#ioris inquisitive heart

[koushirouizumi]

Toei: Iori has a {heart} that "Wants to Know", like {Koushiro}-- (displaying Koushiros pic) mE: THANK YOU (I Have Been Validated)

[undatablebracket]

OUTDATED POST

Last updated 8/18/23, please check the bracket posts for the most up-to-date competitor list.

Sorted alphabetically by game for easy searching.

These are (almost) all of the bracket participants! There are a few who are still up in the air. Please do not get upset with me if your blorbo did not qualify; I did my best to research each game I was unfamiliar with. The most common reason for a character to be disqualified was being from a game without any romance at all.

Note that some of these may be removed, as my attempts at research may not have been sufficient.

Madoka Aoyagi from Aokana Four Rhythms Across the Blue

Reiko Satou from Aokana Four Rhythms Across the Blue

Nahara from The Arcana

Nazali from The Arcana

Nasmira from The Arcana

Natiqa from The Arcana

Brasidas from Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Soma Jarlskona from Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Alfira from Baldur's Gate 3

Volo from Baldur's Gate 3

Mallory from Black Closet

oniontheif from Blooming Panic: Full Bloom Edition

Mossie from Cattails

Guinevere from Code: Realize

Kotoho Sakuragawa from collar x malice

Antonio from Coral Island

Helene Leventis from Crown and the Flame - Choices (mobile app)

Owen Herriot from Cupid Parasite

Viktor Vector from Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077

Goro Takemura from Cyberpunk 2077

Mayor Mingus from Dialtown

Jerry from Dialtown

Pierre from Dialtown

Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club

The Arishok from Dragon Age 2

Varric Tethras from Dragon Age 2

Avaline Vallen from Dragon Age 2

Vivienne de Fer from Dragon Age Inquisition

Cole from Dragon Age Inquisiton

Scout Lace Harding from Dragon Age: Inquisition

Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi from Dragon Age: Inquisition

Sten from Dragon Age: Origins

Quizzmaster Quinn from Dream Daddy

Morgott the Grace-Given from Elden Ring

Matthew Gursky from Emily is Away

Magnolia from Fallout 4

Nick Valentine from Fallout 4

Phila from Fire Emblem Awakening

The Gatekeeper from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Hypnos from Hades

Orpheus and Eurydice from Hades

Chaos from Hades

Charon from Hades

Sisyphus from Hades

Alecto from Hades

Azami Koshiba from Hatoful Boyfriend

Blanc Lapin from Ikemen Revolution

Lyla Park from Life is Strange 2

Kyousuke Natsume from Little Busters!

Javik from Mass Effect

Urdnot Wrex from Mass Effect

Zaeed Massani from Mass Effect

Mordin Solus from Mass Effect 2 & 3

The Illusive Man from Mass Effect 2 + 3

Samara from Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3

Evfra de Tershaav from Mass Effect Andromeda

Zevin Raeka from Mass Effect Andromeda

Jeff "Joker" Moreau from Mass Effect trilogy

Moss Mann from Monster camp

Gerard from Monster Camp and Monster Roadtrip

Tate from Monster Prom

Sadie from Monster Prom 3: Road Trip and Monster Prom 2: Camp

Jerry the Murderer from Monster Prom series

Mali from My Time at Portia

Jaehee Kang from Mystic Messenger

Vanderwood from Mystic Messenger

Shinbi from Nameless (the one thing you must recall)

Soi from Nameless (the one thing you must recall)

Thirteen from Obey Me! One Master to Rule Them All

Aurora Emery from Open Heart - Choices

Jeremy King from Our Life: Beginning & Always

Miranda from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Terry from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Rio Iwasaki from Persona 3 Portable

Junpei Iori from Persona 3 Portable

Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4

Kanji Tatsumi from Persona 4

Goro Akechi from Persona 5

Yusuke Kitagawa from Persona 5

Ryūji Sakamoto from Persona 5

Eothas from Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Grim from Romancelvania

Gaius from Rune Factory 3

Illuminata from Rune Factory 4

Porcoline Tulle De Saint-Coquille from rune factory 4

Ventuswill from Rune Factory 4

Lin Fa from Rune Factory 4

Volkanon from Rune Factory 4

Terry from Rune Factory 5

Malix from Seduce Me the Otome

Halek Prince from Shepherds of Haven

Bao-Dur from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Clint from Stardew ValleyGus from Stardew Valley

Jodi from Stardew Valley

Kent from Stardew Valley

Krobus from Stardew Valley

Linus from Stardew Valley

Marnie from Stardew Valley

Mayor Lewis from Stardew Valley

Sandy from Stardew Valley

Robin from Stardew Valley

The Wizard (aka. M. Rasmodius) from Stardew Valley

Clemens from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Jacopo from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Karina from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Flora from Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Lars from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Brynjolf from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Cicero from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Erandur from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Faendal from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hadvar from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

J'zargo from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Miraak from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Seranna from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Teldryn Sero from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Ondolemar from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis from The Royal Romance - Choices

Iorveth from The Witcher 2

Vernon Roche from The Witcher 2

Julian Alfred Pankratz (Dandelion/Jaskier) from The Witcher 3

Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy from The Witcher 3

Karen Hanatsubaki from Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 3

Arihiko Inui from Tsukihime

Yumizuka Satsuki from Tsukihime

Alicia Rosales from XOXO Droplets

[riotmusicinfo]

RIOT MUSIC Year Two Part 1: Transcending Worlds and Striking Hearts

Winds began to blow, hopes and dreams started to coalesce. Emotions yet unknown to the world at large swirled, centering around this certain Virtual Music Agency which, in just over a year’s time turned one video on the net into a fanbase of hundreds culminating with an unforgettable party over in Yokohama. At the tail end of March 2021, five promising young artists stood on the cusp of a melodic movement capable of fomenting a full sonic revolution:

Cocoa Domyoji bright and bold, Saki Ashizawa fiery and sharp, Iori Matsunaga warm and welcoming, Yuka Nagase refreshing and inquisitive, and Suzuna Nagihara delicate and true. Tasked with the mission of sparking the “RIOT OF EMOTIONS” that would change the world, the RIOT MUSIC family defied all expectations winning over the hearts of so many in just 12 months. No turning back at that point, not that any of the girls would even consider abandoning their dream, as evidenced by their next 6 months carving out what would become hallowed RIOT MUSIC history~

Cocoa Domyoji Hits 100,000 Fans On Youtube - April, 2021

RIOT’s preliminary star, and the second artist in the RIOT MUSIC family to top the big 1-0-0-0-0-0 number, following Saki Ashizawa whose bright burning fire drew fans to her like a flame. Not viewing it as a competition, Cocoa-chan simply felt gratitude towards the 100,000 loyal and counting with renewed determination in her sacred tasks; reaching people with her singing and installing in them new wells of positivity. Clearly, she took her duties seriously.

Yuka Nagase drops her first otherworldly original “Kakeru, Tomaru.” - April 16, 2021

A singer, a musician, quite possibly a wizard, Yuka Nagase’s an artist in every sense of the word. After spending 11 months with the RIOT team, getting more comfortable with the professional side of music and learning to work with her producers, Yuka Nagase brought her debut original single “Kakeru, Tomaru” to the table. Contemplative and a bit mysterious, all while retaining a positive character,  it suits Miss Nagase to a T.

Iori Matsunaga revealed her inner-self on her first original single “Cocktail Lights.” April 24, 2021

Iori Matsunaga’s characterized by her generosity; A warm-blanket of a single, she imbues her singing with kindness and a faint, sweet nostalgia with delicate-scalpel-like precision. When it came time for her to release her first original single, she opted to show off a different side of herself to her audience; The vulnerability and determination that she puts into her art. Taking cues from the City Pop revival, “Cocktail Lights” inspires all the many feelings, pleasant or otherwise, one feels late into the night.

Suzuna Nagihara gets emotional on powerful first single “Kumosuki no Uta.” - April 29, 2021

Suzuna released a debut single that stayed true to the complex RIOT OF EMOTIONS in all our hearts. More in tune with her inner-working than most, Suzuna Nagihara put all of her life up until that point into “Kumosuki no Uta.” The melancholia that comes with cloudy days, triumphing through your saddest moments, fending for yourself in our isolated world, the ballad evokes such imagery throughout its tenure.

Cocoa Domyoji & Saki Ashizawa Reach 200,000 Fans Each on Their Channels - August, 2021

Saki Ashizawa forever has the claim to being RIOT’s first member to reach 100,000 fans, but her and Cocoa climbing to 200,000 in the same month felt like more than coincidence. While both girls play for the same team, as close friends and artistic partners, perhaps they felt something of a playful rivalry between the two; Clearly, they were pushing each other both to new heights as performers during this period, which saw some of the biggest growth for RIOT MUSIC in its shortest period of time yet.

Suzuna Nagihara Connects to Over 100,000 Fans - August, 2021

Suzuna Nagihara, debuting with RIOT about half a year after Saki and Cocoa, must have taken some inspiration from her dueling senpai, bringing in 100,000 fans of her own into the fold. RIOT MUSIC sought Suzuna out in part for her innate ability to move people’s hearts, and clearly what they saw in her became evident to the many around the world who had come in contact with her delicate, bordering-on-haunting singing

Cocoa Domyoji Celebrates Her Birthday In Ikebukuro With “Statice” Live Concert - September 18, 2021

Cocoa launched RIOT MUSIC. She built up 200,000 fans in record time. She even performed with the rest of the Virtual Music Agency at the first “Re:Volt” event. After a very solid year and a half working together with RIOT, the time came for Cocoa Domyoji to embark on her first big solo performance. With her convenient September birthday as good an excuse as any to throw a party, she headed down to Ikebukuro to serenade a group of her most dedicated fans for one night only~!

RIOT MUSIC Unleashes 1st Mini-Album “RIOT OF EMOTIONS” Unto The World! - September 29, 2021

Just weeks after Yuka Nagase, Iori Matsunaga, and Suzuna Nagihara released their first original singles, RIOT MUSIC took the next big leap with the collaborative album “RIOT OF EMOTIONS,” a entirely new collection of songs that brought together the RIOT family and embellished the best qualities in each artist. Leading off with the “One for Everything” group single and following with an original composition from each artist, it’s a perfect time-capsule of the early days.

End of RIOT MUSIC Year Two Part 1

With ”RIOT OF EMOTIONS” unleashed, one finds a perfect place to book-end the first half of the second year in this history. With so many fans discovering RIOT in this crucial period of time, we can retroactively deem it a period of growth for the artists themselves and the whole collective, a calm before the bigger storm to come. Our five heroes with passion in their hearts stood on the cliff of their bright future to come, and soon they would have to make that next leap of faith.

[shihalyfie]

No, Miyako and Iori’s Digimentals were not switched, can we please stop endorsing that

There’s a really common argument that Miyako and Iori’s initial Digimentals should have been “switched” (i.e. give Knowlegde to Miyako and Love to Iori), and accusing the series of trying to pigeonhole Miyako into a “girl” box by giving her the two Crests that originally belonged to her Adventure predecessor girls (Sora and Mimi). While I am not ever going to say that Adventure or 02 were the paragon of feminism, I seriously take issue with this reading, not only because of the fact that I feel it’s a misreading of Miyako and Iori’s characters to consider these Digimentals inappropriate, but also because the “alternative” suggestion of swapping them is an even worse misreading of what said Digimentals are actually about, and would result in an extremely unfitting result.

I would say that the major reasons these misconceptions get drawn a lot are mostly pertinent to the following:

A common misreading of the actual meaning of the “Crest of Knowledge”

The fact that Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori’s initial Digimental traits actually kick in the most in the latter half of the series, after they get their second set -- i.e., the secondary Digimentals are actually more obvious than their first set, even though the secondary ones are the ones to get focus episodes. (For a brief example with Daisuke, his “courage” resembled reckless foolhardiness for a lot of the first half, but at the end of the Kaiser arc and the entire second half it became very clear that Daisuke was still standing resolute in the face of what he knew were increasing stakes, which is a much, much more genuine show of courage.)

If you do want to make the argument that Miyako got this treatment “because she’s a girl”, you might as well argue that she was initially built from the ground up as someone who mixes core personality traits from Sora and Mimi. But she was absolutely not “pigeonholed”, and, again, I think it’s a severe misreading of her character to think that she was.

All quoted translations are by Ryuu-Rogue (Adventure) and PositronCannon (02).

The Crest of Knowledge

The Crest of “Knowledge” is a bit of a misnomer. It’s tempting to read it as simply “knowing a lot of information”, but note that there’s nothing really virtuous about that. You could easily be someone who “naturally” has a knack for studying or information, and then takes that information to be a smart-aleck who lords over everyone. Considering that the Crests were normally supposed to be about personal growth and virtues, “knowledge” seems like a very poor and incidental thing to be valuing.

In actuality, Adventure’s episode in relation to Koushirou and the Crest of Knowledge (episode 24) made it very clear that being intellectual had nothing to do with it. The entire episode revolves around Koushirou willingly giving up his “inquisitive heart” to the point where Tentomon considers him basically having thrown out himself. Koushirou spends the duration of the episode blindly accepting pseudoscience until Bubbmon snaps him back to his senses, and the “epiphany” that powers AtlurKabuterimon’s evolution later in the episode is as follows:

Koushirou: Staying ignorant isn’t what makes me, me! Wanting to know everything is part of who I am!...My inquisitive heart...I’m sorry for throwing you away. I want to know. I want to know!

The “actual” meaning of the “Crest of Knowledge” is defined here: it’s not about how much knowledge you currently have, it’s about how much knowledge you want to have -- wanting to not only have more information, but to also understand more. This is what fuels Koushirou’s character throughout all of Adventure -- he’s the one who can’t let something go whenever something interests him, and therefore he becomes the team’s valuable analyst and the one making the most progress in understanding the Digital World.

So when we get to 02 episode 2, and Iori claims the Digimental of Knowledge, Koushirou has this conversation with him to indicate him worthy of it:

Koushirou: Iori-kun, what do you think of the Digital World? Iori: What do I think...I don’t know, I just got here. Koushirou: But you’re thinking something, aren’t you? Iori: Yes...I have my own theories, but new questions keep popping in my mind and I want to know more. Koushirou: You have a really curious mind, as I thought. Iori: A curious mind? Koushirou: If you have any questions, please ask me. We’re your friends, and we’ll always help you out.

Just in case there were any ambiguity, Koushirou clarifies the “actual” meaning of the Crest of Knowledge right then and there: it’s not about having knowledge, it’s about curiosity, and that’s what we’re supposed to be looking out for with Iori’s character for the rest of the series.

Nevertheless, this conversation in episode 2 is a little misleading, and probably comes off as performative to many because Iori doesn’t actually show that much interest in the Digital World for the rest of the series, even though Koushirou had expected him to be like-minded in this regard. But what does happen is that once the Kaiser arc passes, and we reach the second half of 02, Iori starts to entertain some very interesting questions in regards to his stubborn insistence on black-and-white morality.

His first major shake to his frame of morality is episode 29, when he realizes that pacifist principles don’t mix well with a Digimon that professes to having no desire beyond wanton destruction.

In episodes 34-35, upon seeing Takeru gung-ho against BlackWarGreymon and the darkness to levels that disturb even him, he immediately goes up to Yamato to get answers on what’s up with Takeru without hesitation.

In episode 43, he starts to contemplate his stance on pacifism again after the SkullSatamon army ultimately forces the kids’ hands on breaking their anti-kill stance.

He asks his grandfather about his father in episode 47, and, upon coming face-to-face with Oikawa in episode 47, starts actually questioning him about his motives before he learns about Oikawa’s connection with Hiroki. The framing of the scene indicates he is very desperate to understand how Oikawa’s mentality could possibly make sense. Once he learns about the connection between the two, he gets even more desperate to understand how a friend of his father, whom he admired so much, could end up like this.

Eventually, his experiences with Ken and Oikawa lead him to become a defense attorney in the 02 epilogue, which is reiterated in side material (Spring 2003, Character Complete File, etc.) to be representative of his desire to “understand the hearts of criminals”.

Iori is not Koushirou, and his curiosity is not tied to intellectual pursuits or the Digital World, as much as he very much wants to understand morality and other people. He starts off the series with a very black-and-white view of it, but the more his intuition about it starts to crack, the more desperate and interested he gets about getting to the bottom of it. It’s a very unconventional way to see “knowledge” when such a term is usually applied to intellectual knowledge, but when you see it in terms of the Crest’s actual definition of “inquisitiveness and curiosity”, it fits like a glove.

What of Miyako? Well, she’s certainly got a lot of intellectual knowledge in the way Koushirou has, in terms of being good with computers, but...that’s...about it, actually. Unlike Koushirou, she doesn’t seem to be motivated by a drive to learn anything new with it. She can be curious about things, but that’s in the same way that everyone has a least a little of each Crest virtue within themselves to some degree; it’s not a driving part of her personality, and in fact, while she’s certainly not dismissive or callous, she sometimes even has a tendency to shut down at things she doesn’t understand and ask that it be simplified for her. In that light, “inquisitiveness and curiosity” actually feels very unfitting.

In fact, Miyako’s “intellectual” pursuits of being good with computers actually have very little to do with her character or personality. She has it as a peripheral hobby, and she engages in it, but unlike Koushirou, who uses his computer work as a way to gain more information and analyze things further, Miyako’s computer work really seems to be largely in the range of hobbies for her. A lot of her work is portrayed as favors for other people -- she helps fix Iori’s family computer, she helps out Yamato’s band, and she’s helpful to Koushirou as his junior -- in fact, the most pertinence Miyako’s computer abilities have with her actual personality is how much it puts Koushirou in her high esteem. So in actuality, all of that ties more into...

The Crest of Love

The Crest of “Love” is too often conflated with the potential for romantic love, especially because Sora was involved in the franchise’s most infamous love triangle, but the name of the Crest is actually aijou, i.e. “affection”. It’s a pretty neutral word, all things considered, and it has to do with being affectionate with and supportive of those around you.

Miyako starts off the series as a bit shallow and sometimes self-centered, but the way she interacts with Iori (someone from the same building quite a few years younger with her) already demonstrates that she’s open-minded about making friends and being friendly. On top of that, Miyako immediately demonstrates herself off the bat as being emotionally sensitive (see how she endears herself to Jou and Mimi in episodes 5-6 and has a bit of a mental health crash in episode 10).

Again, episode 2 tends to be a bit misleading, especially when Sora explicitly compares Miyako more to Mimi more than herself when she guides her towards the Digimental of Love. But observing Miyako’s behavior in most of 02′s second half indicates she is actually more than worthy of her title:

Starting as early as episode 3, she brings food for people, and does this a lot. She does this partially because she has privileges when her family runs the i-Mart, but she’s very much doing it to show her affection for all of her new friends -- it’s implied she’s the ringleader behind the “picnic” idea in episode 6 so that everyone can have a bonding session, despite it (at the time) having no relevance to the territory war and the fact that she’d just met everyone. By the time of episode 33, the way she cheerfully keeps in touch with Koushirou during her trip to Kyoto and brings souvenir yatsuhashi home for everyone (Koushirou included) indicates that she’s always got her friends on her mind.

Anytime she likes something or someone, she is perpetually open about her feelings and makes it very clear that she likes such a thing. Again, see how she immediately endears herself to Mimi, and later Michael in episode 14. (14 is interesting in that her “purity” is front and center that episode, because she calls herself out for being too straightforward about her own shallowness, but it’s worth noting that the way she manifests said shallowness is by being openly affectionate.)

Episode 24 has her notice that Daisuke’s feeling left out when Takeru and Hikari walk off on their own, and immediately assign him to nursery care duty where he can have fun and feel a little fulfilled teaching them soccer. This is a very often-overlooked scene, but she had basically no motive to do this except to make Daisuke happy, and the way she looks on the scene fondly indicates she’s very proud of herself for doing so -- she knew exactly what she was doing there, and is actually far more emotionally in touch with others than she’s often given credit for.

She is the second most proactive (behind Daisuke) to bid for Ken’s acceptance into the group, and while she initially seems to take a slightly more passive approach than he does, she immediately goes into given name basis with him (before Daisuke does, even!), takes a personal investment in seeing him become friends with Iori in episode 30, has a stake in reaching out to both Hikari and Ken in episode 31 (and is self-conscious about her running-her-mouth behavior being too insensitive), and Ken’s emotional well-being and welfare is a perpetual thing on her mind for the rest of the series (see: her going out of her way to accommodate his worries in episode 46).

Although Miyako’s propensity for affection is actually quite clear throughout the entire series, I do really think it’s the second half of 02 that brings it out the most, because her way of connecting to otherwise emotionally closed-in characters like Hikari and Ken ultimately demonstrate a lot about how outwardly proactive she is about those feelings, and how integral she is to keeping the group of friends together -- there’s very good reason she’s often referred to by third parties as a “mood maker”, someone there to keep everyone in high spirits.

And what about Iori? It’s hard to argue he doesn’t have love, of course. He has a very deep and passionate love for those around him! But, again, while he does have a propensity for it, that doesn’t mean it’s a trait that necessarily defines him, especially because his stubborn and passionate hatred of certain things ends up making the others have to pull teeth a bit with him at times.

Of course, one could argue that it comes out of his love for the things he wants to protect. But, nevertheless, I would still say it’s rather inaccurate to say that the trait defines him nearly as much as it does Miyako, who is openly and passionately affectionate, actively tries to be open-minded towards new things in her life, and spends a lot of her time doting on others and her hobby work doing favors for her friends.

[digitaldreams0801]

More Original Chosen Ideas

Yeah, I’m back with more on this. Woo. This is another dump for my future Adventure rewrite/novelization project that might be ages off but I want to think about it anyways so leave me alone. Warning: OCs ahead if that’s a turn-off or whatever.

There are six children, each of whom is partnered to an important Digimon within the Digital World. These six are also all paired with two of the divine traits that would later come to be associated with Crests even if they were not known as such at the time. 

In the year 1980, six thirteen-year-olds were swept into the Digital World. They formed partnerships with Digimon in the first incident of Digimon and human contact, and the children all had the ability to make the Digimon evolve at a rapid pace unheard of at the time in the Digital World. Later, the six creatures reaching their highest forms would cause the birth of Homeostasis and the evolution of the Digital World into what it is known as in Adventure. Four of the Digimon became the Harmonious Ones (Azulongmon, Ebonwumon, Zhuqiaomon, and Baihumon) while another acted as their leader (Huanglongmon) and the final became the Digital World’s first angel (Varodurumon). 

Now, let’s go over the kids individually:

Daigo Nishijima

Daigo possesses the traits of Courage and Loyalty (Daisuke’s Crest). He acts as the leader of the group, laidback while still knowing how to motivate his companions. Daigo is far from being openly stubborn or brash, instead preferring to simply go with the flow with a smile on his face. He can be too passive at times, not acting when he truly needs to, and is prone to being clumsy once in a while. His partner evolves into Baihumon. 

Maki Himekawa

Maki has the traits of Passion (Miyako) and Integrity (Iori). She is somewhat cold and a bit of a lone wolf, though she possesses no downright malice for her fellow children. While she isolates herself often, she does so due to her struggles with opening up to others. Maki tends to bottle her emotions to an unhealthy degree, hiding everything being a solemn mask until it makes her snap. Her partner becomes Huanglongmon. 

Hiroaki Ishida

Hiroaki is the keeper of Friendship and Reliability. He is rather stoic and distant on top of being goal-oriented, often hiding his emotions behind his work and actions. When this layer is peeled away, he proves to be rather caring and generous, putting his comrades above all else. Hiroaki is still rather stubborn when it comes to speaking with himself, but he is slowly getting better thanks to the others. His partner is Azulongmon.

Haruhiko Takenouchi

Haruhiko is the Chosen Child of Love and Knowledge. He is incredibly curious about the world around him, tending to get wrapped up in his research at times. His endless inquisition show him to be rather intelligent. Haruhiko is open with the rest of the group, doing what he can to aid them with the pure kindness he seems to radiate, though he can be single-minded when he focuses on something he cares for. He is partnered with Zhuqiaomon. 

Kaya Fujimori

Kaya possesses the traits of Sincerity and Kindness. Despite coming off as rough around the edges and blunt at times, she hides a sweet heart and has undying determination. She is vulgar and distrustful of others due to her issues with self-esteem and inferiority, but when she truly opens up to others, Kaya is limitlessly caring and will go to any lengths to ensure that her friends are taken care of. She is paired with Ebonwumon. 

Chisane Matsumiya

Chisane has dominion over Hope and Light. She is detached from others, struggling to open up due to trust issues and anxiety, but she is caring as can be under this. She buries her emotions until it causes her to break down much like Maki. Chisane cares for others immensely and will go out of her way to care for the people around her, making her a shoulder to cry on among the first group of children. Her partner is Varodurumon. Since she has the trait of Light, she is vulnerable to the whispers of Homeostasis, and it isn’t uncommon to see her seemingly talking to herself when Homeostasis wishes to make contact with her. 

Where are they now?

In the years since their adventures, the group has mostly drifted apart. None of them were particularly close before they were pulled into the Digital World, and for the most part, they went their separate ways. Daigo became a teacher at a high school in Odaiba. Maki found a job at a private investigation firm as a detective. Hiroaki became the leader of the Fuji TV station. Haruhiko continued studying and became a college professor, researching supernatural activity related to Digimon on the side. Kaya went into business and opened a restaurant that she and Chisane run together. Chisane is a novelist on the side when not managing the restaurant. Daigo, Maki, and Hiroaki remained in the Odaiba area while Haruhiko moved to Kyoto due to work. Kaya and Chisane moved to the countryside in Tottori soon after they wed. 

Hiroaki had two sons (Yamato and Takeru) with his wife, Natsuko, prior to their divorce. Haruhiko fathered a daughter (Sora) as well. 

When Digimon become a subject of interest once again, Daigo and Maki shifted gears to work with the government branches looking into the monsters, hiding their identities as two of the original Chosen. 

Since the creation of Homeostasis, Chisane has come to hear their voice rather often. Homeostasis knows of the children through their partners, and when they come together as a group, it is often due to Homeostasis. Chisane being so vulnerable to the whispers of Homeostasis motivated her move with Kaya away from the city due to how overwhelming it could get for her. After moving, they came to be neighbors with the Mochizuki family, though the couple rarely interacted with them. Chisane always got a strange feeling from Meiko, and while they were able to behave kindly enough during their occasional meetings, prolonged contact made Chisane feel nauseous. 

Other

I’m planning on having all six of the previous Chosen kids appear in the rewrite timeline at some point or another. They’re also going to be given the chance to reunite with their partners in the Digital World after years of not being able to go back there. Their partners do still remember them after all this time, so their reunion is bound to be touching. 

Also, it’s important to note that Yamato, Takeru, and Sora didn’t wind up Chosen just because their fathers were. Hiroaki and Haruhiko being Chosen had no influence on their children since all eight of the 1999 children were selected solely because of their witnessing the Parrotmon/Greymon fight in 1995.

Wow. That took me a lot longer than expected to type out, but there it is. Woo. Time for me to sleep. 

[vixenfur]

Take Me Out

For @velpi.

Pairing: Implied IoRiku

Characters: Tenn & Iori

Rating: G

The first thing Iori noticed was that whoever was at the door knocked politely and succinctly. They did not barge in, so there was no way it was anyone in the group, and they didn’t call out so it clearly wasn’t Tsumugi or Banri. Perhaps it was a delivery person... Iori wondered who ordered a package, if that were the case. Iori closed his notebook as he stood and called out, “One moment!”

Once he opened the door, he jumped at the sight of the person standing there. It was... confusing, since the sight of bright red hair indicated that the one at the door was Riku. But it was evident to Iori immediately that the person standing there, while of the same height and stature, was absolutely not Riku.

Confused beyond belief, Iori assessed the situation and finally stammered out, “K-Kujo-san?”

The man in question narrowed his eyes at Iori. “Izumi-kun, is this how you would greet your boyfriend?”

Iori reeled back, stunned by what he just heard come from the mouth of Trigger’s center, of all people. “P... Pardon me?”

Tenn looked dead serious. He crossed his arms, expression unflinching despite his goofy getup and apparently Riku-styled wig. “You are dating my little brother, correct?”

Iori’s face reddened slightly at his matter-of-fact tone over something so personal. “That... that is correct.”

“I see.” Tenn frowned even more, causing Iori to grow slightly nervous. But instead of being told to back off, Tenn lifted his chin commandingly and said, “Then, greet me like you would greet Riku.”

Iori had no idea what to think. He was frozen in place for a moment, processing the ridiculousness of the situation. Tenn was standing there, dressed up presumably as Riku... in order to see how Iori would greet him?

With a small sigh, Iori figured he might as well go with it. He knew better than to question Kujou Tenn, and he knew how much Tenn meant to Riku. He absolutely could not have a bad relationship with his boyfriend’s twin brother.

Iori cleared his throat and tried his best to imagine that it was Riku at the door. He looked at Tenn affectionately and said, “Welcome home, Nanase-san, you look a little chilly. Would you like me to make you something warm to drink?”

Tenn looked Iori up and down. Flatly, he said, “Yes. I would like a drink.”

Iori faltered slightly. Riku would not have had that sort of reaction. The air between them quickly became even more awkward than before. Trying to mask his discomfort, Iori stepped aside and allowed Tenn to come inside. “Alright, I’ll... I’ll make your favorite, then.”

Tenn sharply turned to Iori, eyes glinting inquisitively. He looked about ready to cut Iori if he made a single mistake. “And that is?”

Iori tensed, now put on the spot, but he knew the answer. “Warm milk with honey.”

Tenn relaxed slightly and appeared to break ‘character,’ if he was even trying to be in character to begin with. “Not bad, Izumi-kun, but this greeting could use improvements. You need to show him more enthusiasm and love if you want to be the perfect partner for him. Here, I will demonstrate for you.” He reached up and plucked the wig off his head and then, without warning, shoved it down onto Iori’s head.

Iori stammered and fussed with the red bangs now in his eyes. “Kujou-san, what is the meaning of this--”

“Stand out there,” Tenn demanded, pushing Iori back into the hallway by the shoulders. Iori had no choice but to do what Tenn said, so he stood in the doorway and waited for Tenn to act.

A bright, sparkling smile spread across Tenn’s face, and he rushed forward with a delighted laugh. Iori’s eyes widened as Tenn wrapped his arms around Iori’s waist and held him close, much too close for comfort.

“My darling Riku!” Tenn cooed into his ear, making Iori tense up and fight against every urge in his body to shove Tenn away. “I have been waiting for ages for your return. You are the light of my life, my soul, my entire heart--”

“Tenn-nii...?”

Both of them snapped apart like rubber bands when they heard the real Riku’s voice from the open doorway. Iori turned over his shoulder, blushing brilliantly from ear-to-ear from both the embarrassing situation he was just forced to endure as well as being caught in said situation by Riku himself.

“Oh, hello, Riku.” Tenn’s smile was warm and welcoming, as if he had not just been whispering sweet nothings into the ear of his brother’s boyfriend. “I was just giving Izumi-kun here some advice.”

“Ohh, really?” Riku brightened up, totally oblivious to the entire situation. “How kind of you to come by to help him, Tenn-nii!”

Iori deflated as he pulled the wig off his head, trying to control his rapidly beating heart. He watched them converse, bewildered, as if nothing strange had just been going on.

These twins would be the death of him one day, and for a moment there he really thought that day would be today.

“So.” Gaku’s shit-eating grin was palpable in his tone, and Tenn glared over at the other man, a threat already evident in his eyes. “How’d your date go?”

“It was not a date,” Tenn hissed. “Do not imply such a thing between Izumi-kun and I. I would never do anything like that. I simply escorted Izumi-kun around to see how he behaves with Riku, since I cannot have Riku committed to someone incapable of being the perfect partner for him.”

“I... I hate to break it to you, Tenn...” Ryuu started out softly, a nervous laugh edging his tone, “but it’s a bit impossible to do that when you’re not actually Riku...”

Tenn had no good argument against that, and so glared at him with a catlike ferocity, making Ryuu shrink back with an apologetic smile. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything.

[eva-cybele]

K, R, X

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

I feel like Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) has the best redemption arc in media. The way he slowly grows from abused child to surly teen to actual mentor is amazing. He sees the bad of the environment he came from, and wants to change it -- but he is never absolved of his past. He has to live with it, carry it with him, learn from it. It’s really great.

Also, Pearl (Steven Universe) has an incredible arc dealing with her own neuroses, grief, and trauma. It takes her a long time but she finally, finally realizes that she’s more than just Rose’s weapon, and that while Rose is gone, she isn’t. And she should live. It’s Over, Isn’t It is the most incredible moment in the series, honestly. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

I have an enormous soft spot for The Inquisitor and Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age: Inquisition). Their relationship is full of witty banter layered over actual deep affection, and when Dorian calls the Inquisitor his only friend, it breaks my heart. Obviously this relationship can be romantic if you play a dude, but the warmth and camaraderie between a female Inquisitor and Dorian is very compelling.

I also love Minako Arisato and Junpei Iori (Persona 3 Portable). These two have a really chill friendship after Junpei gets over his jealousy, and they support each other through some extremely rough stuff. 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Battle couples!!! holy crap I love battle couples. Just the whole two extremely competent people who don’t necessarily need each other but are stronger together thing, sharing the burden of like saving the world or whatever. Especially if they have different specialties and defer to each other’s wisdom depending on the situation, with never anything less than absolute trust and faith. It is just my absolute everything.

[pof203]

Persona 5 Arena character profiles

I know I just said this may not happen, but after writing that last post, I just couldn’t help it.

This post talks about the characters, their Personas, weapons, and (if I’m able to put it) moves. Enough talk, let’s get into it.

WARNING: This could get a bit long and may contain spoilers.  

Persona 3

Makoto Yuki

Title: The Messiah of Strings

Weapon: One handed sword

Arcana: Judgement

Persona: Messiah

Instant Kill: Hientou

Theme: Mass Destruction

Voice: Yuri Lowenthal

Mitsuru Kirijo

Title: The Imperious Queen of Extinctions 

Weapon: Rapiers

Arcana: The Empress

Persona: Artemisia

Instant Kill: Niflheim

Theme: Missions for the Brilliant Executioner

Voice: Tara Platt

Akihiko Sanada

Title: The Two-Fisted Protein Junkie

Weapon: Boxing Gloves (Boxing)

Arcana: The Emperor

Persona: Caesar

Instant Kill: Earth Braker

Theme: The Wondering Wolf

Voice: Liam O’Brian

Aigis

Title: The Heartless Armed Angel

Weapon: Firearms

Arcana: The Chariot

Persona: Athena, Palladion (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Heritage Liberator Palladion

Theme: A Heartful Cry

Voice: Karen Strassman

Yukari Takeba

Title: The Unslightly Pink Sniper

Weapon: Bow & Arrow

Arcana: The Lovers

Persona: Isis

Instant Kill: Final Feather⭐Arrow

Theme: Pink Sniper

Voice: Michelle Ruff

Junpei Iori

Title: The Mighty Strike-Out Slugger

Weapon: Baseball Bat and Baseball

Arcana: The Magician

Persona: Trismegistus

Instant Kill: Explosive Level-Up Grand Slam

Theme: Mr. Easy-Going

Voice: Vic Mignogna

Ken Amada & Koromaru

Title: The Pretentious Tenderfoot Dou

Weapon: Long Spear (Ken), Knife (Koromaru)

Arcana: Justice (Ken), Strength (Koromaru)

Persona: Kala-Nemi (Ken), Cerberus (Koromaru)

Instant Kill: Baptism of Light and Darkness

Theme: Youthful Spirit

Voice: Cindy Robinson

DLC:

Shinjiro Aragaki

Title: The Hellish Chef Under the Moonlight

Weapon: Battle Ax

Arcana: The Hierophant

Persona: Castor

Instant Kill: Stardrop

Theme: Mass Destruction (Persona 3 FES)

Voice: Grant George

Minako Yuki

Title: The Princess of Strings

Weapon: Naginata

Arcana: The Fool

Persona: Orpheus Telos

Instant Kill: Victory Cry

Theme: A Way of Life

Voice: Laura Bailey

Metis

Title: The Underworld Metal Butterfly

Weapon: Battle Ax

Arcana: The Hierophant

Persona: Psyche

Instant Kill: Danse Des Papillons

Theme: P3 FES

Voice: Stephanie Sheh

Ryoji Mochizuki

Title: The Beautiful Death for Love

Weapon: Scythe

Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune

Persona: Orpheus

Instant Kill: Song of Rebirth 

Theme: Burn My Dread

Voice: Yuri Lowenthal

Elizabeth

Title: The Lethal Elevator Attendant

Weapon: Tome and Tarot Cards

Arcana: Death, The Fool

Persona: Thanatos

Instant Kill: Megidolaon

Theme: The Battle for Everyone’s Souls

Voice: Tara Platt

Theodore

Title: The All Simple Butler In Blue

Weapon: Tome and Tarot Cards

Arcana: The Devil

Persona: Lilith, Abaddon, Beelzebub (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Spin Slash

Theme: Electronica in Velvet Room

Voice: Travis Willingham

Persona 4

Yu Narukami

Title: The Sister Complex Kingpin of Steel

Weapon: Two-Handed Sword

Arcana: The World

Persona: Izanagi-no-Okami

Instant Kill: Myriad Truths

Theme: Reach Out To The Truth

Voice: Johnny Yong Bosch

Yosuke Hanamura

Title: Captain Ressentiment

Weapon: Kunai

Arcana: The Magician

Persona: Takehaya Susano-o (replacing Jiraiya)

Instant Kill: Brave Blade

Theme: The Hero from Junes

Voice: Yuri Lowenthal

Chie Satonaka

Title: The Spunky Dragon with Deadly Legs

Weapon: Greaves (self taught Kung Fu)

Arcana: The Chariot

Persona: Haraedo-no-Okami (replacing Tomoe)

Instant Kill: Galactic Punt

Theme: Like a Dragon

Voice: Erin Fitzgerald

Yukiko Amagi

Title: The Unconquerable Snow Black

Weapon: Fan

Arcana: The High Priestess

Persona: Sumeo-Okami (replacing Konohana Sakuya)

Instant Kill: Full Bloom

Theme: Princess Amagi

Voice: Amanda Winn-Lee

Kanji Tatsumi

Title: The Bloodcurdling Beefcake Emperor

Weapon: Blunt Object

Arcana: The Emperor

Persona: Takeji Zaiten (replacing Take-Mikazuchi)

Instant Kill: The Man Series: Brofist

Theme: A Pure-Hearted Beast

Voice: Matthew Mercer

Rise Kujikawa

Title: The Scandalous Superstar Idol

Weapon: Microphone

Arcana: The Lovers

Persona: Kouzeon (replacing Himiko)

Instant Kill: True ♥ Story 

Theme: Twinkle★Star

Voice: Ashly Burch

Naoto Shirogane

Title: The 2000 IQ Killjoy Detective

Weapon: Pistol

Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune

Persona: Yamato Sumeragi (replacing Sukuna-Hikona)

Instant Kill: Judge of Hell

Theme: Seeker of Truth

Voice: Valerie Arem

Teddie

Title: The Beast in Heat

Weapon: Claws

Arcana: The Star

Persona: Kamui-Moshiri (replacing Kintoki-Douji) 

Instant Kill: Kamui Kablooey

Theme: Teddie Circus 

Voice: Sam Riegel

Ryotaro & Nanako Dojima

Title: Mister E and his Magical Detective

Weapon: Gun (Dojima), Magnifying Glass (Nanako)

Arcana: The Hierophant (Dojima), Justice (Nanako)

Persona: Each other

Instant Kill: Family Solution

Theme: Koisuru Meitantei

Voice: J. B. Blanc (Dojima), Karen Strassman (Nanako)

DLC

Margret

Title: The Sadistic Stud-Keeping Secretary

Weapon: Tome and Tarot Cards

Arcana: The Empress

Persona: Cu Chulainn, Yoshitsune, Ardha, Helel (Instant Kill only) 

Instant Kill: Morning Star

Theme: A Poem for Everyone’s Souls

Voice: Marisha Ray

Marie

Title: The Antisocial Poet of the Hollow Forest 

Weapon: Bag

Arcana: Aeon

Persona: Kaguya

Instant Kill: Musubi no Ikazuchi

Theme: XOXO For You

Voice: Eden Riegel

Tohru Adachi

Title: The Egocentric Police Dick

Weapon: Pistol

Arcana: Jester

Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi

Instant Kill: Yomi Drop

Theme: Fool or Clown? 

Voice: Johnny Yong Bosch 

Persona 4 Arena

Labrys

Title: Yasogami’s Steel Council President

Weapon: Double Ended Axe

Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune

Persona: Ariadne

Instant Kill: Weaver’s Art: Inquisition 

Theme: Spirited Girl

Voice: Cindy Robinson

Sho Minazuki

Title: The Rule-Smashing Pun Machine

Weapon: Twin Blades

Arcana: The Moon

Persona: Tsukiyomi

Instant Kill: God and Demon Annihilation  

Theme: The Joker

Voice: Todd Haberkorn

Persona 5

Akira Kurusu/Joker

Title: The Trickster Who Flies For Justice

Weapon: Knives, Handguns

Arcana: The Fool

Persona: Arsene, Satanael (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Sinful Shell

Theme: Last Surpise 

Voice: Xander Mobus (Ben Disken if Mobus is unavailable)

Ryuji Sakamoto/Skull

Title: The Pirate of the Track

Weapon: Bludgeons, Shotguns

Arcana: The Chariot 

Persona: Captain Kidd

Instant Kill: Skull of Rebellion

Theme: Full Sail Athlete

Voice: Max Mittelman

Ann Takamaki/Panther

Title: The Sassy Kitty Actress

Weapon: Whip, Submachine Guns 

Arcana: The Lovers

Persona: Carmen

Instant Kill: Blazing Hell

Theme: Red Hot Panther

Voice: Erika Harlacher

Yusuke Kitagawa/Fox

Title: The Brush Wielding Samurai

Weapon: Katanas, Assault Rifles 

Arcana: The Emperor

Persona: Goemon

Instant Kill: Kōri no Hyōgen

Theme: 9 Tails

Voice: Matthew Mercer

Makoto Niijima/Queen

Title: The Biker President of Pain

Weapon: Tekko, Revolvers

Arcana: The High Priestess

Persona: Johanna 

Instant Kill: Atomic Flare

Theme: Queen of Spikes

Voice: Charami Leigh

Futaba Sakura

Title: Princess Lovecraft

Weapon: Curry Ladle, Taser Gun

Arcana: The Hermit

Persona: Necronomicon

Instant Kill: Cry of the Old Ones

Theme: All Seeing Saucer

Voice: Erica Lindbeck

Haru Okumura/Noir

Title: The Countess Who Dishonors

Weapon: Axes, Grenade Launchers

Arcana: The Empress

Persona: Milady

Instant Kill: One-shot Kill

Theme: Beauty Theif

Voice: Xanthe Huynh

Morgana/Mona

Title: The Four Wheel Pussy Treasure Hunter

Weapon: Curved Swords, Slingshots

Arcana: The Magician

Persona: Zorro

Instant Kill: Fight for Liberty

Theme: Cat Bus Speeding

Voice: Cassandra Morris

Yuuki Mishima/Anon

Title: The Self-appointed Public Relations Officer

Weapon: Baton, Volleyballs

Arcana: The Moon

Persona: Tsukiyomi Picaro 

Instant Kill: Purgatorial Wing 

Theme: Beneath the Mask (Remix) 

Voice: Sean Chiplock 

DLC

Goro Akechi/Cow/Black Mask (BM in Desperation Mode only)

Title: The Fallen Trickster Detective

Weapon: Laser Saber, Serrated Sword (Desperation Mode only), Ray Gun, Silenced Pistol (Desperation Mode only)

Arcana: Justice

Persona: Robin Hood, Loki (Desperation Mode and Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Laevatein

Theme: Ark

Voice: Robbie Daymond

Lavenza

Title: The Elegant Warden Princess 

Weapon: Tome and Tarot Cards

Arcana: Strength

Persona: Kelpie, Oni, Rakshasa, Valkyrie, Siegfried, Zaou-Gogen (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Vorpal Blade

Theme: Freedom for Everyone’s Souls 

Voice: Carrie Keranen

Masayoshi Shido

Title: The Demonic Seafaring Prime Minister 

Weapon: Cutlass, Bazooka

Arcana: Hunger

Persona: Samael, Yaldabaoth (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Rays of Control 

Theme: Rivers in the Desert 

Voice: Keith Silverstein

Other DLCs

Zen & Rei

Game origin: Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth 

Title: The Afterlife Sweethearts

Weapon: Double Crossbows

Arcana: The Tower

Persona: Each other

Instant Kill: Soul Slice

Theme: Maze of Life

Voice: Keith Silverstein (Zen), Ashly Burch (Rei)

Vincent Brooks

Game origin: Catherine

Title: The Two-Timing King of Bachelors 

Weapon: Pillow, Cellphone, Sword

Arcana: The Fool

Persona: Jonny Ariga, Orlando Haddick, Toby Nebbins, Catherine (Succubus), Shadow of Vincent (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: LOVE IS OVER

Theme: YO

Voice: Troy Baker (Vincent), Travis Willingham (Jonny), Liam O’Brian (Orlando), Yuri Lowenthal (Toby), Laura Bailey (Catherine)

Katherine McBride

Game origin: Catherine

Title: The Blue Nail Empress

Weapon: Fork

Arcana: The Lovers

Persona: Ishtar

Instant Kill: Fist of Grudge

Theme: Hen to Hen 

Voice: Michelle Ruff

Thomas Mutton/Boss

Game origin: Catherine

Title: The Shepard of the Tower

Weapon: Gavel, Revolver

Arcana: The Tower

Persona: Dumuzid, Asteroth (Instant Kill only)

Instant Kill: Wrath of Judgment

Theme: It’s a Golden Show

Voice: Kirk Thornton

That’s the characters. I hope you like it. Thank you.