#the male equivalent of that is i guess dressing well and styling your hair | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jcmorrigan · 4 years

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Can you explain a little about each of your OCs fashion taste and maybe add a pic of the epitome of their style? I want to see which one is most like my own fashion preferences (if I wasn't too lazy to dress up lol)

All right, what I’m going to do is the rapid-fire. I’m gonna tell you names and what they dress like, since you were interested in finding out who matched, and then you (or anyone else) can ask further asks about anyone who looks interesting one at a time and I will GUSH

Venley (protag hero): Wears deep blues (but not navy). Likes swishy skirts, flowing sleeves, and layering. So much layering, especially leggings under short skirts.

Sophira (hero): Has a style I like to call The Worst(TM). Wears non-complementary colors. Patchwork sweaters and miniskirts. Loves rainbow tie-dye. Will not take fashion advice from Axeline and this is going to be the death of Axeline

Axeline (hero): Mostly sticks to red palettes with long coats and corset lacing but will try anything once.

Siademina (hero): Likes to pair cute blouses with bouncy short skirts. Tends to wear warmer colors or pastels.

Zefiraduc (hero): Purple and glitzy. She wants to be a famous pop star and dresses like one.

Arain (hero): Blacks and reds. If the outfit can allow her to blend pants with something skirt-ish, like a side panel, it’s an extra bonus. Always wears the fantasy equivalent of a baseball cap to go with it (and has emo bangs AND a huge ponytail).

Ailuen (hero): Mostly dresses in comfy things, tees and jeans, but when she wants to go all-out, she will pick a pink prom dress with ruffles and sparkles. A nice compromise is if she puts a fancy pink blouse over the jeans. During the planned arc where she becomes a Lawful Evil for a while, wears a white military uniform.

Alivain (deuteragonist villain): Mostly likes red, but occasionally blue or purple. Is a villain and dresses like a villain. Outfits are very bright and flamboyant. I’m toying with an “evil circus” aesthetic for the entire team and have written down some of him acting as the ringmaster, so go ahead and add a red ringmaster’s uniform to his most-worn. I also want him to have gloves with little claws built in at one point. Capes. And he wears high heels because he likes to feel tall and glamorous.

Versafina (villain): All black all the time. Lots of leather. Prefers pants vastly over skirts because she’s a dancer/martial artist who needs the mobility; also she just doesn’t like the femme aesthetic so much. Though she does enjoy wearing the highest of high heels specifically because training in them makes her more balanced and agile, and if she takes them off, you are dead where you stand.

Phantasia (villain): White cocktail dresses. Swanky and glamorous. Usually more pencil-skirt style or form-fitting than anything that has ruffle. Slits that show off the leg are a fave style of hers. High heels for her too.

Zangary (villain): I’m not entirely happy with his design, but for now, I have him in kinda generic dark clothes with an ostentatious long lavender jacket and a black wide-brimmed hat.

Dweixyn (villain): Pink minidresses/blouses and skirts. Has a favorite trench coat that has pink lining on the inside and is darker on the outside. Always wears sunglasses, even indoors and at night, for the aesthetic and no other reason. High heels for her too.

Belador/Belladore (villain): They’re kind of a rave-themed villain so I imagine lots of mesh tops and glow sticks.

Yridel (villain): I’m not entirely sure what her style is, but it needs to show off her cybernetic limbs. That is a must.

Sherida (villain): A form-fitting red bodysuit with a black motorcycle helmet that prevents you from seeing her face. Heavy-soled boots. Steal aesthetics from Vanitas Kingdomhearts? Me? Nooooo

Lirian (villain): “Sun” palettes, with pinks and yellows and reds. But also blue sweaters and skirts (dull in hue). I toy with one of her quirks being wearing ballet shoes everywhere she goes but I’m not sure if that’s silly.

Rachneira (villain): Wears lots of black. Not just a Goth but THAT Hot Topic Goth.

Tomagi (villain): Pink sundresses, particularly with gold lining.

Calpurniko (villain): Jumpsuits, overalls, beiges and dull colors, white tees, anything she can get dirty and not cry over.

Diamandian (villain): White lace. He is cis male but comfortable enough with his masculinity that he adores ruffles and lace hems. Has a matching white parasol and a white top hat.

Maraya (villain): Victorian-esque dress...blue?...and a big ol’ black cloak that hides her appearance. Her design is still kinda under construction because I started out going one direction and then made a hard left on her character

Anastasios (villain): Tunics and breeches. Greens and browns.

Kaxhalen (villain): He is an alien warlord so I’m trying to design a silver extraterrestrial battlesuit but not sure how to make it look unique

Osmend Osmodias (villain): Shiny golden suits. Fedora that’s pulled down to cover his eyes.

Orianelle (villain): black leather that shows a lot of skin. Tanks and shorts that bare midriff. Tall black boots with heavy soles.

Siersyrei (villain): Navy blue and that’s about all I know for now, though there are reasons I’d like her to have a skirt with shorts underneath.

Clancette (B-team hero): When in civvies, wears a lot of pink “kawaii” clothing. Jackets over tanks. Lots of pins with the fantasy equivalent of Sanrio characters. Rainbow stockings. As a Magical Girl, is associated with the color pink and element of wind; her outfit has a short and wide ruffly skirt and any way a breeze can be implemented into the design is welcome.

Xar/chelyna (B-team hero): When in civvies, he wears button-down shirts and blue pants. As a Magical Girl, she is associated with blue and water, so skirts that are long and wavy and any ocean motifs. Also enjoys a blue top hat.

Loveleigh (B-team hero): Both civvies and Magical Girl clothing are red/fire-associated. Likes slinky skirts and low-cut blouses.

Fernamele (B-team hero): Both civvies and Magical Girl clothing are yellow/lightning-associated. Another pop star wannabe who dresses in glitz and glitter, with swishy short skirts.

Zelladane (B-team hero): Civvies are sweatshirts, jeans, and heavy rubber boots with a lot of dirt built on them from her gardening. Magical Girl clothing is green/plant-associated, but with pink accents. Any piece that’s green with pink flower decorations on it automatically makes me think of her.

Aoliaoma (B-team hero): Undecided on civvies, but her big character quirk is that she seems perpetually sleepy, so I could see her just forgetting to change out of her full-length pajamas that are probably black satin. As a Magical Girl, her association is black/the void, and she has a short dress meant to look like that of a traditional witch, with a pointed witch’s hat on top.

Ravenille (antihero): Denim jackets and pants. Lots of denim. Silver face piercings and LOTS of them.

Arisia (antihero): I specifically see her in a blue tank top, a brown skirt/shorts and chain mail overlays. Anything with chain mail makes me think of her. Also, tall heeled boots. She might also wear a mask made of chain mail that covers the lower half of her face.

Lunisia (antihero): Pink. Skirts with leggings beneath. Quirky shoes, like black patent-leather with buckles.

Rhodelton (antihero): The ugliest yellow jacket you can imagine over a T-shirt and jeans.

Phaeley (minor character, could be moved to antihero squad): Black tanks and long skirts. Slightly Goth but not that much. Always wears a black newsboy hat.

Sylvisa (minor character, could be moved to antihero squad): Almost exactly Versafina’s style except more masculine. I should probably refine his.

Dashorra (minor character): Anything that’s split right down the middle as black/white is fair game.

Victorique (minor character): Shiny silver dresses with long skirts.

Isisa (minor character): White toga and gold hair ornamentation.

Phil (minor character): Is literally a sentient pile of green slime and never wears clothes, but if he did, it’d be business suits with tacky striped ties.

Tristabelle (minor character): I usually picture her in a dark blue low-cut dress with a loose, flowing skirt, but I feel like it needs refinement.

Madwyn (minor character): I usually picture her in a form-fitting black cocktail dress, but I also feel like this could be more special.

Diceanne (minor character): I usually picture her in a pink bodysuit with gold accents that lacks sleeves or legs, so I kind of want to do something with this and the concept of tackling the issue of revealing clothing and sexism and how much choice is had in the matter so I guess her final outfit will come to me once I’ve got the arc in mind

Beccatrice (minor character): I usually picture her in a white toga, but unless she and Isisa are part of the same order or class or something, I should probably make hers different.

Sharamantha (minor character): Brightly-colored overalls (pink, green, purple) over white tees. Sneakers.

Eudarmence (minor character): Shiny gold gowns. Any shiny gold gown. Also likes shiny gold hair ornamentation. Has to be the shiniest thing in the room.

Ilyènne (minor character): Either yellow dresses with loose skirts or this specific pink blouse with a huge ostentatious ribbon on the chest that I got in my mind’s eye once.

Riaudne (plot-device character): Pink-and-silver dresses. She’s royalty, but I want to play with her culture not being Eurocentric, so I want to shake up this design somehow but I’m not yet sure how

Aelistene (plot-device character): Brightly colored minidresses (mint green or deep purple), likes hair ornaments.

Magnus (Lawful Evil villain): All white all the time. Looks very regal - jackets, waistcoats. Very masculine as well.

Janiel and Tjeron are both mooks of the Lawful Evil faction and will eventually renounce their ways, but I have literally never pictured them in anything other than military uniforms that I originally designed as black but now have changed to white for symbolic deconstruction reasons

The following characters are still under construction to where I’m not sure of their fashion style at all: Valencindri (villain sidekick), Dr. Hope Lessness (villain), Mercy Lessness (villain sidekick), Lainnhartt (villain), Soligeo (villain sidekick), Khairic Kajé (antihero), Aerokai (antihero), Tredwulfall (antihero), Burqueley (antihero), Liodax (minor character), Ririko (minor character), Ayali (minor character, possibly antihero), Lilianet (minor character), Spectra (minor character), Prettiza and Kyista (minor characters who have to wear the same outfit), Rewnoki (minor character), Delena (minor character), Jaydrey (minor character), Mejame (minor character), Shananadel (minor character), Veline (Lawful Evil), Keiandra (Lawful Evil), or Oquian (Lawful Evil).

I hope this has helped you figure out whose style you match and also see how many freaking characters I have designed and I don’t intend to stop until I have enough to fill a huge fantasy world but then I’ll probably keep going anyway because my mind is apparently hooked on designing now

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gunkyengines · 4 years

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4, 7, and 9, for the s/i questions if you're still taking them!

Ohhhh my gods @jetsetspy I’m so sorry for answering this question so late ;-; My answers are under the cut!

4. Does your insert have a backstory? Tell us about it! How does their backstory, if any, define who they are? How does it reflect their relationships now? Their hopes and dreams?

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

Bellamy doesn’t have much of a backstory just yet, but I do know this:

· Their family isn’t a huge part of their life, aside from a younger sibling, who, to this day, I have not yet named.

· They want a sense of belonging somewhere, and have a number of self-image complications (it’s not really a set of “issues” to them, because they’ve found comfort in their body and self over time, but they still have wishes about what they could be seen as—androgyny is a tough line to straddle).

· They hate the nickname “Bella”.

· Bells, as far as I’m concerned right now, finds their sense of belonging amongst the ‘Bros ever since they just sorta started… tagging along, I guess? It was just an act of good will from the prince and his guards and a bit of hitchhiking on Bells’ end that got them where they are now.

· They were originally a bit of a vagabond prior to meeting up with the guys. Hitchhiking, walking absurdly long distances, camping out often, all that jazz.

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

Junko is a character who I largely based off of my late-high school self for both self insertion and coping reasons, but a few things do set her apart from me. As in, she’s a pretty close approximation, but by no means is she a direct, direct copy of me.

She’s a student at Kosei Academy, simply due to the fact that I read on the wiki that it’s speculated to be a catholic school (I was brought up in the catholic education system, so, I could find some accuracy and likeness in that), and attended meetings at both the drama and art club there. She has bitter memories of the two clubs, as she was betrayed by the one major figure in both: her childhood friend Hideo Sunjaya. Since then, she’s taken to expressing her creative outlets in circles outside of her student life, and finds her passion in writing. At the time of Persona 5 canon, she’s set on becoming an editor. In the future canon, she does in fact achieve this goal. In this way Junko’s less of a model of who I was, and instead she’s what I hope to be.

She comes from a somewhat broken home, but has a strong relationship with her mother. Despite her current disconnect, Junko feels that she owes it to her parents that she has such a good understanding of her own identity, as they were supportive when she first came out as sapphic, and continued their support when she decided to be GNC and soon after came into her identity as a demigirl.

Elizabeth Beaufort – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

Lizzie is a pretty lighthearted simulacrum of a more feminine version of me, translated loosely into the scope of the year 1899. I’m by no means a historian, but here’s Lizzie’s life.

Elizabeth Beaufort is a born and raised resident of the town of Valentine. Her mother is whatever the RDR2 universe’s equivalent of Quebecois French is, having moved to Saint Denis due to a family matter down there, and subsequently met her father. A Valentine resident himself, he beguiled her mother and convinced her to move to Valentine and live as the wife of a livestock owner (he comes from some blue blood ‘round those parts—as mentioned by the VDL in Chapter 2, the town is a goldmine of trade).

As a lady of relative privilege, life was… well, it was what a privileged life is. Sheltered, simple, and for the most part pretty damned easy. However, her naivete wasn’t something that her mother would stand to see Elizabeth keep, as she wanted a strong daughter who wouldn’t simply bend to the hand of tradition. Would I say that Lizzie would’ve most certainly rallied with those girls in Rhodes? YES. I’d rather die than portray any iteration of myself as complacent rather than progressive lmao. Elizabeth Beaufort flows in the vein of RDR2’s… I guess, progressive* writing? More** on that below, I guess???

*I don’t actually know how well it was received by everyone else, and honestly, I’m not even gonna try to speak on anyone else’s behalf but my own—I found that RDR2, despite some shortcomings, made itself a relatively hospitable environment for me as a white queer.

** Lizzie does struggle a lot with her internalized homophobia? Like… she had a lot of difficulty when she was younger coming to terms with the fact that she’s bisexual. This is less prevalent in her backstory considering it only ever surfaces post-canon. Yes, my SI and her FO came out to each other at random after being married to him for approximately 3 months. And it went fuckin’ great cos guess what!! Theyre both bi!! WLW/MLM solidarity!!! Don’t @ me.

Gillian Wright – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Gilley was brought up amongst a gang of outlaws, and her being born a woman changed nothing about the things she was taught by said gunslingers. She left the group she once called family because of the leadership turning sour. From that point forward she went it alone, shifting in and out of her identity as Gilley Wright and her masculine persona (a pseudonym-turned-identity) Giles Kingsley, to keep herself straddling notoriety and anonymity.

· Gilley only started wearing her hair short because of an encounter in which her longer hair was used as a means to pull her back into harm’s way. She lopped it off shortly after out of the feeling that it was a necessity, but soon found that she preferred it that way.

· Thaddeus, her large draft horse, once pulled carts. She took him during a robbery so that she’d have an adequate mount for her getaway. The connection was instant between them.

Taeko Atou – Tokyo Ghoul OC

Taeko went by another name before her time in the 20th ward. She had another face, another life. But that was a self she had to leave far, far behind. Before “Taeko”, she was a reckless twentysomething ghoul living off of her father’s money, basking in the upper echelons of society, indulging in Scrapper shows and seeing humanity as nothing but an unprepared buffet. The danger ranking on her CCG profile demonstrated as much.

One night, however, her cushy life changed drastically. She went out drinking after a Scrapper show with one of her friends and decided to go hunting with her. Things were as usual, they stayed in their territory, but ended up getting apprehended by a group of Doves. During the getaway, her and her friend were separated, and she had no way of knowing whether her friend was alive. Drunk, desperate, and rather terrified, she decided to abandon all else and ripped her mask off to taunt the officers. They deserved to see her face, covered in gore and as ghoulish as they came! Nothing mattered to her at that point and she wanted to give them a scare…!

That is, until the next morning, when she recovered from her hangover and realized what she’d done. One of those Doves got a picture of her. In a panic, she called her father to ask for some sort of mercy money to clear the issue up. He’s frustrated with her constantly getting into increasingly worse trouble and tells her this: he’s going to pay for her to completely change her identity and her face so that she can move elsewhere, completely out of the way of harm. After that, he’d be cutting her off, leaving her with only the savings that she had prior to the cut-off. No more handouts.

This is when she became Taeko Atou, a pseudonym based off of her Scrapper show guest alias, “Miss AT”, and moved to the 20th ward. She has to adjust to average life a la Schitt’s Creek or Arrested Development.

7. What kind of clothing style do they like? What would they never be caught dead wearing? What’s likely in their closet right now?

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

· Bells LOVES anything that’ll make them look cute and androgynous. They’re super partial to a femme prince aesthetic. Blouses and linens and vests and suspenders and a bunch of that cute shit. (Yes, this is my preferred fashion style and I wish I could look like that all the time.) They’re also into stuff like your average sundresses and such when it’s too hot for “princey” attire because hell yeah.

· They’d hate to wear… hm… short party dresses? Cocktail dresses n shit. (No shade to those tho theyre cute. Just not Bellamy’s style.)

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

· Junko’s super masc and butch in her presentation, binds her chest, does the simple graphic tee + jeans thing a lot. Think “Kanji Tatsumi but a lesbian”.

· She lowkey doesn’t like wearing overly feminine clothes, like, she does not vibe with dresses.

Elizabeth Beaufort – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Lizzie is pretty standard when it comes to clothes: blouses and skirts, dresses, all just… really basic stuff. She likes simple and solid colours, maybe simple patterns. She’s also like… very cottagecore. Probably likes overalls if she ever wears ‘em?? I’m not a frickin’ historian and I’m not gonna google early 1900s clothes styles at this hour don’t @ me.

· This is literally just because I’m basic as all fuck and I like a skirt/blouse or sundress style outfit. I don’t wear it often but that’s my jazz y’know?

Gillian Wright – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Gilley’s another one of my more boyish characters. She doesn’t deliberately go out of her way to look like a man unless she’s under the guise of her male persona Giles Kingsley. But let me tell you—she goes all out for those occasions, even electing to simulate stubble on her face with cosmetics. Think “cowboy drag king” and you’ll hit the mark.

· Other than that, she just wears whatever’s convenient and comfortable.

9. Their favorite foods? Colors? Activities? What do they enjoy in life? How do they express their joy for things they like?

As dumb as this sounds I completely burnt out after writing only 2 self insert likes/interests profiles, forgive me lol.

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

· Favourite Food: Bells is indecisive, but they will gladly eat anything Ignis puts in front of them. They’re thoroughly convinced he uses magic in his cooking. (They’re only half joking about that—it’s so good!) If they were made to decide a top three, it’d likely be Garden Curry, Broiled King on a Stick, and Moogle Mousse with Kupoberry Sauce. Honorable mention being Gyashi Chips (yes, they like what’s effectively Eosian kale chips).

· Favourite Colours: ANYTHING PASTEL will win Bellamy over, along with any colour considered light and airy. White, silver, pale green, soft gold, baby blue, lavender, and also whatever the sky has going on at any given time of the day—they’re an aesthetic little shit.

· Favourite Activities: Travelling, leisure shopping when funds allow it (if given the means, Bellamy will 100% engage in excessive retail therapy, no joke), swimming, loving their friends, talking about books and music, gardening, and (I know this sounds vain but bear with me) preening. Yes, they’d be a vlogger in another life. Don’t @ me

· Bells loves to talk in excess about what they like, and on occasion, when words fail, they tend to express it through squealing, jumping, etc. If someone points out how passionate Bells is about these things, they’ll end up flustered and ask the person if they could continue. I guess you could say Bellamy stims? I’m not diagnosed with anything, so take this with a grain of salt, but I do have stimming habits.

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

· Favourite Food: Junko’s pretty partial to miso soup. It’s one of her weaknesses. Total comfort food. (Bro I fuckin’ love miso soup.) As well as baked goods like cupcakes.

· Favourite Colours: Red, black, silver, pink, blue, purple.

· Favourite Activities: drawing (sketches, scribbles, doodles, colouring, etc., singing, baking/cooking, writing, and she learned to love gardening after getting close to Haru.

· Junko tends to show her happiness through verbal and artistic expression, she’s also the type that tends to crack jokes (mostly shitty puns followed up by finger guns).

Again, thank you so much for asking, thank you so much for asking! QwQ Asks are still open, everyone.

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lizzybeth1986 · 5 years

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Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 4

• Hello guys! I’m trying to finish this early because I’m shifting house (not too far from where I’m already living, and closer to kiddo’s nursery! 😁). Fingers crossed I can finish it prior to us shifting.

• Before I begin, I feel I must apologize for neglecting to place a trigger warning for discussing infertility, considering I posted screenshots of Hana’s scene referencing that last chapter and spoke at length about it. The people who have discussed it on my posts have been unfailingly kind and sensitive in their approach to speaking about it, and I failed to display the same sensitivity. I will make sure I don’t repeat that mistake in the future.

Content Warning: The end of this QT will feature a discussion on last week’s Hana scene in the doctor’s office, so TW for discussions on infertility.

• Screenshot Credits:

@pixieferry for Hana + the Abhirio YouTube channel

@thefirstcourtesan + the BizzysChoices YouTube channel for Drake

@boneandfur + Abhirio YouTube channel for Maxwell

• I’m also halfway through a QT for Book 1 Chapter 5. Thought I’d revisit the original series while I was at it. What do you guys think?? If you’re interested do mention if you want to be tagged! You can check out my QTs for the first four chapters from my Masterlist, linked on my bio 😀

• Short chapter, this. I’m pretty sure all the deep digging into history etc will happen idk in Texas. Coz Texas is where Drake’s maternal home is and this entire series - TRR Book 2 onwards - has just been a massive Drake’s-ass-kissing exercise for the writers, let’s be honest. But at least right now, we will get a feel of what the rivals who want to corner us into an alliance look like, sound like, and want.

• Title: Courting Crowns

Does this chapter alone need an alternative title? Does it really?? You might as well rename the entire series no, since just one LI seems to matter. Call it The Grumpy Commoner’s Pub Trail instead (@callmetippytumbles came up with this phrase in an ask on Lily Spencer once).

• I know I sound bitter but how else do you expect me to sound when the writers are THIS blatant about their favouritism. And tbh they’ve been doing that Book 2 onwards.

• So the chapter begins where we left off - the MC meets up with all the LIs in the solarium. They confirm that the people responsible were the paparazzi, and the angle they’re trying to spin is that the Queen of Cordonia/Duchess of Valtoria is an irresponsible woman who is somehow magically pregnant (even in a Hana playthrough!) AND being careless. Thank you Cordonian paps, I’m sure you know my body better than I do.

• Madeleine speaks of doing “damage control” while Bertrand “gallavants away” to Texas as if we were never busy doing damage control for her during the Unity Tour.

• LMAO @ all the responses to “I’ll show them how serious I am about producing an heir”. Especially the Maxwell MC 😅

(Screenshots: @pixieferry for Hana, @boneandfur for Maxwell and BizzysChoices YouTube channel for Drake)

• Liam we know that shy retiring gentleman act is the biggest sham there is. I’ve read your diamond scene.

• Alright so now we prep for the Ball. MC will oversee party arrangements, Drake will check with Mara on security, Hana will help with decor, and Maxwell will make sure there is plenty of bubblyyyy, wiggly letters and all. No idea what Liam is doing. Mysterious King things, I suppose.

• It’s now the night of the Ball and Hana (thank God) is helping us get ready, having already gotten ready herself first. What’s interesting (and not in a good way) is WHAT she’s wearing:

To your left is a screenshot from my playthrough, where Hana is wearing her beloved handmade traditional outfit. To your right is a screenshot from a playthrough @thefirstcourtesan did, in which Hana wears the understated LBD she wore for the MC’s bachelorette in Vegas (whether she was the bride or not). The interesting bit is that I bought the scene where Hana got her outfit back, and @thefirstcourtesan didn’t do it for that particular playthrough.

What’s more, is that I noticed in the previous book…that while the outfit on the left was an option during her wedding, it definitely wasn’t an option for the final ball in Book 3 if you didn’t pay to secretly take it from Lorelei - Hana pretty much chooses her costume gala flower gown in that case.

Are you telling me that if I don’t buy to get her own handmade outfit back, you’ve basically taken it out of her hands???

I’ll get into why this could actually be so messed up later.

• Even if Hana doesn’t have this particular outfit, why does she have to go for something so toned-down?? This is something she last wore (by default) to a bachelorette party! Why couldn’t they choose to put her in her Costume Gala gown instead? That would have worked for such a huge formal ball. At the very least it would have worked better than her LBD.

•

Not gonna lie, this annoyed me a fair bit. One, could it really have been that hard to do some of the work for this, MC? Like I said in my previous QT, the MC still doesn’t seem to take much effort to read up or ask questions about what’s going on, however powerful a figure she is. Two, I am done, done, with how much work Hana has to be doing on the MC’s behalf without getting much credit in return. She’s been doing this since Book 1. In the first two books I could somewhat understand - the MC was new, she had no idea where to begin looking, Bertrand and Maxwell weren’t exactly the most efficient support system to integrating into Cordonian society, everything was unfamiliar. That’s now not the case. She is a powerful, influential figure who has all the resources possible to understand the situation if she really wanted to. But she is still waiting on people to spoonfeed the information to her, and a friend like Hana tends to get very, very little in return.

• When I first saw this scene on my Liam playthrough, I was wondering how the Hana equivalent would look. I mean, she was dealt with a pretty heavy emotional blow the previous day. Would it still weigh on her? Would the MC check in to find out how she was doing?

Nothing of the sort happened. It was the same scene, except perhaps for a reference to Hana being a duchess. So I thought, well, maybe since it’s a heavy conversation, they’ll probably integrate it into the diamond scene, right? After all, I’d just seen a Drake scene that dealt with his reasons for agreeing to Liam’s request. Surely Hana would be given a similar courtesy?

• Okay so Hana’s research yields these results regarding our guests:

- King Bradshaw and Queen Isabella of Auvernal: Bradshaw is the kind who likes to get his way, apparently, and Isabella likes people with a sense of humour.

- Queen Amalas of Monterisso: is mysterious. That is all.

- Other Leaders: from distant countries, basically just coming to the part to have a good time.

• I think this is interesting in terms of the sheer variety of people we’re needing to handle in one party alone. All of them with different personalities, aims and agendas. Unlike Cordonia, which operates on particular codes of conduct that we are now used to, we have to pick up the subtle cues Hana gives us to figure out what works for which royal. We’re definitely being kept on our toes this chapter, and I like when that happens.

•

Ooo blingy. Very nice. Green and gold is an amazing combination, the applique on the gown is beautiful, the illusion neckline is nice, and I like seeing small pearls weaved into such a fancy outfit! Honestly we should have had something similar to this in Fydelia last book, rather than being expected to waltz in that green minidress. The only downer is that Hana’s free outfit COULD have been just as opulent but they opted to dress her down instead. And that’s not the first time they force her to dress down for occasions where she could dress like a star.

• The guys are dressed up for the occasion too. Liam in his official outfit with the medals and sash, Drake in his grey suit, Maxwell in his formal black suit sans tie. Only if you’re with Hana, do you not see your LI in their full regalia at the stairs (since we already took a good look at her at the boutique). Whichever LI you are married to (if male), you will greet at the stairs, entering the hall with them.

• Following your entry, you and your LI split up to meet and talk to your guests separately. There’s not a lot we see of our LIs’ interactions, as this chapter is mostly focussed on the MC’s first impression of these royals.

•

So you have three characters established as the most powerful (Bradshaw and Isabella, and Amalas. I recognize the sprite for Amalas as being similar-ish to Vasquez’s girlfriend in The Senior, but with different hair and styling. I read somewhere that Bradshaw’s sprite is also from another character in another series?), one character that’s there as a nod to another series (Princess Marguerite from The Heist: Monaco, who I like to believe is living her best life and happily romancing Miranda), and the other ‘distant kingdom’ characters for which they used sprites from other books (Erin from HSS, Khaan from PM, and Scarlett from VoS).

• Rather than going chronologically, I’m going to first go from the royals that were added more for extra flavour and a party atmosphere, to the royals the narrative actually focuses on:

- King Eirik: Very easily to please. Just remember the guy’s name. I’m not exactly sure he’s used to that (or Khaan Mousavi is on the run from Eros again and wants to make sure the MC won’t suss out who he really is).

- Lerato and Lesidi: So you can choose to please either sister, because each of them have different opinions on what matters. (I’m guessing Scarlett decided to give her brother in Washington some tough competition. “You’re contesting for a Senate seat? Well sucks to be you because I’m going make myself a goddamn princess!!” At the very least I know she upgraded from Tanner). Lerato can’t stand Constantine (like normal people), and is appreciative of efforts that better the lives of Cordonians. Lesidi is younger (you’re supposed to be in school Erin!!) and really just loves a good party. So as long as you move away from the chest-beating “Cordonia’s strength” response, and opt for either a noble cause or just plain good fun, your royal reputation will be fine.

(Honestly the least PB can do is replace Scarlett’s S necklace with something else if she’s just going to be a convenient sprite. Or give all her doppelgangers S names, idk).

- Marguerite: She is an out-and-out romantic and that’s definitely the vibe they’re going for here. She’s also amazing and sweet with the MC, unconditionally offering friendship and advice. You don’t get reputation points with her since she’s lovely to you anyway, but you do get to ask her what her opinion is on either Bradshaw and Isabella, you and your LI as a couple, or the other royals. The answer to the first question seems the most important, hinting at a future role perhaps. She warns us to be careful around them.

- Bradshaw and Isabella: The approach for these two is interesting. I hated the characters (esp Bradshaw, which I’m sure was what the narrative wants me to be doing) and their acting like I’m PANTING to marry off my unborn child to one of their twins - but the overall scene with them I found interesting. Bradshaw seems to operate on extremes - either you grovel in front of him or you aggressively push back, he likes both approaches. He doesn’t seem to have an appreciation for diplomacy and would you fight with him rather than give him a neutral response. Isabella likes seeing a sense of humour in people, and seems to enjoy it if you tell her that “when no one’s trying to kill me, this place isn’t so bad”. In any case, the only way to keep up with both is to take turns choosing answers that will interest them. I found the guessing quite challenging and fun, not so much the insinuations that I would arrange my child’s marriage before they’re even conceived.

- Amalas: Perhaps the most intriguing, and that’s probably on purpose. They’re clearly highlighting her as the underdog in this court, the mysterious Queen no one knows about (although the Black Widow reference does hint at her at least being suspected of killing her husband? Since the female black widow spider is famous for eating the male after mating). She makes a persuasive case about how Monterisso and Cordonia are “cut from the same cloth”, are both small (how many climates and landscapes does Monterisso have) countries with amazing wealth, that Auvernal wants to push into an unequal alliance with the promise of their military prowess. Amalas’ suggestion is to join hands so they can find strength together and push back against the kind of intimidation Bradshaw is showing them.

• Queen Eleanor was from Auvernal? So Liam is half-Cordonian and half-Auvernese? That must be interesting. I wonder if we will possibly see more about these foreign relations during Constantine’s time and what it must have been like. Also why do I hear practically nothing about Constantine from this exchange? They mention Eleanor, but refer to only her - especially when they’re talking about her hospitality and treating them with respect. There’s nothing much to make out of it yet (though you have at least one other person openly expressing a negative view of him), but it’s an interesting point to note nonetheless.

• QUEEN ESTHER NOW HAS A NEW CORGI!!! Since the first was named Joy, I thought I’d name the lady corgi Hope xD

• I know the narrative is writing Amalas as this mysterious, seductive figure (it’s working on me, okay! 🙈) the underdog and the cool person that everyone wants to know and be friends with - but all said and done, she advocates these bizarre ideas to make kids have betrothals on their cribs too. She’s just a little more persuasive and a little less heavy-handed about it. So I have my doubts still.

• It’s also kind of interesting that there is no specified sex given for Amalas’ child? Is customization possible for both her child and ours?

•

(Screenshots: Abhirio’s YouTube channel for Hana and Maxwell, BizzysChoices YouTube channel for Drake)

Aww @ all the LIs’ reactions to the new corgi!

• So…the MC comes out of these interactions with multiple nobles and royals either exhausted, frustrated or worried, and the LI comforts her in whatever way they can, reassuring her that things will go well. She can either feel majorly annoyed about having to deal with so much royalty, be weirded out by the kind of attention the baby she hasn’t even (possibly) conceived yet is getting, or she’s afraid the alliances won’t happen. Either way, the LI is there to help her, and suggests they sneak out and spend a little time together before dealing with the guests again.

• The basic format for this scene is very, very similar for three LIs: Liam, Hana and Maxwell. The MC agrees to sneak out, the LI takes her to the bedroom (or in Liam’s case, they have an tiny extra scene where Princess Marguerite is passing them while they’re making out in the corridor). They begin a fun, sexy game of their choosing, which the MC enjoys and which eventually leads to them sleeping together. This is followed by a short conversation after which the LI and MC go back to the hall.

This is the breakdown for each LI:

- Liam: After almost being caught red-handed making out in the corridor by Princess Marguerite, Liam and his wife make it to the bedroom. Liam plays Twenty Questions with her, quizzing her on details about the rulers she met. For each answer she gets right, he gives her a kiss (well…he kisses her even otherwise because she is impossible to resist). Once they’ve slept together, the couple then briefly discuss both their honeymoon period and then the decision they will need to make regarding alliances. The last bit is spoken about in an extremely vague manner.

- Maxwell: Immediately after the MC accepts, the two enter their bedroom and begin to do a little roleplay. Maxwell pretends he came into the bar where the MC worked alone, and that she isn’t a waitress (the player gets to choose her role: a spy, a museum curator or a jewel thief). Once they’ve slept together, they chat a little before going back to the guests, and one of the things the MC can opt to mention is that Maxwell “will be a great dad” even if he’s a fun uncle type. Oh, like that conversation Maxwell and his MC never got to have back on their honeymoon? 🤔

- Hana: Immediately after the MC accepts, the two enter their bedroom and do what the MC calls “an ice-cream strip game”. Either one has to taste an ice cream and correctly guess the flavour, and if they don’t get it right, they have to shed an item of their clothing. This includes fun flavours like bubblegum, rum-and-raisin and lemon sorbet. Hana then heats things up by running a little ice cream down the MC’s neck instead of letting her taste. Once they’ve slept together, the couple chat for a bit, after which the MC thanks Hana for everything she’s been doing for her. Hana is sweet and humble and the MC can optionally tell her how incredible she is but somehow the events of the previous day never come up (again, more on this later).

(Screenshots: @pixieferry for Hana and @boneandfur for Maxwell)

• HOWEVER, not only is the format of Drake’s diamond scene different, but so is the location! Drake’s diamond scene begins with the couple wanting a moment alone - the MC even takes a bottle along and there is some light hearted teasing about how he isn’t the only person in the relationship who drinks. This is followed by a four minute long makeout scene somewhere in the foyer (to give you an idea of how much time that took - Liam’s corresponding makeout scene lasts barely a minute), and the MC - to get them real privacy - takes him to that HUGE kinda dilapidated area that we once took Hana to, in Book 3…presumably to ravish each other and then watch the sunset. Which is exactly what they do.

Shortly after this, Drake and the MC enjoy the sight of the sun setting, and then discuss their future and one important aspect of Drake’s past - his changing attitudes towards nobility. The MC at this point gets to ASK him why he agreed to Liam’s proposal. He has this to say:

(Screenshot from @thefirstcourtesan)

I mean…that moment wasn’t exactly OOC only for Drake. Hana and Maxwell pretty much would have had the same questions too, but there hardly are even given the space to ask those questions. Yet somehow the team had the time and the energy to delve into just one character?

Drake gets to expand on what seeing Savannah’s family makes him feel. Drake gets to speak about his loyalty to his friend and his changing attitude to the nobility. He is lauded by the public and the press for doing and saying the bare minimum. And now, he gets an LI scene that allows him to speak at length, while the other LIs are restricted to maybe a few lines.

• I really do feel conflicted about Drake’s big scene about his loyalty to his best friend,and his issues about nobility, happening in an undercroft where Hana was once supposed to have her own big scene about family and selfhood, last book - one that we never got. Because the writers didn’t care enough.

• We now return to the Ball, and after mingling for a while, the MC gets to see what almost everyone else is doing.

King Bradshaw is bemused by Maxwell’s love for dance offs and desire to be a court jester (I know Brad but that’s basically what the writers reduced him to).

Kiara LOVES Queen Amalas’ pantsuit because it is “elegant, yet bold” and a pleased Amalas tells Kiara she should try wearing one (I’d love to see how that looks honestly 😃).

Marguerite is talking to Drake and Hana. Drake isn’t very happy that someone besides him is monopolizing this conversation and Hana is LOVING IT (same, sis, saaaaame).

•

@ Drake: This is literally your life now. You knew you would have to deal with a press meet last chapter and you knew there would be a goddamned ball where you’d have to do networking this chapter. Be prepared from now on and stop complaining, Jesus.

@ Hana: I love it when Hana trolls people, and I feel it she doesn’t get to do it often enough. Remember her impressions of Drake in Fydelia during Unity Tour. They should let her do one for everyone in the group. Please let Hana troll people more. Let her troll all of Cordonia!!

• The night winds down, and we get to see who we have impressed and who we haven’t. As I’ve mentioned earlier, Isabella’s attitude towards you hinges on your sense of humour, Bradshaw on your ability to push back and fight for what you want. Amalas on your uniqueness and that je ne sais quoi feel that seems to set you apart from the others. The other royals on different aspects: either your ambition and desire to serve the people, or the ability to let loose and have a good time! We get to know all of this on their way to the door.

• I’m glad Olivia didn’t show up here. Can you imagine just how mad she’d get if she heard all this nonsense about having marriage alliances done before these children were even born?? She’d suffered in a situation very much like that, and I think she’d be damned to let what happened to her happen to another kid. You’d need to hold her back from using an axe against these people.

• Whatever the outcome is, the MC expresses her worries to the LI, the LI comforts her and then suggests they make a road trip to America since Savannah and Bertrand are getting married there (another trip…seriously??? Please for the love of God just stay in the country/duchy and properly RULE it for once!!).

• Next set of chapters is clearly going to be taken over by the Walker family, and we’ll talk and hear about nothing else for the next couple of weeks.

General Thoughts:

• …why is no one asking where the paparazzi came from? Our paps? Their paps? Which magazine was it. Why are you so intent on making your characters look so stupid PB. They’re so stupid. My head hurts.

• Why are they saying I was in a hot tub I never saw a hot tub in that villa.

• I know some questions should be unanswered for future plot…but…you don’t think a SINGLE person would be wondering who sent them in the first place? Considering the last time photos of us were taken without our consent it was pretty much from someone who had an agenda?

• So…over the weekend I tried to do a fail playthrough of my own for Book 1 (I was dying guys I was dying. So much secondhand embarrassment. How did I survive that 😭). And since I was doing this so soon after I finished this chapter, I kinda ended up making parallels between Queen Regina’s first meeting with the suitors in Chapter 5 there, and how especially the Bradshaw/Isabella/Amalas meetings went here.

I remember distinctively that displaying a “sense of humour” was actively discouraged (Regina even says “fools use laughter to cover up their own ignorance” in the same tea party), and how highly qualities like stoicism and diplomacy are held in esteem. Bradshaw and Isabella are the antithesis to that (Bradshaw also shows slight similarities with Regina in terms of liking a challenge. During the croquet game in Book 1, Regina makes it clear that she “detests those who don’t have the stomach to stand up to me”. Bradshaw, too, seems to have more respect for an MC who stands up to him…but in perhaps a more patronizing way)

Interestingly, if the press has labelled you “Mystery Woman” in Book 1, Regina points out that “no one can remain a mystery long when they’re a public servant and must attend to the people”. Yet it is almost impossible for Hana - whose research skills are clearly on another level - to find any information about Queen Amalas.

• Tbh I kinda love that shift. By branching out and navigating through the landscape not just in but around Cordonia, the MC gets a broader view of what politics is like around this area. She gets to read the other person’s cues and behaviour, compare it with the information she has been given, and make an informed decision on what would work right with them. I hated the overall presumptuousness from the main players, but I definitely enjoyed the dynamics.

• I wonder if we will see Regina again at some point! I'm doing my Book 1 playthrough and she's kinda growing on me this time.

• The diamond scene was good on its own…until I started checking the other routes. And that’s been the case more and more often with TRR. You start out thinking “great, a nice love scene with teasing and seduction and your LI showing you just how good they are in bed, with some tender moments afterwards”. Then you look at other playthroughs and realize (if you’re a Liam stan) that their scenes were shorter and there was less to talk about. THEN you look at a playthrough like Drake’s…and find a completely different backdrop, a completely different format and an issue that his fans were complaining about being addressed. In detail. I’m a Liam stan, there is at least a little more I know I’m going to get (besides my LI being happy and not making stupid decisions in a playthrough where he is single). Hana and Maxwell get practically nothing, the writers aren’t even pretending to scrape the bottom of the barrel to give them content.

• If they’d really bothered to even this out, they could have used the end of these scenes to answer important questions. Liam could maybe tell us exactly what his experience of dealing with these kings and queens have been like, since he has had more experience with them in terms of diplomatic relations. He could speak about how it feels to have these sort of powerful, invasive figures make constant demands on him, and how that would weigh on him. After all these are the kinds of people he might have had to work with ever since Leo abdicated. Or what about Maxwell? In the livestream the writers claimed that he “grew into fatherhood”…How? Where? Why was this journey not worth showing? This diamond scene could have focused on what his turning point into that growth was, especially since Drake got that space to talk about it.

• I got two very, very bitter reminders of that horrid scene they gave Hana in Book 3 Chapter 15, in this chapter itself. One was - as I told you - the fact that if you didn’t buy this scene (that wasn’t even worth TWO diamonds, much less the 15 you could spend on it), her handmade outfit disappears after the wedding. She doesn’t have it as an option for the ball in the finale, she can’t wear it this chapter and is instead made to dress herself in a very muted style (which honestly kind of reminds me of how she was constantly treated like the “wedding planner” or “bridesmaid” rather than the bride, at her own damn wedding).

I assumed, this entire time, that even if you didn’t get the outfit in Book 3…the improved relationship with Lorelei shortly after would mean she’d get her dress back (since the reason she had to take away Hana’s clothes from her didn’t even exist anymore). Why would a Hana who HAS this outfit (at least up until the wedding) be coded as no longer owning it or considering to wear it if you didn’t buy that scene? I see no reason why it would be around and she’d not want to wear it. Her love for that outfit wouldn’t lessen just because she wasn’t running all around Valtoria to retrieve it.

So what should I assume? That Hana and her parents maybe made peace with each other but Lorelei still took her most precious item of clothing anyway? And now Hana doesn’t even get to wear it now for special occasions to represent her other home? She has to opt for an outfit she wore for a bachelorette while her wife/friend is (optionally) dressed to the nines? Just so you can stroke your ego about how this shitty diamond scene from the last book will now be of some use?

I mean…just the fact that getting back together with her parents but not getting stuff that is HERS back…I don’t even know what to say.

• TW: I speak about Hana’s scene with the doctor from last chapter again here.

• The other reminder of what a trainwreck that scene was, was definitely Drake’s diamond scene, which takes place in the same secret spot. If you didn’t buy the scene, then this was a place the MC just discovered, and if you did, she mentions seeing this place with Hana. I recall, while buying this scene, waiting and waiting for Hana to say more about that grandmother who made her dress with her, or about how her views on her parents have changed…or literally anything. But nothing much actually happened rather than a very shallow conversation and a kiss if you were her fiancée. Now in the same spot, I see Drake get a special scene with special dialogues exploring facets of his journey (and by now I’ve completely lost count of the number of times I’ve seen this happen). In the meantime, Hana gets a scene where her MC does the barest minimum - saying ‘thank you’ for all the preparations Hana’s been making the last few days. Which brings me to my next point.

• You can’t expect me to believe that two women who love each other, and who are supposed to have supported each other through difficult situations (this is true for Hana, and for the MC on the few occasions the story allowed her to)…would simply return to normal? After receiving the kind of news Hana got in the previous chapter??? That the woman going through this painful experience wouldn’t struggle with it? That her partner would not bother to check on her? (and at no point does the MC do so in this chapter). One could always argue that perhaps they could leave such a discussion for future chapters…but, as I said in detail the previous QT, the writing team has had a track record of choosing to never address very serious issues related to Hana’s own story, to the point where they were on the verge of encouraging a possible romance with someone who harmed her in her single playthroughs. If they were able to make Drake’s scene so different, why couldn’t they do the same to Hana considering her own, self-confessed, emotional state last chapter in her playthrough? Instead in that particular scene, she thanks her for everything, even referencing the same doctor’s appointment where they got this news - and it sounds patronizing considering the fact that Hana’s pain is (again!!) seen as not important even to speak about. Why couldn’t the MC at least ask after her and see how she’s feeling, and comfort her in this scene?

And if that wasn’t going to happen - why force that situation on Hana at all??

• One thing we need to keep in mind is that even when one DOES NOT want children, being told that you don’t even have that choice, or option, can be painful and in many cases traumatizing as well. I had two incredible reblogs last chapter that spoke about this in detail, from people who experienced similar situations, and I feel that unless a writer is ready to commit to that storyline and route, unless they’re prepared to write it sensitively rather than brush it under the carpet, they should not place that character in that situation. This is extremely offensive given their track record.

• This is why, when they say bullshit like “oh we would have preferred to do separate books for each LI but ended up with no choice but one book” (I’m paraphrasing), I find it so hard to believe the team. No one was forcing them to create the issues for Hana that they did. Those were narrative choices they made…and when you make such choices it’s YOUR responsibility to resolve them properly, otherwise don’t go there! Don’t have Madeleine bully her - or Olivia still mock her after they’ve become friends - if you’re simply going to allow these white (let’s never forget this. The white women in this book get away with all kinds of bullshit) women to get away with it with little-to-no pushback from Hana herself. Don’t force her into an emotionally abusive parent-child relationship if your only resolution for that is they say sorry a couple times and still have the same toxic expectations of her. Don’t rob her of her choice to physically carry a child if in the next chapter you will force her to act like nothing happened. I doubt ANY of these writers would care enough to actually write separate routes/books for anyone other than the LI they’ve always been pandering to.

• Apparently 3 writers in the team claim they would date Hana. Mmhmm. Sure. I can so see that in the way you write her, team TRH, I can so see that.

• I…love some of the characters in this series, and they’re the reason I’m still sticking around and trying to make these write-ups. But I won’t lie that it is exhausting, and frustrating, to keep highlighting these issues and barely be heard - and if the series keeps this up…I might not be able tho sustain the energy to keep writing these. I hope that doesn’t happen…but it is a very real possibility and I think I should let you guys know in case things do go that way.

• Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen - but if it does, I’ll still be working on my Book 1 QTs (my failplay brought up some insights that I found interesting!) and there’s plenty of fanfic ideas that I’d love to get back into. Let’s see how things turn out!

#long post #the royal heir #anti the royal heir #trh quick thoughts #trh qts #infertility tw #bullying tw

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moonvalecrossing · 4 years

Note

Now here's something I haven't asked you in a long time: a "Fav and Least Fav" ask related to Pokémon. Favorite and least favorite Gym Leaders of each type they specialize in? Kahunas and Trial Captains will count, but if one ends up as your fav/least fav, I'd suggest separating them and the actual Gym Leader that's your fav/least fav of their type. Also, Bede and Marnie's statuses as Gym Leaders will count too, mostly just so Piers can have some competition with his sis. :P

Alrighty. Time to sit down and tackle this!

Normal Type- Least Favorite: Whitney. WHITNEY. That damn Milktank. I’m sure she’s killed many a Nuzlocke team. And yet still has the gall to cry like a baby when she loses. She also comes across as one of those vapid dumb and pretty trend girls. “Everyone was into pokemon so I got into it too!” I really think skill is the only thing they care about when they hand out the title of Gym Leader sometime because this chick really doesn’t seem to be the type who’d normally get this type of authority.

Normal Type- Most Favorite: Cheren. He is adorable baby husband. Though mostly it’s really cool to see another rival become a gym leader like Green did. I just wish they’d kept his glasses instead of for some reason swapping them to Bianca for some reason.

Fighting Type- Least Favorite: Korrina. Her character art bugs me. Is she seriously supposed to be wearing skates and also doing fighting moves? I can’t even stand on four wheel skates without nearly breaking every bone below my waist. And you’re telling me this girl runs around doing axe kicks on roller blades??? No thank you. Also she hoists a Lucario onto you. I like raising my pokemon from their earliest point and you go and make me have to take one because I’d feel bad if I didn’t since it wants to come with me now.

Fighting Type- Most Favorite: Brawly. Mostly because he’s hot. Slightly because his gym is actually a gym with workout equipment in the remake and I find that amazing and hilarious.

Flying Type- Least Favorite: Skyla. Partially because of her anime counterpart. Mostly because I hate her design. Why are her wrists so thick on those gloves? Why is she wearing boots, a cropped jacket, those weird gloves, and what look closer to boxer style panties than shorts underneath a bunch of bondage-y belts? She looks like a generic anime waifu more than a pokemon character. Like a Mega Man OC. Of one of those weird dating games where the women are just objects in female coded human form Skyla’s a humanized seatbelt.

Flying Type- Most Favorite: Falkner. Because Kahili isn’t a gym leader. Congrats, Falkner. You cute little bugger. Also he’s the only notable male flying type trainer.

Poison Type- Least Favorite: Prepare the flame shields. I don’t like Roxie. Small children as Gym Leaders bug the hell out of me. I see Gym Leaders as characters with high authority in the pokemon world. I hate the idea of kids who look like they’re only a few years out from learning the alphabet and basic mathematics having any kind of power in a region. The only exception I have is Galar because the gym leaders feel less important since they’re merely sports celebrities. ...Also I hate Roxie’s Pebbles Flintstone hair. It makes her look even more like a baby to me.

Poison Type- Most Favorite: Koga. Despite the fact I still think that he and Sabrina had their gyms switched, he’s still my favorite. He even became a member of the Elite 4 and left the gym to his daughter. I find that sweet.

Ground Type- Least Favorite: (Actually Hapu, because of reasons stated above for Roxie, except even more because this kid is a freaking KAHUNA. Why is this little mud farm girl chosen to be the KAHUNA of a whole dang island and one of the most important people in Alola? Surely the Tapus could find someone better, but then again the gods must be crazy.) Clay. Because he looks like a Texan Business Tycoon. And I’m a left-leaning American. That should probably explain things well enough. Because boy howdy do I not wanna open that can of worms. Maybe if I ever get to the point of fighting him in Black Version my opinion will change. But like I said. My real answer is Hapu. Clay just has the misfortune of being next at the bottom of the line.

Ground Type- Most Favorite: Giovanni. Because he is my mafia husbando and I am a garbage human. Have you seen a picture of the man in the “How I became a Pokemon Card” manga? Hot damn. And his newer pokemon cards? HOT DAMN.

Rock Type- Least Favorite: Gordie. This Ronaldo Fryman looking fucknugget with accessory tips from Bling Bling Boy on Johnny Test. He looks like one of those smug basement dweller types who’d call me a FEEEEEMALE if I turned him down for a date. Also his official art does the same thing I hate about Diantha’s. His knee faces more inner-forward but his foot’s pointing outward. Unless that picture’s drawn with him in mid dance spin, dude’s ankle is broken. At least he looks kind of cute when he doesn’t have his hair styled back in that douchey style. I feel like he’d yell about feemales again if I told him I thought his mom was hot. Also he’s not wearing socks with dress shoes and that should be a criminal offense.

Rock Type- Most Favorite: Roxanne is super cute. Even if she’s skirting the line of young people in positions of power she actually looks like a mature person who was ahead of her age level in school. However I will object to the idea of her being a teacher in any shape or form like in the anime. This person hasn’t even struggled through the mental ravages of puberty aint no way she should be allowed to be a teacher.

Bug Type- Least Favorite: Burgh, if only because people use him as a stereotype a lot and I hate that. Toxic masculinity is bs. MEN CAN BE FABULOUS WITHOUT BEING GAY. That said, his pants and shoes are a color crime.

Bug Type- Most Favorite: Guzma is the equivalent of a Bug Type trial captain and you will never convince me otherwise. I- what- you’re really gonna fight me on this? Fine. Bugsy. Bugsy is my precious bug-catching child. Precious baby.

Ghost Type- Least Favorite: Acerola. I’ve already stated why I hate kids in power like this. Plus I just. do not like. characters with the bubbly personality and the cat mouth. I instantly know I’m going to dislike a character the moment I see that damn catmouth. I’m not coming up with a non-trial alternative for this one. I am either neutral to or love the other ghost trainers.

Ghost Type- Most Favorite: Morty. Because 1. He’s hot. 2. He’s got a sweet scarf. 3. Agatha’s not a gym leader. :P Morty has a very nice design. After the remakes came out anyways.

Steel Type- Least Favorite: There’s only like two of these. I don’t hate Jasmine at all but she’s the only other actual gym leader of the Steel Type. So we’re gonna use Molayne anyways. Mostly because his stick-ass gangly legs give me the creeps.

Steel Type- Most Favorite: I’ve never met him but Byron looks like a miner hobo and I dig that. Plus he made Roark and Roark’s hot. (Then why isn’t Roark my favorite rock gym leader? Because not all my favorites can be because of my asexual thirst.)

Fire Type- Least Favorite: Blaine always makes me think of my grandfather and I am not that fond of my grandfather. Even though Blaine seems much much nicer and friendlier a grandpa than my actual grandfather.

Fire Type- Most Favorite: Flannery’s design is adorable and I love it. Doesn’t hurt that it’s also the kind of outfit my more pro-fire trainer would wear.

Water Type- Least Favorite: Marlon. Don’t get me wrong. Marlon’s hot. But he gets to be least favorite for lying about being a tan boy. Seriously look at that tan line around his swim suit that pastey white skin does not do his design favors.

Water Type- Most Favorite: Wallace. This one is pure thirst. Pure. Thirst. Wallace is a babe. I love everything about this fabulous bastard. Especially his hat and scarf in the remake. Especially the remake. Babe.

Grass Type- Least Favorite: Milo. I’m starting to feel like the people who design and did the art for some of these newer characters don’t know how bulkier people’s legs work. Because Milo and Gordie’s legs just look really, really wrong. These characters do not have ankles their calves just end at flat feet. Also milo’s leg is doin that broken ankle thing too. Other images don’t make them look as bad, though. Other than that I hate characters who have no whites to their eyes. It’s freaking creepy and Milo’s baby face doesn’t help. And I can not figure out the design of this guy’s eyebrows either. I know he has them but they don’t look like the anything but exist to blend with his bangs.

Grass Type- Most Favorite: Erika. I like her design a lot. I guess some of the weeb in me still exists deep in there.

Electric Type- Least Favorite: Sophocles. I just don’t like his design. At all. Only other arguments I could give are the kid with with Clemont again. That and his jumpsuit.

Electric Type- Most Favorite: Lt. Surge, Volkner, and Elesa are are great. But Elesa wins because Lt. Surge is a paranoid soldier who makes getting to him a chore and Volkner looks like he takes the same brooding pills they fed to Cloud after Final Fantasy Advent Children turned into into the broodlord. Also ‘urgh need actually challenging opponents’ characters bug me, regardless of how attractive they are.

Psychic Type- Least Favorite: Tate and Liza. But this time the main reason ISN’T because they’re babies. No, no. That’s a big reason, but even being psychics can’t save them. They have a BIG problem. The main reason for these two is that their gym team is garbage. Emerald and Black2/White2 not counting in this because of the remake being their current gym team in my eyes its just a damn solrock and lunatone! I love me Lunatone, don’t get me wrong. But damn, kids. How are you actually gym leaders with a team of pokemon that is barely suitable for the gym trainer in the first gym of the region? The only starter that can’t hit you with a super effective move is the fire starter. Being a double battle only means that I can get rid of your pokemon faster because I get to use TWO pokemon moves on my turn.

Psychic Type- Most Favorite: Olympia. Her design is absolutely beautiful. I want her dress. I want her cape. She is the black and silver space queen and she WILL BE RESPECTED IN THIS HOUSE. Even if whoever did her art doesn’t seem to realize dresses don’t slip into the navel or hug into the crotch hole. Surprised whoever drew it didn’t also add the camel-toe since they think fabric works that way. If I were her I’d strangle someone with one of those magical floaty ring bracelets. Space mom aint having non of your objectification shit.

Ice Type- Least Favorite: Candice. You live in a winter town. Your gym is an ice slide hell. Put on some goddamn pants and a coat. I’m not gonna give you any sympathy when you end up with the worst cold ever.

Ice Type- Most Favorite: Melony. She is adorable and has actual weight to her. And she loves her kids. And holy shit look at her she’s actually dressed for cold weather and ice unlike nearly every other goddamn Ice Gym Leader besides Pryce.

Dragon Type- Least Favorite: Claire is an arrogant b-witch who cant accept defeat and is worst that whitney because at least Whitney gave you your earned badge when she stopped crying like a baby. Claire refused until you did some ‘trial’ and still didn’t think she’d have to give you the badge until granddad dragon master told her to stop being a child. Also she gets more least favorite points because she’s what has prevented me from talking about how much I hate Iris here. That’s right, Claire. I dislike you so much you get MORE hate points because you prevent me from hating another character more than you.

Dragon Type- Most Favorite: Raihan is a babe and the most challenging Gym Leader I’ve ever faced. Bonus points because technically I wouldn’t call him a type-based gym leader but a strategy based leader because he focuses on weather more than dragons. Plus his “Leader Challenges You!” post makes him look a little wild.

Dark Type- Least Favorite: Marnie. Because I wanted to see her brother again so I invited him to the Championship thing and Marnie freaking cockblocked me by beating her brother in the first round. LET ME SEE YOUR BROTHER, MARNIE.

Dark Type- Most Favorite: Piers is my husband and Marnie’s just gonna have to deal with it. :P He’s super cute and his worrying over Marnie in the post game was the cutest damn thing. Plus young Piers in his rare league card is so precious and gives me life. It’s gonna take a lot of work for any other dark type trainer to top Piers.

Fairy Type- Least Favorite: Mina. I hate Mina. Lazy/Unfocused/High artist characters piss me off. Alo Mina should have been a normal type trial captain because of smeargle and the fact that Ilima has pink hair and the same huge buggy-like water eyes Valerie has. Mina even dips her damn hair in paint like Smeargle does with its tail. Mina couldn’t be assed to have an actual trial the first time around. Second time around she just made you go collect something from people you already beat.

Fairy Type- Most Favorite: Bede. If you can’t look this beautiful sparkly eye angel of a child in the eyes and find him amazing once he becomes Opal’s apprentice, you have no soul and should probably get that looked at.

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true-psychic-tales · 7 years

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True Nature Of A Royal CH 5

ANGEL NOTE: Im so sorry i havn't updated in nearly 3 months. I'll try to update more often. Also there have been a few changes involving royals, Here is a link to the doc that has all of the royal stuff at the moment docs.google.com/document/d/1wM… It updates regularly. Also, im trying a new style, as you read i made it so raz didn't know anyone's names until they were mentioned, which i did not do in the other chapters. This chapter was revised by my wonderful girlfriend 3.

Raz's eye's fluttered open, revealing a field, but not an ordinary field. It was purple, with a stream that glowed blue. Trees with leaves decorated with stars and star dust were scattered throughout the area. The sky was black, with stars glowing brightly within it. The grass was soft, little pieces of stars scattered in them, and yet it didn't hurt. It was clear where he was.

"...Heavena's land."

He noticed how he was in his royal form, and how his body had a soft orange glow to it as he walked through the starry field. It wasn't long before he came across the guardian of the land and the first royal herself.

Heavana.

The royal in question was looking into a pond. She had a serpent like body that was covered in light blue feathers, feathered ears, silver ram horns, white hair on her tail, and 2 sets of wings. The pair where her legs would've been were folded up while the pair where her arms should have been were propping her up as she gazed down into the pool.

"Hello, Flacari." Heavena spoke softly, as she turned to face Raz. "Please join me."

Raz nodded and walked next to Heavena before sitting down just by the edge of the pool. "What did you need, Heavena?" Raz asked.

"I've called you here so I can warn you." Heavena said.

"W-warn me? Warn me about what?" Raz said, a bit nervous now.

"The place you are staying at, Whispering Rocks, was it?" Heavena asked

"Uh, Whispering ROCK, actually." Raz said, at first proud until he noticed the small glare from Heavena. It wasn't a mean glare to say, but more of the"respect your elders" glare.

"It's not safe. There is a threat there, a threat so powerful that the monsters themselves fear it."

That scared Raz. "I'll just leave tonight th-"

"No." Heavena interrupted.

Raz looked confused, "No?" He cocked his head to the side.

"If you leave tonight, the threat will win, and if it wins, everyone, royal or not, will surely suffer." Heavena spoke with the same soft voice, although there was a small amount of intensity lining it.

"Can you at least tell me who this threat is?" Raz asked, now scared.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. the psitanium there is effecting my powers, it's making the pictures fuzzy... I'm not a psychic, after all." Heavena turned back to the pool, watching the stars form pictures of men being chased by machines.

Raz watched the scene in the pool unfold, men, women, children, all being killed by machines. "I won't let that happen." Raz said as he turned tail, and began to ran back to where he came.

"Good luck Flacari, may you have the strength of my sons!" Heavena called out.

Just before Raz ran out the clearing, he stopped and turned to Heavena. "Hey...Heavena?"

"Yes, Flacari?"

Raz swallowed "H-how's mom?"

Heavena paused, and smiled softly. "She's fine."

"A-and Rosaline?"

Heavena frowned, her ears pressed against her head as she looked away "I...haven't seen her"

"Have you made contact with her?" Raz prayed for a yes, instead he got...

"I...haven't been able to contact her in years... I'm sorry."

Raz nodded in understanding and ran out of the clearing.

---

Sunlight poured through the cracks of the cabin, the birds sung their morning tune as Raz awoke. He was alone, but judging by the voices outside, he wasn't late to Basic Braining. With speed, Raz got out of bed and headed outside.

"Hey, Raz! Hurry up! You don't want to be late for Basic Braining!" A small boy with navy blue hair and was dressed as a sailor said as he passed Raz, along with 3 other children. A short boy with dark brown hair and an olive colored cap, a female who was also short but slightly taller than the other that had red hair tied nicely in a ponytail, and a taller male with buck teeth, all 3 sporting Whispering Rock tee-shirts.

"Woo-Hooo! Basic braining is the best class ever! Woo-hooo-hoooooooo!" the taller male cheered as he ran ahead of the group. Raz shook his head slightly, a sigh escaping him. He wish he could be that free spirited, but he couldn't, especially with a threat greater than the monsters looming above his head.

'I need to find clues, or something,' Raz thought as he began to look around. He turned his head to the left and saw a kid surrounded by 3 squirrels, and curious, he approached the kid. "Hey," He called out as he approached, looking at the 3 squirrels, "Squirrel trouble?"

"They're liars, is all..." the kid said, glaring at the squirrels "Whatever they tell you? It's a lie."

"I'll take your word for it." Raz looked around for a bit. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Dogen."

"I see, my name is Raz." Raz said, the name Dogen didn't stick out too much, and the kid looked non-threatening enough for him to trust. "You going to class?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you up there," Dogen nodded before turning back to the squirrels. "As soon as I get these guys to shut up." He glared at the squirrels, again.

Deciding all was dover over by Dogen, Raz turned and began to walk to find any clues to the vision Heavena had seen. However as he was walking, he heard what sounded like a small explosion. Immediately he whipped around, just to see Dogen standing there, innocently, without the squirrels near him. Raz looked around, squinting his eyes, but found nothing. Shrugging he walked away, he, unfortunately, did not notice the pieces of squirrel falling by Dogen once he was gone.

Raz looked around for a bit before spotting a cave. He immediately headed towards it and began to scale the hill it was on, his fingers digging deep into the earth. It was moments like this he was glad for being part earth royal, it certainly made scaling the hill easier. Once he reached the top, he headed down into the cave. It was damp and wet with mud, which made it hard to stay balanced as he got to a slope, and eventually fell, sliding down to the bottom of the cave, where he saw….

"A fridge?" Raz asked himself, as he looked at the object in front of him. Yup, that was a fridge alright. Curious, Raz opened it, revealing a turkey sub frozen in a block of ice. "It's completely frozen..." Raz remarked to himself before deciding there was nothing else to do in that area of the cave.

After a bit of exploring he found the exit, which also opened a hatch on a well. Raz looked around a bit before spotting a cowboy kid and a kid with a green afro that actually looked nicely kept, talking to each other about something. Curious, he approached them until he got in earshots range of hearing.

"So...you're dating Elka now." The kid with the afro said. "Does this mean we won't hang out as much?"

"Shoot!" The cowboy kid looked taken aback by the other's statement. "I reckon things ain't gonna change one bit. Doggone it, partner, no woman's never gonn-" Before he could finish his statement, a blond, probably very rich, girl walked up to the 2, bumping, probably purposefully, into Raz.

"HEY! You're gonna make my boyfriend late for class." The girl, Elka he could presume, yelled at the afro kid. "Come on James!" She said, bumping into the afro kid as she turned to the cowboy kid, James Raz assumed. "Come. ON." She repeated, and with that the 3 left.

Raz felt bad for "James", but pushed that aside to keep looking around.

After 10 more minutes of investigating the kids cabin area, Raz began to make his way up to where Basic Braining was. In his 10 minutes, all he found was a peeping tom, two kids who couldn't decide on a band name (and gave him some scary advice about the coach), and a russian kid who really wanted to find a giant hairless bear. Aside from what the two band kids said about the coach, he had no evidence for what this great threat was, and even then the "advice" seemed more like a rumor then anything, the way they had kept changing the story. As he reached the top of the tree house, he saw a kid with maroon curly hair leave.

'Odd…' Raz thought as he approached the kid. "Hey, kid, where you going?" He made a small mental note to learn everyone's name once Basic Braining was done.

The kid hushed Raz. "I snuck out," He whispered. "That class is a death trap for crazy people!" The kid looked around a bit before turning back to Raz "Listen, the coach is strong-" That word in particular stuck out in Raz's head.

'Strong….what does he mean by that?' Raz had been so focused on the word he didn't realize the kid was still talking.

"But once you're in, you can use these smelling salts to sneak out," The kid handed Raz two oval shaped...things. He could only guess they were the smelling salts. "Take mine. I don't need them anymore. I'm calling my parents to come get me, before i get hurt"

"TOO LATE!" Came a scratchy, grating voice behind the two.

The kid turned to the voice, shaking. "B-BOBBY!" The kid screamed at the new kid. His orange afro was all over the place and he was pale as all hell. Next to Bobby was a kid with a darker skin tone and really, REALLY big ears.

"Hey kid. You owe me five arrowheadth for this week'th pwotection thervice!" Bobby had a very obvious lisp.

"Cough it up, Ma-loser, or you'll be coughing up bloody tears!" Bobby's friend sneered.

A feeling of protection filled Raz, if there was one thing he hated more then the monsters, it was bullies, but could you blame him? He was a no-horn, was born as one, and probably would always be one. No horns were the equivalent of omega's in wolf packs, many saw them as weak and often mocked or even attacked them just for their lack of horns. "Hey, leave him alone!" a small growl escaped Raz.

Bobby turned to Raz and narrowed his eyes. "I heard a rumor that you were raithed in the circus." Bobby said, as he approached Raz. "Well, let me put thith in termth you'll understand." Bobby pointed to himself. "I'M the thtrong man around here."

Raz rolled his eyes. "Really? Cause you look more like the cotton candy." Raz couldn't help but smirk, especially at the gasp Bobby let out.

"Benny!" Bobby turned to the kid next to him, who Raz easily could guess was Benny. "Put thith kid'th death on my to-do litht."

Benny glared and walked ahead. "Come on, we'll see him in class." He said as he pushed Raz and the other kid out of the way, so he and Bobby could get to class.

"Yeah, we'll thettle thith on the battlefield!" Bobby punched into his hand, and walked past the two.

Once the two were inside, the previous kid turned to Raz. "Thank you so much, uhh, Raz, was it?" Raz nodded. "Thought so. Anyway, I'm Maloof, if there's anyway I can repay you for standing up to Bobby and Benny, let me know." And with that, Maloof had his leave.

Raz watched Maloof leave, making another mental note to ask him about any info on the counselors and the campers, but first, Basic Braining. He headed in, noting how everyone was in a trance, and headed towards the coach.

"Uhh, Coach Oleander?" Raz approached a bit with caution before standing a bit upright. "I'm reporting for Basic Braining."

"Son, do you realize that to take my course, I will have to pull you into my mind? And you will have to relive every bullet scarred memory of every battle I have ever faced." Oleander was sitting in a criss cross positioned, and had his eyes closed. "It won't be pretty." Oleander's nose twitched a bit when a fly had landed on it, before it flew away. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather... run around a bit more in the sunshine first?" There was actual genuine care in his voice.

Raz shook his head no. "I'm ready, sir."

Well then…" Oleander opened his eyes. "You're late, soldier!" His voice now stern. "Now get in here and give me twenty!" He tapped the little door on his head. Suddenly the world around Raz became engulfed with a white light as he felt something leave his body. His last memory before the world was completely white was a sudden pain of royal magic before it subsided.

#psychonauts #psychonauts au #true psychic tales #true nature of a royal

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mammasapling · 7 years

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Prologue - Part 3: The final student

Byakuya was the first to speak once Jana was done. She kept her translator open and set it to Japanese to English so she could follow the conversation. His suggestion was that everyone split up to explore and find a way off of the island if that was at all possible. Sonia grabbed Jana’s arm and dubbed them ‘exploration buddies’ before pulling her toward the hotel site. ”I believe we have not exchanged titles.” Sonia stated as they left the beach behind them. “Though Super High School Level is something of a mouthful.” ”Oh I agree.” Jana replied as she removed her jacket. It was a little warm to still be wearing it. “Maybe we should think of a decent English equivalent?” ”Ah yes!” Jana swore Sonia’s eyes sparkled. That was actually kind of adorable. “But it must be fitting. Our titles tell the world that we are the best at what we do.” ”World’s Best?” Was Jana’s first suggestion and she cringed at how obvious it was. Sonia’s expression mirrored hers. ”It comes across as a little egotistical.” ”Well anything we come up with will sound like that.” ”Very true.” They fell silent as they passed by a ranch and spent a few minutes just admiring the landscape and the single chicken calmly pecking around. Ideas were bounced between them as they left the ranch and continued their path towards the hotel site. ”Do you mind if I ask what your title is, Sonia?” Jana asked as the country lane became a concrete path once again. ”I am the Super High School Level Princess. I come from a small kingdom in Europe called Novoselic and I am so excited to be here among people of my own age.” Sonia’s face just lit up and Jana couldn’t help but smile with her. She understood to a degree. ”And what about your title, Jana?” ”Super High School Level Alpha.” She admitted, glancing down at her feet. Knowing a question was coming, Jana quickly ran through a few ideas. She couldn’t exactly say too much about her title. ”Alpha? What does that mean, exactly?” ”W-well...” Think! Think think think... Or just improvise and remember the first thing spoken! ”I come from a long line of travellers. We’re never in one place for too long. There was a period of time when my father couldn’t lead the group and I stepped up to take his place at everyone’s request. Seeing as we were always on the move and we had a habit of running into wild wolves, we often joked that we were a pack and that I was the Alpha. I guess Hope’s Peak felt Alpha was a softer version of Leader.” Her words were slow at first but Jana soon gained confidence in her partial lie. It was true enough that she could be honest about herself as long as she remembered to switch out the right words as needed. ”Ah, I understand. That is a very interesting title to possess.” Sonia seemed happy with her explanation. Now to just remember it for the next time she needed it.

They still hadn’t thought of anything by the time they reached two neat rows of pretty looking cottages and a decent sized pool. Here they found Fuyuhiko and Nekomaru and while the former scoffed and continued just wandering around and totally ignoring them, the latter greeted them warmly. They simply waved and smiled back as Sonia really wanted to get inside the hotel itself and Jana didn’t feel like whipping her e-handbook out every time someone around her said something. ”Hey Sonia?” ”Yes, Jana?” Jana pointed up to the hotel sign as they finally approached the doors. ”Does Mirai mean hotel?” Sonia looked up to see what Jana was talking about and read the sign. ”Ah no. Mirai actually means future.” ”Hotel Future?” Jana translated with that knowledge. “Hm... I like it. Shall we go through the doors or up those stairs at the side there?” ”How about the door? And then leave via the stairs?” Sonia suggested. “That way, we can ensure we see everything.” ”Alright then, Princesses first.” Jana offered as she opened the door and stepped aside for Sonia to take the lead. ”Thank you!”

~ ~ ~

The hotel’s lobby was as empty as the rest of the island but all electrical things seemed to be working as proven by Chiaki sitting at an arcade game, totally immersed in what she was doing. Jana swore she couldn’t hear the girl breathing for a few seconds. The area itself was very cosy with a couple of plants near the seating area and a bell on the desk and a gorgeous view of the outside area. There was also a small bar that Jana assumed was open to people who actually had ID and would hopefully be hidden seeing as they were all under age. Unless it wasn’t actually alcohol in which case, free drinks and Jana saw no problems with that. With Chiaki occupied and not much to look at, Jana and Sonia headed up the stars and their jaws dropped at the beautiful open space this restaurant offered. The chairs and tables were very simple wooden pieces but suited the natural feel of the island in general, there were more plants in here that resembled mini palm trees and Jana could see the top of the staircase that lead back outside to the front of the hotel. ”My goodness... So much space!” ”I know, it’s amazing.” Both girls just wandered around slowly, taking in the atmosphere and the open space. Unable to resist, Jana started sniffing the air. ”Are you hungry?” Sonia asked, laughing a little. ”A little.” Jana replied, smiling in embarrassment. That really had been kind of dumb. “I was hoping something would be cooking and maybe I could smell it and guess what might be available for our next meal.” ”Did someone say cooking~?” A male voice said from a few tables to their right that Sonia quickly translated for Jana. He was very short, dressed in a chef’s garb and had styled hair that came to a point. Both girls just blinked a few times before Sonia smiled politely as she recalled the boy’s name first. Jana wasn’t far behind but she did have to pull out her e-handbook to see exactly what he said. ”Ah Hanamura, correct? What brings you here?” ”Well I am the Super High School Level Chef, the first place I would naturally check is the restaurant.” Maybe it was Jana’s imagination but Teruteru seemed to have an overly slick quality to his voice. Like he was trying too hard to be smooth. Unless he really was that smooth and he was attempting something. His beady little eyes zeroed in on her. ”Aren’t you going to say something, my dear~?” Did he just... Maybe it was totally unintentional. But there was something about his tone and expression that made her hackles rise. ”I can but all you’ll hear is words you don’t understand and then a robotic voice repeating what I say in Japanese.” She dead panned, holding her e-handbook flat in her palms so it would pick up her voice. Judging by his face, he was a little unimpressed and probably hiding it by combing that really strange hairstyle of his. At least he left Jana alone so she could play with the translator settings to find something less annoying.

While messing with the settings, she missed part of the conversation that Sonia and Teruteru were having. ”Wonder how effective speech to text is on this thing?” Jana mumbled to herself. It was the last one on the list and it sounded like it would be perfect. Selecting it, she held her handbook flat again to see how it worked. ”Oh yes, yes, I am in quite a bit of pain you see. I must have eaten something that looked like one of my ingredients.” Teruteru was saying and Jana’s handbook displayed it for her in perfect English. ”Oh my! Is there anything I can do to help?” Sonia sounded so concerned and Jana was a little worried too. Just how did he manage to eat something bad? Was the blood coming from his nose part of that? ”I thought you’d never ask! I would be so grateful, Miss Nevermind. Such pain in my loins is giving me a very hard time.” Was it just Jana or did she see a hint of a smirk on Teruteru’s face? And why was he speaking so suggestively? ”A hard time?” ”That’s right, I’m having a hard time because it’s full of poison.” Jana flared her nostrils to take in any scents in the room without sniffing the air and drawing attention to herself. She could smell two new scents coming up the stairs from the hotel lobby, Teruteru and Sonia... But nothing poisonous. ”So it would be great if you could use your mouth to... Well... Suck it out.” Okay no, something was up here. Jana couldn’t smell any poison and Teruteru’s eyes were transfixed on Sonia in a way she didn’t like. Like a predator eyeing up easy prey. She bit back a growl that was starting to rumble at the back of her throat. ”Poison, you say? In your loins? Do you mean-” Oh Gods, Sonia hadn’t even spotted it! This guy wasn’t poisoned at all! He was just trying to take advantage of pretty girls and Sonia hadn’t even registered it! Jana felt her skin prickle and tingle and heard herself starting to growl lowly. ”Uhm h-hey, excuse me, do you all have a moment?” That was a new voice. Definitely male and a little on the deep side considering they were all about sixteen or seventeen. ”Woah... Denied.” Teruteru mumbled to himself.

She had to calm down before she could see who had joined herself and Sonia in the restaurant; she could feel her eyes tingling again. Using the screen on her handbook, Jana used one free hand to play with her hair to give the appearance that she was just fixing it when she was actually waiting for signs that she was calm enough to face the newcomers.

~ ~ ~

Once calm, Jana smiled at the two, recognising them as Nagito and the boy who passed out on the beach. The boy’s green eyes drifted over all of them, observing them and saying hello. Teruteru and Sonia introduced themselves and the boy did so in kind. Hinata Hajime... The family name was spoken first which meant his first name was Hajime? Jana opened her notepad on the handbook again and added in Hajime’s name, a pronunciation guide and a memorable feature about him. When she looked up again, she saw that Hajime seemed to be lost in thought whilst looking at Sonia. If he kept that up, it would be more like staring and after the little talk with Teruteru, Jana was feeling a little protective of her first friend here. But it was Nagito who came to the rescue and broke the silence. ”Has she enchanted you, Hinata-san?” Nagito was saying.

Rereading that sentence, Jana felt confusion; had she written Hajime’s surname wrong or had she maybe misheard Nagito? Or maybe the microphone and translator hadn’t picked him up? Was it a language thing that didn’t translate properly? She could always ask Sonia about that later. ”That can’t really be helped, I suppose. Nevermind-san here is true royalty, what with her title being the Super High School Level Princess.” There it was again. Maybe it really was a language thing... ”And of course, we have another European in our group.” Nagito gestured to Jana who held up a finger as she switched her translator to the English to Japanese setting. Constantly doing this would be a real pain in the neck. ”My name is Ja-... Uhm... Wait, no, family name first.” She took a breath and tried again. “Vilkas Jana. I’m a transfer student too, from the UK. Not entirely sure how I made it into Hope’s Peak seeing as I don’t speak a word of Japanese.” She gave them a few moments to read the translated text on her screen that she had held up for them once she’d finished speaking before laying it flat again so she could continue. Nagito cut her off so she scrambled to set it to Japanese to English. ”I’m afraid I don’t know very much about Vilkas-san, she hasn’t had much of a presence on the world stage compared to the others in our class.” That was a poke at her pride and Jana fought to keep the tingling and prickling feelings at bay. It wouldn’t be good to get wound up in front of people. ”I’ve had quite the effect on my local community back home, thank you very much.” She said to Nagito, knowing perfectly well he could understand English. Her voice was as low as it could get without her growling and she daren’t risk that. ”My title is Super High School Level Alpha. Clearly, the school saw some leadership quality in me and decided I would be a good student.” She cleared her throat and focused on Hajime, smiling as politely as she could, holding up her handbook for him to see as she spoke. ”It’s nice to meet you, Hinata-san. If you’ll both excuse me, I think I need an impromptu Japanese lesson from Sonia.”

~ ~ ~

Turning her back on the boys, Jana headed back to Sonia’s side and tucked her handbook in her jean pocket. ”There’s something I don’t really understand that was in the translator. Could you maybe explain it to me?” ”Of course!” Sonia happily replied before linking her arm through Jana’s and the both of them disappeared down the stairs that lead to the outside of the hotel. ”So what it is you are having trouble with, Jana?” ”I kind of just copied Nagito when he added the word ‘san’ to the end of everyone’s names and hoped I did it right but I was wondering what it meant.” ”Ah, you mean honorifics. It is not something that exists in Western languages as we tend to use our tone of voice and body language to convey how close we are to someone but Japanese has a set of suffixes that convey your relationship to someone else be they a teacher, an adult in authority or a close friend.” Sonia explained. Jana listened with rapt attention, quickly writing this down on another note on her notepad app. These translator and notepad functions were definitely going to come in handy. ”I see. Did I use it correctly?” ”Yes, you did. You even remembered to say your surname first and use the surnames of others too. It would have been a social faux pas if you had addressed them by their given names when you do not know them that well. However, seeing as you do not speak the language at all, you may be given some leniency.” ”Okay, I’ll make extra sure to remember this. How many do I need to know?” ”Not too many thankfully. But you may want to keep taking notes. Perhaps we should find somewhere to sit down? A proper explanation may take a while.” Jana nodded in agreement as they left the hotel site in favour for the shade provided by the trees a little ways away. Being Europeans, they weren’t used to the warmth and Jana being a redhead was already looking a little pink in the face and Sonia’s fair skin had darkened a shade or two. ”Alright, now that we are comfortable, I shall begin.” Sonia effortlessly took control and Jana was actually really okay with that. She could see why Sonia was the Ultimate Princess. ”San is the most commonly used honorific and you did indeed use it correctly. It is used in respect for those of your own age group as well as people you are not very familiar with. For example, even if you got to know Hajime very well, it wouldn’t be unusual for you to call him Hinata-san or even Hajime-san if he allows you to use his given name.” Jana nodded as she diligently took notes. She didn’t want to offend any of her classmates after all and she truly did want to understand Japanese as a whole. It bruised her pride a little to have to rely on her handbook and Sonia to be able to communicate with everyone. ”Sama is a more respectful version of san.” Sonia continued. “It is used rarely, saved for house guests and shop customers or people you admire such as celebrities or deities you believe in. Using it with your own name is considered incredibly rude and will make you appear arrogant unless you are using it in a humourous self-depreciating manner. You will likely hear kun used a lot as we all get to know each other. Kun is used to refer to those younger than yourself and is generally used to refer to boys younger than yourself but you will likely hear it used amongst all of the boys at some point. However, keep in mind that this is not a rule written in stone; male teachers often use kun to refer to their female students and kun can also be used between family members and close friends of any gender.” That one seemed a little more complicated to Jana but at least she wouldn’t be using it for a while. Sonia was still speaking, were there more for her to learn? ”Chan is the final one that you ought to learn while you are here. There are a few more honourifics but it is highly unlikely that you will hear them on this trip. Chan is an endearment, it is also used between close friends and is used for all ages though I would avoid using it for your superiors as that is very rude and condescending.” Jana finished up her notes and smiled up at Sonia. ”I think I understand a little better. I’ll probably reread these a lot to make sure I don’t make a mistake but thank you for teaching me.” ”You are very welcome, Jana. I understand how difficult it is to learn a language. I am fluent in thirty myself.” Jana’s jaw dropped. Thirty languages?! That was insane! Sonia just giggled in embarrassment. ”You are not the first to react like that.” She would’ve replied but she heard a bell and a nearby monitor lit up showing the rabbit. She held up the handbook, hoping it would translate but it seemed it couldn’t pick up sound from the monitors very well and mistranslated several things. ”Ah, Usami wishes us to go to the beach.”

#hush mun #mun writes a fic #mun's fic prologue

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