#interactions. troupe 1

[rykardthebarbarian]

For: @lunadarkwoodx Where: Nornwatch Tower - Courtyard  When: Flashback to the first few days after the troupe arrived at Nornwatch.  Notes: Training help connect

For many of the refugees that had escaped to Nornwatch Keep, war and the destruction that came as a result of it were just stories. Stories of atrocities happening on distant lands, far from the lives they carved out for themselves. Nothing like that would ever happen in Iskaldrik…until the Magi attacked. Amongst the group were merchants, tailors, farmers, cobblers, and carpenters. But a smithing hammer held similar properties to a war hammer, and a battle ax was just a more aggressive rendition of a woodcutter’s ax. For the first time in many of the survivor’s lives, they found themselves reaching for weapons that they had never fathomed even wielding before. The effort was inspirational to some, yet futile to others. Rykard saved his own broad judgements and instead focused his attention on those that seemed to stand a fighting chance. 

“Here,” a large hand wrapped around the handle of a massive battle axe, gripping it near the top near the blade as he offered it to Luna. The weapon was heavy, but the giant of a man made it seem light as a feather in his hand.  He passed it off to Luna with the confidence that she could lift it high enough to use it.  In an ideal circumstance, he would have something with less weight for her to practice with. But Rykard himself was forced to learn on weapons much too heavy for him when he was just a boy, and those early experiences honed him into the fierce warrior he was today.  “Hold it with both hands and give it a swing,” the Barbarian encouraged.

[rykardthebarbarian]

The icy chill that cascaded down from the jagged summits of the Hrimthur's Waste mountaintops pierced through the tower's walls, a frigid blanket engulfing even the interior of the keep. Even with all the fireplaces in the room lit, it did little to raise the overall temperature. However, this was still a vast improvement over the weather outside of the stone walls. Exhausted and freezing refugees huddled around the fireplaces, shrouded in dirty blankets as they desperately rubbed their hands together in an attempt to stave off frostbite for just a little longer. "Some of them will never be ready," Came Rykard's grim observation, gaze shifting to the other refugees before back to Alder. "But something tells me you're not ready to join them in death in this gods forsaken tower. I want to get out of here too. The sooner, the better." He cast an anxious glance out the frost etched window to his left.

The moon hung above them in the night sky, waxing and foreboding. Everyday that slipped by brought them closer to the point in time where the sun and moon became positioned in such a way that would cause all hell to break loose. Rykard had to get out of here before the moon became full, his transformation was inevitable but the more distance he could put between himself and the other refugees, their chances of survival became greater. "I don't think you're supposed to," the werewolf replied, "I don't think much survives out here, even animals are scare. I used to hear stories of explorers finding fully preserved bodies of long dead beasts beneath the ice in Hrimthur's Wastelands. I always thought it was bullshit, until I saw this frozen hell for myself."

Location: Nornwatch Tower.

Time: Morning.

Situation: Troupe 1 - Refugees.

The old metal armor, darkened and matted by time, was starting to feel heavy - not because of the weight it carried physically, but the psychological one that turned him into a wall of protection to the refugees he accompanied. Were him to travel alone as he always did, he'd already have reached Lysara at this point, however, what was left of light inside of him ordered him to help those in need, even though he could feel the darkness slowly but surely taking over his mind. The beast inside of him growled and howled, hidden but ever-present, thus announcing the monthly notice of the necessity that corrupted his soul - the urge to taste blood slowly becoming unbearable.

Deep in thoughts, it was only when someone sat at his table that all surrounding noise came back to him. As his gaze sliced through the room, no other empty seats, women, children, the elder, that hall filled to the brim with refugees from the war that had come to Iskaldrik. "Easy prey... Delicious innocent flesh... Eat... Consume... DEVOUR..." The deep growl filled his mind once again, and as to shake those thoughts away, a sigh. "I wonder how long until we're ready to resume this journey..." He muttered to himself, although it could be seen as a question to the other person in front of him. His gaze finally fixed on that person. "I think I'll never get used to the weather on these parts..."

[phyrofwild]

Location: The Lostlands.

Time: Late Afternoon.

Closed: @alrikhart.

Phyr had already felt the other's presence long before he'd made himself known to him, and it couldn't be any other way since everything that surrounded them was part of the Wild which lived in all creatures and that he could touch into as a Genasi. "Isn't it beautiful?" He looked over at the wastelands, mostly untouched by mortal hands due to their essence, empty of what some would call society, and at the same time full of life. The ever-expanding green had not left this place since the moment it'd been created, so he still could feel its will even if people couldn't.

Although the barrier could be seen in the horizon, Zephy could not be bothered. "I might have a job for you... If you're willing risk, that is..." A short smile established itself on the Dúnedain's lips, playful in nature but innocent at the same time. "I want to know if you hear of any news in regards to this group's leadership going forward... Who is in command and who is playing the fool who thinks they are in command. I heard the Princess made quite a good impression in her little adventure..." It was almost too funny when he thought about how one's power rising within the group could affect the others so much.

[friendsinsolitude]

Is Rui woke? I’ve been chewing on Rui’s (and for comparison, Tsukasa’s) role in the gendered dynamics of Smile of a Dreamer episode 3, the Shosuke and Keisuke v. Emu conflict, for what’s surely been forever, I think I’m starting to get my thoughts together now:

Tsukasa takes issue with the Wonder Stage being slighted instead of Emu being told she should’ve given up, reacting before Shousuke even finishes his sentence about her, because the Wonder Stage and all of Wonderlands x Showtime are Tsukasa’s dependants as troupe leader. It’s his job to look after and protect them. You slight them, you slight him, you slight his authority. Which he absolutely will not tolerate. On his honour and pride and duty as a patriarch. I don’t mean to imply he doesn’t care about Emu here, but the way that he cares about her and WxS and of course Saki more generally is fundamentally tied up in his deep commitment to his patriarchal role (beyond what is actually expected of that and sometimes somewhat subversive to, but still framed as, to Tsukasa). As leader, as a big brother, as a man, he will not stand for the disrespect of his troupe(‘s stage).

Rui then stops Tsukasa, cause trying to assert his authority over their literal fucking bosses is not helpful, and he’s not saying anything that will change up the conversation enough to be worth having it here like this, for the sake of their job security especially. A pissing contest of authority is a contest they will lose; fall back.

Shosuke takes this to view Rui as a Smart Young Man Who Knows His Place, absolutely unlike Emu, respecting him as such and feeling comfortable enough to then insult Emu to the face of someone reasonable. Obviously and explicitly positioning Emu as a Stupid Girl Who Doesn’t Know Her Place. Shosuke props Rui up at Emu’s expense.

Of course, Rui and Emu are alike in their deep commitment to dreams, to whimsy, to making the impossible possible. Rui knows intimately what it’s like to get other people hurt while chasing your dreams. Emu’s intelligence and creativity, her unique way of seeing the world for what it could be instead of what is is, is what makes her so amazing. Rui has seen and respected and admired her for that since day fucking one, and Shosuke is portraying Emu as stupid for it, is saying that if Rui is smart like Shosuke thinks he is, he’ll agree and leave her out to dry for his own sake.

Rui’s arguments are this:

1: You’re pathetic. Someone else believing in their dreams in the face of a reality that can be oppressive reminds you of what you gave up, and you feel the need to crush Emu like you got crushed, because you can’t see that she’s stronger than you. Loser behaviour, I pity you.

2: I am also someone like Emu. She is my equal and peer. In calling Emu stupid you have been insulting both of us. I don’t want your respect at her expense.

3: Emu is a truly incredible person that I’m honoured to know. I’m not involved with her in spite or in ignorance of her dreams, she is not a burden in any sense. Her ability to dream in the face of a world and people like you who can’t see what she sees is what I admire about her, even if you can’t recognize that as the wonder it is. It’s difficult, it’s perilous, and she does it with ease.

4: Stop insulting Emu. You’re entirely out of line. I don’t want the bullshit you call “courtesy” and we will stay by Emu’s side regardless of how you try to demean her.

All of course coated in utterly polite form especially exasperated in the original Japanese, despite the confrontational content. For this entire interaction Rui uses an especially polite form, he speaks the way that you should be addressing your superiors (unlike Tsukasa who’s rude as hell). And then iconically, in the above line, Rui switches up his first-person pronoun from boku (僕) to ore (俺) which is more masculine, largely cause it’s ruder, and implies a sort of haughtiness even. To my understanding, you wouldn’t say ore in a formal context in real life, but these characters don’t switch up their personal pronoun depending on who they’re talking to like speakers do in real life anyway, so for Rui to switch it up for something ruder in this situation is really fun. Especially while he keeps the ultra formal sentence structure. It’s kinda like “I (<- fucking awesome) must insist that you cut that shit out. /humble” okay well I don’t believe you. The contrast makes it feel like Rui doesn’t actually respect who he’s speaking to, but is keeping the politeness perfunctorily, and is letting you know. More than anything else it’s very steely, very serious, you will listen to his point if it kills you /polite.

Honestly, largely cause of Rui dropping the ore, I’ve never quite known what to make of the nuances of this line. By switching up his first-person pronoun to something even more masculine, is Rui drawing attention to himself specifically, pulling status as a man? Like, if it’s “stop insulting my (/masc) friends like this” is it “stop insulting my [someone you should respect’s] friends [WxS or the concept of Rui’s friends at large as contrasted to the specifity of talking about Emu in previous lines] like this” and therefore a sort of patriarchal claim on WxS and Emu like “fuck with my troupe and you fuck with me”? In the Japanese line though, Rui says oretachi (俺達), -tachi (達) being a suffix that turns a term of address into a plural, referring to a group, like “and everyone” pretty much. So here, Rui’s saying our, instead of my. Basically the original line is something like “I humbly urge you to stop insulting our friend” which is mostly relevant for how the subjects of the sentence have changed from presumably [Rui] and [Rui’s friends, including Emu and probably WxS at large], into [Rui, Tsukasa, and Nene, as WxS] and [Emu, a part of WxS, a friend and colleague].

So I think the emphasis in this sentence is not on Rui, but on WxS, as Emu’s friends, as a rejection of the premise of Shosuke’s barrage being reasons to cut Emu loose, given out of courtesy, for any sensible person would be through with her dreaming. They will stand by her as her equals, as people chasing the same dream. Shosuke does not have an ally in any of them. And I think the point of Rui’s use of ore here, as something forceful and somewhat disrespectful to say, is to be the nail in the coffin for Rui rejecting Shosuke’s premise of him being a Smart Young Man Who Knows His Place that will be reasonable and agree with the unreasonable disrespect he’s aiming at Emu. Shut the fuck up, basically.

Also, addition from the future, I realized that Rui’s final line here directly echoes Shosuke’s “We’re through dealing with you!” above, and Rui’s use of oretachi here is him almost explicitly throwing Shosuke’s own words back in his face. This is Shosuke’s line, with the original Japanese text, romaji, literal word by word meaning, and my own rough translation:

これ以上俺達を巻きこむな!

Koreijou oretachi o makikomu na!

[any more] [I and everyone] [involve] [negation]!

“Don’t involve us anymore!”

And for comparison, this is Rui’s line:

これ以上俺達の仲間を侮辱するのは、やめて頂きたい

Koreijou oretachi no nakama o bujokusuru no wa, yamete itadakitai

[any more] [I and everyone] [‘s friend] [insult], [stop] [I want you to /humble]

“I must insist that you stop insulting our friend any further.”

Rui is throwing Shosuke’s own words back in his face, getting on his level, using the exact same opening and sentence structure, only politer. Earlier, in “We’re in their employ. This isn’t the right time or place to discuss this,” the very sentence that made Shosuke think Rui “had his head on straight,” Rui had used bokutachi. Mirroring Shosuke’s use of ore here is a fucking insult for which Shosuke absolutely has the context for. “We are not the same, none of us will tolerate you demeaning Emu, and to illustrate this, I’ll use your own goddamn words.” Rui was cooking for real.

Rui’s whole argument is a really good response, insicive, all-encompassing, and leaving no room for further argument. I also think it’s notable how Rui doesn’t cede any of Emu’s ground here, something really quite incredibly rare for men arguing on behalf of women. I think most any other guy *cough* would’ve agreed with Shosuke’s premise to some extent, that Emu does have her head in the clouds too much sometimes, or that there’s any context or blood relation or gender dynamic that would make anyone saying that to her okay to any extent.

In Tsukasa’s 2☆ side story 1, Tsukasa’s ire is directed at Emu’s brothers on the basis of them failing their roles as brothers. He cedes ground to the idea that for matter of being family and all families being different, if there was a good reason for it, slighting Emu to some extent could have been okay, this was just too far. Tsukasa places the emphasis of why this behaviour was wrong on being “disgraceful for an older brother”, immediately preceded by Saki placing the emphasis on Emu “not deserving being treated like that.” This is discharitable to an extent, but like, hmmmmmm 🤨 ? Obviously, the idea of what a “good big brother” is is incredibly important to Tsukasa, and this, which grates at that so fundamentally is gonna piss him off and lead his thoughts to that angle specifically. And his takeway is gonna be that Shosuke and Keisuke are doing “brother” Wrong, and not that for matter of having bought into the patriarchy they believe themselves better and smarter and more Serious than Emu, entirely refusing to see her intelligence on the basis of her being Pink even though Emu’s fucking incredible. If Tsukasa were the one to engage Shosuke in the moment instead of Rui, he would’ve done a shit job.

And think also of Akito arguing with Shin-ei about Ena in Insatiable Pale Colour. A similar situation of a patriarch disparaging a younger girl for being less strong, intelligent, and serious than he, on what amounts to the basis of her being a woman. Give up before you get hurt (said while hurting you). While arguing that Shin-ei maybe shouldn’t have called Ena’s art worthless and that she should give up, that Ena doesn’t want him to protect her from suffering by hurting her preemptively, Akito says (paraphrasing) “Yeah Ena’s not as good as you, she’s hysteric and prone to overreacting so she would have it rough, but even I think you went too far.” Like. Even while arguing on her behalf, Akito is incapable of not throwing her under the bus.

The examples above to illustrate a negative, Rui’s argument on Emu’s behalf is refreshing. He cedes no ground to the idea that she’s anything other than amazing on her own talent, nor that he’s better or smarter or more serious than her in any way despite Shosuke’s presumptive implication, nor that insulting her is acceptable behaviour in any context, nor that it’s unacceptable because of her relation to a man responsible for her. Put some respect on her name, because her name deserves respect. It’s nice.

[loopimay]

Why I Ship ReflectiveDetective (and why you should too!)

DISCLAIMER: 

This post does NOT insist that ReflectiveDetective is canon, nor does it insist you have to ship it. It exists solely as an appreciation and explanation post. Also, Glisten and Rodger are both canonically NON-RELATED ADULTS as confirmed by Qwel. Thank you.

PART 1: Interactions

Glisten and Rodger currently have two elevator interactions. In the first one, Glisten comments on Rodger's smudged glass.

In the second one, Rodger checks in on Glisten to make sure he's doing okay.

Though seemingly incidental, there's lots here to discuss:

Starting with the first, we're told Glisten cares enough about Rodger to notice something as small as the smudges on his face. This may come across as trivial, especially for someone obsessed with appearance, but it's pretty out of character for him to notice something so small! From his interactions with Cosmo, Shelly, and Yatta, we can infer that Glisten is actually really *bad* at noticing things about others. He forgets Cosmo's stars are a part of his appearance, writes Yatta's circus troupe off as "clown stuff," and even mispronounces Shelly's name. These aren't little details he just missed, they're basic facts about toons he lives with. He should've picked up on these things ages ago, yet they seem to slip his mind.

But Rodger's smudges? He comments on them immediately (and often enough for Rodger to know it's coming.)

"But maybe the smudges are really obvious!"

Maybe, but if so, wouldn't Tisha have said something about them? In the singular interaction she has with Rodger, she makes no note of his glass, and from what we know about Tisha, she *would* point something like that out. She's very adamant when it comes to cleanliness, sometimes to the dismay of others. It's practically her job to be.

This is what makes Glisten's comment so interesting. If he's noticing details that Tisha is missing, that means he's been paying *very* close attention to Rodger's face. Hmm... suspcious.

Interaction two gives us more insight into Rodger's feelings towards Glisten. He's one of the only toons he checks up on, and of them, he's the one that Rodger is the most worried about. The other two, Boxten and Brightney, get far less personal questions about their well-being.

It says a lot that Rodger will tell Boxten to count if he's feeling nervous, but he'll tell Glisten not to forget his "keen eye," implying that he's keeping watch over him specifically.

The obvious conclusion being: the two both give each other attention that they don't give to other toons.

But it doesn't stop there! Glisten's interactions with Toodles also give us some extra layers to his and Rodger's relationship.

The first one isn't much, but it is noteworthy that Glisten gets along so well with Rodger's daughter.

The second one, however…

What Toodles says here is extremely significant. Though easy to brush off Glisten "crying and complaining to Rodger" as a funny comment, it holds a LOT of weight! Glisten NEVER tells toons about his problems or insecurities. The mere implication of imperfect makes him deflect.

He won't let Astro discuss his concerning dreams in public. He panics when Sprout suggests his mirror is cracked. He won't even tell Tisha his morning routine.

But according to Toodles, Glisten has a habit of going to Rodger (and only Rodger) with his problems. Sure, these could be very superficial issues he's getting off his chest, but even the most shallow of problems are ones Glisten does not want others to know about. He has an image to maintain, after all! Yet Rodger is the exception...

...This goes both ways, which brings me to:

PART 2: Implications

Returning to Rodger and Tisha's interaction, there is definite proof that Glisten is one of the "trusted friends" Rodger is referring to. For starters, I've already covered the close bond the two share. But is Glisten also disorganized? YES!

Compare Glisten's room to Goob and Scraps', one canonically considered dirty. They're a very similar amount of messy. Crumpled-up papers, mismatched carpets, food lying around the place... none of that reads "organized."

Speaking of Glisten's room, there exists a particular note in which Glisten details an encounter he had with Rodger where he helped him carry files into the elevator.

Not only does this prove that Glisten is willing to help him, but also that Rodger would otherwise trust him to. This note also tells us Rodger gives Glisten the validation he craves from the other toons. Why else would he end it off with "I should spend time with [Rodger] more" if he wasn't flattered by his compliment? 

So we have the dynamic, but what can be done with it? Let us discuss:

PART THREE: Potential

This part will mainly consist of how I interpret Glisten and Rodger's relationship. It will focus less on canon itself and more on the fun ways you can build off of it.

Glisten yearns for attention; it says so on his title card:

And Rodger is someone who can give him not just the attention he wants, but also the attention he needs. In multiple ways, whether it be through compliments or concerns, Rodger makes Glisten feel seen. His praise means enough to Glisten for him to journal about it, and though he brushes off Rodger's regards for his safety in their elevator interaction, he'll still go to him to "cry and complain." Besides, Rodger is a detective. It's his job to see through facades. He'd know when Glisten is putting up a front of perfection and be able to look past it to see the real him. What else is that keen eye for, right?

And what of Glisten's part in their relationship? Considering how unpopular Rodger is with the other toons, particularly the mains, having someone like Glisten to help with carrying files and bantering about smudged glass is a lot. Even if it is "part of the job" as a detective, nobody enjoys being disliked or dismissed by others, especially former friends. Yet despite Rodger's reputation, Glisten is in his corner.

There is more I could discuss, but that will have to be saved for a continuation. This post is already long enough! But I hope this shines some light on ReflectiveDetective's charm. It's one of my favorite pairings and I hope to share it with more people. Thank you for reading!

[rykardthebarbarian]

"I hit things," The Barbarian responded, amusement coloring his features, "Until they break." The sword that Rykard wielded was crude and rough, chips and divots along the blade and the hilt was wrapped in bloody, dirty bandages. The colossal greatsword was a far cry from the pristine, refined, castle-forged steel that the nobles treated more as a posh accessory to their finest raiments. It was a crude slab of steel, meant more for bludgeoning attacks and pulverizing bone under its immense weight. There were splatters of long dried blood and decaying viscera settling into the serrations that had formed along the blade. If someone managed to survive the initial onslaught of Rykard's attacks, the infection that festered in their wounds would surely finish them off.

Years of solitude wore on the man, it had been years since he was around so many non-hostile people at the same time. His social skills were about as rusty as the weapon he carried. But with the magi encroaching on their position and darkspawn lurking about, Rykard was in no position to make any enemies here. And he was quickly realizing that forming bonds was much more difficult than cleaving them with his blade. "Do you make your living as a smith, or is it more like a hobby for you?" He inquired, observing how the witch studied the blade he was holding.

@rykardthebarbarian location: Nornwatch Keep notes: fixing things connect

Alrik's father had been a berserker and a blacksmith, he could recognize the former easily enough and had been expected to follow the forge before his life had been interrupted. While the witch had been formally out of the trade for a few years, there were parts of it that he found he missed. The simple life of a shop and the salt air - that was still appealing to him, but the reality was that creatures like him more often came upon violent ends. This wasn't a time for nostalgia, it was a time for people to use what skills they had available to them to help with whatever greater good could be distilled from this situation.

"What- did- you- do- to- her." Alrik held up the main's blade, chipped and battered before he brought it up to the light and remarked at the way the steel had bent. Apparently, things happened when you went berserk, his father had put that life behind him when Alrik was born but it took a lot of strength to do this kind of damage.

[wafflexdguy]

Interactions (3)

The rest of the day is going to be dedicated to finishing up the interactions. It's going to be separate posts.

================================================

Looey

(1)

Hey Looey.

Hey chum! How’re you doing lately?

Well enough. You?

Oh, just fine! Haha…

Looey.

C’mon, I’m doing fine!

…If you say so. 

(2)

You should really consider joining the Circus Troupe! We could always use another member!

I’ll think about it.

…You’ve said that for the tenth time, haha…

I-... Yeah, I know. 

…

Look, I’ll give you a straight answer next time we talk, okay?

…Okay. 

----------------------------------------------------

Poppy

(1)

Hey, Poppy. How’re things doing?

They’re doing!

Well, you know what we’re doing after this?

Oooh, what?

Teagan is setting up a tea party later, so I was heading there if you wanted to come with.

OOOhhhh! Yes please!

(2)

Mooooo.

…Huh?

Oh, nothing. Hehe…

Okay then…?

--------------------------------------------------

Razzle & Dazzle

(1)

Hello there! (...Hi, ____.)

Heylo there, still going to book club after this?

That was the plan! (...Did you want to come with?)

Sure, nothing better to do.

(2)

Hmm…

Something on your mind? (...You seem thoughtful.)

Oh, just thinking about what I should wear tomorrow.

Don’t you usually wear the same thing every day? (...Your outfit looks nice.)

Yeah, but I’d figured I switch it up, y’know?

I completely understand that! (...I could give some recommendations if you want.)

I’d appreciate that, Dazzle. 

------------------------------------------------

Rodger

(1)

Rodger! Still doing investigations?

Ah, my partner in investigations… Yes, I do! Why do you ask?

Well, Vee’s been trying to get me to ask you to stop asking Astro questions.

…Has she?

Yeah, but I’m not one to tell you what to do.

…Thank you, ___.

(2)

Partner! Would you like to-

Nope. I'm retired, remember?

…You never told me why that is.

No real reason for it, just kind of… got dull when there was nothing else to investigate, y’know?

Ah, I understand.

----------------------------------------------------

Scraps

(1)

So, finished any projects recently?

Yeah, actually! We just finished some paper crowns for Toodles and Rodger!

…And Rodger?

Yeah, apparently she convinced him to play castle with her.

Heh, I’d pay to see that play out. 

(2)

Want to join us for some crafts later?

Uh, not really. Glue keeps getting stuck on me.

We don’t have to use glue! There are other things we could try out!

In that case, sure. Why not?

YES! You are going to LOVE paper flowers!

----------------------------------

Using Crafty Grapple ability towards you.

INCOMING!

Oh, hello there!

Haha, sorry!...

---------

Shrimpo

—-------

(1)

I HATE THAT I CAN’T HATE YOU!

BOO, GET SOME BETTER HATE!

BOO!!!!

BOO!!!!!!!

(2)

Hey Shrimpo.

I HATE YOU GREETING ME!!!

Can you stop trying to pop Looey?

NO! I HATE YOU TRYING TO CONVINCE ME NOT TO!!!

[songoftrillium]

Likes don’t increase visibility to others! Please reblog this to spread the word! 

I think Werewolf is an inherently queer medium

This is all part of a longer term project

Read our intro comic here

Coming soon:

Book 1: Cliath

In 1992, White Wolf Publishing released the first edition of Werewolf: the Apocalypse to the public. Throughout the 1990s, it rapidly grew to become one of the most played role-playing games of all time, and this persisted well into the noughties when the series concluded with the Revised (3rd) edition.

Its a game that speaks to the core fears many of us hold about the uncertainty of the future. Of corporations harming the world to meet their profit margins, of everyday people whose homes and lives are destroyed by disasters caused by those corporations or by storms that wouldn't have been so severe even a decade before. Of politicians who sell agencies to those who pay them the most to make the most vulnerable groups in society even more vulnerable. Of people who don't even have that. It looks you all in the eyes and asks you to be enraged. It asks you to care while handing you the tools to do something about it. Then, you get to work. You don't just blow up the factories; you empower the little guy, heal communities, and confront the stagnant society that you've become a part of, and you have to be responsible custodians of the greater world around you while not trying to be consumed by the very darkness you fight against. It was as intense as it was touching, heartbreaking, and entertaining. At times its just as absurd (and nuanced) as real life.

It was revolutionary at the time for the space it held at the tabletop. Werewolf was the first tabletop roleplaying game ever made that defaulted to using feminine pronouns in all Player and Storyteller interactions, as well as the default pronouns of the Garou in its first three editions. For its many flaws, it saw itself as the first tabletop roleplaying game that held any space for Indigenous groups. It made activism a core theme of the game itself, and would conclude its books with a list of related real-world demonstrations where the players can get involved in protecting the world around them, just like the werewolves they represent at the tabletop.

The Garou have intricate and multi-layered cultures from their written language to their oral histories, the way they dress, and the ways they manifest across editions were presented with very little overlap when it comes to the multiple facets across their society, leading to a rich history and complex societies for Storytellers to weave chronicles together for their troupes.

Dark Surrealism Awaits

The World of Darkness is implied to exist just beneath a facade that all others take for granted as simply being a world gone wrong. Can you feel it? In a world of burning forests, flash floods, social inequality and seemingly worse things emerging day after day — a world where everything feels wrong and nothing in the world feels right — you are not alone.

The universe is itself a living organism, thrashing like a panicked animal at the biting darkness, and we, the Gaians, are those who join the fight to protect it. You are one of Gaia’s chosen warriors, about to experience your First Change, and become swept into a world of ancient warriors and sacred purpose.

We monsters ask nothing of you—other than to join us.

Book 1: Cliath includes • Over 400 fully annotated pages with cross-referencing and book citations for Storytellers to delve into the deeper lore of WtA • Cross-edition compatible character creation rules for Fifth edition and legacy games • Comprehensive information on the histories, societies, and politics of over 20 Tribes • Laws, Tenets, traditions and rites for 3 new factions • Downtime and Questing mechanics • Detailed breed information and roleplay tips on how to play a wolf • Full sept breakdowns including roles and duties • Over 600 level 1-3 Gifts in a whole new presentation • 7 New Patrons • New Renown system and detailed ranking info • Comprehensive character creation rules • Dozens of story seeds to get your players started • A localized Pacific Northwest setting with Sept, legends, and over 20 new NPCs • Citable information on first changes and rites of passage

Read our latest project update here

[heroic-ignus]

Location: The Lostlands.

Time: Afternoon.

Closed: @riandur.

There were more important things to think about other than whatever happened back at the strange halls filled with awful smells and weird ladies, however, one thing was certain, Alder could not confirm that those who were with him did not see the demonic wolf in which he'd transformed, and even though it was usually subtle, he wanted to make sure his identity was safe for the time being.

The man took a seat, noticing the other figure across from him. "Mind if an old man sits here?" He asked, although he'd already done that before an answer was given. "I have to admit I was impressed with how you handled the crossbow back there." He offered the other a smile tainted in curiosity. "How did you learn how to shoot it? Bows and the like have never been easy to me."

[heroic-ignus]

Immediately as she got up Lor was on high alert, and as soon as she left the warmth of the campfire, the direwolf and her pack were sure to get on her way, warning her of the danger of going out into the night alone with the bad weather as it was. Alder was quick to send a gaze their way, however, and the wolves took a step back. "You're injured, there are many creatures that would gladly prey on you if you walk away from this fire..." He spoke in a gentle tone, seemingly unfazed by her words, although they did leave a mark, even if he wouldn't show. The blademaster got up on his feet, grabbing the fur mantle, folding it and placing it on top of where they were sat.

"That is, if you don't freeze to death before that..." As he said so, he started to walk towards the treeline to the other side of where she was, leaving the campfire behind for her to use to keep her safe since he was much more experienced than her at surviving in the woods. "If you don't want to forgive me, it's fine. I'll still be there when you need me." It was a genuine comment. She was the same as him and she'd been hurt in ways he could comprehend, the older man did not wish she followed the same path he did. She deserved better. Now, however, she didn't need him, she needed her own space, and that's what he'd give her.

The entire world felt like it was falling in on her from all sides, and he sat there looking away from her and tending to the stupid fire. Rationally, she knew keeping the fire going was vital to their survival through the night, but she wasn’t at her most rational headspace after the theory Alder had asserted. Half of her would vehemently deny his assertions out of genuine belief Alder was off-base. Half of her believed what he told her, but struggled to look at the truth of things head-on because it was ugly and rotten and would reveal things to her about herself she was more comfortable remaining ignorant of. That latter part of her urged her to seek any reason to become further upset with him, to shove him back at the arm’s length she had intended to keep him at in the first place.

Two words incensed her in particular. Kid. Victim. Both felt so patronizing, so diminishing. She suspected she was somehow an inch shorter now that Alder had spoken them. “Don’t call me that,” she growled at him venomously. “Betrayal isn’t a crime–that’s just a part of life.” She was many things, but she refused to accept that she was a victim. With the word kid though came the reminders of her impulsivity, her lack of worldly knowledge, how naive she could be… The reminders of these things were like a bitter pill, and she needed to get away from him. 

Juneau threw the fur he’d draped around her shoulders off of herself and pushed herself up from the frozen ground, making sure to lift herself with her good leg. She wouldn’t be able to make it far on her injured leg, more than half healed but still painful and weak, but she didn’t need to get especially far. Just away from him. “I won’t forgive you for shit,” she snapped at him, the firelight illuminating the grief and conflict behind her eyes. “I never want to so much as speak to you again.” She turned her back on him, doing her best to navigate the rough terrain with the unforgiving injury, determined to find some quiet, dark space in the woods far away from him.

[phyrofwild]

Location: The Lostlands.

Time: During Lunch.

Closed: @vuldak-juneau.

The lack of proper food had already been bothering the Dúnedain for weeks now, and he'd envy his own companion for having the freedom to roam around in the skies and catch its prey in the wild, but would never ask Boreas II for food not in a million years since he knew she could only catch enough for herself and would give him a portion of it if he so desired, two would be hungry instead of one. So he looked at his part of the meal, not enough to fill his belly, but enough to keep him alive, and started to gulp it down.

It was only when his gaze left the plate in front of him that he saw the other girl at his table, she seemed like someone he would like to know for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint at the moment. "Is it not to your taste, perhaps?" He asked, leaning forward towards her with a big teethy smile. "How so? It's so fucking good, isn't it?" He laughed it off, unamused by the choice of ingredients. "Next time I shall tell them to use more sauce!" As he phrased it, the voice got a bit louder as if trying to make them listen, but no one really paid him attention.

[luffyvace]

☆彡PHANTOM TROUPE RELATIONSHIP HCS ☆彡

(separate)

Disclaimer: Credits to the artists!! I own none of these pictures!

I procrastinated on these for way too long.. still! Enjoy! <3 (these exclude hisoka & Kalluto)

Chrollo:

Chrollo is a lover that takes care of whom he loves!

therefore, he takes care of you!

Any hobbies you have, he’ll indulge in them with you

any supplies you need for said hobbies?

art supplies, ski gear, ice skates, computer, hiking equipment!

The list goes on

even if you never actually use the stuff he buys he doesn’t mind :)

cuz hey! He didn’t actually buy it! 🤪

chrollo will truly do anything in his power to keep you happy

and we all know power is something he certainly does have

he can buy you a luxury house and car all the way down to cuddling in the warm rays of the sunset while having a cookout

i guarantee if your upset, he’ll make you happy within the next hour

chrollo probably never learned how to love properly

but with you?? The definition of love doesn’t matter. he’s just grateful he has it.

you make him feel like he knows what he’s doing with himself in life.

he’s less lost, if I may say.

he’s found a home, in you.

Nobunaga:

nobunaga was never familiar with love and never even thought about the fact that he wasn’t interested!

but here you are simply having a conversation, chatting.

and yet even with such a simple act he feels so nervous?? While excited and happy at the same time??

he wonders why he even feels so fidgety!

your just talking!!

how on the earth are you making him act a fool like this?!

like yeah your pretty and he likes your personality and you two have the same interests plus all of your interactions have gone good…..man he really is in love huh

WHAT IS THIS SOME SAPPY ROMANCE MOVIE?

now I know it only seems like he has a crush

but you two are actually already in the relationship!!

and yes, he still gets nervous. The feeling never goes away

once he tried to ask if you still get butterflies n stuff and if you said no he was so embarrassed!!!!

seriously he brushes it off like it didn’t bother him and never brings it up again

Feitan:

feitan will probably do better with a nonchalant or sadist partner so 1) you can enjoy torturing with him or 2) you won’t care or get grossed out that he does

If your not doesn’t matter he’s still gonna anyway-

he’s not the typa dude to change for love

but that aside

he likes your quiet company

so like reading together (whether it’s two different books or not)

and reviewing to each other

learning new skills from/with each other

actually sometimes feitan teaches you cool human body facts!!

Like how brains are around 60% fat!

or that they weight 3 pounds! ;D

how cool is that?!

yes this is his tastes in topics and humor

and he only laughs if you say stuff like “gross!” Or “ew that’s disgusting!”

he will be satisfied if you find it cool too

Long story short don’t go into his library

you won’t find any books you like there unless you like what he does

Machi:

She’s an assertive domestic girlfriend

Plus she’s really caring

but caring doesn’t always mean sweet and happy all the time

while she has no problem taking care of you..

you better either get up and do some things yourself or return the favor !

She expects you to at least be able to get daily tasks done

either that or clean the whole house like she was gonna do. you choose.

your place is probably really simple yet well decorated

Not for an aesthetic but because of just general things you have

like a shoe rack, the pretty furniture and rugs, the dart board she owns, any hobby equipment you own (easel, paintings, hockey equipment, hiking equipment, etc)

it all just makes a really cozy look for your house

and yes you two definitely play darts together

she will win unapologetically and won’t hold back

she wants to genuinely see you improve so she doesn’t go easy on you

“You can’t get better by playing against somebody worse than you”

Phinks:

phinks in a relationship is literally the definition of a guy who could pull more if he was less nervous

but he obviously pulled you and that’s what matters most

he gets flustered easily but tries to hide it

(Spoiler: he fails)

phinks will try to be romantic but it’ll either get ruined by his friends crashing the date

*ahem* shal and fei 😒(😂💗)

or he’ll just be so incredibly nervous that it doesn’t go as smoothly as he planned

he thinks up these brilliant romantic scenarios in his head but can never seem to execute them 🤨😕

it’s the thought that counts 🤷‍♀️💝

he would truly be such a romantic if he could just stop freaking out

I mean don’t get me wrong it’s not like it never works

when it does, he’s excited in the moment

but as soon as it’s over he’s worrying like crazy about how he’s gonna upstage that from last time

Especially without screwing up and making a fool of himself

little does he know you love him all the same 😂

Shalnark:

is really teasing and playful so I hope your not hot headed

if your aren’t and choose to prank him back instead?

it literally becomes prank wars

at some point the pranks started a real (petty) argument

after it was settled you decided not to terrorize each other anymore

now you target the troupe with your antics! 😆

your main victim is phinks

mostly because his reaction is really funny

Plus he’s the easiest to get mad

LOL

but back to the original topic where your hot headed….

yeah the argument probably ended up happening sooner than not

although at first he doesn’t take it seriously because your always getting mad like this

then you say something that makes him realize your serious

he feels really stupid for not noticing sooner

he’ll genuinely apologize (for literally once in his life)

and direct his pranks to someone else

after that you probably end up watching the victims and find it funny too

so you still end up bonding over it 😅💖

Franklin:

Franklin is not necessarily gentle

he’s just more coolheaded than not

like the time he started fighting with uvogin in the 1999 version

like he’s chill until you say the wrong thing

but that’s just how he is in general

he never gets mad at s/o

his patience is infinity+ for you

You may have secretly tried to make him angry or at least annoyed-

but if it one day goes too far he says “stop.” with a very serious tone/look and you probably stop from there 😀

😗

otherwise if you don’t decide to test the waters from jump, Franklin doesn’t have many hobbies so he’ll literally just indulge in what you like

like it doesn’t even matter if he finds it boring

you’d never know because he’d be so supportive of you doing what you love

but it’s more likely than not he’ll enjoy a few

franklin is also decent at like every house chore ever, cooking, sweeping/cleaning for example

like he knows how to do everything, but he’s just average at it

Shizuku:

Shizuku is very forgetful

she forgets chores, how to cook certain things, favors you asked her to do

But you don’t have to worry about her forgetting things about you solely because she would never date anyone she doesn’t know enough to remember

She probably wouldn’t remember she likes you so why would she?!

Unless like she forgets how long she’s known you-

AND LIKE- MAGICALLY THINKS YALL BEEN FRIENDS FOR YEARS WHEN YALL MET 6 MONTHS AGO

That’s a writing prompt

she’d be remembering memories that never happened and everything 🤦‍♀️

But we won’t go into that here…

it’s probably low key annoying that you have to do a lot of things because she keeps forgetting

so I sure hope your patient..

“huh? You never asked me to do that..”

”no! You didn’t, I remember! you never even came in the living room!” (Her saying ‘I remember’ is ironic I know)

With a more motherly and provider mindset reader she’d do just fine

At the very least shizuku will remember your favorite things and gift you them when she can<3

isnt that sweet?!

see?? It’s not like she’s being a jerk!

she genuinely forgot!

Pakunoda:

pakunoda is wife criteria

she can do everything

she is gentle, caring and strong

she can protect and advice you

she remembers all your favorite things—everything about you!

she always cooks your favorite meals

paku loves to relax on the beach together with some wine~

she loves road trips and mini calm adventures

Take her on some!! She deserves it with all she does for you!

and you definitely do!

you guys create lots of fun and heart warming memories together

out in the grass, in the wild life, in forests, in the dessert!

she’s a great cook and a outstanding baker!! 😍😋😋

her signature dish is raspberry pie

ITS SO DELICIOUS

she makes random desserts and pastries for you as a love language

getting up to her breakfast is the best way to start your day possible

you literally can always expect a good meal with her

if you’ve been having a bad day???

at this point a bad day ain’t a bad day no more cuz you already dancing knowing she gon hook you up‼️💃🕺

Bonolenov:

bonolenov is so grateful that you act normal around him

like you have from the start, you never alienated him

before and after he took off his bandages

he can cook but others wouldn’t think so because his tribe’s traditional food is different than the norm

If you tried it and liked it he’d be overjoyed!!

He’d feel much more confident about cooking and do it for you more often

he’d low key question if your from his tribe and wonder if you’d say no to a blood test

(BRO another writing prompt!! Bonolenov finding a reader from his tribe!!)

if you didn’t like it I’m sure you let him down gently since you love him

and he gets it

maybe it was just that one dish though?

he’d want you to try a few more of different types (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and snacks) before you completely give up on it

if you truly end up not liking it he won’t be angry or anything

it simply wasn’t for you :)

he’s actually a pretty chill dude

Even more so around you

he likes to lazy around a lot and you two might cuddle often

not intentionally but like you just both end up napping together all the time

if you want he’ll teach you his tribes dances and such

as well as traditions

he’ll be impressed if you master the dances fast

(him wondering if your from his tribe again)

Even If you take a bit longer he’s patient :)

he’s open to taking off his bandages around you if your not uncomfortable

if you are that’s fine they’re pretty comfy !

Uvogin:

uvogin is very rough

I mean it’s kinda hard to be gentle at that size-

if he hurts you on accident you’ll get a brief ‘sorry’ but know it’s genuine

don’t worry it doesn’t happen often enough to be concerned

but don’t stand behind him.

you’ve learned your lesson on that….

he squashed your toes once and it was not fun

don’t get me wrong he’s not some monster

he’s just big

so he’s gotta watch out for a bunch of tiny humans you know??

okay put it like this, imagine a grown man/woman is running full speed because they’re late to work and they run into a 3 year old and knock them down

was it intentional?? No. Do they apologize and feel bad?? Yes. Is it a little funny after everything’s okay?? Also Yes.

I will say it is fun to ride on his shoulder and sit in his lap/on his leg

(another prompt could be uvogin with a s/o as big as him..)

it’s fun for him to carry you around

it’s like have a little portable buddy

that idea is kinda wholesome ☹️💗

AND DON’T FORGET HIS BIG SMOOOOOCHIES 💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

he loves you 😊

FINALLYYYYYY GOT THIS DONE💥💥

I love the troupe :) the police needs to stop hating on they’re emo band fr 🙄✋

[lakevalorr]

Warning: Unhinged Autistic Rant

I already know some of y'all are gonna misinterpret this interaction (some people already have), so here's my thoughts on the Glisten & Blot interaction.

So, Blot is already not in the best mood. It's been shown that he doesn't like doing machines, and he doesn't like progressing through floors. So he's not exactly happy.

So Glisten is trying to strike up a conversation here. The only problem is that he knows NOTHING about the circus (mainly due in part that he hates/is afraid of clowns), so obviously, his first thought is, "hey, mimes are supposed to be silent, right?" It was meant to just be a simple comment.

But Blot is already not in the best mood, so hearing this, he takes it as an insult, and goes completely silent. Or perhaps he's being a smart ass and is taking his comment literally by being silent. Maybe both.

Glisten knows he screwed up here, so he tries to backtrack, but again, he does it in probably the worst way possible. He's not intentionally trying to be an asshole. This is more of a way of saying, "oh, c'mon, Blot. I was just messing with you. We're still cool." But he also tries to do so in a playful manner, potentially as a way to appeal to the fact that he's in a circus troupe.

Blot doesn't think it's sincere, so he remains silent. He probably also knows Glisten won't be able to understand him anyway.

Saying that Glisten is intentionally being mean here is just a really bad faith interpretation of this, and it really discounts the fact that:

1. He's kind of playing a character.

2. The two just aren't compatible. Their personalities clash.

No hate to anyone who might've interpreted that way in the beginning, I made the same mistake with Bassie and Cocoa, but characters are complex, guys. It's not black and white.

Sincerely,

Val the #1 Glisten Apologist.

[heroic-ignus]

If reason would point them to a common ground and agreement, there should be a way to avoid war between nations, even if he knew Iskaldrik was not that great of a kingdom to begin with since there was prejudice and suffering everywhere due to its laws. "I'd enjoy a good conversation with you about a less somber subject another time. I think this old man has to hit the hay soon to recover from what happened." A short laughter followed his words, faltering at the end as the voices grew louder in his mind, but not enough to break his smile.

He stop for a moment but after a deep breath he was feeling better again, in control. "This conversation has been... Enlightening. Don't be a stranger." He offered the other a short smile as he adjusts his sheathed sword on the belt, left hand resting on its hilt as a habit, and thus he resumes his walk back to the tower, to his people.

𝓣𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓭…

It is odd to be praised as thoroughly as he is by someone he has not decided yet whether to trust or not. Mikhael had begun the conversation with the goal of delicately mentioning his awareness of the other’s status as a Vuldak, to let him know that he is being watched but the more they talked, the less he felt it necessary and the less he wanted to say anything of the sort. The heron mark on the warrior’s blade is clear and stark even in the dark, and Mikhael knows what it means. He knows the man before him was worthy of respect once, enough to gain the title of Blademaster. He still doesn't know if he remains worthy of such respect still. 

He has to hope he does. 

“There is something both humbling and inspiring to realize that your heroes are just like you, yes,” he agrees easily, his mother coming to mind the easiest. His respect for her is ever-expanding, the more he learns of the world around them and what it meant for her to choose him. 

“The Divine is anything except a spokesperson for the One God, yes,” Mikhael says, and leaves it at that. Few outside Ankhuria understand the Great Baal as a physical embodiment of the One God, and he does not think leading the conversation into a sermon will be beneficial, not when he is still trying to gauge whether the vuldak will live up to the mark on his blade.

[lavenderchqn]

𝑃𝐴𝐼𝑅𝐼𝑁𝐺 —

lyney x f!reader

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝑈𝑆 — completed | 𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — closed

𝐺𝐸𝑁𝑅𝐸𝑆 —

social media au, modern au, college au, acquaintances to friends to lovers, mystery, slow burn, fluff, angst, comedy

𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑆𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺:

— tabletop troupe cuties | — beverage gang

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — MANY MOONS AGO

⤿ tabletop troupe cuties | ⤿ beverage gang

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝟎𝟎𝟏 — FONTAINE UNIVERSITY WELCOMES YOU BACK | 𝟎𝟎𝟐 — PROJECT SWARM 𝟎𝟎𝟑 — INEXPLICITUS ✧ | 𝟎𝟎𝟒 — (UN)BROKEN BRITA FILTER 𝟎𝟎𝟓 — A HUNCH | 𝟎𝟎𝟔 — THE TWO OF TWIGS 𝟎𝟎𝟕 — INVESTIGATION BOARD ✧ | 𝟎𝟎𝟖 — SOLITAIRE ✧ 𝟎𝟎𝟗 — ERRAND RUN | 𝟎𝟏𝟎 — SNAPSHOT ✧ 𝟎𝟏𝟏 — HOMESTRETCH | 𝟎𝟏𝟐 — GENESIS PT. 1 ✧

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑇𝑊𝑂 𝟎𝟏𝟑 — GENESIS PT. 2 ✧ | 𝟎𝟏𝟒 — NEW CHAT, WHO THIS? 𝟎𝟏𝟓 — TESTIMONIES | 𝟎𝟏𝟔 — GROWING IMPATIENT 𝟎𝟏𝟕 — SYMMETRIA VITAE | 𝟎𝟏𝟖 — WITCH HUNT ✧ 𝟎𝟏𝟗 — HOUSE OF HEARTH ✧ | 𝟎𝟐𝟎 — MOVING FORWARD 𝟎𝟐𝟏 — STACKS OF CLUES | 𝟎𝟐𝟐 — UPON QUOTES ✧ 𝟎𝟐𝟑 — WALK IN A MAZE | 𝟎𝟐𝟒 — TALK IN A DAZE ✧

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸 𝟎𝟐𝟓 — ECHO CHAMBER ✧ | 𝟎𝟐𝟔 — END OF HIATUS 𝟎𝟐𝟕 — RIGHT TIMING | 𝟎𝟐𝟖 — BEHIND THEIR BACKS 𝟎𝟐𝟗 — CONFLICTING EMOTIONS ✧ | 𝟎𝟑𝟎 — BITTER WORDS 𝟎𝟑𝟏 — ENTERTAIN THE UNTHINKABLE ✧ | 𝟎𝟑𝟐 — STORM THE CASTLE 𝟎𝟑𝟑 — SET IT OFF ✧ | 𝟎𝟑𝟒 — LIBERANDUM ✧ 𝟎𝟑𝟓 — CALM AFTER THE STORM | 𝟎𝟑𝟔 — IMAGINARY ✧

𝐸𝑃𝐼𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — MANY MOONS AFTER

⤿ ENDING THOUGHTS

[roseofthewind]

Furina and High-Masking Autism

A lot of people don’t know how to recognize high-masking autism because its presentation challenges many stereotypes about what autistic people are like, but Furina continues to be a perfect example of it.

It should go without saying, but I love Furina as a character and this analysis is in no way putting her down. Autism is an entirely neutral trait that carries through to adulthood, and if you have a strong negative reaction to the idea of a character you like being autistic, you have probably absorbed a lot of misconceptions about autism and have some unconscious prejudice to unpack.

In the paragraphs that follow, I am going to explain several autistic traits and give examples of how Furina displays each trait.

*thinking face on*

1. Autism is, at its core, a difference in the way the brain takes in, processes, and shares information. This can make it challenging to communicate with other people who don’t share this neurotype, but a high-masking autistic person has observed the way other people interact and spent years copying them, figuring out through trial and error how to act to best fit in and get the most positive responses from other people.

Furina’s ascension speech in Act V of the Fontaine Archon Quest, where she first presents herself to the people of Fontaine, is a great example of this observation of others with the goal of masking as well as possible. Furina initially gives the speech as comes naturally to her in a very straightforward and honest manner (also an autistic trait!). After the speech, she realizes that her citizens are responding with hostility to her humility and lack of authoritarianism, so she then plays off the original speech as a ruse and immediately redoes the entire thing more assertively according to the feedback she picked up on.

(Calm down, Furina… Think. Think. What do the people want? How would they imagine a god to speak and act?)

Fontaine AQ Act V, Chinese audio: (link starts video at 3:10:07) https://youtu.be/T-AbXi5bufk?si=eQADAWw6n8Sk0PZE&t=11407

This is the kind of social trial and error that many autistic people do over the course of years so that eventually we can say the “right thing” the first time around, and it’s a testimony to Furina’s skills as an actor that she course-corrects so quickly.

Because of all the constant mental calculations, social situations are usually very tiring for autistic people, even when the social event lines up with their interests. In Clorinde’s Story Quest, Furina has no interest in Navia’s suggestion of pulling an all-nighter to keep playing D&D (I mean, Tabletop Troupe!) and wants to go home and rest.

Furina: Huh!? Oh, um… I’m not sure I’ll have enough energy for that…

Furina has shown other signs of needing to take a break from socializing– for instance, in Lynette’s hangout event quest, Lynette gets tired of all the people at her post-performance reception and goes upstairs to a quieter room to find Furina already there.

Furina offers to give Lynette tips on the best ways to slip away from an event, and Lynette misunderstands at first and isn’t interested in Furina’s advice because she thinks Furina loves everything about the spotlight and doesn’t realize how much they have in common. This goes a long way to show just how well Furina masks her autistic traits!

Furina: I see you’ve escaped the crowds to seek refuge on the second floor. Fame can be overwhelming at first, can’t it? Perhaps you’d benefit from hearing about the experiences of a veteran celebrity such as myself?

Lynette: No thanks, I’m good. Pretty sure this’ll be my first and last time in this situation…

Furina: Hey, at least let me finish! I have top tips on dealing with belligerent reporters, slipping away to hunt down snacks during the intermission…

Lynette: …Tell me everything.

Conversely, when alone, Furina will stay up late reading or doing something else that interests her and will not feel the same need to stop and rest, because when alone, there is no need to expend extra energy worrying about socializing properly.

At the beginning of the Fontinalia Film Festival limited event story, Traveler and Paimon go to Furina’s apartment and she answers the door sounding a bit groggy.

Paimon: Did you just get up, Furina? It’s already past noon, you know…

After Traveler chastises Paimon for being rude, Paimon panics and says something nonsensical about how the weather is so nice in the afternoon and sleeping in is fine, actually, and Furina responds that she’s just a bit tired because she was up late reading:

Furina: I was just up late last night reading some novels…

When focused on an interest, it’s very easy for an autistic person to lose track of time and it can be difficult to break out of the focused state and go to bed. (This is a trait that overlaps significantly with ADHD.)

2. Alexithymia is a difficulty with identifying, processing, and expressing your own emotions, and in extreme cases presents as an almost total lack of emotion. Some degree of alexithymia is common in autistic people.

I believe, in the flashback scene below from Act V of the Fontaine Archon Quest, that Furina genuinely did not realize she was upset and did not realize she was crying, which could be explained by alexithymia.

Fontainian citizen: Are… are you crying?

(If you played this part with the English voice acting and interpreted it differently, try listening to it in Chinese- Furina’s voice sounds completely confident and in control the entire time, and it’s not until the other person points out she’s crying that Furina sounds at all upset.)

Fontaine AQ Act V, Chinese audio: (link starts video at 3:22:00) https://youtu.be/T-AbXi5bufk?si=fl8xSwkQ0rRLFPQU&t=12121

I am a believer that Furina and Focalors were originally the same person, and Focalors is just Furina’s divinity and pre-archonhood memories— so if Furina is autistic, Focalors is autistic.

While talking to Neuvillette, Focalors is extremely matter-of-fact with her explanation of her plan, very matter-of-fact about the suffering of her own human self, and very matter-of-fact about her own impending death. There is no show of emotion— she just tells Neuvillette the facts. This could be related to alexithymia, but regardless it is a very autistic way of communicating that is often misinterpreted as cold and uncaring. In actuality, someone who is willing to sacrifice their own immortality, divine power, and freedom to save other people’s lives cares a great deal, even if the tone of their voice doesn’t reflect it!

Focalors: I mean, did you think I would be the sort to enjoy peaceful repose while Furina suffered?

3. The autistic nervous system takes in a lot of information that a neurotypical person’s would filter out as not being important enough to bother with- this is why autistic people are so much more sensitive to sounds, lights, textures, and any changes in the environment. Too much sensory input can actually feel painful.

There is a documented instance of the Opera Epiclese becoming so loud that Furina was overstimulated enough to yell at everyone to be quiet.

Furthermore, post-Archon Quest, after moving out of the Palais Mermonia and into her own apartment, Furina eats primarily macaroni for an unspecified amount of time— weeks or months on end. After a huge life change, it’s common for an autistic person to want anything they can control to be the same, so their brain has more space to process everything that’s different.

There is no neurotypical explanation for eating the same food over and over to the exclusion of everything else. It makes no sense to someone who doesn’t experience overstimulation and distress at too much change. Case in point, during Furina’s Story Quest, Traveler and Paimon are rather baffled:

Traveler: …Don’t you get sick of macaroni every day?

Furina: Not at all. As long as you have different kinds of sauces in, you can have macaroni and tomato sauce one week, macaroni and bolognese the next…

Notice that Furina says “macaroni and tomato sauce one week,” implying that she’s fine with just that sauce for an entire week, and then uses a different sauce for the next entire week. Still not very much variety!

Paimon: Oh, sounds like you’re really struggling to cope… Traveler: Is it because you have to do all your own cooking now?

Yes, Furina is struggling to cope, but not because she’s incapable of learning how to cook more complex dishes! She’s just too burnt out to want to make or eat a variety of things right now. Furina explains this and Paimon doesn’t believe her, but since we know that Furina’s special dish is an even more extravagant version of La Lettre a Focalors, if Furina is capable of baking at that level, she would certainly be capable of cooking.

4. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviors, are repetitive actions that serve to regulate or soothe the nervous system. There are countless behaviors that can be used as stims, but some common ones are rocking back and forth, hand flapping or waving, leg bouncing, skin picking or scratching, rubbing or squeezing a comforting object, dancing, spinning in circles, humming or vocalizing, or listening to the same song on repeat for hours. (It’s worth noting that stimming is not exclusive to autism— especially when stressed neurotypical people do some of these things too. Stimming can also be commonly exhibited by people with ADHD who aren’t autistic, although there are also a significant number of people with both ADHD and autism.)

One of Furina’s idle animations and also her normal attack sequence include behaviors that can be interpreted as stimming. Furina’s idle animation with Surintendante Chevalmarin involves her holding the seahorse up, waving her around, squeezing her tightly and rubbing her face on her head. Chevalmarin is made entirely of water and loves Furina dearly, and so does not mind being cuddled like a stuffed animal.

If you use all four of Furina’s normal attacks, she spins around several times and the final attack culminates with her spinning on a bubble and swinging her sword for AOE. If you use just three of Furina’s normal attacks and do not append any additional actions, Furina spins around again before plunging the tip of her sword into the ground (I do not have a gif of this). Furina also spins around when added to your 4-character party. That’s a lot of spinning, which certainly makes it seem like a preferred stim!

5. I got this far without mentioning special interests because I have so much other evidence that I hardly need to bring it up— but since it’s a much more commonly recognized autistic trait than many of the things I discussed at the beginning, I will include this part of Furina’s teapot dialogue, which does indicate that Furina engages in special interests:

Furina pretty much defines “special interest” with the above statement: it’s something that you’re interested in (to the point that it may feel like an obsession) and you have to know everything about it!

These are just a few examples of autistic traits that Furina exhibits— there are absolutely more. Furina is shown many times to have a high level of near constant anxiety despite being someone who is confident enough to perform on stage. This anxiety could come from other sources, like c-PTSD, but it’s very common for a high-masking autistic person to have chronic anxiety from being hyper-aware of avoiding potential social blunders, repressing stimming to appear more “normal,” and dealing with the increased risk of overstimulation that comes with repressing stimming.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Even if you don’t agree with my interpretation of the character, I do genuinely hope you learned something about autism.