#anyway they DO achieve friendship route

[ustalav]

👾

tyty

continuing w the theme of songs about interpersonal relationships, here's one for grant and carver

allies or enemies - the crane wives

The words I speak Are wildfires and weeds They spread like some awful damn disease And I swear, I didn't mean what I said I swear, I didn't mean it

i like the first verse especially bc it is very indicative of how i picture Grant's internal monologue over his foot-in-mouthism. He is bad at communicating, at bridging the gap between emotion and words and it really does not help in his efforts to repair his and Carver's relationship. Alongside just... I think misunderstanding Carver a lot, honestly I don't think he understands how much it means to him to be on the expedition until Carver is begging him to change his mind about leaving him behind (and he does change his mind! and still has a lot of what ifs about how carver would still be in kirkwall and not blighted if he hadn't)

[phoenixcatch7]

Tips and tricks to survive Eden even less

Seeing a lot of people struggling with the fourth quest of Revival, aka the 'die and come back for one (1) heart pretty please' quest, and I thought some helpful hints and tricks I've found over the years might be helpful! (Feat: spoilers, obviously)

Step 1: Overcome your fear of death and accept your fate.

I'm serious! People are very cautious in Eden, and often to their detriment! Panic and rush will only make you clumsy and make the whole thing far more stressful than it needs to be! And take longer too!

Step 2: Carry a source of light, or bring a friend! Assembly guide sells a torch, I believe, but in an emergency the rememberance guide sells a teapot on a brazier that does the same... At a Very slow rate. If you bring a friend, you can carry friendship candles that work really well! Unfortunately they're also sort of fragile, so it's best when someone who is being carried holds it.

This will go a long way both to being useful and easing any stress! Just... Make sure not to place it anywhere in the way of krill or rocks.

Step 3: Don't rush after lost wings! If you're already losing light, you're not in a situation to be chasing the metaphorical ball into the busy road! Your first priority is yourself, get to safety and recharge. Lights that land nearby or in safe places sure, but don't jump into the path of rocks just to try and get one back!

I know it's counter instinctive, but you're going to be losing those lights anyway in a few minutes. Even if you have low numbers to begin with, you want to focus on keeping the ones you do have!

Step 4: Jumping vs skipping, also sliding. They're your best friends.

To jump, you press the jump button. Easy. To skip, you want to take your finger off the move circle so it fades, and then flick the screen in the direction you want to go, so your sky kid skips in that direction! The best part is, it has tracking abilities, which is invaluable in helping you land precise jumps (such as that freaking candle bridge in valley). Cool, but why is this important?

Skipping isn't affected by the winds like jumping. Well - it is a little, but it won't send you backwards the way a bad jump will. Not to mention the homing ability will make things easier! It's a bit weaker than a jump, but mix it in to make the journey easier!

Similarly, sliding can be achieved on almost any surface flat enough to walk on. It's not affected as much by the winds either, so try to slide where possible for some speed! Especially if you can move it into a skip, to get a good boost! (This is because you can slide without actively moving your sky kid.)

Step 5: Did you know? Emotes affect not only your hitbox, but also your knock back? If you're unfortunate enough to get caught by a short ledge, try using an emote to duck behind it! When you're in a standing emote (ie, one you have to stop manually and can't move until it's finished. Think the point emote vs the wave emote) you also become a lot harder to knock over! (Warning: this does not work on krill! They are bigger and beefier than you in every way!)

I recommend an emote that's fast to get in and out of, like the first stage faint emote! It's saved my hide many a time.

Also, most people run on Sunday, so if you're looking for a kindly guide, that's your best time!

Now. The route.

At the very start of Eden, there's a thin stone bridge with rushing rocks blowing left to right.

That bridge is optional.

For more experienced players with enough wedges, you can fly right across to the door with a little skill. (There's lots of video tutorials on youtube if you're curious!)

For people with less wedges or skills, hop right on down into the gap. Follow the bridge to where it meets the other side, and there's a slope you can climb back up to skip the rocks entirely!

The second area loads all at the same time. To be precise, in roughly the time it takes to open the door and trigger the cutscene with the krill, you'll usually hear the sound signalling a wave of falling rocks after the second horn note. You can still move in this cutscene! Also that krill can't see you, thank goodness, so don't worry about it.

For taller players (I'm serious lol) there's a big chip in the wall on the far left of the room. It's about in the middle, it's part of a seam, but if you can't find it get your candle out. Walk into the crack. Jump forward a couple times. Escape to oob. Make sure you got the door cutscene, though, because it will get you if you don't!

Climb the clouds as high as you can, following the path. You want to be ridiculously high up to avoid the invisible wall and the winds. You will get softlocked. Not 'I think I'm high enough', not 'I gotta be high enough now', you want 'I'm going to faceplant the sun' high. 'This feels like I shouldn't be here' kind of high. Right by the giant red pillar at the end! Then dive down. Straight down. Straight towards the entrance to the hall of lights. Avoid flying above the krill!! You should land without bother, but run to safety!

^^^ it looks cool, but don't land here! Land in the actual area down there, by the krill!

For shorter players or less experienced ones, run out and as far left as you can to make it to a safe spot to ride out the first wave of rocks! When the camera returns to you, I recommend keeping left and then running right to the tunnel: keeps you in the path of the rocks as little as possible. RUN.

You have a few seconds between the signal noise (which sounds like a match striking, or a carbonated bottle decompressing) and the surge of rocks (which sounds like strong winds and crunching). There's always particles flying, they're just decorative! It's safe to run when the rocks have stopped!

If you're close to safety, don't stop running!! Don't divert to somewhere that looks safer, get there as fast as you can. Because of the angle of the rocks, at the tunnel/pipe entrance, there's actually a little bit of area in front of it they don't hit. You're closer to safety than you think.

The next phase: pipes. Now, this area is either very easy or very hard, depending on if you get seen by a krill. There's two.

These guys work on a timer. They loop. You can hang around in the pipe between phases and watch them to get an eye on what they're doing, but they move pretty slowly lol. This is the phase you want to rush LEAST. If a krill is coming, hide under the girder. It has a zigzag pattern to help spot, and it's on the switchback leading up to the giant pipe. Don't try and rush it, there's very few places to hide quickly here.

However, the winds are very weak here! You can fly and run, if you're careful! Should a krill spot you on that ledge around the pipe, you can simply fly around it to the other side! Be aware, though, that you might fall into the sludge water below, so check you don't fall in! It's an annoying climb back up lol, but krill don't check down there unless they've been disrupted, so you're safe if you fall.

Do not jump over the girder bridge! Just run! I know it's faster but the girder is thin and slippy! If you get spotted there, just keep running, there's a rock you can hide behind on the other side.

Inside the pipe, you can take a break. There's a brazier of light and some crabs in a ditch you can take your anger out on. You'll see krill lights, but they can't get you as you climb out, they just pass very close. You can safely ignore that one!

Emerging, you'll see the giant red crystal. That's the goal. Again, keep left, use emotes and hiding spots. Listen for the signal sound. Do not be fooled by the placement of braziers! Some spots can still be hit with rocks if you're anything but a chibi!

There will be black, calcified bodies starting to appear. Do not worry. You can't interact with them. You can't save them. They will not protect you from rocks.

When you see a miraculously intact stone arch, you're close! Don't hide behind it, though! You want the ledge just under it. The arch won't keep you from rocks or the krill just ahead.

The krill moves in a very tight circle, for a krill. I'd recommend following its path from a distance, because it moved faster than we can, right now. Spots that will protect you from the krill won't save you from the rocks, either! This is a very tough spot to move through, so take your time choosing the right moment!

Also, there's a child of light, just to the left. This is a trap. Reach the safety of the corridor first, then once you've caught your breath drop back down and grab it. Grabbing the child on your way up risks slowing you enough for the krill to spot you.

And you're in the hall of lights! Lighting all the statues won't do anything, unfortunately. But this is also the first time you'll see children of light in any position other than standing looking up... It's a bit eerie. They're still the same thing, though.

At the end of the corridor, READ THE WARNING that pops up. This is your last chance to avoid death, if you're here to help a friend, or there's lights you want to get first, now is your last chance. Returning home after this point will take you to a scary, empty home, where thunder rumbles and the portals have been returned to rubble. The only way out is through eden.

The final phase: the eye of Eden.

There is no flying. Don't even bother. You'll need to conserve your light. Your goal is to light every calcified body you can - you can see them by the blue lines, if you're struggling. They also look unlit from the front, which can be very annoying, but if they're on fire or glowing, you've already got them. Eden can only be run once a week, and that's why. They don't reset until the Sunday/Monday daily reset, I'm pretty sure. You can still die and light ones you missed the first time, but it's usually not worth it. You'll need all your courage and recklessness here to move quickly.

There are no krill here. There is no clever skip. The only problems are the rocks and the sludge water (though that's not nearly as much of an issue lol. It's never more than ankle deep). Also the rocks to hide behind aren't very good. Sometimes you'll get hit despite being in a 'safe' spot. Don't linger.

Now, the rocks. You have more time than you think between waves, but as there's no noise to signal their stop, it can be hard to tell.

What you want to be listening for is the signal, of course, but also the sound of crashing. The signal is early. You have a few seconds. The crashing only starts when the rocks hit the floor.

What you want to be looking for is the bright neon red of rocks breaking on objects. It comes in waves, starting from the eye and washing to the entrance. These are the only rocks that will hit you, and if you see it coming, you can move out of the way! When they fade, start moving again immediately for the maximum safe time!

Watch for the blue or black of lights! They cost one light each, and each one will become roughly 1/3 of an ascended candle later. Get as many as you can!

Light every statue you go by and refill your light. If you're experienced, it might feel inefficient, but YOU WILL get hit at least once later and you don't want to crawl all the way back to the start to re light lmao.

The waves will come faster and harder as you get closer to the eye, and the angle the rocks fall from will also change, so watch out for that! If you get too close to the sides, they'll change direction SPECIFICALLY to spite you, so be aware of that too lol.

The very final stretch starts when the ground flattens into broken tiles. It's a straight line to the eye, and that's where we're going! Rocks fall all the time, there's little to no cover or light.

You just gotta run. You can't jump, don't try, it'll knock you down fast. You gotta take the hits. There's no two ways about it.

Well... There's kind of a way.

You see, the rocks fall in a pattern. Of you look up, you see them spawn in zigzag lines, and then fall at about 40° from horizontal. If you're very lucky, or very skilled, you can use that to predict where the rocks will fall. And avoid them.

Unfortunately, you can't move very fast. Especially once (not if!) you get knocked to a crawl. Sometimes you're just going to watch a rock spawn and then fall directly onto you lol. Don't try and zigzag to avoid, it'll just slow you down and you'll get hit.

Because of the rocks and the sludge water, any lights you lose will disappear the second they touch the ground. They are no longer your concern. Don't bother trying to focus on reaching the eye, just return the lights you do have to as many crystallised bodies as possible.

And then you die.

You gotta wait ages, at this point. For some reason. It can take about five minutes, longer if there's people there with you, but EVENTUALLY a pop up will appear asking if you want to move on without waiting for people. Click yes, or you'll be waiting even longer. Don't worry, your friends will come with you if they've also died.

Hug your own light, your bright reflection. It's always the exact same height as you. Fly up through the torrent.

There's one last shortcut, funnily enough. I'll include a picture.

See that pale window on the left of the giant doors? That I'm flying away from? That's intangible. You can fly straight through it to oob.

Go through. Go up.

Follow the clouds, just keep flapping up, as high as you can, even when you get lost. Aim for the space at the top.

And then you're headed for orbit, and there may be a giant slug whale sharing your personal space. Don't worry! It won't hurt you!

And that's Eden!

[rokirokiro]

Love Declaration Imp♡ct

Wanderer. he goes by many names. Kabukimono, Kunikuzushi, Scaramouche the Balladeer, and the list goes on. but people certainly recognized him as your companion. how couldn't them? he's always there, watching over you. no matter the time and place, he'd just groan as he follows you from behind since Nahida told him to be more 'social', and the person had to be you. since you're the most bearable mortal in the whole Akademiya. smh.

♡!

I say he's the man with thousands of apparent emotions, yet he'd bring all that 'pathetic feelings' to his grave. he feels too much! which is also the root of his problems. and one of the people had to be you, for some reason. he'd KILL to erase this 'embarrassing' feelings, yet he can't. and it frustrates him on how much his nonexistent heart beats when you smile at him. on how his empty puppet body feels a tingling sensation of nervousness and warmth (as if he had any) when you invited him to do something. the fact that you recognized him, and be casual with him. it's so rare to see someone who's this positively unfazed with his presence, and this rarity makes him feel uncomfortable.

yes, love is so uncomfortable. he used to yearn for it, stays away from it, and now being chased by it. he's in absolute shambles from the very moment his Mother created him. his love life is disastrous even before he learns world.

Σ>―(OTW)♡→

he'd try his best to avoid love at first. to avoid you. to get rid of this haunting feelings that made his sleepless nights insufferable. like how he did in his Fatui era, when he was corrupted.

but he can't

he realized that he can't stand without you in front of him, guiding him to light. he's too used to see you that it felt so uncomfortable without you with him. the nother feeling without you feels even worse, as if his cold puppet body was impaled with a massive spear and left a huge hole in his chest. absence makes the hearts grow stronger, and the strange feeling is here to confirm.

it feels like the fourth betrayal, and he betrayed himself by pushing you away.

and of course, he's so egoistic over himself too. he'd convince himself that it's just a simple three words muttered to one another, nothing more, nothing less. he acted cool with it, when he's invisibly not.

he's scared

scared of rejection, scared of the aftermath. what if everything goes wrong? what if you were just being friendly to him? not that he have a full experience with having an actual friendship anyway, it's been centuries. other than Nahida, the Traveller and Paimon and the rest that he considered even lower than an acquaintance.... nah

he's hopeless.

but giving up never existed in his dictionary, never giving up in achieving new experiences as Kabukimono, never walked away from the experiments to become a god as Kunikuzushi, and he'd certainly never giving up in his feelings as Wanderer.

and so he spend months to think. yes, months.

he wanted to make the best surprise in the world, to show you how much of an awesome guy he is. to make your jaw dropped and face full of surprise. to make you his in an instant

and at last, he choose to go on the cliche route, choosing a place related heavily to the both of you since he just LOVE symbolism. he does, he told me just now.

◌⑅⃝ ♡⋆♡CONFESSION♡⋆♡ ⑅◌

he'd come to you at the end of your class, which is weird! you were always approaching hin first! and it had you rose your eyebrows slightly at his act

he'd propose that he wants to bring you somewhere nice after-school since 'college is suffocating him and wants to bring you to sniff on fresh air so you better be thankful' in this somewhere. and given the odds, you agreed

he made sure to hold your hand.

he offered his hand like how he offered you his affection.

and so the both of you walk out of the cultural building, every steps engraved in his history, it's all precious. every moment will forever be his favorite memory, or the most loathed one. because he too is imperfect, a 'plain and simple words of rejection' would shatter his artificial body completely.

"here we are" he said. and your eyes would be looking at the beautiful scenery on the hidden parts of Sumeru, the soft wind blowing your uniforms. while you were fascinated by the picture, he'd be mesmerized by you. the scenary is beautiful, but he's too busy looking at you

oh how beautiful you looked, your pupils dilated at the sight of nature, and the wind is being too good today to be an actor for your beautiful blowing hair/hijab. your soft skin, and those haunting smile leaving him sleepless at night...

you're utterly beautiful.

his artificial hand would tremble in your touch, the nervousness strikes at the best times before the climax. he hated himself about it, but he can't effort to pay less attention to you either

he then heard you saying that you remembered this place, of course you would. this place is your first time meeting him, getting each other's eyes interlocked with each other, not knowing what to come next

if he tell his past self that he'd fall on his knees for this person he's holding hands with, his past self would laugh at him.

"of course you would, me too" he said in a soft and low tone "I'll never forget the place that changed me forever"

"forever?"

"forever."

"how so?"

he paused, just taking you in for a moment before he began to open his mouth

"this is where I found my heart, one that I yearned for 500 years"

"oh?"

"and the heart-"

he's then brought your hands to your chest, feeling the heartbeats beneath the layers of flesh and bones

"-is here, right in front of me."

(｡’▽’｡)♡

he goes by many names ; Kabukimono, Kunikuzushi, Scaramouche the Balladeer and more and more.... .. but for now and forth, he'd forever be known as your lover

[calliopefiction]

I just finished playing the demo, and from the bottom of my heart, it's been a loooong while since I played such a good game, it's definitely in my top 3, if not number 1. I usually don't like games that don't explore the characters gender and sexuality, Misplaced is the first that treats it naturally that I actually feel like it's a common part of life rather than erasure. The characters are written beautifully, it feels like they're their own people, their flaws and beliefs that might go against the main character (because fundamentally it has nothing to do with them) feel like real struggles, you can feel the blind grief in the prince, the mage doesn't care what you think about her and is thoroughly true to herself and still cares for others in a way that doesn't feel artificial or naive. Don't even get me started on Vynn, I went through "their route" and the way I've cried multiple times it's not even funny, their friendship is so deep that I think I was able to understand the whole concept of queer platonic relationship through them, even without the romantic aspect, they love each other so deeply, they're the most important people in each others lives, there's no one else, they reached nirvana, what they have is unspeakable, unthinkable, you can only feel the depth. I decided I was going through their route before even playing cause I love a cute friends to lovers trope, and then I finish playing it getting a new achievement "forever changed by the force of their love" (that one scene that goes something like "is it a love song?""maybe, I haven't finished writing it yet" has changed my brain chemistry forever). I feel like I have a lot else to say about the game, but it's 3am and my brain is not functioning properly. Thank you so much for your hard work <3

This right here is my whole reason for writing - making you feel something, touching your hearts - it just makes me so happy to know that it's working. When it comes to the execution, you know the prose, and the structure, the choices and the coding, I feel like there's still a lot for me to improve and to work on. But I do pride myself a lot on the emotional core of the story, so reading this sort of comment just makes me smile from ear to ear.

I'm also really glad that Vynn and their relationship with the MC struck such a chord with you. Their dynamic is something special indeed, and the fact that they have so much history together that the reader doesn't know about adds to that. Even knowing that they're best friends from the get go, you still get to discover how deep their care for each other goes.

Anyway, that was a wonderful comment and it's making me want to work extra hard today!

[kindred-spirit-93]

watch me wip, watch me nuh uh

excuse the awful title lol, but i was listening to the epic version of the arab nokia tune and not only does it slap, but it made me think of a very rough draft of a concept idea for a wip i had a few years ago

i hopped onto tumblr to ask a few questions and get some insight, but in the process of mentally making this post i decided i wont be able to achieve what i want the way want (in the forseeable future at least) so im discontinuing something i havent even started.

thank you for coming to my ted talk :D

curious. i like u. anyway heres what could have been if i slayed as the kids say:

the idea was a fantasy (maybe even futuristic) novel set in a place heavily influenced by the middle east and the regions history, cradle of civilisation and all. the concept idea was for two kingdoms whose rulers where raised as brothers and are very close fall into discord and disharmony after shadowy shapeshifters (bad guys) of another realm sought to divide and conquer the kingdoms and seize their assets and domains (wow this is less subtle than i thought lol)

its up to the two crown princesses of the kingdoms to uncover the evil plots schemed, weed out the traitors assassin style or sum, and reunite the two kingdoms before its too late. all of this of course while they are the most wanted on the planet. girly things amirite

the world building is very shaky and i dont have the patience nor the braincells to spare to really sit down and come up with something, but the idea was several realms that 'represent' (dont laugh at me) the primary & secondary colours, and each one has a bunch of domains that include an element and an area of knowledge, but with time and a few other factors societies merged and theres a lot of diversity and multiculturalism and its all wonderful and awesome till disaster strikes and its used against them.

for example unnamed kingdom one is the biggest producer of minerals and grain, the main colours of the kingdom are gold and green and their domain is agriculture and languages (idk dont ask)

whereas unnamed kindom two is more celestial and astronomy oriented, with colours being navy and silver (or bronze now that i think of it) and its domain is scroll keeping and cartography

now with the passage of time and the rise and fall of dynasties and all that jazz, the domains are much more mixed as a reflection of the developments of the societies (primary colours becoming seconday and tertiary and so on and so forth), many city states specialising in one area of knowledge are grouped under the rule of a kingdom. essentially the world is a big beautiful tapestry :')

like for example a kingdom being home to the worlds biggest trade route and being a melting pot of cultures and tongues and faiths, has no specific colour; all encompasing and its glorious (idk how much it fits in the current timeline & narrative but its something)

again i dont have much world building down and what little i do is very vague lol, but thats the premise. the two princessess as of now belong to these two kingdoms and are bestest best friends, mirroring the epic bromance of their fathers before them lol. they are different in nearly everyhting but they are two halves of the same soul (platonic soulmates lets go!) and fiercely love each other >:D

so yeah. 2 princesses join forces to overthrow the ultimate evil and be the awesome kickass bff queens that they are. friendship (maybe more?) saves the day and reigns supreme as it so often does, but this time theres badassery and murder involved. dark stuff and fluff too

im hesitant to put this idea up for adoption bc a big reason it came to be was me being sick of all the gross stereotypes and tropes of everything ever manufactured and perpetuated by the west and me selfishly wanting to be represented correctly in media, esp original works, so im leaving this here in a sort of grey area i guess.

suggestions question thoughts ideas asks welcome! please be my guest ^-^

[absentia-if]

As much as I love K and wish to romance them I don't it's possible for my mc, she would not be angry, sadden is the right term but happy K found someone to help them through everything, happy someone was there for them even if it meant K moving on from her. In fact if canonly possible I think my mc would already know K moved on, hence why she wouldn't reach out to touch them, after talking for few minutes. I think my mc is very good at reading people who she knows, in this case k being her ex-spouse it make sense for me for her to know K moved on. But I think there is also a part of guilt for still wanting to reach out to K, to still be together, to work things out, but she wouldn't want to intrude in K current relationship. Staying friends with K would be hard not because she doesn't want to but the fear that she isn't looking for just friendship but more, and that's not fair for K in her mind.

“I thought you were dead! I mourned you! I grieved for you! You can’t come back after five years and act like nothing has changed for me! That’s not fair.” - K

I think if K were to tell her this it would just confirm her fear of getting close to k and romancing them, things changed, K changed, but i feel like for people in these types of situations like my Mc it's hard to admit your life will never be the same, that you were robbed of your time together with your loved ones and sadly it's time to move, slowly but to heal.

anyways don't mind my very long opinion and perspective on K view very excited to see how it plays out

That's completely understandable! However, I'd like to mention that K hasn't moved on from the MC. They're in the process of moving on from the MC. I made it that way because if K had truly moved on from the MC with Gabby, K wouldn't have been a romantic option to begin with. The situation as a whole is a complex one, and I'm super excited to explore it further. Both when it comes to the MCs interactions with K, their interactions with Gabby, and simply the interactions between K and Gabby. I'm also excited for the people who aren't romancing K to see how everything begins to work out with Gabby.

The quote, if it helps at all, is from a specific moment wherein there's an emotionally charged scene and the MC pushes K too far into a direction that they desperately don't wish to go into, and they sort of snap at you. It's not something that K would just randomly say out of the blue unless they felt strained/stressed emotionally. How the route is planned to go it's pretty black and white, at least when in regard to actively getting on it, when it comes to wishing to get back together with K or not. There won't be a bunch of will-they-won't-they (there will probably be some moments of it but it’s not going to be a main feature), because I don't think the situation needs the added angst of it, coupled with everything else that's going to happen, which is why I've mentioned in the past that you need to be 100% certain that you want to get back together with K because of certain choices that will have to be made.

At the end of the day, K completely understands if the MC doesn't wish to reach out to them, but they'd never wish for you to feel guilty if you were to do so. Gabby would honestly whack them upside the head if it's something they're too dense to notice is happening.

K just wants you to be happy, even if it's not with them, and if you're able to achieve that then everything has settled exactly the way it's supposed to.

I can't wait for you to witness how everything plays out in the end!

[miyakuli]

Roadwarden

I'm a poor, lonesome roadwarden

I'm a long way from home. My footsteps have led me to this mysterious and dangerous peninsula. I've been asked to explore it to find out more about the locals, so that I could guarantee a commercial exchange with my customers. I only have a few days, and my future meetings and decisions will be decisive.

❤ The history of this region is truly rich. Each village has its own history, customs and beliefs, and even its own dialect. So each visit will therefore be enriching as the locals place their trust in me. Each of them has more or less stormy relations with their neighbors, and I'll do my best to manage any conflicts. But these lands also abound in places that are difficult to penetrate or hidden, so I'll need to be patient to reach them, and who knows, they may reveal new knowledge that will help me in my quests. So many things to discover! ❤ My past is my heritage and I decide my future plans for myself. My skills are my own. As for my social relationships, I'll decide in due course whether or not I'll adapt to the person in front of me. I'll make my own choices according to my own morality and circumstances, but I doubt that everyone will come out a winner in the end… even me. Who's to judge anyway? ❤ The landscape around me is minimalist but striking, and I enjoy observing the different architectures and admiring and fearing the nature that surrounds me. Certain things don't always appear in my field of vision, but I can easily imagine their outlines because they've been sufficiently described to me. ❤ Sometimes I close my eyes to appreciate the sounds around me; I can hear the wind blowing, the rivers flowing, my faithful steed grazing beside me, the cries of creatures in the distance keeping me alert…and sometimes silence, which is never a very good sign. I wonder if there isn't a traveling bard, because I often hear soft music above my head, often melancholy but very pleasant. I'm hoping to ease the tension in this place, so maybe next time I'll hear more festive music…

+/- I feel the weight of time passing, I have so little of it given all the tasks entrusted to me, and I have to evaluate for myself the shortest and most advantageous routes to achieve my ends. I've almost become a tactician. However, I regret my arrival in this region, where my physical condition and lack of wealth and adequate equipment, as well as my unfamiliarity with the area, made me waste precious time. It was very brutal and almost punishing. Of course, I could always come back some distant day and be ready to deal with it, but my first visit will always be the most memorable, and I'm sad to leave when I had one of the peninsula's biggest mysteries right at my fingertips. How frustrating. +/- I feel very free in my actions, which are not always dictated by intrusive thoughts. I can ask locals about places and people on my own, just by mentioning their names or sometimes even a simple description…but it seems that sometimes, my field of possibility is too wide to act, especially for people like me who don't master the local language. I don't necessarily have any clues, and my words and gestures will often have to be extremely precise, as any other alternative won't be accepted.

✖ My encounters were certainly significant, but I don't think I'll keep very fond memories of all these people. The atmosphere was always very austere, which I can understand given the tense situation in this region, but I didn't manage to get attached to many people. And even the friendships I made at the time seemed cold and distant. Only Eudocia managed to touch my heart, despite my solid armor, and she'll always have a place in my memories. I hope she's doing well. ✖ I've never been able to maintain a decent level of hygiene throughout my entire journey. As much for my hunger, my clothes and my magic, I always managed to find a good balance. But finding a place to bathe and sufficiently remove the grime from my body was a priori my nemesis. The locals often stared at me with disdain and I too often struggled to gain their trust because of my filthy appearance. I vowed never to set off on an adventure again without first buying a bar of soap! ✖ Even when I was very well armed and equipped, some monsters resisted me because a single choice could be fatal. Losing a big chunk of my armor just because I thought of dodging a monster rather than jumping on it, sometimes undermined my morale, and I admit to having used my "save" spell at times, which allowed me to relive my confrontation. And I don't like to go through all this for a single error of judgement. What's the point if not to strengthen my physical condition and my weaponry…

In the end, my short excursion didn't reveal all the peninsula's mysteries, and I left intrigued, wanting to see more, to learn more. At least my visit brought a little something positive, but unfortunately not for everyone. I'll certainly be back to revisit this faraway land, Over mountains and over prairies, From dawn 'til day is done, My horse and me keep riding, Into this settin' sun.

➡ My Steam page

[shaakyhaands]

Okay but when are Avari and Qelsum going to realize they’d be stronger together? A team up between those kingdom and they could probably take the entire magical realm.

Deadass. Yes, their kingdoms have histories of animosity against each other. But from an outsider’s perspective, 1. Toa and Guy have more in common than they do differences, 2. They are in positions of power where they can directly interact with that history and influence the future. The two of them are at the exact intersection of individual personality and macroscopic situation where, with an ounce of insight (and honestly, a lot of therapy)— they could bury the hatchet.

In Toa’s route, we see him start to be his own person, as opposed to being solely what his family wanted. In guy’s route, we see the Avari crown price become less severe in his judgment, and more open to communication.

Take both of these changes and put them in the same story. Reconciliation is a reasonable conclusion.

As Toa gets more in touch with how he feels about his own family situation— realizing Avari’s upbringing much mirrors his own makes him more empathetic. Hesitantly, he starts to reach out in small ways, testing the waters, gathering more information to work from. He’s already broken several old walls of his, what are a few more? Curious, Toa questions even more of the old stories he came to believe about himself. Does he really have to compare himself to Guy, and base his value as a person on how he stacks up? If he is Toa Qelsum, not Toa of Qelsum, then what about Guy? Has he ever evaluated the man on the merits of himself? Has he ever even considered the question? Does he know who Guy Avari, not Guy of Avari, would be? No, he realizes. And so he investigates.

Before, Guy might not have been receptive to such attention from Toa. He’s have froze him out. Insult him as a way to create more distance between them. He would’ve worn the “Guy of Avari” moniker as a defense, because people getting to know him, the real him, is dangerous. Especially Toa.

But in this route? Guy’s mellowed out, a little. He’s still a cantankerous asshole, don’t worry. But he’s a cantankerous asshole whose a bit more willing to hear others out. Honestly, he probably thinks Toa is up to some scheme, at first. Definitely suspicious, Guy decides to interact anyways. He starts out more standoffish, really falling back on that cold and aloof persona he’s crafted over the years. But Toa doesn’t react like he usually does, and that gives Guy pause. No frosty glares from the Qelsum crown prince? Genuine responses, not perfect, rehearsed scripted lines? Because Toa displays that vulnerability, Guy feels more comfortable to do the same.

Tentatively, their conversations become more frequent, and less hostile. The insults become more like ribbing, banter. Bonding over mutual shit experiences, commiserating about pressure and expectations, they realize there are few people capable of understanding them as well as one another.

“They truly compared you to me?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I’d heard rumours, but…”

Guy trails off. It’s silent, until he speaks up again.

“No wonder you carry a such a formidable sense of determination about you.”

And thus, an unlikely friendship forms.

And that’s it. That’s the key: Their friendship. By seeing eachother as people, they are able to continue on in peace. The past is still the past. It cannot be discounted, and it shouldn’t be discounted. That being said, the history between their kingdoms was written by their predecessors, with their own relationships to one another. As princes, and eventually, as kings, they will have the same agency as their predecessors to decide the course their lives will take. And if achieving peace, friendships, and harmony is an option— well, why wouldn’t they do that?

[hell-chronicles]

Hey! What did you think of the latest update of Vying for Versailles?

I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm glad I finally got to break up with Bonne. She is beautiful and very sweet but we clearly wanted different things out of the relationship. I think she wanted a Prince(ss) Charming to whisk her away to her happy ending but.. That's just not realistic. My MC's reputation is important to her and making Bonne happy upsets a lot of people and stresses me out. Also, as calculating MC, I felt that MC couldn't really be herself around Bonne like she can with Catherine or Alexandre (and sometimes Anne, who is my best friend according to game stats). Looking forward to finding a new relationship that's less dysfunctional in Season 2. There are 3 ladies on the table for me, one of which is definitely a love interest and two of which may or may not be (my wlw ass is so pleased there are so many great women in this book).

As for friends, I have Queen Anne, who despite being terrible in a lot of ways (cough, homophobia, supporting an abnormally-even-for-the-time misogynistic preacher and being a French royal) is still really impressive and a great ally to have. I'm also taking a liking to Francois and enjoy working with him and Alexandre as a team ^.^

I also like the way the Alexandre situation was handled. There were a lot of options! Alexandre lovers got to have their hot historical power imbalance relationship (/pos, I usually love that kind of thing), while people who didn't want that could have a variety of other options. I'm glad Alexandre and I talked and had a mature and honest conversation, in which we both decided not dating each other was the best choice.

I'm also really thrilled to have succeeded at court lol. I got a good grade in being a courtier, something that is both normal to want and possible to achieve.

How was your route in season 1?

-seducer anon

So sorry for the late reply. I received this when I was replaying season 1 to get my stats in order and I just now finished the vfv update.

I also really enjoyed this update and I think vfv might be currently my favourite updating book. Pretty good selection of LIs/flings and just all the possible routes you can take. I also like that you actually have to think your actions through and not just buy every Single diamond Option to unlock the good ending.

As of now I'm staying together with Bonne to see how their relationship develops especially since they both want completely different things (like you said Bonne wants to have a fairytale happy ending and escape her marriage while mc wants to gain Power and influence in the french court). I agree that if their priorities don't change they won't be happy in this relationship long term especially since both our mcs are focused on a good Reputation which can be Ruined if we're too close with Bonne in public. But I'm curious, I want drama in this book and I can't say goodbye to Bonne yet :') (at least the relationship is open and I can still whore around with all the beautiful ladies).

I also have the closest friendship with queen Anne and yes she's obviously not a good person but what can you expect from a girlboss from the 17th century. She also has very strict rules and of course only does things for her own benefit (such as keeping around the misogynistic preacher as long as he also confirms her family's divine right to rule). I don't remember her being Homophobic tho since she sort of gave mc advice on Bonne and mcs relationship (I mean the advice was that Bonne should just marry the guy and secure a safe live by fulfilling her duties and then she can do whatever she wants. She also only has that viewpoint because she was not in a love marriage either and well her husband was gay anyway. At least she told mc to repay Bonne for the good times and care for her brocken heart). Then again it's the 17th century france, the only ppl who are not Homophobic are queer ppl.

Anyway I do like Anne, I find her interesting and she's definitely helping with my Reputation and it's always a flex rmto be friends with a powerful milf.

I also like François, he's like one of the few good men in this place. So I'm surprised he is married to the girlboss and the next mistress of Louis haha.

I maintained a relatively Civil relationship with Alexander and I'm curious to see if Alexander will help or Sabotage mc now that she is free from his grip.

The absolute Euphoria of getting the "good Reputation at court" and "bright influence" notification is absolute Worth all the braincell use and Drama. Getting a good grade in fictional court life is something to want and to achieve 😌

[scottfreed]

tts characters playing Stardew Valley

Rapunzel: Grows whatever seems fun… but also wants to grow one of everything! Interior design of farm house and farm layout is next level pretty af. Like we had no idea that wallpaper was in the game! Marries Harvey or Alex. Maxed out friendship with all NPCs. Won the egg hunt on first try, but felt bad and reset the day to let the NPCs win. Turns sheds into aquariums, coffee shops, and museums. Tries to get everyone to play multiplayer with limited success. Gets a fairy, the witch, an owl statue, and a strange capsule all in year one.

Eugene: Does all optimization tricks, including item spawner. Somehow a multimillionaire before completing community center. But still refuses to do Joja route. Knows everyone’s loved items by heart but mostly gifts prismatic shards anyway. Uses the "scam pierre trick." Marries Abigail. Started with beach farm, got frustrated and restarted. Uses daggers instead of swords or clubs like a weirdo. Unlocks Ginger island and never goes back.

Cassandra: Actually enjoys combat?? Can make it to level 200 in skull cavern no staircases. Marries Haley or Emily. Starts min maxing, tries speed running, wins a few records, does joja route for efficiency. Achieves perfection then uninstalls game and never plays again.

Varian: “marries” Krobus. Has 5 spreadsheets and 80 wiki tabs open at all times. Played for 38 hours straight once. Quirin was not amused. Thoroughly modded his game. Says it’s for the automate and expansion mod, but the first mod he installed was the one that makes the cat look like a raccoon. Tries to focus on mining and fishing more than farming since… ya know he literally lives on a farm. Humiliates Mayor Lewis in every conceivable way. Actually builds the slime hutch. Watches all the iceberg and lore videos.

[mandizo]

the latest spoke video possessed me for a bit . i also had a rough day today resulting in me writing this unreadable ramble about him on my textbook . talking about ls is literally my coping mechanism......... you might die reading this you have been warned. all the "spoke" in this refer to c!spoke btw

i have s ome very brief and short and concisely worded opinions on the new spoke video ! i want this to be some kinda character study but im not mentally capable enough to do that rn. my favourite part of spoke is his like. personality in general especially how he thinks and how he works to achieve his goals if i dont get it out of my system RIGHT NOW i will explode .

is spoke evil? well in my humble opinion his actions do come from what he thinks are correct / the right thing to do. most notably "to bring peace to lifesteal" at the end of season three. i genuinely dont think this is a lie or a smokescreen to hide his evil intentions etc. but like how bringing peace to lifesteal literally meant to kill everyone permanently, it does seem that he takes quite the radical route to do stuff every time, which caused real harm and destruction. i dont think that gets discussed enough

wiping out the entire server for peace ? whatever ill let that slide. sure . exploiting and taking advantage of the last bit of sympathy and kindness in lifesteal players by staging a fake spawn trap as bait to trick apo members wanting to rescue terry into talking? uhhhhh whatever sure. ok yea. "you can kill him if you want . you can start killing them if you want (o^^o)" blatantly saying that with a smile? "in parrots eyes this is a friendship reunited [...] however this is only one step of my true master plan."??????okay you need to be put in a padded cell immediately. actually that might be to humane you should be put on a remote island as far as possible from land . but you also did nothing wrong innocent lil dude whos just a bit silly. i think you should be put in human society and be allowed to do whatever you want

in conclusion i despise you spoke from spokeishere and i love you . i want to hug you then scream in your ears at the top of my lungs when you least expect. your awful you're evil and you're innocent and you're awesome. you treat trust from others like its nothing. you exploit other people s kindness . you always do things for the greater good. and you're spokeishere (i think thats what his name is i dont watch him that much)

in conclusion of the conclusion. did he really have to all that do achieve his goals that apparently are actually very good and good for the sever? are his goals really that honourable anymore when achieving them comes with such a hefty price tag and death toll? what if in a future event his goals aren't the morally correct thing to do in the first place, then with a passion for working towards his ideals as strong as his, wouldn't mean that he is the ultimate bad person? is he a bad guy anyway ??????my answer to that will be a resounding: "uh idk"

spoke never did anything wrong btw. aldo does anyone else think spoke sounds like hes 7 years old sometimes. not his sentences his voice, he

(the gibberish ends there)

[shiapetdiary]

Ok let me explain

How truly crazy I am. 

I had a flight to Kansas City to see my lovely friend, in order to maintain our long distance friendship. I bought a plane ticket for $200, even though it is only a 5 hour drive away from where I live, even though my stay was only two nights. I am aware that choosing the illogic inefficient route reveals me as a weakie.

We were all seated on the plane and I was about to fall asleep because it was 4am. I was dreaming about having brunch with my friend upon arrival. But after a while I realized we had not moved, and they announced the flight was delayed.

People clomped with irritation back into the airport. Some people sat in the waiting area, and some people formed a line at the front desk. But I didn’t want to wait because I’m tech savvy and know how to expedite things using the internet, and not a weakie. I called American Airlines to change my flight to a different airline leaving from my airport. The person on the phone and I were both calm and softspoken, in a way that acknowledged that her job was probably not ever chill.

She began to switch me to a United flight, but then the call dropped. I called again. My new collaborator declared switching me was not possible. I don’t like to correct people so I concurred, said goodbye, and hung up. I called again, still calm. New voice put me on hold to ask her supervisor. I observed that some people had moved through the front desk. They did not tell others their results, whether waiting in line was worthy or not. It wasn’t a secret, but to find out you would have to have to inquire, and likely that would have to be a whole conversation, since they are not faceless bots that answer when you push a button, and these types of struggles are individual anyways, any advice would require listening to unnecessary context. Dunno, they would say, my situation is different from yours. I joined in line for the front desk, curious what secret remedy it provided but not willing to ask. 

There are always a million solutions for every problem, and I wanted to test them all at once. While in line, the voice on the phone said I could get a flight arriving by 5pm. I told her I might be able to get an earlier flight via the front desk. I told her I would call her back. All around me people began lamenting that their phones told them the flight was delayed to 6pm!!!! This they were willing to share. 

The line was not moving. Solution numero 5. Walk up to another desk for the next flight to Kansas City. I asked the woman at the desk if there was room, and she told me the flight had just filled up, a flight had been cancelled, had I heard. Apparently not quickly enough.

I got an email that said my flight was changed to 5pm. But now I am thinking, I do not want another cancelled flight, and if I start driving now I will get there at 12pm in time for brunch. Because I was fueled by anger, I thought I had the courage to drive. I went out to the departure desk to cancel and refund my ticket!!!!!!! And they did thank god bless them!!!!!! Best solution achieved!!!!

Then it started SNOWING.

I went back in line and asked them if it was possible to undo my cancellation. 

People working at the desks were very annoyed. Justifiably. I was directed to another person, who put an end to my shenanigans. He said, we can do it but it will take a while to sort out. He said, that’s what happens with your messing around with the system. 

He clicked around and asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said, why? He said, take me with you, because I’m cleaning up all your problems and know how to and that’s what a good boyfriend does. I said, oh trust me my boyfriend KNOWS I’m MESSy 

as if that was a winning retort. 

He printed my new tickets and said it arrives in Kansas City at 11pm. I winced and he said please understand these are the only spots left. I said, yes yes thank you I for sure understand thank you it’s GREAT. You’ve been so kind and informative and I know the people here have been impatient and each one endlessly frustrating in their own ways, everyone knew how to help themselves but no one knew how to help each other, so thank you. He said, “I assigned you first class as well.” 

In conclusion I am not better than anyone. In fact I am worse. 

My seat, 1A. Packaged green olives, white cheddar chips, chocolate covered pretzels, small slices of cheese, a healthy dose of quiet reflection time wherein I thought about whether or not I had made a single good decision today. I accepted them all.

[squirrelno2]

ok so Slick can’t be the only clone who ever thought like that. There’s millions of them and no group is a monolith, and the clones I write tend to run the gamut of possible feelings about the Jedi in general and the ones they know in particular but like. what about clones who feel betrayed by other clones, too?

someone who grows up hearing about how they’re all siblings, all fighting together for the same goal, how they can depend on each other - the stuff Domino struggled with in Clone Cadets, about not leaving a man behind, and then the very real fact that in the war we see, that isn’t actually how it goes. there are a lot of times where they have to leave clones behind, and other times where they didn’t necessarily have to but there was something else their leaders wanted to achieve more. (sometimes it’s tactically sound choices that are horrible to make, sometimes it’s like. anakin being anakin. clone wars as a show never really thought through its implications but you know what I look at something that’s not that deep and go “my house now” the nasty implications are my sandbox)

anyway made up a clone called Roadkill, as one does, and I’m thinking he’s very much like Slick. probably passes information to the Separatists. maybe he’s subtler than Slick or more sparing with details so his commanding officers never realise, maybe he just goes undiscovered bc he’s so far away from the chain of command that they don’t realise the bad luck is something more. because this is a clone who resents the Jedi, yes, and the Kaminoans, and the Senate, and sees them all as slavers equally deserving of his scorn, but also this is a clone who’s watched officers - clone officers who told him they were in this together! - walk away from clones they could have saved for the sake of the war. “it’s bigger than all of us” people tell Roadkill, but if they don’t have any personal loyalty Roadkill can see, why should he?

and then there’s Pip, who’s got the brotherhood brain in spades. He sees Roadkill, who never makes friends and who everyone agrees hates everyone, and goes “ok this is my new best friend, I can fix him” and has no idea that Roadkill is out here betraying him every day. it’s the sunshine-grumpy dynamic but the grumpy one genuinely hates it, and Pip is too hopeful and loving and forgiving to really get that Roadkill is doing everything he can to push Pip away. Pip keeps saving Roadkill’s life. He is the only one who puts effort into that, really, and he’s the first example Roadkill ever has of someone saying “no we need to go back for a clone” and maybe Roadkill does eventually soften but

I don’t think Pip ever fixes him. I could go the love conquers all route and have their friendship be the thing that makes Roadkill realise what he’s done is wrong, but also I’m feeling violent with my oc creation today and I think that Pip dies because of something Roadkill does. He never really looks at Pip as a friend, let alone a brother, and then after it happens he keeps catching himself looking for Pip because he knows Pip would have something to say. he can’t back out now from the life he’s made. the separatists have too much power over him. he won’t desert because if there’s one thing about his upbringing that stuck it’s the idea that all he’s good for is fighting.

so he just quietly keeps sending information that never really changes the outcome of the war anyway, until the day it stops mattering.

[mxstball]

[Ragnarök] My Greatest Work

Serena and Artemis were following Nergal along Route 12 and to Azure Bay. Nergal said that she wanted to show them both something that she found special to her, but the duo was still concerned about any retaliation. So, they all reached the Dragon's Lair in Azure Bay and onto one of the islands. It was just remote enough to be a little private, but just in the open enough for there to be witnesses for whatever would happen.

Throughout their trip, Artemis was continually skeptical. She had recalled all of her cells in secret, and even gave the other cores time to say goodbye temporarily. She didn't expect to be gone long, but she needed to be extra prepared in case Nergal tried something.

When the trio were settled, Serena spoke first. "I think this is a good spot, or did you need more room for whatever this thing that you wanted to show us is?"

Nergal shook her head and turned to look at the duo. "No, I think that this is enough." Nergal smiled at the duo. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Zygarde nodded. "Serena wishes to give you this chance, so I will simply accompany her." She was making her feelings on the matter clear.

Serena turned to Artemis. "Thank you, Arty. It's always good to give someone a second chance, right?"

Artemis nodded. ...Even if the 'someone' has a record of being distinctly horrid.

Nergal smiled. "Now, I would like to start our new friendship as an... exchange. I would like to show you each my greatest work; however, there is something... that I must request for you to do. Something that would be... quite beneficial I believe for Zygarde especially?" Nergal smirked at Artemis.

Artemis REALLY didn't like where this was going. "That will depend on the task, Nergal. Don't think that just because you and Heidi are together, that means that I will suddenly trust the task without thinking."

Nergal shook her head. "Oh, please. If you did, that wouldn't be fun at all, dearest~. Anyway, there are some items within my greatest work that I would like to be gathered from you, Zygarde. It would serve in both of our interests, and of a mutual friend's interest as well."

"...." Artemis glared.

"So, we're just picking a few things up?" Serena tilted her head. "Will we be safe in this exchange, Nergal?"

Nergal nodded sagely. "Oh! Yes, of course. I will personally ensure that you are unharmed, of course! I would not want for this region to be at such a risk without its champion and guardian deity, of course."

The two looked at each other. Both of them were nervous, and Artemis especially didn't like where this was going, but trusting in Serena was all that she could do. Serena, on the other hand, was a little more trusting, but even she knew that there was always one thing more than meets the eye when it came to Nergal. When the two turned back to look at Nergal, the air was stagnant, as if the very world was waiting for their answer.

"...Alright, Nergal. We accept, but please keep us safe. Zygarde and I have gone through enough."

Nergal nodded. "Of course! Of course...." Nergal's eyes started to glow as the very reality around the three of them quickly started to shift.

It was time to show the duo her greatest achievement.

[starlightandetherealshadows]

honestly you got me on the poly. despite being poly myself it's hard for me to find a poly route where I personally like both characters </З but the dynamic seems very interesting with those 2, especially with V rivalmance...

and then my interest got secured by alien ro too XD how can I say no to a hot alien threatening my life.

I'm super interested in this IF! I hope you don't mind if i ask multiple questions in one ask ^^"

how punishing (content wise) will be stat check fails? I'd love to play the most cringfail (affectionate) MC I can but I'm not sure if that i will be cut off of a lot of content/locked out of 'good ending'. like will it be more "you failed, now you get 3k less of content" or "you failed, now you get a failure 3k branch instead of success 3k branch"

are there any type of "good ending" at all? will it be achievable with some stat check misses if yes?

will pronoun choice be separate from gender choice? (this might be in the intro post and I'm sorry if it is, my perception stat is -15)

can MC gain permanent injuries even with a high combat stat? I'd love to get a couple in each playthrough but I also love to play combat oriented characters like, a lot

can MC have a mental illness?

and an NSFW question as the last one, will there be sex scenes in game? and will we be able to choose MCs top/bottom role in them if yes? I am quite uncomfortable reading MCs bottom and I'd like to know if I will need to skip those scenes if that's possible ^^". especially interested in poly answer, since the kink ask includes both top/bottom versions for each RO individually (which I'm thankful for, it feels like a lot of the times it's assumed that MC will bottom and be shy even if the game has choices).

sorry for such a long ask

Hi honeybee!

I'm so happy you're interested in the poly and like both Z and V so far!! What's funny is that I'm monogamous but in IF's and visual novels, I always want the poly routes because I have such a hard time choosing between two RO's (why can't people IRL be as perfect as fictional characters? I ask myself this everyday...)

I'm doing some research on poly dynamics just so I get a more accurate depiction of them (I know it's fiction but poly people deserve to have some good rep too so i don't want to accidently insert harmful stereotypes) So if you have any advice anon, I'd love to hear it!

Ah yes, the hot alien RO. A classic, highly requested by our diners. My compliments to the chef!

OOOO I love your questions! I'll answer them one at a time.

Content wise, there is no "bad ending" you can get locked out of. The story is much more about the journey than the destination. The end goal of the group is pretty "simple" in nature. The people you encounter along the way, the choices you make, who you romance (if anyone) will impact MC's personality, their outlook on life, and the MC's reaction to the more unavoidable conflicts. I hope this makes sense!!!

I will say that the "good ending" is subjective. Everyone will reach the same conclusion, but will you have lost people along the way? (none of the RO's will be killed off, don't worry. everyone else on the other hand...) anyways when it comes to the group in general, you can end the story with high friendship with them all, or you can be emotionally distant from others. If your idea of a good ending is you saving everyone you can and being besties with everyone in the Lonely Loser Survivor's club, then yes! That ending is available and will still be achievable with some stat check misses. Major, story altering stat checks will have multiple opportunities for success.

Ahhh okay thank you for reminding me to look into this! I don't have a lot of experience with coding, so I'll have to see how complicated it is to separate the pronoun choice from the gender one. Right now, the options are male, female, non-binary with he/she/they pronouns, respectively. I'm gonna try to separate them! If I can't, I sincerely apologize because I understand that pronouns and gender identities are not explicitly linked.

I too LOVE combat oriented character, maybe because spy movies are my guilty pleasure genre? I can watch 50 movies with the same basic spy plot and eat it up every single time. To answer your question, yes they can! There are select few "unavoidable" injuries the MC can get. It's a bit unrealistic for anyone to get through an alien invasion completely unscathed >:)

MC won't have any labeled mental illnesses, but through dialogue choices, they can express signs of depression and anxiety. They can also empathize with Zero's paranoia disorder or C's struggle with their own mental health.

*nsfw content warning* I've been leaning towards not having explicit sex scenes in game. Instead, I think I'll do a more spicy foreplay/frottage that fades to black type of sex scene. Therefore, MC's top/bottom role won't be mentioned (due to there not being any penetrative sex within the written scene itself) ! I plan to write side stories with those explicit scenes and I'll make them available on Patreon! I'll have slight variations for different types of MC's (bold/shy dominant/submissive top/bottom/switch) so everyone can read something they like. Within the poly, you can express interest in topping or bottoming through comments and the less uhhh wholesome conversations you can have with the RO's. I hope this answers your question, anon!

Don't apologize for the long ask!!! I love answering all your questions. It helps me develop more concrete ideas for Contra Spem Spiro, and helps me see where I've overlooked details.

You're a rockstar, sunshine! ♡♡♡

All my love,

Cheye

[yuna-writes]

Being painted as the villian

The strange thing about life is that I realize I get perceived as the “bad” person for simply doing, well, nothing. I have opinions, but even I don’t say anything significant, I still make enemies lol. I mean, I think it’s normal to encounter people who don’t like you, but I think I get misunderstood often and don’t make friendships as easily. I’ve been piecing together what the reason could be, but I realize I’m a poor communicator. 

Not sure if it’s autism or its even real anyway for that matter. These days I sometimes question whether certain mental health conditions are real or its part of the human condition. I think I understand now contextually why people perceive me as a villain, but I see myself as a hero. When I got my personality test, the result stated that I am a planner, but I live pretty much inside my internal world. I’m highly sensitive to the external world, so I don’t know how to engage with it and understand all of the social construct. It’s something I can learn by practice, but it requires more effort and energy. The problem is that I don’t try to fit in with crowd and learn all the social rules so other people can approach me. Thus, when I take an actions or talk about something, I pretty much ignore the social norms and behave atypical or “strange.” So, in other words, people don’t know my motive, because I don’t communicate what I’m thinking. Therefore, even if I believe I am a hero, it doesn’t make me so if other people don’t understand my thought process. 

For example, my short-term memory is pretty useless, so what happened was that I wrote something on a document, then I forgot what I wrote. Then a co-worker read the document but had trouble reading some of the writing. After a while, I told the co-worker that I wrote the document, but then she was upset that I just stood there and saw her struggling to read the document. I think the misunderstanding was that I wasn’t intentionally witnessing her struggle, but I literally forgot what I wrote on the document to help clarify her questions. If I didn’t tell her that I have forgotten, then she would have made assumptions and thought I was a bad person. People are that simple to make judgments. Therefore, I have to continuously verbalize my thoughts for other people to make sense of the problem. 

I always feel like I encounter this often and I don’t know how to work around it. I guess much of my problems is that most people just live life experiencing things in the present moment. They don’t think about planning or asking tough questions on why they should make such moves or why events occur as they do. I do plan more and think about the long-term impact it has on my life. I suppose the question leads to “what’s in it for me?” I think it’s because I don’t blindly follow things because other people are caught up with their emotions and follow the hype. I ask hard questions, and then make a plan but then don’t share with anyone. That’s why I get easily painted as a “villain” A villain is a mastermind who takes unconventional routes to achieve a goal. But can a hero also fit under that definition too?