#I'm working on Akiyama next for the King of Pentacles and that little greaseball is giving me hell right now.

[athenaholmesartistsguild]

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Man, I've just been cranking these out!!

Here's my Queen of Pentacles card featuring Reina! I've been having so much fun using the different layer modes in Clip Studio and my layer folders may look like an absolute mess, but boy howdy do my pieces look good!

I've been meaning to post process writeups on my Patreon showing how I make my pieces. I'm working on my King of Pentacles card now (it's Akiyama btw) so I think I'll start gathering screenshots and stuff for that since I can't figure out how to draw him!

Anyway, let's talk interpretations and character shall we?

If the Queen of Pentacles was described with one word, it would be 'provider'. The Queen of Pentacles has created a space where her loved ones feel comfortable and provided for.

She's a competent business woman, having been the sole person responsible for her success. Unlike some of the other cards in her suit, her wealth and abundance is channeled more through acts of service and the environment she creates.

Her finances more than support her, but she finds much more fulfillment in making sure the ones she cares about feel comfortable and loved when they're in her space.

The Queen of Pentacles is a prime example of the duality of the suit as a whole. The Pentacles not only represent wealth in regards to money and our finances, but also abundance in the way we live: the food we eat, our health, our home, and our relationships with others.

The Queen of Pentacles wants to share her gifts with her loved ones because those acts of kindness and love are important to her.

When the Queen of Pentacles is reversed, she has become focused internally on her needs and her needs only. Of course this is not a bad thing automatically, but in this case, the Queen has been knocked off balance and is trying desperately to keep what she's earned.

Originally an independent businesswoman, she now feels like she has to rely on others to get what she wants or needs. There's a desperation in this card-- a fear of losing everything.

Her space which was once inviting and a place of comfort for her loved ones now feels hostile and dangerous.

The Queen of Pentacles appears to have lost sight of why she wanted her abundance in the first place. What is she gaining by acting so antithetical to her inner self? How much is she willing to lose in this pursuit?

Originally I wasn't sure if I wanted Yuki in Kiwami 2 to be the Queen of Pentacles or Reina, but I feel like Reina's character in Yakuza 1 fits both positions of this card way more.

In 0 and the beginning of 1, Serena is a joy to be in. It's full of people we and Kiryu care about and it's a welcome, warm environment. Reina is someone who was willing to put herself on the line to protect the people she cared about (ex. when she let Kiryu hide in Serena even though she knew it was dangerous for her to do so). She took pride in her bar being a place for people to relax and feel comfortable.

The issues begin when she tries to pursue a relationship with Nishiki who just isn't all that interested. A sort of desperation begins to form where she's willing to betray others in the hope that she'll finally have her feelings reciprocated.

In the end, when she can no longer stomach the ways she's acting, she tries to stand up to Nishiki, but ends up paying the ultimate price for it.

In a way, she embodies the true nature of the Queen of Pentacles in the end. She can't stand the ways she's acted and tries one last time to protect the people she cares about. Even though her story has a grim ending, Reina at least was able to do what she felt was right, even if her previous actions made it impossible to come out of the situation alive.