theblimpfruit

[theblimpfruit]

does kris putting a bath bomb in their toilet count as pranking their family 🤔

Does Kris have a crush on Noelle?

Kris is a devious little prankster; it's one of their most firmly established traits. We hear about a lot of the slightly cruel pranks they've played. Like when they hid under Noelle's bed to scare her, or when they used ketchup to make Noelle think they were bleeding, or when they shook the Ferris wheel that they and Noelle were—

Wait a second. Kris doesn't play pranks on people. Kris plays pranks on Noelle.

We never hear about Kris pranking their family. As far as I remember, we don't see them playing any pranks on Susie or Ralsei during the events of the game, although they can prank Noelle in the Cyber World by reactivating the forcefield she's trying to cross.

Kris isn't just a person who likes to play pranks. Kris is a person who likes to get a reaction out of Noelle.

Between that and Kris blushing when they overhear Noelle talking about their Ferris wheel ride, I'm honestly pretty convinced that Kris is canonically intended to have a crush on Noelle.

Which feels like it makes the Snowgrave route even worse, somehow. You're forcing Kris to act out this hideous parody of romance with someone they're actually romantically interested in.

Thinking about it, there are parallels between Snowgrave and Kris's pranking habits. Kris only bullies Noelle, no one else. As the player on a Snowgrave route, you psychologically destroy Noelle, but your behaviour around everyone else is completely normal.

I've wondered why Noelle specifically is the target of a Snowgrave route; is it somehow tied to Kris's feelings about her? Do we pick up on our host's interest in Noelle, the desire to provoke some kind of reaction out of her, and make the choice to amplify that?

I'm fascinated by this angle on Snowgrave; it's got such potential to make Kris loathe themselves on multiple different levels. This isn't what they want! But… what if it is what they want?

[theblimpfruit]

After reading the Noelle kissing Kris manga, I just had to talk about the tearjerking and heart-warming moments about it all.

I found it adorable yet also pretty telling that it took Noelle several attempts to get the kiss right with Susie with all the preparations, and the environment being perfectly set up for them to do it, but she nailed it perfectly on her first attempt to kiss Kris in that moment, with no prior build up. I also liked what compelled Noelle to kiss Kris, was them expressing their happiness for Noelle and Susie, while also seemingly intentionally excluding themselves from the equation altogether. Which leads me to talk about tearjerking moments.

When I read it all, from the look on Kris's face, it really did feel like they were genuinely trying to exclude themselves from Noelle and Susie's happiness, while trying to do everything they could to ensure they were both happy. It's like they had a face where they were genuinely happy for Noelle and Susie, talking about how great a pair they were, but also putting up a front to hide the pain of thinking, they'd be better of if they weren't part of the dynamic, which I think Noelle pick up on.

When I look at Noelle kissing Kris I think of it as a twofold kind of thing. Noelle says she was just in a kissing mood, but I genuinely do believe she acted on her subconscious desire to show Kris that level of affection when the opportunity presented itself, especially considering she wanted to kiss them again under the impression that she didn't do it right, and also appeared to want to tell them something but stopped upon seeing Kris's blushing face.

Whereas Kris has now been made aware that Noelle does in fact have deep feelings towards them, and doesn't know how to handle the revelation. Honestly I think it's pretty awesome that for all of Kris's talk about them Noelle and Susie being great pair, and getting closer, Noelle just expressed, unintentionally or not, that she also wants to get closer to them in the same manner.

this was AWESOME to read, i felt like you put into words everything subtle i tried to convey with that comic… its perfect

i enjoy the idea that like, as much as kriselle feels like It Shouldnt Be Happening (with suselle being the obvious endgame, probably) (or just the fact that it’s “obvious” at all) it simultaneously feels like its fated or meant to be. it’s not what the story is pushing towards, but realistically, it seems like the most viable option long-term (imo). underneath all the baggage, kris and noelle are super comfortable with each other, shes the only non-family member to really understand them, and vice versa, they dont have to put up any fronts. i suppose that kind of ties into susie and noelle’s “messy highschool romance” kiss vs. kris’s and noelle’s “accidental this-has-awakened-something-in-me weirdly perfect” kiss. just the fact that noelle turns around and kisses kris after susie feels like “it shouldnt be happening” (i know we all want polycule here but lets pretend they’ve barely entertained that idea yet) and makes things needlessly complicated, but suddenly, this seems like the more interesting path…

“forbidden” romance not in the sense that theres something actually wrong with it, but instead its simply not the path that the narrative is pushing towards (something something the forbidden path starts with ice magic…)

noelle choosing to kiss kris in that moment also kind of reflects what it is she likes about them, like you said. a tag i got a really long time ago on a reblog was “noelle’s image of kris in her mind is a kind one.” underneath all the pranks and goofs, they always mean well in the end. but when kris expresses that kindness by saying noelle and susie would make a good pair, noelle, who knows them so well, can still see past their words — more as a gut feeling than anything else — because the mere gesture of trying to hide their feelings to maintain her happiness is ALSO kind of them.

i keep saying that kris is the kind of person to run from their feelings all the time because i really believe it’s the case. theres only so many ways you can achieve that kind of stoicism lol. they hide and repress and keep those feelings locked away (both good feelings and bad ones) because they dont want to be a burden and mess things up for everyone. i think this was definitely a product of their home life, too — things get so chaotic that no one has the time or energy to pay more than surface-level attention to you (with asriel being the one genuine exception i think). it eventually just becomes easier to shut up and cut off all the emotions that might make you dare to Feel Real Things out of fear of rocking the boat. all of this is to say that how kris feels about noelle is just another thing they have sealed away, eventually just internalizing as genuine care for her wellbeing, with Something Else still hidden deep inside. and noelle kissing them undid all of their many many years of careful feelings-control because “oh shit oh god noelle no you cant kiss me havent you considered the Consequences??? the ramifications?? noelle the rammies. Tje consequences ive made up in my head”

and again like you said everything is incredibly subconscious on noelle’s end and she barely notices it. part of it could be from genuine Lol That’s Kris thats My Friend! without taking 5 seconds to think deeper about everything and unpack her own feelings. she Feels her feelings but is too mentally preoccupied to understand what they mean. i actually made this diagram just last night to convey basically exactly this

ultimately the whole shoujo romance thing makes the stakes way lower so now things are like, Oh no someone’s feelings might get hurt rather than Oh no the entire world is actually going to end. (maybe part of why i internally set it to take place multiple years in the future where they’re all in college or something and the dark world stuff is behind them LOL)

im gonna stop myself before this post gets too disgustingly long but man i have so many thoughts about them. sometimes i fear i treat them more like ocs so i have to realign myself and think “ok this still lines up with canon right.” but everything ive said is just what “feels right” to me i guess

[theblimpfruit]

I don’t think this is involved with the kris and the player au. It’s just smth silly i doodled

[theblimpfruit]

some scared noelle expressions because i finally watched a snowgrave playthrough of chapter 4 and ohhhhh my god that scene. that scene is everything to me. noelle you are my special girl im so sorry i love you. toby you are an insane man

[theblimpfruit]

let’s be kids again

[theblimpfruit]

things took a weird route just now 🤔

[theblimpfruit]

[theblimpfruit]

it’s just a bad pun

[theblimpfruit]

Fire Emblem Romhack Recommendations

Disappointed with no new Fire Emblem in today's direct? Just looking for a new Fire Emblem game to try? If that's the case, allow this post to serve as an introduction to some amazing romhacks to check out!

Dream of Five

👑🐰 DREAM OF FIVE weaves a tale of intrigue and identity, feat. an ornate and deliberate sense of style, custom story CGs, and downright gorgeous prose to boot! This hack also has a several chapter long route split, with each path having its own distinct gameplay and recruitable characters.

The Morrow's Golden Country

⛅️🌼 THE MORROW'S GOLDEN COUNTRY has an abundance in quality-of-life improvements, including a reworked support system and durability-based combat skills. A split-army story structure allows the player to get to know a large, loveable cast as its three lords fight for a brighter dawn—where none are left behind.

Cerulean Crescent

🏝️🌙 CERULEAN CRESCENT provides incredible turn economy management tools, with each playable unit boasting unique skills and self-repairing personal weapons. The setting lends itself towards a distinct, bold story structure as Ellerie fights to claim victory and vengeance, both.

Shackled Power

👊💥 SHACKLED POWER is perfect for those who want a classic Fire Emblem story that trends its style towards 90s-esque action, with all the explosions to go along with it. This hack also boasts numerous custom-drawn animations and portraits to truly make the player feel like a powerhouse!

Curse of Lagdou

🍈👿 CURSE OF LAGDOU expands the continent of Magvel's tale through its fast-paced maps and unique non-RNG crit system! Follow this poignant tale of two girls finding their purpose in life—featuring characters both new and old, along with custom-drawn animations and story CG art!

Four Kings

4️⃣👑 FOUR KINGS tells the story of family: of two brothers, and their respective journeys to become better people. It boasts tight gameplay and full deployment throughout its route split to let the player experiment with a wide variety of units, all with their own personal weapons!

Myrm Emblem

⚔️🔥 MYRM EMBLEM is a gameplay-focused hack, feat. skills and many quality-of-life improvements with a silly, brief story. Join Shigen, Lyn, and your favorite myrmidons and swordmasters from the FE series—as well as the Kaga Saga games—in an epic adventure to test your skill and fire emblem knowledge.

Drums of War

🥁🛡️ DRUMS OF WAR tasks its players with conquering tight and challenging enemy formations—and after the dust has settled: the choice on whether to recruit or ransom enemy leaders. Augment your ragtag band with your strongest enemies as you struggle and fight for a place deserving of you.

Dark Lord and the Maiden of Light

⚔️🌓 DARK LORD & THE MAIDEN OF LIGHT follows a classic FE plot, twisting familiar tropes in fresh ways. Its narrative rewards attention to detail: one must delve deep to uncover and understand the world's true nature. Fans of 3H's Rhea will enjoy Freesia's crusade against the sinister Ahribaal cult.

Embers Entwined

🪓 🧙‍♂️ EMBERS ENTWINED follows Petra, a princess in exile, and Diego, a mercenary from a mysterious bloodline, as they fight dark forces attempting to reach godhood. Necromancy takes center stage in this explosive tale, as sorcerers race against each other to perfect the art of raising the dead.

[theblimpfruit]

Fire Emblem Romhack Recommendations

Disappointed with no new Fire Emblem in today's direct? Just looking for a new Fire Emblem game to try? If that's the case, allow this post to serve as an introduction to some amazing romhacks to check out!

Dream of Five

👑🐰 DREAM OF FIVE weaves a tale of intrigue and identity, feat. an ornate and deliberate sense of style, custom story CGs, and downright gorgeous prose to boot! This hack also has a several chapter long route split, with each path having its own distinct gameplay and recruitable characters.

The Morrow's Golden Country

⛅️🌼 THE MORROW'S GOLDEN COUNTRY has an abundance in quality-of-life improvements, including a reworked support system and durability-based combat skills. A split-army story structure allows the player to get to know a large, loveable cast as its three lords fight for a brighter dawn—where none are left behind.

Cerulean Crescent

🏝️🌙 CERULEAN CRESCENT provides incredible turn economy management tools, with each playable unit boasting unique skills and self-repairing personal weapons. The setting lends itself towards a distinct, bold story structure as Ellerie fights to claim victory and vengeance, both.

Shackled Power

👊💥 SHACKLED POWER is perfect for those who want a classic Fire Emblem story that trends its style towards 90s-esque action, with all the explosions to go along with it. This hack also boasts numerous custom-drawn animations and portraits to truly make the player feel like a powerhouse!

Curse of Lagdou

🍈👿 CURSE OF LAGDOU expands the continent of Magvel's tale through its fast-paced maps and unique non-RNG crit system! Follow this poignant tale of two girls finding their purpose in life—featuring characters both new and old, along with custom-drawn animations and story CG art!

Four Kings

4️⃣👑 FOUR KINGS tells the story of family: of two brothers, and their respective journeys to become better people. It boasts tight gameplay and full deployment throughout its route split to let the player experiment with a wide variety of units, all with their own personal weapons!

Myrm Emblem

⚔️🔥 MYRM EMBLEM is a gameplay-focused hack, feat. skills and many quality-of-life improvements with a silly, brief story. Join Shigen, Lyn, and your favorite myrmidons and swordmasters from the FE series—as well as the Kaga Saga games—in an epic adventure to test your skill and fire emblem knowledge.

Drums of War

🥁🛡️ DRUMS OF WAR tasks its players with conquering tight and challenging enemy formations—and after the dust has settled: the choice on whether to recruit or ransom enemy leaders. Augment your ragtag band with your strongest enemies as you struggle and fight for a place deserving of you.

Dark Lord and the Maiden of Light

⚔️🌓 DARK LORD & THE MAIDEN OF LIGHT follows a classic FE plot, twisting familiar tropes in fresh ways. Its narrative rewards attention to detail: one must delve deep to uncover and understand the world's true nature. Fans of 3H's Rhea will enjoy Freesia's crusade against the sinister Ahribaal cult.

Embers Entwined

🪓 🧙‍♂️ EMBERS ENTWINED follows Petra, a princess in exile, and Diego, a mercenary from a mysterious bloodline, as they fight dark forces attempting to reach godhood. Necromancy takes center stage in this explosive tale, as sorcerers race against each other to perfect the art of raising the dead.

[theblimpfruit]

how you know things are going badly in the ace attorney fancase

(this is from the torrential turnabout, which I really do highly recommend to AA/Danganronpa/Zero Escape fans, it’s a really cool love letter to those franchises and really good in its own right)

[theblimpfruit]

got together with @yukisetsura to draw a hakuhiro piece! With a cute lil speedpaint/compositing video from my end

[theblimpfruit]

it's almost almost christmas

[theblimpfruit]

The dialogue for picking it is also gold

"No, no. I should never say a person's life choices are a mistake. I'm sure she can be a great magician someday if she works hard at it. Good luck, Bonny!

…Anyway, getting back to the case…"

im losing it at "Her life choices" holy fucking shit lmao

[theblimpfruit]

Regarding Gregson's photo with van Zieks

I just finished The Great Ace Attorney 2 and will probably be thinking about it forever, but there's a thing in case 4 that really itched my brain and drove me nuts over van Zieks:

(major spoilers for the end of the game)

Early on in the investigation for Gregson's murder, you speak to van Zieks- he's in a pretty foul mood and seems convinced Gregson thought him the Reaper, same as everyone else.

But then you show van Zieks this photo of a younger him alongside his brother, and Gregson, a photo that Gregson had prominently displayed.

And then he becomes more amenable to speaking further. This all seems straightforward: van Zieks is convinced that Gregson, a respected comrade who believes in the ideals of justice, must now hate him and thought him a lowly murderer with no scruples for following the law properly, and you show him evidence otherwise.

Except...this isn't what happened. It can't be what happened. Because, as you later find out, at this point van Zieks already knew that Gregson was involved in the Reaper killings, and so must have known that Gregson was fully aware that van Zieks had nothing to do with the Reaper. So what does he really mean here, then? Let's take another look, and I'll try and speculate on what van Zieks must have really been thinking:

van Zieks: I've no doubt he thought of me only as the ominous Reaper, just like the rest of London.

van Zieks never really tried to rid himself of the moniker publicly, even as he privately investigated it. He says to Ryunosuke and Susato that for the sake of reducing crime (and wanting to believe his brother was watching over him in some small way), he accepted it. He became the harsh relentless man that could be believed to be the Reaper. So even though Gregson obviously knew he was innocent, he must have still taken it as tacit approval to continue doing the murders.

Van Zieks: Respect?! That's…nonsense!

But on the other hand, how could Gregson possibly have respected him if he was willing to do so much butchery and essentially pin it on him, while he committed to doing things the right way, the hard way? How could Gregson have turned a blind eye and continued his bloody work even as Van Zieks faced assassination after assassination? I know he insisted he was fine with being known as the Reaper, but he very obviously wasn't, and I don't think he'd be able to put aside an innate sense of betrayal from this man he once considered a brother in arms.

Van Zieks: ……… Well…maybe once, yes. There was a time things were like that. We were brothers in arms…jovially discussing the future of justice and other such lofty subject matter.

He's nostalgic for this time not because he thinks Gregson still trusted him back then, he's nostalgic because he still trusted Gregson back then. A Gregson who seemed to actually believe in justice and all the lofty ideals they spoke about. Ideals that he no longer believes anyone but him shares.

Except for one man.

[theblimpfruit]

Girl Meets Rock is back!

It's back on Shueisha: https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/titles/100291

Unfortunately it seems that their resolution to the copyright issues was to black out all the lyrics:

But at least it continues to deliver on the deranged band girl content we all crave: