#rip amnesiac MC

[acaribeau]

Devildom food before the (little) regulations for what is human edible would be fun

[dexterkronos]

"Reflections unto a Mirror"

I'm gonna be brave and do an Oc reveal for my TMA AUs. This OC hasn't appeared or been mentioned in any of my AO3 fics (and probably won't for a bit), but she's extremely relevant to it all.

Introducing... "Ani", the Memory-Impaired (Interim) Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute (as of 2016)!

Introduction

"Ani" (the only name she remembers) quite literally appears in the Dalton household out of nowhere one sunny January, just a week after the People's Church of the Divine Host tried to complete their Extinguished Sun ritual. Despite this, she only has a marking of The End from her exposure to the Dalton stronghold, and an unknown Marking that not even Simone can decipher.

Very few things are gleaned from trying to Compel her, amongst those being that she's Australian, she thinks she's either 21 or 23 and, of course, her assumed name. Everything else she is forced to discover over her year-and-a-half apprenticeship under Archivist Quinn, and afterwards when she is forced to assume the Interim position due to lack of willingness from her co-workers.

(More info under the read more, I get my message is big lol)

Paths

"Ani" falls to The Eye as a result of her persistent internal voice nagging her that she has forgotten something extremely important, and her fears that the reason she has no memories now is because someone entrusted her with a dangerous piece of knowledge. It also triggers due to [Spoilers], but we're focusing on the main reason. Her abilities are mostly focused around finding the truth to a situation or to expand her understanding, giving her...

Statement Syncing/Taking (typical)

Compulsion

Knowing (+Translation)

Telekinesis/Levitation (learnt)

Dream Walking (learnt).

Her Spiral sub-path - the only one not granted via a weapon or Leitner - comes to her as naturally as breathing once she meets and makes a few deals with The Distortion (wearing the face of Emma Harvey), granting her...

Impossible Navigation (cannot get lost in domains lmao)

Short-Range Teleportation (learnt)

"Song of the Soul"

A term coined by Edalyn Gleave prior to her death, it stands for 'a song that you would live and die to, a song that fuels your every move when you cannot move anymore'. Hunters trained under Edalyn were typically ones posed this question, but the Institute begun taking up the idea too when the Thundering Strings started getting too confident.

"Ani" claimed her song was "Navigating" by Twenty One Pilots, but the song does not exist (yet). Thus, she hunts for a new song, and eventually finds herself resonating close enough with "What My Scene?" by Hoodoo Gurus due to her unfamiliarity with her place in the world, and her desperation to clutch to her homeland and its music.

"Try" by P!nk does seem familiarly powerful to her, but she can never bring herself to call it her "Song of the Soul"... more 'the old tune to a life I used to lead' (no one prompted her so she forgot that line afterwards lol)

Other

Jesus I yap alot...

If you wish to see more of her or of others in her era of the Archives, please let me know! I do plan to do more eyes, but I also want to draw the people in my AO3 fics... maybe. We're trying. Simone's a high priority.

[somethingsomeart]

Ayy new job tried to keep me from doodling but I persevere! And I'm back with more silly fanart of an IF. This time A. Hazard's @oneknightstand-if One Knight Stand (that I've forced on suggested to so many people, RIP all those possessed MCs) with a not possessed security guard amnesiac serial killer totally well adjusted guy who doesn't at all begrudge the justice system.

Haven't met Lorelei yet, but considering her hellhound-body count and her interest in camping I and Tahir can't wait to meet her. Hoping they get to bound over all the hunting+survival knives he has for entirely innocent reasons uwu

[oneknightstand-if]

Rip amnesiac MC, you said they got found 10 years ago, making them 15 when that happened. This means that blud had to suffer both amnesia and highschool 😔🙏

/j

Amnesiac MC's age is just a guesstimate from the medical community/government, but yeah, after recovering in the hospital they would've had to go to high school for a bit. But maybe they just got a GED due to health reasons instead or dropped out and went to work at McBuckway Bell's...

[midnightsun-if]

Based off that last ask: how would the RO's react if it was the MC who got amnesia and couldn't remember them/being in a relationship with them?

It seems a few of you wanted the amnesia ask in reverse!

Koda: He’d be completely heartbroken. Wouldn’t be able to truly comprehend that you didn’t remember him, the love that you both shared and the journey that it took to get where you both are now. Would do everything in his power to help you, to ensure that you’re getting the best care possible, and would consistently show up with the various things he knows you love. He wouldn’t insist his presence onto you, not wanting to make you more stressed, but it’d be clear he’d want nothing more than to stay with you.

Scarlett: This would be complicated. Scarlett’s known you the longest out of any of the ROs (technically). As the first time she met you, you were still human. Depending on how you felt about her before you got into a relationship? It’d be difficult for her to simply step to the side and not help you, not when everything in her was screaming at her to help, to protect you. However, she’s well aware that there’s a very real possibility that you wanted nothing to do with her. That you’d never want anything to do with her. Something that’d rip her heart to shreds— she finally found her one, the love of her life, and it was taken from her in one of the cruelest ways imaginable. She’d be by your side, doing what she can, for however long you’d tolerate her, but, I think, she’d be one of the few ROs that’d let you go. After all, she did say she’d burn the world down for you. That doesn’t just mean the real world— her world, you, the future she wished to build with you, would go up in flames if it meant that you’d be okay, that you’d find happiness. Leaving the shattered remains of herself behind.

Cyrus/Cyra: They’d immediately start trying to figure out what they could do. Would be flitting from room to room, person to person, demanding answers or solutions to this. Would even think about using their tears, but they’re not sure if that’d help to begin with— or if it’d be like putting a bandaid over a gaping wound. Something that’d only help in the short term, if that, but wouldn’t in the long… And, if it did, they wouldn’t know the long lasting side effects that could arise. They’d be scared to touch you, with the varying emotions, as they wouldn’t want to accidentally light you on fire, but they wouldn’t be able to bring themself to go far from you either. The hospital staff would have quite the handful— an amnesiac vampire and a worried phoenix… Fun times all around.

Quinn: Their wolf wouldn’t want anyone to come near you even though they’re well aware that’s not a possibility. All they would be able to register is that their mate, their other half, is injured— that you didn’t remember them. It’d be difficult for them to rein in their wolf because it’d want nothing more than to protect you, even if the things it’s trying to protect you from aren’t of the physical sense. Quinn would stand by your beside, stone faced, as the doctors begin to speak about various treatment options, about the possibilities that you may not get your memories back, and the only reason Quinn wouldn’t lose their shit is because you wouldn’t understand, that you’d only see a shifter lose their temper and go on the defensive for no reason. You didn’t remember how much they care for you, how much they love you, and it’d tear them apart, but they wouldn’t leave your side. Not until you forced them to do so.

Caden: This is one of their worst fears becoming a reality. Seeing your eyes, that they’ve fallen so in love with, vacant of all recollection for them? It’d tear them apart… They wouldn’t want to be a burden to you, wouldn’t want to force their presence on you when you clearly didn’t recognize them, wouldn’t want to interfere in anyway with your potential recovery, which means that they’d take a step back. That, after a few conversations with you, wherein your empty gaze tore them apart, they’d simply watch from the shadows. Only stepping in when they felt it was necessary. It’d be so hard for them to be away from you, but they know that it’d be the best thing in the long run. No matter how much it destroyed them to do it. Your health, your happiness, would always come first to them. No matter what.

Sloane: They’d have to rein every instinct that they have in. Would have to stifle their need to snap at the doctors, to glare at the nurses, and everything in between, because they couldn’t let themself lose control. Couldn’t let the possibility of being kicked out of your room, out of being able to see you, turn into a reality. Sloane would do everything in their power to help you. Would be by your side every single step of the way, trying their best to get you to remember them. You may even see an appearance of their wolf, as it’d want to snuggle closer to you, needing to be near you, even if you didn’t remember them, and Sloane would stand guard throughout the night… Would they get a lot of sleep? Probably not, but they’d make sure that you were safe and sound. Which is so much important to them.

Blake: You’d probably see something in them break at the news that you didn’t recognize them in that way. That what you shared had been wiped from you mind— they’re still your best friend, but they’re so much more now. After everything, after all of their indecision and fear, to lose you in this manner? To revert back to what you both used to have? It’d never be enough. Would never be able to fill the gap in their heart… Not when they’ve had you in a way they never even imagined before. Blake would still be there, you’re their best friend, but they’d also have to take a small step back, get their mind around the fact that they lost you, their partner, because they wouldn’t want to insist upon something that you clearly didn’t remember. Wouldn’t wish to stress out your brain even more. Even when a big part of them would want nothing more than to do so. To just remind you of the love you both shared, of the happiness that came with it.

Reginald/Regina: They’d be at a loss of what to do. If your MC didn’t mind humans then they’d be by your side every step of the way. Showing you pictures, videos, and whatever else, to hopefully jog your memory of them. Recounting stories, some potentially a little exaggerated, to fill the dreadful silences that fall between the two of you. They’d just do their best to be there for you like you’ve always been there for them. If you did mind humans? Then they’d only be able to take so much of that coldness, of that ire that you directed towards them in the early days, before they’d start coming less and less. They wouldn’t be able to handle the heartbreak that the loss of you in that way represented… They may have lived being able to at least be your friend, but not even having that? Being met instead with cool contempt on the best days? It’d shatter whatever hope they have left.

Helena: She’d be a mess, but would be a put together mess. Wouldn’t hesitate to call in the best physicals and healers world wide— from the various realms even. No expense would be too great if it meant that her youngest would be able to get better, that you’d be able to have your memories, and your life in some regard, back. She wouldn’t insist on you being near her, wouldn’t force you to be in her company, but she’d always be nearby in case you needed her.

Saraya: Would be a mess too, but it’d be a lot more apparent than with Helena. She wouldn’t be able to look at you without wanting to cry, wouldn’t be able to speak with you for that long before her voice would tremble, eyes turning glassy as she tries to collect herself. She’d spend as much time in her garden, when she’s not with you, looking for potential cures in her the magical portion of her repertoire. Would forget to eat at times in her search, and Helena would have to step in when it got to be too much. She just wants her little light back— happy and healthy.

Cienna: Wouldn’t know what to do. All of her life, Cienna has had a plan, known what she’s wanted to work for. Known what she’s been doing all of said work for to begin with— her family, her siblings. Knowing that you’ve forgotten her, at least in some way, that memories and moments she holds so dear, are completely gone from your mind? It’d tear her apart, but she’d force herself to be the “unaffected” one. The one that forges ahead, being strong for her brother and sister, while Helena reins in Saraya. She’d be the lighthouse in the midst of the harrowing storm…. Even when the very base of her was beginning to erode due to her own pain, she wouldn’t shift— not until she knows her family will be okay.

Persephone: You’d be getting so many blankets, little plushies, and home baked goods, because she’d want to do something for you. Would want to show you that she’s thinking of you, even if she’s not with you as much as she’d like to be. She’d be a mess, of course, probably spending some of her free time in a Cienna’s arms, but she’d never let you see that. Her gentle smile, albeit slightly strained, would still be on her lips, hands outstretched, offering you the newest thing she had made for you. She just wants you to get better, to be well… In whatever capacity that means now.

Christian: He’d barely be able to be in the same room as you. He’d be angry at the world for doing this to you, doing this to his family. Would probably disappear for a few days before returning, clothes a bit torn and dirtier than they should be, but he’d try his best to comfort his mother’s, would try to help Persephone in the kitchen, or join Cienna in her reading whenever she just needed a quiet moment… He’d feel awful as he watched Cienna pull herself together, as she couldn’t break in the same manner that he and Persephone could, and stand strong for him. Would feel awful every time he saw his mother’s haunted gaze as he held his mama tightly in her arms. He’d try his best to be there for everyone, to be there for you, but it’d be hard. Everything would just be so hard…

[bg3-brainwormed]

Making a proper pinned. For once.

Ryuu, they/them, 25. Will likely not have any explicit or adult content besides the occasional joke. Overall blog rating ranges from General - Mature due to violence/gore (Durge). If I am following you and/or follow you back, it’s from a sideblog. And may take a couple days. I am both easily distracted and slow to interact.

Fav Characters: All the companions + Minthara + Karniss + Mol and her Kids + Gortash (Unfortunately) + Raphael (even more unfortunately). Complicated feelings about Haarlep.

Current Origin playthroughs: Lusca/Durge (Done - Balanced), Gale (Act 2 - Balanced), Astarion (Act 1 - Balanced), Kyre/Durge (Act 1 - Tactician), Tav/Durge (Act1 - Explorer)

Total Hours: 365

Fav Ships: Bloodweave, Durgetash, Halsin/Anyone, Astarion/Karlach, Karlach/Wyll, Shadowzel, Camp = Polycule, and Raphael/Haarlep. What do we call that. They technically share a name already. Oh well - the “old man yaoi” tag on this blog is reserved for Haarlep x Raphael.

Crack ships I will go down with: Halsin/Raphael & GaleDurgeTash

Things to know: I call the baby owlbear, “Bite.” I make a lot of jokes. Don’t take these posts too seriously.

Tags: Anything about my ongoing fic HtStW will be tagged as “one companion at a time.” Anything involving my Durge!Tav from that fic will be tagged “tavernus.”

Durge/Tav time~

My first ever main, now immortalized. Lusca - nonbinary Durge raised in Menzoberranzan before running away after the sacrifice of their younger “brother” to Lolth… and killing the entire House in response. Eventually taken in by the Bhaalists. Moral compass is a spinning wheel but they’re doing their best. Warlock/Bard

Kyre, raised by bandits who were later slaughtered by Fist while he watched on, hidden. Huge grudge against the powers of Baldur’s Gate and joined the Bhaalists for vengeance. Rogue/Warlock

Tav, short for Tavernus, named by the party after they escaped hell and the nautiloid. Was meant to be a joke, but they decided they liked it and would keep the name. A delightful little freak of a durge and the MC of my “How to Save the World” fic. If ride or die was a person.

Fanfics:

Fav Playthrough Stuff, Headcanons, and Memes

My 4 hour descent into madness as I try to kidnap Haarlep from the House of Hope

Ruining Cazador’s Day

Why Zanner Toobin is blind

Why Raphael Made the Orphic Hammer

THE Haarlep x Raphael fanart ever

Mocking Bhaal pt. 1

Oh really Gale

Pretty privilege Bane

Trying to Knock Gortash Out

Ketheric, from durgetash-third wheel to dating amnesiac Durge (rip Gortash)

Netherstones, the Crown of Karsus, and Raphael’s Deal

Mocking Mystra pt. 1

Why Ketheric dies if you win a charisma check against him

Tav, short for Tavernus

Ko-fi and Commissions

[rou-luxe]

amnesiac MC. if an amnesiac MC forgets alfons, what is he going to do, cry?

what about the other way around? amnesiac alfons.

if he forgets me, i'm ripping him to shre

[summaryi]

When the Moon Hatched - Sarah A. Parker

reluctant 2/5

ok i havent finished yet but

the world is interesting so far

not enough known about characters

-------

but the one thing that might push this into DNF territory for me DESPITE THE INTERESTING WORLD

is the fucking fantasy spelling of known and existing concepts

like fucking dae and day

if you make up a creature person place concept whatever

yeah have it your way

use the beautiful spellings of faerie instead of fairy

but fucking

having to read dae which means day when the word day already exists and dae just means day

not my cup of tea

but i press on

wanna know about these moons

and the POV switches are in such tiny font compared to the rest of the text i was flipping back and forth to find it

and something just happened but im like?? i didnt have the time to get invested

so this doesnt mean anything to me

---

ive kept reading and im really torn???? some parts are breathtakingly sweet and soft, like a nostalgic memory

and some parts are

so

disjointed

huh??

i feel like a third of it is lovingly crafted

and tbe other two thirds are just slapped together to fill pages

its a weird fucking experience

-----

im fucking incensed what the hell

one of the chapters ripped my heart out and tore it into shreds

and three chapters later there are so many fucking unnecessary made up fantasy words just crammed together holy hell

was this written by two different people

and if youre going to use your own made up words

give us some fucking explanation or show and tell

if i dont know whats going on because none of the words make sense how can i fucking read jesus christ

what the hell is going on in this book

im actually pissed because the quality of the writing is so inconsistent

----

ok i finished it

am i fucking stupid? is it the kindle editions? or do all these books keep fucking putting pronunciation guides and glossaries at the back with zero indication they're there, not even a * or page at the front

maybe its a me problem but holy fuck

put the map at the back and the definitions and pronunciation at tne FRONT

AND THE FUCKING TRIGGER WARNINGS TOO WHY ARE THEY the last possible item

is it me??? am i the problem???

but like, ok, have the separate pronunciation guide and the glossary or definitions at the end

i still want some kind of BRIEF in-story explanation

people DO this to GREAT effect

it's fucking practical

and it does NOT break the stupid "show, dont tell" rule to have a character just do a quick "oh, MC is new/amnesiac/willfully ignorant, here's a 2 sentence primer"

anyways

overall, hate this book

it is NOT for me

i can sort of see why its paced and split the way it is? but also i cant

it feels very.......... it just feels like only a tiny sliver of the entire book is well polished

and the rest of it is slag, just tossed in

like????

the parts that i enjoy were enough to get me to finish the book but holy shit im pissed off

it could be so good!!!! but it's not!!!! overall the idea and the plot and all the strings are very good!!! but its so badly woven!!!!!!! except for a few shining hero moments

but what the fuck!!! it should all be equally good!!!!!!!!!!!

am i just a hater??? idk everyones fucking sucking this books dick and like

its like

a delicious meal that got dropped in a puddle full of shit

like there are pieces i liked! they were good! i see the potential! but fucking christ it was not a michelin experience and those tasty bites were not worth the rest of this meal??????? aaaaakrslhbgliugraiaubefigawrlharfk

[wantmangojuice]

Copper Coins - finished - 102 ch + 1 extra

Premise: Angry dragon god who got his spinal column ripped out and wants it back meets an amnesiac monk who is puzzling out a note that someone left him and who may or may not have something to do with the spinal column-ripping. Along with a ghost, a kinda-blind boy (it's complicated) and the most bullied middle-aged man ever, they try to unravel the truth behind those two events.

If there's ever a contest for most tsundere MC, Xue Xian should absolutely join. Soooo tsundere hahahahaha but I enjoyed his narration a lot. He's such an asshole, and I say that very fondly.

Jiang Shining best boy! I teared up a bit when he passed on ngl. Glad we got to see his reincarnation in the end.

That poor crow lmao he needs eyebleach so bad

MC-ML dynamic: the most tsundere tsundere to ever tsundere MC x more stoic than 10 Lan Wangjis put together ML. At first I was pretty meh on their dynamic when it was just MC bullying ML... then ML started bullying him right back and I was delighted 😁

I've seen that a common criticism for this novel is on the development of the MC-ML relationship. Personally, I buy Xue Xian -> XuanMin: I think there's enough hints in his narration that he's feeling fonder and fonder of the ML as time goes. OTOH, it's the XuanMin -> Xue Xian perspective of that relationship that probably ought to have been fleshed out more. Still glad they got a happy ending together though 😊

This is my first Mu Su Li novel and I quite enjoyed myself. Looking forward to more :)

[spacebunnie-e]

i drew the boys as maids and now im reminded of that manhwa lady and maid HAHAHA

Omg its almost perfect

raf can be bom, xav is yongho, zayne is edward, sylus can be wonhu and caleb can be wonhu

ack that means i need to add caleb to the drawing rip well see how it goes

in this au mc is the amnesiac heiress of a mysterious millionaire grandma and all the boys are actually people hired by her late grandma to protect her

grandma suggested they stay lowkey so they all unanimously decide to dress as maids and help mc live a long happy exciting life u_u

[shalalalalaw]

yadda yadda durge is a funky origin run that's a throwback to bg1/2 bhaalspawns MCs, yadda yadda whatever im here to have fun

(my inane 4am ramblings got long)

so now that that's out of the way, imagine finding the amnesiac Durge in the nautiloid wreckage over the cooling corpe of a mindflayer and they're so lost. lost, but impossibly gleeful to have wrenched some satisfaction from the mindflayer that has been the source of all their strife and misfortune for the entire 5 hours of their life

and they follow you around like a lost puppy because they don't know anything except that the tadpole is a death sentence and they're so sweet and careful and cheeky, until you put a blade in their hands and set them against anything. they become glorious on the battlefield

it's not particularly hard to herd them in Act 1. maybe you kill the goblins, maybe you kill the druids and tieflings, maybe you kill the githyanki, maybe you just kill a bulette or a beholder, or the myconids, but you make do and the carnage is enough to sate them really, even if you have to remind them to clean the blood from their face more often than you do the others

and you build trust, they learn to trust you, confide in you their thoughts and deprived wants and horrible yearnings and how they're constantly filled with dread about it all. maybe you encourage it, maybe you help them fight it. maybe you save alfira and maybe you don't

in act 2 they crack. isobel barely escapes marcus and doesn't know how close she comes to dying at the Durge's hands because you held their hand and step in front of them so they won't see isobel and you save the last light inn, for now. or maybe you save isobel from marcus only to offer her as tribute to Durge, to sate their unending lust for death and they start walking down a horrible path

it becomes especially bad when you have to hogtie them one night, when they can barely warn you to do it before they rip you to shreds, and maybe you can let them, and it ends your journey, but sets theirs back on track as the Chosen of Bhaal, and you doom everyone

but if you survive, you can see them lose their fragile composure the longer you spend in the colony underneath moonrise. maybe the towers themselves won't be more than an overwhelming sense of déjà vu for them, but once you go underneath and they see their own handiwork and their hands start to shiver and sweat? and maybe they can find their own handwriting, on a desk in a corner, saying how sorry they are Father, for admiring the Chosen of his enemy, Bane. how they couldn't help it, couldn't help getting closer, becoming conspirators, becoming friends becoming lovers

please, please forgive them Father, they will atone, they will, they will, they will

and you can barely drag them down to the pool, and much like talking down Gale from doing something stupid, you have to talk Durge down from walking down the aisle and riping Orin part, but even they don't know why (is it because they want revenge? or because she's standing right next to Enver get away from him you twice muddied blood licker, i will make of you a sacrifice to Father and hoist your bones on my throne so all will know who you wronged)

but Orin and Enver leave, and Ketheric offers no information or alternative and they fight just as well as they always do and you don't know if want to trust them anymore or not, but you have to move on, there's gods to kill

and Act 3 breaks them completely. they walk with confidence you did not expect once you reach the outskirts of the city, gain a spring in their step even, once you're past the gates and into wyrm's crossing because they're home! they can finally search for proper answers rather than grasping in the dark!

only for you to get invited to Gortash's coronation, and there's so many things that come crashing down. your own newfound resentment at the forefront, with karlach's indignation playing tandem and they nearly cower from you all, wrathful as each and every one of you is, because they don't remember! it's not them! they couldn't have! but Enver looks at them like they gifted him the world and you have to take them and leave before you all say something you'll regret

and you don't get a chance to resolve anything. right as you all think you have enough of a grasp on the situation and the new information to talk about it, Orin kidnaps them. and the irony of the mad dash to save the bhaalspawn from themselves when they're the reason you're all in this situation is not lost on you

and you can save them, break their chains, let them confront their blood-kin and emerge, free, truly, for the first time in their life

or you can push, until they snap in two and then snap Orin into more pieces under their Slayer-jaws than you can count. maybe you can convince them anyway to stay and kill the netherbrain, their plan has gone astray, oh Chosen, won't they put it to rights?

and maybe you'll stay and help them learn how to be a person after it's all down, after you've put the brain in its grave, or you can let them seek atonement on their own, it's more than enough that you helped them become themselves, they wouldn't want to burden you further

and isn't it enough? to see them finally take their life into their own hands?

kinda wish Durge was a recruitable/romanceable companion, I think I could fix th-

[snowinthe-south]

This is only my second attempt at writing an imagine/headcanons.

Also, I can concur with what I see a lot of people complaining about: writing on mobile, sucks.

***Spoilers mainly for Felix's route, just for Rime's part of the post. Small spoilers though, nothing crazy.

Life is great. The LoS has been defeated and Astraea is safe. MC has decided to stay in Astraea to be with their LI of choice and not return to earth. They've officially been in Astraea for over a year. Life is good.

Until MC gets amnesia. Either from an accidental spell or a blow to the head. They've lost all of their memories of Astraea, their adventures, and their loved ones. The last thing they remember is the convention before they were ripped from away from earth, and even then the details are foggy.

Felix is a total wreck. He and MC were practically inseparable. If you saw Felix somewhere, MC was probably just a few feet away, and vice versa. They were never apart, and they liked it that way. So for Felix, to go from always having MC at his side to them being strangers... it was very hard for him.

It was almost like the whole Rime situation again, just in a different manner. It takes a toll on his mental health.

Felix works nonstop, searching for a spell to recover MC's memories, and even begs his father for help. But to no avail, MC's memories are gone. They don't even remember their first time meeting Felix.

Felix soon accepts that his only option is to take care of MC and let their relationship come again naturally. They were rather close, after all. It will happen... it has to.

But Felix cannot silence the nagging thought in the back of his head, his insecurities telling him "it was a miracle that they fell for you the first time..."

Felix doesn't try to force the memories, nor does he let them affect the current dynamic between him and MC. But one day they were in the study, reading together on the couch, and MC drifted off to sleep on Felix's shoulder. It took everything in him not cry, because they used to do that all the time. The faint familiarity of it hurt Felix, because it only reminded him of the memories lost.

Despite the trauma and turmoil Felix had to face regarding MC's amnesiac state, he never gave up on them. Not once. And every tear, every sleepless night, every struggle was worth it when MC shyly took hold of Felix's hand during a walk. In that moment, he knew everything was going to be okay.

Anisa tries to put on a brave face. Of course on the inside she feels like her heart has been torn out. She and MC were about as a close as two people can get, they were friends, and then partners. Now they're strangers- at least, they are to MC.

After being advised to not try and force memories back, Anisa does her best to keep things as casual as possible. But it's so hard for her to not take MC's hand when they're walking through the town. And she catches herself staring off at MC with a lovesick expression more often than she'd care to admit.

Despite the internal struggles, Anisa is probably the one who would handle the situation the best. Don't get me wrong, she struggles immensely, and there are definitely tears. But she keeps a positive attitude, knowing that MC is still the same person that fell in love with her, and she still loves them immensely.

Her mother does her best to help. And by that, I mean she subtly tries to play matchmaker in an attempt to set MC and Anisa up (again). It's quite comedic, MC walking into a definitely not romantic dinner with candles and a violinist and flowers and Anisa standing there like "I didn't do this I swear."

It was hard for Anisa to open up to MC the first time, she's got demons she feels like she needs to hide. But she feels relief when she remembers that MC never judged her before, so they wouldn't judge her now.

It takes time, but they grow to be quite close again. Anisa's patience pays off the day MC turns to her and says, "I think I'm in love with you."

Sage takes it the the worst, no doubt there. He stayed closed off for years, fighting to keep every little skeleton in his closet hidden. Never opening up, never revealing his secrets or speaking of his past. MC fought so hard to gain Sage's trust, to get him to let them in. And all for nothing... they're gone now.

Sage is fully aware it's still the MC he fell for. It's them... but it's also not.

He will never forget the pain he felt when he went to embrace MC that horrid day and they looked at him with a confused expression before asking who he was.

He spent the next few days under the impression this was just a cruel, cruel joke being played on him. After he realized it wasn't a joke, he convinced himself it was a nightmare. A horrible nightmare.

He avoids MC. It hurts far too much. Sage makes an excuse to leave the room every time they come in, and he stays out on missions for longer periods of time.

Tulsa, Anisa, Felix, even Rime all have to keep Sage from drinking himself to death.

Sage comes to his senses one day when MC grabs his wrist to stop him from leaving the room, asking "why do you hate me so much?"

After that, Sage sticks around and basically becomes MC's bodyguard. He doesn't leave their side and becomes very protective over them. He doesn't try and force memories back, but unlike Anisa and Felix he does spend a lot of time telling MC about the time they spent together with him- just leaving out any romantic aspects (and also overhyping himself in the stories).

He finally works up the courage to ask MC out one night. "Like on an actual date?... you, Sage, wanna go out with me???"

The date went very well, and Sage felt from that point that things for him and MC were going to be okay.

Rime is of course, very worried and somewhat distraught. Just last week, MC had told Rime that they loved him, and now they look at him like a stranger. He doesn't know what to do.

However, if there's one thing Rime knows how to do, it's to do what he can with the situation he's faced with. And so, he takes this as an opportunity for a new start with MC. They don't remember his attempts to kill them, so that's a good thing, right?

He's surprisingly soft with MC. Not that he didn't have his moments before, but now more than ever he's just super gentle and sweet.

Trust me, he still teases the hell out of them and bullies them (lovingly). But it kind of gives the others whiplash, because they're used to Rime being all, you know, stabby. And now he's over here patting MC's head... what the hell?

Rime does his best to make sure MC doesn't find out about their past encounters, and begs Felix, Anisa and and Sage to keep quiet about it. And they do, deciding that if Rime wants to tell MC later on, he will.

From the moment they wake up without their memories, Rime is by their side. He spends every waking moment with them and they're hardly apart. MC doesn't mind, because Rime has been so helpful and kind since they woke up in the strange new world. Rime isn't possessive by any means, nor does he keep MC under lock and key. He's just very protective. "They could hardly defend themselves before... what do you think is going to happen if they are faced with danger now?"

He takes his time teaching MC magic and how to use the Astrolab (because Felix never did) and he's a surprisingly patient teacher. Very encouraging, corrects any mistakes but isn't an ass about it. However, does tease MC whenever the opportunity arises. "If you hadn't been so busy staring at me, dear, then you may have heard what I just told you to do."

MC's feelings return gradually, even if their original memories don't. Nothing needs to be spoken between MC and Rime though... they both know. And that's all they need.

[smolcinnamonchipmunk]

Willingness

Count: 3342

(This contains MAJOR spoilers for Lesson 38 in Obey Me and the second ‘season’ of Obey Me in general (Lessons 20-40). Don’t read if you don’t want to be spoiled. Most of the dialogue for Solomon and Lucifer is basically ripped from the chapters script. This is mostly just focusing on how I, as MC, was kind of panicking on the other side of my screen and how I would feel in that situation.

Other warnings include self-blame, near major character death, near death experience, etc. Basically, psychological stuff and dark-ish themes.)

“We currently have no way to sever the ring… and your powers will continue to manifest in more and more destructive and predictable ways,” Solomon said. “Eventually, there will be no way to stop it at all. No way to stop the impact it has on the world, on all of us, and even on you yourself.”

I had just told Lucifer “Good night” after a day of hanging out only three minutes ago, how could everything devolve into this? This mess that already made the last week of amnesiac Lucifer worse. I’d been trying so, so, *so* hard to not beat myself up over it. 

After all, it wasn’t *MY* fault that I was born with angel’s blood and I didn’t know making a pact with all seven brothers was something so outlandish. This whole week felt like one revelation after the other, from finding out that humans weren’t supposed to command demons - especially several at once without regard that they were the most POWERFUL demons - with as much apparent ease as I could to the fact that all three worlds were liable to being torn apart from my existence and actions. But, Solomon, Diavolo, and Simeon had a plan. 

They were *supposed* to have a plan. Solomon was smart, he was thousands of years old like Diavolo and Simeon. As much as I didn’t like stepping back, there wasn’t much I could do aside from try to keep the brothers in high spirits while Solomon did his research. Which.. He did. The artifact just… wasn’t powerful enough.

“Well, but what if I break all of my pacts,” I asked after a few seconds, trying to think of alternatives. “Then I’ll sever off my magical connection to the Devildom at least, right?”

“That’s… not the same as severing the ring, I’m afraid. It doesn’t work that way, even if you did sever your pacts. It wouldn’t sever the ring. And -” Solomon firmed his voice ever so slightly to cut me off as I opened my mouth in confusion. “- while it’s true that severing the ring would void your pacts, it’s a side effect of severing the ring, not one of the causes. But, don’t worry, the story doesn’t end here, I have more to say.”

“Oh?” I perked up a bit, hoping that he’d say *something* positive, even though he’d started the conversation with ‘it’s all bad news’.

“Yes, it’s… clear that we weren’t going to be able to use the Night Dagger like we’d hoped. But, I couldn’t think of any other magic item that could potentially sever the ring, so I looked into whether or not it might be possible to restore the Night Dagger’s power. Which brings me to my second piece of bad news…”

Oh no… My stomach dropped, any relief or hope extinguishing with dread.

“What is it,” I urged cautiously, trying to temper my expectations.

Solomon sucked in a breath, obviously not happy to break any of this to me, before replying, “There is only one way to restore the Dagger’s power… It must be thrust into the body of a powerful demon, whose power it will absorb. I suppose that’s how it got it’s reputation as a dagger ‘with the power to kill even demons’...”

“Wait, what? You’re talking about *killing* a demon,” I asked, caught off guard. He had said *powerful* too, and as someone living in a house with the seven most powerful demons… I didn’t want to hear the rest of anything.

“Yes… and not just any demon,” Solomon seemed a little hesitant to continue, but did so without much waiting. “Lucifer, Acatar of Pride himself.”

“What,” my eyes widened in shock, my voice coming out in a borderline whisper.

“Lucifer, Avatar of Pride. Most powerful of the seven rulers of the underworld,” Solomon repeated, nailing the hammer home.

I almost recoiled physically, snapping, “I fucking heard you the first time, Solomon, I just…”

“For the Night Dagger to be restored, it must be used on a demon of Lucifer’s power,” Solomon was far calmer than I felt. Then again, he’d known this information and had more time to process it. “If we don’t take action, it’s likely that the ring will bring about the destruction of all three worlds, and there’s no guarantee the other brothers won’t be affected like Lucifer has as well… I’m not sure how long you’ll be able to hold out before you fall victim to it yourself. It comes down to the choice between Lucifer and all three worlds… One, or the other…”

Lucifer or the fate of all three realms… Mathematically and logically, I knew that it should be an easy choice. But I just… I…

“You have to act now, before it’s too late” Solomon’s voice caught me off guard, making me jolt. I blinked at him a bit, briefly wondering if my eyes were dry. “Listen carefully, Kat.”

Solomon practically seemed to produce the Night Dagger out of nothing, but I also wasn't paying too much attention to his hands until he took one of my hands and pressed the hilt of the Night Dagger into my palm while curling my fingers around it with his own.

"Solomon-?"

"You need to take this dagger, hold it as tight as you can, and thrust it straight into his chest," Solomon instructed, his hand tightening on my own over the Dagger before releasing, as though to make sure I wouldn't drop it once he drew away.

I could only stare at him for a second before turning my gaze down to the blade in my hand, the blade that was glowing faintly and had the power to kill *demons*. My hand didn't feel like my own, feeling like I was watching someone else's hand holding the Dagger. After a second or two of silence, or what felt like it, I began to whisper out, "S-Solomon, n-no, I-"

"Just kidding," his remark made my head snap up to look up at him in surprise. He smiled apologetically, though it was still sad. "I know you could never do that…"

"Wha- no shit, of course I couldn't," I snapped, thinking this was a very poor fucking joke for him to pull. "I feel like that goes without saying, Solomon!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry," Solomon shifted his stance, closing himself off a bit by crossing his arms and sighing a little. "Kat… just like Diavolo puts the interests of the Devildom above all else, I feel the same about the Human World. Nothing is more important to me than its peace and stability."

I blinked a bit, deflating from my anger. My eyes searched over him as he spoke and took in his posture. He'd never divulged much to me about his past….

"I've spent countless years watching over the people of our world. It's my duty, as the "witty sorcerer", to make sure the lives and livelihoods are secure, for now and for the future. Therefore… If I have to sacrifice the life of a demon to do so, I'll do it without a moment's hesitation…

"Or, that's what I told myself," Solomon's smile became more sad as he watched me process what he'd just said. "That's what I thought I'd be able to do when I came back… but, you'd be angry with me if I did that, wouldn't you?..."

He gave me a couple seconds, probably waiting to see me burst angrily, snap at him and tell him 'Of fucking course!'. But, this felt far too serious for my normal snarkiness and "feisty" behavior. I was in shock.

"I can't stand the thought of making you upset," Solomon continued. "... the thought of you hating me… so, now I'm not quite sure what to do. What are we going to do, Kat?"

Solomon sighed while my brain looped in denial. Why was he asking me?! I didn't have any answers!

"If we don't do anything, we'll both end up dead," the sorcerer remarked, but at this point I wasn't sure if he was twisting the metaphorical knife in me or if he was just talking out loud. Either way, I jolted a bit at the statement.

"No," I said angrily, making him flinch a little in surprise. Defiance and anger laced my voice, refusing to let the others suffer for me. "There *has* to be another way. And we'll find it."

"Kat, I've already researched every possible avenue, every possible source I could think of," Solomon retorted calmly. He opened his mouth, ready to probably continue telling me that we were out of options. But, something caught his attention behind me, something that made him recoil a bit and quiet immediately.

Instinctively, I turned to see what it was and felt my face pale.

Lucifer stood in my doorway, quietly staring at Solomon and I as we discussed his potential death. A suffocating silence blanketed the room, only breaking when Solomon spoke next.

"Lucifer…"

"... I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on that I wouldn't like," Lucifer slowly started, nudging the door enough that it was ajar compared to wide open. "So I came to see what was happening… is what you just said true?..."

"Yes…" Solomon frowned, somber. "... I'm sorry…"

Another uncomfortable silence fell, seconds ticking by. I wondered what Lucifer thought, how he felt at having just walked in on our conversation given the subject…

"I want to talk with Kat, alone," Lucifer said firmly, taking a few steps further into my room. A shudder of panic ran up my spine. "Solomon, go home."

Solomon jolted at the command, brow furrowing angrily as he replied, "Now hold on a second. I'm not going anywhere until we figure this out-."

"LEAVE," Lucifer's voice hardened, as did his demeanor a bit. He didn't look like he was going to budge on whatever he wanted to talk to me about. It wasn't anywhere near like when he was angry and about to turn into his demon form, but the steely anger was scary in its own right.

Solomon himself looked like he was ready to argue back, but closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself and relented, "Alright, fine.

"Kat, we'll continue this tomorrow," Solomon turned his attention to me intently and nodded in a small attempt to reassure me. "I'll stop by again and bring Diavolo and Barbatos as well."

He tried to give me another reassuring look as he walked to my door, glancing back at Lucifer. I followed his gaze and saw Lucifer staring at him to make sure he left the room. The door clicked behind Solomon as he left Lucifer and I alone.

Desperate, I couldn't stop myself from blurting out after a second or two of trying to contain my panic, "L-Lucifer, don't worry. We're..  We're *going* to find another way. When Solomon comes back tomorrow, we-!"

Lucifer raised a hand to stop me and I felt my eyes sting, felt a tear or two well up.

"I may have lost my memory," he said quietly, but his voice didn't waver. Not like mine did. "... but you and my brothers are still dear to me. That feeling has remained… Even now, I want to protect all of you. So, if my power is what it takes to ensure you're all safe, then take it."

"Wha-" No, no, we still had *time*, we had to have time. "Lucifer!"

"Without this blade," Lucifer stepped closer, gesturing to the Dagger in my hand that I’d forgotten I was holding. "Without this Night Dagger, it's possible that you'll end up getting hurt, right? So, it's okay, Kat. If it means saving all of your lives, then it’s worth it. Now, take the dagger, point it at my chest, and thrust forward as hard as you can."

“... L-Lucifer,” I choked out after a few seconds of silence, my throat threatening to close under the myriad of emotions flooding over me and my hand shaking around the Dagger as I resisted the urge to just throw it to the side.”I-I can’t just do that.”

“This… feels familiar, almost like we’ve been here before,” Lucifer mused, catching me off guard. “You holding a dagger, looking very upset.”

“What?”

“Have we acted this out before, like in a play or something,” he asked, tilting his head a little as he waited for confirmation.

“Th-That’s what you’re remembering,” I couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief that bubbled up in my chest, forcing the tears welled up in my eyes to fall slowly. “The fucking play?”

“Kat, look at it this way,” Lucifer had a small smile on his face. I wasn’t sure whether it was at seeing me laugh or at getting his confirmation. He took another step closer, within striking distance. “You just have to do what you did then, this isn’t any different.”

“Lucifer, this isn’t the same thing,” I hissed out, trying to retain the distance between us but he just walked closer and carefully grabbed my wrist before I could back away further. It was gentle, but firm enough that I couldn’t squirm away. Terrified that he’d take the dagger and stab himself, I tightened my grip as I said, “Lucifer, let go.”

He just chuckled a bit sadly, moving his fingers. But, instead of prying my fingers open to take the Night Dagger, he used both of his hands to make me hold the dagger in both hands and kept his own over them. “Just think of the play.”

I watched, mortified, as he began to guide my hands into position, pointing the dagger at his own chest. Immediately, I began to protest and try to fight against it, my hands and arms shaking in his collected hold that offered no resistance. “L-Lucifer, stop. This isn’t anything like that, we can.. We can do something else…”

“It’s either me or everything else,” Lucifer said, trying to convince me to stop fighting him.

I could feel his hands tense over my own, my mind racing over potential options or ways to convince *him*. But, he seemed dead set on his decision. But, a cold wash of clarity stilled everything for me, my eyes widening. 

The phenomena between the three realms was because of *me*. Lucifer lost his memory because of *me*, and everyone else was in danger because of *me*. A thought that had crossed my mind briefly throughout the week surfaced once more in full-force as Lucifer’s actions kicked in my fight or flight instinct.

I felt Lucifer’s hands brace to shove my own upwards to plunge to dagger into his chest and jolted. Spurred by adrenaline and taking advantage of the fact that he was ready to force me to keep going and probably wasn’t ready for me to change direction, I jerked my hands in his hold and pointed the Night Dagger towards my own chest. Closing my eyes, I braced for the sharp pain and ignored Lucifer’s cry of “Kat, NO!”.

It took a moment for me to realize that there was no pain, blinking my eyes open from holding them shut so tight that I saw colors. Simeon’s hand was placed over Lucifer’s and mine, holding the Dagger in place. I stared in surprise before looking up at the angel, seeing Lucifer was also caught off guard at his sudden appearance.

“Don’t worry, there’s no need for that,” Simeon said, giving a soft smile. “I can’t imagine how difficult this has been for you. But, I have something here you should have.”

The angel used both Lucifer’s and my shock to carefully take Lucifer’s hands off my own, prying one of mine off of the Night Dagger to slip a ring onto one of my fingers. The ring practically emitted warmth and suddenly I got a brief feeling of it traveling up my arm, only able to suck in a startled breath before my vision suddenly turned white. 

I expected to wake up, probably knocked unconscious for an indeterminate amount of time. But, I was aware of this white void, and I could feel myself within it. Where the fuck was I?

“Hello there, Kat,” a voice echoed around me. Or maybe it was in my head, it was difficult to tell. Either way, a sigh *rattled* through me before it continued. “Here I am, finally getting to talk to you, and it had to be a situation like this… Can you hear me, Kat?”

“Who the fuck are you and where am I,” I demanded nervously.

“Ah, that’s right. You haven’t actually met me, have you,” the voice asked. “Don’t worry, I’m a friend.”

I mean, that’s something an entity that wanted to fuck around with me would say, but I was too tired to be hyper-critical of the sudden voice and void around me. I had questions, but the voice spoke again before I could. Because why not?

“Do you remember what happened before you ended up here?”

I stiffened, very much remembering what happened, and asked, “Where’s Lucifer? What happened to him?”

“Don’t worry, he’s safe,” the voice reassured me, making me sigh in relief. As long as it was telling the truth. “You pointed the Night Blade at yourself. Could you tell me why you did that?”

“To sever the ring, of course,” I answered, frowning. What was this, a test?

The voice was quiet for a couple seconds before speaking again, sounding solemn and upset, “... So, you were willing to sacrifice your own life and save Lucifer, the three worlds, and everything in them?... Not so long ago, you were an ordinary human, and to think that you were forced to make such a heart-wrenching decision… I’m sorry…”

The genuine sadness in the voice’s… well, voice, caught me off guard. But, not as much as the voice continuing to say, “I must admit that I’m jealous of you, Kat.”

“Wha- jealous?!” I jolted in surprise, feeling a bit of irritation creep up. What the fuck was it jealous of?! Having to choose between killing itself or one of its best friends? Jealous of me almost being forced to stab my friend?

“Yes. I wish I could have been more like you. I loved Lucifer and his brothers, and I lost them. Maybe things could have been different…”

Oh…. Was this… was this Micheal? Or maybe someone else that had known the brothers before they’d fallen. I debated giving my condolences.

 All right, I’ve heard all I needed to hear,” the voice interrupted my thoughts. “I’d better go ahead and send you back now. It looks like Lucifer and the others are worried about you. I pray for your happiness and well-being. From now on, that ring will help protect you. Considering how much Lucifer and his brothers adore you, I assumed you’d turn into a well and truly wicked person, bit it seems I was worried over nothing. Until we meet again, Kat.

“May you be blessed with joy and good fortune.”

“Huh,” I exclaimed in surprise. “Wait- You still didn’t tell me who you are!”

The voice didn’t reply and everything suddenly went dark. But, with that darkness came an awareness of my limbs and some yelling that started muffled that quickly became louder.

"... Kat. Kat! Kat!"

I gasped awake, jolting up into a sitting position and almost headbutting the demon currently kneeled by my side. Panting a bit, I looked towards Lucifer, taking in his very not stabbed appearance. He was looking at me with a bit of surprise, but I didn't care, immediately placing my hands on his face.

"Oh thank fucking God you're okay," I exclaimed, looking for any potential damage.

"Funnily enough, I was going to say something similar," Lucifer said, his surprised expression turning into a soft smile. Carefully, he pulled my hands away from his face and looked mine over, asking, "*Are* you okay?"

My smile widened a bit and my eyes stung as more tears welled up, my voice cracking as I shakily replied, "... I-I don't know."

[bpd-shuichi-togo]

Sorry but the other day you were talking abt the protagonist and their relatioship with violence and idk it seemed very interesting, what are your thoughts on it?

i channel most of my thoughts on anything relating to the protag into writing my own mcs so answering this is kinda foahdugjasd but just as it's handled in canon, the gist of my thoughts here are that

^ this, is gravely underutilized. the protag is meant to be a vessel for the rule of Severance and, of all its iterations, the one they are most directly connected to is Rending. the thing about Rending that tends to get highlighted is its primary function of severing authority, but with boundless tail's previous wielder having been a hell-raiser and, frankly, the connotations of the word rending alone, violence is- or atleast should be- a crucial, fundamental element, moreso than should already be inherent in a Severance rule. and if the protag is One With Boundless Tail, ie metaphysically connected to Rending itself, they should have a proclivity towards ripping tearing blood kill violence, and a conspicuous one at that. and on top of that/as an aside, the fact that violence genuinely is the solution for a lot of their problems should noticeably influence them, especially considering they're an amnesiac. naturally the protag gets done dirty here, so for the most part the most we get that could be construed as their connection to Rending influencing who they are as a person is like. they're conveniently unaffected by things that should deeply impact them, and they're kind of stubborn sometimes. they're not even resistant to authority, really, they just sometimes are generic shonen protagonist Stubborn. the amount of wasted potential w the protag is mindboggling.

but, one moment i LOVELOVELOVELOVED re: their relationship with violence was the flashback in chapter 8, where mononobe witnesses (what we are initially led to believe is) the aftermath of one of the protag's fights, and is so disturbed by what he sees they are capable of that he stages an intervention the very next day, specifically accusing them of enjoying violence (which they can admit to!!). the conversation mostly focuses on the Enclosed Space themes more than anything, but it's so fucking good wrt the protag relationship to violence, if i were feeling charitable i might say that its previous lack of focus on/any acknowledgement whatsoever could almost be viewed as buildup god that scene is so good. like!! that fight was a perfectly normal, everyday thing for the protag, and at this point likely for the player as well! mononobe, more or less an outsider to the world of SUMMONS, takes one look at what you have accepted as normal and-- like any halfway responsible guardian-- Strongly Urges You To Perhaps Reevaluate Everything, a response so jarringly grounded it honestly does make you (or atleast me) reevaluate how you view the events of the game, how often these children!! endure and inflict and are exposed to ludicrous amounts of violence and suffering. fighting those guys at the park was the right thing to do, they had real-world weapons, they could have hurt someone! mononobe recognizes this, and thanks them for saving his life... and then highlights that they left those guys afraid for their lives, which not only potentially paints all previous fights in a very different light, it's acknowledged as genuinely disturbing, Immediate Warning Sign Behaviour. goddddd this is such a good fucking scene. i can't believe it's in the same chapter as Even if you had killed all my friends, I wouldn't hate you!

[adrasthee]

📜 x5 for every character >:3

im going to yeet to ontario and (softly) punch you (jk jk ily dav)

Alexios

He owns a mycenean armour they found on the rower deck.

His aunt married the Theban king so he had a rich boy’s education.

Why he got it because of his aunt’s husband, you may ask? Because his mother didn’t have time to raise him in between all the stuff she had to do at the temple, so his aunt and uncle raised him.

He has a strong dislike for pigs… (there’s a very valid reason why)

He’s refered to as “The son of the Lion” in the prophecy uwu.

Adrasthea

She’s our local orphan! (Other than Delia at least…)

Adra is? Very impulsive.

She’s part of the Bi team and I’m pretty sure she considered dating Amalthea at least once but they’re not compatible romantically.

She’s the most impulsive of the trio.

She’s doing her darnest to push Alexios towards having more actual self-confidence.

Amalthea

She’s the daughter of Circea (and therefore the granddaughter of Hecate!)

Just like her mother, she’s a skilled magician and doesn’t really like guys all that much. Not that she hates them or anything, she just finds their acting stupidly quite annoying.

Local lesbian, though she judges love to be something very secondary.

I wouldn’t call her rude, but she has no shame in saying what she thinks.

She can stand for herself hella well.

Delia

Our other local orphan! She was found on Delos, hence her name (which literally means “Delian”).

She’s demi and have only actually been attracted and in love to one person in her entire life, though that doesn’t stop her from being a very loving person in general.

She traveled through all of Greece for Apollo, basically working as his messenger all around the place.

She lived a good part on her (short) life in Delphi because of this, but always prefered Delos.

Apollo thought it was a good idea to teach her how to swim literally in the Egean when she was 12; she almost drown and she’s been a bit scared of the water ever since.

Ailyah

She’s Maël’s cousin!

Unlike him, she’s fully human and didn’t grow up as royalty, though she did spend most of her childhood with him.

One would say Maël and her are almost like twins.

She’s the one that gifted him his magical coin.

Ailyah wants herself to be the responsible one but… she’s not.

Maël

He’s half-human half-fae!

Maël is autistic (logic, since he’s inspired by my cousin, whom happens to be tsa too).

He’s also asexual and has frankly no care in the world about sex in general.

One of his wings got ripped off following a pretty horrible event…

He owns a magical coin that allows him to go in between two dimensions

Ian

Ian is a changeling!

He was raised in a circus by another changeling, who vanished when he was still a kid.

He’s pretty agile and a good pick pocket because, well… the circus wasn’t all that much honest in general.

Ian actually hated being in the circus because the owner was a dick.

His favourite song  is Bohémienne, from the musical Notre-Dame de Paris; he can sing it by heart.

MC

Mc is actually amnesiac, they completely forgot their past life before the labyrinth.

They’ve discovered themself strangely skilled at killing.

They’re generally pretty silent and don’t make much noises while moving around.

They have pretty good reflexes.

They’re the responsible one in the group and lowkey hate it (or at least that’s what they say…)

Alois

His first language is German.

In fact, Alois’ parents are Germans (and so he is ig?).

He doesn’t have the nationality though because they were forty-eighters.

My boi Alois is an anarchist and proud of it.

He grew up in Chicago.

Armena

Even her doesn’t know how many kids she has anymore.

She got nicknamed griffon d’or (gold griffyn) by the girls because she has golden feathers.

She’s been happily married for a whole lot of time, so long, in fact, that she forgot the actual duration.

She’s? Good at cooking though she doesn’t get to do it often because royal stuff to do.

One of her kids is a baby dragon.

Sam 

Sam is bipolar and struggles a lot with this.

They don’t usually eat much, most often because they forget, but sometimes because they don’t want to.

Sam actually had a very supportive family that never questionned what they discovered about their gender… sucks that they died a long time ago though…

Their lover died in an accident while they survived and Sam considers themself responsible for it.

Hadn’t it been for their rare friends, they’d have most likely died a longtime ago.

[thefairess]

Escapism Crippled by Escapism

Otomes are plagued by bland heroines—it’s sort of a given for this gaming niche. Most people blame this blandness on the MC’s lack of personality and move on. I’m curious about how exactly MC personalities come about in the context of otomes.

I realize that blandness does have a purpose; after all, the reader needs some skin to step into so she can fully immerse herself into a fiction. That’s why first person is so popular to the genre, why most CG’s often don’t give the MC a face. Part of me wonders if this isn’t some cultural crutch borrowed from Japan, where young women living as popstars can be barred from having relationships in order to appear single and appealing to the fans they work to please. 

Because the second an MC has a life of her own or something to be passionate about, she apparently becomes less relatable. In so many ways, commercial fiction is built to treat us like completely average joes who need to escape from our mind-numbingly boring lives. And it sells because we think that, too.

I’m not going to argue that everyone is a special snowflake who simply has to tap into their inner awesomeness to be satisfied. I’m also not going to argue that immersive fiction doesn’t have psychological benefits. As a lover of fiction, I understand very well how great it feels just to relax for a moment and forget the world around me.

What I’m arguing is that lazy otome writing goes too far. The MC often starts off with amnesia, and if not amnesia, some excuse or crisis to rip her out of the world she knows and dump her into a completely new one in which she knows no one and understands nothing. She will spend her time in the game not pursuing her own interests or hobbies, but having each love interest explain everything directly to her and drag her along for the plot because heaven forbid she should initiate romance on her own terms or figure out what’s going on without having a guy explain it all (usually right after saving her).

What great talents and force of personality will she use to survive in her new climate? Housework. Because what else would a flavorless amnesiac know how to do? Stripped of any specific skills or passions (or simply not given any opportunity to use what she knows), the lazily written MC will do little more than react and be acted upon until her quiet support combined with various conveniences outside of her control ultimately end up teaching a guy how to love her.

MC’s don’t have to be feminist write-ins to achieve some sense of personality—those already exist and they’re honestly just as bad in many of the same ways. The crux of the issue doesn’t come down to sassiness, it comes through characterization. An MC with no abilities, no drive, no power over her own personal choices will inevitably end up so vague and powerless as to be completely unrelatable.

A girl can be a musician and express her passion for it in meaningful, immersive ways. A girl can be a warrior with riveting action scenes that drives the plot forward on her own terms. A girl can be whatever she wants, and so long as she is true to herself she will have a story worth telling. Flaws, strengths, hopes, and dreams all surround what a character chooses to do in her free time as much as her working hours, and if that free time is spent doing nothing but daydreaming, it’s hard to believe any of her heart-throb love interests ever finding her worth the time of day.

In short, immersive otome narratives benefit by embracing the MC as a character in and of herself. It’s time to drop the overbearing love interests and personality-less MC’s in favor of MC’s that actually grow, change, and bring readers along for the ride rather than being mere observers of their own stories.