#this is a tragic route to go through for Moon’s character

[h-didanart]

Ooh, interesting

First off, I would like to very respectfully disagree on Moon being perfectly able to act. While it is true that Moon is making decisions by himself and doing stuff by himself, he doesn’t appear to be in a good enough state of mind to really truly think through what he’s doing, so I’d give him some slack on that front. It’s fine if you don’t, just thought I’d share my view on that

Now, Moon compulsively trying to bring Solar back to find a way to bring anyone back, specifically Sun, if they were to die? That is an amazing take on this.

We have seen Moon be paranoid before, and it was clear his conversation with Old Moon affected him deeply, that alongside his self-worth issues relating to him “being less smart” than Old Moon and the possibility of Solar truly never coming back would obviously send him into a spiral. Adding the connection to Sun just makes this even more of a gut punch. The fear of losing Sun of all people, by Sun’s own will, and not being able to get him back… yeah, it’s very believable that train of thought would lead to Moon’s current state.

Oh, and I love the fact you brought up the Sun star power arc, genuinely my favorite arc in this whole show, we saw so many sides to the characters, and the acting was amazing, and so were the animations, and so was the plot and so was the resolution and so was the set up and so were the consequences and I might have tried to memorize the “Because you’re my brother” and “So you lied to me for weeks” speeches—

Uhh, yeah, ahem, your theory

I can see it being plausible, and would like it to be. Moon’s paranoia//anxiety and the missteps that have occurred along the way and Sun’s previous portrayals mixing together into him going to extremes in order to be able to do something for his family’s safety is just such a good road to go through. It pulls from events that have happened before and has the character notice the resemblance and desperately try to change something before it happens again, self-fulfilling prophecy style (tho I don’t think that’s what you were implying in your theory?)

Very good logic, I really like that you tie Sun with the plot so much, your theories really make him feel more connected with everything, and your thoughts on the characters are always so unique! This was fun to read, albeit concerning for Moon and Sun’s characters.

We all know that Moon isn't losing his mind - he's aware of what he's doing and that what he's doing is bad hence why he hides it form his family - though like I said he partially told Sun what's on his mind so that's that.

What if Moon is trying so hard to focus on bringing Solar back because he doesn't want to think about what Old Moon told him and to not think about his dream?

I mean what if he doesn't want to think about a possibilty that Sun may throw away his life or that Sun is self-destructive?

Moon chose to focus on something that was already occupying his mind. After all bringing Solar back is something in a realm of possibilty and it's a task that will keep him busy.

I was thinking that him spiraling so hard because he couldn't bring Solar back would be okay if it wasn't for a fact that he decided to kill someone and he's prolonging it in time. He didn't do it immediately after he captured Ruin which shows us that Moon isn't losing his mind - in some sense he is but not in the way many fans seem to think.

I found it odd (and I found fans losing their minds over Moon "losing his mind" slightly annoying to say the least).

And then it clicked. I only a few moments ago realized that maybe Moon is acting like that because he's worried about Sun. And Earth dismissing his concerns only made things worse.

After all, I was saying many times that Moon was paranoid about Sun's safety due to what Dark Sun told him and due to V2 Eclipse's foreseeing.

And only now it clicked. Moon is trying to push away these thoughts - that Sun is self-destructive and will throw away his life to protect his family.

And there's more to that. This is what only Old Moon and New Moon are more aware of because they know Sun better than others - Eclipse could be more aware as well but I think that Eclipse doesn't understand Sun that much but unlike Lunar and Earth, Eclipse still knows Sun more - both Old Moon and New Moon witnessed Sun trying to do something which could result with him being harmed.

Old Moon - when Sun went after Eclipse - after his own death OM realized that Sun could be harmed easily during this "mission" and Sun was doing it all because he wanted to protect Moon.

New Moon - when Sun learned star's power - like NM said Sun was slowly killing himself from using it. Sun could easily die when he blasted Eclipse into a portal which Moon is aware of and he also knows that Sun was doing it all to protect him.

Hence why I think that Moon didn't want to drag Sun into a mess of dealing with Eclipse and Ruin - also because he saw how much hard it was for Sun to deal with new BM.

And when he later tried to be a better brother after Earth pointed out to him that he needs to control his anger and try to keep Sun informed, he realized that there's something off with Sun - he started drinking alcohol and was mostly spending time at home alone - he wasn't socializing as much as he used to.

And talk with Old Moon let him realized that Sun is self-destructive. And later he had a mental breakdown because he realized that he's unable to bring Solar back without sacrificing someone. But was it the only cause of Moon's distress or was there more to it?

He talked with Earth hoping for some good advice or maybe he hoped that Earth will provide him some comfort but she didn't. She in a passive aggressive way dismissed his concerns.

Which I think resulted in that dream - ofc Moon had that dream also from sleep deprivation and stress - where Sun died because he tried to protect Lunar.

Moon's reaction after such a vivid dream wasn't surprising. But what was later is what I found a bit odd. Moon started focusing only on bringing Solar back. He stopped worrying about Sun. Or did he really?

What if Moon is so fixated on bringing Solar back not only because he wants Solar back but because he doesn't want to lose anyone else like that? What if he's scared that if Sun will die, he won't be able to bring him back?

And maybe if he'll successfully bring Solar back, he'll be able to gather some useful data. If bringing Solar back will turn out to be possible and successfull at that, he'll be able to bring back someone if they died.

We can tell from Moon's paranoia induced dream that he is very scared that Sun will throw away his life to protect his family. In his own mind Moon can't see himself functioning normally without Sun - according to dream Solar Moon was lying on the floor the whole time after Sun died. Moon was unable to do anything.

And let's not forget about what Old Moon told him that he needs to not let others throw away their life especially Sun.

And I think that it stuck with Moon. Even after Earth's "reassurance" he can't stop thinking about it. And after Solar's death - death without easy way of coming back - it drives him crazy.

After all in Moon's dream Sun died disintegrated by creator. Isn't it oddly familiar? Didn't Solar die in similar way - completely disintegrated by Ruin's device?

And considering that it was Moon's dream - something made up by Moon's mind it's pretty obvious that he's afraid that Sun will die just like Solar - without a possibilty of coming back.

And that's what scares Moon the most. That if he won't be able to bring Solar back, he won't be able to bring Sun back from the dead as well. And then Sun would disappear from Moon's life forever.

And that's why I think that Moon is so angry and he's ready to kill in order to protect his family - in order to bring his family from the dead. To bring Sun back from the dead.

And knowing that Sun is self-destructive and ready to throw away his life, Moon can't risk it. He needs to find a way to be able to successfully bring Solar back. In Moon's paranoid mind Sun's life depends on it.

Someone could ask why Moon wouldn't try to stop Sun? But was he able to do that two previous times? Was Old Moon able to stop Sun from going after Eclipse? Was New Moon able to stop Sun from using star's power? The answer is no. And that's why Moon is so scared. Because he knows that Sun will do anything to protect his family completely not caring about his own safety, about his own life.

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

One really tiny but really flavourful detail in BG3 for me is one of the steps in the "Find the Nightsong" quest. The quest in itself is a big fave of mine, not just because of its buildup and dramatic twist and the fact that it deals with my personal favourite character, but also because of the way it winds through all three acts of this immense game. Here, though, I want to highlight a small and relatively early portion of it.

Initially, when you are sent after the mysterious and much sought-after relic called the Nightsong - classic adventurer stuff, really, there's even a wizard in a tower who'll pay you for it - all you have to go on are rumours that it is hidden in an old Selûnite temple in the region you happened to crash in. And sure enough, you explore the cool temple ruins, maybe you do a little puzzle-solving to open a sealed moon-themed door leading to a passage deep below - or you get into the Underdark via one of the other routes available. In any case, once there, you find the tragically doomed underground outpost some of the temple's residents tried to establish, as well as several records of their final hours. But there are no signs of the Nightsong or anything related to it ever being there at all. At that point you have no more info to go on, and your quest journal updates to say so:

Explore the Underdark. The trail goes cold in the Underdark. Where is the Nightsong?

Except... there is something here. And that something is a book - not an ancient record, but a recent publication: This tome appears fairly new-printed; it can't be more than a decade or two old, the item description says. But above all, it is very conspicuously and prominently placed at the foot of the large statue of Selûne that dominates the remnants of the outpost (and that, as part of its defenses, shoots rather deadly magical moonlight beams until you disable it).

The book is called "In Search of the Nightsong". It is marked as a quest item and it is there purely to provide you with a lead and to bridge the gap until the next bit of insight into the Nightsong you will get (which is at this point probably quite a ways away in Act 2, other than the possible tidbit around Nere and the collapsed bridge as you approach one possible end of Act 1). You are absolutely meant to find it and read it.

Fascinating that such a seemingly valuable object has proven so difficult to track down. Indeed, treasure-hunters the realm over have travelled to the Sword Coast with one goal in mind: To find the Nightsong. Yet each by each they have failed, indicating dead ends, rebuffs, or else disappearing altogether. My latest enquiry was with a half-orc named Graly, who insisted he'd come as close as possible to the relic as one may go without forfeiting his or her life. He indicated that the object is not, as most reports indicate, in the Selûnite fort adjacent to the river Chionthar. It is, in fact, held in an old Sharran fortress somewhere in the environs of Moonrise Towers. However, Graly reported that some kind of potent shadow prevents one from approaching where this fortress might be.

In fact, your next quest journal update comes from going into your inventory and reading the book:

Find the Sharran Temple. We found a book that told of a secret Sharran temple that contains the Nightsong. It is hidden underground, somewhere near Moonrise Towers.

How did this recently-published book end up sitting there, just waiting for you to read it, in the sealed, long-abandoned outpost, beset on all sides by unfriendly crowds of goblins, drow, minotaurs, a spectator, you name it? And why is this cool to me? Well, it's a bit meta, but it turns out that Selûne, She Who Guides, goddess of, among other things, questers, seekers, navigators, and the lost finding their path, has more than earned her title. And indeed, here we see that both in gameplay and in lore, Selûne guides.

In this particular case, though you don't know that yet, she's guiding you, both the character and the player, to hopefully save her long-lost daughter.

[arceus-insanity]

Why Did Teen & Tween Girls Love Creepypastas so Much?

The creepypasta fandom was my first fandom, it introduced me to fandom when I was 13 and every once in a blue moon, I check in on it. But why was it so popular amongst young girls? Part of it is that the line between ‘canon’ and fandom was made of tissue paper with a ton of holes. It allowed a feeling of engagement and belonging as anyone could add to the lore, and there was a possibility of your story or character taking off.

But after seeing the endless anti-writing advice of WhY dOeS eVeRy ViLlIaN nEeD tO bE cOmPlEx! No Tragic villains! We only want evil for the sake of being evil! I’ve been thinking about how all the creepypastas have sympathetic backstories, more of the creepypasta characters have tragic backstories than murderers.

Now I’m all for evil characters who are just asshats like Jack Horner (Dreamworks Puss in Boots 2), or the classic Disney villains, but so many spout this ‘advice’ without getting into why evil for the sake of being evil villains are good, or the pitfalls of tragic or complex villains, hence why I’m calling it anti-writing advice.

So why did tragic creepypasta characters work so well?

For starters and addressing one of the most dissed aspects, is the story quality, while with anyone writing or adding to the fandom quality varied to extreme degrees, most of them including one of the most well-known (Jeff the Killer 2011) was shit. These stories weren’t popular because they were well written, they were popular because they were engaging. They are like campfire stories, their value wasn’t based on quality but on the ideas they had. 

Now Teen girls and tweens are shamed for everything (See all the criticism Turning Red got for being ‘cringey’), they are dealing with the lack of respect a child gets and the expectations of an adult (to simplify). It’s also a common age for us to be discovering the darker elements of the world, assuming we haven’t experienced them ourselves yet. Many are dealing with bullies, or dealing with being catcalled or worse (a lot of the girl creepypasta’s were sexually assaulted, or betrayed by their partners). But I think a huge part of it is these characters let us live out our rage through them (to an extreme) (I recommend watching this short video on what I’m talking about, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Ea8fwetA8). One of the criticisms I’ve seen for Encanto is how peacefully the movie has Mirabel treat Alma after everything. Part of that was to allow viewers to live out the idyllic ending that many people who relate to Mirabel in her mistreatment by her family and community where their (for lack of a better word) abusers realize they were wrong and change. The group levelling this criticism or writing and/ or reading many of the fics on ao3 want to enjoy the other confronting your abuser fantasy, the revenge route, whether that be violent or not.

Jeff the Killer; Woods (2011) Vs Hodek (2008)

Now him and Slenderman being the most famous creepypasta’s out there, Jeff’s story is known for how shit it is. The famous 2011 Woods version isn’t going to win any rewards for its writing, but it’s not the original, so why is it the famous one, especially as I heard the OG was better, or at least more realistic? Well, I read the original, watched the video, the wiki and the official DeviantArt summary for it, and wondered how the Hell is this better written or more realistic, maybe by a molecule. It was harder to follow along how Jeff Hodek became a killer. But more than that, he was boring and what could have made him a ‘relatable’ (read understandable or even interesting) character was only in the summary and didn’t have any focus on it.

Meanwhile Woods, in the main confrontations in his story, didn’t start them. First, it was some violent kids going after him and his brother and not being prepared for someone who could and would fight back, albeit very violently. This is followed by the adults (his parents and the police) only listening to one side of the story and refusing to do any further investigation, which Liu purposely takes the blame for getting taken to juvie. His mom forces him to attend some random little kid's birthday party so she can fit in even after the prior events, where those bullies then show up to attack him again. Jeff wins again but arrives at the hospital with his signature white skin. And when he gets home and ends up killing his parents, it's after his mom says “get the gun”, after finding him mutilating himself in the bathroom, not call the doctor, or authorities, kill him that's the call. The only time he starts an incident is at the end of the story, and the start which takes place after so he’s on the run in this, and how far the violence goes isn't shown in those instances. Is this some badly written power fantasy bullshit, yes, but it’s interesting, it’s engaging, and Jeff can be used as a way to vent rage with a needed amount of distance

Eyeless Jack: Everyone Gets Backstories

Eyeless Jack is a perfect example of how every popular creepypasta character had a tragic past because he did not come with one. In his original story, he’s just a scary monster who breaks into someone’s home, steals an organ and the next night kills someone in that house. There are some interesting aspects, such as his surgical knowledge and the evidence that Eyeless Jack eats people, but most he seems to be a cross between a slasher and a monster. Then someone else gave him a backstory. It had him as a medical student that a cult sacrificed to some god turning him into Eyeless Jack. And for the most part everyone accepted that as Jack’s backstory, to the point his wiki had to include it

Carrying This over to The League of Villains (My Hero Academia)

Now years after the fact and a couple of fandoms later, I finally give in and read My Hero Academia. Now the fan content that pushed me into the series were major Midoriya fans and of Class 1A. And the Fics I first sought out reflected this, but it did not stay that way. I ended up becoming a massive fan of the League of Villains, and my opinion of Deku, 1A, the Heroes, and their supporters soured more and more over time. I found that the LoV weren’t the system failing but working exactly as intended, as not only were we shown the humanity (& backstories) of the League, but the ‘heroes’ constantly making disturbing decisions and doubling down.

A huge part of why I got into the series was because the early arcs seemed to present themselves as not just being a hero story but a story that challenged the toxic elements of not just its society but others as well. But as it went on not only did the protagonists fail to live up to that, but so much of the later arcs reframe the beginning arcs for the worse. The League however delivered on what drew me to this series, there were other elements, like the smaller cast allowed there to be some actual focus & development on the characters in the short moments we got with them.

While we were constantly with the heroes, we were constantly being introduced to new characters, and focusing on the supposed ‘greatness’ of an abusive monster, and spoiled abusive brat. The solutions the hero side showed were painfully superficial, avoided dealing with any of the root issues caused by their ‘wonderful’ hero society, doubling down to hell & back and more often than not just plain stupid & ignorant.

Why I Can’t Like the ‘Good’ Victims

Part of what inspired this post was another post (It’s been months since I saw it so this isn’t an exact quote) saying that Dabi (Touya Todoroki and one of the main members of the League) was the rage of eldest daughter syndrome. Not Fuyumi, his younger sister by less than a year, and very blatantly parentified, Dabi.

Why? For starters, while Fuyumi’s intro page says she resents her abusive father, her actions paint a very different story. In practice, she’s the most eager to be a loving daughter, and constantly supports him, even against her younger brother Natsuo who doesn’t want to forgive him.

Rei is even worse for this, telling Fuyumi and Natsuo that she forgives the man who abused her to the point of a mental breakdown the first time we meet her, because he sent her a flower. And is seen at the end pushing his wheelchair around, so his caretaker.

Did I forget to mention that Touya was believed dead, at age 13, as the result of that thing’s ‘parenting’, read abuse and grooming

I want to like them, there are so many characters in this series that I want to like but I just can’t force myself to after reading this series. Because as a blatant of an example(s) the Todoroki family is, they aren’t unique.

This whole series demands that everyone be good victims, and shows that a good victim must not only be silent on their mistreatment, never act out in even the slightest way, but should support their abuser, the reward of which is going back to the same circumstances that enabled this to begin with.

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase Character Discussion (for your local Cyberchase trivia quiz) - #3: Jackie

Here we go again. I've made this style of post about Inez and Matt, and now it's Jackie's turn.

#3: Jackie

Let's start with her bio from "Meet the Cybersquad". Again, this almost 25 years old now, so who knows how much of it is still canon.

So, we get our introduction to Jackie. She's smart, funny, has a plan, and is over-the-top. Yeah, that's accurate so far.

For some reason, this page was not in her original bio when they released it in 2001. They went back and added this page later in 2002. This is the only bio that I have seen that had content added like this. This page lets us know that her favorite color is yellow, and she loves tofu burgers. I don't know if the show has confirmed that she is a vegetarian or vegan. She is shown to care about animals, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was canonically a vegetarian.

Her favorite book is one that I hadn't heard about until now: "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech. In this story, the 13 year old protagonist, Salamanca (Sal) Hiddle, goes on a cross-country road-trip to visit her mother. There are themes of coming to term with loss and building new relationships. It makes me wonder if, at some point in development, the show-runners might have been interested in giving Jackie a tragic loss similar loss to Sal. I haven't seen the later seasons where they bring in the kid's families, but I don't believe they have gone that route so far.

For her favorite music, we get two bands: Destiny's Child and NSYNC. These are very much a product of the time. Destiny's Child actually disbanded in 2006, as the members went off to do solo work. NSYNC disbanded in 2002, and then reunited in 2023. Well, we know that Jackie loves her R&B and Pop music, so I'm sure she found other bands to follow since then.

Her favorite movie is Shrek, which only came out in 2001. Matt and Inez have definitely sent her all the memes that have come out about that movie since then. Her pet peeves are bugs and anything messy. Yeah, that still tracks. She has a "Wheaton Terrier" named Brandy. I don't know if the spelling has changed over the years, or if they just made a spelling mistake in her bio, but I have only seen it spelled as "Wheaten".

Jackie also gets a bio from Nelvana, which is pretty cool. I've only been able to find surviving archives of bios for her and Matt. They have sections for Inez, Dr. Marbles, Motherboard, The Hacker, Buzz, and Delete. However, all of those are left empty in the surviving archives of the pages. I don't know if bios were completed for those other characters.

We get emphasis on the point of Jackie being organized. We also get more insight into how she solves problems. She uses diagrams, charts, and graphs among other things. She also touched on her tendency to use initials as shorthand for things. I remember the Blue Bunny Place (B.B.P) from "Of All The Luck". Was she hip in 2002? Is she still hip now? I'm not qualified to say.

We also get an introduction to Jackie through the official prequel web comic, "How It All Started: Episode 3". We see Jackie making her own skirt out of strips of fabric. I assume it is for cheer-leading.

Narration: Meanwhile, on Earth, three kids who don't know each other are about to have the adventure of their lives.

Jackie: I gotta organize this stuff

Narration: meet Jackie, who has her own sense of style...

Narration: And her own way of doing things!

Here's Jackie's Official Cyberchase Trading Card.

When they picked her favorite line as "Make room! I gotta pace!", they probably picked her most iconic line. She loves video games, piano, and foreign languages, which is great. We do get to see her play an unnamed videogame during Season 1 Episode 25 "A Battle of Equals". The hero "San Man" is trying to save the environment by stopping the villains that are trying to pollute it. One villain is called Johnny Grime. There are number riddles, and they are the same sort of riddles that the kids solve during the episode.

I don't think we ever see her playing piano or speaking a second language on the show. Quick question: What are those shoes that she wears? Inez has a pair or blue boots. Matt has a pair of red and white sneakers. Jackie's shoes are a little harder to place. They are purple, and they have considerable heels. Were these meant to be high-tops? I don't know that I've seen high-tops with heels in that size before.

The big thing that people remember Jackie for are her dramatic outbursts. And her most iconic one is probably from Season 3 Episode 4 "A Piece of the Action". You can tell that someone in the animation department had fun with this one.

Here's a transcript.

Jackie: Great! Now we'll never get into Hacker's control center. And if we can't get in there we can't stop Hacker. And if we can't stop Hacker, he'll erase Motherboard's memory with the magnetite! Cyberspace is doomed! Doomed I tell you! Doo-hoo-hoo-hoomed!

Matt: And the award for best dramatic outburst of today goes to Jackie!

Jackie: Matt!

What else can I say about Jackie. Well, she has an amazing tolerance for cold weather. Even in Arctic Cybersites, she still made do with the same short skirt.

Anyway, here's the prototype for Jackie. She had a completely different hairstyle and outfit. She was also called Julie. Again, I consider her current design an upgrade from the prototype.

And here's the Who's Who document on her.

We get more discussion on Jackie being a gymnast and artist. She loves Instant Messaging. I guess that would have been AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) at the time.

[matt-lifesage]

Got around to finally finishing my reread of Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon just in time for the end of the year, so here's my mini-review of each route:

Moon Princess

It's kinda perfect.

Through the critical lens of analyzing a twenty-years-later, non-eroge remake of the original's first route… I adore every decision being made here. Shiki and Arcueid are better than they've ever been. Vlov is fantastic, not only as a character but for showcasing how vampires have been changed from bogeymen to natural disasters. I love how Ciel's role in the story has been taken up by Noel and Mario and how they add extra tension and stakes to the story. I love how Ciel's new proper introduction gives her so much weight and intrigue. I love the bit from the manga they threw in. I love the Clair de Lune insert that is so on the nose it shouldn't work, and yet it DOES. I love how seamlessly it incorporates the more developed scale the franchise became in the decades between releases without distracting from that core bittersweet love story.

My hat goes off to the team. Actual peak.

Midnight Rainbow

A risky reimagining of the last three hours of the original Ciel route that transforms it into a sprawling tragedy that goes on for… 30+ hours. It's a long one. I'd even say it drags. Especially in the middle.

It's a larger and more complicated route, and with all those extra moving parts there's more room for me to pick nits. Ciel's design is the only redesign that, despite my efforts, doesn't fully work (I've got an idea for another post talking about that). I don't connect with or find this version of Shiki interesting enough to be in his head for that many hours. It feels like it dials back the sexual side of the horror too much--in a way that Moon Princess thankfully didn't--sometimes feeling like a Realta Nua-style censored version of itself, which I do consider a minor detriment.

Etc, etc. You get the idea.

The last five hours are fantastic and make the ride more than worth it. Noel steals the show all the way to the end. What a character! If you told me four years ago that one of the newbies who threatened to bloat the narrative and take away precious screen time from the core iconic cast would be gunning for Kahoku's top spot, I'd call you a liar lol. Another thing that sticks with me is how the story fleshes out Roa's characterization. In the original, WHAT Roa was was always more interesting than WHO Roas was. But here they manage to even those two out quite nicely--a haunting remnant of the man who started this entire tragic cycle, not to be spitefully cut down, but instead laid to rest. It tied together everything for the new gut punch of a resolution where love humanizes and destroys the cast very well.

Extra Route

Nasu at his most indulgent, for better and worse.

I’m never going to say no to an Ultimate One battle. The all-out brawl between a fully powered Ciel and Arcueid is overdue, and the Shiki+Roa team-up is instantly iconic. I think the scenario overall is about half as narratively vapid as it is a spectacle. We have escalated to such an absurd degree that rule of cool is the only thing keeping this mess afloat. As for the epilogue, Cloudless Blue was a solid remake of the original route's ending. I’m glad it's in here and wasn’t cut, but it never shakes how incongruous it feels after the new version of the story goes so far thematically in the opposite direction. 

Overall, I’m glad this bizarre little Arcueid's optional superboss ending exists, but until Red Garden comes out, this is the ending note that Remake goes out on, and I’m not a fan of THIS being the reboot’s aftertaste.

[loregoddess]

For three houses, 5 and 30!

Hmm....I'm gonna do all three methinks.

5. Which route did you play through last? I saved Silver Snow for last, which worked out since the final map was the most difficult map for me to complete, even with my superstar New Game+ team of MVPs from previous runs. But it was also my favorite final boss theme from the ost, so...

8. What storyline threads should have had more development / been further explored? Hm, well every route has its strengths and weaknesses in the writing department. I think either Silver Snow or Crimson Flower could have used the most development.

SS feels like a rough draft, which meant that Verdant Wind, in following all the major story beats of SS but just like, better, felt like the finished draft, so if I had been in charge of writing I would have gone back and overhauled SS entirely, and made it completely unique (they could have made VW unique, but I feel it's strong as is, so SS needs to change).

I feel like the writers could have really leaned into the tragedy of Edelgard and Byleth falling out of trust, instead of the short and weird little scene we get at the start of the second arc after the timeskip, although this would require a lot more writing going into Edelgard for the first arc to make the player really care about her and feel the sting of betrayal more (for me, she came off as very cold in the first arc, which fits the general gist of her characterization, but when I'm losing approval points with her left and right I felt like, "girl what do you want from me" slight frustration rather than like, wondering about her mysterious secret bc even going in blind with my first run being Azure Moon, I figured out her role as Flame Emperor super quickly, so she wasn't mysterious so much as. Cold, and deeply untrusting--which is interesting characterization, but doesn't set up a betrayal plot twist very well).

Aside from really pushing for a more tragic overtone though, how I imagine potential rewrites varies bc there's a lot of room to do all sorts of things that I think could be interesting. What I personally think would be interesting and what like, a larger development team would think was feasible or interesting might be different. I would want to put more focus on Rhea and the history of Fodlan, maybe bring Sothis back into the picture and really dive into the world she knew before she had to heal it. I'd also want an entire arc talking about the demonic beasts and their history and the lore behind them, I am so curious about the monsters in 3H.

Alternatively if the writing didn't focus on the Nabatean characters, I think the writing should have really leaned in more to focus on the BE cast, since I feel like this is the most interesting potential arc for most of their character arcs, but they don't get to shine as much in SS due to having to share the narrative with the CoS characters.

As for Crimson Flower, I felt like the writers chickened out by trying to backpedal and make Edelgard morally grey instead of really leaning into her motives and ideologies that make her an interesting antagonist in all the other routes. Honestly aside from seeing all non-central characters undergo negative growth character arcs (watching the BL kids suffer in CF was SO fascinating for a lot of their characterizations), overall CF was the most boring route to me, ending with me wishing I could have defected to Rhea's side bc her spiral into madness seemed a hell of a lot more interesting than whatever Edelgard was doing.

I think the writers should have leaned in to making CF the "bad end" route, with lots of emphasis on all the bad things Edelgard was doing. I was prepared to play as a villain. Other games have made villain routes a thing, the fandom still would have been a toxic wasteland I'm sure, but at least the route would have been interesting. FE in general has a really hard time letting female villains be villains though, so I wasn't entirely surprised. Would love to see a FE female villain who's ruthless and unapologetically evil with no tragic backstory or mind control or justification, like how we see with Scarlet in FF7, but I know what FE is about so my hopes aren't high.

Also I feel like the Agarthans should have either been fully developed as villains, or cut entirely so Edelgard could have shone more brightly in her antagonist role. Especially since, as we see in Hopes, the writers really wanted to lean in more to making Edelgard morally grey, the Agarthans would have had to have so, so, so much more development to be the proper, potentially terrifying and horrific, villains they could have been.

30. What characters should have more support options and who should have been their support options? For Houses, I was actually pretty satisfied with the supports. Every character (sans Byleth) has about the same number of characters they can support with, give or take a few, so supports felt fairly balanced overall. I might have changed some of the supports to focus on different topics bc I feel there are some missed opportunities or vagueness that could have been written more precisely, but overall I'm happy w/ Houses.

Although if Rhea could've played a larger role, I think she should have had supports with various characters. Supports are where a lot of the characterization is stored, and we miss out on so much potential characterization for her as a result. I specifically think she would have gotten along famously with Mercedes and Annette, and I would pay money to see supports between her and Cyril.

Hopes on the other hand is another story, and this is mostly due to uh, many characters not being added into the playable roster (MY SON CYRIL I MISS YOU). If I had the full cast of characters I hoped would be playable (no pun intended), I would have wanted to see supports between Hanneman and Sylvain, since they took Sylvain's character in an interesting direction in Hopes, and I think the dynamic between the two would have also been fascinating. (Also imagine how chaotic supports between Hanneman and Monica could have been; guy who's been studying all his life, and girl with a genius memory).

Nadir and Judith should have been playable, and they should have gotten supports with each other too.

I also think Ignatz and Hubert should have had supports in the Scarlet Blaze route. Hubert compliments Ignatz's strategy the battle where you can recruit Ignatz, and that is just so rare for Hubert, that I was like huh, wonder what supports between these two would even look like. They also both want to ride pegasi so...yeah I've been thinking about the potential dynamics between those two ever since. They haunt me.

I also really, really wished Miklan lived through the events of Azure Gleam, bc his writing was so much more interesting in Hopes than in Houses, and I want to pull out a lawn chair and get a nice cup of tea so I can watch the Gautier skeleton closet get cleaned out in his hypothetical supports.

[digitalgate02]

DigiTimeLines: Document format [pt1]

[AO3 VERSION] [@digimonadventuretimelines blog (outdated)]

Back in November 12 2012 a person asked about Daisuke’s son on the original askblog (ask-daisuke) and I decided to go on a full route of an Alternative Endgame for it. I didn’t do that to spite the epilogue though, I do not enjoy Fix-It culture (I’d rather write my own AU and leave the canon stuff untouched than simply try to “fix” them. Same thing happened with the Hunters arc from Xros Wars, and my own canon-divergent AU based on an old ▽ theory in 2016) so this project was already viewed as some sort of multiverse.

The name Daichi came from an old friend’s answer to my musings on twitter -- they suggested Daichi and Taisuke, but I adopted Daichi for the Daisuke kid, and Taisuke for the other character I designed -- a Taichi’s son OC. The idea of Daichi and his entire plot/story came while doodling him again, for the third time after the name reveal. He would be a space-time traveler based on other medias’ space-time travelers i’ve loved since i was a kid (Future Trunks, Chibi Usa/Sailor Chibi Moon, and Silver the Hedgehog) with a tragic story based on Luke Skywalker (uh, sorta). Daichi would seek for answers in his own journey in order to save his father from a terrible fate -- One where Daisuke becomes a puppet of a greater evil and turns into a menace to the worlds.

Besides this part, Daichi’s (alternate) world has two issues -- an endless conflict between wild digimon who do not want humans to be allowed in the Digital World, so they are trying to close the gates (and this bad guy uses a brainwashed Daisuke-turned-into-a-digimon-hybrid as some general for those troops) … And a force of humans who does not see the digimon as equals, wanting them to be treated as a menace for the human world, having to always be monitored by the police and Digital World’s ambassador Taichi in order to prevent digimon and even human victims.

The goal of the “Neo Chosen Children” is to combat both issues alongside their partners and families. And, for Daichi, to rescue Daisuke from the hands of this new enemy.

As for this setting, space-time travel would be the main theme of it. Daichi and his friends would travel through a special dimension connecting all the worlds and timelines through “doors” and then, they would learn more about the Tokyo Twelve and the Worldwide Chosen, also about other possible worlds. Most of those ideas of “crossovers” came from the crossover chapters in V-Tamer, which were the only thing I read from the manga back in time. And oh, Xros Wars manga’s multiverse theory.

※ This document might have changes from the original chapters 1 to 19 published on the blog & AO3 though.

  The main setting: Daichi’s story

While many think the Chosen Children job was over, this was a hoax. With the number of partnerships growing on a large and worldwide scale, the most known Twelve Chosen alongside their Worldwide allies from 2002 started to work harder to make sure the worlds would live in peace and together. But it’s easier said than done -- many issues have been spotted and reported throughout the world. Could Koushiro and Miyako handle a whole community like this? Of course they had the help of the Holy Beasts and the Gennai clones, but they should be sure none of those people would do bad things.

This is where they created a system and an organization in order to catalog and prevent outcomes like a new Kaiser-like enemy. The head and brains of the org was Koushiro, but he also nominated Taichi and Daisuke for co-leaders (Why Taichi and Daisuke? Well, they’re representing their generations after all) and having all the others as part of a council and operations like, teaching the both sides to respect each other, to not treat your digimon as some inferior being and vice-versa, to not be taunted by evil beings… And go on. This org was more likely a school, while a Special Unit force specialized in Digimon cases would work alongside the police.

To keep everything under control, and to know the number of partnerships, Koushiro’s old community list became a registered list -- in which every digivice, human and digimon were registered on a database sooner or later. Non-registered entries would become called “Mercenaries” and if any cataloged Chosen had gone vile for any reason, they would’ve been called “Dark Chosen”. Normal Chosen would just keep their name as it is, or rather “Registered Chosen”. It was like an ID and it could help to keep everything in order.

This went well for a while, but just as you can see… Humans and Digimon are complex creatures, and you can’t get rid of all of the mean spirited ones -- There would exist digimon and humans using each others’ partnerships and power to commit crimes, and others stuff. The Special Digimon Cases unit had always been needed in those cases, in which both digimon and officers had to take care of those bad apples. The Tokyo Twelve’s organization is just a mere big registered database and a “school” to teach and assist the digimon and their partners, not a law enforcer group.

Around Spring 2024, a group of rogue digimon wanting the digimon to be free from the partnership cycle started to move, wanting to separate all of the digimon from the humans. Said enemies managed to lure Daisuke and Ken into a trap… And Daisuke sacrifices himself to save Ken from getting caught -- He opened the gate and shoved Ken and Stingmon with the force of Wingdramon into the gate, and then closed it before those digimon could catch his friend. Ken tries to open the gate again, but it has been locked on the other end. After reporting to the others, the group decided to hide this information from the world… and from their own children.

  Daichi’s Destiny

Daichi is a kid born in August 2015, and his personality used to be closer to his parents -- very optimistic and brave, and the only difference is he was the smart aleck of the house. He liked to play games with his dad before school, having to be reminded about his duties by his mother. His little sister -- two years apart -- was also a very lively child. But everything changed when Daisuke disappeared in 2024. While there was a huge effort to keep the world and the group’s children out of it… Daichi’s personality had a drastic change: he became more of a shut-in and spent most of his time studying, making his sister Kiyoko super duper worried and mad at him.

Daichi was so sure that his dad had died that he used to talk in a more depressive tone. Kiyoko used to get extremely furious about it, because she didn’t want to think their dad was dead and the adults were lying to them. It was when, on a normal day in 2029, Daichi and Kiyoko heard a voice calling for help. Daichi tells Kiyoko to go stay at her friend’s house while he investigates it. The voice comes from Daisuke’s office room. He opens the door and sees an old computer on, with a small pink digimon bunny fainted on the floor.

The lights are turned on, and the digimon opens her eyes… And then morphs into her human form. It’s an old acquaintance of his parents -- Natsu (Yes, the digimon girl from Natsu e no Tobira drama  CD, you read it right)

Daichi was used to Natsu appearing as an adult human, but this was a big reveal for him -- She’s a digimon!? Is she Daisuke’s second partner? Well, no. Natsu is… An “Honorary partner” for Daisuke. Didn’t she get a human partner before? We will discuss it another day.

Natsu is cheerful and calls Daichi by ‘Daichan’ (Daichi’s nickname) and tells him she needs to talk with his mother or Taichi. The boy says his mother is not around, and Ambasador Yagami is always busy… Then, he wishes his father was still alive to help them. It’s when Natsu drops the bomb: No, Daisuke is alive and she needs help to rescue him. The kid’s behavior changes immediately, and Daichi starts begging Natsu to let him help. If you know Natsu well enough, if you push the right buttons you can make her do or say what you want. So, Daichi’s trickiest smuggest plan was just saying “My father would totally trust you to protect me if I were in danger” which led the digimon girl to agree to taking Daichi to the Digital World.

They went there, and she started getting bombarded with questions from the little kid, things related to what happened to his dad and why everyone was hiding those things from him. While Natsu was still hiding things from him, she managed to slip a few words leading to a battle 5 years ago. A little note: Natsu kept calling Daichi by ‘Daichan’ all the time, not even using his real name at any moment. Suddenly, the big bad enemy showed himself -- Lupinmon, a digimon which was a black wolf warrior, in the same style of the Legendary Hero of Light -- Wolfmon/Lobomon. Lupinmon attacked Natsu and Daichi, and then chased them until a brave and unknown V-mon with the Ulforce V-dramon’s bracelets appeared and repelled a powerful blow from the lupine warrior.

It was when… Something odd happens: Lupinmon steps back, like if he was holding himself to not hurt that human kid… And then in a weaker voice he calls Daichi by his name. By connecting the dots, Daichi realizes Lupinmon was actually his father but this didn’t last for a long time, and then Dai-Lupinmon attacks them again, but this time Natsu’s pendant starts glowing and opens a gate into another place, sucking the kid, her and the mysterious V-mon into a blank space… Quite similar to the dimension Apocalymon sent Taichi and his group once. The difference is, this place does not present the binary code, but has an angel-type digimon guarding it -- ClavisAngemon.

The trio meet a hooded figure with a feminine voice, who gives them some input about that place, its name and why they were there. Daichi was chosen as a new bearer of the power of space-time, but the boy was still in denial about what had happened right now with him: His father tried to murder him. His father, who used to be friendly and kind… Is an enemy of his world now. He couldn’t digest that information very well, and Daichi himself couldn’t bear a high responsibility like that. At first, he refused it… It wasn’t something he could handle at the moment. So, the hooded figure sent them back to the human world.

A few events later, Daichi was involved in an attack on a theater promoting a new movie to encourage the bonds between humans and digimon, in which he had to face Lupinmon’s followers and save them all. Ulforce, the name of that V-mon who was sticking with Daichi and Natsu since their first encounter, ended up being “linked” to Daichi via a special digivice which popped out from nowhere -- the Digivice TimeRune (or D-TimeRune) -- which sent instructions to the boy as “scan the digimon to form a link” and “scan the back of your hand to activate the DigiRune fragment” so he could assist Ulforce in battle. Once Daichi executed all of those instructions, Ulforce evolved into XV-mon (but with the bracelets and the mysterious Holy Ring in his ear) and fought the enemies, which once beaten were locked inside Natsu’s plasma bubbles and left there for the police.

It was when… Daichi realized he could use this power to… travel back in time and prevent his dad from being captured. This means once he and the others return to the Dimensional Space, Daichi informs ClavisAngemon and the hooded figure he’s ready for it. It’s the moment the place reveals an infinite number of doors within the blank space. But one problem was…  All of them are identical. This makes Ulforce lose his composure and start whining about this being ridiculous -- HOW CAN YOU KNOW WHICH DOOR TAKES TO WHICH PLACE AND TIME!?

The hooded figure also warns Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu that they should not alter the past, or else their world would’ve been destroyed. This does not make Daichi afraid at all, and he says he would prefer to not exist as long as his father is safe and happy.

Thus… Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu started traveling through space-time.

While some other cases were running amok, Kiyoko and the Tokyo Twelve’s children were starting to get involved with them -- by receiving this same special digivice and forming a link with some digimon involved in incidents and attacks. But one of those kids had decided to form a link with a special digimon… And kept it a secret.

  Yagami Taisuke, the Self-Proclaimed Rival

Taisuke is Taichi and Sora’s only child in Daichi’s world. The reason for this strange family to work well is… Taichi and Sora managed to solve their personal issues and became a couple. To make this couple get hitched and be more functional they had to become mature people first. And they did that. Taisuke is the youngest of the Tokyo Twelve’s kids, having 10 years in 2029. Since both parents are important figures -- Taichi because he’s the Ambassador, and Sora because of being the daughter of Takenouchi Toshiko, who’s still the Head Master of the Takenouchi school of traditional Japanese flower arrangement at this moment. But Sora also started to get her own recognition in her own area -- as a fashion designer specialized in Japanese style -- Taisuke is… overshadowed by his parents fame and treated as “The Digital World ambassador’s son” or “Takenouchi Toshiko’s grandson” or “Takenouchi Sora’s son”. This makes him mad every time because he’s not seen as himself but rather as someone’s son/grandson. This explains why he’s mostly mad at everyone not seeing Daichi as “Worldwide famous Ramen Chef Motomiya Daisuke’s son” and why he self-proclaimed himself to be Daichi’s rival.

It can be said that, during the same moment Daichi was facing Lupinmon… Taisuke was witnessing another event: A black Agumon coming from a gate area nearby his house. This Agumon wasn’t normal though, it had been looking for an old acquaintance from the past. Taisuke didn’t know what this meant, but he couldn’t ignore that critter. Once they were facing some evil guys, a D-TimeRune appeared in front of the boy and he decided to accept it, forming a link with that BlackAgumon. The Rune of Courage appeared for both of them -- and thus they faced the enemy digimon together.

But… Taisuke couldn’t tell his parents about that. So, he hid BlackAgumon inside the digivice and kept facing tough enemies in the shadows… As the Brave Tamer.

The more Taichi was involved in this whole mess against this Lupinmon menace, the more Taichi spent times busier and out of his home. This kept making Taisuke feel anguished and revolted, because he wanted his family to be together again. And it seemed like Sora was… acting like her mother when it comes to Taisuke -- wanting him to stay safe. So, she asked Piyomon to watch him for her, as the boy’s bodyguard.

  Kiyoko and Captain the Hawkmon (and Others)

When Daichi returned for his first adventure in an alternate year 2002, Kiyoko interrupted his sleep by showing a hurt two head-feathered Poromon who was escaping from the bad guys. During the night, she, Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu were fighting an unknown digimon chasing the girl and the Poromon, until discovering it was a BlackGuilmon via the digimon scan mode of the D-TimeRune. While Kiyoko fled with the bird baby digimon in her arms, she vowed to protect him… And this led her to a digivice which she used to form a link with Poromon.

Poromon evolved into Hawkmon, one with a bandana and two head feathers under it and visible on the side of his head, and then introduced himself as Captain, a pirate of the seven seas. He beats the foe and Natsu traps it inside one of her plasma bubbles, but then they’re surprised by a strange pair of shadows. Daichi and Ulforce go after them, while Natsu takes Kiyoko and Captain back home, where they would just report to Miyako what had happened that night.

During the chase, the human-like shadow shows to have a digivice too, with a symbol of a sun in it. The digimon partnered with the shadow evolved into a Greymon -- But none of them were able to recognize if it was a normal Greymon or some other digimon. The shadow then jumps on the Greymon-like back and disappears in the landscape. Daichi and Ulforce return home, wondering if that human would be a foe or not.

After that encounter with the mysterious kid with a digivice like his and Kiyoko’s… Ulforce mentions about the kid having the Fragment of Courage, and then they got this small talk about what those symbols are and points out Daichi’s flame-like symbol is called Fragment of Tenacity, meanwhile Kiyoko’s paw-like symbol is the Fragment of Determination. Those felt the same words and some connection to the crest of Courage, but they were viewed as their own variants of it according to Natsu.

What are those “Fragments” though? Are they something similar to the crests? They are the core of the crests actually. The origins of those symbols came from the ancient Digital World era, as some clan symbols -- and those digimon created ways to spread those traits through their own clan and the entire Digital World. Powers that enriched the land and planet.

Meanwhile Eiji and Hoshi, the Ichijouji siblings (children of Ken and Hikari in this world) had met their future partners -- a BlackTailmon and a Wormmon, respectively. In the pinch of danger, both siblings got digivices and linked themselves to those two digimon in order to save them from the enemy. Eiji got the Fragment of Kindness, while Hoshi got the Fragment of Happiness, which had a cherry blossom flower as a symbol. Later they would nickname their mons as Kitty and Sting, respectively.

Other children in their circle of friends would’ve gotten digivices and partners too, when involved in a fewer attacks of Lupinmon’s troops. Reika (Iori’s daughter) partnered with an Armadimon and getting the Fragment of Fairness (a burgundy Scale symbol), Jin (Jou’s son) got partnered with a Kamemon and got the Fragment of Reliability, Mike (Mimi’s trans son) got partnered with a Floramon and got the Fragment of Sincerity. Another case happened to Mitsuki (Takeru’s son) and Mirai (Koushiro’s daughter), who were found by their partners Tsukaimon and KoKabuterimon in the meantime. Mitsuki got the Fragment of Hope, while Mirai the Fragment of Knowledge.

Elise, Yamato’s daughter, had a different case and encounter.

Elise and the Mysterious BlackGabumon

Elise is a very refined child -- she’s courteous, calm and has a sweet singing voice. She ends up finding a hurt Gabumon in the playground and then asking her cousin Mitsuki to help her to treat the mon’s wounds. While they spend time together, the BlackGabumon starts forming a link with Elise and later, when she’s in danger… He comes to her rescue. However, that BlackGabumon wasn’t unusual -- he was one of the soldiers of Lupinmon’s troops, but he refuses to take part in those activities anymore and then turns into Elise’s partner. Elise receives a blue D-TimeRune, and the Fragment of Friendship.

Meanwhile, Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu were off town and traveling through space-time again, searching for the event which led to Daisuke turning into Lupinmon and stopping it from happening. But Daichi ended up in another alternative world. Since Daichi was so interested in Daisuke’s backstory… He tried to investigate Daisuke’s past, but Natsu prevented him from learning more about it. She immediately “ejected” them from that world, but instead of going back to the Dimensional Space dungeon, she threw them into a battle between… Lupinmon and Ichijouji Ken!?

Somehow, Daichi’s presence there only proved to Ken that Lupinmon was Daisuke -- as the opponent avoided attacking the kid and the others. But this didn’t last for much time, and then Ken had to retreat and take the trio with him. Daichi had to explain to his mother and to Ken what was happening, but they couldn’t let Daichi risk his life like that. But Daichi didn’t talk about his space-time travel mission, or the plan to go back in time and prevent Daisuke from getting captured.

The captured enemies from the previous times Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu had been involved were sent to a special facility to prevent them from getting hurt. There, Ken worked as the lead of the Special Digimon Cases Unit from the police -- an investigation team. Using his best tricks to make the criminals talk, Ken got more information about what was going on and what were Lupinmon’s goal -- to close the gates connecting to the Digital World permanently, separating both worlds from each other again and forever.

Besides Ken, the mysterious kid fighting against the troops -- who later would’ve been revealed to be Taisuke under the “Brave Tamer” alias -- had an excellent intel team on his side: Mirai and Mitsuki. Mirai is a prodigy young girl, with a tinker-like mind and skills. She might be young, but her interest in technology and building/programming stuff only made her become skilled enough to obtain information and stuff from her own father’s network and database. Meanwhile Mitsuki has the power of gathering information by the power of a strong fanbase watching his videos and forum posts. He also has inherited Takaishi Natsuko’s investigative reporter skills, being able to research and get whatever he needs.

Besides that, Ken and the Tokyo Twelve group were also investigating Daisuke’s disappearance. And Ken had to update them with what he had discovered recently. Their Children weren’t aware of those news, so they kept working to protect innocents instead.

  The Unknown Trio

Despite everything, a mysterious duo with a Coronamon and a Lunamon popped into the story. Children with no actual background or database -- Chosen Children unknown to Koushiro and Taichi… Or even to the entire Network. Soleil (FR: Sun) and Lune (FR: Moon) were mischievous kids fighting the enemies without any affiliation to a side. There was one more detail: Soleil claimed to be the “new vessel” of Homeostasis, and that he was chosen to eliminate those who were disturbing the peace of the Digital World.

Something fishy, yes. Hikari and the others knew Homeostasis wouldn’t be this harsh, or act as some punisher. Homeostasis is a gentle teacher-like security system. Not a god nor a warrior.

Lune, on the other side, was the peacemaker of the duo -- She’s a psychic like Hikari, so she used her powers in order to find the best peaceful method to put an end to any fight. She seemed to be the one able to reason with Soleil and make him step back or retreat. With those children involved, the Twelve, and the Neo Chosen had this new issue.

But they weren’t alone -- There was a brain in their team, Étoile (FR: Star), but this one didn’t like to appear in public… So they only would learn about his existence a little later. Étoile has a fellow partner, a purple Pokomon/Viximon named Renard. Étoile works as the technician of Solei-Lune’s operations, always saving them when things go south.

Soleil’s hidden background is that he’s the son of a very rich family, but neglected by parents. His real name is Youta, and he’s a year older than Daichi. His nonchalant behavior combined with a charismatic aura makes him irresistible to form an alliance, but deep down he hides a fierce and vigilante demeanor… Resulting in him being quite terrible if you turn him into your enemy. He likes to think he’s a hero of justice, and his senses are quite twisted at this point…

Lune’s secret story is that she's a very smart and talented girl called Mizuki, who used to be doing favors for others all the time, borrowing her notes, letting them work in group projects… But they also liked to ask her for fortune readings, so she was seen as the most popular fortune teller in town. She had this sixth sense and legit psychic powers, lending her to learn in advance what to do and to solve people’s problems. But she’s unable to stand for herself, and is sacrificial in order to bring order and peace. She crosses her path with Youta’s and then they realize they’re made to be partners in this whole war against the darkness and evil. 

Later, they find Étoile (whose real name is Noel) and they form an alliance  -- whose objective is to beat Lupinmon and any other enemy in their way, to bring peace back to the worlds.

Soleil is Daichi’s “true” rival, and their personalities since they met. Meanwhile, Lune seems to have some interest in Daichi’s pacifism methods.

Soleil has gotten the Fragment of Light, while Lune the Fragment of Energy (which symbol is a stylized Yin-Yang)

  A Brief Side-story: Daichi Meets Akira

One of the worlds depicted in the project… Is an alternative timeline where Daisuke managed to get courage enough to confess his feelings for Hikari, who also had strong feelings for him. In this world, Akira and his sister Amy are a duo fighting evil alongside their older cousin Takara (Taichi’s and Saiba Rei’s daughter), who is the leader of their group.

Daichi accidentally goes to this world while trying to go home, but he realizes the couple of people who also exist in this world did not recognize him, or think he, Ulforce and Natsu are allies of the real villain -- Gokumon/Reapermon.

Akira is the clumsiest sweetpie child in town, also a little fired up, who tends to solve stuff in the most peaceful way. His partner is a Plotmon with an unique Tailmon variant form: a Snowshoe-like cat. But, besides that form, Akira is clueless about which form his beloved Hana (the Plotmon’s name) would take in the future.

Natsu’s pendant is stolen by Shadramon, and they have to search for it. With Akira and Takara’s help, they manage to get the pendant back but they are forced to face Shadramon. It’s when Hana evolves into a Snowshoe variant of Nefertimon and alongside Ulforce and Takara’s V-dramon (Zero) they beat it.

This wouldn’t be the last time Daichi & co. would see those kids…

  Lupinmon’s Foggy Memories & Meeting Daisuke from the Past

The encounters with Daichi only triggered Daisuke’s memories, and he started to slowly regain control of himself. Still, this wasn’t enough to make him realize he’s the human those people and digimon are talking about. And when he’s this close to connect the dots, Lupinmon’s boss, a higher rank digimon (Perfect level) -- Papillonmon -- used his powers to keep Daisuke under the enemy’s control. So neither Daisuke or Magnamon could do anything… This vile digimon also has a higher rank master, but this will be left to another time.

With Lupinmon’s troops gaining forces, and some other allies of the vile digimon coming through, the Twelve and the Chosen Network have to take action and prevent more chaos and misfortune. At this point Taisuke, Mirai and Mitsuki are too deep into the battle that they cannot go back anymore -- Taisuke then is caught by Kiyoko and Eiji, who complain of him doing all the ‘cool’ stuff all alone. They don’t know what they could do to help now, though… Taisuke gives all the details of what’s happening and then Kiyoko finally learns that his dad is one of the enemies. The shock does not change her desire to come to rescue him. But the only thing that makes her EXTREMELY mad is that Daichi was hiding that secret from her.

Not that Daichi wanted to hide those from her, but more like he was too focused on his goal he couldn’t tell her anything yet. And he wasn’t in town again… Where did Daichi go?

He was finally in the past. But possibly not from his timeline.

Daichi arrived in the past, meeting a 17 year old Daisuke who was still in High School and working harder on his life goal -- But still clueless about how to make this dream come true. At first, this moody Daisuke treats Daichi with suspicion, as if he could read Daichi’s intentions just by looking into the boy’s eyes. Daichi trying to warn him about some enemy didn’t work either.

Daisuke hated the idea of him turning evil and hurting his own friends, he refused to hear that kid’s story -- he won’t believe it at all. Daichi was losing his patience with this, until they’re attacked by an enemy digimon from Duskmon’s army. It’s then when Daichi sees Lighdra-Glaive and the Lightnimon armor in person. He believes it’s too late and that Daisuke had become a digimon already.

Daisuke/Lightni growls as this kid is definitely going to ruin everything and tries to hide from him. V-mon asks why Daisuke is so nervous about the kid’s warnings and he says it’s because this means he would lose his mind and do something worse. V-mon realizes Daisuke means this whole façade is starting to damage his poor mind, and this brings V-mon the flashback of what Ranamon had said about Duskmon. If Daisuke is going to run amok, then…

But no, Daichi is so sure he can prevent this from happening!! He got there! He will… He will save Daisuke at all costs!! Ulforce wonders if Lightnimon is a real digimon though, it felt more like an armor than a ‘digimon form’ … V-mon explains Daisuke is pretending to be a digimon, but this only makes things worse for Daichi & co. -- This means he’s doing it on purpose right? EXCEPT V-mon denies, and says he’s actually doing those because Daisuke got brainwashed by the enemy, Duskmon. Natsu is concerned about Daisuke right now, but V-mon assures her they’re not doing anything evil or bad, and yes beating the enemies all alone.

All Alone… But why? Wasn’t Daisuke’s group of friends able to beat those enemies? V-mon frowns, saying Daisuke is too paranoid and afraid of getting others hurt to indirectly hit him that he’s pulling this whole façade all alone. Ulforce sighs, because this felt like a bad idea, Daichi and Natsu agree. Daisuke stares at them from a distance, that kid really came to ruin his disguise… Daichi comes to talk with Daisuke again, but the other refuses to believe he would turn into the enemy in the future. Daichi shakes his head, saying he’s not talking about that, but rather wanting Daisuke to go back to his friends. Daisuke snaps, that kid really doesn’t understand what’s happening there. Natsu reminds Daisuke the real Daisuke wouldn’t do that and would fight the enemy alongside the group instead. V-mon tries to stop them before Daisuke could do something harsh, but he just sits here pouting like a kid.

It’s not like he doesn’t want to go back to the group… He then says he had done awful things already, he threatened his own friends… He was lying to them, he was toying with everyone… He believes he’s no longer the same anymore. The trio frown, this feels bad… Until Daichi says his friends wouldn’t judge him and if he explains what’s going on they might understand. This is when Daisuke notices the kid is not a legit nuisance like he was thinking of. But they were attacked by Vulturemon, a bounty hunter affiliated to Duskmon.

During the battle, BurningFladramon and Ulforce XV-mon form face it together, with Natsu and Daisuke (as Lightnimon) as support. Once they beat the enemy and Daisuke is safe to be himself, he looks at Daichi: I don’t want your world to disappear because of me. We can handle this by ourselves. If I turn evil… My friends will stop me quickly!!

With those words, and “Please go back to your time and help future-me there” as requested, Daichi realizes what he must do. Then, Natsu opens the gate to the Dimensional Space dungeon and they vanish. Daisuke then says he will come to talk with the others, but then… He sees Ken seeking for Lightni in the middle of the forest. Daisuke looks at V-mon and says that he can’t go back to the group yet, so he asks the digimon to bear with him a little more.

  Another Side-story: Daichi Meets Toshi

While trying to return back to his world… Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu are thrown into another alternative future, one where things are even worse than in their home timeline. In this world they meet Toshi, Daisuke and Ken’s adoptive son, who had orphaned when he was very little -- his biological parents were killed by a menace digimon -- Megidramon -- and he had to grow up in a foster house. He escaped from there countless times until he met Daisuke, told his story and then Daisuke decided he couldn’t turn his back on him. In this world, Daisuke and Ken became a couple, and they tried to have a child by a surrogate mother, but they had no success. Toshi’s adoption came in handy, and their family was all happy until the day ChaosDukemon, the other side of Megidramon, came to eliminate that child and the Twelve Chosen.

Daichi arries in the middle of a battle against WaruMonzaemon, one of ChaosDukemon’s lackeys. Toshi’s partner, Shadow the Impmon -- In his Sorcerimon form -- casts a spell to distract the enemy and teleport everyone -- Daichi & co. included -- to a safer place.

There, they learn more about Toshi’s world and what’s happening with him. Apparently him being the ‘bearer of darkness’ is driving dark-evil digimon into their doorstep, and he cannot leave his new family and friends get hurt. Daichi offers him some help, and then they start making a plan to defeat WaruMonzaemon.

In the meantime, Socerimon evolves with the power of forbidden knowledge into Baalmon, and then they get more advantage against the evil lackey. Not only that, but Ulforce evolves into AeroV-dramon but with the V-bracelets in it. Daichi and Toshi are perplexed, since XV-mon is a purebreed V-mon line while V-dramon line is another kind of line. How could Ulforce be able to evolve into a V-dramon family member!? Who knows…

Once they beat WaruMonzaemon, Toshi says he will protect everyone and everything from ChaosDukemon at any cost. Daichi appreciates that vibe and with this he, Ulforce and Natsu return to their home.

Still this wouldn’t be the last time they would see Toshi and Shadow…

  The Enemy’s Plan and the Neo Chosen’s Strategy

While Daichi was out, Ken and the others involved in this fight against Lupinmon discovered the plans of those evil digimon: Their original intent was to bring the Digimon Kaiser back and then force the digimon to distrust humans, forcing them to close the gates and separate the Digital World from the Human World again. But those plans were screwed up by Daisuke and his sacrificial tendencies.

But those plans changed -- They were still going after Ken, of course… But for another reason now.

Mirai kept feeding Taisuke and Kiyoko about the details she could get from her father’s database. Eiji and Hoshi were nervous to learn that their father is a target. They couldn’t let that happen, but their parents wouldn’t allow them to get involved.

It was when Daichi returned. He was so sure he had to rescue his father that he didn’t realize that… Yes, all the worlds and timelines he visited before didn’t disappear -- they only generated a divergent timeline from those events. A new door appeared every time he left a timeline.

But now he had to build a plan to save Daisuke. And this is where the other Tokyo Twelve’s children got in. They were so passionate about their families and friends that they would break the orders of their parents and relatives to protect those bonds. Daichi wanted to go alone, but this would only make him commit Daisuke-from-the-past’s mistakes as well. Taisuke, Kiyoko, Eiji and Hoshi offered to come with him and be his backup.

As they go into the Digital World, the group starts unlocking forms based on their Rune Fragment. Aquilamon (Captain) evolves into Hookmon (one which had the perfect-level power); Stingmon (Sting) into Cannonbeemon, BlackTailmon (Kitty) into BlackRapidmon, and Greymon virus (Draki) into MetalGreymon virus. The more they strengthened their bonds with their digimon, the more they started unlocking more and more power in order to beat the enemy’s army.

Daichi then is stopped by a Gennai clone, who sends a countermeasure against Magnamon’s powers to the boy’s digivice. This Gennai clone says it was an important item borrowed from the Holy Beasts. Daichi checks his digivice and notices it’s a golden Digimental. But why would he need a Digimental?? It wasn’t just a regular digimental -- It was the Digimental of Destiny.

The group started to get divided between enemies: Kiyoko and Captain were left behind to fight Mermaimon. Hoshi and Sting against Ookuwagamon, Eiji and Kitty against Doumon. Taisuke and Daichi, alongside their partners and Natsu, went straight to the main goal -- Lupinmon.

But, in their way there’s a MetalTyrannomon. It’s when Taisuke says he will take down that enemy while he leaves the rest to Daichi. Daichi, Ulforce and Natsu agree, and then they move to the next area, going after Lupinmon. 

The next obstacle was Magnamon himself. But Magnamon had a black armor instead of the usual golden one. Natsu then realized the Digimental wasn’t for Ulforce and yes for her. But… Can Daichi make a link with Natsu? A digimon already partnered with someone else? Also, what happened with her partner though!?

  Natsu’s Armor-Evolution: Magnabbitmon

Natsu is not a usual digimon. She was linked to that space-time dungeon and not partnered with any human before. Or rather, she was partnered with a person from another parallel world: Daisuke’s counterpart of Warlock’s world -- Lance Duskstella. This kid came from a world where the digimon and the humans were in an endless fight in a world made of magic instead. And this kid studied harder to defend the digimon from the humans, imagining a world where both could co-exist in peace. He believed in the existence of this place, and wanted so hard to open a gate to it. Natsu, or rather, ChibiBunnymon was a small digimon which came with a special power: the ability to open gates into the multiverse.

She was hunted by vile people and digimon, and always afraid of everyone… Until she met Lance. It was the first time she went in contact with someone with a person who lacked malice… She became his friend and partner, and then he learned about the existence of other worlds and timelines, events which happened differently… And events he wished to be part of his life. But unlike the others who were chasing Natsu, he never wanted to use her powers for himself. And when he was assassinated… He left with her a spell to find him again.

Or at least, one of his counterparts in the multiverse.

Was Daisuke destined to find Natsu by sheer accident? Or was it part of that spell? Nevertheless, Natsu went looking for this person… For a long long time ago. But Daisuke, Mimi and Wallace never had found a partner for Natsu. And one day… The egg vanished from Mimi’s house. Mimi, Wallace and Daisuke couldn’t explain what happened, or why the egg disappeared, and they had a little hard time dealing with it.

Until… They met again later.

Was Daichi… connected to Lance? Well, maybe? (I’m not going to spoil my other project ok)

Daichi isn’t sure if he can form a link with Natsu, but he had to try. So he did all the steps like if he had no partner digimon already, and it worked. Natsu now was connected to Daichi, and he used the Digimental on her -- She armor evolved into a Magnamon counterpart: Magnabbitmon.

Magnabbitmon was able to face Magnamon’s power equally, and then left Daichi and Ulforce to face Lupinmon all alone. 

But could Daichi fight his dad? I mean, he’s a human, right? What if Ulforce killed him by accident!? The kid wasn’t thinking straight… Lupinmon tried attacking them, But Ulforce protected Daichi. XV-mon reminds Daichi this isn’t the right hour to be hesitant, and keeps Lupinmon busy. Daichi starts to think: How can they bring his dad back to his senses? There must be something!!

 Then he looks at the goggles hidden under his aviator scarf. Yes… Maybe that could help!! Now what to do with them? He approaches the battle with them on his head, and then jumps on Ulforce’s back the moment his partner backs off. He tells Ulforce to bring him closer to Lupinmon, and that has a plan. Ulforce nods and flies in Lupinmon’s direction, shoving the lupine-like digimon to the wall, and then pinned him on it.

Daichi, on XV-mon’s shoulder, shows the goggles to Lupinmon and starts telling him to remember who he is. Lupinmon starts wavering… But it worked. Daisuke was able to break the mental control pulled by Papillonmon. A strange butterfly shadow leaves his body (in the Magna vs Magnabbit battle, another one leaves Magna’s body) -- Daisuke and Magnamon immediately destroy those with their powers. Daichi asks what was that thing and Daisuke says it was the bug controlling him and Magnamon.

It was when Papillonmon himself appeared and attacked them, Daisuke shielded Daichi and got hit… But instead of dying he turned into a small baby II-like digimon and fell unconscious. Ulforce and Natsu try to attack Papillonmon, but he leaves an army of brainwashed Manticoremon behind. Magnamon had devolved back to Chibimon form due to exhaustion and now there were two baby digimon in Daichi’s arms. The others come right there and they join the fight, opening a path to the exit.

Now that they have rescued Daisuke and V-mon… All they have left is fighting Papillonmon, right?

… Right?

[tobiasdrake]

Okay. I've had some time to digest these. It's time to rank the final chapters.

Hikari Reclaims His Kingdom I don't know what to say here. It feels like there was a lot more effort put into Hikari's finish than a lot of the others. A lot of the conclusions do the "Everyone from past chapters shows up to pitch in" thing but Hikari's translates that into a series of multiple successive highs rather than one gradual build-up.

It's just payoff after payoff after payoff after payoff, and everyone one of them is a huge and earthshattering emotional resolution to a thread that's been running through his setup chapters. Just. Solid storytelling that sticks several different landings all at once.

Agnea's Dance-Off Duel Up there is Agnea and her spectacular bout with Dolcinaea for her mother's legacy. The stuff with La'mani felt like manufacturing last-second conflict just for the sake of giving Agnea's returning cast something to do, but it was lighthearted and goofy fun. I enjoyed it all the same.

That said, the actual throwdown with Dolcinaea hit me a lot harder than Hikari's confrontation with Mugen. However, I would say that Hikari's other payoffs outshine Agnea's comedy antics on her way in the door enough to tip the scales in his favor.

Ochette Becomes Island Aelfric They're still pretending that the violent colonizers are supposed to be likable for some reason but the rest is pretty cool. The Night of the Scarlet Moon delivers exactly what was promised. Which you'd think might be kinda bland since what was promised was "Nebulous forces of amorphous, nondescript evil sure will evil up the place," which is not a particularly engaging story in and of itself.

But that serves as the backdrop to the ultimate confrontation with Akala/Mahine, an adversary that is deeply rooted in what should have been a harmless choice Ochette made once. A crushing foray into the shadows we cast without ever knowing; The unintended consequences we can't have predicted. All leading up to a triumphant moment of spiritual self-actualization and a soul-crushing farewell to a friend that could have been. This got heavy, fast.

Throné Meets and Stabs Her Gross Dad Throné had some of the best emotional highs in the series but she kinda. Ran out. Of characters with complex and interesting relationships with her to kill off. No matter which way you slice it, whatever Claude was, he was just going to be some dipshit we just met five minutes ago. He was never going to hit that same emotional high of facing down Father especially.

They went this eldritch spooker route probably to tie him in with the overarching Shadow plot. But it all feels like lateral development rather than added depth. "He's not just some guy who runs the guild, he's some immortal guy who runs the guild. They aren't killing each other, they're his children killing each other. Throné hasn't been groomed to be the successor, she's been groomed to be the successor."

None of it feels like it adds anything to the story, so much as mildly alters the context of the story in a lateral way. You thought this was happening, but actually that was happening, which is really still this but in a funny hat. A lot of new facts are established which make everything a lot grosser but don't really change anything.

Castti vs. The Evil That Wears Trousseau's Face That brings us to the "Cackling supervillain that's just evil for evil's sake" portion of the endings. An utter disappointment of a villain, Trousseau is a one-dimensional performance piece draped in the aesthetic of a tragic villain.

The game talks at length about how good and kind he once was and how that set him up for a terrible fall. But we don't really see "tragic villain" in his dialogue and actions. He's just a one-note supervillain who kills people because he's evil, utterly devoid of personality or any reasonable motive. Existing purely to hype up the true nature of the Shadow, and offering little more as a foil for Castti.

But he's still utilized in an interesting fashion, at least. The conflict he creates, the poison rain, offers a conclusion that feels well-tailored to the sort of protagonist Castti is: An overworking apothecary who can rest when she's everyone around her isn't dead.

Partitio Solves Capitalism Through Friendship Like Agnea, Partitio was in a situation where the enemy he has to face isn't a physical threat. But unlike Agnea, Partitio lacked a cool competition that could be metaphorically represented through the language of boss fight, so we get a weird, forced battle with Roque instead after Partitio's already won.

A victory earned solely through appealing to the myth of the Good Billionaire, and that's capped off by the most inappropriate possible ending: Onboarding the evil capitalist as a partner for a new business venture.

A story that started strong at "Unionize to fight the oppression of the rich" somehow manages to end at "The rich aren't so bad if you give 'em a chance; They just get bad ideas sometimes and need a firm, guiding hand to help 'em provide a net good for society."

Osvald Wrestles for His Lamp Harvey is an even weaker character than Trousseau. He's the most evil from the word go for no explicable reason. Always has been, always will be. Walking around in his Dracula cape with six different elaborate speeches prepared in his pocket about how evil he is.

Harvey is the least interesting villain in the game. This conclusion features Osvald and Harvey finally having it out over whose academic theory is right. Which is actually about Osvald realizing that love for his family is more important than academica.

But it's actually not. It's about the academia; Elena is a non-character, and Osvald's love for her serves only to help him crack his formula and beat Harvey. He drops her on the curb immediately after the game's other horribly inappropriate resolution.

It would be hard to write a shittier ending than this.

Temenos Slays a Heretic Somehow Temenos's ending manages to be worse than this. A series of baffling choices brings us a genocide survivor going on wild Capital-S Supervillain rants about how she's going to kill the gods and exterminate mankind. Pulling Stock Villain lines out of absolutely nowhere.

Meanwhile, Temenos. This character who has been defined by his inescapable skepticism. Whose most profound and interesting trait is his willingness to scrutinize even the church and the very gods themselves. Finds himself suddenly shunted into the more traditional and least interesting possible dynamic of, "This non-believer dares to threaten our church! I will BURN the HERETIC!"

My favorite part was when they presented us with a mysterious maze puzzle and then skipped immediately to the end and told us Temenos was a very smart boy for solving it offscreen. What was even the point. What are you even doing here.

[dragonedged-if]

WIP Playlist Tag

Thank you @elshells for tagging me :)

Tagging with no pressure: @moonandris, @reysfictionalworlds, @toribookworm22, @elizaellwrites, @fictionalbullshitter and open tag

Rules: List at least 4 songs from your current WIP playlist, or just a writing playlist you’ve been using lately, and the lyrics that speak to you the most!  Then tag at least 4 people or as many songs as you listed. Let’s spread the inspiration! 

So here's some of the songs that I been using but when I write I try to look for songs that fits my characters so I can better picture the scenes.

So yeah yesterday when I was reading Wayhaven 3 and doing A's route ,I don't know if its coincidence or its just the fates are mocking me.

My sister started blasting this song, so you can imagine the emotion I was feeling when I read the part that A, you know being A(Don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't read it yet)

I lost a part of me When you left, boy, can't you see? Boy, come back, baby, please 'Cause we belong together Who am I gon' lean on when times get rough? Who's gon' to talk to me 'til the sun comes up? Who's gon' take your place, there ain't nobody there Oh, baby, baby, we belong together

This is for Variel so that when I write her scenes, I want her to inflict pain as much as possible to your MC's my Readers :D

Down in the forest with the devil in me I remember the looks on their faces through the sycamore trees

Ain't no chariots of fire, come to take me home I'm lost in the woods, and I wander alone

Hellfire, hellfire, take my soul I'm waiting, waiting, I'm ready to go Mothers, children, lock your doors I'm waiting, I'm ready to go

This is for Clara, Now when I listen to this I'm imagining Clara wearing some red revealing dress and started to dance very wild.

Plus this songs gives that kinda sexy(More like sexual lol) vibes.

Hey, brother, what you thinking? That good ol' sound is ringing They don't know what they're missing (They call it lonely digging) Let's end your time to lay low Your knees a-bending, so It's time to get up and let go

Hey, brother, nice and steady Put down your drink, you ready It's hard when things get messy (They call it lonely digging) Your booty shaking, you know Your head has no right to say no Tonight it's "ready, set, go"

This is for our shy God-Boy, hays sometimes you really need to take matters into your own hands and you need to drag him to the dance floor with you.

Oh don't you dare look back Just keep your eyes on me I said you're holding back She said shut up and dance with me This woman is my destiny She said oh oh oh Shut up and dance with me

Now this is for Lucas, now I want his scene to be tragic and lonely.

I want him to be alone and pushing people away but of course until you came along my Readers ;)

I've been looking sad in all the nicest places Baby, baby, I feel crazy I see you around in all these empty faces All night, all night and every day I've been looking sad in all the nicest places Give me something, oh, but you say nothing Now I'm in a cab, I tell 'em where your place is What is happening to me?

I don't wanna live forever, 'cause I know I'll be living in vain And I don't wanna fit wherever I just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home

I just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home I just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home

[cee-grice]

Hi Cee! 👀

What’s the most unhinged AU you’ve imagined your characters in, and what’s the fluffiest? 🌷

⁉️⁉️⁉️ you really just want me to put my freakiness on public display huh

ok the most unhinged AU that I'm WILLING to share would be. evil wizard!Quil and stalker!Endra. hear me out. this is not even that unrealistic, it COULD have happened if I decided to go a different route (maybe one day...). basically the idea is. Quil's the Resident Wizard™ of this small town (as he is in canon as well) but...he's the sort of folklore witch type which parents tell their children scary stories about. never wander into That part of the woods alone...or after dark...because u will not leave them...and it's not just fairytales or smth, it's very much true lmfao. once in a blue moon, however, he visits the town... for very mundane stuff, nothing out of the ordinary, but everyone knows that on those days you DO NOT go outside lest you catch his attention. and you do not want that!

well, 'you' as in the general term. cue Endra, who one day DOES go out and sees him. and oh man. oh boy. everything about him just draws Endra in, both his appearance, his voice, his mannerisms, and this sense of danger that does something to his brain's chemistry. that one time is enough for him to get stuck in Endra's head. sooo, he Does start wandering into That part of the woods, and Does try to catch his attention. at first, Quil finds this fucking annoying. like, you'd think someone coming to HIM on their own accord would be great, less work for him, but no, it kinda ruins the whole vibe. people are meant to be scared of him, not?? enamored??? wtf???

so, he tries his darn best to get this dude to stop fucking. following him around and intruding on his business. like 'leave me the fuck alone or I'll skin you alive???' but all he gets in response is 'u can do whatever u want bby<33'. it's both baffling and exhausting. and now he DOESN'T want to skin him alive because what's the point if the guy's not scared of it?? it seems he has met his match in unhinged and highly questionable behavior and now he doesn't know what to do with himself. anyways then even more toxic and highly problematic shit ensues but I've already gone on for far too long<33

okay and the fluffiest - I honestly very rarely do fluffy AUs cause. yk. BUT I do have one where it's a modern setting at a uni and they're both teachers, Quil's a biochemistry and Endra's music :)) then you know how you can just.. enter any lecture hall during a lecture in a uni.. yea well one day Endra accidentally stumbles upon Quil's, and he doesn't understand SHIT but wow does this guy have a pretty voice. and a pretty face. and wow he's so smart. wow have I just sat through this entire lecture uhm what

anyways so he starts to just kinda. sit in on Quil's lectures whenever he can...still understands jack shit but goddd his voice is MESMERIZING. until one day Quil's like 'so um. what are you doing here lol?'. Endra kinda doesn't know what to say because he's not about to tell his co-worker he may be in love with him so he just bullshits and says 'oh yea bio? super cool and interesting and you're a good lecturer sooo....', which, obviously, Quil takes that rlly well because he LOVES bio and now uh oh Endra has to actually learn bio to keep up the ruse but he's tragically unequipped for it??? yea and then more cute stuff happens, you get the vibe <33

i'm This close to actually writing these fucking AUs.....i'm obsessed with AUs y'all don't even know

[waterfallswords]

Name: Clara Vale 'Luna'

Age & Birthday: 29 years old, June 3rd

Gender/Pronouns: Cis Woman She/Her

Birthplace: The Wards

Current Residence: The Wards

Job/role on The Station: Street Celestial Insight Reader / Market Stall (incense etc)

Positive Personality Traits: Empathetic, Creative, Resilient, Open-Minded

Negative Personality Traits: Idealistic, Escapist, Insecure, Impatient

ABOUT

Clara was born in the depths of the Wards. From the very beginning, her life was shaped by loss, she never knew her mother and grew up with her father, Marcus Vale. A man deeply entrenched in black market dealings. He was was rarely home, often disappearing for days or weeks at a time. The community around her took it upon themselves to care for Clara and she had no idea her father's dealings were far more sinister than she could imagine.

When Clara was nine, Marcus vanished, presumably captured by Vanguard Security or removed from the station entirely. This event marked a turning point in Clara's life, as she was taken in by Ilyana, a kind-hearted woman who opened her home to other young girls in need. Ilyana became Clara's guardian, providing her with the stability and affection she craved.

By the age of twelve, Clara developed a chronic migraine condition characterized with aura symptoms that included visual disturbances, flashing lights, geometric patterns, and even fleeting images. During these episodes, she experienced intense sensory changes, which Ilyana helped her interpret as visions rather than mere symptoms. Ilyana, deeply knowledgeable about the spiritual world, taught Clara the ways of Starseeing, guiding her to embrace the migraines as a connection to the cosmos rather than a curse. Ilyana affectionately nicknamed her Luna, referencing the moon and its mystical associations, a name that stuck as she grew older.

After Ilyana's tragic death, Clara found solace in practicing Starseeing, using it as a method to understand her migraines better. She discovered that by focusing on the auras and sensations, she could navigate through her pain and gain insights into her life and those around her.

Now in her late twenties, Clara, known to her friends as Luna, runs a small stall in the bustling marketplace of the Wards. She sells incense and various trinkets, such as crystals, handmade charms, and herbal remedies with Lolly. The scents of her incense fill the air with soothing aromas, drawing in passersby. Additionally, she offers Star Deck readings on the side, using her intuitive gifts to guide others seeking clarity in their lives.

CONNECTION IDEAS:

Luna has no idea that her father Marcus Vale is now back on The Station and is now known by Zaid. She also doesn't know how awful his previous dealings were or that he's killed people. This could tie into whatever if characters are going down the Zaid route, maybe tracking her down because of her real name.

A reading gone wrong vibe? She could do a reading for someone or feel inclined to and the cards pulled can be terrifying. Or it's already happened and yeah whatever. Maybe she pulls a card that she's convinced predicts the future, maybe it does maybe it doesn't lol. Or maybe it ties into something bigger idk.

Anything related to her health, maybe she gets proper medication for her migraines but she feels at a loss without her "visions" so doesn't take them, or she blames the person who got her to take the meds.

[raayllum]

Updated Season Four Predictions

AKA the clips of 4x01 have given us a lot to talk about and re-evaluate, so let’s talk about it! Full spoilers down below including a twitter summary of 4x01 “ReBirthday” from SDCC 2022, so if you don’t want to see all the spoilers we’ve gotten so far, please move past the read more! For everyone else, strap in! It’s gonna be a doozy.

Driving Narrative force for S4 / S4-S6

So the driving force for S4 and beyond is clearly Claudia’s resurrection and the ticking timeline Aaravos has given her: one month to free Aaravos from his prison or else Viren will die and stay dead, this time. This indicates that Claudia resurrected Viren with some of Aaravos’ help in terms of magic, and not just the spell (or ingredients) it would take to bring him back. 

There are two routes this journey could take: either it’s the actual travel time to wherever they have to be in order to free Aaravos from his prison (possibly the ruined Star Nexus, whose location is unknown). Or it could mean getting a powerful relic and/or ingredient from each of the six primal sources. They already have a corrupted Sun staff, so the Sun primal is covered, but it leaves Claudia with a mission to collect the rest. Powerful objects being stolen or going missing would be enough to alert Callum and Ezran in Katolis that something weird is going on, and Callum is currently the human with the best understanding of primal magic, so that could be a plot element. As well, it could be that one of each kind of Primal Source is needed alongside Aaravos’ cube is needed to be in a certain spot to free him, a kind of carefully constructed cosmic checkmate, if you will.

The month timeline is particularly interesting because a shot from 4x01 of Callum and his mage wings (when he falsely thinks Ez is in danger on his 17th birthday, and Viren’s re-birthday) is a waxing gibbous. So rather than moving towards a full moon, it’s heading towards a New Moon. 

The New Moon is commonly known as a time to initiate beginnings. Something to also be mindful of is that when the new Moon occurs, it not only begins a new cycle, but also ends the phase that came before (1). This would perfectly fit with Aaravos’ return / breaking out of the mirror ending the previous world of peace and kicking off the era the characters currently live in, which is canonically known as the Return of Aaravos (SDCC 2019). 

The real question is whether Claudia’s month timeline will cover one season, or like how S1-S3 was a month, it will cover the entire Arc 2 timeline. I lean towards a just one or two season timeline for a few reasons, by which I mean: her deadline is completed by the end of S4 or the end of S5. The deadline feels vaguely reminiscent of Rayla’s binding, established in S1 and concluded by the end of the season, for example, especially since S1-S3 never had any such timeline (we comparatively didn’t learn Zubeia was dying until 3x04, for example). So this one is the most likely to me.

Additionally, I could see it stretching out to S5, but I feel that Aaravos must be out of the mirror by the end of S5, so that S6 can have the trio and co. work together to try to bring him down and fail spectacularly. They can’t win the first time they try, so I think it’d be difficult to have them lose say halfway through the final season, and then have them try again very shortly afterwards and succeed. This would also mean that S6 ends in typical three act structure with the second act ending horribly to set up a triumph for the third (as opposed to a tragic structure, where the hero wins the second battle for loses the finale).

The other driving forces seem to be 1) Callum’s interest in the mirror, perhaps to fulfil Harrow’s letter and/or take his mind off Rayla, which will subsequently aid in our understanding of Aaravos as we go along and learn his history with Callum as an audience conduit / detective 2) Xadian and pentarchy politics. This fulfils both Ezran’s side of things (not all humans will want peace, King Ahling might still resent the death of his son, etc) and Janai. Her engagement to Amaya may be the final straw for her more traditional brother, or other Sunfire elves of the Six Horns. This could lead to a rift between Sunfire elves and a short conflict of the throne furthered by Sol Regem, although I do think Janai and Karim’s relationship will be repaired and have a happy ending (with some nice setup / parallels for Soren and Claudia’s getting there someday, too).

Unexpected Angles

Claudia and Terry’s relationship was the last thing I expected, but I’m already won over and curious about where their relationship will go. Judging by his first clip, how he meets Viren, and that he’s there when she does the resurrection spell, Terry is totally okay with dark magic even though he’s an elf. That’s a perspective we haven’t seen before from anyone but Aaravos, so I’m excited to see where Terry fits in morally even amid his adorable, charming personality.

However, this also means Claudia has three relationships to ponder: her and her Dad, her and Aaravos, and her and Terry. It’s already been heavily implied / basically confirmed that she’ll be under Aaravos’ greater tutelage for a bit. Now, this is more of a headcanon than anything, but I always figured Claudia would have a very hard time breaking off or dealing with the end of a romantic relationship of any kind, as it would remind her of her parents’ divorce. If Terry does begin to see dark magic in a worse light, and Claudia does not, how will she handle (or rather, not handle) that kind of distance happening again in another relationship? Just food for thought.

The Season Breakdown and Callum’s Path

As we know, every season of TDP is roughly broken down into three sets of three arcs per season, most plainly seen in season one. 1x01-1x03 is the castle arc, 2x07-2x09 is a continuous journey for ex, etc. This is a little harder in season three since there’s so much going on, but it can be down by following Callum and Rayla’s journey trajectory: 3x01-3x03 is pre-Silvergrove, 3x04-3x06 is romance and reckoning with the past, 3x07-3x09 all take place at the Spire, etc.

Therefore, I think a rough season breakdown for S4 could have similar stuff. 4x01-4x03 might be a lot of political set up, with something perhaps inspiring Callum to leave Katolis, whether it’s on his brother’s business or chasing his own desires. As people have noted, Callum isn’t wearing his scarf while he’s serving as High Mage in the first clip of S4, but he does have it in the “Aaravos as Puppetmaster” promo art, tethered to string the same way Claudia and Viren are.

Perhaps the donning of the scarf around 4x03 signifies a choice or decision that will impact him for the rest of the season (and arc by extension). This would be a nice parallel to 1x03 with the Zym mission, and how much 1x01 and 4x01 parallel each other. 4x01 ends up with Callum being upset/possibly angry over thinking Ez was in danger, and ends with him being quite upset over the anniversary of Rayla leaving, dejected and ashamed, similar to how he blew up at Ezran in 1x01 over his fear of losing Harrow, and then slumped to the ground disappointed. 

The arc set up could also fit nicely, as Claudia has an Earth arcanum with her (Terry could at least hold the cube, if that’s enough) and Sun staff. Rayla may end up being the Moon arcanum if she does run into the trio, and they’re a lot more powerful than expected even without Aaravos (who’s something else on his own). That leaves Ocean and Sky and possibly Star, fitting nicely into one every three episodes, or something along those lines.

Cube Hostage Exchange Theory

Although modified, now that Callum hasn’t gone after Rayla (possibly just not yet), I still think my Cube Hostage Exchange Theory continues to hold merit as well, a theory. (Extended tag here for any who are interested.) Basically: Rayla is captured by Viren, Claudia, and Aaravos. Possibly just as a hostage, possibly as bait, or even — if we harken back to “Claudia needs ingredients, particually the Moon as Aaravos has been lowkey Ghosted x1000” — as the intended ingredient for the Moon arcanum.

Then, according to the theory, Callum (and possibly others) will show up to save her / trade something Valuable for her. It could be Callum, if he’s connected to the Moon arcanum, but I lean more towards the Cube. It already holds weight as a present from Harrow, but would be very full circle: Rayla risking her life in 1x04 to get it for him and being taken hostage by Amaya, only for him to now sacrifice the cube (and put the world at risk too) to save her from a hostage situation.  

I could see Ezran and Callum (and possibly Soren by extension) coming to save her, I could see it being Callum, with them and Rayla escaping, and/or him and Rayla are both taken hostage in the end and S5 is them trying to escape. Either way gives time for Claudia to confront her old friend and her old enemy, and time for Rayla to unlock the secret of what Viren’s coins hold. 

Aaravos: “Those who fail tests of love are simple animals. They deserve to be motivated by fear.”

Other Misc Thoughts

I wouldn’t be surprised if 4x02 is a flashback heavy ep in terms of giving the audience context for when/why Rayla left, as 4x01 confirms that she’s gone but doesn’t seem to say why or for what. I think it could be really cool to see some Janaya flashbacks here as well as maybe an interspersed Claudia narrative, as Rayla and Claudia have quite a strong foils relationship. Then perhaps another flashback heavy episode (as TDP always tends to have 2ish per season) that focuses more on Aaravos’ history, so we can know more about why he’s bad news before he gets out of the mirror if it is by the end of S4.

I think perhaps Claudia will send Terry to distract / lead Callum astray, but the two dorky, seemingly similar-ish boys will bond instead, and Terry’s persepctive will perhaps change. I’m also very excited to see what Soren thinks of Terry once he realizes this is Claudia’s new boyfriend and all the emotions that brings: happiness someone is looking after his sister, fear and resentment at what she’s become, reservations that she has some ‘random’ boyfriend, etc.

And I think that’s it, Conclusion wise? More theories and such may trickle as we go along, and I have some non distinct thoughts marinating (Soren and Viren’s relationship, possible Ezran-Callum Harrow-Viren parallels being pushed further esp in early S4, etc) that I may post as I go along, but for now, these are the big ones!

So now let me hear from you: agree, disagree, want to take a theory and run with it? Let me know in the replies, reblogs, and/or in my inbox, I’d love to hear ‘em!

[thequillandscreen]

Translation of relevant portions of Writer Moon Yooseok’s interview because we get more confirmation of lawful husbands!!!! Source

▲ How do you feel now that “The Devil Judge” has wrapped up? Please say something to the viewers who’ve given the show a lot of love.

I’m sad that I can no longer see the performances of these great actors every weekend. I was watching it in viewer mode. The show as first conceived as a 20-episode series, so I’m a bit regretful that I couldn’t discuss the story more carefully and see the actors' performances some more. Thank you very much to the viewers who supported and joined us.

▲ There were many characters who seemed to occupy reversed gender roles. Was there any special reason for that? When creating characters, I completely ignored gender. I don't know if gender has a big meaning except in certain contexts, such as the sexual violence that Jeong Sunah suffered from Seo Jeonghak. Cha Kyunghee was just an powerful person with a lot of ambition, and Yoon Soohyun was just a detective who wanted to protect her first love. Both are familiar characters that are often played by men in Korean dramas. Conversely, the role of Kim Gaon is often given to female characters. Characters locked in conventional gender roles are obvious and uninteresting, but I think the bias that all women should be subjective and men can be flat is also contrived. All humans are individual.

▲ While writing 'Devil Judge', was there a scene that you put a lot of effort or worried over? This was Soohyun’s death scene at the end of episode 13. Yohan has Isaac, and Gaon has Soohyun. They are the only people who gave them unconditional love and helped them hold onto their lives. The script initally had a scene where Isaac tried to take his own life, in the belief that his father wouldn’t abuse Yohan if he was gone. While thinking about how to express such unconditional almost religious (divine) love, I wrote a scene where a dying Soohyun, looked at Gaon's forehead wound and, "Are you okay? You’re bleeding." From this tragic death toward to the end of episode 15, when it is revealed that everything was Sunah’s cruel plan, the play runs towards catastrophe. Like a Greek tragedy, where the incomprehensible gods dictate a cruel fate. 

It's not a very prominent scene, but I also remember the scene at the start of episode 12 where K, who follows Yohan like a shadow, tells Gaon his innermost thoughts for the first time, saying that if Gaon stays with Yohan, he will eventually lose everything. Actually, I wrote this scene while thinking about the movie 'Let Me In'. When writing that scene, the image of Hakan, the middle-aged man who lives with Eli, a lonely vampire, and meets a tragic end, and Oskar, a boy who bears the same fate, comes to mind.

[This is the summary of the movie and oh wow, it seriously confirms that Gaon, K and Yohan were in a love triangle]

▲ I am curious about how to interpret the ending of 'Devil Judge'. Kang Yohan escaped from the Supreme Court through the escape route he prepared in advance and went to Switzerland with Elijah, and he boldly appeared at the Judicial Reform Hearing to see if Gaon was doing well. This wasn’t in Gaon’s imagination, but there are viewers who misunderstand that. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that Yohan is doing well with Elijah, and we will see him again soon with Gaon. The world doesn't change that easily

[YOU GUYS LAWFUL FAMILY CONFIRMED. AND HE REALLY DID SAY “SOON”]

▲ Did you monitor audience reactions? If so, please tell us a comment that stuck with you

I mainly monitored overseas reactions, and it was interesting because there were a lot of reactions from people from different countries claiming that the show was talking about their own country, and I was once again afraid of what direction the world is going in now.

[Friends, I wonder if he saw all our lawful husbands tag  😂😂]

[agent-cupcake]

i’m interested to know your take on non-AM felix. ever since i read “epitaph,” it’s kind of made me fall down a rabbit hole of reading his character analyses from different routes, and i find it quite scary that i didn’t really consider how much of his characterization changes in such a negative way (to quote something i saw on reddit, he “failed to become a better person,” “was swallowed up by his own demons,” and “literally becomes a boar, mirroring dimitri” THAT AND i haven’t played anything besides azure moon LOL). also? it’s kind of even inspired me to possibly brainstorm something for a CF!felix/reader where the reader is with him every step of the way when byleth recruits both felix and you, and it turns into some “i can save him” type shit as you watch him spiral downwards because i’m still a sucker for cliche stuff like that!!!! thx

Non-Azure Moon Felix is a tragedy. The comment, “literally becomes a boar, mirroring Dimitri” is absolutely the sum of my opinion on what happens to him.

Hot take: Felix has a primary character personality and arc and should be integrated into the Azure Moon story but cannot be by the nature of the game which is a huge and tragic missed opportunity. Felix’s character and story importance to Azure Moon is not insignificant. He is the one who sets the tension about Dimitri initially and acts as the constant “moral” rebuff to Dimitri’s actions, the only one willing to call Dimitri out for his behavior. I’d say that his story role is far more worthwhile than Gustave’s in many ways. It’s a shame that he and Dimitri didn’t interact more after Rodrigue’s death. In general, I feel the story dropped off significantly at that point, and Felix clearly suffers for it. However, what is clear is that Dimitri’s recovery is similarly a turning point for Felix getting closure. Not because of Dimitri himself, not exclusively, but what his recovery represents for the team, for Faerghus, and the ideals that Felix has violently rejected for so long. Dimitri shaking off the ghosts, reclaiming the throne, and leading the team to victory is the validation of Felix’s actions and the patriotism he’s doubted so much. It allows him to come to terms with the dead himself. Not through rejection, but by accepting Glenn and Rodrigue’s legacy as his own. When he does that, he’s able to forge a path to a brighter future, find his own family, and, more importantly, something to live for other than the pursuit of strength. He accepts that people are more important than strength and that it’s okay to care. In Azure Moon, all of Felix’s endings have him staying with his paired partner and keeping a close and loving relationship with them.

In Azure Moon, we see the Felix who overcame his internal demons and accepted himself as he is, a caring and emotional person with an awful lot of baggage. This is a Felix who decided it was okay to love and be loved, who respects the sacrifices of the dead rather than scorning them for their foolishness. This is a Felix who is shown that he matters as an individual in his entirety. This is the Felix who no longer views ideals as inherently wrong, but is able to form a middle ground in order to understand the people he loves. He even accepts some of them, notably seen in how he stays and serves Dimitri while repairing Fraldarius territory in most of his endings, proving his loyalty. Not empty loyalty to the crown, but to a man he’s worked to understand. In summation, this is a Felix who overcame his trauma.  

If Felix chooses to leave the Kingdom, he is submitting himself to the painful path he put himself on after Glenn’s death. A path of rejecting his family, friends, and country. In short, rejecting himself as he is in favor of the man he believes he should be, a man who is strong and unyielding and does not compromise for the sake of ideals or allow himself to be unnecessarily sentimental. Felix abandoning the Kingdom is the ultimate showcase of his destructive dogma: strength above all. By taking part in the war against the Kingdom, Felix is proving to himself that unwavering and absolute might is more valuable than relationships, loyalty, and family. Not only is it more valuable, but it is also the only thing that is actually effective. By switching sides and figuratively killing the sensitive, childish side of himself, Felix is brought to understand that it’s all meaningless. Hopes and dreams and ideals and everything else is impotent in the face of military might, to feel those things in the first place was a display of weakness. Glenn truly died for nothing, there is no such thing as a true knight, no reason to waste your life for a cause which surely won’t reward you. Rodrigue believed in such foolish values, chivalry and loyalty, and he dies like the old fool Felix accused him of being. Everything Dimitri felt and thought and believed meant nothing because he died, too. As a beast, no less, validating everything Felix ever hated and was terrified of about a person he once adored. He never gets closure with Dimitri, never is able to come to terms with what happened to him.

And through all of this rejection of self, Felix proves to himself that he is not valuable as an individual. The only aspect of himself that is worth anything is his strength, that is his singular point of individuality. There is no reason to form strong emotional relationships, no reason to serve anybody or anything. He roams around without purpose, killing because that’s all he really knows. Some of his endings seem to portray him as happier, or at least give a more hopeful outlook about his life, but I think that’s more of a broken man making the most out of his life. Not because he’s actually moved on or dealt with his trauma, but because he’s got nothing else. Although, I have to point out that it’s also obviously because we have to have nice ship bait in the endings because God forbid a mostly serious game about war forgets to pander and not give the drooling masses a happy ending. Not to say that I’d prefer he suffer his entire life, but it definitely cheapens the experience when his potential happiness has no context other than a single line. That said, his non-Azure Moon solo ending as well as the ones with Dorothea and Sylvain are the ones I feel work the best.

To tie this all up, let’s jump back to something I mentioned above as well as an aspect of “Epitaph” I really tried to highlight, Felix’s lack of closure with Dimitri is what ultimately ruins him. Dimitri is the most important turning point of his recovery in Azure Moon, so it makes sense that his death would have the opposite effect by changing him into an isolated, bitter person who kills without remorse and represses his emotions, even running from them. Felix becomes haunted by his actions and betrayal and by the constant question of why it wound up like this, all the while hating himself for feeling this way because he knows such questions are pointless. It’s a feedback loop of self hatred and violence because he knows nothing else, because he has nothing else. No place to go, nowhere to belong. The fear he expressed about what would become of him when there were no longer any battles to be fought is validated and he’s left hollow.

So, those are my thoughts on Felix. With that fic… Are you proposing an angst-ridden tragedy of trying to save Felix from himself only to realize it’s like blowing into a hurricane and falling further and further into the despair of watching sweet, beloved Felix succumb to his worst self? Because… yum…. I’m on board.

[iturbide]

Sorry I wasn't trying to come off as sarcastic and more just curious as to how you felt towards the other FE games like SoV and Mystery of the Emblem where their endings have the unification of the continents.

As for why Houses is written like that, I think it comes down to the writers having to write under the assumption the player never recruits anybody from different houses since recruiting characters is, at the end of the day, optional. Kind of like how Awakening has the children unit but outside of Lucina none of them play a major role in the story because they are all optional despite the fact they shouldn't be.

So let's say you go through Azure Moon and recruit nobody during the Academy Phase. Lorenz dies during the battle at Myrddin Bridge, Lysithea dies during the battle at Gronder, Marianne is MIA, and, depending on how you play the Derdriu chapter, both Judith and Hilda can end up dead and with Claude leaving that leaves no one on the Round Table. Even in the best case scenario, Hilda and House Goneril would be the only Round Table members left.

Same thing for the Empire side. Sure if Ferdinand and the other Eagles are alive then them going back to the Empire and Ferdinand becoming the new Prime Minster and work to restore the Empire after the war but if we assume the game is written under the assumption that you recruit nobody, all the Eagles die, leaving the Empire without any sort of leadership.

Basically, the unification of Fodlan during all the route endings is less of a "The continent is unified because *insert side here* won the war" and more "The continent is unified because the 5 year war has all but destroyed the leadership of the Alliance/Empire/Kingdom." Is it dumb? Yes. The writers should have written a different ending depending on the recruitments you make. But it's also understandable why they're forced to write the story for the routes the way they did because of how the recruitments are not mandatory.

But that's not true. You're assuming that all the people heading up these nations died -- but it's the parents who are actually in the seats of power during the war. Marianne's not at the Round Table (since her endcards specifically state that she was tutored for the position after the war), nor is Lysithea (who was planning on bowing out anyway), nor is Lorenz (who hadn't yet inherited the title). Count Gloucester is frankly primed to take up leadership of the Round Table when Claude bows out, because we know for a fact that he's alive based on Lorenz insisting he can get through to his father if you recruit him. Sure, the loss of their heirs is undeniably tragic, but we also know that inheritance doesn't have to be based solely on blood: both Marianne and Mercedes on the Kingdom side were adopted into their respective families despite loose or absent blood connections in order to elevate their status. Noble families could very easily look into adoption to continue holding their position of leadership, if they decided to keep to the Crest requirement at all (and since Judith was part of the Round Table for quite awhile despite not having a Crest before ceding her place to Margrave Edmund, it's clearly not a requirement at least in Leicester).

For the Empire in particular, there's just a power vacuum -- and more than enough noble families to fill it. For one thing, Caspar isn't even set to inherit because his brother has a Crest, so the Bergliez family isn't even out of power regardless of what happens to him -- and we know his dad is still active because he's the one Edelgard charges in CF with overseeing matters in the newly conquered Alliance. Plus, you also have at least one powerful noble family who doesn't personally have kids at Garreg Mach -- House Gerth, which was named as one of the key players in the Insurrection of the Seven. That's not even getting into the named territories on the Fodlan map where you very likely have more noble families who just didn't get attention and screentime. The Empire isn't just going to fall apart without Edelgard and the Black Eagles heirs -- it has more than enough nobles to fill in for any families taken out of the running. They just need a new overall leader, or to change the rules so that they're operating openly on the post-Insurrection structure rather than needing the figurehead of the Emperor.

So no, I don't think it's the writers assuming no recruitment. I think it's the writers incorrectly believing that the best ending is one where everything is unified, when that's just blatantly untrue.

[asterjennifer]

Drink to enter Paradise

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Pairing: Ray x Reader

Category: Angst (light?)

Warnings: Slight mental breakdown

Word count: 6407

Author's Note: This is basically the first visual novel of V's route. Because believe you me.. my heart was dying with adrenaline after Ray let V into the room and started to break down.

Summary: ( Spoilers for: V route - prologue )

Ray takes you to his room for a very special decision. You can tell he's very excited and therefore you're willing to try.

But things get interrupted by V himself, Trying in vain to rescue.

It's a shock, but when you see Ray having a mental breakdown afterwards, you wish to help him calm down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi (N), there seems to be a lot going on in your head.."

Ray's soft voice rang inside your ears after asking for entrance with the usual polite knock at your door. The night's already outside your window, sun gone from the sky and being replaced by the beautiful dark light of the moon paired with all it's little stars as friends. Your pink princess room dipped into purple and calm blue due to the late hours, giving it something cold instead of warmth. Ray's face's close to yours as he bowed to see all your facial expressions better, white bleached hair with pink tips a bit more messy than before, probably as he ruffled through it while working. You smiled to him, feeling slightly exposed as he could see right through your eyes and into the chaos inside your head. There's indeed a lot on your mind, considering the AI's of his game never left your mind. Especially V, the character with turquoise hair and tragic story of losing his beloved one. All programmed by Ray, who, somehow, seemed to hate him and 707 the most. Which's weird as he's the one who brought these AI's to life. You looked up to the man in the magenta suit, nodding your head as some hair feel over your shoulder.

"Yeah, I thought a lot about everything that's going on. Why are you here? Aren't you busy?"

"I'm already done with all the preparations. You need to choose, (N)."

His little grin went wider by the surprise inside your eyes, you didn't expect him to be done so early. But then again, Ray did mention he's mostly focused on the contract that you wished to sign, saying he's doing everything to make it perfect. You figured he rushed everything quicker than expected as he's too excited to make you an official resident of the place. He held out his hand to you, long fingers covered with the black leather he never seemed to take off. You adored the slight red color on his cheeks.

"Will you please stay with me forever and on?"

Question spoken with pleading eyes, insecurity shining through as his voice lost on strength, as if he's about to beg for you to stay. However, this wasn't necessary at all as you already made your decision of staying with the tender game developer. The past five days with him had been so much fun, even if he could rarely visit due to all the work on his plate. But whenever he found time, he made sure to give it all to you, taking you out of the room you sometimes were required to stay in for long hours as your safety wasn't secured yet. You took his hand, palms touching after getting off the bed to look up to him with a warm face, feeling yourself blush as well.

"Yes! I'll be with you, Ray."

The beautiful mint eyes of his suddenly shone brighter than any star outside, the color so unnatural captivating. The relief, or rather the happiness was clearly written in every feature of his face, you loved to see Ray enjoying being alongside you. As he often let shine through that he's dealing with self-hatred, which you couldn't comprehend as he's such a goodhearted person, like a prince, if you dared to say.

"Ah... My heart is beating so much! You have no idea how ecstatic I am to hear that. No one has ever told me that they'll stay with me.."

It hurt to see the happiness shifting drastically to something painful, eyes now shining differently as there's something dull covering them. You squeezed his hand tighter to give him some comfort, however, he didn't really seemed to receive it as he's sinking into memories.

"They all told me that they care for me, but all of them betrayed me at the last moment.."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Ray.. But I don't wish to betray you!"

"I knew it. You're different from those people."

He took your other hand as well to pull them up, placing his lips against your heating skin to show his pure gratitude by having you promise him to never leave his side. The blush on your cheeks deepened a shade the same moment as your heart skipped a beat, you adored how shy Ray could be and in the next moment, he's bold enough to break some of the ice. It's an electrifying feeling which you could never have enough of.

"Please stay with here with me forever.. (N)."

You giggled lightheaded, the sound like a melody inside the game developer's ears. He watched the many emotions rushing over after making eye contact, you could tell his heart started to flutter when you nodded. There's no way you'll ever leave this sweetheart, after what he'd done for you and how gentle he treated you. Ray's a beautiful person you desired to spend your life with, nerve experienced such an intense feeling before, it's almost terrifying.

"There's something I want to show you– to you only. Could you come over here for a moment?"

The question open for you to decline or accept, of course you followed him as he opened the door for you. His shoulders lost some tension after standing straight, if you wouldn't know better, you'd say he's proud. So cute.

"Okay.."

"Yes. Over here. This is so exciting... I'm so thrilled when you do as I say."

Your fingers found the end of your dress to give it a slight pull, the words somehow managed to make you feel embarrassed. It's uncertain how aware Ray really was when it came to your obedience, it would be pretty shameful if he already found out how much you liked his touch, or just being confident enough to tell you what to do. You're not sure how healthy that was, it's just the fire inside your veins that started to boil with excitement whenever he's taking control, hopefully he'd not be freaked out if he ever finds out. You followed the man with bleached hair down the corridor until reaching a door that's similar to every other one.

"Where are we going?"

Your curiosity didn't let you shut your mouth, therefore asked him what's going on exactly. Eyes glued to the hand of yours that's pressed inside his while taking steps, couldn't help but push with your fingers into his palm.

"It's where I'm always working. I've never shown it to you, have I? Don't be scared.."

He warned before opening the door, revealing the dark room with plenty of monitors. Your mouth hang open after seeing how many displays were attached to the wall, windows covered and a chair that seemed a bit too big for his tender body. Ray let go of your hand to turn around, giving you a sweet smile.

"Welcome to my room!"

"There are a lot of computers..."

The cold of the room paired with the impressive amount of technology let the room feel more like an office rather than space to live in. It confused you to find no bed, he did say it's his room, didn't he? Ray pushed the chair closer to the work table, a little chuckle in his relatively deep voice giving you goosebumps. He's so young, but the tone often sounded like he's much more mature than the young programmer should be.

"Yes.. This is where I developed the game you're testing and collect information on it."

You nodded, that made sense. The man you adored maybe a little too much invited you to step into the room, until you're right in front of him. There's something nice about looking up to meet his face, he's not that much taller than you, but just lifing your head enough to meet his eyes chased a shiver down your spine. Ray took your hand into his own again, the other placed on his chest, right where his heart beats.

"There's no need for a signature for this contract. You only have to take a special elixir developed at this place.. as a promise that you'll stay here."

"Special elixir..?"

"Yes.. I worked hard to prepare it for today. Close your eyes.."

There's a lot you could think of to sign a contract, which's why it surprised you even more to learn about the way they did it in this big palace like building. Drinking an elixir? You've never heard of something like that before, somehow it left your stomach to spin uneasily. However, there's no doubt that you trusted Ray. He'd never tried to hurt you, on the contrary, he always made sure you're happy and healthy, repeating how his biggest wish was to make you happy. And you believed him, he's very genuine about it and never afraid to show how devoted he felt towards you. Therefore, you closed your eyes as he asked and concentrated on his voice. Now without vision, the tone's even rougher than before.

"On a count of three, open your eyes. You got it? ...One ....Two ...Three! Here, look..!"

After letting him count down, you opened your eyes again. There's a bright liquid filled inside a glass bottle, shaped like a heart. Ray never let go of your hand, holding it up so you could inspect it. The color's almost identical to the one inside his eyes, that thought comforted you. A calm smile lit up his face, like it's a dream he never wished to awake from. Knowing you could make him feel that way let your heart pick up speed.

"What is this?"

"This elixir will make you happy. You prove that you belong here by taking this elixir. Then you can officially become a resident of this place. You can stay here with me forever.."

While Ray explained about the importance of the mint colored liquid, you couldn't take your eyes of it. The glass from the bottle caused it to shine so bright, you could swear to see some loose threads swimming inside it as there's something that let the elixir glitter like the body lotion for girls you saw inside one of your favorite stores the other day. It's gorgeous, there's no denying that fact. Ray slightly tilted the bottle to the side to let the glitter show of some more, it must've made your eyes lighter as he exhaled amused. A question came to your mind then, seeing this kind of stuff when Ray's a game developer didn't quite connect to another. You looked up to him, obviously filled with curiosity.

"Is this a medical company? Or a game company?"

The question's standing inside the room for a moment, now Ray seemed almost confused. Which left you feel the same way, he'd know what place this was, after all, he worked really hard for it. Then, something inside his face snapped, was that sweat that ran down his temple?

"Umm.. it's both. The ultimate goal of this place is to make people happy."

The frown on your forehead didn't seem to be the reaction he expected. However, you couldn't help but wonder if there's something that the man with magenta suit tried to hide away. Hopefully not, you wished to trust him unconditionally. As he's a good person, you could see it. Ray storked his thumb over your hand to gain your attention again.

"You can become happy.. and get a little glimpse of what paradise is like... If you take this elixir. You'll get to realize what a true happiness is little by little!"

Ray spoke convinced, as if he knew exactly what he's talking about. Knowing he's certain of the words coming from his mouth melted some of the doubts away. You tilted your head after stroking a strand of hair behind your ears, revealing more of the blush on your ear tips. Even though the things about Paradise and true happiness felt somewhat far from reality, you couldn't help but long for the promise he made.

"This is a good elixir. You got it for me, right?"

"Yes, I did! I had a hard time reasoning with the savior to gain premission to give it to you.."

He admitted, mumbling so quietly you almost couldn't catch the words. So he did this for you. A warm, familiar feeling of butterflies spread inside your body. This man really did everything for you, regardless the stress or circumstances. Ray's breath became heavy for some reason, like he couldn't quite catch the air. You hoped he's not feeling scared.

"This is specially made for you. I added sweet ingredients and fragrance into the basic formula just for you.."

Now you're curious how sweet it tased, Ray must've remembered the phone call from two days ago as he asked what kind of taste you preferred. He never forgot a single thing you said, that's something you never found in another person before. You smiled at him to show your appreciation, it helped him breath easier again. Suddenly his face became serious, eyes piercing through yours to see behind and inside your soul. It let you tremble for a moment.

"I want to make the woes and agonies inside your head all disappear... Even the ones that you're unaware of."

"You wish to do that for me? Why?"

"That's because.. I like you."

The words send you straight to heaven, the blush on your face now reaching the limit to make you look like a tomato. You needed to tear your eyes away due to growing embarrassment that's going through your veins. You figured Ray enjoyed your presence more than an ordinary friend, but him actually saying out loud he liked you let you explode with something warm. He leaned down a bit more as you backed away to hide how shy you felt, the moment you noticed his face's right in front of yours, there's no heartbeat to feel.

"I want to take you to the paradise where there's no pain or agony. Didn't you enjoy staying here with me?"

You bit your lip to not let out a squeak, when he's so close it's hard to use your voice. Ray's fingers found their way into your hair, brushing your ear with the leather glove to keep your head close to his. You really wanted to answer him and say how much you enjoyed the time you'd spend together, however, it's impossible to speak without losing yourself and do something stupid.

"You played the game for me, and you talked and chatted with me.. And you made happy memories for me."

"Ray..."

Immediately regretted how breathless his name came over your lips. The touch of his hand wandered until he could hold the back of your head, so close. Close enough you could feel his breath on your cheek, it smelled sweet, like candy.

"I think we were able to form such a connection... Because we're similar in some ways."

That's something you didn't expect him to say, or even think, for that matter. You looked up with wide eyes, waiting for him to explain what he's talking about. God, if there's one thing you could do for many hours straight, then it's staring into these beautiful mint colored eyes of his.

"I thought I could see.. all of the anxiety, sadness and loneliness inside you.. And that's why I want to make you happier.."

You felt called out, it's not even fair. Hearing him acknowledge that you're lonely often enough and feel sad about the people you trusted, or the environment you're forced into, seemed to shine through stronger than you originally expected. Ray's words sounded like honey when he said that's his main reason as to why he wished to make you happy.

"I do not want you to feel.. any of the pains or woes I've suffered."

The truth being spoken made him sound so sad, helpless, even. It broke your heart, hearing how much he must've suffered in the past or many still in the present. Couldn't you make him happier as well, somehow? You surely had an immense power to change his mood, that's why you're always careful with your words, the last thing you wanted was to hurt him. Not sure if it's a good idea, you hesitantly lifted your head a bit more to brush his cheek with your lips. Just a moment before the shyness took over again and you stared back to the ground. One of his signature chuckles filled the air before he placed the glass bottle inside your hands, keeping his own over yours which appeared comparatively large.

"You'll get to experience much more entertaining things than that game.. if you drink this. Drink this and open your eyes next morning, and your world will be flooded with happiness."

The heartbeat inside your chest became loud enough to pound inside your ears. Couldn't help but let out an unsure hum, something's telling you not to drink it. Might be your gut feeling as it's not aware of what exactly's inside the bottle. Something that could promise you pure happiness.. It sounded like a drug to you. That's what people often escaped into when trying to forget their problems and be happy for a short moment. Of course, as he never missed anything, Ray could see the nervousness by reading your body language.

"I'll be there for you if you're scared."

"I am a bit sacred, to be honest.."

"You're not alone. So (N).. don't let anxiety and fear get you, too."

A hush followed his words to give you comfort, taking some of the anxiety and replace it with affection. It's okay, you told yourself. Ray would never do anything to hurt you, and even if it's having a bad side affect for you, for whatever reason, he'll be there to keep you safe. Ray might take care of you if you end up sick, feeding soup and brining you to bed. It's only one time, anyways, right? He asked you to drink it to show you truly wanted to stay by his side. If that's what it takes to prove how much you liked him, then it shall happen. You opened the bottle and brought it to your nose, eyebrows raising in amazement by how sweet it smelled. Ray created some space between you both after taking a step back, wanting to see all of your face and his smile. It's so wide, very unusual but beautiful. That's when you decided to bring it to your lips, not drinking it yet, but trying to get an idea of what you're about to swallow down.

"Thank you, (N). I knew you'd understand me..! Now I can stay with you even after the game is over."

You lowered the bottle again to be brave and give him a little kiss on the cheek. If he didn't understood your intentions before, now he definitely would. It surprised him, hand coming to cover his red cheek where your lips had been a second ago. Ray hid his own behind the hand before pulling you to his chest, you're able to listen to the quick heartbeat of his even through all the layers of fabric.

"You'll be just like me. We'll be happy every single day."

That sounded beautiful, just filling your day with Ray and going out to do many nice things together. Maybe over time even becoming more intimate to share a bed for the night and cuddle until you fall asleep. The man with bleached hair pulled you as close as he could, voice filled with nothing but excitement, it resembled the one of a little boy who could visit an amusement park for the first time in his life, it's so lovely. You wished he'd be this happy every single day.

"Let's go for a walk again after you take this elixir. I asked them to plant prettier flowers after we visited the garden. Let's go see how pretty the bloomed, (N)."

Why is he so damn cute. Who gave this handsome looking man the right to be so innocent and sweet? Such a dangerous combination that started to let you feel addicted. Your eyes met once more after lifing your head to rest your chin on his chest, both of you shared the same smile and let the moment be remembered as something comfortable.

"Now, drink it, (N)."

You nodded, sadly having to let him go in order to bring the bottle back to your lips. You unwittingly closed your eyes while taking in the sent of the shiny liquid, now there's nothing alarming ringing inside your body by how nice the smell was as it rose into your nose.

"... It smells sweet, doesn't it?"

"Very! It smells great, actually."

As Ray continued to stare into your eyes, there's something keeping you in place. Captivating you before you realized he lifted your chin. His lips hovered above yours, a little movement and you could kiss them.

"I invite you to the paradise."

He whispered before tilting his head enough to brush your lips. You closed your eyes, already forgotten you still didn't drink the elixir he offered you to become a part of the place. But before you could actually press your lips against his, a knock on the door tore apart the moment. It seemed to annoy the both of you.

"... Who is it.. at this important moment? I thought I told everyone to stay away from this place."

Ray's eyebrows drew together in annoyance before he breathed through and looked back, you watched each other for a moment to make sure whoever knocked was gone. However, bad luck followed as it knocked again. A bit louder this time. You almost wanted to ask who it could be, but Ray's eyes widened as he seemed to reconsider keeping the door shut.

"Wait, perhaps she's looking for me.. Give me a moment, (N)."

You assured the young man with the magenta coat it's fine before he carefully opened the door to whoever disturbed your moment. The sweet voice of his now filled with strict words, he's so cool when he let his authority play, that's something you found attractive from the very beginning.

"What is it?"

"We have a problem with the sever room. This is an emergency."

"What..? Of all times.. Hang on. I don't think I've ever seen you before.."

The Believer hiding as much as possible underneath the thick, dark robe had such tense shoulders. Not to mention about how low he kept his head, even when facing Ray. Something didn't seem right, especially when your favorite man in the world pointed out he'd never seem this person before. You narrowed your eyes at the mysterious man.

"The savior is also there. You must go now, Mr. Ray."

"Wait, this voice.. I've heard this voice before."

"I agree.. I've also heard that voice somewhere. He seems suspicious."

It's true, you could tell why Ray thought that way. Something about that voice felt way too familiar to be just a random Believer that you'd passed by in the corridor. The man with bleached hair looked back to you in agreement, that's the moment the shoulders of the stranger tenses to the maximum.

"You're right.. This is really suspicious. Just who are you..? Take off your hood.."

"..Very well. Just one moment, please.."

And after that, things happened with the speed of light as the Believer pushed Ray aside to sprint into the room. You gasped loudly, it hurt in your throat as your body jumped by the sudden gesture, scaring the shit out of you.

"Ugh!"

"(N)! You shouldn't drink that thing!"

"You...!"

Your mouth opened, very confused how that man knew your name and literally slammed the glass bottle filled with turquoise liquid away. As you're not prepared for such impact, the bottle fell out of your hand to splinter into thousand pieces on the floor, splashing up high enough to hit the desk, chair and the bottom of your dress as well as your legs. Adrenaline shoot through your every nerve by how intense that guy tried to prevent you from dinking Ray's elixir. Who, now having back his balance, stood like a shoot animal while trying to catch himself, eyes filled with a dark storm as anger soon filled his voice.

"N-No! The bottle broke...!"

"Who are you? What's going on?!"

You couldn't help but hyperventilate as the words left without air inside your lunges. The mysterious man took off the hood to reveal not only a familiar hair and eye color, but also a face you knew very well by now. Out of pure shook, you took a step back.

"It's V, Jihyun! This way! We must get out of here now!"

"You weren't an AI?! Were you an actual person?"

"What do you mean by that? Wait, this isn't the time to discuss that! Over here! Quickly!"

He's under such time pressure, the sweat ran down his forehead like it's raining. You couldn't believe what's going on, so did Ray lie to you? This wasn't a game you played? So many questions clouded your head and made it impossible to move like V pleaded you to. Ray's just as paralyzed as he's staring at the older man.

"...No! You can't take her away from me! Traitor! Why is that traitor in this building..?"

It scared you once more when Ray yelled to get other Believers to notice the situation, if they somehow didn't noticed by the loud crash of the glass bottle. A female Believer stuck her head into the room, dark eyes widened in horror.

"Mr. Ray! What is it?!

"Stop him! Don't let him take her away..! No. Not her... Don't take her away from me.."

"We're getting out of here. This way!"

V managed to pull you out of your head by grabbing our wrist, a bit too much strength in his grip as it made you hiss out. Things went so fast, you lost balance as the apparently real AI tried to ran out of the room with you.

"No!!"

"Ugh!"

All the rest air was pressed out of your lunges as Ray stopped V while passing by to grab you himself, you started to become dizzy by tall the jerking movements. He clinged to your body like a lifesaver, both arms around your hips to make sure nobody, not even yourself, could bring you apart.

"Not her. Not a chance!"

"... Damn! Looks like we can't escape together... More people are coming."

It's true, you could hear many voices yell and argue down the hall, not long and they'll all arrive at the room. V's eyes found yours, this obvious urge inside of him let you reconsider everything you've done the past couple of days. He must've picked that up and waved his hand to calm you.

"Don't let them trick you, (N)... I'll save you no matter what..!"

"Don't give that rubbish to (N)! You're the one tricking her...!"

"I'll come back later. Until then, please be safe, (N)..!"

How real his concern seemed to be let you shake with fear, did you make a mistake by coming here after all? Did Ray really lie to you? What had happened if you'd drink that stuff he prepared for you? The big arms around you became tighter, making it even more difficult to breath the suffocating oxygen around you.

"There is no later.. Don't you dare try to take (N) away from me.. I won't let your even get close to her..!"

"Don't ever take the drug they give you at this place.. And don't take anything that looks suspicious.."

The more advice the man with turquoise hair gave you, the more you started to doubt all of your decisions. After what felt like an eternity but in the same moment like a short second, the Believers came into sight to deal with whatever's going on. You could only watch with torn feelings while Ray never let the grip around you loosen.

"Protect Mr. Ray!!!"

"Understood!"

"... I'll come back for you. I'm sorry... We can't escape together as for now.."

V promised you, which left you with more fear instead of making you feel secure. Too much's going on at once, you're not even sure if it's reality anymore as your vision felt surreal. You couldn't look any longer into the eyes of the man who sneaked into the building, it's too much.

"Don't worry about me and get him! He's the traitor...! The one out savior was looking for..!!"

"Mr. Ray! Should we go after him?"

"Yes.. You must get him no matter what.. And we must take him to the savior.. Then we finally can find peace.. Then I can keep (N) safe.."

"Understood!"

Ray screamed at the Believers to make them aware of what person actually stood in front of you. They're quick to catch up, which forced V to run down the corridor, being chased by many of the Believers. One of them accidentally even slammed the door of the room shut. Your heart's busting through the roof as Ray let go, going over to the broken bottle to pick up one of the splinters. It's so much to take in, it let you feel like your head spend hours on a carousel. Or as if an horde of lions tore it apart by so many mixed signals.

"I shouldn't have opened the door.. Why now..? Of all times, why now..? What's going on here..?"

Ray seemed broken by what happened, you didn't need to see his face as it's very clear to hear inside his voice. Your body slowly released all the adrenaline, making it heavier in the progress. The amount of shock caused your legs to wiggle like jelly until you broke down to the floor, even if you tried to get up, it's no use. Nothing inside your body listened to your commands. All you could focus on was breathing to not completely lose it, you're scared you'll pass out otherwise.

"V ruined everything I've prepared... I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry."

As Ray found some of his senses again to turn around, he found you on the floor. His expression immediately changing to regret, like he just hit you or something. You didn't even noticed the tears that ran down your cheeks until he kneeled down to wipe them. He seemed so mad, you're scared to even breath out loud.

"...(N)... Are you hurt? Ah.. thank heavens. But.. the bottle broke."

His mint eyes looked back to the mess V caused by slamming the glass out of your hand, quite lucky it didn't cut your skin open afterwards. Ray's body shook as strongly as yours. Every time he looked into your terrified face, he seemed to become a bit more sad.

"It was for you.. Everything's ruined.. Why do things like this happen when happiness is just within my grasp? I only wished to make you happy.."

It must've been painful, that's why he let his head hang and place both hands onto the floor to find some stability. Piece by piece your judgement and possibility of thinking clearly came back, trying to progress what the fuck just happened and how desperate V seemed to be to get you out of here. Ray didn't let you see his face, however, seeing the tears hit his dark pants was enough to shatter your heart.

"I only wished to be happy with you.."

"Ray, are you crying?"

You asked concerned, slightly impressed your voice's already back, albeit unstable. The young game developer lifted his head as you lovingly put two fingers under his chin to help him. He was crying, and it's a terrible thing.

"No.. I won't cry any more. You're here with me.. You're by my side.. So I won't cry."

He told it more himself than you, which's okay, he's probably just as shocked as you were. Although for you it's even more confusing considering V seemed to be a real person, how ever that could be. Ray watched you sink into thoughts, getting you out right away as his fingers stroked over your cheeks. He's hesitant, but there's a lot of affection in that gesture.

"You must have been really disturbed.. I'm sorry for surprising you."

The apology gave you the opportunity to breath through. True, you're very disturbed by that whole scene that could've been from a damn movie. However, you figured it's worse for Ray, you could tell by how painful his body language spoke and agony filled his eyes. So you crawled over until you could take him into another embrace. His face buried inside your shoulders as he made many wrinkles into your dress by pulling you closer.

"It's okay, I'm okay.. I'm worried about you, though.."

"I'm fine. Please wait for a bit until I come back with the elixir... (N)."

After what happened, hearing him say that left a bitter taste on your tongue. Ray pulled away enough to press your foreheads together. You rocked a bit back and forth to give you both comfort and process V's appearance. No matter how good his intentions might be for saving you, he did something painful to Ray. Who really just tired to make you happy, there's no way you'll forgive that. Poor boy, working so much and trying so hard to get things done right, only to get disturbed and have his dreams being ruined. You swore to yourself you'll never do that to him, regardless how dangerous things might can become. That's the power of love, you thought confidentiality. Ray let go of the sigh and gave his body premission to loosen enough to not be as stiff as a rock.

"Just.. rest for the night. I should go report this to the savior."

"Who is that savoir?"

"... You'll soon get to see her in person. I.. don't want to leave you right now.."

Understandable, he's probably afraid to the bone that V comes back to get you out of the building. You tightened the hug more, hoping he'll get the message and knows you're not going anywhere without him. Ray brought one hand to the back of your head, just like before.

"I'm too anxious, and I'm so sad.. But.. if I don't report to the savior, a even greater disaster might befall..!"

You almost started to cry when he said that, combined with that broken voice of his really let you feel angry for V to come into the room in the first place. To calm him, you put your hand around his neck, the other looked for his free one and hold hands. Poor Ray, he never did anything bad to you, he just wished to be with you. And it's not like you're against that, it's your decision to stay beside him. V could've at least ask you if you wanted to leave the place.

"(N). Can I trust you?"

He pulled away to search for your eyes, you responded with another warm smile while stroking away the remaining tears on his lovely face. Ray closed his eyes to lean into the touch.

"No.. no, I will trust you. I'll trust that you won't betray me."

"..If that's what you tell me, I'll believe in you."

Trying to keep your voice as bright as always, Ray's little smile found its way back on his face. At least he's now able to breath through, all that matters was that he's okay. That's your top priority. He put his hand over yours, titling his head even more, it reminded you of a cat leaning in for cuddles.

"Ah... Thank you so much..! You'll believe in my words..? Ha... I knew it. You're my angel."

The nickname that came out of his mouth without thinking let you blush to the shoulders. You trapped his face between your hands before leaning in again, this time catching his lips successfully. A light kiss, you're not surprised to find his lips a bit chapped, sweet, however as he also preferred sweet meals. He sighed against you, melting into the kiss immediately without resisting. That's the first time you kissed, and you loved it. He's so shy, not sure what to do, which made him even more adorable. You're the one pulling away, Ray even followed your lips unconsciously before coming down from the bliss.

"... That's right. Even if they try to interrupt me, it's useless. Because you trust in me!"

That's the confidence he should hold onto. It brought back a smile to your own face. You pepped him with multiple little kisses, every time he leaned in more and more. The way he longed by trying to keep up with you's addicting. Soon you're starting to lose yourself in the kisses as well. Using all your willpower to stop.

"I'll be happier than they are. I'll be happier with you.."

"Yes, we will be.. I'm not going anywhere."

He interrupted both of you in between to continue moving his lips against yours. Greedy, you'd describe with how many times he shut you up just to kiss you. But you're the last one to complain, you loved it. After a while of just holding and kissing each other, he managed to gain back the self control and sighed before looking into your face. The leather glove that held your cheek felt warm by now.

"I'll get going. I'll get my answers from the savoir. I gotta get that villain too. I must do something before he comes back for you again. No matter what..!"

It's a promise spoken through the flower, but you're able to catch it regardless. Ray made sure to get all the hair out of your face before placing another kiss on your forehead, it let you feel better.

"I'll keep you safe."

"I know you will, I have no doubt."

"Yes. So stay here. Don't go anywhere.. I'll get going."

He stood up, getting all the dirt from his pants and suit before offering a hand. Of course, you took it and waited until you're stable on your feet. Ray pulled the chair away from the desk, which's now dry with some of the elixir being soaked into the fabric. He let you sit down, holding both your hands before giving you a last kiss.

"You must stay here.. until I'm back, (N)."