that peaked her interest

What was their reaction to first seeing The Last City: "This place is so bloody crowded!"

Is your Guardian a part of a clan: no

Does your Guardian's clan have a back story? If so, what is it?(if you want to or able to share): nope

If your Guardian would have a quote as a flavor text for a weapon and/or piece of armor, what would they be:  "Do you want to know you I call her Belladonna? It's because death is the deadlist poison put there."

If your Guardian has had any interactions with any civilians (The Last City/The Farm), Eliksni, Cabal, Vex, Hive, Taken, Scorn, Rouge Lightbearers, or Iron Lords/War Lords(if your Guardian is an Old Light) tell us about it!: not really, Isabelle prefers books over socializing

Does your Guardian have any unconventional allies or connections(By Vanguard standards): no

How does your Guardian feel about themselves or others using Stasis: Isabelle doesn't like it, she thinks that if guardians use it long enough, it'll start to slowly corrupt their minds.

Did they run The Last Wish raid? How did they react to seeing a live Ahamkara a.k.a Riven: She felt nothing but anger towards Riven, the wish dragon was the reason Isabelle lost Uldren.

Did they run The Deep Stone Crypt raid? How did they react to the Crypt and seeing Exo Eliskni: She thought it was interesting and wanted to know more.

Is your Guardian from D1? How did they react to seeing Taniks alive once again: Yes, Isabelle is from D1, she had to calm Chloe down, but she was equally shocked.

Where did they go and what did they do during The Red War: She helped the children at the Farm calm down by reading them stories like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson

Here are some characters that are either polarizing or have created a strong enough mass emotion within the community. What opinion does your Guardian hold on each of them(These are only a handful of characters!)>>>

Osiris, First Warlock Vanguard, originally exiled: A great friend

Eris Morn, Bane of the Swarm: A really close friend

Cayde-6, Sixth Hunter Vanguard: A great friend

Ikora Rey, Second Warlock Vanguard: Mentor, teacher, friend

Commander Zavala, Second Titan Vanguard: respect

Saint-14, legendary Titan, First Titan Vanguard: even more respecr

Lord Saladin, Iron Banner handler, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: she does really mind Saladin

Lord Shaxx, Crucible handler, Hero of Twilight Gap, living megaphone: She praises him for the encouragements during Crucible matches

The Crow, New Light, Ex-Enforcer to The Spider: The love of her life, Isabelle would do anything for him.

The Spider, The Shore's Only Law, founder of "House" Spider: She never trusted Spider

Uldren Sov, Prince of the Reef, Master of Crows: The love of her life, the first person would made Isabelle feel loved and wanted by someone romantically

Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef, Queen of the Awoken, Ex-Kell of Wolves: Isabelle's Sister-In-Law, she respects Mara

Variks, the Loyal, founder of House Judgement: very good friends

Mithrax, the Forsaken, Kell of Light, founder of House Light: very good friends

The Exo Stranger/Elizabeth "Elsie" Bray, Granddaughter of Clovis I and Sister to Ana Bray: Isabelle, like Chloe, found Elsie to be closed off and hard to read

Eramis, of House Salvation, Kell of Darkness: Eh, just another day at the office

Empress Caiatl of the Cabal Imperial Empire: Isabelle is weary about her.

Taniks the Scarred, the Perfected, the Abomination, the Shadow Thief: when it comes to this bastard, Isabelle sides with Chloe

The Darkness is fast approaching. How is your Guardian handling it: She nervous, but Isabelle tries to keep a level head

And finally, does your Guardian have any advice for any New Lights: "Out on the battle field things aren't always what they seem, but it's important not to lose sight of what truly matters and that's protecting the Traveler, the Light, and those who can't protect themselves."

[tildehummingbird]

Spoiler about Catherine and the Soul Riding

(I posted this over at sso forums, so if you see a thread like this there, it's me hehe)

So, I've done the Catherine Quests and I've completed them and as a lot of other people, I was mad. 

I mean, I had so many questions: If Aideen is in everyone, and destiny doesn't matter, then what's the need for Soul Riders, if anyone can do it? Destiny and being the "chosen one" is the whole entire concept of this game, and changing the route NOW, or at ALL doesn't make any sense, and they're probably gonna lose a lot of players that are interested in lore because this doesn't make any sense. Then what's even the need for a 5th rider? What's even the need for this game at all, if a 5th rider isn't needed then just follow the storyline in Starshine Legacy and don't add the 5th rider. If anyone can do it and if Aideen is in everyone, then explain why we're the only ones in this whole entire generation that can handle all powers at once, why can't any of the other riders in Jorvik? Why was Elizabeth so surprised that we could in fact use all powers? What was the need for the beginning cutscene? It literally told us "In times of despair, a sisterhood of Soul Riders will ride forth to protect the island from the evil that seeks to rip the world apart. It is foretold that a sisterhood led by a heroic and fearless girl will appear on horseback to bring hope and light back to those who believe that all is lost... Are you that girl?" I don't know dude, it doesn't even matter if I am because apparently anyone can be that girl, so who cares if I am? Then why were we able to literally fly on our horse? Why would Fripp be so adamant about our protection to the point of where he put his own life on the line, just so we could be protected? The message of "anyone can be a hero" is great, however that's not the point of this story and it never has been.

All these questions and no answers, so I thought we could theorize a bit so that, together, we could try to understand a bit more about this and understand what even happened, what it means and where it is going.

I was checking the star stable tag on Tumblr, and I saw a post by @sso-emberwood that pointed out a lot about Catherine: She didn't even want to be Aideen at all, all she wanted was a normal life with Thomas and her baby, to be free from this prophecy and these duties. Not only that, but The Keepers of Aideen aren't exactly the most telling bunch, so she would know as much as we do: nothing. She wasn't a fan of the prophecy thing, she wasn't a fan of being the only one who's special and different, and she rejected the whole idea, so it would make sense as to why she'd project that onto us, too. Not only that, we saw that she lost her horse, and therefore "half a soul", as Linda described it so maybe she really doesn't get it anymore.

Either that, or maybe we perceived what she said wrong. I went back to check on what she said, so I'll write it here: "We needn't wait for Aideen's return. The goddess is reborn with every horse and rider who open their hearts and form a true bond. Aideen's gift is love. She's been with us all along. In me. In you. At least that is what I believe."

So, to start off, I think that last part is very important. That's what she belives - referring back to what we know is fact: she didn't like the prophecy, and she wanted to define her own destiny and not be controlled by it - so it would make sense for her and her character that she'd have these beliefs. To her, all you need is Aideen's love because Aideen's gift lives in everyone. Now, it is true that Aideen's Gift lives in everyone because Aideen's gift IS for everyone in the island of Jorvik, and I even have Rhiannon dialogue to prove that the Keepers of Aideen agree on this too. This bit of text is from one of the Soul Riding quests, where Rhiannon takes us to South Hoof:

"Have you ever noticed there's something different to the nature of Jorvik? The grass is greener, the birdsong sweeter. But most importantly, the horses are happy and free. They have all this land to roam, and we Jorvegians share this land with them. This connects us to horses on a deeper level. The other Druids put so much focus on the Soul Riders, Guardian Horses, Aideen herself....but they forget to see the magic that's right before their eyes. The magic of Aideen's gift." At this point, you're given two choices: either "I already know that." or "That's what they all say." Regardless, she'll say "Is that so? You've probably heard folk talk about it as if it's some kind of friendship between horse and human. But it's so much more than that. It's what pulled me to travel up North to care for magical horses. It's what makes Nix so special to me. It's even why I'm a Wild Whisperer...On Jorvik, our deep bond with horses is magical. You've been training exceptionally well. During this time, the bond you have developed with [horse name] has flurished. But you haven't just strengthened the bond between both of you. You've connected to the nature of Jorvik on a deeper level, and with that have honed a magical link to all the horses in this island. Close your eyes, and listen to the sound around us. Can you feel how everything is connected?", yet again you can choose between "Yes, it's magical." and "Uh...no." she'll say "You clearly have an affinity for this. I'm impressed. Sometimes, if you focus clearly, you may notice a spark of something powerful. That's the presence of a wild horse. It's one of the ways we Wild Wardens sense they're nearby and ensure their safety. So now you know. Aideen's Gift ties us to all the horses on Jorvik, and it is something to treasure. You can use this knowledge to improve your riding skills. Pay close attention to your horse, and the horses around you, and you will find harmony. This is what I wanted to share with you weeks ago, but I thought you weren't ready to understand. However, I was wrong. Your dedication to Soul Riding has proven just how much you care for the horses on this island. I'm proud of you, [player name]. Thank you for helping protect the horses on Jorvik."

Aideen's Gift is what makes you have such a good connection with horses and it is what makes Jorvik's people and horses special - however, that's certainly not enough to lead Soul Riders into battle. Love isn't enough to defeat Garnok - you need to be chosen for it and destiny DOES matter, no one else has any power in any circle, only the people who are born specifically to have it. However, Catherine is right, but I'm not exactly sure that she understands that that's not why we are unique and that's not what makes us fit for battle instead of literally anyone else - we're unique and the reason as to why we're the only ones who should be able to go into battle is because we don't just have Aideen's Gift like everyone else - we are Aideen. Catherine is Aideen too, we are her and she is us. Cause all of the reeincarnations of Aideen are the same thing, different body. Us and the Soul Riders don't just have Aideen's Gift, we were reincarnated to be her and the soul riders were reincarnated to be what they are today.  Catherine very visibly rejected and left behind her duties and gave up being a soul rider after she lost her horse - she completely rejected even looking for a reeincarnation of it like we did with Anne - but when she did, we were born, because Catherine gave up which meant that another reeincarnation was needed, because it needs to be Aideen herself, not just someone who has the gift - she kept the gift, but she no longer had what it takes to be that girl, and didn't want to either, so someone who did was born.

And again, the Druids make it very clear that their mission, and their end goal is he rebirth of Aideen. A couple of days ago I got a lore book from the Soul Riding missions called "Druids and Horses: A Partnership" that said this: "Aideen's Gift enables druids to continue to protect Jorvik, feel spiritually closer to the land, and ultimately fulfill their mythical goal of the rebirth of Aideen" and  "[...] a network of spiritual people whose sole mission is to protect Jorvik through ensuring the return of the goddess Aideen." 

Which means they acknowledge that they're waiting for a specific someone to be born, so that that specific someone can lead the sisterhood into battle, when the final battle comes, which means that they acknowledge that it can't just be anyone. Waiting for someone special is the whole point of the Keepers of Aideen - they are literally called Keepers of Aideen, no Aideen reborn, no Keepers of Aideen.

Also, in the mission "Strenght in Numbers" with Rhiannon in the Soul Riding, she said that what made her leave Jorvik was that she saw a hooded figure in the forest, and it felt like it was draining the life out of her and her horse, so she left because she was afraid, but she came back upon Elizabeth's request for help, and she when she saw how much closer the Keepers of Aideen were, she decided to stay, but after she says she says: "What really opened my eyes was you, [player name]. Your dedication, skill, and sheer talent has given me faith in Aideen's Light that I haven't felt for a while." Everyone has something like this to tell us, I think there's a reason for that. One of the most important ones so far was for example, when Darko was able to enter the Stone Ring, threatening to destroy the keystone, and Fripp says: "I would sooner destroy the keystone than let you take [player name]. She is more important than you imagine..."

The reason as to why I choose to share the Rhiannon one is because it is recent, just like Catherine's memories which means the story and the objective remains the same, with the only difference that we know Catherine's perspective and why she failed and why the sisterhood fell apart, which will be important in the future, because if you don't remember, the dark riders are trying to recruit Nihili (previously known as Elise) who is the 4th Dark Rider. So far, we've only seen her horse but what we do know about her is that she has the ability to cause discord within the Dark Riders, but I'd imagine she'd have influence on us, as well, and that's why she'd probably be recruited. The Dark Riders know that the previous sisterhood failed due to discord and fights within the group, so it wouldn't be surprising that they'd try to make that happen yet again.

Apart from all of this, I simply don't think Catherine knows enough about this whole thing to be the one to reveal it to us, and I also think the "big reveal" was anticlimatic and not well done, at least in my eyes, because *assuming* this is the route they're going with...eh? What? Why was it so...dry?

Also, if you go back to the very first news post on Catherine's diary, it says "This chapter of the Soul Rider story arc is a standalone quest and is not mandatory to complete in order to play future quests with the Soul Riders." and if they were to add SUCH an important reveal then it wouldn't be a something you could choose not to do, it would be a mandatory, integral part of the story -  this seems like very important information, right? If we don't do this quest, and just move on then in the world and in a story sense, MC wouldn't know that there's technically no Aideen to look for. It doesn't make sense if this is really what they're going to do...Unless it's not and this is just Catherine's opinions on the matter.

Overall, I'm just not a believer yet - I still think this is just Catherine's thoughts. As @sso-emberwood said, the only one who could actually tell us anything for sure is Fripp. He knows way more than everyone in the Keepers of Aideen. But he's sick still, and has been since 2017 the poor guy. I don't think we should assume anything yet, and I certainly don't think the game has changed directions. If it did, I'll be honest with yall - my interest would not be the same and I think it would be that way for a lot people as well and I think that's fair. You can't just come in and suddenly change the route of something that has been hinted at and is supposed to be the point of the game, it just doesn't make any sense. If so, then there's no need for this game or for a 5th rider.

[mediaeval-muse]

Book Review... Kat Howard, “Roses and Rot”

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Reviewer Comments: I can’t remember how I came across this book, but it had been on my TBR list for a while, and I was in the mood for a fun fantasy novel, so I gave it a go. My criticisms probably stem more from personal taste than anything objectively wrong about the book, so keep that in mind as you read on. While I did enjoy the premise and the focus on the sibling relationship that was the heart of this novel, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the pacing or use of lore. At times, I felt like I was simply waiting for things to happen, so I didn’t feel as hooked into the plot as I hoped. But still, I liked the focus on sisterhood and the meditation on art and sacrifice, so if you like those things, you may want to give this book a try.

***Full review under the cut.***

Summary:  Imogen and her sister Marin have escaped their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, be it art or love. What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art? Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.

Things I Liked

Sibling Relationship: I really enjoyed the bond that existed between Imogen and Marin. I loved that the novel talked about how they grew up together, how they relied on each other to survive their mother, and how they support one another as adults. While things do get tense between them, I did appreciate that the central focus was always on their relationship.

Fairy Tales: Throughout the novel, there are breaks in the overall narrative so that the reader can read Imogen’s fairy tale creations. I loved these moments because they were whimsical and creative, bordering on dark but always poetic and deeply heartfelt.

Things I Didn’t Like

Lack of Suspense: At times, it seemed to me that things in this book would just happen without making use of suspense. Imogen sees things that suggest the retreat isn’t what it seems, but she brushes it off so often that there’s no sense of mystery. Lore and revelations were dropped on the reader at seemingly random times: for example, Helena simply relates her backstory while Evan tells Imogen about the retreat’s past, and so on. We have to wait around for Imogen to figure out how to help her sister rather than seeing her devise plans. Characters would carry on with normal life which made it seem like they didn’t care about what was happening at the retreat. I would have preferred that Imogen be more active, seeking answers for herself and piecing together what’s going on, perhaps striving to learn more about the history of the place, thereby creating mysteries that would have hooked me as a reader with the suspense of figuring everything out.

Lore: I’m going to try really hard not to give any spoilers here, so forgive the vague explanation. When the central mystery of the retreat is revealed, it rang a bit hollow for me. I felt that much of the lore was adapted to make the plot more dramatic (rather than being used to enhance the plot). For example, Imogen runs into a lot of magical rules, and what they are as well as when and why they can’t be broken seems arbitrary, like they’re made to facilitate drama. I would have preferred the novel be molded around the lore rather than the lore be made to fill in gaps in the plot.

Themes: While I did love the sibling relationship at the heart of this novel, the side meditation on art and sacrifice seemed inconsistent. There wasn’t much meditation on whether or not sacrificing everything for art was a worthy goal. Or the nature of “talent” or “genius.” This meditation could have worked well with the sibling relationship at stake, but I felt that as a whole, it was underused.

Characters: Many supporting characters didn’t quite seem fully realized. I was never sure of Gavin’s motivations, nor did I feel like Helena and Ariel were used to their fullest potential. Evan could have been interesting, given his backstory, but he also didn’t do much besides drop lore when necessary and become a subject of drama.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in

fairy tales, magical worlds, magical lore

sibling relationships (especially between sisters)

surviving abusive parents

the arts (especially writing, dancing, and sculpture)

Similar Reads

[saintcheryl]

McElstuck Classpects (So Far)

I don’t have all of them because I’m simply not familiar with some of the players. Also just went over possible players, not all of em have to be there. Anyways, here’s what I got.

Grifin

Bard of Light: He needs the codpiece it’s the only way. His story-weaving prevalent in many different pieces of content could fit with the vibes of a traditional fantasy bard, but fuck it, I’ll admit it, the outfit is just really funny. He needs it. He needs the goof. Now for the light part: look, a bard “invites destruction through aspect/allows for destruction of aspect.” Light is about fortune and knowledge. I think that fits pretty damn well, most prevalent in TAZ but honestly? I get that vibe from him in a lot of things. He has the knowledge of games (especially Bethesda) that allows (invites) him to destroy them even more thoroughly.

Travis

Knight of Hope: He is an optimistic, friendly boy whom I love, and I trust. Did you see his mentorship with the Teens? He is supportive and believes in them and a knight takes advantage and fights with their aspect. A valiant, noble agent of hope, of belief. A good man. He does a hit sometimes, yes, but he apologizes. That’s just the knight-y tendencies coming through a little more. And everyone learns from the experience. Don’t do a hit! (Addendum: All HS knights “hide their innermost selves.” Travis may be hiding his true strength, his true power, his capacity for destruction since he does not want to hurt anyone.)

Justin

Heir of Blood: Blood’s all about camaraderie, and in this case with his bros it’s very literal. There isn’t much solid lore behind heirs, but they seem to be surrounded by their aspect in some way, speculated to “protect themselves with,” “become,” or “receive” the aspect. In Justin’s case, his relationship to his brothers is an essential part of his life, not just because of blood relation but also because of their bonds of friendship. As the oldest bro, it makes sense for him to embody such values.

Clint

Rogue of Life: He literally, in a way, gave the boys life. Life also pertains to his role in TAZ, or at least the role he’s SUPPOSED to have, and the safety he contributed to his town through Peace on the Playground. I was struggling with the class and settled on Rogue, but that’s still up for debate. And I’m not saying he’s going to kill anyone (that’d be more thief-y), but there was that story of him POSSIBLY killing that guy in college and selling (redistributing) all his stuff, or whatever. He also “distributes” country music via radio, which I’m sure some people see as life.

Nick

Seer of Space: Originally I felt strongly about him being a Breath player, but after going over descriptions again, Space is undeniably fitting of his role in Car Boys; they’re concerned with “the size of things and their velocity, and their existence in relation to physics” which is basically Car Boys? Dimension, creation. The whole deal with frogs, and Nick DOES greatly enjoy Kero Blaster, starring a frog. Seers “use knowledge to coordinate their team,” which I feel he does since he’s established that the workings of playing beamNG.Drive are VERY finicky and require a depth of experience. He coordinates the show quite well, and certainly uses all the little intricacies to his advantage. TTS is based around him identifying mods, which are quite obvious at times, but still humors seer tendencies. In a fairly literal sense.

Porter

Mage of Time: Okay, I’ll admit, I originally landed on time because of the thought process that went this boy->music/DJ->Dave Strider. But that’s okay, because it works, especially with Nick as space. The boy’s aesthetic caters more to space or maybe void, but works with time because of the theme of reality-bending and alternate universes. Time players are shown to have interests in death and destruction in some way, which this boy has DEFINITELY got with his prominent obsession with worlds ending in unique ways. Especially game worlds, and a huge part of time players is….the responsibility of destroying a game world. A mage possibly “gives up their aspect to gain knowledge of it,” which also just kinda Feels Right for a buncha reasons. Plus, mages are regarded as the counterparts to seers, so there’s even more connection between him and his bro.

Russ

Page of Mind: I’m mostly going off of his LAC-persona, but that makes it all the more fun. Mind is concerned with decisions and their consequences, which Russ has some...interesting history with. A page’s untapped potential ties into his development in decision-making over time. Given, a lot of his decisions were based off of Doug (and the plot of LAC definitely has to play a part in this AU with the whole patron troll thing because uhhh how could it not it’s too good) but that could just be the push he needed to become his true self.

Tara

Witch of Void: Remember Basketball Ignoring Simulator? She turned their game into a game about nothing, about doing nothing, a void, and despite the efforts of the boys and it being THEIR podcast they couldn’t stop it. They couldn’t. She was simply too powerful. Witches “manipulate” or “unlock,” which is certainly what she did here. She was one of the last members of Rev3 before it died out (became a void?) but she was there til the end, both trying to keep it from its void-y fate (“manipulate”) while also finally deciding when to let go (“unlock”). And I’m not sure how to tie in her appearance on PoolGames, Inc. in which she sat in a hot tub drinking various types of alcohol, but it feels like it fits with the classpect, in some way. Witches may break the rules of their aspect, and while I’m not sure exactly how, I do feel like she’s breaking some void rules and choosing what parts of the aspect she wants (also a witch thing). Maybe my inability to pinpoint these reasons is part of why she’s a void player. Who knows.

Simone

Knight of Heart: Heart encompasses soul, motivations, emotions, and possibly attraction. Let’s focus on the last two. Two of Simone’s videos focus on her asking strangers on the street about a) which Joy-con is Sexier, and b) which Pokemon they would date. (Kinda horny things that are also definitely a theme with her.) Very, very focused on emotion and attraction. She brings motivation into it, too, by asking why. A knight “exploits their aspect as a weapon,” and honestly? She really drilled into those people. I wouldn’t say attacking, but it’s got that Vibe, and honestly a lot of these are based on Vibe. She’s also just a funny and honest/open girl in ways that strike me as a heart player. She is, of course, quite jumpy and scared of spooky games, and is quite controlled by her uhhh Feelings during them and voices such. But, she is shown to enjoy them nonetheless, the kind of courage one might associate with a knight. She could grow into it even more; room for character development. Knights also conceal their true selves; she’s suggested that despite her fear of horror games, she absolutely loses it in the moment when playing it. Gets buckwild. Maybe that’s it.

Rileigh

Maid of Heart: I haven’t listened to Still Buffering, but from what I know, she is a Teen and a sweet, sweet girl. Maids may be connected to sylphs, drawing a connection between her and her older sister; they’re also speculated as “made of,” “provider of,” or “protects with” aspect. Heart is the soul or essence of being, and her podcast is all about Being a Teen, something that everyone struggles, struggled, or WILL struggle with at some point in time, and is arguably essential to not only one phase of life but the entirety of one’s life itself. The time in which they learn who they are and find their essence, their soul. The definition of the word “maid” is either a server or an heiress; the former could be a metaphor for how Teens are often controlled by emotions in some way, and the latter could connect to her younger-sisterhood. Thanks, Teen.

Sydnee

Sylph of Breath: She’s a doctor. It’s a given. Making her life just seemed too obvious, and we already got that one heal-y thing going, but breath is also kind of important to living? I haven’t heard her podcasts, so a lot of this is just based on the Vibe I get. Please help.

I still need help figuring out Dwight, Rachel, and Teresa, plus more depth with Sydnee, since as I said, I’m not as familiar with them and their content and don’t have enough to go off of (like I did with some others here that idk as well).

I’ll update this as it happens!