#ToT: Enduring Light Event

[salt-and-vynegar]

Enduring Light Event Interesting Observation/Easter egg:

Doing a Secret Chat with Consultant Wing and clicking on the choice, "Cloudbreak," leads to an easter egg that references Artem's SSR for this event, Enshrouded Sunglow. In the chat, Artem reveals that he came across a secret file about an agent with the codename: Cloudbreak. He reveals that the name Cloudbreak referred to two agents who harbored a mutual love for each other, though one was a mentor and the other a mentee. Artem also reveals that the last part of the document was destroyed, but explains that from the records he found, the two agents who made up Cloudbreak, placed themselves in harm's way in order to warn the rest of their companions about the danger they were in.

Phase One: Luke Easter Egg (Sky Ashes)

Phase Two: Artem Easter Egg (Enshrouded Sunglow)

[salt-and-vynegar]

I find Vyn's character to be the most tragic in most endings (Artem's is a close runner-up) because no matter the outcome, he cannot win.

Op, thank you for taking these screenshots and for providing your viewpoint here.

I also wanted to talk about this because I found Vyn's character really interesting in this event.

My personal theory on this is that Interpreter Richter's fate was sealed the moment he decided to work with the group.

For me, Interpreter Richter's character has a lot of parallels with Vyn's initial SSR, Medieval Suspense.

Aside from the obvious observation that Vyn plays both characters, I think that there's an additional discussion to be had that the characters that have been assigned to Vyn are characters that end up being very solitary, with higher aspirations for power, to try to change the status quo.

Vyn's characters also tend to be characters that want power for the sake of protection - he doesn't want power merely for power's sake. But the reason why he wants power isn't something he readily admits to. In order to get Vyn to reveal his heart, when he's playing a character, you need to essentially keep pointing out the contradictions. Only after all of the contradictions are resolved, then you can see the truth of the matter.

In Medieval Suspense, it's discovered that the Duke's Son (played by Vyn) was adopted by the Duke, and stands to gain power as long as the Duke's murderer isn't him. It's also discovered that the Duke's son holds disdain for the Vatican and it's rituals, and has been learning and more accepting of modern medicinal practices. Near the ending of the card, the Duke makes an offer to MC Rosa's character about running away with him to "create a new truth." It's with that offer that you get to the heart of the biggest contradiction for his character - why does the Duke's son, who holds negative views of the church, has the symbol of the church on him?

In the event, it's discovered Interpreter Richter was an orphan from the Renhui Relief hospital, and was essentially trained at a young age to become part of the Guangjie Union. However, you do get inklings that Interpreter Richter does not think highly of the Guangjie Union based on where the donations go for the relief hospital. In addition, he also admits to Little Boss that his goal is to be free, and that he's willing to climb up the gang's ladder to do so.

What Interpreter Richter truly wants is the freedom that one can only have with power, so he accumulates it at all costs without moral scruples.

Op, I really like this line in your commentary.

I agree with most of this, but I don't agree with the fact that Interpreter Richter accumulates power without moral scruples.

Yes, it's true that Interpreter Richter wants freedom through power. However, I would also say that he does have morals, if you could call it that. His morals are very self-serving.

In most of the endings, Vyn admits out of character, that Interpreter Richter's biggest weakness is Little Boss. Even though Interpreter Richter and Little Boss are on opposite sides, Interpreter Richter does not want anything to happen to Little Boss. In negotiations, Interpreter Richter will gladly give up Consultant Wing to the Guangjie Union, but stay quiet for Little Boss's sake.

From the outside, that's a huge contradiction to Interpreter Richter's desire for power.

If Interpreter Richter really had no morals, he would have no qualms giving up all of the members of the Mayfly Association to the Guangjie Union.

But he doesn't.

He saves Little Boss, at least temporarily.

You can see traces of Interpreter Richter's presumed ruthlessness by how he informed the Guangjie Union about the killing of Boss Qian and how the Guangjie Union basically surrounded the hotel. It's very clear that he doesn't care about the others as much as he cares for Little Boss.

Which leads me to those final two screenshots for the VOID ending.

In the event, Vyn admits out of character, "When I was playing Interpreter Richter and we started working together, I prepared myself for such an outcome. Neither Interpreter Richter nor I were surprised at the result, and we accepted it wholeheartedly."

I think that particular admission holds the closest parallel with Medieval Suspense for me.

For Medieval Suspense, after the truth comes out and the Duke's Son (played by Vyn) is declared guilty and punished, the game ends. However, while Vyn is waiting for MC Rosa to finish changing, there's a conversation he has with one of the other players in the game, the one who played the Doctor.

The conversation goes like this:

Doctor Player: "Yes. But the key evidence is such an obscure place. No one would have ever found it if you didn't purposely show it." Vyn: "..." Doctor Player: "You surely would've won if she thought she was the murderer. Did you not give up victory for her in the end?" Vyn: "Please do not misunderstand. I was playing the game with the intention of winning." Doctor Player: "Heh, yeah. I could tell from your performance. Well, hope we can do this again."

From this conversation, it's clear that the decisive evidence that caused Vyn to lose the game in Medieval Suspense, was something he purposely showed MC Rosa. No matter how Vyn tries to spin it, working with MC Rosa to get to the truth of the Duke's murder and then showing that contradiction to MC Rosa caused everything to unravel for his character. Vyn lost.

In both the event and Medieval Suspense, it's shown that the minute Vyn's character chooses to work with MC Rosa, his fate is sealed.

Vyn's character in Medieval Suspense could've won, if he left MC Rosa to her own devices. Like the Doctor Player said, Vyn could've won the game if MC Rosa thought of herself as the murderer. Vyn didn't have to throw MC Rosa a lifeline about the Duke's son's character. It's that lifeline that brought about his downfall.

Vyn's character in Enduring Light is the same way, I suspect.

If Interpreter Richter chose to leave himself out of the investigation and step back to be only a witness, Little Boss would end up forming an incomplete picture of the entire story. Consultant Wing, would still end up being seen as the murderer. That would be a win for Interpreter Richter's aspirations for power in the Guangjie Union.

But that's not what happened. Interpreter Richter chooses to investigate Boss Qian's murder with everyone else, and in doing so, ends up revealing his true loyalties, and working with them to negotiate with the Guangjie Union at the cost of being seeing as a traitor.

As a person, Vyn knows that MC Rosa's biggest goal is to get at the truth. He knows that with the truth fully revealed, he would lose. As you eloquently put it OP, despite the fact that Vyn knows that if he works with her, he would lose, Vyn helps out MC Rosa anyway.

It's not until the full story is revealed and revisited, that the extent of how much he helps her is revealed to us, the player.

To me, that contradiction- the fact that Vyn loses by working with MC Rosa- is both tragic and heartwarming.

Interpreter Richter's Tragic Endings

I find Vyn's character to be the most tragic in most endings (Artem's is a close runner-up) because no matter the outcome, he cannot win. He loses his freedom for Rosa or loses her for power or simply dies to protect her. What Interpreter Richter truly wants is the freedom that one can only have with power, so he accumulates it at all costs without moral scruples.

These are all from different endings:

This one hurts the most though, because he knew he'd be forever chained to the gang that he wanted to be free from if he helped Rosa, yet he did it anyway. All for her. And she didn't even realise.

[actualbird]

what do you think of the current event? (Celestial Romance)

i like it but I think it lacks compared to Dragonbreath in terms of gameplay. it doesn’t feel as open world (in DB you could get extra points/goodies from talking to NPCs, enemies would randomly spawn and I feel like it was more engaging to explore each map - in CR it all feels very structured which isn’t for me), and the tutorial acts like i’m a baby who needs my hand held (i’m someone who prefers to just work it out on my own so i might be an outlier)

i DO like how each guy has their own skills you can use at any point and i like how MC is an actual fighter but i wish it was the same combat style as DB 😔 to be honest i just really miss the lil avatars being hurt if they had low hp or being dizzy bc it was a neat touch

overall i hope they do another event like DB but incorporate the cool stuff from CR in the future maybe with an ancient greek theme or futuristic theme but i would love to know what you think!!

hi anon!!

i TOTALLY agree with your thoughts on CR's gameplay vs DB's gameplay. i really prefer DB over CR thus far, especially with the battle mechanics??? cuz like, for DB it felt like i was using the boys as pokemon, which was super fun. but here for CR, it feels like im just playing a timed rhythm game or DDR?? sjbflkjdblf it doesnt vibe with me very much.

additionally, the world definitely feels much smaller than DB. like the maps feel smaller, the NPCs have less to say, there are fewer monsters....i figure they must have done this because they got feedback about DB along the lines of "THERES TOO MUCH TO DO" which is fair, DB would be a nightmare to speedrun/binge to All-Achievement-Completion, for players who prefer to do that, but still...i feel much more confined in CR.

story-wise, it's still too early for me to form an opinion, but i do like that each of the boys has a side quest related to their specific sect.

at your last bit, i TOTALLY AGREE ON WANTING AN AU WITH A FUTURISTIC SETTING, PLEASE PPLEASE PLEASE I WANT A SCI-FI AU SOOOOOO FUCKING BADDDD AUGGGHHHH

conclusion: i am enjoying CR so far but DB was a lot more fun in my opinion

[psychopomparia]

In every timeline, in every au, in every script:

We are partners; companions.

[maladaptivedaydreamsx]

this tv guy kinda cute.. when he keeps his mouth shut

[salt-and-vynegar]

Op, I hope you don't mind, but I just got to this part, and I wanted to talk about something interesting I noticed.

When I was playing, I finished the main story, but just stopped short of making an actual decision. I got the full story, but I didn't actually decide on who to send out. I stopped the game prior to making the decision because I saw this post.

Prior to the big decision, you can talk to each of the NXX men in the Secret Chat. When the full story has been revealed, all of the options in the Skeletons in the Closet choice get erased entirely, and you have only one choice in the chat function. All you can do is get their thoughts on the issue and on the decision MC Rosa has to make.

What I like about this, is that you can see what sort of mental headspace they're in prior to the big decision.

Journalist Pearce is worried about his penpal.

Consultant Wing is worried about MC/Rosa's life.

Interpreter Richer is unrepentant about what happened, and wants to be free with MC/Rosa.

President von Hagen wants MC/Rosa to honor her agreement with him.

"When the opportunity arises all of them are so willingly being sacrificed even to the point they offer themselves [...]" "The secret chat is lowkey heart breaking ngl cause you can see how protective they can be for each other..."

Op, I really liked these phrases because I agree with these sentiments. At this point of the story, all 4 of the men, save for Little Boss, could be sent out to the Guangjie Union as the culprit. In the eyes of the Guangjie Union, each of them have a motive, and telling part of the story would be enough to get the person convicted and punished.

The kicker for me in addition to all of this, is that with all the cards on the table and all the truths revealed, as MC/Rosa, the player has to decide what matters most to them.

If you choose to send out the murderer, Consultant Wing, MC/Rosa holds fast to her ideas of truth and justice. However, she loses her connection to the Mayfly Association and she loses the person who was likely the closest to Boss Li. Not to mention, the Mayfly Association will be unable to keep tabs on the Yingxing Trading Company. Consultant Wing was the Mayfly Association's insider. This would tilt the scales in favor of the Guangjie Union.

If you choose to send out anyone else, MC/Rosa essentially condemns an innocent person to Guangjie Union. Interpreter Richter would be seen as a traitor to the Guangjie, President von Hagen would likely be seen conspiring against the Guangjie Union as an act of revenge, while Journalist Pearce would likely be seen as a reporter who was in over his head who saw something he shouldn't have.

Not to mention, now that all the cards are on the table, all 5 of them now know who has loyalties to whom.

Realistically, with all of the competing loyalties, no matter who you send out, there is no guarantee the full truth would stay hidden.

I could easily see MC and Consultant Wing leveraging their identities as Mayfly Association members to their advantage, and possibly screwing everyone else over. It would weaken the Guangjie Union, yes, but then technically, the Mayfly Association would end up in that position. Essentially, it would be never ending battle for power and control in Xuzhou City.

If Journalist Pearce was so inclined, he could expose everyone's true loyalties then and there. While it's possible Journalist Pearce would likely "disappear" after an article like that, it would ignite a giant power vacuum.

President von Hagen could use his knowledge of everyone's loyalties to get his way and make sure his businesses benefited from the Mayfly and Guangjie Union.

As for Interpreter Richter, in his quest for power for the Guangjie Union, he could out every single person, and climb up the ladder to obliterate the Mayfly Association and make sure the Guangjie Union runs Xuzhou town indefinitely.

That's the rub though, isn't it?

All 5 of them, despite their conflicting loyalties, came together to investigate the truth. The truth is the thing binding them together. It's through their investigation into the truth that they did, in some small way, end up caring for each other.

So when it comes time to make the final decision on who to offer up to the Guangjie Union, it's a horrible feeling because there is no right decision. Each of the NXX suitors know this. Even if you are a good person with the right motives or right reasons, being a good person does not guarantee things will work out.

MC/Rosa has no choice but to do something.

No matter what decision they make,

someone will get hurt.

The question the player has to answer is,

who are they willing to hurt?

I hate them, i hate them so much.../hj When the opportunity arises all of them are so willingly being sacrificed even to the point they offer themselves but when their sacrifice at the end ended up hurting one of the NXX members or involved others in it THEY SHUT DOWN AND BLAME THEMSELVES

The secret chat is lowkey heart breaking ngl cause you can see how protective they can be for each other... Like yeah me??? Sacrifice myself and end up dying 😯👍👍 okay! I will do it!! But me?? Sacrificed myself but in the end they still got hurt??? 👎👎 I will shut down and cry

[hoyotunes]

Enduring Oaths - Missing You from Till the End UUU, HOYO-MiX

[shuubah]

Returner Code for Enduring Light event

Hello to the Attorneys who haven't visited Stellis for a while! There's a Returner Gifts event going on right now. Come back to Tears of Themis & use my Returner Code below to get special rewards:

WD7NYPG56N

[muzzlemouths]

@sinister-sincerely ;) Surprise~

You've gotta be the only person I know who specifically requests heavy angst for a valentines event, but who am I to argue! I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun writing something so bittersweet.

Sun/Moon x Y/N Word Count: 3,750 Warnings: Mutual pining (but it's too late), hurt/no comfort

It’s exactly as you remember.

The stench of pizza grease still lingers in the air, rainbow puddles of gasoline hiding under minivans beside forgotten litter, every pothole in its place. The pizzeria greets you in its daunting enormity as you enter the mouth like a bitter swallowed pill.

You can’t say for certain what brought you to this point. How many restless nights and plaintive mornings you endured, how deep the sunken shadow beneath your eyes became until you couldn’t take it anymore. When days turned to weeks turned to months.

The earth orbits the sun in a slow, tedious loop and it is here, a year after it all, that you find yourself staring down the doors to the Superstar Daycare.

The day’s end sees parents lingering in droves around the doors. Some caught up in polite conversation, soccer moms and wine aunts sharing a good laugh, heels clinking against the sticky floor. While others tap their feet with impatient expectation and arms crossed over their chest. They check their phones and apple watches as if watching the time will make it move any faster.

Not you, though. Your feet, your time, your expectations, it all travels at a devastating crawl, and you would sooner turn around and wash your hands of this whole ordeal before you willed it to go faster. The drag of your feet is purposeful. 

You disappear into the crowd, and one by one they disappear from you. Parents and uncles and older siblings in various states of mood, their faces brightening when it’s their turn to scoop a teetering tot into their arms and ask about their day, crayon drawings and popsicle stick crafts haphazardly glued together still clutched in tiny hands. Their blurry faces pay you no mind as you stand at the center of it all, choking on the consequences of your own actions. Their numbers dwindle by the minute.

You had eventually learned to tolerate the giggling shrieks of daycare children, having worked enough shifts that the noise fell into the backdrop like everything else, but the quiet — when the doors closed for the last time and it was just you and them, free from the inhibitions of work — the quiet was your favorite part. Now it only proves to further your dread. 

There are a dozen people to hide between, then ten, then six, then four, three, two…

and then you’re alone.

Any minute now Sun will peek his head out the door to ensure that no one was missed. It’s a silly tendency, the checking and double checking and triple checking to an almost obsessive degree, but you’ve long since become fond of these little habits. How miserable, then, to have to rely on its inevitability because you’re too much of a coward to confront him yourself.

It’s this same fear that drives you to turn on your heel at the last second, reconsidering this whole plan to begin with. If you left now you wouldn’t have to see the look of betrayal on his face. If you were quick about it you could still make haste towards the exit and be out of eyesight before the door ever opened, and then maybe, if you were lucky, your heart would consider this a worthwhile attempt and would finally let you leave this all behind.

How silly to think life would be so kind. You’ve run out of chances to avoid this.

Light pours over your back in a soft rectangle curve, warm and, much like the face that greets you, familiar. His voice — a polite ‘Can I help you?’ that lacks recognition — forces you to a halt. You anchor yourself to the spot for as long as you can get away with until the flicker of determination that remains in your chest demands you to move, and only then do you greet him properly; face to face.

The state of him guts you. His dirt coated faceplate, paint chipping at the edges and thumbprints smudged en mass, built up gunk wedged into the grooves, it tells you all you need to know.

It tells you that he hasn’t let anyone help him since your disappearance.

There is something to be said about the emotional range of a robot who cannot express himself in the usual way. You considered yourself quite adept at understanding exactly what they were feeling at any given moment regardless and in spite of the lack of visual cues, rarely being hindered by their static smiles because you had other things to rely on, like the pitch in their voice, their postures, their gestures. 

But Sun looks your way in complete silence, not budging from his place within the doorframe as recognition takes hold.

Silence fills your lungs until its presence is suffocating and this, if nothing else, finally prompts you to speak up. It’s a mess — your guilty muttering of “Can we talk?” — and you’re grateful to have even managed that much, and surprised, albeit relieved, initially, when it does the trick to stir Sun from his stupor.

His response, though lacking words, can be heard loud and clear.

You scramble forward in a rush, just barely managing to wedge your foot in the door before he has the chance to finish shutting it in your face.

“Please,” you rasp, pride be damned. 

His faceplate tilts (in curiosity or frustration, you aren’t sure), and his voicebox clicks like an irked tongue. Though they remain fixated in place you can surely feel the way his eyes find the ugly scar at your jaw and follow it all the way down your shoulder. Another click. 

He widens the door.

It’s not the warm welcome you’ve come to expect over the years, but it’s likely the kindest greeting you’ll receive from him now, all things considered, so you do your best not to spit on the brittle olive branch and quickly duck beneath his arm to make your way inside.

The daycare brings a wave of emotions that immediately threaten the frail sense of composure you’re still clinging to. Memories, new and very, very old, all collect in the back of your throat and sting like fresh bile. 

You recognize every stain in the carpet that Sun could never get out, can pinpoint how long its been since he’s cleaned by how strongly the smell of bleach contends with freshly soiled diapers. You know by the back of your hand which slides will burn you all the way down and which are permanently sticky from sickly kids and parents who couldn’t afford to bring them anywhere else. You know where the craft supplies are hidden, where the movies are kept, where the toys are stored. You know how bright the stars will shine when the lights go out, and how quickly Moon will abandon his station to find another.

You know exactly where to look when either of them is hurt and hiding.

But Sun isn’t hiding, now, even though he is very much hurt. Instead he stands a few paces from your side, hand still on the door and back to you. He doesn’t run and he doesn’t hide and he doesn’t need to.

Because it is you who ran away. It is you who hid.

It’s you who disappeared to somewhere they could never reach.

“Sun, I—”

“Why are you here?”

His voice cuts through you deeper than even the guilt. You want him to be angry with you, to scream and cry and lash out so your apprehension feels justified, so you can feel like there’s still something to salvage from this relationship, even if it’s negative. Even if it hurts. It would be easier if it hurt.

Instead, Sun addresses you with dry, polite boredom. He speaks to you like a stranger. 

Then, again, arrives the silence. It permeates through flesh and bone to sink into your very core, a poison that takes root deep in the pit of your stomach and blooms into something horrid. Gnarled branches of grief and shame left unpruned for so long that they’ve made a husk of the person you used to be. 

How do you come back from that?

“We didn’t know—” his fingers vice against the doorknob until its metal warps inward, refusing to show you his face. “We didn’t know where you went, why — why you left. You didn’t say anything. Not to us or anyone we asked.” His arms pinch into their shoulder sockets, the neglected casings whining against the tension. “Believe me, we asked everyone.”

Branches twist and unfurl, spindly twigs of guilt tickling against the back of your throat, thick with vinegar. You can taste it on your tongue. It takes all of your strength to step towards him. “Sun, I—”

“Stop,” he rasps. “Don’t. Just — just stay there. Stay right there.”

It stings. You often mulled over how they might react to your return when the day came, but never did you consider that he might not even want to look you in the eye. Swallowing around that boulder draws tears to your eyes. Nevertheless, your feet remain planted where they are, resigned to have this conversation with the back of his faceplate. “I wanted to reach out—”

“I wasn’t finished,” he interrupts. His rays sink inward, briefly, face swiveling at an angle where you can almost see his eyes. “We thought…Moon thought he had killed you,” he admits. “For a short time after you left us, we convinced ourselves that this is what happened. We let ourselves believe it because — because,” he turns, finally looking you in the eye, “because the alternative is that you abandoned us like everyone else.”

Your cheeks warm beneath streams of bitter salt. Words evade you for the longest time, deaf to your pleas to say something, anything, because more than Sun looking expectant for an answer is he deserving of one. 

Sun shakes his head, unimpressed by your inability to pry your tongue from the roof of your mouth. “Two minutes,” he says.

That does the trick just fine. “Two—?”

“You have two minutes to explain yourself,” he clarifies.

Your nose twitches, sniffling. “And after?” You ask, terrified of the answer. If he shoos you from the daycare and bans your name forevermore you aren’t sure you’ll ever recover. It’s selfish to fear such things — you know, already — when your actions were undoubtedly what burnt that bridge in the first place.

His arms cross over his chest, fingers winding fiercely into the metal, and he nods towards the clock. It’s getting late, already. 

“In two minutes it won’t be my choice what happens to you,” he warns.

Your gaze follows his own, eyeing the time. There’s no telling how lenient Moon will be about hearing you out but, if memory serves, you won’t see half the patience that Sun is tentatively offering you now. You don’t have time to argue either way.

You search your heart for the words that need to be said and, when that fails to provide you with a linear path forward, you opt to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, instead. 

“I didn’t know what to do,” you admit. Your thumb lifts to press into scarred flesh, and follows it all the way down to where it disappears beneath your shirt collar. It’s ugly and it’s deep and you will bear it for the rest of your life. “I didn’t know how to confront this.”

Looking up, Sun hasn’t moved from his spot. He doesn’t blink, and he doesn’t speak, but the way his fist digs into the fabric of his pants tells you that he remembers that night clearly. You’re sure he spent several days thereafter scrubbing your blood out of the carpet.

It was an accident. As much as one can accidentally attack a loved one with blind violence, that is. You tell yourself it wasn’t intentional and you had hoped that they had, too. Both of you knew the day would come eventually either way. A dog that used to bite will bite again, no matter how strong the bond between him and his owner is. And you aren’t his owner, anyway. You can’t even call yourself his friend — not anymore.

“I thought I’d have enough time to think things over while I was recovering,” you croak through tears. “Every day in that hospital bed was spent thinking of you and Moon. I was—”

“Angry?” Sun asks.

“No!”

“Then why—?” His voice twists with the same bitterness as the dread in your stomach, almost a plead. “Why didn’t you say anything? A phone call, a letter, anything—”

“I was scared!” Despair pours from your throat like a leaky faucet having finally burst. “I almost died, Sun. I — I wasn’t sure what to do, where to go from there. I thought I just needed time, but everything happened so fast, it all passed so quickly, and the company—”

“You were fired?”

Your teeth clatter sharply against each other, lips pinching together, tongue tied. The clock tick tick ticks away. “They told me if I didn’t return that week I shouldn’t bother coming back at all. I…I could have kept my job, I could have come back, put the nightmares up on the top shelf and hope that everything just went back to normal, but…”

“You didn’t have to figure it out alone,” he answers solemnly. “Had you told us what you were going through, we could have figured something out, helped you transfer to another department or— or at least given you space. We would have come up with something.” Sun’s shoulders slump forward with a quiet, mechanical clink. He rubs anxiously at his arm and looks away from you. “Did you even like us?”

Your heart squeezes like it’s going to burst and plummets to the soles of your shoes, aching the whole way. Every instance of the love you felt for them comes barreling down on you at once; every fond memory, every moment of laughter, every hardship that you faced together. You never got the chance to tell them. “Of course I do,” you exclaim. “I lo—”

The room plunges into darkness. There is no twitch or flicker of the fluorescents to warn you, no method of hastily restoring power, nothing to keep stripes from becoming stars. Bittersweet familiarity sinks its teeth into your skin with nothing more than the quiet toll of a bell. His gaze blankets you in crimson.

You inhale sharply and prepare for the worst. “Moon—”

“Get out,” he snarls.

You flinch a foot back, but go no further. “Let me explain—”

“No.”

Your brow creases, nose wrinkling to match. “I’m not leaving,” you declare. “Why won’t you hear out what I have to say?”

“You’re a liar,” he spits, each word threaded with anger. Unlike Sun, he has no problems advancing towards you step by slow, meandered step. “Why would we want to hear a liar speak?”

Your heart twitches in your throat, threatening to suffocate you with every breath. Sun accused you of a great many things, all of which you are surely guilty of, but being a liar isn’t one of them. “I didn’t—”

“You left us!” He snarls. “Promised you wouldn’t. Promised you weren’t like the rest. You lied. Liar, liar, liar.”

His outburst convinces you to fall back another step. At this rate he’ll corner you, walk you against a wall. He’ll— “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” you insist, blinking through tears. “Either of you.”

“Liar!”

You break into a sob. “I’m not—”

“Get out,” he repeats, not sparing you the patience to further plead your case. He’s nearly erased the distance between you. “Won’t ask again.”

The croak in his voicebox doesn’t stem wholly from anger, of that you are certain. You can trace it all the way back to that very night when he came back to himself, hands still painted red, claws cinched to the bone. 

He had rushed into action, even if it was in vain. Daycare first-aid kits offer little more than boo-boo bandaids and palm sized ice packs, and as it stood, you were bleeding out in his arms. Despite his own personal biases he had called out for help, and help answered in the form of red and blue lights that blinked just outside the window. 

Your memory of the event is still fuzzy around the edges even now, yet still, there are two things you remember without any doubt. First, that Moon trembled with such vigor that his casing bears scars to this day from the metal rubbing together, and second, that he spoke to you endlessly, tirelessly, until they took you away. The cadence from that night hasn’t disappeared with time. 

It isn’t anger, it’s fear.

A dog that has bit before will inevitably bite again, and a dog that fears losing what it loves will refuse to let itself love at all.

Against your better judgement, you firmly stand your ground. “I’m not leaving,” you tell him. “Not until I’ve said what I came here to say.”

“Aren’t you scared?” 

It catches you off guard.

“That’s what you told Sun, isn’t it? I might hurt you again,” he warns. “Run your skin beneath my claws, tear it to bloody pieces until there’s nothing left.” His hand twitches at his side. “Maybe this time I’ll really kill you. Aren’t you scared?”

Your feet remain planted in that spot even as every molecule of your being screams at you to run. You are anchored here, for better or for worse, even as he inches ever closer. Even as he raises his hand — old blood still caked beneath the claws — and lingers beside the old wound.

“Yes,” you answer. It halts him immediately, hand still poised at your cheek. “I’m scared, I’m terrified, that much is true, but…” your eyes trace him, each pointed nail and crimson stained finger, the lilt in his voice that spells remorse as deep and as wide as your own.

Despite it all, your eyes fall shut. “...I trust you.”

Moon remains stone still. You hear no whisper of his bell, can feel no greater heat from his vents. He surely watches you to see how much truth lies in your commitment, searching your face for any hint of malice and trickery, but he won’t find any. You’re done running. You’re through with hiding.

He lurches forward—

and embraces you fully, metal frame trembling on its hinges. 

“Thought we lost you,” he whispers. “You left. You left us.”

“I know,” you whisper in turn. Warily you echo the gesture, wrapping your arms around him and holding him close, closer than you’ve ever been allowed before. “I’m sorry,” your words spill across his chest. “I’m so, so sorry. I’ll never leave you again—”

“Don’t.” He pulls away abruptly, holding you back with locked elbows, and the sudden absence leaves you cold. “No more promises. We can’t—” he whines beneath the palm you bring against his cheek, but nevertheless relaxes into it. “Can’t handle it. Another broken promise.”

“But—”

“Please,” he mutters. “No promises. Just this is fine. This—” His hand travels meekly upward to rest atop your own. “This is enough.”

It stings, as it very well should, but you aren’t going to argue with him about this. A nod answers him, simple as. You have all the time in the world to prove to them that you aren’t going anywhere this time.

There are a million and one things to say now that you finally have the chance. A year’s worth of events to catch them up on and the whole night to discuss it all, just like old times. You’ll make new friendship bracelets, read each other stories, gossip and laugh and play. There is still something worth saving, here. They haven’t given up on you yet.

But rebuilding a relationship requires honesty, it requires communication, and there is still one secret you’re hiding. The question is, how do you go about it without tarnishing what you’ve only just salvaged? What should you say, and how should you say it? The amount of times you’ve stuck your foot in your mouth while trying to do the right thing is not insignificant. But if you don’t tell them now, you might not get the chance again.

“I still haven’t told you…” Your eyes follow the curve of his face, the familiar way with which he lets your hand cradle his cheek, and in spite of everything a smile sneaks its way forward for the first time in ages. “I never stopped loving you, you know,” you whisper. “I care about you both — more than I’ve ever had the courage to say.”

Slowly, surely, you find yourself stretching onto your toes, finally feeling brave.

His vents breath against your palms, warm steam tickling between your fingers. Telltale fumes itch beneath your nose that smell faintly of burnt wires and old oil. 

A sputtering core kicks into third gear as your face nears his. Electricity bounces from his casing to dance against your fingertips until you’re breathless and floating. You can almost taste the cold metal beneath your lips, just a breath standing between them now. Almost. Almost.

“You have to let us go.”

Your blood freezes over, paralyzing you to the core. You don’t immediately pull back for fear of what you might find. But you have to face the music eventually.

Moon is painstakingly careful as he cleans your tears with the base of his thumb. He looks you over mournfully as though taking in your presence one last time. Then he laughs, short and sweet. “Nap time is over, starlight.”

You wake up.

The pillow is wet beneath your cheek, salty and cold. You stare at the wall bleary eyed, feeling an ache in your chest that eats at you now more than ever. How pitiful, how cruel, to be haunted by missed opportunities. Guilty pleasures of received forgiveness and enough time to make things right. The chance to fix everything held just out of your reach.

You turn against your pillow to reach the other side, taking your blankets with you, but even with their weight at your shoulders you feel impossibly cold. There is nothing to reach for anymore.

The glow of a television paints your back. Turned to the news, it’s been left on all night. You remember now. You remember everything.

The reporter talks about a fire.

You try to will yourself back to sleep.

[aruanimess]

any aruani fic recs that you are your favorite?

Hello, anon!

So I've made a couple of posts in the past about this, but perhaps it's time to make a more comprehensive list. Sadly, the list of my favorites hasn't been expanded that much in the past year bc life has been kicking my ass since I haven't had much time for reading while also working on my own writing. But here goes.

Starting with the one-shots because they often get ignored:

Silhouettes by Jelly

Reincarnation AU. Armin spirals into madness as he tries to remember his past life, with Annie at the center of it all. Beautiful and concise, it'll have you sobbing on the floor.

Graffiti Love by brandymallory

Reincarnation AU. Armin and Annie are graffiti artists communicating with each other via murals. The understated, shimmering longing paired with the coolness of the street art scene is something else.

A Fistful of Latent Images by @aquietjune

Post-Canon Fort Salta fic. Armin and Annie navigate their relationship amidst the chaos of a post-apocalyptic world. Extremely well-written with great pacing, it captures the dissonance of normality after absolute devastation perfectly.

Look! by @lucaaazd

Modern AU. Kid Annie, still reeling from the loss of her father and subsequent adoption into her best friend's family, rescues Armin from his bullies. Grief and trauma mixed with the innocence of youth, its haunting carefreeness will fill you with an odd sense of optimism.

a crash course in curve lifts by @corner-stories

Modern AU, ice-skating. Armin and Annie, athletes who usually compete individually, train to perform a Pair routine for a gala (hopefully I got the lingo right). The commitment these two show to each other and their craft is absolutely heartwarming.

Now the multichapter fics:

A warrior in name, A traitor in game by @diam-etrical

Inspired by The Hunger Games. EMA in Marley. Set in a universe where the Warrior candidates have to fight to the death in an arena to get their titans. This will have you at the edge of your seat for sure. Also the character dynamics are expertly crafted.

Cigarette Duet by @darcycrow

Modern AU, set in Istanbul. Armin is a transfer student and new in town, he and Annie share a smoking spot in the schoolyard and bond over their existential dread, love of cats and weird relationship to intimacy. I'm here for the dry wit, the psychoanalysis and the sharp commentary about dating in the modern world.

Tater Tots & Heavy Thoughts by Anonymous

Modern AU. Armin is a social worker with a traumatic past, Annie asks him to help her brother who's a recovering drug addict (and then asks him out). This fic handles some extremely sensitive issues with care and compassion, it's a story about healing and not letting your past define you. Absolutely captivating and at times heartbreaking.

My Yellow Light in Your Soft Whispers by @annawayne

Post-Canon fic. Set roughly ten years after the Rumbling, Armin and Annie try to rebuild their trust in themselves and each other after a traumatic event. One of the most romantic entries on this list, steeped in rich symbolism and metaphor, the love Armin and Annie share is carved in every word, phrase and sentence.

See You Again by @dudewhy3

Modern AU. Estranged childhood friends, Armin and Annie, meet again after years apart, only Annie is sick and Armin is her doctor. It's a beautiful story about enduring love, compassion, second chances and vulnerability.

Love Letters from the Skies to the West Coast by @midnightraine131

Modern AU. Pastor's son Armin befriends Annie, a Californian girl who's new in town and also a bit of a wildcard. This is a sweet and funny story about the batshit shenanigans kids get up to, but also about the stifling confines of small religious communities.

Abandoned but worth a read regardless:

These City Lights by Katsy0c0

1920s AU. Armin is an up-and-coming Hollywood director and chooses Annie as his leading lady. An oldie but a goodie, the setting is exciting and glamorous and the relationship between the two is sweet and thrilling.

I Shall Slay by GoldenDoodleLover

Modern AU. Crack fic. Armin is recruited by his lit teacher Levi into a team of students who shall be participating in underground rap-battles. Absolutely hilarious and the verses are kinda fire.

[dreameffectss]

enduring light event is nearly over and that means its time for me to post my tot comic 😋 i'll be honest i was very busy during this event and have to rush through it all now lmao hope everyone had fun and got the cards they wanted. luke still hasn't come home for me :'(

[salt-and-vynegar]

Enduring Light Event Interesting Observation/Easter egg:

Doing a Secret Chat with Journalist Pearce and clicking on the choice, "Journalist Pearce's situation," leads to an easter egg that references Luke's SSR for this event, Sky Ashes. In the chat, Luke reveals that he came across a report where a pilot died without telling their loved one how he felt. He explains that the pilot in question died by saving another.

[jelloia]

// tot enduring light spoilers

KAJFDSL so i just finished playing through all the endings in the new event and ok first i have so many thoughts...

WOW THEY WERE BLEAK.

but i gotta say, i love how whenever a bad ending happens, marius's first instinct is to go boss mode and break the fourth wall

also, the ending where you choose marius to go CRACKS ME UP like especially vyn's response:

I WAS CHOKING READING THIS cause of course vyn expects marius to fuck up!!

but marius fucked up EVEN MORE than vyn expected by starting a WHOLE ASS GANG WAR

oh im crying DAMMIT MARIUS YOU HAD ONE JOB...

[actualbird]

what is your ranking of all the main event stories we have received so far? (as in sott, enduring light, skadi etc)

OHHHH THIS IS A FUN QUESTION, THANK YOU ANON!!! let me go from my highest to lowest.

for this question, im taking "main event stories" to mean the Big 4 SSR Events where the event story involves the entire team all at once (so no xmas events or sotn, or solo or duo events). and i will be judging these events primarily on their event story (so not as much as the gameplay, though thatll also be a factor. but i wont be judging the cards)

OH DANG WHY DID I EXPLAIN IT, THE TOT WIKI DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB AT DEFINING BIG 4 SSR EVENTS, HERE, THIS IS WHAT IM JUDGING

anyhoo, here is my personal ranking!

FIRST PLACE: Mysteries of the Lost Gold

my beloved, my favorite, my perfect shining star. lost gold was the first big event i played and it has yet to be dethroned as my favorite event story of all of tot. absolute homerun of a rich story with intrigue, high stakes, a good balance of tender moments and lighthearted ones, and just SO gripping in terms of all of the story threads coming together, plus the absolutely A+ nxx team interactions. my advice to every new player who comes into my inbox is "PLAY THE LOST GOLD DLC" because i love it so much. i will never shut up about how i love it so much. it has our very first raven!luke sighting. it has marius nearly getting stabbed. it has artem with gun. it has vyn doing that THING with the bow and arrow. LIKE. THIS EVENT IS PERFECT TO ME. it'll take something really really special to dethrone it.

SECOND PLACE: Enduring Light

this isnt recency bias speaking but my real honest thoughts: this story delighted me to no end. i was kept on the edge my seat for every single phase, and the sheer novelty of the story's setup and the gameplay was such a nice change of pace after the previous event formats started to get repetetive. i especially loved that this time, we had to suspect the nxx boys as well because that really added to my enjoyment of this event. it really felt like a mystery that had to be solved by us, and not just a mystery that will unravel by itself as long as we keep playing, if that makes sense? my point is i was immensely immersed in enduring light and i love it lots lots lots. luke looking stupendously hot in his outfit during the entire event was also a huge plus.

THIRD PLACE: a tie between Blizzardous Threads of Red & Mystery of Bakerlon

i really loved BTR and bakerlon!!! both of their murder cases were adequately thrilling for me, though towards the end i could feel the adrenaline wearing off, if that makes sense? like by the 4th phase, things were slotting together already in a way that like lowered the feeling of intrigue. also i know i said i wouldnt judge much based on gameplay, but these two deserve a shoutout for MINIGAMES I WANT TO KILL W MY BARE HANDS. bakerlon's crystal tasks were so repetetive to me, and BTR's TIMED ESCAPE ROOM THINGIES heightened my blood pressure several times HAHA

FOURTH PLACE: To My Beloved: Moonlit Eve (anniv 2)

this has a soft spot in my heart for including all of the old NPCs from main story, and that was very heartwarming. while theres no mystery that needs solving, just seeing the team hang out together and have fun together was such a treat for my soul

FIFTH PLACE: Secrets of the Tomb

sott is where i'd say the event story quality is inching towards the meh scale. the mystery here was interesting but was not particularly gripping to me. it might just be a me thing, but i enjoyed the side stories (the ones you get with the boys when you investigate the artefacts) more than the actual event story itself.

SIXTH PLACE: A Love Poem to Skadi

ahhhhh skadi. psychological and medical malpractice horrors skadi.....HJSVKHSJDFDSF. i will admit, the mystery in this story is HORRIFIC and it was enjoyable to unravel it, but here is where i break my rule again of not talking about gameplay but mAAAAAAN THE GAMEPLAY HINDERED MY ENJOYMENT OF THE MAIN PLOT LOTS. it was rather difficult for me to do all the exploration in that manor and that stalled my absorption of the story too. plus, i think the fact that the story is Over made the story have a bit of a muted quality to it. not in a bad way (i distinctly remember i wrote a semi-analysis post about how i enjoyed that the story was in the Past) but it definitely affected the mood of the gameplay, if that makes sense?

(that is the third time ive said "if that makes sense" in this response, THREE STRIKES AND YER OOOOOUT)

SEVENTH PLACE: Blissful Fete (anniv 1)

be honest with me.....do YOU remember the event story plot of blissful fete? cuz i sure dont. JVSKDHFSJDHSF. i only remember getting very very mad at luke during that fucking minigame where we guess if the card is higher or lower. that being said, if i cant even remember much of the story, then it didnt make an impact on me and couldve been improved.

so thats my ranking! thank u for the ask :D

[thelonelyarchon]

W-wait...

I'm probably going to sound insane (lol) but this got me thinking...

I always found it weird how they deliberately named one of their male characters "Artem" (in english). You can argue "Nah, it's nothing. And yes, there's a big possibility that it is nothing. BUT! Hear me out.

I'm no theorist or anything. I'm a simple Artem lover who loves to see him become "true route/canon" male love interest. Sit back and relax, I'm gonna ramble about him! <3

We know that Artemis/Themis is representative of our MC, Rosa, or us. We can see it in her statue. Although it's only a symbolism, with how far CN ToT has gotten so far, we cannot be so sure if this plays a bigger part.

So... I searched for the greek goddess/roman goddess diana/artemis and look at the interesting stuff i found.

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, chastity, and rebirth. She was mostly depicted by poets and artists as a STAG or hunting dog.

And we know who's been depicted as a stag/deer before? This guy.

Do I need to explain? >~<

So I checked what Deer meaning is and its usually gentleness and sensitivity and even innocence and youth. But when I search for it's meaning in love, I was floored.

Here is the article where I got the excerpt below:

"Deers do not force their way through life, and so they are a reminder that we cannot coerce the flow of love in our own lives. The deer encourages submerging into love and embracing love on its own terms. They do not wrestle it to the ground, rather..they gently survey and explore their realm, detecting the presence of love in every breeze and blossom on their path. This, I think, is the epitome of deer meanings in that these creatures display heightened sensitivity to life."

Now, I'm going to link 2 tumblr posts about Artem Love Theme in game. Actual CN lore/translation. You be the judge of this. I'll try to summarize it in excerpts:

1 & 2

From link 1:

"[可遇而不可求]... this phrase means is that what belongs in your life will come to you and what doesn’t belong to your life should not be forced. A wondrous thing can only be waited for and if it belongs to you then, when the opportunity comes, you put in the effort and you will get it. However, if it doesn’t belong to you, then even if you force it and obtain it for a short while you will still ultimately lose it in the end."

From link 2 (vid):

"It's not that I haven't thought this before, but perhaps to me you are something that can only be encountered and not sought for."

Like it fits so well with his theme of love in game. Also, why deer out of all the animals out there. Deer that is connected symbollically to Artemis/Themis? Hmm.. Sus.

I think I'm gonna cry... anyway! Moving on from the article and just to my thoughts in general.

I wouldn't be surprised if Artem's the actual true love/true end/canon-y male lead. Lol. Before, I would say Luke's very canon with the best friends to lovers trope but Artem blows away all of them by a margin that I like to call...

Fate. Specifically, Red String Fate and Past Lives.

This is just my personal opinion and everyone is invited to have a take. I even doubt there would be a "true love/true end/canon" couple like some otome games in ToT. But if we're going to agree just this once about who's more likely set up in game by Mihoyo as Rosa's canon lover (or who'll betray her--*someone staples my mouth shut*), it's going to be Artem for a few reasons I noticed.

His name is Artem from Artemis. Rosa is symbolically Artemis or at least connected to her. They're both symbols of justice since they're lawyers.

Artem is Libra. Libra is Themis' scale of justice. She holds him. You can argue he's favored but that isn't really a strong hold. I just think it's interesting lol.

In all major ToT events (except Enduring Light I think) such the Gufeng/Blizzardous Event and Artem's personal cards Entwined Fate and Paired Blessing, there is always a presence of the Red String trope. It's become clear it's their trope.

If you don't know what this trope is, to give a very rough idea, it's essentially you have a destined soulmate and your pinkies or your lives are entwined/tangled/connected through a red string that binds you forever. It's an invisible string that pulls you to this person no matter what, no matter where you are, what lifetime you are in. Like fate. Fated lovers in any lifetime. Reincarnation. I think the only way to sever this completely is through a pair of divine scissor (?). I dont know. I've long forgotten this tale TT^TT.

So going back, it's so weird to me that Artem and Rosa has so much past lives theme and red string themes like fate and all that in their personal love story. And its not even just in the personal cards like the separate ones from the canon in game events that comes with the cards like the exploration games.

Artem and Rosa's fates diverted out of their story multiple times and I think this happened with Luke too in the new event (the current one, Enduring Light) but Luke was playing a character when he alludes to little boss (rosa in their roleplay) as the person luke saved in his "past life" when he killed himself by purposefully crashing his plane lol. But with Artem and Rosa... they were themselves when they discovered objects that alluded to their "past lives". It's very cute. I don't think its canon (a/n: its not lol.) but i love how mihoyo has stuck to this religiously.

Here's a Twitter Thread.

4. Rosa is almost if not always saved by Artem in some way in Main Story. Remember when Rosa has to choose to kill Artem or herself? Yeah, that's on main story! Or other times they got trouble in that club or something? It's a lot. I think Artem's got the most screen time too in Main Story overall.

This is gettingbway too long so I'm cutting this short. Thanks for dealing with my rambling! Phew! You made it this far? You're a certified Artem Wing lover I bet 🤣💗🫶🏻

TAKE NOTE:

I may be screaming "Oh this is bloody canon!" "Oh they're canon!" "True love!" Yadada and all that, but remember this is just my personal, selfish opinion based on what I found and my thoughts in general as someone who goes with Artem as her main lead.

If you beg to differ, please you're welcome to give your thoughts! It's welcomed here 🥰🫶🏻

STAN ARTEM.

Guys I'm dead everyone knows Artem's name is a short variation of the greek "Artemis" but then if you squint at it...

Artem

Artemis

Ar-T(h)emis

Themis

Guys 💀

[vynegar]

useful resources for tears of themis

i've used a lot of different resources when planning out my s-chip saving and spending, and it’s high time that i compiled a list. this focuses on records of past events and cards. hopefully this will be helpful for you too! happy anniversary~

Tears of Themis Wiki

Excellent source for general game information, and a record for content already released on global server. Some pages I like:

Homepage - includes timers counting down for events, active redeem codes, and study stage availability

Currency Income Report - records schip and tears income each month through tasks and events, separates for f2p vs monthly card

Big Data Lab - ctrl+f through all big data lab entries

Events - the page for each event includes all the dialogue for encounters with the male leads

Suggested Reading Order - basically you should read in the order of CN server release, but this page lays things out more clearly!

Card List

by u/elegantomen on reddit

has pictures of each card and a document outline for easy navigation

no dates listed for the card though, it’s just in chronological order from the CN server.

NXX Toolbox

Great for information on card power, skill, etc (basically the strategy and not aesthetics). Pages include:

Card list - useful for a quick reference on attribute and skills

Calculate the resources you need to level up a card

Vision History - past rotation banners with dates

Official Merch List

Future Events

the creator’s Twitter and Tumblr links

focuses on showing the upcoming events/cards

can sort by love interest

CN vs Global Banners Timeline

by Jhiend H on Timegraphics

very visual, color-coded timeline comparing the banner schedule of the two servers

Bonus: Music

OST 1: Encounter - Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud fan upload | Youtube fan upload

OST 2: Promise - Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud fan upload | Youtube fan upload

OST 3: With You - Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud | Youtube fan upload

OST 4: 与共 - Youtube fan upload

OST 5: 归处 - Youtube fan upload

Under the cut: resources that are no longer updating.

未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis CN Events

by Lux#7481

has not updated after the Enduring Light Event (Jan 2023)

includes larger and smaller scale events/activities, including announcement and promo info from each

Compilation of ToT card images (Google Drive) linked from there (but the images include text)

Comprehensive Calendar

by Elaine C. (I just saw the link on reddit, please tell me if you know the source so I can credit properly)

no updates after Nov 2022

has CN/global server events including specific start and end dates

including things such as main/personal story releases, mini events, lounge sets, invitations, etc

Future Events (discontinued)

by shiromi#1292 on Discord

discontinued after Snowfallen Secrets event

Event Banners page has really high quality images for the cards and detailed info about each event’s card pool/pity.

This post may be updated if I find a new resource or there are changes such as any source being discontinued.