#which sucks cuz this game has been very dear and comforting to me but it sucks im probably gonna have to block a ton of people

[silkysong]

👁️

[the-main-character-in-an-otome]

This event story is called “Echigo Love Story,” where you can follow deepening relationships with Kenshin, Kagetsugu, and Kageie. I love the adorable folks at Echigo, so I was very excited about this series! And I absolutely loved Kenshin’s so let me know if you’d like me to write about that. But right now, I’m writing about Kagetsugu, since he doesn’t have his own route. After my little intro, I’m going to tell the event story in my own (biased) words with some brief translations here and there, since I don’t know if this has been translated or ever will be. Also I want to feel like I got my energy hearts’ worth out of it.

I was curious about Kagetsugu because he never seems to show much personality besides being “quiet” and following the others around. It looks like I unfortunately missed the actual love story, and this is the after-they’ve-got-together story. (But oh well.) He starts out pretty cute, but (warning) he does some stuff that I don’t really like, as if to assert his masculinity or express the desires he’s been “holding back,” which a lot of other characters do too, but I feel like this was a little much. I didn’t feel comfortable and I was more curious about the person he was before this story, since he and MC had a very pure shojo manga vibe.

Story:

So in a previous event story, MC and Kagetsugu, who are close enough in station and companionship that they speak to each other casually, became close friends after Kagetsugu comforted Mc when she was homesick by quietly staying by her side. They were friends and he always looked out for her. He even tried to friend zone her, but...eventually he couldn’t keep things the way they were:

“Is it okay that I like you too?”

“Then let’s be lovers from now on!”

And they’ve kissed only one time (important info to MC). Yeah, they’re cute babies who take things very slow. Anyway they’re asked to substitute for Kenshin at an aristocrat’s feast for the fall bounty. Mc has to prepare sweets, and Kagetsugu wants to help cuz he likes cooking...but he actually sucks at cooking, like Kojuro-levels sucks. Fortunately Mc gets the courage to ask him to leave it to her! Then there’s a weird part where there’s a rat (Remy from Ratatouille trying to fix Kagetsugu’s horrible dessert perhaps??)...

...and then she falls over on him, and then they just totally forget that there was a literal potentially unhygienic rat nearby, because they’re all like *kya so close and blushy*. Kagetsugu says something nice here though:

“It’s not that I don’t want to do these kinds of things with you,” (as she’s right on top of him and close enough to kiss), “but I’m thinking it doesn’t need to be now. So don’t worry.”

And she feels less nervous around him: “Kagetsugu-kun, you’re so kind. I love that about you.”

And then he is VERY CUTE and blushy. “You can’t surprise attack me like that, that’s unfair.”

...So okay, whatevs, anyway off the two of them go with some of MC’s finest sweets on a veritable honeymoon trip.

But when they stop at Rest Stop Town, they find that their room is set up for them as if they were a married couple!! They both freeze up. They like each other and all but they’re DEFINITELY not ready to sleep next to each other.

So Kagetsugu is like, “Uh, yeah, I’m gonna just...move the beds apart and...set up a screen between us.”

Mc: “You don’t have to go that far...”

Kagetsugu: “Yeah, I do. You’ve got such a nervous look on your face.”

And then they go to bed but MC is still nervous and can’t sleep. She calls for Kagetsugu but he seems to be asleep. Then she peers past the screen and...catches his adorable, boyish sleeping face! For some reason she crawls over and reaches out to stroke his face or something cuz he is just so darn cute, but then he grabs her arm and pulls her down with him saying:

“What are you planning? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to come near a man’s bed?”

(Personal opinion alert: ...I guess he was so cute that he just had to assert his masculinity. Sometimes it be like that in otome games, but I wish it didn’t have to be. It doesn’t seem very...loving.) Anyway he lets Mc go and she goes back to bed, but now she definitely can’t sleep.

When they finally go to meet the aristocrats, MC gets stage fright and freezes up in front of them. But Kagetsugu calmly swoops in and handles all the talking, surprisingly well for someone so quiet. They realize that whether it’s cooking or diplomacy, there’s things they’re both really good at. :) Then they go the garden, and Kagetsugu gets a leaf stuck in his hair. It’s v cute so Mc is like *huehue* and Kagetsugu is kinda *tsuntsun.* And then he’s like:

K: “There’s one on your head too.”

Mc: “Ah, get it off!”

K: “I cant.”

Mc: “Why?”

K: “Cuz I lied.”

Mc: “Hey, don’t make fun of me like that!!”

And then MC has a lovely cute gossip hangout with the aristocrat ladies and they eat her sweets and are like, “so tell us your whole entire loooove story, Mc! Are you and Kagetsugu together? How did you meet? Kyaaaa! ...You see, the reason we want to hear your story is cuz...we can’t marry for love.” And MC realizes that behind those gorgeous kimonos are women of a status that requires them to marry for political matches and money. (I actually loved the scene with the girls cuz it’s so nice to see MC with female friends for once.) Then Mc feels bad cuz she thinks she should feel lucky to be in love with Kagetsugu...but she wants to be touched by him more.

“You know, Kagetsugu-kun, I think you make me greedy.” She takes initiative and holds his hand! “I want...to touch you more.” He goes silent. Mc panics. “Um, but you can let go if you want...” She is about to let go of his hand but he grabs it.

“I won’t let go.” And then...! “Let me kiss you.”

And at last they have their second kiss! (Okay, warning, what comes next makes me a bit uncomfortable, so take care.) Kagetsugu doesn’t stop kissing her. He says something like,

“I’ve been holding back all this time, I can’t stop now.”

Mc: “Kagetsugu-kun, ah, I can’t breathe...!”

But he kisses and kisses her so much, that she actually starts to lose feeling and she nearly falls, but Kagetsugu holds her up. And yet he keeps kissing her, even when her consciousness is going out...

Anyway they come home to Echigo at last. The Echigo home team (Kageie, Yoshichi, Kenshin, Kanetsugu) welcomes them back. And Kageie sees them now holding hands.

Kageie: “So you guys really did become adults” *suggestive smile*

Yoshichi: “K-Kakki!!! What are you saying?!”

Kageie: “Dude, why are you the one blushing??”

Anyway the couple brings Kenshin some souvenir tea and Kenshin smiles at them like he totally sent them alone together on this trip on purpose, and then Mc and Kagetsugu have some tea in one of their rooms. Mc is distracted by how lovely he is. And they have their third kiss. (Our dear old Mc is still counting.)

The end.

Thanks for coming, if you made it this far, I really hope you got something out of this, even though you had to listen to my mixed feelings. (Bows) 🍡🍵🐀

[silver-spider-art]

Borderlands Head Canons

Okay so I have horrible depression writer's block rn and have been replaying all the borderlands games while also daydreaming all the stories I want to tell with these characters. So I’m just going to write out my head canons for shits and giggles cuz I have a lot of thoughts.

Handsome Jack:

Jack is such a wild card. He’s an overgrown toddler and an impatient genius. Also sexy as hell and a problematic fave. I spend so much time playing the game sassing and back talking him (like he can fucking hear me) but I still adore him. And relistening to some of the dialog lines I’ve built up a variety of head canon and AU ideas for him. 

So canon vs fanon is a little squishy in my head but Moxxi claims his face is plastic surgery and I’m taking that to be more than the mask. He’s definitely ADHD and neurodivergent. Plus a good helping of PTSD and paranoia thanks to Grandma and trauma from his ex-wives. Those are all his starting points but he breaks into 3 categories based on Angel. Bad Dad, Okay Dad, and Good Dad.

Bad Dad is canon and tips the point of no return for Jack’s mental instability when Angel brutally (but accidentally) murders his wife/her mom. Afraid of his own daughter and horribly betrayed and without “the one good force” in his life, he starts down the path of ultimate Sheakspearian self-destruction. All relationships end tragically and he’s his own greatest enemy. As far as the wife goes, I’m 100% that she is on a pedestal in his head and while he can think no ill of her, the relationship wasn’t all roses. 

Okay Dad, in AUs this would be where however his wife died or was lost it didn’t result in his fearing Angel (I normally leave this idea for modern!AUs without Siren powers). He is still overprotective and “doing it for your own good” but without the torture or horrific manipulation. Because of this, while Angel might still resent or hate him, he still has something to live for and is capable of somewhat decent relationships. Still, he rather sucks at it and more often than not is self-destructive. (my fave for writing and reading)

Good Dad, this is a strange and mysterious creature that is nearly unheard of. So often this feels so out of place. So much would have to change to create a catalyst in his life for him to turn out healthy. I mostly see this as a redemption arch thing. Where he might be able to turn it around and make amends given the right people around him. 

The other thing I’ve been growing ever found of is trans!jack. He wears a ridiculous number of layers of clothing which is definitely hiding his soft gut, but I’m very fond of the idea that much of his bragging and defensiveness is overcompensation for his fear and trauma both from childhood abuse and gender. There is quite a bit in game dialog on the Jack vs John thing. For the trans!jack I’m actually loving the idea that when he came out and remade his life, he chose John and was hired in at Hyperion with them only knowing him as John. But as he got more comfortable with his new life (and Tassiter made him start hating his new name) he wanted to reclaim his birth name. That he’s always gone by the nickname Jack (born Jacqueline) and was now confident enough in presenting male (and helped by Nisha) that he would even let friends call him Jackie without feeling less masculine. (super self-indulgent reasonings for this)

Other random head canons, Jack is polysexual and pansexual. He prefers women romantically but usually has longer last relationships with men yet rarely thinks of them in the same light. He’s mostly into women powerful enough to crush him and while he is aggressive and into being on top, he’d make a shit dom. He’s impatient and easily losses himself to pleasure. He is, however, a very good sub but it takes a huge amount of trust for him to allow that. (this is also why he is so angry at his attraction to Rhys. Rhys is a soft nerd who can’t even fire a gun, the exact opposite of Jack’s type and he falls for him anyway.) Jack’s vanity knows no bound and he spends way too much time of his look every morning to look perfectly disheveled and like he doesn’t care. Also extremely attached to his favorite things with huge possessiveness (partially caused by aforementioned childhood trauma). Jack actually likes cats but hates being around then cuz old childhood pain. Jack is also complete and utter crap at taking about his feelings or opening up to people.

Timothy Lawrence: 

So for dear Tim, my beloved favorite, I have 2 main categories, canon doppelganger or au brother. 

Doppelganger: needing money he took a job as Jack’s body double and had plastic surgery to look like Jack. Depending on Jack (Bad/Okay/Good) his relationship turns out drastically different. 

Bad ending poor Tim gets branded and has to fell his possessive and deranged boss and spends his life masked on Pandora as a mercenary. Always hiding his face for fear of those who want revenge on the man whose face he wears. 

Okay fate, he and Jack are lovers. They fight a lot and Tim’s most often catchphrase is “damn it, Jack” but in the end, Jack is his asshole. Their relationship is polyamorous and stable. But Tim is often in the shadows and overlooked, partially by choice. 

Good end? This is so rare I have no idea.

Twin/Brother: having grown up together they get Jack’s asshole and abusing Grandmother and Tim’s “laughs at your death” mother. Having one family member and someone he can always fall back on to help him and someone to be a hero for, Jack never goes full Bad ending. Despite all their fighting and issues, they balance each other out. Always falls in the Okay category of Jack’s relationship to Angel. 

But I’ve been working out the redemption arch to lead to a Good Dad ending. Jack actually being self-sacrificing for once and giving up something he wants for his brother's happiness. One idea is that both he and Tim are both pursuing Rhys but after some inciting incidents, Jack comes to realize that his family and friends are happier with Rhys in their lives and Jack knows that he’ll just ruin it like he’d started to do. I can see this beautiful scene of Jack seeing Tim and Rhys talk at a party and seeing Angel come up to join them. His heart aches because he wants that to be himself in Tim’s place but knows it would never happen. That in the end, he’s poison. So he chooses to give up. To let that peaceful scene be reality. That he can accept his claim on Rhys just being as family and not as lover. And that moment of clarity and change of focus helps get him on the path to repairing his relationship with Angel and his brother. Never a smooth ride and he fails a lot, but it does get better.

But back to Tim. 

Tim/Rhys is life. I love these two together like nothing else. Jack/Tim and Jack/Rhys is always unstable and huge potential for unhealthy. But Tim/Rhys is heaven and precious and good.

Tim loves cats and sweaters. He wants to write an epic fantasy story but has no faith in his abilities. He’s anxious and terrified of heights but he will be it anyway even while white with fear. He has a huge cybernetic kink he doesn’t want to admit to. Tim dated Wilhelm until the end and still deeply cares for the huge quiet man. While Tim dislikes blood and guts, he found he was actually really good and fighting. After he started the body double gig he got swoll and has stayed in shape since (his own vanity showing). He’s covered in freckles and tans dark in the sun. His voice can be very awkward and scratchy but confidence and vocal training helps that in the non-canon or modern!au settings. Tim is a much better fighter than Jack and can handle any weapon thrown into his hands (I mean just look at his skill tree in game) but he always holds himself back outside of combat and thinks of himself as weak. Despite his skill, he lacks confidence and in the bad endings always believes Jack is actually stronger than him.

Rhys:

My boy. Rhys is trans and autistic. He works very hard to make sure it doesn’t show. He volunteered to get the eye and experimental echo port in order to help compensate for his mental limitations and further enhance his positive skills. His cybernetic arm was also technically voluntary and for badass points he always claims so, but he wasn’t giving up a “perfectly good arm” but a barely functioning arm that always caused him chronic pain due to a poorly healed childhood injury. He stared in Data Mining and while he refused to act in violence to advance, Rhys has very gray morals and had done plenty of shady things to advance in Hyperion. He never had a problem with killing in the vague sense, just not wanting to get his hands dirty directly. This does change slowly, but he still hates guns. They are just very hard for him. When he must fight, melee is the way he goes. Rhys got his chest tattoos after his top surgery to disguise the scars. like his flashy cybernetics, his main goals are “if I have to stand out I want them looking at me because I’m too pretty to look away from”. He tries to fake it till he makes it with confidence even when he has no idea what’s happening. 

He always looks everything up on the EchoNet and panics when his connection to it is cut off. It’s his safety net/blanket in many ways. The more the situation is out of control and not following his plan, the more his anxieties act up and leave him vulnerable. This is how Jack easily manipulates him when everything is going to hell. He needs more time to think through things then the chaos of Pandora allowed. Once he’s used to the wasteland and it’s people, this is less of an issue. (Hyperion Rhys vs Atlas Rhys)

His special interests are colorful socks, Handsome Jack (he regrets that deeply after meeting the man), and his new interest is A.I.s. Though Rhys is very into his cybernetics and has moded them some, he can’t build them. His skills are haking, programming, and coding. His old goals where to get a job in digital security or programming once he could get out of data mining. Now as Atlas CEO his pet project has been building and refining A.I.

Random: Rhys is bisexual and leans a bit poly. He is sex positive but doesn’t have to have it in a relationship. He will follow along with most all his partner's kinks as it’s most important for him that they are having fun together. Soft fluff and cuddles are what he lives for though. (everything about this is super self-indulgent)

Angel:

Angel is autistic. It puts her in an especially dangerous/vulnerable position with her powers and Bad Dad Jack doesn’t know what to do with her without his wife to help. He loves his baby girl dearly, but he’s lost and doesn’t know how to help her. In the end, he uses her to fuel his own obsessions and the veneer of childhood is stripped from her eyes as resentment sets in. She lost her father long ago and now only wants release. Like Tim, she could have tried to kill him herself, but while she can and does betray him, he’s still her father in the end.

Okay Dad Jack, (mostly modern!aus) struggles with how to raise Angel but genuinely tries his best. His second marriage was entirely to have a mom for her, knowing he was a shit parent. That wasn’t a good marriage and Angel still didn’t get a mom out of it. Angel goes up angry and resentful of her dad and often refuses to call him anything but Jack. She’s angry that he still treats her like a child. She can’t live on her own and needs assistance in common tasks due to her limitations, but can’t stand being treated childishly like his always buying her unicorn themed things and his insistence on not swearing. She struggles to understand that Jack needs these things for himself too and they both just suck at communicating to each other. They circle around each other, in a strange dance, more like roommates than family. Angel works for Jack as his security expert and hacker/spy. She was instrumental in him taking over Hyperion.

Good Dad... like beforementioned, this is hardly a thing. The good times are mostly in her early youth.

Angel is a lesbian and in okay or good settings falls for Gaige. Jack is very not okay with his daughter dating an openly Anarchist Anti-Cooperate Terrorist who has built death machines. They met online and spend nearly every night having hour long conversations. Gaige makes her feel more normal and nonbroken than anything else in her life ever has.

Random:

Tiny Tina is trans. I read this in a fic and it’s just canon now.

Zer0 is a nonbinary cyborg. They have had most of their body replaced and generally don’t want to be human, so they took matters into hand to make that happen. They feel kinship for Rhys because of this and are growing fond of the awkward man and proud of his bravery foolishness for going into battle despite having no skill. Zer0 and Tim fight well side by side but they do NOT get along outside of combat.

Nisha is aromantic and pansexual and only doms. Her whip very much is used in the bedroom. She and Jack are always off again on again.

Maya is aro/ace and a total badass.

Sasha and Rhys date for a while but end it mutually finding they fit better as friends than lovers.

Gaige helps Rhys make his new cybernetics and he has to argue with her to not install more than one weapon in the new arm or lasers in his eye.

Wilhelm was always going to die of Bone Waste and the surgeries and cybernetics were just delaying the inevitable. Jack set him up to die, but it was willingly on Wil’s part because he didn’t want to die in a hospital but in a huge and epic fight that would be the stuff of legends. 

Vaughn is aromantic and sex nonpulsed and he and Rhys are platonic bros for life. Rhys is 100% okay with this and anyone else in his life has to accept his deep love for his bro.

(I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot, but this is long enough for now, oops)