#TOTR

[zeldasgard]

"...I love you!"

Inspired by Lor (@figmentforms)'s amazing comic, A Tale of Two Rulers, precisely page 249.

This page... broke me, to put it simply. I know that in the story nothing would come out of it but I wanted to see him hugged, even if this was only in a friendly manner.

As you can see, there are two versions and they basically follow each other "plot" wise.

Side note: As of today, the next page has been released and no matter what Vaati is scheming (because of course he was scheming), I will always just be there, staring at him lovingly.

[somacruising]

Tales of the Rays: Mirrage Prison

CHAPTER 6: THE ATONING HERO AND REMORSEFUL CHOSEN (PART 5)

(Part 4) | (Part 6)

Hi y'all, it's been a while, huh? I'm just gonna slide this out and pretend I didn't forget to upload this hahaa... (some of the images are different sizes cuz I switched phones). Anyway, this chapter covers Mileena and Co discussing what it means for someone to lose their core. We'll also see the Salvation Front having an odd encounter with Shirley...

Part 5 (Imperial Capital Hy'Brasail)

Keele: Let's hear what Cecily has to say. She says she came up with a way to save Ami’s life. それじゃあ聞かせて貰おうか。セシリィが思いついたアミィを救う方法について。

Cecily: I approached it from the direction of mirristry. Mileena, you know about this, don't you? The core loss that a mirrist can suffer. 魔鏡学の方向からアプローチしてみたの。ミリーナも知ってるわよね。鏡士に起きる心核喪失現象のこと。

Mileena: Yes, know about it. It’s a condition that can occur if a mirrists’ mirrage drains too much energy from their heart. ええ。一応習ったことはあるわ。魔鏡によって心がエネルギー不足になって機能しなくなる現象よね。

Cecily: When a core is lost, part of the mirrist’s mind changes. Sometimes, it seems like they’ve lost their emotions. ええ。心核喪失状態になると鏡士は心の一部に変調を来すんだけど時に感情の一部を喪失したようになるの。

Jude: So, in Ami’s case, are only the emotions that make her smile left? もしかしたら、アミィの場合は笑顔になるような感情だけが残っているってこと？

Cecily: Possibly. I’m…just a mirrage technician, so I can’t look into people’s hearts. But, Mileena is capable of doing it… ええ。私は……魔鏡技師でしかないから鏡士のように心を覗き込むことはできないけれど、ミリーナなら……。

Mileena: Looking into people’s hearts…? No, I can’t. I understand the theory of it, but looking into someone’s heart is very difficult. 心を覗く……。それは私では無理だわ。やり方は知っているけれど人の心を覗くのは、とても高度な技なの。

Mileena: I can’t do it while maintaining the virtual mirror field simultaneously. It requires a delicate touch. 私は今仮想鏡界を維持するので精一杯でそこまで繊細な力の制御はできないと思う。

Cecily: Hmm… Maybe you should ask Phillip to help you, then? そう……。だったらフィリップさんに協力して貰うのがいいかもしれない。

[ Chester rushes in ]

Chester: Will we be able to get Ami back to normal if Phillip helps!? フィリップに頼めばアミィは元に戻るのか！？

Cecily: Well, it will give us a way to confirm Ami’s symptoms. In order to treat her, we’ll need an otherworldly weapon called Soma. ううん。それはアミィの症状を確認する為の手段なの。治療にはソーマっていう異世界の武器が必要になると思う。

Rita: Huh? Soma? Why would you use a weapon to treat someone? 何、ソーマって。武器で治療なんてできんの？

Cecily: From what I’ve heard, Soma gives someone the ability to enter the heart. 私も聞いた話だけど、ソーマは心の中に入れる機能があるみたいなの。

Rita: What!? How the hell does that work!? 何それ！？どういう理屈な訳！？

Chester: …Wait a minute. Isn’t that the name of Shing’s weapon? Soma? ……待てよ。ソーマって確かシングの武器じゃなかったか？

Cecily: Yes. That’s why Shing’s power is essential for saving Ami. うん。だからアミィを助けるためにはシングの力が必要不可欠なのよ。

Chester: I’ll go get Shing! Mileena and you all need to get in touch with the Salvation Front! だったらオレがシングを連れてくる！ミリーナたちは何とかして救世軍と連絡を取ってくれ。

Chester: Senel is getting worried about Shirley, too. セネルもシャーリィのことでジリジリしてるしな。

Kocis: But, there’s no way to contact the Salvation Front… けど、救世軍と連絡を取る方法はないんですよね……。

Mileena: That’s right. Because of those crystals all over Tir Na Nog, communication through mirristry is subject to a lot of interference. ええ。世界中にこ魔鏡結晶があるから魔鏡通信が干渉を受けてしまうのよね……。

Rita: We’re trying to modify what we can to boost signal power, but it isn’t working. 通信強度を上げるように改造はしてるんだけど中々上手くいかないのよねー。

Keele: Pascal and Rita are working together, but they haven’t got a clue. パスカルとリタが二人がかりでも糸口をつかめないんだ。

Rita: It’s frustrating, but it's expected when you’re dealing with something as elusive as a heart. 悔しいけど、心っていうつかみ所のないものを相手にしてるから勝手が違うのよ。

Karia: Miss Mileena! It’s urgent! We’ve received a message from Phillip on the mirror comm! ミリーナさま！大変です！フィリップさまから魔鏡通信が来てますっ！

All:！？

[ SCENE CHANGE ]

Mark: —Okay. Mileena and I scheduled a meet-up. They have some business with us as well, so it works out nicely. ——OK。ミリーナたちと落ち合う約束を付けたぞ。向こうもこっちに用事があったみたいだから丁度良かった。

Phillip: …Thank you, Mark. Now, we can warn Colette and anyone else who might be predisposed to being used as a vessel. ……ありがとう、マーク。これでコレットや他の鏡映点の器の素養がありそうな人たちに警告することができる。

Gareth: Biqe... ビクエ様……。

Phillip: I know, Gareth. I’m worried, too. I’ll have to look into this. わかってるよ、ガロウズ。僕も気になっている。これは確認しないといけないだろうね。

Mark: By the way, Shirley. Who…are you? だとよ、シャーリイ。あんた……何者なんだ？

Mark: You don’t strike me as the kind of person who could fix a transmitter that even Phil and Gareth were scratching their heads over. フィルもガロウズも手を焼いていた魔鏡通信の送受信機を直しちまうなんて普通の人間じゃねえよな？

Shirley?: Huh…? Yes, I knew how to do it. あー……？やっぱりそうなっちゃうわよね。うん。

Mark: It just doesn’t make sense. どうも不自然だったんだよな。

Mark: You’re a nexus who was used as a vessel, but now you’re saying that you’re not a nexus at all. 器の鏡映点として、神降ろしの器にされていた筈なのに、自分は鏡映点じゃないなんて言い出すし。

Zelos: Well, well, looks like we came back at the perfect time. おーっと、俺さまたち絶妙なタイミングで戻ってきたみたいね。

Zelos: I’ve been wondering the same thing. You’re…bizarre. 俺さまも気になってたんだよなあ。あんた……普通じゃない。

Sync: Heh… So, you’re a Living Doll? If that’s the case, you might be a mole for the Empire. へぇ……。じゃあやっぱりリビングドールなの？だとしたら帝国側の間者って可能性もあるよね。

Kratos: Shirley, we’re up in the sky. You can’t escape; can’t you just come clean? シャーリイ。ここは空の上、逃げ場はない。全て話してはくれぬか？

Shirley?: …I wanted to repay you for everything you’ve done for me, but now you’ve turned against me. ……色々お世話になったから恩返ししたかったんだけどそれが仇になっちゃったわね。

Shirley?: I'd love to explain it to you—but I'm afraid I can't right now. 本当はちゃんと説明してあげたいんだけど——ちょっと無理みたい。

Zelos: What do you mean? どういうことだ？

Shirley?: I have an uninvited guest. I’m going to be a little busy, so allow me to excuse myself, boys ♪ 招かれざる客が来ちゃったみたいなの。ちょっと忙しくなるからこれで失礼するわね、お兄様たち♪

[ A flash, and an unknown woman appears over Shirley ]

[ Shirley collapses ]

Mark: H-hey!? She just fainted!? お、おい！？気を失ったのか！？

Sync: Wait. There’s someone standing next to Shirley. 待って。シャーリィの隣に誰かいる。

???: I’m sorry, I had to borrow this child’s body for a bit. ごめんなさい。その子の体、ちょっと借りていたわ。

???: I noticed there was some tampering with her core, so I treated it. It’s a real gratuitous service. * 心核をいじられていたから治療もしておいたわよ。これは出血大サービス。

Phillip: You repaired her core!? 心核を治療した！？

Kratos: Who are you? 何者だ？

???: I am Yaw Biqe. I'm surprised to see that the Biqe system is still in place, but this generation’s Biqe are quite good. 私はヨウ・ビクエ。まだビクエ制度が続いていたのには驚いちゃったけど当代ビクエはまあまあ優秀ね。

???: Keep up the good work. Bye. これからも頑張って。それじゃあね。

[ A flash, and the woman disappears ]

Gareth: She's gone!? 消えた！？

Sync: …No sign of her. A transfer? ……気配もない。転送？

Kratos: No, she must have been using some sort of non-physical body. いや、先ほどの姿は何らかの精神体だったのだろう。

Kratos: Perhaps…could she have been maintaining her existence using Shirley's tampered body? 存在を保つため、心をいじられていたシャーリィの体を利用していた……のではないか？

Mark: …If she is, that’s not great news for us. ……もしそうだとしたらえらいことになるんじゃないか？

Zelos: Yeah? How come? うん？どういうことだ？

Phillip: Yaw Biqe is the founder of mirristry. Her actual name is Yolanda Biqe Odanse. ヨウ・ビクエは鏡士の始祖の名前だ。正確にはヨーランド・ビクエ・オーデンセ。

Phillip: She’s also known as “Dana’s Priestess”, the catalyst for the spirits’ awakening. つまり彼女は精霊が目覚めるためのきっかけである「ダーナの巫女」だ。

Sync: …Then, that means this world will be destroyed soon. ……だったら、この世界はもうすぐ滅びるってことだね。

Sync: Dana’s Priestess only awakens when the world faces destruction, right? ダーナの巫女は、世界が滅びに直面したときに目を覚ますんだろ？

Gareth: But…how do we know if she’s real? しかし本物……なのか？

Kratos: I don’t know. In my world, at least…there have been instances of humans from long ago finding ways to avoid dying. わからんな。大昔の人間が生きているという事例は……少なくとも私の世界ではあり得たことだ。

Shirley: …Mm… ……ん……。

Zelos: Whoops, looks like Shirley is waking up. おっと、シャーリィが目を覚ますぜ。

Shirley: ………？

Zelos: Ah, good morning, Shirley ♪ お、シャーリィちゃん、おはよう♪

Shirley: …G-good morning…wait. …Huh? Are… are you people from Sellund? ……お、おはよう……ございます。……え？あの……皆さんはセールンドの方ですか？

Kratos: Sellund, huh? I think this girl may have been exoflected and tinkered with before the Mirrorshift. セールンド、か。この娘が具現化され心核をいじられたのは鏡殻変動の前のことなのかも知れぬな。

Shirley: ………？

Phillip: Let me explain the situation. Right now, your friends are searching for you. 僕から状況を説明しよう。きみの仲間がきみを捜しているそうだからね。

*出血大サービス literally means “heavy bleeding service”, and alludes to, like, “I’m so fanservice-y that my actions are going to cause blood to rain from noses”. It’s hard to make it make sense in English.

(Part 4) | (Part 6)

[deenyuuy]

Happy 2nd anniversary for TheRays x BC collaboration

My TWITTER

[feathersnek]

Kocis: An Introduction

A loyal mirrite who strives not only to protect his master, but learn what it means to believe in others. Will his journey lead to hope or destruction?

Kocis is a major protagonist in a Japanese mobile game called Tales of the Rays. And his character development spans all 4 arcs.

What is a mirrite, you ask? Let us start with Kocis' original form before his human one:

Created from the heart of his master, Ix, this little fella was only around for a few months at best before a world changing event separated him from Ix and forced him to grow up all too quickly.

Kocis carries his master's final wish to protect everyone. With his new human form as his only assurance that Ix is still alive, he tries his best to follow in his footsteps. He holds on to the hope that he will one day save Ix and return to his side.

However, Kocis is not Ix, and he still has much to learn. While he treads the path of a protector and tries to place his faith in others as he was taught, he soon finds that trusting in others - even his own master - is far from simple. His strength may not be enough to protect those he cares about, and calling upon his true power could have catastrophic consequences...

So who is Kocis then? Follow me below the cut for more on his personality and development! (*Warning: casual spoilers through Arc 3, but I'll be leaving out a lot of details and stopping before the final arc, so there's still plenty more to learn about Kocis and the main story!)

While a mirrite is indeed created from a part of their master's heart, they have their own personality, grow, and learn. When Kocis was first created, he was excitable and blunt. This gave the cautious and withdrawn Ix mixed feelings at first, but despite his rowdy nature, Kocis' concern for his master was sincere. He often did his best in his own way to cheer Ix up, and he took Ix's words to heart.

After Ix forcibly overloads his own powers to protect the world from imminent disaster, Ix is locked away, and the surge of power causes Kocis to grow into his human form much earlier than a mirrite would naturally. Losing his beloved master and taking on his burden has a drastic effect on Kocis' personality. The once cheery, informal mirrite is gone, replaced by a serious knight who is polite to a fault.

Kocis reflects on the things he's learned from Ix in their short time together. He begins to imitate everything he can about him. He tries to read books as Ix did and fails, the pages lulling him to sleep every time. He takes Ix's words about trusting others seriously, but ends up blindly putting his faith in others, quickly getting burned. Lost and uncertain, the pure desire to rescue Ix drives him forward.

When Ix is finally able to reach out to Kocis' heart via their connection, they talk for the first time in months. Ix finds relief from his prison of torment by chatting with Kocis, and Kocis' serious front swiftly begins to fall away after hearing from his master again. His speech loosens up, and his rough, easygoing personality starts to show through.

One day, after Ix's salvation, Kocis' true personality will return. The carefree, boisterous phase of his early days may be long gone, but he still wears his heart on his sleeve, with how he's feeling plain as day on his face, particularly when Ix is involved. His blunt honesty makes a comeback.

He can't stop himself from grinning in relief at his master's freedom. Only to start crying moments later from the same joy. He's not afraid to give Ix a hug when he's happy for him. Later, Kocis is the only one to truly get angry at Ix for not taking care of himself.

Kocis is the polar opposite of Ix's smarts. He excels more at fighting than thinking things over or studying. His explanations of complicated matters turn into nutshell summaries.

Though Ix is freed, many problems still remain. The damage has been done to Kocis' doubts. A mirrite is also always tied to to their master's heart and to some degree can understand what they're feeling.

So when Ix soon starts to fall apart from stress, despite Kocis' best efforts, he too begins to unravel. While he supports his master wholeheartedly throughout his time of distress, Kocis' own doubts slowly grow and tear him apart from within.

Unable to find strength through believing in himself or others, Kocis starts to turn to an obsession with getting stronger. He becomes convinced it is the only way to stay by his master's side and keep the dangerous power he contains from harming those he cares about.

By the time Ix is back on his feet and ready to be honest with Kocis, it will be far too late...

[mikec137]

Mägenwil, Switzerland, May 2024

[sarapsys]

hello a dnd podcast is making me suffer again

go listen to top of the round im begging you

[raven-styx]

I’m working on my character sheet for my comic, this is Percy’s tattoos!

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Hope you liked Emil, Marta, Richter, Alice and Decus' Room Quotes from Tales of the Rays?

I did indeed enjoy them. I love that at least two people saw those and thought of me. I love my little blorbos all scurrying around and trying to make Tir Na Nog a better place.

[norsewarlock]

Some recent art cause I always forget to post here oops 👀

First two are some bio to adopt kits I made for my rp server + the kit I got attached to and kept lmao, love him 💜💜

The next two are my characters Dawnwisp and the currently unnamed gecko gal

And lastly two of my favorite ocs, Beachstorm and Moonfrost having a good time in minecraft 💜

(More stuff can be found about them on my TH NorseWarlock)

[littlespacecadets]

🌟 Pacifiers 101 🌟

✨ Whether you call it a pacifier, soother, dummy, paci, or any other name, many cadets aboard the little space station enjoy them! Here's the rundown of things you should know about them before you buy one! ✨

🌠 An adult sized pacifier is the safe and best choice. 🌠

While baby pacifiers are more easily accessible, they aren't meant for people with bigger mouths/teeth. Baby pacis are too short and are only able to reach just past your teeth. Pacifiers are supposed to end up at the roof of your mouth, which is why different sizes exist in the first place. If a paci is too short/small, then there are two outcomes:

Instead of your tongue keeping your paci from slipping out, you would bite down on it to keep it in place. Clenching your jaw shut for too long can cause aches and pain in both your jawline and your teeth.

If you attempt to suck your baby paci, your tongue will push itself against your front teeth repeatedly. This repeated force from your tongue is strong enough to push your teeth forward, which, if done excessively and over a long enough time frame, can lead to either an overbite or underbite. Long before that happens however, your front teeth will ache.

Adult pacifiers should not cause these problems. There are only a very few exceptions where they would not help, and I'll list them:

You have barely lost your front teeth. Teeth and genetics are weird, and while the majority of people will have lost their front teeth when they were 6 or 7, some people lose their baby teeth later than that. Some individuals even get an entire second set of adult teeth! If any of these situations apply to you, then using any pacifier (but especially a too small one) after your new teeth have grown in is an unwise idea. There are gaps in the bone underneath your gumline, which means your teeth are especially sensitive to any type of pressure and are highly susceptible to shifting out of alignment. It typically takes a year for the bone underneath to solidify, in which case you should wait to use a paci until then.

You have braces/have barely gotten your braces removed. Similar to the circumstances above, if your teeth have recently been purposefully shifted into alignment, using a pacifier can cause aches and movement in your teeth. This can be prevented with the very important tool your dentist gave you: a retainer! Adult pacifiers fit perfectly behind your retainers, which will prevent any movement and/or pressure on your teeth. I would recommend not using your pacifier without a retainer until: you are instructed to stop using a retainer altogether or a year after you are instructed to use your retainer only while you're sleeping. These times are greater than if you had new teeth because the older you are, the longer your body takes to grow - this includes bone. The older you have dental work done, the longer it'll take for this bone to fully fill the space your teeth have vacated; if your dentist has instructed you to use your retainer for the rest of your life, I do not recommend using a pacifier for long periods of time without a retainer in place, as you have an increased risk of developing an overbite.

Your mouth is too small. The question is in which way your mouth too small? For example, if your teeth are too big for your mouth (and you may have even had some of them removed to make space/have straight teeth) then chances are that you would have to use an adult paci. However, if your teeth are short and otherwise child-sized, then you may instead find that the largest baby paci (36 months) will suit you fine and cause no pain. In this very specific circumstance, a baby pacifier may suit your needs better, as, to reiterate, as long as the paci ends at the roof of your mouth then you shouldn't have any problems.

🌠 The Care and Cleaning of Your Pacifier 🌠

All pacifiers should be properly cleaned and sanitized when you first get one. Afterwards, they should be routinely cleaned to prevent bacteria and germs from growing and entering your mouth, even if they don't seem dirty.

Wash it with warm water and dish soap. Take a clean cloth or towel, damp it with warm water, add a squirt of dish soap, and carefully clean the nipple and the back of the shield. Other soaps may not be food safe - as in, suitable for something you're going to be putting in your mouth - so it's best to be careful.

Use pacifier wipes. In stores, there exist specific wipes to clean pacifiers with! Some are vaguely flavored, so even if you might pop your paci in right after cleaning, it won't leave a chemical taste in your mouth.

In the event that your pacifier needs to be completely sanitized (such as dropped on the ground or other unsanitary place or if used during an illness) your options are:

If you have an undecorated pacifier, as in one without any added embellishments, then you can bring some water to a boil, disassemble and toss the paci in there, stir it around for 2-5 minutes, remove it, and allow it to cool completely before putting it back together and placing it in your mouth.

If you have a decorated pacifer, check with the seller to see if there are any specific cleaning instructions.

After using your pacifier, make sure it is dry before putting it in storage to prevent the development of germs and bacteria - if possible, cleaning it after usage is recommended for long term storage.

Storage can be any container or location that is clean and dry: an old lunch box, a new pencil case/box/bag, a new make-up bag, a tin container, a tupperware container, a mason jar, a Halloween pail, an Easter basket, a Valentine's Day box/tin/mailbox, and even a drawer are all examples of what you can use. If your pacifier storage can be easily cleaned, then feel free to use it!

🌠 Pacifier Usage 🌠

While using your pacifier, it's best to avoid the practices that can lead to aches and pain, as previously mentioned.

Your tongue should not be touching or pushing against your front teeth at any point in the process, as this is what commonly leads to teeth aches and teeth shifting out of alignment. On top of this, you run the risk of becoming comfortable resting your tongue against your teeth even when you aren't using your pacifier, which can also lead to your teeth shifting out of alignment.

Instead, your tongue should be resting along the bulb of the nipple, which should be right below your hard or soft pallet. Suckling may push the bulb towards the back of the mouth (or, your tongue moves along the stem of the nipple), but as long as your tongue doesn't brace the nipple against any teeth, you shouldn't experience any discomfort.

You may be tempted to bite down on your pacifier to keep it in your mouth, but as long as it's properly sized, that's not necessary. In fact, biting down on it can strain your jaw, similar to how teeth grinding can do the same. If you find yourself doing this often, with the jaw pain to go along with it, you may find it better to buy a mouth guard - some models even have a pacifier-like exterior, and you can view them as a more teether-like alternative.

When using your pacifier for long periods of time, you may begin to notice discoloration alongside the corners/edges of your mouth. This is common for people who use pacifiers, people who have retainers, or people who produce more saliva/drool more than average.

Don't fret! Lip balms that promise "lip repair", "intense therapy", and "skin protecting" can be used at the corners of your mouth to soothe any irritation and prevent future discoloration from occurring again. If these are unavailable, petroleum jelly may help.

✨ Class dismissed - now go ahead and get the pacifier of your dreams, cadet!✨

[princeofsnails]

Early 2000s age regression moodboard

(Made on picrew)

[somacruising]

So, Duke is dressed up as Testament for the Tales of the Rays Guilty Gear Crossover. Testament is canonically non-binary.

Very interesting…………

[babygaming]

Got a free game on switch called Elfin Clay 2! It's fun and makes me feel smol

[feathersnek]

A look at Seirios Caftro

A man who doesn't let battle separate him from beauty.

Kodama's cool-headed mentor in the new story arc of Tales of the Rays: Recollection. Though our 3 chapters with him are so far short and full of mystery, allow me to shed some light on him.

On the Surface:

Seirios is flashy in appearance, but calm and collected in personality. He is the most grounded of the group, but not entirely inflexible to playing along with their antics, even playing off of them of his own accord after he becomes close with them. And he will easily bend rules in defense of his friends.

Many reaper knights respect him. He can at times even come off as cold due to his composed nature. However, this allows him to see past bias and face others head on as fellow people, regardless of origin. And he is far from uncaring, going so far as to tear the fabric of his carefully sewn outfit to make a pretty ribbon for a little wastelander girl to make her feel better.

Seirios still has much to tell us, but for now join me under the cut for a few more details we know about him:

"I like what I like, and choose what I like," Seirios says. Though battle will inevitably tatter his clothes and batter his carefully painted nails, he still chooses to look how he wants above all else. No matter how many times he has to redo everything. He considers this choice a reflection of his individuality and his resolve to never throw it away. And he uses his various aesthetic talents to help others look their best too.

Now, Seirios seems to be hiding more than he lets on so far. While the hints toward such secrets are subtle, it's become apparent that there is something deeper going on than he would lead everyone to believe.

So while we can't say much more about him with certainty, he claims that years ago, before he became a reaper knight, he lost his leg defending a wastelander from a wraith. And after that he was abandoned by everyone he thought was his friend. It really gave him perspective.

Seirios warmed up quickly to Kodama and the rest of the cast, but they may be quickly leading him places he never bargained for...

[littlejazzy]

here's a little outfit inspired by retro Barbie aesthetics!! it's all about the soft pinks and purples!

[sarapsys]

fanart for my fav indie dnd podcast, top of the round

chaz is a well-intentioned boy but hgggh he has put himself in an extremely difficult and tenuous situation with his machinations and now he's starting to figure out just how bad he screwed up through his plans succeeding