#The girl here is a npc so she has a temporary name. So I also cannot tag her. Hmm...

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The Quest Continues...

(part 1- part 2)

[shypotato-translations]

QTVW Chapter 2

Future* President's Fiancee (II)

----

After An Mu Lan met Ling Xihan, the expression on Father An’s face when he turned his head to look at her was three parts disgust and seven parts satisfaction

Father An's attitude changed all because she analyzed the plot and memories, took the initiative to talk to him these days, and made some changes in line with the original owner's character.

After her father told An Mu Lan about the marriage, she took the initiative to approach him that night, expressing her gratitude to him for 'raising her' and expressing her remorse for always confronting him in the past.

She said that she would change her ways, worried about her father and would help him.

This conversation improved the relationship between the two, which changed Father An's attitude towards her a little bit, and these days, she also had an advantageous benefit, as she received strong support from him financially.

The first thing she did after this was to respond positively to the marriage.

In the past few days she has been ordering girly clothes, taking the initiative to dress herself and making the often cold room look warm and sweet. Some of her actions were changed to suit her father's preferences, in accordance with her tutor's teaching.

She did all this to project a good and obedient image to set the stage for her next move.

Because of these factors, Father An’s attitude towards her was more satisfied and valued, she only heard him say,

"I have something to discuss with Ling Xihan, you go back to your room and pack your luggage first.”

A father's advice to his daughter is evident in his words.

An Mu Lan had learned about this from the original owner's memory, so she didn't show too much reaction to hearing this, but answered obediently,

"Yes, father."

She watched the two go upstairs to Father An's study. She had only just returned to her room, packing her bags and reminiscing about their first meeting.

The villain, Ling Xihan, has not been written much in the novel, and was chosen as the character for this mission because the system selected her based on the criteria for defining a villain - powerful, complex background, ruthless tactics, protagonist's aura, strong luck, entanglement with the hero and heroine, and many other factors, after a multi-level selection process.

In the original owner's memory, there were a few impressions of her, plus today's personal contact, which let Mu Lan know that the subject of this mission was a woman whose joy and anger were not visible, and it was hard to let anyone see her mind. As for the task of raiding her, An Mu Lan could only take one step at a time and act like this for the time being.

As mentioned in the plot, by this time, Father An had made the news of the marriage public.

The fact that Ling Xihan is the fiancée of the youngest daughter of the An family has been reported in all the major media. And mostly under the title 'A millennium-old family joins forces with a rising economic power'

It was because of this that Father An was so angry when the original owner and Ling Xihan broke off their marriage. Because it's not just about marrying his daughter, it's about uniting the interests of the family.

The current An Mu Lan naturally won't choose to break the marriage, and her move to Ling Xihan’s residence will make it easier for her to raid the villain.

She quickly finished packing her luggage and ordered the maid to carry it downstairs, then she sat quietly on the sofa in the living room with her hands folded in her lap, looking very serious as she read a book on women and women's marriage.

After waiting for about half an hour, the sound of two people talking came from a distance, An Mulan was the first to stand up and looked up the stairs, she saw Father An with a cheerful and satisfied expression, every now and then he glanced at Ling Xihan, in his eyes, there was satisfaction and regard for her.

When Father An walked into the living room, he warmly invited Ling Xihan to join him for lunch, he ordered the kitchen to prepare a big meal and told the butler to call all the young masters back for dinner. Then he turned his head, lowered his face to look at An Mu Lan and said to her,

"Let's have a meal before we go, and you take Ling Xihan to your room to rest a bit. Xihan, what do you think?"

The corners of Ling Xihan’s mouth curled, and her clear, cold voice was on the low side as she said,

"I will listen to you, father-in-law, and I would like to spend some quality time with Mu Lan."

Hearing this, Father An became even more satisfied with Ling Xihan, he gestured with his eyes to An Mu Lan, who immediately answered,

"President Ling, my room is over here, please follow me."

An Mu Lan leads Ling Xihan towards her room. When Ling Xihan walked into her bedroom, what caught her eyes was a princess room decorated in pink and girly colours, Ling Xihan swept her eyes across the room and looked at An Mulan with a slightly unexpected look in her eyes.

An Mu Lan smiled nonchalantly and said,

"President Ling, this is my room, please have a seat."

As she said that, she guided Ling Xihan to the sofa in front of the window and sat down, while she herself knelt on both knees on the cushion beside the low table and asked her with a tilted head,

"Does President Ling like to drink tea or coffee?"

Ling Xihan sat on the backlit sofa, unable to see her expression, and only her cool, emotionless voice could be heard, saying,

"Tea, just fine."

An Mu Lan nodded, making tea with a smooth hand, her long, thin fingers curving as she demonstrated the art of tea. Her look is warm and focused, full of the charm of an Eastern woman.

When the tea was brewed, she immediately poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Ling Xihan, saying to her,

"It's done, you can taste it."

She took a sip of the tea and then leaned over to take a look at the young girl in front of her.

An Mu Lan's cheeks reddened under her gaze, she pulled open the cupboard of the low table with soft eyebrows, took out a biscuit box from it, handed it to Ling Xihan and said in a soft voice,

"President Ling, these are the complementary desserts for tea, they taste delicious, would you like to try them?"

Ling Xihan nodded, although she wasn't interested, she made a rare move to be different in the face of such a girl who was to her liking. She took a biscuit and ate it, the sweet taste filled her mouth, she looked up at An Mulan and saw that she was looking at her with a smile, two deep dimples at the corners of her mouth, she looked extraordinarily good and pretty, pure and soft.

Ling Xihan's heart fluttered, she had always liked girls like this. She thought it was a temporary business alliance, a union of interests, but she never thought it would bring her such a big surprise. She looked at the girl's smile and just felt that the other girl was sweeter than the taste of a biscuit in her mouth.

Ling Xihan lowered her eyes and took a small sip from her tea, the white smoke obscuring her expression as she said,

"Miss An, you can call me Xihan, after all, we are in a fiancée relationship and, as you are about to live with me, we, will have a more intimate relationship."

After she finished, she put down her tea and sat up straight, the corners of her mouth curled up in a rather amusing smile, which added a bit of vividness and beauty to her cold face, and she looked exceptionally attractive.

An Mu Lan's heart jumped and her cheeks brushed red as she hastily admonished herself, she's the one who's going after the villain, not the villain who's going after her! Hold on! Don't fall for the villain's beautiful tricks!

As she warned herself, she shyly lowered her head, hiding the look in her eyes and making a not-so-shy face, but still speaking graciously and fluently,

"Xihan, you can call me Mu Lan, the Mu of a wood to the right of the three dots of water and the Lan of orchids."

Seeing her earnestly saying her name with an indescribable naivety and delicacy, Ling Xihan arched her eyebrows and called out,

"Mu Lan."

They were meeting for the first time, so naturally, most of the conversation revolved around An Mu Lan. When Ling Xihan brought up the topic a little, An Mulan had already revealed her own situation, all to Ling Xihan.

At noon, reminded by the housekeeper's knock on the door, An Mu Lan and Ling Xihan went to the living room for lunch.

There were dozens of exquisitely shaped dishes on the dining table, from here we could see how much Father An valued Ling Xihan, and it was the first time An Mulan saw the entire An family at the dining table.

Her four older brothers, the eldest and second are already working in companies, the third is studying art and is a well-known artist, and the fourth is still at university and goes to the same school as An Mu Lan.

All four are excellent, the eldest is austere, the second is graceful, the third is literate and gentle, and the fourth is dashing and unrestrained. Powerful characters in the maid's harem.

But now An Mu Lan looked at them as if these people were just NPCs on her way for revenge, part of a mission.

After lunch, Father An walked Ling Xihan to the entrance of the An residence, and naturally her four brothers accompanied him all the way.

An Mu Lan secretly surveyed their expressions, and saw that the eldest and the second had masks on their faces and were emotionless, while the third had a sad frown, and the fourth had raised eyebrows and was clearly angry.

An Mu Lan knew that the video of the maid and her four brothers, which had been uploaded to the campus website, had still had a partial impact on these people.

This gave her great satisfaction and it seemed that all she had done before had not been in vain.

After today, she will move in with Ling Xihan, the An family's wild storms are no longer too relevant to her, and the four brothers can't find out the truth, and in the end, they will only push this matter to their rivals. Even if they suspected her, they would take into account her performance these days, focusing on the marriage, and the lack of motive to clear her of suspicion of committing the crime.

An Mu Lan was in a good mood as she said goodbye to the An family and took a car to the other side of the city, to Lings Xihan's villa.

Ling Xihan now lives in a villa area on the outskirts of the city, and from its residence, it fits perfectly with her emerging president's status, which is unremarkably low-key.

Within this villa of hers, there are no servants or housekeepers. Because Ling Xihan is a person with a strong sense of privacy, she does not like others to come near her territory, so there is no sign of outsiders in this villa, except for the occasional assistant who comes over to take care of the rooms.

Ling Xihan took her inside the villa and arranged a room for An Mu Lan near her bedroom, explaining,

"This room is yours."

After that, she left the villa in a hurry.

An Mu Lan surveyed the room, which had taken two days to set up neatly, during which time Ling Xihan had been away on business and had not returned home.

When Ling Xihan had finished the business at hand, she returned home at night and opened the door to see, wearing a pink nightgown with an apron, An Mu Lan, carrying a plate of home-cooked food, walking out of the kitchen.

[fantasyinvader]

Now, there has been a lot of discussion about what Edelgard says in the game. In the beginning, I saw some folks try to claim things such as “Edelgard is the only one who tells Byleth the truth” or “the backstory stuff we learn in other routes is not canon to Crimson Flower.” It really seems like there was a willingness to discredit things the game said when it came into conflict the lady in red. I’ve even seen the argument that it doesn’t matter that what Edelgard says is wrong, because she’s doing the right thing. This mindset has always bugged me, since to make the best decisions one must be knowledgeable about the issue at hand.

Now, as time has passed, a lot of people want to simply say that Edelgard is misinformed but doesn’t treat it like it discredits her actions. Granted, there were still folks claiming that Rhea is lying and shouldn’t be trusted. But now we have the Nintendo Dream interview, which revealed that the worldbuilding was done in support of Silver Snow’s story. The idea that Edelgard has been misinformed is tossed around a lot more now, that while she’s wrong it’s because she herself wasn’t told the truth. That other people are to blame, and ignoring the fact that Edelgard is the only lord in the game not investigating what is going on during White Clouds.

But what if Edelgard was not misinformed? What if Edelgard was simply lying? That is what I want to discuss here, since there’s evidence that this is the real truth of the matter.

Let’s start off with the game outright admitting that Edelgard is lying to Byleth during Part 1. Now, you might be asking yourself where does that happen and I’ll admit it’s not in any scene of the game. It instead is inserted into the lyrics of Edge of Dawn, the full version you only hear at the end of the game outside of completing Crimson Flower. The second verse, not the same as the first, that you don’t hear in the opening contains the following lines.

“Then you turn to me and I stop before I know. And the lie upon my lips I let it go. Cross my heart, making vows I know will be betrayed (Know will be betrayed).A sad girl’s pleas live only for a breath and then they fade.”

The Japanese name of the song, Girl of Hresvelg, points to this song being sung from Edelgard’s point of view towards Byleth. Not only that, but the progression of the lyrics paint a picture of the path of the story. First Edelgard wants Byleth to join her, then we get the second verse where she asks (flips a coin for pronouns in this post) her to not take away their hand. This points to Byleth joining the Black Eagle House, working alongside how the game’s loading messages all come from BE-White Clouds and how it is the default choice. But the last verse shows Edelgard and Byleth as enemies, the progression of the song depicting the Silver Snow path. But during that second part, with Byleth leading the Eagles, Edelgard is stated to lie to Byleth and make promises she knows she won’t keep.

This song also has it’s musical cues spread all throughout the game, most prominently in Apex of the World which is Edelgard’s final boss theme in Azure Moon and also plays during the last map of Edelgard’s route. It’s a detail you’re not going to get simply playing Crimson Flower, you need to play (or be aware of) three of the game’s routes for this to be noticed.

Another issue is how Crimson Flower keeps playing at Edelgard is Nemesis 2.0. This is presented as a good thing, as that route presents Nemesis as the hero who fought for humanity so therefore Edelgard must also be the hero who fights for mankind. Right? But if you play Verdant Wind, you end up fighting Nemesis and his unit description goes like this.

“Under the pretense of liberating Fódlan from a reign of deception, this king rallied his people to arms in the War of Heroes.”

Now, false pretense is a redundant phrase since pretense means the same thing. Nemesis claimed he was fighting to liberate people during his war with the Empire and was seen as a hero for it. This is backed up by the memoir in the shadow library, stating that they were fighting zealots, aka the early followers of Seiros. But this is ultimately a false claim, and the real motive was hidden from the people. The Nintendo Dream interview states he killed the dragon-folk for power, not to free the people.

If we correlate this with Edelgard, then her own claims she is fighting for the liberation of Fodlan also becomes questionable. As already established, her own theme song outs her as a liar. So is she really telling the truth about what she is after, or is it all a pretense? Considering the fact she pushes for a war of conquest after capturing Rhea in three out of four routes (including Azure Moon, where she tells Dimitri she never lost her heart at the end of their parley. Not that she never lost heart, i.e. be discouraged), or how she invades the neutral Alliance in Crimson Flower (after spending five years trying to get Alliance lords to defect),  the idea that she was after the unification of Fodlan under her is likely to be her real goal.

It also should be noted that Edelgard is depicted as spreading misinformation during Crimson Flower. The first is when she says it will be told she’s the one giving the orders, not Byleth because the emperor can’t be seen taking orders (thus subverting meritocracy). The second is after Arianrhod, which she blames on the Church. Taking matters a step further is Bernadetta and Petra’s paralogue. In Crimson Flower, the BESF heads out after we are told that the Church is pressuring Brigid to send them troops. But when we get there, Catherine says the Church is only asking that they don’t support the Empire. Someone is lying here, and when you consider how Petra is a political hostage in the Empire’s care AND‌ how when she’s not Brigid wants to support the Church because fuck you empire, it appears that it is Petra who has been lied to. Making matters worse is Ferdinand’s paralogue‌, which isn’t available in Crimson Flower and not only discredits the idea that Insurrection of the Seven happened simply because of greedy nobles but also has it’s own bit of misinformation within the empire. Duke Aegir, after being stripped of his lands and titles five years prior, is blamed for the brutal rule of Edelgard’s uncle Arundel. His power and authority was taken from him…yet for some reason he is being blamed.

There’s three NPCs in Crimson Flower that really stood out to me. The first was in the temporary camp after siding with Edelgard, who said he believes he shouldn’t believe everything she says. Red flag. The second was a scholar, who talked about going over this histories multiple times in order to find the inconsistencies. Red flag. The third was a soldier after Arianrhod, who was uneasy Edelgard kept her forces in the dark and worried about what else she was keeping from them. Red Flag, especially considering one of her (Flame Emperor) quotes in Heroes.

“You see what I choose to show you.“

Not to mention, she only revealed the truth about Cornelia being a Slither to Byleth AFTER it blew up in her face (and because Hubert let it slip). So let’s review. We get a hint not to believe everything she says, another urging us to find the inconsistencies through multiple playthroughs, and a warning that Edelgard isn’t telling us everything. She’s just telling us what she wants us to hear.

Because it’s better for her case to blame Duke Aegir for the experiments she and her siblings went through. That he and the others wanted to create a strong emperor to rule over Fodlan…after they fought the previous one to limit his power. Or how in her Goddess Tower event (which requires a B support to unlock, meaning one playthrough of Crimson Flower), she says her father was the leader of the Black Eagles and how he met her mother. The problem is that NPC dialogue at the beginning of the game states that an imperial heir hasn’t attended for generations so Edelgard being there is treated as a big deal. And considering how the devs said that the worldbuilding supports Silver Snow and fighting against Edelgard, it looks like during this tender moment Edelgard is the one not telling the truth.

An interesting thing is her supports. They only open up after Byleth obtains the Sword of the Creator, a blade with immense power. Edelgard begins telling Byleth her tragic backstory immediately, compared to other characters who only reveal their towards the end of the support chains. Making matters worse is her telling Hubert in the monastery that she may have found what she needs to make her goals a reality. The second support opens up after Remire village, where you will lose points with her if you don’t say things along the lines of “the Flame Emperor (aka Edelgard) isn’t responsible for this even though she was working with the people who did it.”

And if you really want to go there, her Crest of Flames she uses to try and form a bond with Byleth over is a fake. Her relic is a fake, using a fake Creststone bearing the Crest of the Beast. Said Crest is associated with the devil arcana, where a man and a woman become more devil-like of their own will by being in the presence of a ram-horned devil. And Edelgard wears ram-horns post-timeskip. So, some definite antichrist/corruption symbolism going on here, along with the idea that there is a falseness to Edelgard.

Lastly, in the Holy tomb Edelgard is flat out accused of manipulating the Black Eagles by the Black Eagles before they fight her there. Or if you choose to go Silver Snow, it’s revealed she had Hubert in the shadows ready to get her the fuck out of there rather than accepting Byleth’s judgement.

So, taking this all together what do we have? Edelgard is trying to manipulate Byleth into joining her, doing so though presenting herself as a victim while also telling her lies, She spreads misinformation for her own benefit even though she damns the Church for it’s false history or when she subverts the ideal she says she’s fighting for. The game keeps pushing that she’s just like an ancient threat that also lied in order to go to war. The devs have said that the worldbuilding was done in support of the route where the player sides against Edelgard, and a lot of things in Edelgard’s narrative are in conflict with what we see/hear/read while exploring the monastery. This likely isn’t a case of alternative character interpretation, but rather the core of Edelgard’s character as she tries to lead you to the route with the theme of taking out those who oppose her.

It’s not simply a case of her being misinformed.

Edit: Also, when you kill Kostas as the Red Canyon

“I should have never listened to that idiot...What a mistake...|

Considering that idiot is the Flame Emperor, and the Flame Emperor is Edelgard, it’s possible foreshadowing not to listen to her.

[thefauxfox-blog]

A Catastrophe

(Alternate title- Purr-plexed. Alternate title 2- Meow What? Alternate title 3- Pawzzling. Alter-someone stop me)

Summary: Fluffy (literally) Sanders Sides fic where the Sides suddenly have a kitten and nothing makes sense anymore. but who cares, have you seen that kitten? cute. so so cute.

At this point, they'd all heard Patten scream enough that they didn't tend to hustle to his side anymore. Spiders, hot coffee spill, jelly staining his polo, existential crisis, someone using foul language, an especially cute birb video- they just didn't drop what they were doing and show up.

So when Logan heard Patten shriek, he finished his chapter, placed his bookmark, set the book down, and then made his way to the mind palace commons. He gathered a roll of paper towels on the way- useful for both killing spiders and mopping up stains.

When he arrived, he stopped dead.

Oh.

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it. Then he opened it again, and paused.

He… he was at a loss. Well. That was new. He'd never experienced this severity of perplexity before. The situation wasn't merely improbable, it was impossible. He would’ve briefly wondered if he was dreaming- but he didn’t really do that, Roma was the dreamer. But then how…?

“That is sooooooo cute!!! What's their name?” Patten was cooing, crouched over where Virgil and the…. other thing… was.

“I was thinking Ursula. Cause she's mostly black. And she's a total baddie,” Virgil said. “It's a girl.”

“Ursula?” Patten repeated,wrinkling his nose. “Isn't that an evil squid woman? Son, you are just such a dark villainous soul, and it’s frightening yet charming. Ursula it is!”

“Octopus, not squid,” Virgil corrected absentmindedly. He was staring down at the tiny thing.

Data. Logan needed more data. He approached cautiously, observing. Mostly black with brown tortoiseshell pattern. Calico, female. Short haired. Polydactyl front paws. Probably 9-10 weeks old. Comfortable with Virgil as demonstrated by the tucked in position, eyes closed, purring loudly.

“Great Odin’s beard, is that a kitten?!?!” Roman had finally joined them, and was dramatically pointing, arm fully outstretched at the thing.

“Yeah. It's a kitten. Her name is Ursula,” Virgil said protectively, petting the small creature.

“Virgil,” Logan finally managed. The anxiety avatar hummed to indicate his attentiveness, so Logan continued. “Virgil. Where- why- how do you have a cat?!?!”

“I dunno. I just woke up and she was curled up on my bed with me,” he said carelessly. “Jealous?”

“Technically, it would be envy, not jealousy, as envy is to covet while jealously is to hoard- and no, I am not either jealous nor envious. I am… Virgil, this can't happen.”

“I'll take care of her, don't be such a party pooper,” Virgil scoffed. “I'm the embodiment of worry and over thinking and stress, as if I’m ever going to neglect her. I’m like, the ideal cat owner.”

“Ohmigod. So you're a cat mom now! Except- you’re male, so cat dad? Is that a thing? We both are dads! High five, kiddo! So I get to be the cat granddad?” Patten said excitedly.

“No, I'm not your kid, and the cat isn't my kid either. She’s not my baby. We’re bros.”

“I can't believe you named her Ursula. Don't you think she looks more like an Aurora, or Tiana?” Roman grumbled, approaching to better appreciate the kitten.

“No, she's totally going to be a mischief cat, not some princess.”

“Like- there's this adorable cat I follow on instagram, his name is Oreo, and he steals bread, like, all the time. And it's so cute and naughty, the owners are like making a sandwich and they turn around and he's in the bread bag and has a slice-”

“Ursula is going to disrupt everyone's sleep and steal their socks and act cute but just be luring you in, and bite you, because she’s ferocious and terrifying and the coolest cat ever-”

“Or what about Mulan? I think she looks like a Mulan. She's not a water creature or a witch, and I've become well versed in both identifying and killing witches, I have been known far and wide for my prowess-”

“-but Oreo is running off with a whole piece of bread, half dragging, and they get to chase him, and-”

“She's my cat, so I'm naming her and she's going to take after me-”

“If she does turn out to be a witch, I will be forced into the terrible dilemma of killing evil but also killing cuteness-”

“HOW IS THERE A CAT?!?!”

Everyone went quiet at Logan’s exclamation. They all looked surprised.

“Whoa.”

“Loud much?”

“Rude.”

“You okay, son? That was just a liiiittle aggressive.”

“This doesn't make any sense. We are all- this can't just wander in here! We're not in reality, we're in Thomas’s head! He can manipulate our environment and we can manipulate the forms we present with, but to introduce a new creature that is a) not human, b) not an aspect of his personality, and c) not consciously created, is simply not possible. I do not understand and that is not okay,” Logan said, starting to get a little breathless and alarmed at the end.

“Look, I don't know how she got here. But here she is. I have a cat now. That's a thing, you can see and feel her, she's really here,” Virgil said. “That's reality. I don't know anything about cause, history, any of that, but I know present and I can give a pretty good guess at future stuff. History is your department. So if you wanna try and figure it out, sure, but I'm happy with her.”

“This doesn’t- this doesn't make any sense!”

“But it's happened.”

“No, no, no, no,” he said, pointing at each of them to emphasize. “We are figments of Thomas’s personality, and this is a created reality of consciousness, but we still have rules!”

“We also have a cat now,” Patten said delightedly.

“My cat,” Virgil grumbled.

“Let her be the judge of who’s cat she is, and may the best side win,” Roman said impetuously.

“Doesn’t this bother you? Does this bother any of you? This. Is. Not. Possible. We can’t just magically appear a cat!”

They ignored him in favor of coddling and cooing at the kitten. He let out an irate breath and sank out.

“Thomas,” he said, dropping in on him. Thomas yelped and smacked his keyboard.

“Oh! Jeez, you spooked me. What's up, Logan?” Thomas said, frowning at his screen and backspacing all the keyboard smash he'd accidentally put in.

“Virgil has a cat.”

Thomas looked unreasonably unbothered. Why was nobody else perturbed?

“That sounds pretty cool. Can you guys like… dream up cat food? Where does your garbage go? Am I going to be dealing with imaginary cat poop-,”

“No, those are all the wrong questions. Because Virgil can't have a cat. Because you are not a cat, and you don't have a cat side of your personality-,”

“I dunno, I like having my head scratched, and I've bit people before. It's certainly not a manifestation of any gracefullnes, though-”

“Can we please be serious for a minute!?!?”

“I'm not putting a tie on.”

“Oh, for- mmmmmm. Mmmm-mmmm. Okay. I need you to try and-” he pulled his flash cards out of his pocket and flipped through them for a moment before selecting something he hoped would convey the preponderance of the situation. “Be ‘hella legit’ for a moment.”

Thomas blinked at him.

“Was- was that not good? I thought if I combined two, it would have a multiplier effect on the level of colloquialism usage. No?”

“...no.”

“Okay. Alright. I’ll just take note of that. Won’t happen again. I am a work in progress,” Logan said quickly, scribbling himself a note on the back of the cards.

“Good. Okay. But- I’ll be… serious… for a minute. Why is it important that Virgil has a cat?”

“Because this is breaking the basic rules of our existence. I know that your reality has rules, of course- gravity, conservation of mass and energy, particle resistance and friction, colloid rules, etcetera, etcetera. Your world exists in a framework of parameters that simply cannot be crossed. Our reality is the same- though there are some different rules, because we are apparitions of personality traits and exist to your consciousness, on a different plane of perceived reality than ‘reality’, for lack of better terminology. Now, our mind palace can have temporary sprites- I believe they’re similar to a video game NPC- that are usually created by Roman, as he is creativity, but they’re not properly real. And our inanimate environment is subject to change at will as well, it doesn’t have to stay the same, as your reality does. And we can change our own appearances at will. But this- a real, live, sentient creature? It can’t have come from anywhere, it can’t exist, it can’t- it’s impossible.”

“But it has to be possible. Because it’s there.”

“It- well, we should say ‘she’, it’s a female calico kitten that Virgil deigned to name ‘Ursula’, to Roman’s horror- it is there. I cannot deny that. But I also cannot deny the rules of our reality. I have two directly opposing true statements that cannot exist simultaneously, but they do. The cat cannot exist. But the cat does exist.”

“This is like that Schrodinger thing, a little. But way cooler, because there’s no death.”

“The only similarity is the species of the subject, Thomas, this isn’t an existential paradox of the same manner as that. Try and keep up,” Logan said impatiently. “What could’ve created this cat?”

“I dunno.”

“Perhaps we need a new angle.”

“Wait- you said right when you showed up- ‘those are the wrong questions’. We need to trace it back to the start. So instead of asking what created this cat, what can we ask and answer? Something that exists now, or will exist eventually.”

“Why was this cat created? Perfect, Thomas, that’s exactly where I need to start. If I can divulge the motive, perhaps I can better understand the origins. What are cats good for?”

“Memes,” Thomas said without hesitation, confidently.

“Great. No. I mean- yes, but why would a cat be good for your mind?”

“Uh… cats are… pets? And they’re something you need to be responsible for.”

“Why would your mind need additional responsibility?”

“Becoming an adult?” Thomas suggested with a shrug.

“No, no… I don’t think that’s it. I don’t think a cat would exist to create more responsibility. I suspect that the existence of the kitten isn’t to create something, but to modify. Within minutes of us discovering it, our entire relationship dynamics changed. Our usual patterns were broken and we all- or, the others did- began to focus on the cat. Why?”

“Diversion,” Thomas said excitedly.

“Diversion! Of course! The cat is distracting us from something.”

“Cats are also comforting. Usually. People go to cats when they’re sad or lonely. The stereotype of the lonely single person with a cat exists for a reason- it doesn’t represent every case, but it does represent some. Cats aren’t useful like dogs are, they’re just cozy and soft.”

“Do you require additional comfort?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t. Wait- the kitten… she appeared to Virgil?”

Logan could feel the realization starting to form, like a half forgotten song or a sense of a coming rainstorm. It was just there, just…

“Virgil got a cat. A comfort creature that is distracting and creates additional responsibility.” He rubbed his chin, thinking, alternately chasing the idea and trying to just let it come on it’s own. “Comfort, responsibility, distraction… Oh. OH! Oh, we’re- I’m an idiot, it was right in front of me, we both knew- it’s all for him. It’s all for him! Your anxiety!”

“What?”

“Thomas. You’ve been working harder with your friends to understand and manage your anxiety, through diet change, meditation, cognitive behavioral changes, and self-monitoring. You created the cat- the cat is your efforts to placate your anxiety without putting him off completely!”

“I’m not following. I made the cat?”

“You made the cat, yes! Look- people can often get a doctor’s note for a landlord or a college room assistant if they have mental health issues and need a cat. Because cats create responsibility- a person is much less likely to commit suicide if they have a cat, because they know that if they’re gone, nobody will care for the cat. Just that small responsibility is frequently enough to help people push forwards and keep living. Cats are also distracting- stressors like work, classes, homework, socialization, home maintenance, etcetera are all lessened when you have a cat. People tend to spend less time thinking about their problems and worrying, replacing those negative thoughts with thoughts about their cat. And cats are comforting, for when someone is upset or anxious.”

Thomas’s mouth had opened slightly. “Whoa. Whoa. Okay, so… so you’re saying that my anxiety management techniques manifested in the mind palace as a cat?”

“Precisely! Now, this doesn’t get rid of your anxiety, but it keeps him from bothering you. He might be distracted by the cat, or caught up in his cat-caretaking responsibilities, or be too comfortable and at ease to bother you.”

“That’s… that’s actually super cool,” Thomas said, starting to giggle.

“Your subconscious did it, obviously, or else we all would’ve known. Your subconscious recognized your attempts to placate your anxiety, and drew upon the information that cats can help with mental health, and manifested that as a cat. Fascinating. You make some very odd leaps of logic, Thomas.”

“Well, you’re me, and you’re my logic, so that’s on you,” Thomas laughed. He suddenly gasped. “Can I- can I see this kitten? Can you guys bring her out with you?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t have any precedents to draw upon. Give it a try.”

“Virgil! Ursula!” Thomas called. Then he gasped delightedly. “Ohmigod. That. Is. So. Cute.”

“It worked,” Logan concluded as Virgil looked around, holding the tiny black and brown kitten protectively.

“Oh hey. Figure out the mystery yet?” Virgil said. He nodded at Thomas. “Check it. I got a kitten. Sick, right?”

“Is the cat sick already-?!?”

“Stop. Taking. Me. So. Literally,” Virgil said with a groan. “Dude. Seriously-”

“He’s wearing a tie, he’s always serious,” Thomas said. “That is the cutest kitten ever. My subconscious is awesome.”

“Your subconscious needs to stop pulling this strange and unexpected hokum because it’s wasting my time to figure it out. I’ve got more important things to do,” Logan scoffed.

“But Logan. Look at this kitten. Just- just look at her. Tell her she wasted your time.”

He looked at the kitten. “You….” Her eyes were big and round, the fur around them appearing to be improbably soft, and her nose was so tiny… 

He tried again. “You, cat, are…” Virgil was giving him a wide eyed stare that was somewhat analogous to the look the animated deer, Bambi, often wore in the Disney film about the creature and his woodland friends. Somehow, the cat was also wearing a look similar. He cleared his throat. He could do this.

“Cat. You are wasting…”

He couldn’t.

“It’stooadorableIhavetogetoutofhere,” he said in a rush, sinking out. He could hear Thomas laughing, Virgil laughing (Virgil?! Laughing? Anxiety was LAUGHING!? What kind of miracle kitten…?) and the stupid adorable impossible cat purring.

Author’s note: This was supposed to be short. I started this on my phone last night after getting home at 10 from watching IT. I don’t know where this idea came from, but there you have it. It happened. And I’m absolutely taken by the Sanders Sides, if anyone wants to send me requests or prompts, I might very well write them! 

[rubiaryutheroyal]

When Something Smells It’s Gotta Be Cthulhu - Ep 7

Gyakuten Saiban CoC (Call of Cthulhu)

Uploader: 久瀬 さん (Kuze san)

mylist: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/58256490

Ep 7: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm30696002

Nicoviewer: http://nicoviewer.net/sm30696002

–

This video series is a replay of a CoC game played with the uploader’s family & friends featuring GS characters (Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth, Larry), with a few tweaks in the dialogue. It follows a scenario provided by kanin @ <http://kanin-hib.hateblo.jp/> called “Touring the Town”.

Oh, Larry.

KP: The shrine… feels like nothing has changed about it.

Larry: So there’s some diety they’re honoring inside?

KP: Well, let’s open it up with the key.

Larry: It’s open!

KP: The shrine itself isn’t very spacious, and inside, a “high-quality box” has been left in the open. There’s nothing else that stands out. The box’s shape is square, its size is large enough that one’s arms couldn’t wrap around it all the way. The “high-quality box” is locked, so if you want to open it, you’ll have to lockpick it.

Larry: It’s big…

Maya: It’s a big box.

KP: Yep, a big box.

Edgeworth: Hmm… We don’t have a lockpick. I get the impression Larry can’t get through it either.

KP: Well, in your situation, other than Larry, you don’t have other way to get it open.

Larry: Akago can’t help somehow?

KP: “This is also the first time I’ve seen it,” Akago says, and with full confidence, “No one is allowed to touch His artifact (though I have no idea why).”

Larry: So this box is the artifact?

Maya: Then, why is this artifact this big box?

Edgeworth: I wonder about that. Perhaps the object Larry touched earlier is a part of this holy artifact, or something like it.

Larry: Don’t bring up that scary thing again!

Maya: Ohh… the reason we can’t touch it is… because of fear, huh…

Edgeworth: Hm… What will we do? Do we leave it and head back to the cave…? Though, I am concerned that if we go there again, we might not come back.

KP: There might be something in that cave, huh?

Larry: Then, in this case, how about I touch this thing?

KP: I’d think I should be the one to touch this time.

Maya: “Don’t touch it!” I tell you, “If you do, you might just be out! And if not, something even worse might happen! Probably…”

Edgeworth: If it’s just the box, well, in the worst case we break it, I’ll help pay for it… Though, if breaking it open is too difficult to manage, perhaps we should just leave it alone?

Larry: Edgey! You’re so reliable!!

Maya: “I don’t think we should open it, it might be bad!” We should just leave it.

KP: You wanna challenge it? With a snap, using tools, with STRx5 again? Any takers?

Edgeworth: …Larry.

Larry: Okay, I’ll do it!

KP: Uh, okay.

[roll: STRx5 (65) -> 72, fail]

KP: Um… So Larry suddenly feels an intense headache and he’s knocked unconscious. Out like a light. That means he won’t be able to wake up for the next hour of play.

Edgeworth: L-Larry?

Maya: L-Larry!?

Larry: Whoops, got some bad luck there!

Edgeworth: I-I get shaken up here… “Um…” This isn’t something that’s meant to be broken open, is it?

KP: At the same time, everyone witnesses before their eyes, Larry’s hand crystallizing.

Edgeworth: I’m sorry, Larry…

Larry: Ah, the hand I use for my art…

KP: Upon seeing this, everyone has to roll 1/1D4 for sanity check. Since Larry is out cold, he’ll have to do a 1/1D6+1 an hour later. Phoenix and Akago are also trembling, though they’re unsure if it’s alright to touch Larry like this.

[all three roll: Edgeworth, SAN (64) -> 27, success Maya, SAN (69) -> 22, success Phoenix, SAN (67) -> 51, success]

KP: So everyone just loses one. (1)

Phoenix: L-Larry?

KP: I say, but sorry for the next hour. You can think about what you’ll be doing in the meantime.

Edgeworth: Larry! Get yourself together!

Larry: *twitch*

KP: There’s no particular information on the artifact (temp) yet.

Maya: If we fail to break it open, we get crystallized, if we just touched it, would we have been out…!? We should have looked around elsewhere… than this artifact (temp)…

KP: I told you we should have used one of the NPCs as the sacrifice.

Edgeworth: Now with Larry like this, I think we shouldn’t do anything, out of fear and a lack of information…

KP: There are other places where you can investigate more about the artifact, though you have the box itself before you. So far you know that the lock can be picked and that Larry is now unconscious.

Maya: If we go back to the library, can we find something on the shrine…? And we can check the map if there’s a police station somewhere…

KP: There’s no useful information about it at the library… but the police station is close to the bus stop on the way back to town.

Edgeworth: Thinking about it, we haven’t yet checked the police station. Shall we head there?

Maya: If we go…? Then, who’s going to carry Larry over…?

Larry: *mumble*

KP: And I just say, it’s better than just wasting a whole hour doing nothing here.

Edgeworth: Then, let’s go. I’ll carry Larry.

KP: The other two guys help prop him up.

Maya: Let’s go! But what do we do if the police won’t respond to us…?

KP: As I said, the bus is still going on schedule. Yet, while you guys like this would normally draw attention, no one seems to be paying any mind.

Edgeworth: Hmph, I’m starting to get used to it.

Larry: No one even says anything!?

KP: When you get to the station, you can tell the officers there are just like the other townspeople. But, you hear from somewhere a voice mumbling over and over, “It’s just a dream…”

Edgeworth: Hm, so there is someone else we can talk to. Excuse me, can anyone help?

???: Huh, uh, I-I, no, it’s a dream, no, no…

KP: So says someone, and you all find a woman crouched under the desk.

Larry: It’s a girl!? Why am I sleeping at a time like this!?

KP: Larry… She sees you, but one look at the people outside and she still stays curled up under there. Seems like she’s totally terrified of what’s going on. She seems to have temporary insanity. If you wait a while, she may be able to collect herself together.

Edgeworth: Do we roll for trust?

KP: When she’s calmed down, you can.

Larry: Wake up, meeee!

Edgeworth: Hmph… the one who needs to collect himself together is Larry.

Maya: Yeah… even though he’s supposed to be unconscious…

KP: Since it’s around 11:00 now, you can wake up anyway, so try rolling 1D100 instead.

Larry: Uuurgh… I’ll wake up and roll!

[roll: 1D100 -> 70]

Larry: Hey, that’s not too bad, right?

KP: Yeah, it’s fine. Nothing in particular happens.

Maya: So he’s okay? He’s okay, whew… but part of him is still crystal…

KP: And oh, yeah. Edgeworth realizes that Larry’s temperature is dropping rapidly, and by the time he does wake up, you won’t be sure how he’ll be. Larry’s entire body temperature has dropped, but he himself doesn’t feel anything.

Edgeworth: That’s not good?

Larry: I smell a girl here!! I’m awake!

Akago: Whoa!! You’re awake!?

Larry: Uh… huh? What happened to me…?

Edgeworth: Wh- Larry!? Y-you’re already awake…?

Maya: Larry, are you okay!?

KP: “You fell over all of a sudden…” I explain.

Larry: I fell? Why… Whoa!? What happened to my hand!? Do I make a sanity check?

KP: Yep. 1/1D6+1.

[roll: SAN (71) -> 01, critical]

KP: !?!?!?! (2)

Maya: ??????

Larry: Isn’t that a 1??

KP: Uh… So you don’t lose any…

Larry: Yaaay!

KP: Well, since it’s Larry, we can’t help it… Also, he even gets a bonus, the girl upon seeing him, also calms down.

(Larry: Whoo!)

Edgeworth: Let’s just say that Larry woke up because he felt his temperature go down…

Larry: Though I feel like I don’t notice anything.

KP: When that girl sees the crystal on his arm, she asks, “A-are you alright!?” and goes over to him. Seems like she’s back to her officer-like self.

Maya: You mean like “There’s a bad guy here!” …?

KP: Yeah. Like “I have to save him!”

Larry: Oh, I’m fine, just fine, ma'am! I’m a really strong guy! Super tough!!

???: B-but…

Edgeworth: …He touched those crystals that have sprouted outside and became like this. Since the situation in town has become strange, we’ve gone around to investigate. …My apologies, but we’d like to request your help.

Larry: Never mind that, what’s your name? Are you a local here? Are you on LINE? (3)

Maya: They’ve just met…

Edgeworth: Larry…

Saki: Um, oh, but when I came to, I was already here. Oh, um, my name is Mitsuba Saki. I do have LINE, but I don’t use it very much… I’m sorry I can’t be of much help…

Larry: Saki, huh? Hmm, it’s a good name!

Edgeworth: My name is Miles Edgeworth. I am a prosecutor. These other three are my friends… and that person there is a resident in town, Mr. Akago. We asked him to help us as well.

Maya: When you came to… it’s like with Mr. Akago…? Oh, and I’m Maya Fey!

KP: Saki claims to be a police officer who works at this station. She looks a bit dispirited. But she noticed what was happening outside and also wants to go investigate it.

Larry: If you wanna go outside, come with me! Hey, you don’t mind, right?

Maya: That’s right! And just staying here staring off won’t do any good anyway…

Edgeworth: Yes, it may be reassuring to move together. …Oh, that’s right. Do you happen to know anything regarding Limestone Cavern, the Atsuki Shrine and the artifact within… or any place we can look to know more?

Saki: …Um, oh, I’m sorry. Limestone Cavern, the shrine, and the artifact, is it? Have you already tried the library? …Um… I’m worried about my childhood friend… I-I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I can’t help much like this.

Maya: It could be better that we ladies stick together… your childhood friend?

Larry: Don’t tell me it’s that Adzukkii guy? Huh? Is it him??

KP: I dunno. Just listen. Well, her current judgment is that Akago should first try talking with Adzukkii. Since his friend is acting peculiar, he’s concerned about his safety.

Maya: Yeah, I am too…

Edgeworth: We did check the library, though… your friend…? I see, that’s why you want to head outside. Where is that person?

Saki: Um… She usually lives alone. Now with things like this, I have to wonder about her…

KP: “I believe she would still be at home…” she says, but then finds it hard to say any more.

Larry: Oh, it’s just another girl. But why would she find it hard to say? Did something happen? Should we test for psychology…?

KP: Uh, well, rather than psychology, you roll for trust. Negotiation skill is fine too.

Maya: I’ll try trust!

Larry: My Deceive is half-chance…

[all three roll: Edgeworth, Trust (65) -> 82, fail Larry, Deceive (55) -> 07, success Maya, Trust (85) -> 50, success]

KP: Larry, aren’t you a bit too serious about this? (4)

Larry: If it’s a girl, then of course I’ll do my best!

KP: Maya succeeded on trust, and Larry tries to deceive to draw out more info. Roleplay it.

Larry: Where does she live? Is she also on LINE? (5)

KP: Saki is somewhat surprised, but thinking it’s just a joke, she smiles back.

Larry: Okay, I got her loosened up and feeling better!

Maya: Your friend lives by herself, huh… I would be worried about her too… If you want to talk with her, then go see her and have a chat! And we’ll come along if you want!

Saki: Yes… I can’t help but feel uneasy, but I should keep cool and ask “Yui, are you alright…?”

Edgeworth: As for me… I step back a bit and turn to Wright, asking, “Have I said something I shouldn’t have…?” Since I failed.

KP: (Your face is scary enough. You should do something about that habit of glaring back when you’re glared at.) I say, straightening the furrows on your brow.

Edgeworth: (It was because I glared…?) I reply quietly. And stop that.

KP: But if I stop, it’s just going to get worse. Besides, those two who succeeded are chatting away with Saki just fine.

Larry: Alright, then let’s go pay that girl a visit! We still got lots to check out around anyway!

Maya: That’s right! Being alone in this situation would be pretty scary…

Saki: …Um, I had earlier gone to see Yui, oh, Yui is my friend’s name. Gyokusen Yui. So, um, I had gone to her home… but she refused to see me.

Edgeworth: Oh?

Larry: Ohh?

Maya: Ohh…

Edgeworth: Someone give her a reply.

Maya: What!? It’s so important you guys talk! If it were me, I’d be bothered with that kind of response! “Why not?” you should have asked! Did you!?

KP: Since she didn’t get a response, Saki said, “But I’m worried about you. Could you come with me?”

Larry: “Again, why’d she refuse?” I feel like asking her…

Edgeworth: Then ask her, for goodness’ sake!! (6)

KP: Edgeworth, calm down. This isn’t a cross-examination.

Maya: Saki, did you and Yui get into an argument…?

Saki: I… don’t think it was an argument. Ever since Yui had gone exploring Limestone Cavern, she wouldn’t come out of her home… I became worried and went to see her…

Larry: Hmm? Why is that? I don’t really get it, but isn’t that just fine?

Edgeworth: We’ll have to ask her about this after all. It sounds like she was quite enthusiastic to go touring there.

Maya: Hmm, I guess she didn’t explain why… But, putting it that way, it’d only be more worrying!

Saki: Yui was even the first person who suggested it be a tourist site… Yes, it is worrying.

Maya: R-really!?

KP: Hahahaha.

Edgeworth: Suddenly, I’m interested.

Larry: Let’s see her and ask her a few things while we’re at it, Saki! Let’s go!

KP: Okay, then while Saki leads everyone to Yui’s home, we keep talking. She does have a patrol car, but since we have too many people, we’ll just have to walk…

Edgeworth: I’d also like to ask Ms. Saki more about what her friend was up to, particularly about her tourist site idea…

==

PC 1: Miles Edgeworth

[SAN: 63]

PL

Edgeworth’s PL: “It’s like the story about the Ugly Duckling.” “I pondered for a long time over if it wasn’t ‘ugly’ and just ‘hard to look at’, and eventually it remained an unsolved mystery.” Phoenix’s PL: “Hmm. Hmm?”

~ At their destination, watching ducks

–

PC 2: Larry Butz

[all stats unchanged]

PL

Larry’s PL: “Oh! Is this ponzu!?” Maya’s PL: “!?” “It’s ponzu.” “Huh…?”

~ Comment made while they’re having noodle soup and he adds ponzu for some reason

–

PC 3: Maya Fey

[SAN: 68]

PL

“As I thought, tasty and cute crabs are the best.”

~ Conclusion made after looking around in an aquarium and asking about each one, “Can I eat this?”

–

KP: Phoenix Wright

[SAN: 66]

PL

Had extracted quotes from the game that synched well with the PCs, but was bothered by the excessive amount of matching content that came from Larry’s.

==

Episode 7: Larry the Critical Artist

==

(1) Akago also rolls for it, but since he doesn’t have a character sheet, it wasn’t recorded. He succeeded as well.

(2) It happened in front of everyone, but the KP still finds it so unfair. He’s a known fumbler, after all.

(3) “LINE”, as in that one Japanese mobile app company that hosts a messaging service.

(4) Edgeworth’s PL: “He looked shocked himself.”

(5) KP told everyone not to be considerate and not laugh.

(6) Though the players are technically separate from the game, Edgeworth and Phoenix’s PLs kept talking, so they ended up participating in the conversation, and Larry and Maya’s PLs got mixed up in it.

[myvmk]

Disney Around The World

Updated November 1st, 2017

There's a whole new world of exploration this month as we soar into the various Disney Parks everywhere. It's Disney Around the World month on MyVMK! We have lots of exciting things that are sure to thrill your adventurous spirit. So come along with us and discover the magic of each of the different Disney Parks from around the globe. Please note that all releases will happen on the 1st, 8th, the 15th and the 22nd of every month at 12am EST. This will be the schedule until further notice.

MyVMK is now playable for our Mac users! A work around for Mac users has been made into a downloadable client. We have also made MyVMK Pal the official downloadable client of MyVMK. This is not the new client for MyVMK but is a temporary addition. Find out how to download the Mac client by clicking here!

This week in the "it's a small world" Imports, straight out of the Scream Floor itself, we have the Monsters Inc Hard Hat. And now... flown in from Japan just for you, we have the It's A Small World - Japan Boy, It's A Small World - Japan Girl and the amazing Disney Bear Duffy Pin! Last but not least, straight from our very own Toontown, we have the Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Brick Wall 1, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Brick Wall 2 and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Dip Bucket!

  Come try your luck for this week's Host prize, a Tron Power Run Lightcycle Couch and the Consolation prize, a Lucky Cat - Duchess. Stay in line after the event for a special queue prize, a Casey Jr. Ride Car Red Couch.

  Join the MyVMK Staff for an impromptu game of Hide and Seek! All throughout the month, the staff will be hosting Hide and Seek games and hiding in public rooms only. Games will be announced as an in-game announcement and on our Twitter (@MyVMK) 15 minutes before the game begins. To win, you must walk up to a staff member that is hidden and say the following statement exactly: "I found you (StaffMemberName)!". Make sure to use the correct prefix (VMK_/HOST_/GA_). If you win, you will have the chance to choose one of the three exclusive pins seen above. You are allowed to win only two times per hide and seek event. The staff will not hide in rooms where players are already sitting. Do not "camp out"! This will ensure everyone has a fair chance at finding the staff members. Good luck out there, seekers!

The world is full of such wonderful Disney Treasure's. Grab a boat heading over to "it's a small world" Trades for the opportunity to obtain some of the most precious pins that we have found for everyone! We do not accept Free, NPC, or 1 Credit Pins!

Pull this month's exclusive pins from the Sword in the Stone! For a chance to win, ride the rides in the Fantasyland Courtyard and you will have a chance at getting a Sword in the Stone pin! You can use this pin to have a chance at pulling the sword from the stone, and if you succeed, you will win one of these pins as a prize or some credits!

Avast there mateys! Sail on over to the Pirates Treasure room for a chance to plunder some great loot! Collect them all or ye will be caught in Davey Jones Locker! Available all month!

The votes are in and we are really proud to anounce our 2017 Haunted House Compeition Winners!!

Best Overall Winner! Thorn

As dusk approaches, Master Gracy has invited all 999 Happy Haunts to materialize for your arrival! We'd like to open our doors to all of you as we welcome you to your own, personal Swinging Wake.

Best Overall Runner-Up! harleyquinn

Welcome to Red Queen's castle, where she keeps the remains of her victims once they lose their heads. Don't upset the queen or you'll end up here like the rest of them!

McLovin

Once the sun sets down the kids all run to the streets in hope of getting buckets full of candy. Will they get treats or tricked?

Bernardo_S_Rocks

Dare to enter? A cool shudder trickles down your spine. The grounds have been inhabited by the spirits of the deceased. Would you make it out alive or become one of them?

Angelo

Many people choose to not set foot upon 29 Neibolt Street. It may look abandoned, but Pennywise the Clown is watching you from inside. Missing children float within the sewers of the house. Turn away now, or you'll float too.

Dean

Ghostly Lane only appears for 1 night each year in this small town. No one knows how it gets there or who lives in these spooky estates. Do you dare knock on 1 of these doors for a treat?? Don't get tricked!

Best Theme Winner! Joela

In this town lies a mansion no human has ever seen. The ghosts that haunt it scare the trick-or-treaters away, in hope that they will be able to stay. "Everybody make a scene!" they chant. "This is our town of halloween!"

Best Theme Runner-Up! Ern

Spooky.

Confidential

Cut off from the outside world, you wander along a path that leads you to a seemingly abandoned mansion. Along side this giant is an old cemetary. You see a fresh grave... WAIT! Is that your name carved into it?!

scrubu

It was all fun and games until your ball rolled into the yard of the mansion across the street. Your parents had warned you about this place. You and your friends venture in but what could lurk beyond the steel gates?

Angie

Mansion of Lost and Found: Dare enter the mansion if you choose to seek ghosts and other creatures that creep. If you do, best be aware that you are in for a scare. Entering would put your life at risk, but it's nothing next Halloween can't fix.

Fotogirl

Climb up on the hay wagon and get ready for a heart pounding ride thru the spookiest property in MyVMK. Your journey will take you through the old cemetary and past the scary entrance to the most haunted house around these parts.

Most Creative Winner! MagicAvinash

You unfortunate soul! You have entered the ruins of what used to be the manor of a very powerful wizard. What remains is a magic orb that wields infinite power. All who have tried to capture it have been unsuccessful. Do you have what it takes?

Most Creative Runner-Up! Ken

Step into the Creature's haunted lagoon lair and feel the power of radiation take hold. Be careful where you step... you wouldn't want to end up as the Creature's lunch!

Cowboy_Pirate

N/A

kcoop

Welcome to Grimsly Manor. You are just in time for our Spooktacular Ball. All of our ghosts have been dying to meet you. Costumes are required.

GypsyRose

Hansel and Gretel trek across the haunted forest in search of the infamous candy cottage. As they finally approach they realize all is not what it appears to be. Evil lurks behind these sweet walls. They proceed with caution! >:)

Lily

Welcome to the Vampire Manor. You are one of our guests of honor. Or should I say meal of honor. The hedge maze is the only way of escape... But no one has ever seem to make it through. Some are still trying while others died inside those walls...

These are the Prizes for the 2017 Haunted House Competition

Winner Prize: Haunted House Comp Winner Pin Two Magic - Dancing Inferno Soulless Mickey Witch Hat Purple Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Runner-Up Prize: Haunted House Comp Runner-Up Pin One Magic - Dancing Inferno Soulless Mickey Witch Hat Orange Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Participation Prize: Haunted House Comp Participation Pin Mickey Witch Hat Green Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Go and check out the Design a Pumpkin Contest 2017 on our official forums and enter for a chance to win an awesome forums exclusive medal and an forums exclusive in-game prize! You can find out more be clicking here! Good luck everyone!

  Create a Great Guest Room! Get Recognized!

Player created Guest or Game Rooms demonstrate originality in concept and design. Our judges are looking for creativity, so try using traditional items in different and unique ways. Rooms are judged randomly by MyVMK Staff every month and selected from player rooms.

November Best Guest Room

Join Jinx in “Duskmoor”! Welcome to Duskmoor; an eerie town inhabited by ghosts, ghouls, and the living of the dead. The creatures and spirits haunt anyone who dares enter it... beware!! Congratulations!

The Best Guest Room Winner receives: - 10,000 credits - A Castle Suite Guest Room Pin - plus furniture! - Best Guest Room Award Pin - Plus! A party in Club 33!

    Create a Great Game Room! Get Recognized!

Create a game room and play with friends and others, and a MyVMK staff member may notice your idea! Game rooms that get the nod offer a new game idea or a new twist on an old favorite. In all rooms we look for room owners who welcome everyone with a smile and show a willingness to answer questions about their room.

November Best Game Room

Check out “Gates of Valhalla” by Question. The Nordic Gods and Goddesses eagerly request you play them their favorite tune. In return, they agree to let you through the Gates of Valhalla. Match the song they play and the doors will open for you. They will give you two tries, don't mess it up! Congratulations!

The Best Game Room Winner receives: - 10,000 credits - A Castle Suite Guest Room Pin - plus furniture! - Best Game Room Award Pin - Plus! A party in Club 33!

This could be you! Find out the details on entering for Best Guest Room and Best Game Room by clicking here!

Ever wanted to know more about your favorite staff member? Now you can! Every month we will be interviewing a different member of the MyVMK Staff. Here is the most recent interview!

This lady is as lovely as they come. Say hello to this months staff of the month, GA_Lady!

What is your favorite thing to do around the Kingdom?

I love sitting in public rooms and listening to the background music! It's very nostalgic for me. :)

What is the best item for building your rooms?

Definitely the Lady and the Tramp tables and candles ;)

What has been your favorite HOST event thus far?

I love any maze! Guessing games are always fun.

What is your favorite mini-game in MyVMK?

Jungle Cruise

What is your favorite type of Guest Room?

I love trade rooms. There are always something special about getting that one item you've wanted forever. <3</p>

Favorite MyVMK memory?

My favorite MyVMK memory has to be playing Pirates with my friends. I've met some really great people throughout the years, including my significant other whom I now live with.

What is your favorite Public Room in the Kingdom?

I love the Halloween overlays on Main Street, however my favorite every day room is definitely the Elephant Bathing Pool.

What is your favorite theme on VMK?

Halloween months!!

What is your favorite Disney park?

I've never been to either (I know...so sad), so I don't really have an opinion. I definitely want to visit Disneyland first though.

Who is your favorite Disney Character?

Tiana from Princess and the Frog

Is there any advice you would give to players?

Don't ever give up on yourself! Keep trying and keep practicing at whatever you do and you can be whatever you want to be. Don't let anyone get you down