#pikablooo

[durotoswrites]

💕 :)

💕 - Favorite bachelor/ette in the series?

Probably no real secrets here, hehe.

My favorite bachelor is Cliff. I enjoy all of his incarnations throughout the games and like to combine them all in my headcanon of him. I enjoy watching him learn to open up to other people and learn to ask for help. The idea of a character leaving town permanently was introduced into HM64 as far as I can remember, and I really liked that if Cliff never learned to open up with other people, he would continue to wander as he had done. (Although I'm sad that he moves away if you marry Ann, but I digress.) He strikes me a very humble, down to earth and emotional person. I find his awkwardness endearing, and watching him come out of that shell is such a treat.

On the flipside, my favorite bachelorette is Ann. She is strong and full of optimism. She's outgoing and makes friends easily, and she doesn't care what other people think about her. I admire all of these qualities about her. But I also love that Ann (we're talking BTN/Mineral Town Ann here, by the way - I don't like the physically violent side of her in HM64) has a lot of potential sadness lingering under the surface. She's good at cheering others up, including her widower father, but who is there when she's sad? There is a lot of potential for writing here, and I just love that.

Thank you for the ask! ^-^

Harvest Moon ask game

[tuttiwrites]

Hi!!! I just wanted to say how much I absolutely adore your fics - recently I've been reading the whole Eavesdropper Series and it's just so lovely!! I love how you characterize Julie and Kieran and how you add so much life to them and Kitakami - like how you researched and gave them a detailed wedding ceremony! And Kieran and Julie's parents, I really feel for both of them!! The bond between Kieran and Julie is so sweet and I absolutely love all the fluff too 😭 I also really love all your drawings, they are soooo cute and make me smile!! I hope things get better for you soon!!! Take as long as you need!! 💖

Thank you so much, Pikablooo. And thank you to everyone who’s send me kind messages and comments - I read and saved them all and it’s getting me through right now.

I’m so happy I can bring you joy with my stories and art. It makes me glad I started writing again and that I started this blog. This ask meant a lot to me. Thank you so, so much.

The short version is that right now my mental health, irl stuff, and some unexpected things collided to make it A Bad Time for me right now. I look forward to coming back again - I’m feeling more like myself today, so I’m hoping it’s soon.

Love y’all. 🥰💜

[dipplinduo]

Hi! I just saw your post about looking to use new art for your profile - you're more than welcome to use my art if you'd like :) No worries if not! I'm a huge fan of your work and your fics always make me smile - I'd make fanart more specific to your fics if I had time!!! There's been a few scenes from your fics I've wanted to draw, I'm just about to graduate college next month so it's been busy lol. Hope you're doing well!!!

YOU.

Oh my GOD I have been searching for your specific festival art piece EVERYWHERE I saw it when I was sleep deprived and never saw it again AND I GOT SO SAD BECAUSE I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW ITS INCREDIBLE AND DESERVES SO MUCH ATTENTION

I FINALLY FOUND YOU

I am reblogging & following you right the fUCK now sO I DONT LOSE TRACK OF YOU AGAIN-

but real talk thank you so much and congrats on being so close to graduation!!! <3333 You worked hard and I know it might be a home stretch time so always put you first!!!

[bee-tone]

Stickers!!! I got them from @pikablooo's etsy!

They're very high quality and very shiny. Highly recommend to any sticker collectors or SV fans!!

I got the set of 5 which also included Arven and Mabostiff but that was quickly snatched by my sister, so no photo of him, sorry :(

But yeah!!! Cool stickers and prints from other video games as well! Please go check her out

[radiantmocha]

@tuttiflutie @spectral-idiot @dipplinduo @furretd0ll @c0stiffen @pikablooo @angelabsol @kekstala

Not necessarily all mutuals but people I interact with a lot and love dearly! /p <3

Give this to one of your most loved mutual

Mines r: @jadescortaurius1 @thevisitmaxxedfriend @misschuckito @ethanthespookymonth @softwolfiee

[norree]

Claire and Cliff from HM:MFOMT for @pikablooo for the @bokumonoexchange ! 🌼🌷🌻 A first kiss on Mother's Hill. ☀️ I hope you're having a lovely summer!

[fe3hafterlifezine]

We’re pleased to announce our contributors for the zine!

Artists

alexsuiss - @alexsuiss (Twitter | Instagram ) Anita - @liebelaika (Twitter | Instagram ) Apririnn - (Instagram | Twitter | Deviantart ) biggoomy - (Instagram | Twitter ) bside ilustrador - (Twitter | Instagram | Deviantart ) Carr - (Pillowfort | Twitter ) Catatune - (Twitter | Instagram ) Cyan - (Twitter | Instagram ) DuckCore - @duckcore (Twitter) ghiralewd - (Twitter | Twitter | Instagram ) Hannah Forward - (Twitter | Instagram ) Jay - (Twitter) Kai - @tsunamikaii (Twitter | Instagram ) Lala - (Twitter) Lykostherium - (Twitter | Twitter (nsfw) | Instagram ) Mai - (Instagram | Twitter ) MelpomenesJuny - (Instagram | Youtube | Twitter ) Mikuro - @mikurotero @kurosenami (Instagram) Nellipset - (Instagram | Twitter ) Nythological - (Instagram | Deviantart ) Oliver Niko - (Twitter | Ao3 | Instagram ) Pikablooo - (Twitter | Instagram ) pixelpastry - @pixelpastry (Twitter) Pumvilla - (Twitter) Puzzles - (Twitter | Instagram ) Qrow - (Instagram | Twitter ) RaySkittles - (Twitter | Instagram ) Shuuta - (Instagram | Twitter ) Staary Eyes - @staary-eyes (Twitter | Instagram ) tacitgrey - @mx-tacitgrey (Twitter)

Writers

digitaldreams - (Twitter | Ao3 ) Jenelle Lucia - @areadbanana (Twitter | Ao3 ) roxyryoko - (Ao3 | Twitter ) Shidreamin (Twitter | Ao3 ) VeloxVoid - @veloxvoid (Twitter | Ao3 ) Ven Jubilation - (Twitter) Vie_Boheme - (Twitter | Ao3 ) Xygdrasil - (Twitter | Twitter | Ao3 )

Merch Artists

C.A.-  @tsukikaze​ (Instagram | Twitter ) dewream - (Instagram | Twitter ) IndiraptorArt - (Etsy | Twitter | Instagram ) Nicky - (Twitter | Instagram ) Yue - (Twitter)

[pressstartzine]

Our next featured artist is Pikablooo!

[garlic-chip-muffin]

Neopolitan wyrm 🌸💐🌼 🪱 🐛

THANK YOU FOR THE TAG @kiki-dohedo ^_^

Taaags <3

@pinata-candy @ender-arts @heatseekingreptile @pikablooo @spinatia @averyconcernedtable

fuck it. worm on a string picrew chain. let's fucking go

happy worm creation my friends

tagging @areyoudoingthis @cursed-coat-of-homosexuality @peanutbutterex @tfemteach @piratecaptainscaptainpirates (no pressure 💛)

[durotoswrites]

Meet the Writer Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @emeraldhazeart!

Rules: Use this picrew to make yourself and answer the questions!

Three fun facts about me:

I ran a bed and breakfast in an old Victorian house with my husband for a couple of seasons in a tourist town.

I experiment with making my own blends of tea from herbs, including some I've grown or foraged.

I'm delving into the world of pixel art and having a blast!

Favourite season: Fall - I love the brisk temperatures, fall colors, and trips to the orchard. <3

Continent where I live: North America

How I spend my time: I caretake for my parents and help them to their medical appointments and provide respite care. I enjoy writing and drawing when I can. When I'm not at my parents', I'm at home, snuggling with my cats or smashing zombie heads in on Project Zomboid with my husband.

Are you published?: Yes, I was a regular article writer on my friend's gaming website, and I had an essay published at a writing conference in college. For less "fun" writing, I have written several pieces for clerical jobs including annual reports, newsletters, and programs for events.

Introvert or Extrovert: Introvert

Favourite Meal: I'm really fond of Japanese and Indian food. I can never resist a plate of curry rice with a sliced piece of chicken katsu on top.

No pressure tags: @joyfulsanctuary, @friendofbats, @beck-a-leck, @chickchickee, @sketch-witch, @cluing4looks, @saintblondie, @krosaceae, @icefire149, @pikablooo and everyone else I know I forgot 😅 (brain's still a little foggy from the covid)

[durotoswrites]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Popuri :)

Thank you so much for your patience on this! Ah, yes, Popuri - probably the most popular bachelorette for the Harvest Moon Series, right beside Celia and Muffy if fan art is any indication.  There’s no denying she’s a popular character.  My feelings for her have fluctuated greatly throughout the years.

How I feel about this character:

My first interactions with Popuri were when I played Harvest Moon DS, but she showed up for the rare festival here and there, and she was the one who answered the phone for the poultry shop.  I found her design cute, but I didn’t have much of an opinion on her in general.

The first game I played with Popuri was More Friends of Mineral Town, and my first impression was “why is this immature, spoiled brat so popular”?  Her immaturity really grated on me, to be honest, and I felt bad for Rick for having to take care of the whole family on his own.  I also felt like her and Kai had some hints of trouble in the future of their relationship during their heart events, with Kai seeming a little uncomfortable that Popuri was so insistent to go out with him to see the world.  I got the impression she saw him as a ticket out of town, and she was eager to leave, not giving much thought to how much that replicated her father’s actions.  

Looking at it a little more and watching more character events, I realize my first judgments on her might have been a little harsh.  She does express frustration that she was never taught anything to run the farm, and she does try to learn on her own by visiting the MC.  In trying to protect her, Rick is pushing his own sister away, and it’s kind of sad to see, because we know he is going through a lot of pain as well.  There’s a lot of unspoken pain in the PoPoultry family with Lillia’s disease, Rod’s absence, and the effect it’s had on their children.  Rick sees her as not wanting to do any work, but he doesn’t trust her with any of it.  What other choices does she really have?  I can understand her frustration a little better now.

In the intro event to the siblings in Back to Nature, HM for Girl, we come across the two of them arguing.  Judging from the teary smile Popuri gives us, it’s easy to guess that she’s very eager to have someone in her life that she doesn’t associate with constantly putting her down (even if Rick isn’t like that all the time).

I will probably say this about most characters, but I really prefer the HM64 version of Popuri.  It was this version that also encouraged me to go back and watch her events in Friends of Mineral Town.  HM64 Popuri is more self-assured and mature, helping her mother around the store.  Rick is not her brother in this game, and her father, Basil, is gone for part of the year.  Her romantic events with Gray are really cute, and the two of them treat each other with equal respect.  I really liked that someone as closed off as Gray took up an interest in flowers after meeting Popuri.

So, I guess to sum it up, my opinions on Popuri have improved.  She’s not my favorite character, but I can understand better why people like her and can relate to her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Popuri x Gray -  This is the canon pairing in HM64, and I think it was done really well.  Their personalities played well off of each other.

Popuri x Karen - I feel like this is just a given.  I headcanon that Popuri looks up to Karen and thinks she’s really cool.  They both love romantic things, and I can easily see them walking on the beach together and having a picnic date there.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Mineral Town: Popuri/Carter - I see Popuri as shut off from a lot of the town, or at least a lot of people in her age group.  She spends some time at the church, and I don’t think it’s any stretch of the imagination that she enjoys Carter’s company.

Popuri/Cliff - See above regarding Popuri’s time at the church.  It’s possible these two have communicated quite a bit.  I can see them having a deep friendship as Cliff opens up about his past and Popuri compares it to her father leaving the family.  They’d definitely have a lot to talk about.

Popuri/Zack - While Zack probably stops by regularly to pick up shipments and check on Lillia, I can see him having an uncle-esque role to Popuri and Rick.  I imagine him sharing a lot of family meals and spending time together on their time off.

Popuri/Ann - I can see the two of them being friends in both games, but especially HM64 as she works on another farm (greenhouse) that likely helps support the ranch in some way.  They both have a playful streak, and we see them hanging out at the hot springs most mornings in Friends of Mineral Town.

HM64:

Elli/Popuri - As written in my Elli ask, I feel like Elli admires a lot of things that Popuri does.  I can see them sharing flowers and cake together.

Popuri/Greg - By extension, I can see Elli introducing Greg and maybe even Cliff to Popuri as they all go fishing together.  I feel like Popuri would be up for trying something new, especially among friends.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I both love and hate the idea of Popuri x Kai being a canon couple in FoMT.  Like I mentioned earlier, there are some events that hint at possible unhappiness in the future, and I sometimes got the impression that Kai was a little uncomfortable about causing tension between the two siblings, but Popuri persisted.  And, I mean, she should definitely be allowed to spend time with the people she wants to.  My concern is that Kai seemed a little uncomfortable about being the cause of tension between the two. 

Their last heart event gave me a lot of complicated feelings. Kai's proven himself to be a very kind person despite not wanting to keep in contact with his family. Part of me feels like Popuri latched onto that idea a bit - seeing Kai as an escape from Rick. The moment they start arguing about it, the more she lashes out. This could just be a lot of pent up anger coming out, though, and I totally get that. They’re definitely an interesting couple - I’ll give them that!

(A moment of silence for Lillia's sad reaction at the news of her daughter leaving town and quickly slapping a smile back on her face. 😔 I can't imagine her not comparing this to Rod's departure.)

Out of the bachelorettes, FoMT Popuri is probably my least favorite, mostly for her immaturity and complaining without really acting on it.  She wants to help at the farm, and I’d love an event with her mother while she expresses that!  She wants to be whisked away because she’s unhappy, and I feel that she latches onto Kai… because she feels the distance between them is romantic, likely by seeing her parents.  (Wow, I just realized that as I typed it and it just makes me sad.)  Still, among all the games in the series, I love this cast, and Popuri is still part of that.  I still feel like she got a lot more development than a lot of the “newer” games gave characters (i.e. Grand Bazaar, Tale of Two Towns).

Back to Nature and Friends of Mineral Town are similar, but they have different events.  I really wish that they had kept the event where Popuri forgot to take the hens inside and one got killed.  It helps set the mood for the tension between the siblings a lot better.  It’s really easy for people to dislike Rick and see him as nothing but a bully when we don’t see the irresponsible things that Popuri has done while being put in charge of a task on the farm.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Oops, I guess the thing I wrote above was more of something I wish they had done.  Well, I have other things I wish for Popuri.

I wish that she was given a chance to work on the farm and feel more confident in herself.  I could see this working similarly to Cliff getting his job at the winery.  Seeing Popuri have a sense of helping her family would eliminate a lot of tension between her and Rick.  And that doesn’t mean that she’s not allowed to want to travel the world, either!  I just think that it would be great if she’s able to experience working on the farm like she wanted.  It also be a great tie-in for Rick and Kai to make up and I could see them coordinating with him to help with supplies and keep his beach shack open year round.  Still, Kai likes warm weather, so the jury’s still out on that…

One more thing I wish had been kept from BTN/HM for Girl - Popuri (and a lot of the characters, honestly) had some great expressions that ended up getting cut in future games. I miss the waterfall tears and over-the-top expressions from others.

Thank you so much for the ask!  I had a lot of fun with this one, and even after writing it, I realize that even though she’s my least favorite bachelorette, she’s still a decent character and adds a lot to the cast of the games she’s in. ^-^

[durotoswrites]

30 :)

30. what reminds you of home (doesn’t have to mean house… just things that remind you of the feeling of home)?

Coming in from the cold and drinking hot cocoa or Friendship/Russian tea. ☕

Here's a recipe for anyone interested in the tea! It's really simple and is just a matter of mixing some spices with drink mixes.

The tea in particular reminds me of coming inside and shaking all the snow from my hair, removing millions of layers of coats, scarves, and hats and curling up under a blanket straight from the dryer while we all sat together to watch a movie with a mug of tea. 💖

Soft asks to get to know people

[radiantmocha]

I promised @pikablooo that I would make a follow-up post if I came up with ideas for emotes for the characters, and, well... here I am!

Before I jump into the emotes, I have a couple more ideas for this:

There will be a character select at the start of the Tournament if you want to play as any one of the characters that's about to be listed. You'll be assigned their exact team that they'd use in the tournament, as well as their character model, and you'd get to fully play as them! This would be the character select theme:

There's a three-tiered podium at the end of the tournament, so even if you get second or third, your character will still go up on stage and perform their desired emotes in their respective slots. The characters without emotes will likely either just wave or do some other simple emote like a bow or a nod.

The list of characters and their Splatoon emotes is as follows:

Amarys - You're Welcome

Arven - Easy Kneesy

Carmine - Ready for Action

Crispin - Windmill Whip

Dendra - Landed It

Drayton - Card Shark

Florian - Sarcastic Salute

Geeta - Flowing Form

Juliana - Stuntin'

Kieran - Strings Attached

Lacey - Adoring Crowd

Miriam - XOXO

Nemona - Spring-Loaded

Penny - All Chill

Perrin - Makin' Waves

Don't know what these emotes look like in practice? No problem! Here's a video featuring them all for your viewing convenience.

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this update!

I Have an Idea!

What if the Academy Ace Tournament had results screens like Splatoon?

Different poses, emote potential, and character interactions depending on your placement, who you battled, etc.. Could include the DLC characters visiting and battling as well for an extra incentive to play

Stats about how many moves you used, how many Pokemon you lost, all that kind of thing (nerd stuff for people like me)

Music for when you blackout at any point in the tournament, win normally, and win without losing a single Pokemon AND using no items in battle (hard mode). My track ideas are listed below:

I've had this idea for a little bit now, and I think it's a really fun one. I'd love to hear what you all have to say!

[durotoswrites]

For the character breakdown, I'd love to see what you have to say about Mary! :)

Ah, time for the long-awaited response for Mary! I know a few of you were looking forward to this one! I'd love to hear your thoughts on her as well! @julikoloveszestiria @redtutel I'll also include any thoughts on HM64 Maria as well!

How I feel about this character

As a fellow writer, I love that there's a character who writes for fun. Her moments of writer's block and hyper focusing while writing are totally relatable.

When I first started playing More Friends of Mineral Town, I didn't have much of an opinion on Mary because I wasn't able to woo her. I had triggered her first rival event with Gray and thought it was really cute, but I never thought to go to the library to befriend her – I rarely went in that corner of town. But after I got my character married, I spent more time befriending the villagers. I really liked Mary's dialogue. Her support of the main character's marriage is so sweet and genuine.

As I spent more time befriending Mary, I started talking more to Anna and Basil as well. Their family has some very interesting dynamics, and they're really fun to explore as characters!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I really miss the rival system in the newer systems, but it does make the ideas for writing/shipping a lot more open. I've seen some really cute characters paired together I never thought of.

Maria/Mary x Harris – I think these two are so sweet together. Harris is such a kindhearted and shy person in HM64, and I really loved the event with Maria where he tells Maria that she doesn't need to buy that shady salesman's products to be beautiful – she already is. Him standing up for her when he is shy himself is so precious to me, and knowing that Maria has a history of having trouble saying no to the salesman's offers (she ends up being talked into buying some watermelons in another event) just makes this all the more sweeter. Yeah, it's a little cliché, but it's adorable and I like it. I think their personalities would mesh well together in Mineral Town as well!

Mary x Gray – I really feel like Mary would've been so great with Harris, but I also enjoy her with Gray. She is the gentle nudge Gray needs to be kinder to himself. Her gentle encouragement is something that Gray has needed so desperately. Their post marriage event is really sweet, too – Gray's worries about Mary overworking herself and being the voice of reason when she is burning herself out is a nice way to round out their relationship. I also really love him being so encouraging of her writing – it's a sweet detail, and she knows that he goes through a lot of books (plus a bit of a blunt personality) so she knows that her story is in good hands that will give her honest feedback. Their chemistry is just so sweet, and they're probably my favorite canon couple in FoMT.

Mary x Farmer – I like Mary's pensiveness and the events with her are pretty dang cute. Choosing to share a favorite book with the player is so dang sweet, and so intimate in a way. Everyone has their own unique experience while reading a story, and her recommending one that brought her to tears was really precious.

Mary x Elli – A fun rare pair. I can already see the two of them reading books together by the fireplace. I think Mary would be great with Stu, too, teaching him about the bugs he catches, and Stu would have someone he could show off his bugs to. Mary sharing her knowledge on insects might actually help Elli overcome her dislike for them, too. I could also see both of them having an interest in herbal remedies and teas. They both have such sweet personalities, too. <3

Mary x Cliff – As I mentioned in my Cliff ask, I think these two could have really good chemistry. Mary's gentleness could help Cliff out of his shell, and I think once he got comfortable, he would have some interesting stories to share with Mary. Maybe they could even write a book together about his travels! I could see them being really encouraging with one another, and I think it's a sweet pair.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Mary/Elli – They're great as lovers, they're great as friends. They're just great.

Mary/Doctor – I was just thinking on this one and I could imagine Mary helping the Doc with finding the right resource materials he needs for his studies. I could imagine them bumping into each other sometimes when Mary's family takes their trips up to Mother's Hill. And since I headcanon Mary and Elli being close with one another, I could see him being added to her friend group.

Mary/Gotz – Again, I could see these two bumping into the mountains, and perhaps Mary's treks with her family remind Gotz of his own family. I feel like he'd look after her protectively.

Mary/Thomas – I still see Harris and Mary as close as well, and, again, Thomas would be included in there. I can imagine their families having dinner together regularly.

Mary/Stu, May, and Carter – I mentioned the common interest of insects above, and I think she'd be great with helping encourage his curiosity and eagerness to learn. May could very easily be lumped into this as they pick wildflowers together and look at ladybugs, butterflies, and frogs. I imagine Mary coming to pick up Stu from the church on occasion and since Mary plays the organ in the music festival, it's only logical she has to go over there to practice at times. I feel like Mary and Carter would have a polite, but not very close friendship with one another.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I can totally imagine Mary choosing to live a happily single life even if other romancable people were available. She's a very well-rounded person who has goals in life and a job at a place she enjoys. Her relationship with her parents isn't perfect, but I could easily imagine her friends recommending her to take her book to a publisher and gaining more confident in herself and ultimately deciding to convert the top floor of the library into a cozy apartment and running the library while writing books – living the dream! <3

I do feel like both of Mary's parents are toxic/neglectful to her in one way or another. During the Goddess Festival in HM for Girl, Anna states that she wants Maria to have a boyfriend if you have Gray as your date. Mary states she can't see well without her glasses. That whole situation makes me uncomfortable – Anna's too focused on what she thinks a young woman should want and do, and Mary is too timid to speak up for herself. Basil seems to be so absorbed in his work that he doesn't make much time for his family. In HM for Girl, he even says some really cutting things about Mary that are just heartbreaking - they don't seem to really know that she's putting so much energy into her novel. I really get the impression that both parents just want Mary to follow their own footsteps and neither of them try to relate to her.

In the same vein, I absolutely HATE that Mary/Marie/Maria removes her glasses for her wedding. I am so tired of characters removing their glasses for formal wear. You could argue that she put in contacts, but they live in a pretty rural area, and that's not really the main point. Glasses are very common, and they don't make someone unattractive.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish that the player character was able to read her novel. Well, I guess you can in BTN/HM for Girl, but I was thinking of the one in FoMT that she lets Gray read.

I guess it's also pretty obvious I wish that Mary wore her glasses during formal events as well. It would be cute if they wore pajamas at home, and I could see her without glasses when she's in bed. That would be a cute touch to the games.

But for a more serious thing that I wish had happened for Mary is that her events slowly let her gain some independence from her parents, Anna in particular. It would be interesting if the characters changed their dialogue for the festivals if they had higher friendship/heart levels, and the more you befriended Mary, the more confident she became. <3

Thank you so much for the ask! I was happy to see that Mary was a popular character to ask about. I'd love to hear your thoughts on her, too! ;)

[durotoswrites]

Character-breakdown-Game :D

Can you do Karen and (maybe) the Harvest Goddess? I would love to hear your thoughts on them ! Also if you ship the Harvest Goddess at all, lol! 😅 (she is marriage-able after all) <3

Thank you so much for the ask! These are both really interesting characters, and I'm excited to break them down.

For Karen, I'll do both Mineral Town and HM64 versions of her, as they're vastly different from one another and there's a lot to explore!

I'll include the Harvest Goddess in a separate post, as this one is quite lengthy, so this is part one of two. Thank you all for your patience as I work on these!

Character Breakdown Ask Game - Still Accepting! ;)

How I feel about this character

HM 64 Karen

So, in a way, I feel grateful that I played HM64 when I was a bit older, because I feel like I can understand where the characters are coming from better. I know that younger me would have absolutely hated Karen, finding her disobedience to her parents and her bluntness as her just being a bad daughter/person. She makes it no secret that she hates it in Flower Bud Village and that she has dreams of leaving. I see her as feeling really trapped. Yes, Karen can be a little immature, but dang, that environment she is living in is a nightmare. I just want to save her from her toxic family. I find it so sad that her sharper parts of her personality were a result of her upbringing, but it was probably the way she coped with living in the same house as them.

HM FoMT Karen

This version of Karen is vastly different, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. They're almost like two different people. While HM64 Karen has more focus on herself (which is completely understandable), this Karen is more of a “big sister” archetype. She's friendly and outgoing, even if she can be a little sharp with Rick during some of their heart scenes. Her blunt language during those scenes comes more out of a place of love than a self-defense mechanism – like when Rick protected her from a wild dog and got bit and she was frustrated he got hurt. There is an earlier event where Rick talks about how they used to wrestle as kids and she was pretty rough. Karen gets embarrassed and denies it, leaving him behind. I get the impression she's been trying to improve from being gruffer when she was a kid, and being reminded of that was humiliating in a way to her.

Either way, I really enjoy both of these Karens a lot, and in true Durotos fashion, I love mixing characteristics of the two of them together while writing.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

HM64 Karen

This lady is not in a good place right now and I doubt romance is at the front of her mind. I don't ship her with many characters.

Karen x Farmer – I can see her gaining her own bit of freedom in moving out of her parents' place. There are things she likes about the vineyard – I'm imaging the wonder and gratitude she has when the vineyard is restored. Living on a farm and seeing things growing and flourishing would be such a positive thing in her life.

Karen x Ann – I briefly mentioned the idea of these two ladies dating in my Ann ask. They're both a bit unstable, and some growing up would need to be done by both parties to make it work. Their friendship events are pretty cute, and I feel like they have good chemistry.

Karen x Elli – I really liked the scene where Elli and Karen talk about Karen wanting to leave town. I feel that Elli would lend a sympathetic ear to Karen, and Karen would take her to good fishing spots on the beach. I can imagine them having picnics on the beach together.

Not so much a ship, but I often thought that the woman that rejected Rick was Karen. I could imagine Rick being a bit meek and shy and Karen not really noticing he exists. </3

Mineral Town Karen

Karen x Ann – Again, I still love these two together, regardless of their incarnations. They're both more stable here, and I feel like their relationship would be full of laughter and fun times. <3

Karen x Gray – This is a bit of a guilty pleasure ship. I feel that neither of them would put up with each other's crap and be very blunt and honest with one another. There might be a bit of butting of heads at first, but once they start to understand the minds of one another, I think that they'd get along really well.

Karen x Kai – I really didn't care for this pairing in HM64, but their Mineral Town versions are so great for one another! Kai is laid back, and Karen has this cool, put-together vibe. They'd be the coolest couple in town and know how to have a good time, throwing the best parties!

Karen x Farmer – I think Karen's heart events are pretty cute, and I love the idea of Karen and the Farmer encouraging each other as they both try their hardest in the shop/on the farm. Karen is a romantic at heart, and a romantic personality in the farmer would create a really cute dynamic.

Karen x Rick – They're a pretty solid couple in this game, and while their heart events aren't the most “romantic”, it's clear to see that they care deeply for one another. I particularly love their post-marriage event where Karen reassures Rick that she will be there to help him with the farm.

I feel that Mineral Town Karen has such a warm presence about her and is outgoing and fun. I could pretty much ship her with anyone (except Cliff – in my mind they're ALWAYS cousins). I feel that her confidence would help bring out the best in people.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

HM 64 Karen:

Karen/Ann: These two have a great friendship and they both have a bluntness to them that they're comfortable with sharing around one another.

Karen/Elli: I could see these two bumping into one another in the mountains, maybe shooting the breeze while Elli is fishing.

Mineral Town Karen:

Karen/Claire: I have such a soft spot for these two as besties. I love the idea of a confident Karen helping Claire feel more comfortable in her skin and helping her straighten her crown. These two would have a lot to offer one another in terms of emotional conversation and fun times. 10/10 Super cute.

Again, as I mentioned earlier, Mineral Town Karen is so versatile, I can see her being at least casual friends with anyone in Mineral Town. I feel like she'd even be friends with Kai despite Rick's hatred of him.

My unpopular opinion about this character

HM 64 Karen:

I don't think Karen's a self-entitled brat despite coming off that way in her initial introduction. I feel that she's trying so hard to get her parents to care about life that she's exasperated. Gotz has practically given up on the vineyard, and Sasha's default expression is a worried one and she speaks of her family like she's afraid she's going to get into trouble. There's clearly a lot of unhealthy stuff going on in this family and I don't feel that Karen wanting to leave and start a life for herself is necessarily selfish. If she's grown up in this environment where her parents just don't care, but she feels tied to the land, it creates a lot of complicated feelings.

I do not like Kai and Karen as a pairing in this game. There's a definite imbalance in power and it just makes me feel like the next generation taking over the vineyard is going to be just as unhealthy as the current one. Kai's passiveness is worrisome here – he blindly admires Karen despite her faults, but his most blind affection is towards Gotz, which could cause a lot of problems in his relationship with Karen.

Not sure if this one is popular – but I know it's a polarizing opinion. I love Karen's blonde streaks! I love that it's a shoutout to SNES Eve and ties her with Cliff as a cousin. Plus, it just looks so iconic and I associate it so strongly with Karen.

Mineral Town Karen:

Karen's “I suck at cooking” schtick gets a little stale for me once I see she's never going to improve. There's a heart event where Jeff is too afraid to eat her cooking and ropes you into it. I wish the player character could start a chain of events where you give her some encouraging cooking tips.

I'm not crazy about Karen's new hair. I do miss the streaks, but my biggest gripe about her new hairstyle is that she looks too much like Freya from Grand Bazaar. Still, it's a minor complaint, as she still looks pretty cute.

I don't get a mean vibe from Karen. I've read a lot of older fic where she is an antagonist to Claire, picking on her from time to time. I purposely made Karen be best friends with Claire to play around with the dynamics and it made me fall in love with her character and personality.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I really wish that there was an opportunity for Karen's cooking to improve. She clearly has an interest in it, and everyone's so discouraging about it. An event with the player character teaching her a few simple recipes would've been really cute, and it would keep her from being a continual joke at the cooking festival. She wouldn't have to become an amazing cook, but it would be really neat if her Cooking Festival entries slowly improved over the years.

Thank you so much for the ask! I'll be working on the second part of it and have it out soon! ;)

Character Breakdown Ask Game - Still Accepting! ;)

[durotoswrites]

Character opinion bingo for Mary <3

Hehe, found another use for my Valentine's doodles!

I love Mary so much! I almost filled out "they got done DIRTY by fans", but honestly, I feel like a lot of that has stopped and fans are giving her a fair chance now. That makes me really happy, as I see her as a very gentlehearted, kind soul.

I feel that Mary is very relatable, not only in that I also write and can get lost in daydreams, but I also struggle standing up for myself and worrying too much about my parents' approval. The issues are implied at in the game, but much more can be deducted from them - essentially both parents are eager for her to follow their footsteps, but she wants to be her own person.

I do wish she wandered around town more after the library was closed so we could see more about her interests or friendships with the other NPCs. I always felt that she was so isolated.

Character Opinion Bingo!