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Huh, about the ask mentionning how the player found Beck suspicious at first.

It's interesting because while I didn't, I also think it's fun to see my MC being sort of similar to Beck (the fact they are so similar in some regards is what initially made me lean towards Lars over Beck - these two being my two main options at first). I was just interested in the romance with a truly different character.

But Beck and my MC trying to unintentionally "out-nice" each other is such a fun concept to me. I think it may be so infuriating to Rook at times! It's like, both do nice things for other people all the time, including each other. And when that happens, the one on the receiving end is like "I need to do something for him now, to thank him for what he did", and so the cycle continues endlessly.

This is such a cute image to me lol two people stuck in a constant cycle of kindness and developing a friendship out of it

I think Rook's annoyance would fade into like bitter resignation at some point like aksks of course that's how the two of you would be

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I'm with the others I want to make my MC as miserable and fragile as possible, making that self esteem stat negative number fr 😭😭

MC making everything bad that happens their fault. Rook's fallout? Their fault. Their mama's issues? Their fault. Lars' attitude? Their fault. Their father's disappearance? Fucking guess. Want to crack their psyche like an egg and make it everyone's problem.

MC "I deserve this and every other bad thing that has happened to me"

Like obviously it's their fault, right? If you didn't mess up your mom would have loved you, your father and sister would have stayed, Rook would have been a real friend (or you would have managed to make other friends, that were actual friends).

Honestly, it really isn't that hard to make them the most miserable person in existence 😔

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im starving please give me lars anything

Sure, have this:

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"Aaaaaaand The Voice wins the first poll 🎉 " omg my fave show😍😍 kids or senior? Is the prize going to be an exclusive concert?

The prize is getting an exclusive glimpse into ???'s head and their first impressions of you (and your mom/dad/sister depending on what you went with in the prologue)

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"literally laughed at the first half of this it's literally just roasting him" I mean... I only speak the truth😞 is it even roasting if it's true?

Also, can't believe I didn't mention I forgot to mention it, but😞 when I later checked the blog I officially locked in on him because you mentioned that he's the most likely to be a yandere and I couldn't help myself😞

Ah yes, in an alternate world him and ??? definitely take the crown for wild yandere tendencies. I don't remember how exactly I answered that ask and I don't feel like finding it right lol but in case I didn't mention, Rook would be like, the yandere that creates 'accident's in regards to people that have hurt you too

Your shitty ex suddenly has a broken arm? They tripped down the stairs, Rook totally didn't use magic to shove them off or anything-

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I want to add to the Rook character dissection with my ???(insert huh??? sound)mancer because imagine the bar for a meaningful comforting relationship with a human is so low MC falls in love with a ghost with a funny but not in a haha way murderous streak and for MC it's so endearing and heartwarming because at least this astral parasite can't physically leave them like the rest of their loved ones.

So what if one or two people go missing? My lover at least cares enough to manipulate me by whispering sweet nothings and not guilt tripping me or doing Olympic levels of deflection. They can posses my body as a treat ❤️

Can you see my MC being so mentally sound and totally well adjusted?

KADJFALKJ ??? can manipulate MC as a treat because of how well they support and take care of them :>

There is nothing wrong with the dynamic going on here, it's totally sweet and normal

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i love love rook but also for my kind and somewhat softhearted MC I'm genuinely thinking that what would break them isn't whatever is going on w them and rook but depending on mother dearest and their whole family situation bc legit I'm so fucking fascinated w this goddamn family.

Like where is deadbeat number 2 Marlowe and can we see her again, how much does our mother know about magic or our father in general, and speaking of that deadbeat cunt the first where the fuck is he and why do I have a sneaking suspicion that he's the one who's marked the MC way long before the events of the game, the wraiths simply just triggered whatever magical bs Papa dearest placed on them and he's somewhat a bigger of a deal in the magical world than most of the cast realized and also where is he so I can fucking sock him in the face thanks ❤️

They are just such fascinating and terribly dysfunctional individuals i need to know more whatever is their problem

Ooooh you are going to love chapter 4. There's been family drama going on since the beginning but chapter 4 really cracks that open (these are actually my personal favorite scenes I've written for the upcoming chapter so far I'm super excited).

Also 👀👀 love your theories about MC's father. I really love him because he really becomes almost mythologized since one of the main mysteries is centered around. You'll just have to see what his problem is

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ok irt the discussions about first impressions on Rook, and Beck's relative (un?)popularity, I read the whole (as it stands) WIP before reading anything on this blog, and:

first, I loved Rook as a character right from the start, but I'm a bit biased because I love ROs who have a pre-established history with the MC, especially if that history is a little messy. I also feel like his relationship with MC is something that is really common in real life but rarely shows up in fiction (especially IF); this kind of friend who has been around a long time and during formative parts of your life, but you're not really sure if you actually *like* each other or the friendship is entirely reliant on proximity and not really having anyone else *there.* And bc those kind of friendships often fizzle out irl there's something kind of cathartic about having an MC that will be able to affirm that *yes* that relationship did mean something to both of them.

second, idk how much of an outlier I am here, but I found Beck really suspicious initially?? Like being polite and friendly to your roommate(who hates you)'s friend who you've never met before is one thing, but this guy offers to give them a tour of the library, buys groceries for them, and offers to let them sleep in his bed?? that's doing soo much, especially for an MC that's just been ambivalent to him. his POVs offer some context, but MC doesn't know any of that information, but they *do* know that their friend, who is generally pretty personable, hates him for some reason. I usually really like sweetheart ROs, but I find it hard to find in-character reasons to justify my MC seeking him out with the information they have at this point in the story

if it's not obvious, I really like your story and have been thinking about it a normal amount

Honestly that's part of why I really like Rook's friendship route? I mean, even in the friendship break up path, you at least get to have that conversation and have some kind of closure to the past you guys had before moving on. It's just like the fantasy of getting closure, you know?

Also re: Beck: YEAH!!! He is!! I'd say it's more of a weird boundary thing with him since he is kinda just Like That, and he would immediately stop if told, but it is weird lol

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My MC with Rook is like "i know you've made a massive chasm between us and are still being weird but i am so fucking lonely so i will accept any scrap of affection and attention you give me and will put up with anything"

and while that's maybe the easy way out for him i see Rook not being happy about that

Legitimately Rook hates that so much!! He doesn't want you to settle on bare minimum! The dynamic you have is what he wants for you at all 😭

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Aaaaaaand The Voice wins the first poll 🎉

I'll probably post the 2nd poll next Friday, thanks everyone for voting!

BA Two Year Anniversary Poll 1

Decided to do this early so I get a head start on writing it BUT for the blog's 2 year anniversary in September, which RO POV scene would you like to see?

Note: I'll be doing two (2nd one for the game anniversary in October. It'll have a new poll with the winner of this one excluded!)

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Wait, did Rook want his first kiss + first time to be with the MC? Is he something that he agonises over only if he knows that the MC also has already kissed/slept with someone else, or is it just a permanent state of despair regardless for him?

For a crushing!Rook yeah!!! And especially more so if MC was his first love! Middle school Rook thought about it a lot, but Things Happened and then high school hit which made things go weird and that was that

I actually don't think he cares much about the first time at this point in the story (for a variety of reasons) but I do think it did fuck him up in high school. He probably regretted having his firsts tbh (especially in the context of how they even happened in the first place). Even if it wasn't with MC, he would have at least preferred to like the people he did it with. This is true regardless of if Rook had feelings for mc or not as well

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(CW: nsfw)

I literally need to scissor masc Rook like you don't understand. Transmasc or cis I literally do not care if he has the anatomy for it or not if there's a will there's a way and boy I WILL make it happen if I have to duke it out with him Rook himself to convince him or you🫵 author because he's not real and you're the closest I can get to it I will make it happen I don't care on my dead body. I will literally die if I don't

AJSJSJSJ anon pls 😭😂

You will, in fact, have to duke it out with Rook ajajsjs I'm just the messenger

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The results of the popularity are interesting to me because my favorite ROs are Beck and Zoe, have a neutral to positive opinion on ??? and I'm neutral to negative about that rest, except Lars, I don't vibe with him at all lol.

Honestly to some degree I did expect it because the gap between fans for Beck/Rhea/Zoe vs Rook/Lars/??? is always pretty notable lol but I do think I convinced myself that Beck specifically had become a little more popular now than when the blog/game first launched ajsjsjd

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But would've Rook felt if the MC was also often dating around and generally fooling around with people during highschool, while still feeling jealous/having feelings for him? Rook and MC just unable to be normal about each other and making it everyone else's problem🤚

Rook is the most jealous guy in the entire cast LMAO

MC also dating in high school would have driven him up a wall jfc outwardly he's pretending so hard it doesn't affect him, but inwardly he like, wants to commit violence or something ajsjjs

It's also like this awareness though that MC is doing exactly what he's doing (dating other people in the hope they can get over him) and he's like well!! I'd rather they get over me even if the sight of them dating other people makes me sick!! Incredibly unwell over the fact we are not each other's first kiss or even first time or anything but I am going to ruminate on that fact forever!!

Dude is such a mess 😭

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I can't wait to see my MC who accepts everything as a copying mechanism have a break down in front of Rook 🤭🤭

I really love playing with a MC who has horrible self-esteem in this if because the options you made are so good! My MC started like: "I think my life has just been ruined for good and it pisses me off how my only friend is ghosting me. Oh, well... At least he's still my friend, right? And I'll be fine, I guess. 😐" to: actually starting to think their friendship is horrible and punching Lars 😝

Low self esteem MCs who have hit their breaking point and have had Enough(tm) my beloved!!

You can have a break down in front of Rook in chap 4, so look forward to that :>

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Related to the person saying Rook doesn't fit the best friend trope and so on.

It's funny because I'm the opposite to that person, and usually I'm not interested on the best friend type of character when it comes to picking a RO. Now, obviously I'm still determined to pick Lars when it comes to romance, but Rook is actually interesting to me because of how he subverts that trope. For my playthrough, I think in a way, the interesting thing will be to make his "title" of best friend become true on all accounts? Because my MC still sees him as such, but now that hidding things will be harder and that truly getting closer will be possible, becoming a "proper best friend" isn't impossible anymore on the other hand.

Yeah, Rook's friendship path is essentially like, how do you become friends with someone you were already "friends" with? Especially when you already have years of "friendship" and distance and broken promises to work through

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BA Two Year Anniversary Poll 1

Decided to do this early so I get a head start on writing it BUT for the blog's 2 year anniversary in September, which RO POV scene would you like to see?

Note: I'll be doing two (2nd one for the game anniversary in October. It'll have a new poll with the winner of this one excluded!)