#the hermits route

[paperstarwriters]

The hermit's route, please?

WIP Wednesday Ask Game

I am SO SORRY—I'VE BEEN PUTTING THIS FIC OFF FOR SO LONG.

also, if anyone wants to just keep pestering me with these to get me to work on and finish the fic I won't hold it against you honestly lol.

anyways, as requested for the WIP Wednesday ask. Here's what I wrote down so far for the fic, I think it's kinda shabby as it is, though I'm probably going to go back and edit it later, so this might change.

Fear struck clear across Asra’s face, like a fracture splitting glass. You waited for the placating smile to grace their face, ut the expression lingered, as they stared with wide eyes at the floor, brows furrowed as they tried to come up with some sort of plan.

For all you wanted to see Asra stop pretending that everything was alright, this wasn’t how you were hoping it would happen.

“You two go looking for the heart of the forest. I’ll…” Asra glances at you, and you know, with a twist in your chest that he’s going to say soemthing, to hide something again. You expect it to be for your sake again, but when he cuts his words short, he isn’t looking at you. He smiles at Muriel. “I’ll handle things here.”

Muriel does not reciprocate. If anything, his expression only grows darker in the face of Asra’s plesantries. “You’re planning on trying to handle Lucio alone."

Pain cuts through your chest again as Asra flinches at his bluntness, but all you can manage is stare at Muriel in awe and envy. It feels obvious in hindsight, but you really don’t know your master, do you? For all he’s hidden from you, he may as well be a stranger.

[rattoenailclippings]

Just a little guy

[kamon-nagisa]

Muriel x Darius (My MC) and that one meme, it might've happened once, or twice, in their first couple of times.

[mjart12699]

Best way I’ve thought to describe Muriel is “guy you’re friends with/dating that your parents aren’t a fan of but your grandma absolutely loves him”

[iridescent-solstice]

Mermaid!Muriel who can't stop himself from coming to the surface everyday just to catch a glimpse of you! He's too anxious and shy to actually talk to you, so he darts underwater anytime you even glance in his general direction.

You're convinced he's a figment of your imagination. Until one day you stumble upon him sprawled out on shore. His breathing rapid and uneven, not to mention the concerningly large cut on his abdomen . . . How could you not stay around to take care of him?

[silverorchideon]

"Tango of the Tek Variety, the Master of the Pyramid, a structure proudly standing in the Orange Oasis. He'll introduce you to the pyramid, promising treasures if you find it.

Though... Nowadays, after one of the levels of the pyramid sunk under the Orange Oasis's sweet desert landscape, the Master of the Pyramid has gone missing, his role filled with the Pyramid's Spoon Dealer, Skizzleman.

Where did Tango go, I wonder?"

"You're Destroying Yourself, Dreamer. You're Destroying All Of Us"

[chantealalune]

Replaying Muriel’s route and I don’t think we talk enough about Asra having to relive his worst nightmare.

Like he comes back from another self inflicted trip and finds MC is missing, there’s blood everywhere, and the shop has been broken into.

So they immediately run to Muriel for help.

Is that what he did before? As he ran did he fight to keep the bile down? Did he force his eyes to stay dry? Did his palms run cold? Did his head swim? Did flashes of smoke and panic and memories and screams rush past him?

And when he sees they’re safe- no, feels with their heart they’re both alive and safe. It’s not the plague, it’s not 4 years ago. How did he remain composed?

When MC and Muriel leave for Nadia and Asra stays behind does he finally give himself a moment to feel, remember, cry…

[theintrovertbean]

Nadia x Muriel is such an underrated ship. She'd take such good care of him, make him feel safe, and he would be someone she could rely on, whether it be listening to her talk about how shitty her day was or cuddling with her whenever she's feeling down. Their relationship would be so, so soft, and I'm here for it 💜💚

[arcanarubinaito]

What are your thoughts on how an extroverted, confident, energetic MC would be with Muriel as an LI? (🪶)

Thank you for the ask, Feather Anon! I’ve been itching to do some creative writing outside of my story, so I hope you don’t mind that I’m writing this more like a short story/narrative style post.

Summary:

You command the room when you walk in, and everyone takes notice. He loves that about you; being riddled with constant social anxiety himself, it’s nothing short of a relief for Muriel to see that you don’t have to deal with it yourself. (Besides, it doesn’t hurt that it takes the attention off of him.)

He’s just worried that you’ll feel isolated and alone if you move in with him.

It’s exactly a month after the defeat of Lucio and The Devil, and everyone had gathered to celebrate together in the Rowdy Raven. He tries to stick to a corner in the back, but he is far too large and conspicuous to avoid the attention for long. Some people stare, others are braver and approach him to exchange a few words and express thanks. Muriel wants nothing more than to melt into a puddle. He appreciates not being looked at like he was still the Scourge, thankful that people weren’t afraid of him anymore. But the only reason he was here was to see you. You had been busy helping with repairs in the city while Muriel helped those still lingering in the camp outside his home, and hadn’t had much time to really talk or interact for the past week.

“You all didn’t start without me now, did you?” Your voice rings out as you stride in, and Muriel slumps back against the wall with relief. He watches some of the crowd clamor to get your attention as Julian passes you a beer stein, giving him room to breathe.

You look a little tired, he notices, but your face is practically glowing. Your eyes meet across the room and you light up even further, drawing a slight smile from Muriel’s otherwise stoic expression. He loves your smile. Immediately you chug your drink and begin pushing through the crowd, exchanging short words with a few other people before you finally reach him. He doesn’t even have the time to say ‘hello’ before you throw your arms around him in a tight hug that he quickly returns.

“God, I missed you so much.” You groan, tilting your head back to look up at him. Muriel lifts his hand, cradling your face gently in his large palm as he dips down to kiss your forehead—silently telling you he missed you just as much. “I didn’t have any time to visit this week and it was killing me, actually.” You stretch up on your toes and loop your arms around his neck, filling him in on all the little things he’d missed. Stuffy nobles complaining that they weren’t getting their homes repaired sooner, and Nadia putting them in their place. Helping Portia and the other kitchen staff with preparing food for all the displaced citizens. Julian and Asra, busy with healing and helping reunite separated families and friends.

He listens to you ramble on with a soft smile, and follows as you take his arm and lead him to the bar. “—but now I think I’ll have a lot of down time, which means I can spend more time with you.” Muriel’s smile widens a little more at that, and he can feel his face warm up when you shoot him a wink. Yeah, he knows what that means all too well. “Hey Lavinia, let’s get a round of black mead for everyone!” You call across the bar, knocking your hand against the wood loudly. “And put it on Jules’ tab!”

“Wait what—?”

A short laugh breaks past Muriel’s lips at Julian’s indignant squawk, and he catches a shit-eating grin plastered over your face as you settle onto one of the stools. Two mugs of the dark liquor slide across the bar towards you both, Muriel putting his hand out to gently stop them before they fall off and passing one to you. “What did he do to deserve that?” He asks, amused. You hide your smirk with your mug.

“Nothing.” You rest your chin in one hand. “I’ll pay it off myself, his reaction is just funny.”

“That’s a little mean.”

“It is a little mean, yeah.” You laugh, eyes glittering with mirth. The firelight reflects like spots of amber in your eyes, and he’s reminded of that first night. Your worried face and gentle hands cast in the soft glow of the fireplace, and the begrudging step he had taken to trust you just a little. The best decision he’s ever made, really. Muriel reaches forward to brush some stray hairs out of your eyes without thinking.

A few ‘awww’s scattered from the crowd made him flinch and quickly withdraw, his face hot with embarrassment. Muriel hides his burning face with a quick swig from the wooden mug in his hand and turns his back to the crowd quickly. He had been so swept up in the moment that he forgot you both weren’t alone, and many pairs of eyes were on you at any given moment.

Your hand touches the side of his face lightly, reassuring and gentle. Grounding him for a little longer and soothing that surge of anxiety and embarrassment. His eyes flicker in your direction again briefly before he roots his stare on the mug in his hands again. “You want to head back early?” You suggest softly. Muriel lowers his mug. He wants to say yes; he’s by far had his fill of socializing today and just wants to wind down somewhere quiet and familiar. But he hesitates. You only just got here, and he knows how much you enjoy these gatherings. You thrive off of social interactions, would it be selfish for him to ask you to leave so soon?

“We don’t have to.” Muriel finally says, begrudgingly, forcing himself to look back up at you. He can stick it out a little while longer for your sake, just as you’ve done for him before. It’s loud and crowded and his anxiety is already going haywire, and god his head is starting to hurt too. But he can suck it up.

“I really don’t mind going home if you need to.” You reply. He watches your eyes drift past him, your hand waving off someone behind him quickly before your gaze returns to meet his. “I know this isn’t exactly where you’re most comfortable.” That was an understatement if Muriel had ever heard one.

Wait. Go back. Did you say ‘home?’

Gently, you pull him away from the bar, guiding him through the swirling crowd towards the back door. He reaches out to push it open for you, his fingertips lingering on the wood for only a moment before you whisk him down the alleyway to a more secluded spot, away from prying eyes. His eyes widen a little, and he lifts his hand to curl it over the one you cup his cheek with. “You said ‘home.’” Muriel breathes out. Your face softens a little, a smile creeping up on your lips.

You’ve hidden yourselves among some crates stacked up between the buildings, a nearby street lamp casting your faces into wild shadows. “Yeah, I did.” You confirm, moving your hand so that your fingers are twined together now. You dip your head down, kissing the tops of his knuckles with a sweet brush of your lips that sends a jolt of electricity through Muriel’s body. “I’d like to move in with you—if you want, I mean.” You add on quickly.

Muriel’s heart hammers in his chest. “What about the shop?” He asks, his voice a little more breathless than he would’ve liked.

“The shop is a little bit crowded these days—” Right, Julian had moved in. Muriel tries (and fails) to resist the urge to make a face at the thought of the doctor living with Asra. “—and I’m not exactly selling anything right now either.” You continue, tilting your head to the side just a little. “And it’s so far from your place.”

“My place is also far from everything else.” He points out quietly. Muriel wants nothing more than for you to move in with him, to make that little hut feel more like a little home. But would it be too far from Vesuvia, and all your friends? Would you be happy, or would you start to feel isolated and alone?

“I know.” You guide him out of his thoughts with a soft voice and a gentle squeeze of his hand. “And I’m okay with that.” He searches your gaze, finding only love and warmth, and that gleam of pure conviction he knows so well. His shoulders relax just a little bit and his thumb rubs along the back of your hand idly while he listens. “It isn’t really all that long of a walk to get to the city. It just feels… It just feels too far from you.” You smile up at him and he practically melts, lips twitching up into a faint smile.

“I want you to be happy.” Muriel confesses softly. He brings his other hand up to envelope yours in his large and calloused palm.

“And I’m happy whenever I’m with you.” You stretch up on your toes, and he leans down just a little to meet you halfway, stealing a soft and sweet kiss—thankfully, without anyone around to see. Muriel sneaks a glance around just to double check before he wraps his arms around you and pulls you in closer, one steady hand at your waist and the fingers of his other twined gently through your hair. He can feel your hands rest against his chest for a moment before you reach up to hold his face in your ever-gentle hands.

He pulls away just slightly, your warm breath mingling with his against the cool night air. “I love you.” Muriel murmurs, and the corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile. He moves his hand to brush an errant lock of hair out of your eyes, studying them. Muriel wasn’t one for eye contact, but it was so easy for him to get lost in your eyes. They always reflected the light so beautifully, and tonight was no exception; the light of the street lamp mingled with the moonlight, casting your eyes in a contrast of gold and silver.

“I love you too.” You murmur. Your thumb lightly brushes along his cheek and traces along his scar tenderly, sending a soft shiver down his spine. Muriel shifts, his lips meeting the spot just between your eyebrows before he pulls away, his hands resting on your waist. You tilt your head back a little to look up at him, letting your hands settle back on his shoulders before sliding them down his arms and resting them against his biceps, just above his elbows.

“… yeah. I think I’d like to go home now.” He murmurs, finally answering your question from before. Your smile widens a little and you take hold of his hand as you both finally pull away from where you were hidden and start to walk down the street.

[puppyeared]

How do you do fellow human?

if i answered this 2 weeks ago i would have said i want a quick and easy death <- currently on school break

[jenfoundabug]

Tide pooling finds north of Santa Cruz. Lots of cool critters <3

Bat star (Patiria miniata)

Feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii)

Unknown marine isopod

Eelgrass isopod (Pentidotea resecata)

Sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) and Corallina

Greater moon jelly (Aurelia labiata)

Hermit crab, likely Pagurus venturensis

Rock barnacles (genus Balanus)

Pale beach hopper (Megalorchestia columbiana)

North American hermit crab (Isocheles pilosus)

[rontra]

your failteacher yuri AU is so so good. what's so frustrating about persona is that it has plenty of good ideas and characters that get absolutely wasted or mishandled by the actual narrative… like these two teachers. you write them with so much more respect than the games ever did. keep it up!

so as a general rule i don't tend to respond to this Genre of comment or really even enjoy it--as far as my own personal feelings r concerned, "you do [x] better than [source]" (in whatever ways it's phrased) is Not a compliment--but in this instance i gotta say it. they fucked up so bad and it makes me so madJDBHJJNSDB

so... just this once... i'll salute you... im at least glad people like my work and r enjoying a whiff of my beloved women without atlus sabotage ✊

i've said before that p3 hermit and p5 temperance are my favorite links--p5 temperance especially i think is really tight and has an interesting foundation. the actual narrative glue holding that thing together is strong. like the THING is that i don't have to go out of my way to find interesting and compelling material here (and i certainly don't have to make it up from whole cloth or anything)

i would hate for people to have the impression that i'm spinning this all out of nothing or that i hold the source In Contempt or whatever. obviously my concept/inciting incident is zany (haha) and i've added or tweaked a lot of smaller things to better facilitate this specific AU, but this story wouldn't have nearly the legs it does without the genuinely good material they put in those links, and i wouldn't bother making it at all if i didn't seriously love those characters...

...which i guess is kinda what makes it doubly frustrating... that in both cases they've just kind of stapled on some gross stuff that adds nothing (aside from ick factor of course) and doesn't fit with the rest... when "the rest" is genuinely compelling. not only is it a bad move on its own but also it drags down the otherwise good material around itself which is always annoying, yknow... like if it was Just All Bad i would at least be FREE 😭

anyway it's whatever it's whatever . i want to draw a chapter where they talk about their Deep Baggage sooo bad. and i can be like Look. Normal Hermit. Welcome To My Twisted Mind. Or Whatever

[handraws9]

An other Erin and Muri doodle(used a base)

[kamon-nagisa]

Sketch Muriel side profile

[mjart12699]

MC: one of the roosters ran up to me, gave me a pebble and did a flirty little dance while making happy noises. Which is the rooster equivalent of a proposal. A truly devastating blow to my boyfriend (Muriel), the man who helped raise him.

Based on this post

[iridescent-solstice]

Art by adelbern13 on pinterest

After living his entire his life being seen as a monster, I cant even imagine how Muriel feels to be seen as the apple of mc’s eyes. Just imagine mc looking up at him with adoration, before asking him about ingredients they can use for a stew. His eyes dart across the hut, before he speaks. In a world of his own as he tells her about all the different herbs, mushrooms and berries located all over the forest. I bet mc even wracks their brain at night trying to think of stuff to coax him to talk more.

Trying to be as accurate as possible, Muriel tries to list them all in his deep rumbling voice, hand on his chin as he tries to remember everything. I just know he’d be stuttering and stumbling over his words when he finally realises. When he finally notices mc. Notices their big bright eyes and beaming smile as they listen. His eyes meet mc’s and now he’s lost ALL his composure. A blush of a deep red hue lighting up his face before he mumbles some excuse to run away. Something something Asra threw Lucio down the stairs or something- WAIT what?