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Fun tidbit in Vyn's Botanical Amusement Event:

The opening story of Vyn's Botanical Amusement makes a reference to Vyn's SR: Mercury in Retrograde. There's a maintenance-related book that Vyn ends up buying in his Mercury in Retrograde SR, and the same book seems to be the one that they're both thinking of in the Botanical Amusement Event.

The difference in the book titles seems to be due to the fact that in the Botanical Amusement event, Rosa struggles to recall the name of the book. This makes sense because it's been years (in the game), since he's gotten the book.

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Oh Mercury in Retrograde, how I appreciate the callback. lol

(Yes, this in reference to Vyn's new event. I'll make a new post and attach a screenshot of the reference later.)

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Reference in Vyn's SSR: Awaiting Our Future

I thought I had seen all of the references involving Vyn in the Forever Young event. I haven't.

So besides the Gone With the Wind Reference where Rosa first meets Vyn, there's also two more references in his 'Awaiting Our Future' SSR card for this AU.

One of the stories referenced in Vyn's 'Awaiting Our Future' SSR is Alice in Wonderland, specifically Alice and the White Rabbit and the scene where the white rabbit leads Alice to a hole that takes her to Wonderland (see the post from @vynegar here).

The second reference that's teased here is The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. In Vyn's response to Rosa after the Alice in Wonderland reference, he says, "Metaphors are dangerous. They are not to be trifled with." The narration continues with the sentence, "A single metaphor can give birth to love."

While I think the Alice in Wonderland reference is pretty self-explanatory for Vyn and Rosa's relationship, it's The Unbearable Lightness of Being that has me curious.

(More under the cut due to length).

I'd never heard of the book prior to it being mentioned in Vyn's story (and I'm kinda surprised that there's no little pop-up in DAVIS), but from the summaries I've read and the blurb on the back on the book, it seems like this is a book of opposites. In the book, the author, Milan Kundera tells the story of two different couples - Tomas, a man who's torn between his womanizing ways and his love for Tereza, his wife, and between Sabina, one of Tomas's mistresses, and Franz, a university professor. This book seems to go over some heavy topics, but from the discussions I've seen online about it, it's also a very philosophical book as well.

But besides that, i think it's a fascinating way for Vyn to respond to Rosa's quip about "feeling like the rabbit in a certain fairytale" because while I think it's a fun line for Vyn's character, I also think it's one of those lines where it's emblematic of their relationship.

(Vynegar's done a whole analysis of Vyn and Fairytales here.

Specifically here, it feels like the line is all about blurring the line between where their story begins and where it ends.

From the very beginning of this AU, Vyn ends up using the cat in the beginning of his introduction as a way to introduce himself to Rosa. Vyn talks about the cat's thoughts to Rosa, and about how the cat wishes Rosa would spend some time playing with it in the forest.

Given regular universe Vyn's specific association with cats (i.e. Trace of Puff SSR), I don't think it's a stretch to see the cat in this AU Vyn as a metaphor for himself.

Not to mention, he also ends up referencing Gone With the Wind in his first meeting with Rosa in this AU, and Alice in Wonderland with his 'Awaiting Our Future' card.

But I think most notably, the whole, "Metaphors are dangerous. They are not to be trifled with. A single metaphor can give birth to love," line is most appropriate with the biggest metaphor in AU Vyn's Forever Young Event storyline - the "hypothetical" story he tells about how his parents met. It is through the guise of this story that AU Vyn ends up revealing his heart to Rosa. In the exchange where Vyn reveals that the hypothetical story he told her about was about his parents, he reveals what happened after his parents met. He reveals they went their separate ways.

With the reveal, AU Vyn ends up putting forth the question that tees up the climax of the story in the promise chapter, "If a story inevitably ends with a sad farewell, as if everything that happened never existed... Then what is the point of meeting people and establishing relationships with them to begin with?"

In the final part of Vyn's story, the promise chapter, Vyn ends up forcing the scenario that tonight is their final night together and that they will not meet again for a long time. In doing so he rephrases his question from the previous part to her: "If that is the case, how would you define our story and what meaning do you think it has?"

Rosa gives him an answer to his question. Specifically, she answers him by calling out the premise of his question first. She speaks through the metaphor that Vyn constructed and addresses him directly. She tells him that despite his attitude, it's clear to her that he cares more about memories despite the fact that they will fade, and about her opinion despite the fact that she knows he doesn't want to leave.

Once Rosa speaks through Vyn's metaphor to get to his heart directly, that's when she lays everything on the line. It is also at this point in the story that shows that Rosa knows that if she is going to dispel Vyn's misconception about their relationship, she needs to go further.

In a bit of a callback to Vyn's Ch. 4 Personal Story, Rosa's feelings in the moment overtake her and she tells him exactly what she thinks.

Rosa is proactive and meets his question head on. As an answer to Vyn's question about what "their story" is and the meaning it has, Rosa writes her answer on him - "Strangers coming together by chance" and "One Chance in a lifetime."

Rosa explains her reasoning to Vyn for her answers, and that it's the journey between them that gives their story and their memories meaning. She explains how miraculous their encounter is - and how out of everyone in this academy, she met him. And not only did she meet him, she is the one who not only saw him, but continued to put in the work to find him, and chose to stay.

The specific way Rosa frames their once in a lifetime encounter is that despite their singular chance meeting, every single choice they've made - from Rosa's choice to step foot in that abandoned infirmary to Rosa's choice to take up Vyn's invitation to meet up with him again after their first meeting, to Vyn's decision to share the space together, to Vyn's decision to tell the story of his parents meeting, to both of their decisions to sneak out of the dorms to the abandoned building at night for this moment - every single choice led them to this moment between them.

The moment where Rosa cuts through Vyn's metaphor to challenge him directly and also to answer him with one of her own. The moment when they both recognize their feelings and what they want from their relationship.

As the quoted passage from The Unbearable Lightness of Being goes, "Metaphors are dangerous. They are not to be trifled with. A single metaphor can give birth to love."

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marius von hagen - dreams & flight

"Let Dreams Take Flight" (Forever Young SSR) | "Vow of Embers" (The Last Dragonbreath SSR) | "Dream of Thebes" (Initial SR) | "Vibrant Graffiti" (Electrifying Night SR) | "Vow of Embers" (The Last Dragonbreath SSR) | "Let Dreams Take Flight" (Forever Young SSR)

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Forever Young SSR Cards: Summary and Thoughts

If you are a f2p player like me and are perhaps still deciding on which card to pull for the event (if any) here are the plot summaries and my thoughts on all the cards that could perhaps help you decide :)

Spoilers below!!

Artem

Plot Summary: To thank her for coming to his auditions, Artem asks Rosa to spend the day with him, but their plans are delayed when the Drama Club has an urgent task. While working on it together and searching for props, Artem places a bracelet prop on Rosa's wrist, though it gets stuck and he has to help her get it off later. In the evening, after Rosa mentions her wanting a similar bracelet when she grows up, they make matching paper bracelets to wear. As night falls, they meet on the rooftop to watch the meteor shower, where Artem confesses a secret, though it gets interrupted by a firework. Years later, at a festival, Rosa reminiscences on that night as she waits for her now boyfriend Artem.

My Thoughts: THIS ONE HAS THE CUTEST ART OF THE FOUR. if you get cards for art you're probably getting this one its just so so sweet!! i tend to like Artem AU cards a lot since i'm interested in how they take the more Ordinary character (affectionate) and put him in different settings, but the high school AU shares many things with Artem's actual past which provides a lot of insight to his character. This story also is the only one that has an "epilogue" where the two are shown years into the future, and the idea of High School Sweethearts ArtemRosa honestly has me weak. it also doesn't really hint towards whether he decided to pursue acting as a career or not, and i think leaving it open ended is nice. its a very cute card! very endearing to see this version of Artem.

Vyn

Plot Summary: With Vyn's return to his home on the horizon, Vyn and Rosa making memories together gets interrupted when they are told they must not return to the abandoned infirmary, as the building is set to be demolished. After reflecting on the past they cherish, Rosa leads Vyn further off campus where they decide to board a bus to the seaside, though they miss the sunset. The next day, Vyn presents a donation contract to the counselor for the renovation of the abandoned building, revealing to Rosa that he is part of the Haspran family. A little time passes, and Vyn finds the goodbye letter she started for him, though she tells him she's decided to tell him in person as she knows they will meet again in the future. A year later, Rosa leaves her graduation ceremony and finds Vyn, here to take her to the seaside again.

My Thoughts: this+the revisiting youth card=AOUUAUGHGHGHG okay, admittedly, i find his illustrations the most boring of the four, but what the art lacks is made up for in the story. Artem and Vyn, being the older ones of the group, have the advantage of giving us almost completely new sides to them when reverted to high school. High School Vyn is a very interesting character, especially in how he navigates his family and breaking away from it in ways different than how he can as an independent adult. the revisiting youth card for Vyn was the most compelling for me, and i think this card satisfies a lot of what can be imagined from then. There's just a lot of tenderness in this card, and their eventual parting leaves a lot of bittersweetness for a good chunk of it, but i do really enjoy this different side of Vyn and his relationship with Rosa.

Marius

Plot Summary: The two have been busy with their respective studies and really only communicate on weekends, but when Rosa needs a break from studying, Marius takes her on an adventure. He reveals a bit about his past to her, as well as sharing his his fear of his family finding out his desire to attend Florence. With the aim that he pass the early admission exam and for both of them to reach the top ranks of the school, the two study together often. Marius asks Rosa to stay with him as he calls his family to tell them of his plans, and he gets support from all of them in return. After the exam season passes, the two go to the studio to see their results, and Rosa learns of her success first, which they celebrate with paper airplanes. After expressing how much they mean to each other, a paper airplane lands to show Marius has been admitted.

My Thoughts: hey this one almost made me cry. why? BECAUSE CARENINA IS ALIVE. GIANN IS SAFE. MARIUS HAS HIS FAMILY SUPPORT UUUEEEEEEEAAA. truly what a welcome surprise. it's an interesting change they did with Marius' backstory here, as the pressure he feels isn't from the family business, but rather the sacrifices they made and how he feels guilty of the support he would get from them. its a cool spin on the themes of freedom present in his stories, though so much of his circumstances have changed. the card art for this story is cute, and pre-relationship MariRosa is one of my favorites, so you definitely get that dynamic here. its very fluffy, with Marius' relationship with his family being an emotional core to the story, despite not really being in it that much.

Luke

Plot Summary: With last year's crisis averted, Rosa wants another chance to work together with Luke. She learns about a competition in which two students from each school compete in a physical and written exam in hopes to win funding for their campus activities. Luke beats her to it in asking that they join together, and they begin their training. Luke encourages her when she begins be pressured and lose sight of her original goal. After participating and qualifying for the next stage, the two have a private medal ceremony, where they learn they both wanted a chance to work together again and promise to stick together.

My Thoughts: this might win second place in card illustrations, as that evol art is absolutely beautiful. i will be honest though...imo Luke got the short end of the stick story wise. it's not bad by any means, but i think he has the opposite situation to Artem in AU cards where Luke's stories are a bit less interesting (which i guess is balance given his important plot cards can get super heavy). we do get some nice moments in the card, like the sweet anecdotes he shares about his childhood with his parents. this specific AU i think doesn't work for him given the dynamic with Rosa. they're not childhood friends or reuniting, so any "what if" scenarios about Luke staying instead of attending NCU early aren't explored. the moments they share retread a lot of what we already know from their past in middle school, so there's not a lot of insight to gain about his character. unfortunate, but i know its what they could do with the restraints of this AU.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: if High School AUs are not something you're that drawn to, then this is arguably a pretty skippable event. For Artem and Vyn, it can bring some insight into their younger characterizations. For Marius and Luke, it gives you some lighthearted fluff in which you know they are happy and their families are alive. They are cute school romances in which the stakes aren't that high and end on positive notes. I really liked the event overall!! now to decide who to pull for....

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also posting this because the combination of artem choking and the sound of him fumbling in the props keeps making me lose my mind

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Reminiscence of Youth Event Story

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The boy leaves the loveless house for school... where he meets a girl.

Rosa: "I know how to continue the story." Vyn: "... I knew you would say this. I am all ears." Rosa: "We don't have to end it like this. There are many possibilities to the story. For example... the boy leaves the loveless house for school...where he meets a girl." (Eternal Whispers)

Rosa: "Vyn, don't you think our encounter is a wonderful thing in itself? There are so many people in the academy, as well as so many unique places...Yet this abandoned infirmary is the only place you decorated, and I'm the only person who found it and chose to stay. If I'm being superstitious, maybe every choice we've made until now...was meant to lead us to this moment. So things aren't as meaningless as you're worrying they might be." Vyn: "So you are saying that we already gave meaning to this story the moment we became aware of it... It also seems that you have not only moved me but read me like a book. The flower I gave you secretly, the time we spent together, and countless other memories...All of these have left their mark on us in a way that can never be erased." (Forever Young AU Event, Vyn's Promise Story)

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artem meowing. for archival purposes. of course.

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Done with the event, but I might play through the routes again just to see and refresh my memory of things. But also, I did this too because I wanted to see if it was possible to max out all of the attributes and see if there's any differences between the yearly evaluations.

These are the three I got:

Rational & Perceptive Athlete

Vast and Profound Savior

Sparkling God of Minerva (Highest Rank I've been able to attain so far)

Also gonna leave these exchanges under the cut since I enjoy Kiki and Rosa interactions, and what happens when you score highly on the exams.

Winter Exam High Score Conversation:

Summer Exam High Score Conversation:

(Took a screeshot of the Kiki's comment to us since the video cut it off)

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Rosa: "I will be exercising my right as your girlfriend for the first time."

I did wonder when we were going to get a Rosa line that mirrors something that she would've said in court.

I just did not expect Vyn's card to have the line in question. I was expecting to find this line in Artem's card, cause it seems like something she'd do.

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Student Council Member Aaron Ysmir

Butler Ogier

Upper Classmen and Drama Club Head Celestine

Classmate Kiki

I didn't see Vincent tho. Might need to see if Vincent pops up in Marius's SSR card story.

Also, this Forever Young event is fun to see how everyone's sidekicks are incorporated into the storyline too.

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We're just going full speed ahead with the Artem angst, I see.

(Semi-inspired by ad-hawkeye's post here.)

Forever Young Artem event musings under the cut.

Between both of these event story segments, I have the impression that high school Artem's secretive drama club audition is both his interest, but also the source of his anxiety and fear.

I'm gonna wait to see where this goes in the final portion, which should unlock tomorrow.

My working theory so far though, is that Minerva!Artem has always felt torn - his interest in dramas and acting is vastly different compared to his work as a straight A student. With the way Minerva!Artem talks, it sounds like everything's all figured out. Heck, even the introduction blurb of him in the cafeteria talks about the fact that he's gotten tons of scholarships and that he's the perfect straight A student. But the thing is, I don't know if that's what he wants, and I don't think even he knows.

The odd tension for Minerva!Artem's relationship with the drama club is something that I think was a great choice for his story point. Even though this is a high school AU, it touches upon a very real feeling.

What do you do with your plans when you have the chance to pursue something you've long been interested in?

I won't speak for him, but given how they frame Minerva!Artem's anxiety around the circumstances of his audition and his own feelings about it, I kinda wonder if he's scared of the audition succeeding?

Minerva!Artem didn't tell his parents about the audition.

Minerva!Artem goes to great lengths to conceal the fact that he's auditioning from other classmates. This includes lying to Rosa about the reason for her being his audition partner initially, to using the excuses of a guidance counselor call out to chat with her, and then using a piece of paper to communicate to Rosa about his audition, but passing it off like a piece of paper that was given to him by the teachers that Rosa has to sign off on.

Minerva!Artem practices reading drama lines in the dead of night with help from the drama club head, Celestine. Someone who knows about the audition, but also trusts Artem enough to allow him to use the keys for the classroom. Not to mention, by using the club facilities at night, Artem is explicitly breaking the rules too.

During his actual audition time, Minerva!Artem purposefully puts himself last in order to minimize impact the crowd of classmates he has to perform in front of.

To me, all of this screams both anxiety and a fear of success.

If all Minerva!Artem wanted to do is pursue acting and didn't care about the outcome, then there'd be no reason for him to go to this extent. He could've easily said something in passing, and left it there. However, it's clear that he does care about the outcome. He not only puts in the work (with Rosa) to make sure he can pass the audition and put his best foot forward, but he also reveals how much this opportunity means to him.

Which then leads me to wonder, why would he fear success? Wouldn't it be good if he succeeds in his audition?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn't that simple.

In the background of Minerva!Artem's story is the fact that he's the perfect straight A student, with scholarships lined up. He is the envy of all of the students in the academy.

With that background, the audition Minerva!Artem is a bit of a catch-22 for someone like him. If it's found out that on campus that Minerva!Artem did an audition and failed, then his peers would likely hear about it and his reputation may be negatively affected. He might end up being made fun of or being humiliated by his peers. On the flip side, if he does the audition and succeeds, then it's also possible that he could be positively affected by his peers. But then it would bring up the question, What happens to his carefully laid plans after high school?

If Minerva!Artem succeeds, then he'd have to tell his parents about it (I'd assume). He'd probably have to revisit his college plans. He'd also probably need to take a hard look at scholarship offers too. On top of all of that, he would have to likely grapple internally with the struggle of wanting to indulge in his dream - to do something like acting vs. reality afterwards.

As the event story itself says, "He's [Artem] has always been torn about his future."

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My brain is buzzing when it comes to this game lately. First the Flights of Fancy feature is explicitly calling back to specific moments in the main story and in certain card stories, and then the Dreams and Hereafter series, and now Minerva.

Since I've been going back to re-read things, I didn't realize that as ToT enters it's 4th year, I figure I might as well do stats, especially since this kinda explains my frustration with the game's gacha system.

Stats in the game so far:

Archive - 60% done

230 / 383 cards (60%)

190 / 317 illustrations (~60%)

35/35 Puzzle (100%)

Achievement Points: 226

30 / 49 - Luke

32 / 49 - Artem

35 / 49 - Vyn

29 / 49 - Marius

100 / 146 - NXX Story

Memories of Love

411 - Luke

483 - Artem

821 - Vyn

392 - Marius

Notable: Most Stellis SR cards have been obtained, though I'm working on obtaining Artem's Chapter 14 Stellis Chapter Card.

Still wild to me that I've stuck with this game for almost 4 years. But yeah, I'm still missing quite a bit of cards and likely card stories. My luck hasn't been the best with the gacha, though I'd like to hope it'll turn around.

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Read this interesting tidbit in Vyn's "Ignited Hearts" story.

One of the things that stick out to me are these two lines, both said by Vyn:

"I want to give her a surprise that comes from 'me', and the most important part of this is the unique 'special' touch." "Perhaps you are right, but she is worth it. This is a performance customized for her, and only her, and only she can watch it."

As Vyn's Looking For SSR card from the Dreams and Hereafter series has gotten me back into re-reading all of the SR's, SSR's, and MR's I have of him, as well as his blossom chapters, I've noticed that Vyn tends to place a special importance on customization and uniqueness from as far back as the beginning of their relationship. There's a particular importance on making things for each other, themselves.

A few of the ones that come to mind:

Vyn's handmade hairpin to Rosa - Lingering Warmth

Vyn's custom glass rose - Blazing Colors

The cups they made themselves - Mended Heart

Their own personal wine (and subsequent wine plant) - Food for Thought

Their wooden squirrel carvings to each other - Snowy Fairytale

Vyn's personalized jewelry box - Drowning in Ashes

Vyn's Birthday hat (made by Rosa) and his birthday cake- Dreams of Light

Written Coupons for Vyn to use - Timeless Wishes

Vyn's Collar Stud (to Rosa) - Committed

The handmade engraved doorplate for their house & Vyn's custom score - Duet for the Ages

If we're talking AU, then there's stuff like Rosa's handwritten note to Vyn in his Awaiting Our Future card story, the unwritten portion of the Tellus Travelogue in Vyn's Fluttering Wings card story, and Vyn's "power present" in Silent Desolation.

I have a couple of thoughts on this recurring motif. Namely, I think it's one of those interesting contradictions within Vyn and Rosa's relationship and how their pursuits of perfection creates imperfections in their relationships, which is interestingly the most memorable part of their relationships compared to if things went smoothly. Also, I do think there's something to talk about there with "love overtaking rationality" and how both of them (on a conscious and subconscious level) love each other so deeply, that they end up preferring things that are irreplaceable - whether those things are tangible or intangible.

But I did want to put this out since I just found the tidbit interesting and it made me think.

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fairly certain this is going to be the case with all the boys, but i adore how much of this high school au correlates with the old revisiting youth event where we learn about the modern boys' actual high school days.

like artem constantly breaking into the restricted rooftop area to eat lunch and watch the sunset despite being Mr. Perfect Student who no one gets close to.

what esp interests me is hs au artem wanting to try theater/film, but being too afraid to tell his parents or his teachers and practicing in secret. i distinctly recall modern artem saying if he never went into law he would've wanted to pursue film. so i wonder if rosa's influence in being his rehearsing partner and giving him the courage to be himself is a major "what if we knew each other in high school" timeline split off.

like, i wonder if modern artem wanted to try the same thing, but it never wound up going anywhere because he had no one to support him.

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omg minerva.