#considering lucio's route and the way that was handled i don't expect it

[hellothereiplaygames]

Some thoughts on Asra's route...

Replaying Asra's route after having played Muriel's really hits different...

In one of the other routes Asra and Muriel appear to start a romantic relationship, and in Asra's route it's very clear that Muriel cares very deeply for Asra and dislikes the Apprentice. He mentions in one of the paid? dream scenes that he's worried about Asra and the Apprentice fading into their own world and leaving everyone else behind (again, apparently), and that he's determined to stop this from happening. His concern for Asra and initial hostility toward the Apprentice may be rooted in jealousy, not only because his oldest (and only) friend was more or less taken from him, but perhaps with romantic connotations as well.

In Book XI: Justice, Asra and Julian stage a mock trial by combat against Muriel. Though he apparently agreed to participate and is implied to have returned to the Coliseum of his own volition, presumably out of concern for Asra, who has been accused of being Julian's accomplice... he is still more or less backed into a corner and forced to play along with Asra and Julian's plan to stage a fight.

Now, to be fair to Asra, he states after everything goes wrong that it wasn't supposed to end this way, and it appeared that he was attempting to not only exonerate himself and Julian from their charges but somehow help Muriel overcome his past (he does disintegrate Muriel's chains during the fight no matter what choices you make). There was a point during this that I thought I could guess what Asra's plan was regarding Muriel's past, but being refreshed on how it actually pans out, I can't remember it now. Something about making the people of Vesuvia realize how barbaric the Coliseum was under Lucio.

The thing that stands out to me throughout this whole ordeal is that Asra knows about Muriel's trauma. He knows he was enslaved to Lucio and forced to fight and execute people in the Coliseum. He knows that Muriel is terrified of hurting other people, especially those he cares about. In Asra's route, the only person Muriel cares about is Asra, so hurting him is triggering for him. He literally is in a stupor after the board he was using as a weapon splinters off and hits Asra in the mouth, making him bleed. This is clearly meant to make the reader worried about Asra, but Muriel reacts as well, and appears hypnotized by the blood. I remember the first time I read this I thought he was going to have some crazy berserker-Hulk sort of reaction, but having read his route, it's way more tragic.

Though Muriel did seem to return to the Coliseum of his own volition, it does seem that Asra took this as a sign that he was coming to terms with his trauma. He was willing to exploit Muriel's care for him in order to save his own skin so he can be with the Apprentice. Though I recognize Asra's other toxic traits to some degree, I also have similar ones myself so they don't really stand out to me. This, however, where he more or less disregards Muriel's feelings on the matter, is actually really crushing. In Muriel's route, his whole thing is that he DOES NOT want to fight, he DOES NOT want to even spar with the Apprentice with blunt sticks out of fear of hurting them, so why would he willingly go along with this unless he was more or less in the same position Lucio put him in? Fight in the arena, or something bad will happen to Asra.

Asra knows this, and puts him through it regardless. During the whole fight, Julian's actions are written so as to make it seem like he's the one messing things up--he takes the "finishing blow" that Muriel was going to deal to Asra and gets knocked unconscious. Asra spends most of the entire time doing flashy, dramatic magic tricks that get the crowd cheering for him. After he "wins", he and the Apprentice are carried out of the Coliseum like heroes. Though Asra will try to soothe Muriel if the Apprentice so chooses right before the end, and he does look for Muriel in the crowd, he seems otherwise unbothered or unaware of the impact this may be having on his oldest friend. Which is pretty shitty.

Of course, Asra, Julian, and Muriel are all playing characters during their fight--Asra is the flashy magician, Julian is the rogueish BDSM dagger guy, and Muriel is the Scourge. Asra obviously can't show his concern even if he wanted to because he's supposed to be fighting Muriel. But putting his bro into this situation in the first place says a lot about his character. Though Julian is the one whose route is based around self-loathing because he believes he hurts everyone around him, Asra is the only one who gets what he wants out of this ordeal, and he even says so right before the chapter ends. Muriel was forced to relive his trauma and didn't get the resolution that was intended, and Julian gets KOed by a punch that literally sent him flying across the arena (though he probably enjoyed it tbh, he's a nasty little man like that lmao).

I wonder if this dynamic between Asra and Muriel was intentionally written this way in order to further amplify his tunnel vision when it comes to the Apprentice. Is this is how he acted in the past, causing Muriel to hate the Apprentice as he does and remark that he won't allow it to happen again? Maybe (probably) I'm reading too much into it, but as a survivor of abuse and trauma it rubs me the wrong way much more than Asra's obsessive, clingy nature. Of all of the reversed ends, Asra's is the one that actually scared me and kind of haunted me, because it hits a little too close to home.

These are all just thoughts that I wanted to spill out because I thought it was interesting and I wasn't sure if anyone else has talked about it before.

[litlunacy]

Apprenticember Pt. 5 (Days 26-31)

We've reached the end! Woohoo!

26. How has your mc changed since you first made them? 

Well, she started out as just a name and pronouns, so I guess Ximena's come pretty far from that! But also when I first started the game I leaned more into the actual text and so she was very quiet and unsure, much different than the sparky snarky kick-ass woman she became. But I think I'd call that character growth, not actually changing. She just...found herself again, that's all.

27. Has your mc ever KILLED anybody? What are their thoughts on MURDER?

Has she actually physically killed anyone? No. Would she if the situation called for it? Yes. As far as murder, however...it depends, really. Are they a threat to her friends and family? Are they willing to change, or completely irredeemable? For example, she hates Lucio and everything he's done, to both people she cares about and just the city in general. However, she wouldn't murder him simply because he isn't worth the effort and she no longer sees him as a threat. She also thinks he's just a pathetic, petulant child, so as long as he stays far away she's good. Valdemar, on the other hand, she would rip limb from limb if she could figure out how. They are very clearly a danger and have absolutely no remorse whatsoever. 

28. Are they afraid to die?

Ximena isn't afraid of dying itself. She already has once, and it was a really unpleasant way to go, but it is something that she's familiar with. She is afraid of leaving people behind again, though. Asra and Julian did not handle it well the last time and she definitely doesn't want to put them through that again. 

29. What is a fact about your mc others would never guess?

She has sedatephobia, or fear of silence. Considering how much she enjoys her quiet alone time and meditation, it's not something most would expect. But there is a difference between quiet and silent. There is a reason she keeps wind chimes in every window, and hums to herself when she's alone. One of her favorite things about having Julian around is that he's constantly making noise, whether he's rattling off some ridiculous story or muttering to himself or just bumping around the house. She's even mildly fond of his snoring, as long as it keeps the silence at bay.

30. Is there anything else you'd like us to know?

I have the vaguest idea of Ximena and Julian at some point adopting an orphan girl they find outside the shop one night. All I've got so far is she's a redhead with freckles for days and Ximena's first thought is 'this kid looks like baby Portia'. (This also feels like a good spot to add that while Ximena might hate Lucio, I actually do not. He's my sad little wet cat and I'm fond of his stupid ass. That's what I get for playing his route first.)

31. Name another mc you read about and enjoyed! Shout out your favorite mc!

Oh boy. Uh, I don't do the whole interaction thing much, but it was fun reading about everyone's apprentices! If I had to pick favorites though, it would probably be @arcanabananafefifofana's Keziah (who just seems like an absolute sweetheart) and @justanarcanasideblog's Sarqen (love a character that's cold on the outside and warm fluff on the inside. Plus that murder prompt answer, what is this man's past??).

[the-melting-world]

Been working on some notes for Ozy’s album (The Sun) regarding Lucio and his “redemption” arc. Consider it a mix of how the devs might have handled his route differently plus some potential untapped lore.

*Let it be known that I have not played Lucio’s route in full, but I’m still working off the assumption taken from the other routes that the Devil is his patron arcana + the evidence of the Fool as his patron in his own route. (Emphasis on the fact that I’ve only picked up bits and pieces from discussions I’ve seen around Lucio’s route. I don’t actually know if the Fool twist was sincerely confirmed. These theories only exist to serve my own storytelling agenda.🤟🏽)

I’m very much Team Let-Lucio-be-a-real-bad-guy. Which is to say, his route would have been more consistent with his character if the devs explored his journey as a legitimate antagonist (or villain, whatever). A redemption of sorts could still be a part of his story, but his wrongs would not be swept under the rug or forgiven/forgotten by the rest of the cast. (specifically asra and muriel, but I’m not going there today.)

Same initial set up. The mc finds him stuck in ghost hell. He’s still reliving his regrets. He hates it.

The difference would lie in how he wants to confront those regrets.

I imagine a Lucio that would be too embarrassed (rather than shameful) to attempt at making amends. He’d also recognize the pointlessness of seeking forgiveness from those whom his choices affected so atrociously. Let's be honest, he wouldn't forgive himself if he were them, so why would he expect them to do the same?

He would also be too proud to acknowledge his failure and overall shittiness as a Count. (If his relationship with Morga is any indication, Lucio would rather die than to ever openly admit that he royally fucked up. Could never get over his mother doing that to him. Therefore would never put himself in a position to do that to himself, no matter how much damage he caused.)

Rather Lucio (most likely with the encouragement of the mc) would be motivated by the opportunity of a clean slate. A total reset. He knows he’s incapable of leading without ruining people’s lives, so he vows to never try to assume that sort of power again.

This would mean no apologies, but he would finally leave the people of Vesuvia alone. His journey would be one to end his debts and, with the help of the mc, overcome the temptation to make those sorts of deals again. sorta like rehab

I know that getting rid of Lucio’s influence over Vesuvia is how all the routes end, but what's different is that this time it would be his choice. (obviously the devs would need to raise the stakes and provide Lucio with a chance to take power away from Nadia or something similar so the audience could actually see him behaving differently than he would in the past).

Another goal on Lucio’s route would be to find a way to separate him from the Devil. (which probably happened to some extent, but once again, I didn't complete his route. so anyway...)

This is well within Lucio’s power since his magic is slippery in nature (made that part up btw). It allows him to consciously choose which of the Arcana are linked to his fate.

This is where the revelation of the Fool comes in. Lucio and the MC realize that all this time Lucio has been unintentionally selecting which Arcana's power he can piggyback off of. (And if he and the mc are smart, they'll realize that this means he can do it again.)

This slippery quality of his magic has also aided him in sidestepping his deals with demons. But there is another twist: The explanation behind Lucio’s magic is at the core of his true patron – the Wheel of Fortune. sorry natiqa pls don't hate me

Under the Wheel of Fortune, Lucio has the ability to temporarily "adopt" different patrons and shed them / their influence at will.

Ultimately, Lucio and the mc would find a way to use this to their advantage against the Devil.

Luck would obviously play a role in how this selection process works. Still haven’t worked out how yet.

That’s all I really have for now. Don’t know if I’ll use all of this, but it needed to go somewhere. Plan to work through them in Ozy’s album. Feel free to borrow or build on them.