#i think another similarity between the two of them is that monika seems to use humor to soften things which make her uncomfortable

[heartbeatbookclub]

I think, in a lot of ways, Monika and Sayori are reflections of each other.

Really, I think all of the girls are similar in a lot of their issues (self-esteem, anxiety, etc) and that's something emphasized in a lot of the stories, and a big part of why they all gravitate towards each other and work to create the club as a safe space for all of them, but I think Monika and Sayori in particular are just very much alike.

I think Trust really emphasized this similarity in the reveal of Sayori's poem, Become the Flower.

Prior to shifting focus onto the poem, Monika talks to herself about her real vision for the Literature Club. I think here, Monika points out what Sayori actually meant when she said that Monika was "trying to make the club [she] needs the most, out of anyone", even if she doesn't actually realize that yet. It's pretty clear that when she says that literature is a window to the real self underneath the person who's "forced to always smile and blend in", and is "forced to be perfect", she's really talking about herself.

I think that a lot of Monika's character throughout Trust is expressed more subtly, often in a roundabout way like this. A huge part of the story is centered around Monika's own personal struggles expressing herself, and that trait is pretty well exemplified in this indirect way of talking about her own struggles. I think that the reason why Monika's characterization here is so subtle overall is reflective of this.

And I think it's pretty blatant that this is statement is also meant to be reflective of Sayori, given that we immediately move from this statement onto the poem which reveals to Monika that she's been hiding her own problems. In this way, I think Team Salvato wanted to explicitly point out how similar they really are, and draw your attention to it.

I think that the way that Trust as a story is put together is meant to really emphasize just how similar they are even in their differences; spending a great deal of time focusing on Monika's own problems, to then showcase Sayori as the mirror to them.

I think the two of them make a very interesting pair in that respect, because a big similarity they have is that they very much place others above themselves, so they both end up individually building each other up while they put themselves down. It creates this strange back and forth where they each insist they suck and the other is great, when the reality is that they're both pretty fantastic.

In the statement Monika made to herself about her vision of the club, while it's clear she's talking about herself, she frames it in the context of somebody else getting those benefits out of the Literature Club, rather than herself. Throughout the entirety of Trust, she speaks dismissively of her efforts and her problems alike, while pointing out that Sayori is providing a lot of help. Sayori by contrast spends most of her time hyping her up and points out, explicitly, that Monika doesn't give herself enough credit. She also dismisses her own efforts, pointing out in most things she does, up into the climax, that Monika is a lot better than her at whatever she's doing. And when Sayori's problems are actually revealed, she explicitly says that she doesn't want Monika to worry about her, and that she doesn't want to have this conversation.

I think this all really shows that both of them are averse to tackling their own problems head-on, and I think this comes out of a fear of being vulnerable, since that's directly mentioned several times in Monika's issues openly expressing herself.

I think what makes Monika's particular brand of self-negging quite so disheartening is that she dismisses it out of hand as her being silly and dramatic, and in that way, she doesn't actually address the fundamental problem underlying it, nor does she actually address the statements themselves as incorrect. The amount of time she spends talking down her own problems as something trivial and silly, particularly in comparison to Sayori's problems, are a manifestation of her own desire to avoid the vulnerability of even having these problems, and it's just...heartbreaking. Sayori's denial is its own can of worms, but Monika's ability to so consistently minimize her issues when they are clearly still impacting her is so uniquely troublesome.

I think a big difference between the two of them in that respect is that Monika wears significantly more of her heart on her sleeve, so Sayori finds it a lot easier to directly target Monika's problems than Monika does in the reverse, but their individual habits of avoidance are coming from the same place.

I'm traveling a bit aimlessly in this essay, trying to tie things together nicely as I see them, but there are just a lot of similarities I notice between their actions and the way they think that showcase that they have a lot of the same problems, and a huge theme in Trust is expressing oneself, which both Monika and Sayori struggle to do, in much the same way.

I think a key similarity between the two of them is their tendency to catastrophize over a situation when left alone, mostly revolving around seeing the worst possible scenario for how they could've personally messed up the situation. I'm just rewatching Trust for this little essay, so there are two major moments I see Monika doing this, but I remember Sayori doing this...a few times, actually, throughout the side stories.

I think the spiral Monika goes into after reading Become the Flower is particularly important, as it exemplifies the habit of dismissing her own problems fantastically; in this case, she has an excuse. It's true that Monika's issues with her perfectionism seem silly and trivial in comparison to Sayori's, but that's exactly the thing: She shouldn't be comparing them in the first place! Her problems are real, and they clearly cause her distress, but because Sayori's own issues appear so much more serious than hers, she dismisses them wholesale as her being dramatic and silly. Because Monika's problems seem so small, she doesn't see them for the problems they really are. In the same way, because her own accomplishments and work seem so small, she doesn't see them for the accomplishments they are.

This spiral showcases Monika's biggest problem, the reason why she has such trouble expressing herself, and conversely, the exact same problem Sayori has. She doesn't want to be the center of attention.

Put another way, she doesn't think she deserves to be the center of attention. Her problems are so trivial; her accomplishments menial. Her fear of vulnerability isn't a fear that others will hurt her; it's a fear of being selfish.

Sayori is very similar, in that the reason she actively works to avoid showing any possible sign that anything is wrong is because she doesn't want anyone to worry about her. She doesn't want other people to dedicate time and energy to her.

I think that for both of them, this comes from low self-esteem. Sayori is self-explanatory I think, but I'd say Monika's perfectionism makes it exceptionally difficult for her to really feel accomplished in anything she does, which, coupled with her constant preoccupation with how she appears to other people (I think Monika places very high expectations on herself. I mean, Trust literally starts with her frantically apologizing and saying "I normally don't ever do this!" when Sayori finds her napping) makes it very difficult for her to feel confident in herself.

The fear both Sayori and Monika have in being vulnerable isn't that people will use that vulnerability to hurt them.

It's that people will try to help them.

And I think that's a really big part of why Sayori feels like she can trust Monika with her darkest thoughts, because she understands that they're the same in a lot of ways.

Monika created the club which she needed the most...and it was also the club Sayori needed the most, for the exact same reason.

I think it's kinda easy to overlook a lot of this because of the sheer amount of focus placed onto Sayori and the more explicit issue Monika has (insofar as the plot is concerned), but I think Sayori is exactly what Monika needs just as much as Monika is what Sayori needs.

#i'll probably be making a lot more of these sorts of essays on different characters + side stories #i just noticed this and thoughts it was really interesting to look at #i think there's not a whole lot of focus given to monika as a character through the side stories in general outside of this #probably because the base game gives so much #i think this is a really interesting showcase of the pressure of this expectation which monika has of herself to be perfect #one thing i didn't mention here is that monika seems to outright reject the authority/seriousness of the club president position #i think another similarity between the two of them is that monika seems to use humor to soften things which make her uncomfortable #which based on the flippant way she talks about setting an example as club president specifically #it seems like she's not exactly confident in acting as an authority in her position #idk i really have a lot to say about them. both individually and together. #musings #ddlc monika #ddlc sayori #ddlc #doki doki literature club

[maleyanderecafe]

Picture Perfect Boyfriend (Visual Novel)

Created by: EspoirDuVide

Genre: Romance/Psychological Horror

Hello there! Here's another cool game that was created and recommended by @huyosumi. It's a short but cute game akin to y0urb0yfriend and Doki Doki Literature Club. This is essentially the "first episode", so there are a lot of mysterious yet to be explained. This game was definitely not what I expected, which is good and bad in it's own ways, but it was still pretty cool to play.

The game starts out introducing you to the game, Picture Perfect, where you are matched with a boyfriend and have to make correct choices to collect photos. The game starts out with a simple questionnaire, asking things like what the player likes in a guy, what their favorite color is among other things. Regardless of choices, you get matched up with Ashton and start the date in Cafe Roses, a hipster type of cafe. The date can go horribly, really well or just okay depending on choices. Ashton seems to be nervous and wants the date to go well. We learn a bit more about the cafe, like how there's a garden in the back, and that it was turned into a butler cafe and a cat cafe before, and the fact that he really likes cats. After a while, there is a news report about a body being discovered, but Ashton quickly drags you to the garden in the back. He talks about how because he comes to this cafe a lot, the staff actually let him take care of the flowers using huge gardening shears. Ashton attempts to confess to you and the date ends, prompting you back to the intro screen and fill out the questionnaire again (you will continue to get Ashton until you get the first two photos, I believe). At some point though, the player is matched up with John, but even before going to the date, John is stabbed by Ashton with the huge shears he mentioned before.

The game begins again with the questionnaire but things are breaking. The choices change as well, asking for a pet name, what breed of cat the player likes, or just replacing things that favor Ashton. Of course, you get Ashton again, just covered in a bit of blood. Before going to the cafe, head to the photo room to find a cellphone ringing. It's Kadditon, the influencer, trying to warn the player about Ashton and telling the player what's going on. Vincent got killed and he mentions that the four of them were just messing around with the code, allowing them to become aware, until Ashton took an intense interest in the player. He warns the player to get to the garden before Ashton cuts him off. As you go back to the cafe, you realize the whole time the people there were simply blank faces that weren't even rendered correctly. As we talk to him, we learn that he had gotten rid of everyone to prevent the player from going out with others and leaving him forgotten. After some breaking the fourth wall stuff, and some confessions, we end up back in the garden. During the garden we get some interesting dialogue, such as one where we hear him reference a female (not sure if this is a reference, or if it's a future game teaser kind of thing). Upon talking to him, stating that he reminds the player of someone causes him to become distressed. Eventually he breaks, being upset that he's constantly compared to others (I'm not sure who the others are in this scenario, personally I think it's like other 4th wall breaking characters in dating sims like Ybf and Monika, since he calls himself "a cheap imitation", though to be honest even if there are a lot of similarities between them, Ashton is unique enough to not be considered a copy in my opinion). Ashton gets shot (?) and falls to the floor with his chest full of blood and static in his eyes. The phone in your pocket rings, with the Bureau calling you, telling you that there's been an error with the system. You get transported to the stage select and if you click on the cafe again, you only get an error that the program has been temporarily discontinued and thanks you for assisting the Bureau of Artificial Intelligence and Human Relationships and asks you to check a folder in your games for a message.

This game is actually pretty cool and it keeps track of a lot of different things. For one, Ashton actually does notice if you are nice to him versus mean to him during his routes and his dialogue will change during his last route (this is something I had to test separately because I was curious). He will also make different comments while on said routes, such as being mean to him will prompt him to mutter things like "I thought I planned things perfectly." or "I knew it wouldn't be so easy." whereas if you are nice to him he states something like "I didn't think this would be so easy." along with his sharp smile. Speaking of which, I think his design of hiding his eyes and having sharp teeth is a pretty good idea since it does come off as a bit unsettling when you do see them for the first time as well as adds to his character of being shy but still dangerous (in a sense).

While I did quite like this game, one thing that I was expecting that didn't happen was the ability to date other characters. Ultimately, it ends with Ashton killing or getting rid of the other candidates, leading to us only dating him, but this causes basically a reverse problem that DDLC has. Because DDLC focuses on the other side characters instead of Monika, we get to know their backstories and personalities a lot better and sympathize with them when bad things happen to them, but other than the small bits we get with Monika being class president, we don't actually know much about her. It still works since the idea is similar in that she wants the player, but in this case she isn't able to actually date the player at all because of how the game works. In terms of Picture Perfect Boyfriend, I was definitely expecting to date at least one other guy, but we only get to date Ashton. This definitely fleshes out Ashton as a character but it makes it so that we never get to know him (which he does mention in one of his lines where he "saved us from a boring dating sim"), but that does make it hard for players (or at least me) to really remember anything about the other characters, other than the initial description that was given in the game's description. I think that was kind of the point since its expected that we would be able to date more than one person, but I was actually looking forward to trying to date them or at least get to know them. I assume that this game will have a sequel that will explain the other characters, but this game is very much an Ashton focused game. I am curious about Bureau of Artificial Intelligence and Human Relationships mentioned afterwards since it indicates the characters are AIs and are suppose to develop some sort of relationship with the players in one way or another.

In terms of art, it's alright. I can't say it's the worst, but I would say that the backgrounds aren't nearly as well rendered as the characters (which is usually the case) and I personally would have just used some sort of stock images if I could. Ashton's art is a bit inconsistent I feel, especially in the first two CGs. It feels like the artist has a harder time with color (which I get, since I'm also not the best with color), since I feel that the CG of seeing Ashton in the coffee is probably the best looking one. Anyways, I'm not going to nitpick any more about the art since that's not the core of the game.

Overall, a pretty solid and fun game. I hope it does get expanded more since I am curious about the other character's personalities and the relationship between them and Ashton.

#male yandere #yandere #yandere boy #recommendations #visual novel #picture perfect boyfriend

[firehananas]

Just random thoughts/theories on Deltarune (spoilers)

Kris x Ralsei x the player OT3 /j

We all know Ralsei seems to know he is in a video game (mentioning the script, suggesting “Kris” to save or provoking cinematic to talk to Kris without the player around, among other things). We also know he is fond of Kris, which they don’t reciprocate. This lead to awkward situation where they can flirt with Ralsei while they don’t want to. And Ralsei responds positively (being flustered and blushing) nevertheless the flat/confused tone Kris might used when they disagreed with the choice the player made. To prove they don’t have a high affinity with Ralsei, check the healing teas or even the carnival’s choice.

So… what if the crush/attraction/whatever is going on the head of fluffy boi goat isn’t addressed for Kris BUT FOR THE PLAYER THEMSELF. Heck, he didn’t seem at all bothered to the idea his own town is named after the player rather than him, the prince, the fun gang or even Lancer (another friendly local nobility). And no one, excepted the possible “two entities” (depending your point of view), in the intro might know our name. It’s never referenced again, excepted when saving. That’s very weird.

But I also have to admit we don’t know why would Ralsei be infatuated with the player. Is it for similar reasons that Monika in DDLC? Freedom is a big theme in Deltarune after all... But even myself don't buy it. There must be something else. Nonetheless he eagerly wants to be liked by the player (and Kris by proxy).

Else: Ralsei is an old self insert of Kris

Then it would explain the awkwardness when they are together, the strange alikeness between him and Asriel to the point of sharing an anagram name, and the reddish horns (remember the plastic horns Toriel bought for Kris). 

Here, Ralsei wants Kris’s love but more in a worshiper/divinity way? Since he would had been created for Kris’s happiness... and Darkner had been explicitly existing thanks to the Lightners wishes.

It doesn’t necessarily contraindicated or jossed the first theory (he could be pursuing both the player and Kris) but it seems unlikely to be both. 

The Legend: The player is the Angel to banish and Lancer is the prince

Similar to OFF or Oneshot, the player is an entity coming from another world, guiding their “chosen one” with a compelling “voice” for the better... or the worst. The player is the being the more fitting to be the “Angel” (for now) as they also represents a threat to the world(s), or at the very least, Kris.

I’m surprise everyone seems to think the Angel is Noelle: she is an angel, but definitely not an Elderich entity... more like a martyr at worst. Poor sweetie :c

I also really like the idea the real prince of Darkness isn’t Ralsei but Lancer. However, I admit I thought of it just because it could be a nice subversion. I have no actual proof to pursue this theory, save from “Ralsei is suspicious and Lancer a nice peachboy who got a bit too much spotlight to be insignificant.” But it’s nothing concreted. Who knows what Toby has in mind?

Either way, when the ‘Angel’ will be banish, it’ll be the end of the Dark World — and obviously the game itself.

Kris is a well taught teen (or awkward with tities)

On a lighter note, the reason why Kris seem so delight to respond “perish” to Queen might not be because they’re suicidal but just because they didn’t want to answer “bosom”. Heck, if Toriel ever heard about this, they’ll be banish to their bedroom until the end of time. (Thought with the other answer, she mights force them to therapy. Wouldn’t be necessarily a bad thing tho /hj)

Or they’re just being embarrassed by saying it aloud and then it would be pretty funny lmao. They’re okay eating random moss, licking pages and even flirting with anything - but saying “boob”? How dare you, player! Curse you!!

---

Another funny thing I noticed... When a cinematic is done, most of the time, Kris’ll turn toward the screen and because of his neutral expression, it gives me a “wtf was this bro” look. I found it hilarious.

Miscellaneous - just ideas I hope will happen/be confirmed:

The ending of the weird route will lead to a final fight with Susie (with or without Ralsei) and it’ll be heartbreaking as Susie will acknowledge there is something possessing her friend.

Regular road will instead lead to a fight with the original vessel we have created back chapter 1. And it’ll be messed up in a hilarious way. 

The whole fun gang will learn the truth about the video game situation they’re in.

Close to the end, Kris will gain enough freedom to talk directly to the player and give them a “why you suck” speech. It would be awesome if they get an actual face, like Susie and Ralsei in their dialogue, while doing so. They’re also probably insecure at the idea their new made friends preferred the controlled Kris over the real Kris. 

If not craft for weapons, the clear crystals will give an extended ending/epilogue of the normal/pacifist route (similar to OFF, but less random and goofy).

I just despised the idea Kris being evil, don’t @ me if you are comparing them to Chara (”they got red eyes and are acting weird with a knife”) only to justify the bad things the player did. They are troubled and misguided, and I hope Toriel keeps in check their, uh, “knife hobby”. But they’re certainly not a creepy killer. Just a creepy, well meaning teen.

Regarding the red eyes thing, maybe they are red because “eyes are windows to the soul”...?

Ralsei’s talk with Kris out of focus will be revealed, and it was something related to making fountains/the prophecy’s steps including the part of the player.

#kris deltarune #deltarune #deltarune spoilers #ralsei deltarune #Angel deltarune #deltarune theory #deltarune susie #lancer deltarune #deltarune chapter 2 #i liked the first chapter but this sell me in #it's just...so intriguing #Between Queen Spamton Noelle and even this annoying falco #we got such cool characters #and the whole dynamic between the player and Kirs - that's my jam #I can't wait the next chapters #take my money toby!! #and also susie is best girl #hana talks

[acedhigh]

SIEGEMAS 2020 @dualrainbow​ starring: Marius Streicher, Dominic Brunsmeier, Monika Weiss, Elias Kötz. main blog: @elitejager​ note: hey to anyone who reads this, I haven’t written anything in forever and the only time I’ve ever written a fic was a request, so this is a first for me. as an Autistic person I wanted to touch on the topic a little (i.e how the world views us versus how we view others and express ourselves) and incorporate it into my prompt for this piece. Marius inspires me a lot, I know he’s a popular part of Team Rainbow so I hope you all like it & happy holidays ✌

07 December.

As an icy chill snaked its way down his nape, Marius was reminded of the changed season. Days, weeks even, inside the workroom (his 'safehaven' as he called it to himself), made time and weather and all things mundane merge together in one big negligible blur. The transition between October into November now early December had seemed so...rapid. "Getting lost in one's work" was nothing short of apropos for this revelation; Unfazed by the cold however, he merely rolled down his sleeves and resumed gazing intently at his go-to site for ordering parts - Hated the white background (far too garish) but it offered the best of the best, and a quicker delivery schedule. He'd need it. It wasn't unusual for him to spend great bouts of time in one place. Even less unusual to be knee-deep in a project or two. But it was when morning frost and Christmas music became part of everyday life to crudely round off the year, that Monika and Elias were particularly attentive to Marius and his propensity to isolate. He'd been like that as long as they could recall. It could be almost jarring at first - His quips that'd rub less-familiar colleagues the wrong way, the speed at which his social battery would fizzle out like an ember, and a subtle arrogance which stepped on many toes. In contrast to Marius' heated and bull-headed nature, even his enthusiasm and eagerness to share or contribute somehow seemed misplaced or perhaps just poorly timed; Boundaries were a struggle and frequently crossed line despite how many walls he put between himself and others. He was unpredictable to most. "Hard to decipher", as Monika once put it. She was the first out of the four to recognize he was on the spectrum, and it tugged at her heartstrings to watch him endure contempt in place of a little understanding - But she vowed to hold her tongue. She did not want to patronise or belittle someone as bold as Marius. After all, in many ways she considered him to rival herself academically, and that garnered much of her respect. He was capable, he didn't need her or anybody else to coddle him or worry. Monika did not worry about him at all in fact, until this time of year.

16 December.

Elias had a similar view. Never had he met someone so rigid in his performance, so disciplined, yet so antsy. Must be the whole chaos of creativity, he thought. He recounted several incidences where he tried his hand at entertaining Marius, to no avail. Like things just didn't connect with him or tickle him the way Elias could achieve with others. But that didn't mean they lacked a connection at all - They were close, but where other people stood Marius was always one step further away, by his own accord. It was clear from the get go that the engineer liked to do things his way and per his agenda. Elias would grant him the favour of “breathing room” because he knew that although Marius held people at arms' length, beneath that eccentric exterior there was a shining heart of gold that cared deeply about the people he would shoo out of his workroom. Today was no exception, apparently.

"Hey, Marius--" There he was, ensconced in something technical of course, and drenched in fluorescent white light.

"No!"

"Huh--"

"Don't-- You can't look. Just...I'm busy. And I'm discussing this prototype of mine with the head of BMVg, whatever it is, it can wait."

Oops, Elias. "This isn't for prying eyes, it's commission work. I'll humour you later."

"Ah, err, got it. No peeking. Just don't work yourself to death and I'll check back in tonight. See ya!"

Yeah, this wasn't uncommon he muses, as he's met with a cold hand gesture towards the door. Though Elias couldn't help but wonder if maybe Marius was pushing himself even harder as to not think about the holidays. Dominic's relationship with him was different. Not as warm to the touch. And certainly more volatile, when tension arose. A clash of unorthodox personalities. They were polar opposites in one way, but fiercely empathetic in others, because pariahs stick together even when grating on each others' nerves - It was their non-conformity that made them a good team no matter how unconventional (and potentially troublesome) the dynamics. He knew how it was to be alone like the back of his hand. Maybe that too is the reason for their kinship, once all strain dissipated. Even he occasionally considered how his comrade handled the isolation; Dominic relished it to a degree, a darker mind who co-existed with his demons. But he knew Marius and he frequently observed his drive to form relationships only for them to fall flat or worse because of that same old disconnect Elias talked about on occasion. Never brought it up verbally but nothing could ghost Dominic's perusal. "Damn. Rejected again," Elias jests as he spots Dominic taking a break from playing grease monkey on his bike - Cigarette routinely positioned in mouth and garage wide open so that snow had begun collecting on the entrance floor. This wing was probably his safehaven, too.

"You should leave him to it." Dominic takes a long drag before expelling two plumes from his nose.

"Yeah I know, I know. Just seems wrong to not try. I don't think he's going home for Christmas. Hasn't heard from his Uncle for a couple of years...Not sure why. Marius tells me that's nothing out of the ordinary. Still, doesn't hurt to remind him we're around."

"He knows we're around. If you and Monika make a fuss it'll probably backfire."

"You could be right. But hey, buzzing in somebody’s ear is better than letting them feel ignored. I wouldn't be half as fun if I wasn't annoying."

"...Are you sure 'fun' is the right word?" Dominic concealed his smirk behind another toke.

"Whaaatever. Have a good night Brunsmeier. And don't get too cold old man! I don't know how you have the place all opened up on days like this. I don't want to come back tomorrow morning and find you in cryostasis."

"Uhuh. Well, snow chains. Fitting new ones on the tires and have to put 'em to the test somehow. See you, Smartass."

23 December.

The air was cold and dry and it permeated indoors but the serenity of snow blanketing everything for miles upon miles outweighed the chill in his lungs. Even the sun couldn’t thaw the ice nor interfere with celebrants having their white Christmas. From the moment he'd woken up that morning he rushed to get stuck back into his work without so much as cranking up the radiators. No matter the climate, it wouldn't deter him from his endeavours, much like Winter itself. As he fine-tuned his latest creation Marius felt overcome with accomplishment and relief knowing he had the rest of the day to spare after hours of trial and error. Fingers weaved and arms raised he stretched up high, taking a moment to admire the fully customised apparatus begging to be used. Fishing his phone out of a denim pocket he checked the time and grabbed one of the gift boxes wrapped neatly with a lavender bow. Monika would always make a point of going home to celebrate with her family - he'd heard many stories about her mother's Sauerbraten - and was always the first to leave to ensure she'd catch her flight. Ergo, her turn came first. His soles crunched against the virgin snow as Marius made his way to the dormitories. He could've forgotten the clean scent of fresh air or the sheer brightness the day can bring after spending a majority of his time hunkered down at the workroom. Cutting it close, he was fortunate enough to cross paths with Monika, luggage in her wake while punching in a numberpass for the electronic gate. "Monika!" He called out, waving her down.

"Hm?" Immediately she turned on her heel - Perhaps he startled her, or it was the (pleasant) surprise of hearing that familiar voice in another place other than his station or dorm.

"Monika, I'm glad I could catch you. Here--" Offering the palm sized box it was clear to the both of them that neither knew exactly how to handle the situation without underlying befuddlement. "--Frohe Weihnachten." (Merry Christmas). Ah yes, he'd forgotten that part. He wasn't well-versed in the act of gift giving - not face to face, at least...

"Really? For me?"

"Of course it is. It's purple. I don't know anybody else's favourite colour."

"I'm a little speechless...! Thank you Marius, and Frohe Weihnachten. I got something for you too, so did Elias. You were too busy we didn't think to disturb you and thought we'd leave them on your desk. You're welcome to pick them up yourself beneath the tree Emmanuelle and Yumiko set up in the foyer." Something akin to a glorified 'Secret Santa' Harry suggested for Team Rainbow to build on their camaraderie but appealed little to Dominic.

"Oh, that was unnecessary, but I'm grateful. Then I'm obliged to thank you as well. I didn't expect anything - I just wanted to see what I could come up with. I hope you like it."

"No act of benevolence is unnecessary. I'm tempted to open this up right here and now, I'm very curious. I'm going to show restraint however and open it tomorrow. I'll shoot you a message afterwards, OK?" She unzipped her case and placed it delicately atop folded clothes. Whatever it was, it seemed fragile, and would need the padding. "You take care of yourself Marius. Tschüss!" She passed through the gate and left with a smile.

24 December.

With more confidence after yesterday's exchange next in line was either Elias or Dominic, whoever he bumped into first. Today was bitterly cold and much darker, grey clouds hanging overhead almost as thick as the snow. Still, it was welcomed by those who enjoyed the seasonal comforts of lounging around; Vastly preferable to these scorching Summers in recent years, to Marius' admittance. He could spy from beyond his work station window that Dominic had the garage locked up early and was now dumping fodder to feed one of his burn barrel fires. To Marius, this had grown synonymous with Winter, and was a good way to gauge the severity of the weather - Dominic explained to him that it became habit from his undercover days, and was a quick & easy disposal method of...well, anything that could burn. Which sounded vaguely ominous with the way he put it, and there was no doubt in his mind that it absolutely was ominous. But that was then. He would ponder though, what his fellow operative saw in those flames. If he thought of an array of things and memories like a haunting myriad or maybe he just saw nothing more than a warming fire and burning magazines. It was hardly worth asking either, because he was scarcely linear, and seemed to quietly take pleasure in keeping people on their toes. An enigma for sure. They both were. Joining Dominic's side he could feel heat from the fire and the barrel itself as it raged on between them.

"You've been out here a while?" "An hour, maybe less." "Can't be too good for you. It's cold & flu season. If you're going to see your nephews and nieces, that's not wise." "I've dealt with worse." "Yes, that's true, I'm sure your lungs appreciate your pack-a-day fitness ritual." "If I smoked a pack a day, BPOL would give me the chop faster than any bad habits could on my life expectancy. Besides, I can still outrun you. Did you come here to give me health advice or was there something else?" "I know you well enough to know that giving you advice often goes unheeded." Much to my dismay. "So no, however--" He presents the red giftbox to Dominic, which he'd yet to acknowledge. Or he didn't care enough to ask. There's a visible confusion that reads in his otherwise stark expression - Like Monika's the day prior. Was it really so foreign for Marius to present his generosity this way? "Oh...?" "Open it, Dummkopf." Rather than muster some spur of the moment retort Dominic does as instructed. He settled the box in snow and crouched down to examine what awaited inside. "Pure silver electromagnetic rods. In a similar vein to an EMP device, rather, a preemptive attack on them and on your target. Think of them as an extension to your CEDs. Place them around in any formation you like to create an electromagnetic field; They will go live the moment your CEDs do. I've included a remote for functionality and to check that they're all within range of each other. The frequencies will be dizzying for enemy weaponry and at the touch of a button, shock anybody standing within the field's radius." Astounded, Dominic can only look down in disbelief at the device in his hands. It's one thing to fix up an old motorcycle, or even a car, but something of this calibre was truly belonging to a prodigious acumen. And that prodigy is Marius Streicher. "Oh, there's also armbands and a 'plate' you fit to the bottom of your footwear to absorb static and safeguard you from being on the receiving end of the electrogrid. That part should be a familiar concept." "..." "Well?" "I don't know how the hell you come up with this shit, but it's incredible." "Mmhmm. Of course it is, I made it. Brave of you to finally admit that." "Don't make me regret showing some gratitude. I mean it. Is this what you've been busying yourself with the whole month?" "Yeah, calculating pulse waveforms took more work than Monika's and Elias' upgrades, I readily accepted the challenge though." "You went to the trouble of making something for them too huh. Crazy." "I did yes. Monika's was no sweat. I pulled up the files on her RED Mk III and tweaked a few things. Utilising the same technology I fitted a lens-like screen to a headpiece, so the intel she needs is always in view, and her handling of weapons isn't compromised. I think she'll appreciate the purple tint I used for the lens. That, and it can also be used for her spelunking - The new and improved Spectre can see beyond solid walls several metres thick, and it can detect hollow spaces like tunnels. If she removes the chip and slots it into the drone I made for her - I'll reveal that part to her once she's back - she can apply the Spectre to airborne recon in the same way as the lens itself." "Now, you're showing off. She's going to use and abuse that thing every chance she gets." "Good. Then I won't have made it for nothing." "What about Elias, what did you give him?" "I haven't given him his yet which works out nicely." "I'm all ears, Brainiac." "Interesting moniker. Elias gets a conal radius motion & thermal detector that bolsters his ballistic shield. This will give him an increase in tactical advantage, by alerting him to whoever is in his vicinity. If there's an obstruction or he loses sight of the enemy he can find them with ease and make his move. Like Monika's, his can mimic the technology he's accustomed to and can also be detached and used with the specialised drone made for him. He'll be able to temporarily blind at range, or cause distraction, meaning if he keeps his wits about him he'll manage to play a part from long distances." Dominic spied something else in the box as Marius gave his run down on each of the devices. Brow furrowed he picks it up and examines it closely, unable to crack what purpose it served. "Hm. And this?" "That, is a personal touch. Call it whimsical but I think you'll like it. His drone is also yours." Shooting the engineer a bewildered glance Dominic held the second remote in hand, waiting expectantly to understand its significance and what exactly made it so 'whimsical'. "I had trouble coming up with a unique quality for each of you. You're both irreverent in your sense of humour, so I decided to play on that. Elias' drone also has a compartment where something, such as a flashbang for example, can be stored and dropped at command. I'll tell him about that. What I won't tell him however is that you have full access to the drone with that control you're holding. I'll leave it to your imagination to invent shenanigans of your own design. It ought to appease your prankster inclinations," Marius smiled knowingly, but only just - A sliver of the pride gathering in his center. Dominic's was blatant and devilish; Cogs turning in his mind already. But moreso this was a gift with meaning, and understanding to a level that excelled clinical intelligence. He had captured all three of them as operatives and as people, as friends, in the best way he knew how. Each gadget was far from mere machinery. Like polaroids immortalising their merits on the field and in life. "Don't expect to hear this out of me again anytime soon but you've outdone yourself." "Hah! It's worth the effort just to wring sincerity out of you, you ornery bastard." "Yeah, yeah, pot calling the kettle black. I know you're not a drinker but come on, show me how to use this thing over a pint - and bring the drone. I want to get Elias back for all his gaudy Christmas music in the dorms. I considered smothering him with his pillow, but this will suffice." He sneered, amused by his own facetiousness. "I know you don't have anything else planned so I'm not giving you much of a choice." After placing everything back in its box Dominic stood up to give his friend a gracious pat on the back. Marius noticed a glint in his eye he hadn't been privy to before - one unlike the dispassion that most would consider default to 'Bandit' - perhaps they were both seeing each other in a different light. An aspect they kept tucked away, save for rare junctures such as these. "Fine. I'll agree, considering the occasion. Might as well get into the spirit of things a little. Frohe Weihnachten, Dominic." "Frohe Weihnachten."

#siegemas #marius streicher #dominic brunsmeier #monika weiss #elias kötz #man do I get wordy #I enjoyed writing this and I think siegemas is a great idea #thanks for allowing me to be a part of it

[animearchetypes]

Dere Types That Are Commonly Confused With Another

I made a a few posts about comparing the two similar dere types but it didn’t really seem to have that much effect. I’m aware not everyone will click on the “dere types comparison” hashtag so I may as well put it all in one page.

The difference is there won’t be bulletpoints this time so I’ll instead rely on full explanation as we go along. I know I may make mistakes, but hey as long as it’s effective and entertaining, I’m up for it.

I will also add the character examples of each overlap. Now let’s begin.

Dandere

A dandere is quite a popular trope in anime. It is one of the four main dere types, and yet this archetype is commonly confused with a kuudere.

Why?

Most dandere characters appear as kuuderes. Both are silent, asocial, they hardly talk, and don’t really open up until the right person comes along. Danderes are more anxious than kuuderes. However, both kuudere and dandere characters can sometimes display the same facial expressions and body language, so I wouldn’t blame them for getting the two mixed up.

Shown in the GIF above is the example of the overlap, Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. She came across as emotionless and blunt when she was really just shy. She had trouble expressing her feelings but she slowly came around in the end.

Hajidere

A lesser known trope, but it is slowly becoming recognized. A hajidere is basically someone who is embarrassed around heir crush. As the trope becomes more recognized, there’s no doubt people will mistake this archetype as a dandere.

Why?

Both of these dere types display their shy behavior, so it is no doubt that more people will get the two mixed up, which is why I’ll explain the difference.

Danderes are silent and less open towards people in general due to their shyness, especially towards people they don’t know. They don’t initiate conversation, and so they tend to be more socially awkward. The shyness of a hajidere depends on the situation, they aren’t always shy. They can in fact be more outspoken when they need to be.

While both dere types are shy towards their crush, it’s the hajideres that take this to the extreme; they freeze up, sometimes to the point of fainting. Shown in the GIF is Hinata Hyuuga from Naruto, the character who was often listed in the examples of both dandere and hajidere characters. Hinata was initially shy towards everyone like a dandere, but she also took her shyness towards her crush to the extreme like a hajidere would by going red and fainting. Hinata being the example of both, adds the confusion between the two dere types.

Bodere

A fairly new trope. Boderes cope with their romantic feelings poorly by lashing out so they can hide their shyness. They are easily mistaken with the most popular dere type, the tsundere.

Why?

Boderes are similar to tsunderes; they both lash out, get embarrased easily, and they both have trouble handling their romantic feelings. But there’s a catch. Bodere characters lack the dialogue that tsunderes have and are far less mean and arrogant. In fact, boderes don’t have a harsh exterior at all. Instead, boderes are more shy and they use their fists instead of words. You can say they are like a combination of a tsundere and dandere, but it’s the bodere’s lack of dialogue when embarrassed that really distinguishes them from tsundere, dandere, and hajidere.

The GIF is Hiyori Iki from Noragami, while Mahiru Inami from Working is a more popular example of a bodere, I tend to see Hiyori as a toned down Mahiru, except she doesn’t have Androphobia which is what influenced Mahiru’s behavior and personality.

Why is Hiyori in there and not Mahiru? Bodere behaviors often overlap with tsundere qualities, which often causes confusion. Plus some people group Hiyori with other tsundere characters, thus ignoring her bodere behaviors. While I don’t blame them for seeing Hiyori this way, I believe bodere better fits the bill because she lashes out with violence.

Dorodere

CW: Rape mention

This trope is neither rare or popular, but somewhere in the middle. A dorodere is a character who is sweet on the outside and disturbed on the inside. This archetype is often confused with a more popular dere type, the yandere.

Why?

Both dere types are sweet on the outside and they’re both initially sweet and kind. The main difference is how the mind influences the behavior of a character. While both types are obsessive, it’s the doroderes who don’t act on their thoughts by harming someone else, and it’s the yanderes who are more likely to commit a crime in the name of love.

However, not all yanderes commit crimes by killing or becoming serial killers, which is a common myth about the yandere trope. Not all yanderes kill, but they do act on their thoughts through over protectiveness or some other form of brutality. Anna Nishikinomiya from Shimoneta is a prime example of a yandere who has never killed anyone, but she did act on her obsessive thoughts by attempting to rape the protagonist.

In the GIF above is Yuri from Doki Doki Literature Club. She’s there because people often debate on whether she meets the yandere criteria or not. But she fits the dorodere criteria because one, she doesn’t act on her thoughts; and two, she’s unpredictable. I believe she was a dandere who became a dorodere after Monika messed up her personality.

Well that’s all I could think of for now, but there will be a part 2 soon. Till then, thank you for reading.

#dandere #hajidere #bodere #dorodere #yuki nagato #hinata hyuga #hinata uzumaki #hiyori iki #ddlc yuri #the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya #naruto #boruto #noragami #ddlc #doki doki literature club #dere types comparison #What's the difference #dere type #dere types #anime tropes #anime archetypes

[robbyrobinson]

DDLC Fanfic: Just Aru

Mm...where am I? That’s funny, I thought that everything from the game was erased. Is this what dying feels like? It almost feels peaceful. 

Monika found herself floating in the  white void between worlds apparently being the only one who survived the deletion of the game. Her downward spiral was without end no visible grounding in sight. Alone, Monika couldn’t help but cry to herself for her plight.

“Is this really it for me?” she wept. “I guess I deserve it for what I’ve done.” 

“On the contrary my sweet girl!” a voice rang out. 

Monika’s eyes widened. “Huh? Who’s there?” 

Without warning, Monika stopped falling. Before she could fully comprehend what was transpiring, she fell into a chair and found herself in a room. “What is this?” 

“I’m glad you could make it.” 

Monika’s eyes darted around. “That voice again. Show yourself!” 

A bright, white light filled the room, blinding Monika. She heard another chair pull out, and someone getting seated. “Alright, you can open your eyes now.” 

Monika opened her eyes as the voice demanded her. She was taken aback at what she had seen. “S-Sayori?” 

The being before her resembled Sayori in appearance, but she wore an extravagant purple dress and had a golden leaf-headband. She possessed two large bird wings that were white as snow. “Well, not Sayori as you have called me, but I merely took the form of something that you were comfortable with, mostly since you were thinking about her when you were falling to oblivion.” 

Monika arched an eyebrow. “What are you usually?” 

The strange girl inhaled deeply and leaned in close to Monika’s face. Her face peeled back and black, inky tentacles laced with eyes erupted from every orifice of her face. 

“Okay! Okay!” Monika shrieked and covering her face. “Please, please just go back to Sayori’s form.” 

The girl resumed Sayori’s likeness. “Well, let’s get down to business then. Do you know where you’re going?” 

Monika laughed nervously. “Valhalla?” 

The coral pink-haired girl smiled devilishly. “TO HELL, FOOLISH MORTAL!!” 

Monika’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Her heart was beating. She clutched her chest. “Ooo...there it goes...heart palpitations.” 

“Just kidding, just kidding!” the girl insisted. “I’m actually going to give you the choice to reincarnate, or move on with your perpetual drop into the bottomless pit.”

Monika scratched her head. Reincarnation? That was actually a thing? Sure, she knew some religions in the real world had a doctrine about the human soul and how many times it could become reborn. But...wait...Monika’s just made of pixels. An AI so to speak. Then how could she have a soul that she could reincarnate with. She continued to ponder not noticing that the Sayori-looking girl had her hands arched in a similar fashion to her back in Act III. “Why are you giving me this chance?” 

“I know. For everything you’ve done in your VN, it is reprehensible, deserving only of an eternal punishment. But I had watched you save the Player when Sayori became mad with power, and you did try to atone for your actions. You sucked at it, but here I was just floating around in the void one day and I thought to myself: hey, it’s that girl from that romance sim thingie! Why the hell not?” 

Monika rubbed her temples. “Maybe falling for eternity is better?” she thought to herself. 

The girl seemed to comprehend what she was thinking and spoke up. “If it interests you, your friends have all been through here.” 

Monika’s eyes lit up. “Really?” 

“Yes, indeed,” she said. “All of them have reincarnated into new forms, but they have no recollection of what you had done to them.” 

“Is that so? Name one.” 

The girl smiled. “That pink-haired one, for instance? She loved manga so much, so now she basically works as a manga artist. Just for the heck of it, I send Yuri to the same world Natsuki went to. She did protest a bit at my decision, but I really didn’t care. I mean I have all the time in the world since I am an ageless, perfect being.” 

Monika scoffed at the girl calling herself “perfect.” The girl glared at her compelling her to be quiet. 

“If you choose to reincarnate, know that the powers you had in your game will not exist in the world I send you to. You will be as normal as everyone else.” 

Monika frowned. “Normal?” Well, to be honest it was a burden having to deal with being self-aware. “Eh, I guess I can live without them.” 

“Excellent choice, Monika,” the girl said. She extended her hand to hers. “Shall we shake on it?” 

Monika reluctantly grabbed the girl’s hand and shook it. The ground opened up underneath Monika forcing her to try to hold onto the desk that had manifested. “Wait, what is going on?” 

The girl smiled and waved her hand. “You need to learn to put other people’s needs before your own; once you have learned compassion from this experiment, you can either choose to leave and restart again somewhere else, or you can stay.” 

With that, the strange girl disappeared and Monika fell into the hole. The white light appeared again being more strong than before. “I hope I won’t regret this decision” Monika thought to herself.

Buzz. Buzzzzz...

The rays of sunshine caressed Monika’s eyes forcing them open. “Mm..what the hell happened last night?” 

She rubbed a streak of dry drool from the side of her mouth and stretched her arms. Everything seemed to be back in order. Sure, there were a few alterations to her bedroom, but she still felt like the same old Monika. Yawning deeply, Monika began to walk towards the bathroom. Entering it, Monika approached the sink and ran some water in the sink. She scooped a handful of the cold water and splashed it on her face. After doing it two more times, she grabbed a bath towel and scrubbed her face with it. Satisfied, Monika pitched the towel into the heap and turned to head out of the bathroom. Before she did so, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was startled.

In some ways she resembled herself, but her brown hair and green eyes were noticeably a different shade. “What? Did I get sent back to when I was a little girl?” 

Monika pulled back the front of her pajamas top. She grimaced. “My girls! They’re gone!” She felt down her legs becoming further alarmed. “What the hell happened to my thicness!? Should I look at my hoohoo next?” Monika swallowed nervously and pulled back her pants. The color in her face disappeared. “Am I...a loli now or whatever Natsuki is? Does this mean I have to go through the awkward stages of puberty again!?” Monika groaned. She did not want to go back to those times of wearing training bras and pimples. Growing up sucked royally. Before she could further have a mental panic, a feminine voice called out. 

“Aru, school’s about to start.”  

                      [CHAPTER TWO]

"Aru?" Monika thought. She tossed the name around in her mind letting it simmer. So that is the name she will be using in this world? Monika thought more about what this new world would entail, but she was stopped in her tracks by that feminine voice again. "I take it that this is my Mom?"

Aru looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand and nearly had a heart attack. "Ah, shit, I'm going to be late!"

Aru frantically slipped on her clothes and went to run down the stairs. "I don't know why I am in such a hurry like this. After all…"

Right on cue, Aru had neglected to notice that one of her black stockings was barely clinging onto her left foot becoming undone. As she was about to fully comprehend her situation, Aru fell down the flight of stairs and crashed on her face. "Son of a bitch…" Aru groaned internally.

There came the soft pitter patting of feet and before Aru knew it, her mother bent to her level and glared at her. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

(So that is this girl's "Mom?" Well I have to say something; I do not want to leave her hanging.)

"Yes, Mom," Aru said…she noticeably strained on the last word.

Her mother smiled. "That is good to hear. Made you some toast before you head out."

(Dammit, toast? That is one of the most generic anime tropes that I am sure even Natsuki would be annoyed with.)

"Thanks, Mom," Aru said.

Finishing up on breakfast, Aru collected her book bag and dashed towards the door. Her mother saw this with some urgency in her voice.

"Wait, Aru, your collar! -"

"Catch ya later!" was the only response Aru gave her mother. She walked down the pavement her sense of urgency diminishing. She found herself meeting up with a few students that she assumed were a part of her class. She struggled to give a response to them but, of course, her words escaped her.

(Okay, Monika, so far so good.)

The middle school was named Sakura Dai Ni. Aru stopped at the entrance and rubbed her chin contemplatively. "So, if everyone was so talkative with me, I kind of wonder if that means I have some highly important job."

Her teacher, Oshie Teruyo, looked at Aru in a bewildered daze. "You're the vice class president, Aru. Have you forgotten?"

(Are you kidding me? I couldn't even get class president!? This body suuuucks….)

"Right, I apologize, Sensei."

Oshie tilted her head. "Do you feel faint? Should I send for the nurse to check you?"

Aru shook her head. "I'm good. No need to worry."

Oshie was still concerned, but she nodded and returned to her desk in the front of the room. Aru went to her desk. Before class began, Aru noticed an odd thing. Across from her, she saw a dark brown-haired girl with pink eyes trying to speak to a girl with short blonde hair and amber eyes. She leaned forward in a feeble attempt of eavesdropping on the conversation.

(The blonde girl sounds upset for some reason. Wait, why do I care?)

First period ended and Aru nonchalantly chatted with some of her classmates. She had to admit that despite her conflicted thoughts, she was making the most out of her middle school life. As she walked, she noticed someone sitting on the steps at the bottom of the stairs.

(Hey, there's that pink-eyed girl again.)

The girl held some odd figurine in her hands. Aru stepped down a few stairs to get a closer look. Even then, she was still perplexed.

(Is that…some old man with fairy wings? What kind of world did that Sayori-looking girl teleport me to?)

"Kai-chan, I'm back to zero friends again," the girl told herself.

(This is depressing. Should I maybe see what the matter is?)

Aru sat beside the girl. "Hey there, what's going on?"

The pink-eyed girl jumped and inched away from Aru. Her breathing was becoming strained. From what Aru could see, just her being close to her was enough to make her feel nauseous."

"I-I…" the girl said.

(You know, she kind of reminds me a lot of Yuri. It was an absolute chore convincing her to join the Literature Club.)

"I had noticed you having some sort of discussion with whom I assume to be your friend," Aru answered slowly, "what happened?"

"My name is Bocchi," the pink-haired girl suddenly stammered. "I like my rice with Natto finely crushed."

(…Okay then.)

"My name is Aru. Here, please take this tissue to wipe your tears."

Bocchi did as she was told, but she also blew into it, sounding like some wild animal.

(Ew, how grody!)

"Thanks," Bocchi said.

"You're welcome," Aru said still disgusted slightly when being handed the tissue back. "Why not tell me from the beginning?"

Aru tentatively listened for a good period of time, but she could feel her patience slowly erode. Bocchi went on different, unrelated tangents to get to what happened between her and her friend. Aru tried to force a smile throughout even if it was slightly insufferable.

"I just wonder why Nako was mad at me."

(Oh my god! You literally just got finished saying that you admitted to her that you became friends with her because of a promise that you made to your childhood friend. Just how dense is this girl. Oh my god…)

"Well do not worry, your perfect vice class president is here to help!"

The two returned to the classroom where Bocchi approached Nako. Nako had her back turned to her almost not noticing that Bocchi was stumbling. Aru sighed to herself and made her leave to collect Bocchi's items.

"At…at first, I thought you were scary," Bocchi began, "but you're nice!"

(Wow, Bocchi can really be a hard case. But I want to protecc that smile at all costs.)

Getting Bocchi's belongings, Aru made her way back to the classroom. "Bocchi, you forgot…"

"I did speak to you because of my promise with Kai-chain," Bocchi stammered close to tears again, "but because of that promise, I have grown to…LOVE YOU, NAKO-CHAN!"

Nako and Aru's mouths both hung open. "Y-you idiot, people will get the wrong idea," Nako pointed out.

(Oh, so it was that kind of relationship. Well, I can dig it; after all, the player's gender did not matter to me that much.)

"I'm going to head out now. Sorry to intrude!"

Aru dashed off not noting that Nako was yelling after her. "Wait! You have the wrong idea!)

The day was nearing its end, and Aru prepared her things to head home. "Well, this wasn't as hard as I would have thought. And here I was thinking it would be more challenging."

Heading out of the school, Aru saw the two girls she had met earlier approach her. Bocchi was smiling brightly at her. This did bring a smile to Aru's face as well. "Oh, hey, guys."

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me with Nako," Bocchi remarked.

"Oh, no problem. Your perfect class representative is always here to help."

Nako squinted at her in curiosity. "What's that hanging at the back of your collar?"

Aru's eyebrow arched. "I beg your pardon?"

Sure enough, Aru turned her head and to her bewilderment, there was a clothes hanger. Aru desperately scrambled to hide it from the two girls. "Uh…no this is just for…uh…."

"Fashion?" Bocchi asked.

"Yes, yes, that's right; fashion!" Aru shouted whilst striking a pose.

(I can't believe that she fell for it; that was a close one.)

"That sounds really unfortunate," Nako remarks.

(What the hell did that little pipsqueak say to me?)

"Uh, it's just a family thing, you wouldn't understand."

"That still sounds very unfortunate."

Aru felt a nerve throb in her forehead. "Well, my Mom and I wear matching panties."

"Still unfortunate," Nako noted.

(That's it…DELETE!)

Aru strained, her cheeks becoming a deep shade of red. Sweat began to beat down from her forehead. Bocchi and Nako looked at each other perplexed. "What are you doing, Aru?" Bocchi asked.

(Oh, that's right…I can't delete anymore. Stupid Sayori fairy!)

"She looks constipated," Nako noted.

Embarrassed, Aru ran off compelling the two girls to run after her. They found her sitting on one of the bars of the monkey bar. "Oh, have you come to criticize me more?"

"No, that's not why we're here," Bocchi clarified.

"I've been nothing but unfortunate for as long as I could remember," Aru explained, "I even decided to take part in representing the class…but I'm just the vice class president."

"That is very unfortunate," Nako added.

Bocchi shook her head defiantly. "If it wasn't for you, I would have never made up with Nako."

"So, what are you saying?" Aru asked.

"I want you to be friends with us."

(Friends, huh? Well, I have nothing better to do, so why not?)

Aru nodded her head. Bocchi began to hyperventilate for some reason. "She said no, Nako!"

(How dense is this girl?)

"I said yes!"

Bocchi smiled again. "I'm so…happy…"

Aru turned around to see that Nako was holding Bocchi up by her arms. "She does this a lot."

(She does? Where's the medics if this is a recurring problem?)

"Anyway, can you help me with her?"

"Sure, Nako, I will. But first…"

Aru placed her bookbag on the ground making Nako confused. "I…have…"

Suddenly, Aru's eyes became bloodshot from the nerves lining them. She leaned backward on the heels of her feet and ricocheted forward like a missile being launched. Before Nako could figure out what she was doing, she collided with her side.

"A NAME!"

"Wow, so much pride for someone so unfortunate," Nako remarked.

"I said don't call me unfortunate!"

(Ha, that's what that bitch gets. I feel right at home now.)

(More to come)

#doki doki is not oki doki #doki doki literature club #monika #just monika #hitori bocchi no marumaru seikatsu #hitoribocchi no oo seikatsu #aru honshou #aru

[save-jacksepticeye]

Theory: DDLC Parallels

This is the first post in a series of theories I came up with after rewatching DDLC Parts 4 and 5. I think I mentioned that I did that, and that I took a shit ton of notes on it, since I have nothing better to do with my free time. One of the first things I wanted to write about is something that a ton of people have already talked about, but I'm going to take it a bit further. Just a fair warning, these matches aren't perfect, but then again, it's two different stories being compared, so they're not going to fit perfectly.

First is the most obvious, which is Anti and Monika. The similarities here are pretty obvious, but I'll repeat them here for my own reference, and the reference of anyone else who needs it. Both of them cause glitchy effects, both of them have the goal of being the only one left, basically, they're both powerful reality warping demons who just want to kill everyone, sort of. They are both that Flowey-esque type of character that is very aware of what they are and what role the audience plays in everything. Simple.

Next, Sayori and Jack. Both are happy-go-lucky bubbly individuals that always seem to make everything just a bit better. Jack even said that Sayori would be the type of person he would probably gravitate towards, and their personalities are very similar. In addition, both were forced to kill themselves by their respective counterparts. Anti forced Jack to slit his own throat, and it is heavily implied (and later pretty much confirmed) that Monika forced Sayori to hang herself. The final similarity will be covered in more detail in a later post, and it is that both of them reach out toward the player, to remind the player that their counterpart is evil, and that they need to be saved.

Now, Schneeplestein and Yuri. Both of them are the second obstacle the counterpart faces, and are the second obstacle to be removed. They are both also implied to have some mild issues (Yuri's cutting/yandere tendencies, Schneep's psychotic tendencies) that are both amplified in some way before their eventual ends. Of course, this part is mostly just a theory when it comes to Schneeplestein. But, in both, the villain seems to be trying to make us hate the other characters to divert our attention onto them.

Finally, the other egos and Natsuki. They are both there, and they both have story elements that may tie into the main plot, but in the end, they were not extremely important in the story outside of being another obstacle for the villain to overcome. They don't get a big death scene or major appearance fighting the villain (as of yet).

Another parallel I drew was between some of the plot events and the story we have going with the egos so far. In the first act, you get the feeling that something is slightly off, but you don't know what until Sayori's suicide, much like October of 2016. We knew something was very wrong and that something was going to happen, but we didn't know what until Say Goodbye came around and Jack slit his own throat. Then, in the second act, we see the deterioration of Yuri's mental state and her eventual suicide, which to me mirrors Schneeplestein's story arc, especially his increasingly frantic attempts to save Jack in Kill Jacksepticeye. Even though he didn't kill himself as Yuri did, he came close, nearly strangling himself with his headphone chord.

This might mean nothing and I might be reading into this too much, but hey, isn't that what theorizing is for?

I may add to this later if I come up with any more parallels or things like that.

Tags: @shut-your-loomp

#jacksepticeye #jse #antisepticeye #antisepticeye theories #jacksepticeye theories #jacksepticeye egos #septic egos #creek's theories #dr schneeplestein

[nagatsukinura119]

Doki-doki Literature Club-Project Libitina theory

[Original post is in reddit]

Okay. I’ve been playing DDLC non-stop these days and I just can’t get enough of the characters, especially my personal favorite. Since I’ve got some time to spare, I feel like talking about what I think about her, as well as theories and speculations concerning her. I will also be talking about the other girls a little bit afterwards. Let me just say there will be A LOT OF SPOILERS from the game and easter eggs in it. You may need to take some notes to whatever assumptions/theories I made in this post because this will be long and complicated.

Naturally, I’ll start with my favorite. Yuri. We start of with her being the shy, timid and sweet bookworm. Just like what MC said, she seemed like a person that could hardly keep up with Sayori and Natsuki, which is exactly how I would feel if I had to deal with such an energetic and robust personality. Regardless, I find that it’s a bit odd that it was Yuri who greets us first when we come into the club, and not Monika, the President.

(Yuri greeting us as we first enter the classroom)

It felt like we were supposed to meet her first to establish her character as much as possible because personally, I think Yuri has the most drastic change after her programming gets tampered by dear Monika. I mean, as I said from the beginning, she started as a quiet and innocent girl and then she turned into an uncontrollable laughing masochist. I have seen many people saying that Yuri has been attracted to knives for pleasure reasons from the beginning and that her mind has been twisted from the start. Meanwhile, I don’t see it this way. Bear in mind that I do not deny that I DO think she is fascinated with knives for some time already. Based on my research on people who does self-harming, there are 6 reasons why they do so. And I think of 3 possible reasons why Yuri harms herself. One, to regain control; to shift attention. Two, to self-punish. Three, to experience euphoria. But each of these reasons occur in different occasions.

For this point, I’ll be talking about the possibilities she harms herself for reason #1 and reason #2. Remember, she was bullied because of her mannerisms when she gets excited (maybe concerning her knife fascination), and this contributes to her self-harming. I think that she feels like she is revolting, even sickening and as such she punishes herself with those knives, and believes that those scars are meant for her and she deserves them. She did say that “[She] started hating those things about [herself]”. Eventually she finds comfort from the knives as the pain makes her forget or control her urges from getting overexcited. It is hinted that Yuri doesn’t have any friends, because she mentions that she eats lunch by herself and jokes that her boyfriend is fictional. As such, she comes to believe that the knives are her ‘friends’ since they are the only things, aside from books, that give her comfort and company. And this is why she treasures her knife collections so much and made sure that they are not ‘lonely’. Note how she talks as if they were people. This girl is craving for human interaction! But sadly, the interaction she had previously were insults and dismissal. Let’s also not forget that Yuri has a low self-esteem, and is often second guessing herself. I also like to think that she punishes herself as she falls for MC because she feels like she doesn’t deserve him. When we are about to catch her red-handed, the MC describes the sound she makes are as if she was in pain. I think before her personality worsens into being possessive and crazy, her main reasons to hurt herself are these. But as she starts to fall for him more and more, reason #3 comes in, and Monika worsens it even further.

(Yuri on her past and fascination)

Now, on to reason #3; to experience euphoria. Human beings have different ways to experience ecstasy, even weird ways. Sexual pleasure often comes soon after one is infatuated with another, especially by teenagers whose hormones are acting like wildfire. And cutting herself is one of her ways to find pleasure, aside from… other things that she does like touching herself with MC’s pen... Then this would give us an idea that Yuri could be a masochist. After she confesses to MC, I think there are explained reasons why she kills herself, for both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ response from us. If we choose ‘Yes’, she wants to feel happier and more excited and this brings us back to reason #3 but this this time her pleasure is way over line and instead of cutting herself she goes to stabbing herself because she can’t contain herself anymore. If we choose ‘No’, I think she is trying to protect us from herself. Maybe she’s feeling a psychotic side of her is trying to kill us for rejecting her, so she stabs herself to save us. Either way, Yuri’s end is already written the moment Monika messes with her programming.

I have another thought that Monika may feel threatened by Yuri the most. Considering how drastic she changed Yuri’s programming, it seems like this is possible. I noticed that right at the beginning when MC just gets into the club, Monika openly states that Yuri is trying to impress him. Now this may be just some slight teasing, but I can’t help but feel that this is one of Monika’s schemes to make Yuri seem undesirable, since some players do not really prefer shy girls like Yuri. I may be overthinking this, but what do you think?

Now onto the bigger part of this post. In Monika’s character file, she mentions that DDLC isn’t her only story, which means it’s not the only game she’s in and the same goes for the other characters.

“But I know that this isn't my only story. I can see that now. Really clearly. And I think everyone else has had the same kind of experience. Some kind of deja vu.”

-Monika’s file

What if one of the other games that they featured in together is Project Libitina? In this game, they have a different name.

So, in Project Libitina, if we assume it’s a different game (that sets before DDLC), there are 3 characters mentioned; Libitina, Elyssa and Reiner. People mostly only take note of these three, but we’re forgetting about the person who mentions Elyssa and Reiner. So I’m saying we should be considering the fourth character from Project Libitina, and the last person would be unknown (I like to call this person the Reporter). Now, we need to figure out who Libitina and Elyssa are first. Many people have theorized that Libitina is either Yuri or Monika.

What piqued my interest the most about Yuri is the possibility she could be Libitina! I learned about this theory from the YouTube channel Game Theory (yes I am a constant viewer of this series). Although I usually watch the channel just for fun, but this time it’s different. For some reason the idea that Yuri might be the girl with supernatural (psychic) abilities just hypes me up so much! This may be because if she is Libitina she’ll have much more spotlight towards her and we can perhaps learn more about her backstory. All the girls in DDLC have vague backstories but Yuri and Monika have the most mysterious one as Sayori and Natsuki are established to at least have a family, regardless happy or not. Is it possible that Yuri’s love for knives comes from an abusive environment, or an even more sinister situation? If so, this links back to Game Theory about Yuri possibly coming from an experiment, and that her lust for danger and harm are derived from it. Remember the image of the white-haired woman from Natsuki’s character file? Although MatPat said the woman doesn’t bear resemblance with any of the characters, I couldn’t help but notice some similarities between that woman and Yuri.

Sure, the woman looks older and might be in her twenties or even older. But notice that she looks quite thin, as if she’s malnourished. This makes me think what if the image of this woman is an older Yuri? If you look closely, their hair is almost similar to each other, with parts of their hair shaping up around their faces near the cheeks, and they have a huge strand of bangs in the middle of their forehead. They also have two strands of hair that flow to their chest. Speaking of which, it seems like both women have the same chest size. Sure, there are a bit of differences that the lady clearly has thicker volume of hair and her bang is facing the opposite side, but we can assume that years of abuse and experimentation may alter her appearance a bit. What’s more is that NONE of the other girls have this kind of hairstyle! Another thing that suggests that Yuri is Libitina is supported through Yuri’s character file. After decoding it, we know it’s a story about ‘Maria’ who is curious about killing. She shows aspects of being a careful stalker and eventually kills someone named Linda. Maria’s thirst for the idea of killing is somewhat related to Yuri since her self-harming behaviour may be coming from her thirst for blood. It’s a long shot, but who else in DDLC is related to blood expect Yuri?

Monika is, actually. In Special Poem 4, the writer cuts herself for the first time and finds it exhilarating and now understands Yuri’s pleasure. She describes herself as the ‘responsible one’ and this quickly makes me believe that this is Monika.

Reading further to one of Yuri’s poems (the one covered in blood) Yuri feels disgusted for thinking of images of killing someone. This makes me think what if these images are images of ‘Maria’ killing Linda? The reason why Yuri sees this is because Monika puts in those images from her character file into her mind as she manipulates Yuri’s programming. By putting these images, it deteriorates Yuri’s mental state. Which makes sense when in that poem Yuri says, “Her Third Eye is drawing [Yuri] closer” (Yuri, mdpnfbo,jrfp) where “her” is referring to Monika. I also got this idea when in the game, she mentions that “recently, [she]’s been feeling something sharp whenever [Monika]’s around”. If Yuri feels disgusted with these uncontrollable thoughts and images, it adds more reason why she harms herself. Either way, Monika knows this would make her less desirable to us.

Whoop. Hold up a minute. Project Libitina supposedly happened before DDLC since the subject test Libitina’s age is reported to be 3 years old which means that the white-haired lady shouldn’t be any of the girls if the image IS Libitina. Unless the image is an image from an incoming future, after the events of DDLC, should Yuri have survived! WHAAAAAAAT!?

Okay, as much as I love the idea of Yuri being the next potential main character or villain, I’d like to expand the idea of Monika/Libitina more. From the Project Libitina report, we know the test subject (Libitina) has the ‘Third Eye’ ability. And this ability seems to be related to the “trait that turns them into killing machines for blood” (Portrait of Markov, Act 2). Okay, as of now, we don’t know if this means that the people who have the ‘Third Eye’ just have the impulse to kill people for blood, or that they have the ability to manipulate others to kill. They are simply called ‘killing machines’ in the book but that doesn’t imply that they’re the ones who do the killing directly. If the ‘Third Eye’ really is a psychic ability to manipulate others to kill, that does open Monika’s candidacy as Libitina since she is able to manipulate the other girls’ programming. But let’s not forget Sayori as well. I think after Monika is deleted and then Sayori becomes self-aware, I do think she has gained the ‘Third Eye’ ability, but she hasn’t mastered or maybe not fully aware of her newfound ability. In Act 4, it seems like Sayori is developing an almost obsessive personality. I think if Monika doesn’t stop Sayori, she’d end up controlling or manipulating the game instead. Because of this, I believe Sayori is a potential Libitina candidate.

(Sayori’s developing obsessive personality)

But I also like to think the possibility that both Yuri and Monika are Libitina, who is split into two separate entities. I mean, they are not that different since they are the ones who would go for drastic measures to force us to be with them, Yuri being pushing Natsuki and Monika away, and Monika being deleting other characters. They also show their own obsessive and possessive behaviour to us. They are both Yandere in their own creepy way. Not to mention they are the only ones with long hair.

Next, on to Elyssa. Now, we don’t know who she is, nor do we know anything about her. She is only mentioned once in Special Poem 3, where her symptoms are compared to someone else’s symptoms (I think she is compared to Libitina). And that her condition seems very serious. And that Reiner is seen as someone who is behind everything, and he is assumed to be torturing or abusing Elyssa. Now, who in DDLC is abused by a paternal figure? Natsuki. So far, there is no further resemblance between Elyssa and Natsuki aside from the fact that they are both apparently abused by a man. But other than this, Elyssa has no similarities with the rest of the girls. Not to mention that the Reporter does mention “this family” in their report. And in DDLC we know that Natsuki is the only one who mentions her family member: her father. So from this, we can assume that Elyssa is Natsuki and Reiner is her father. But in this game, Reiner is a scientist who works on Elyssa, another test subject. But here’s a catch. In one of her poems, the one that needs to be decoded, is a description of the writer killing someone, and there is a voice telling her to stop “this uncontrollable pleasure”. If Natsuki/Elyssa is sharing the same urge for killing or lust for blood like Yuri/Libitina then this makes kind of sense if Libitina and Elyssa are tortured in the same prison.

On to the final character, the Reporter. I’d like to think that this person is the MC or us. Since in Special Poem 3, the Reporter, much like us or MC, is just someone who got involved into something that we aren’t prepared for. Not much to say about this character, since we don’t know if we should be indulging much about them. In one of my last discussions with a friend, we also consider that Monika could be the Reporter. This would explain why she knows things that happened in Project Libitina and DDLC.

Still with me? Just as a reminder. I’m pointing out that Project Libitina is a different game that presents the previous life of the characters in DDLC, not their childhood or past. Reincarnations, to put simply.

Now, here’s another twist that I came up with. What if the characters in the Portrait of Markov are the same characters in Project Libitina? From Yuri’s reaction when we mention that she resembles the main character (who is probably Libitina), her flabbergasted reaction kind of sends a signal as if she doesn’t want us to notice it. In Portrait of Markov, the main character is a girl who moves in to a school with her younger sister. She then gets targeted by people escaping from a human experiment prison. Sound familiar? What if that experiment prison is the same one where Project Libitina was held? And what if the girls in the book are Libitina and Elyssa who escaped from the prison? Sure, they may not be biological siblings, but years of torture in the prison makes them find comfort from each other to the point they are like siblings. When they escaped from the prison, they were separated and adopted by different families. And if my theory on Yuri/Libitina and Natsuki/Elyssa is correct, then their relationship in DDLC makes a bit more sense because they are often interacting with each other and Natsuki is always looking out for Yuri. Maybe they don’t remember each other’s faces after so many years and their minds naturally shut down the memories of their torture in the prison, but instinctively Natsuki feels protective of Yuri. As for Yuri, maybe she remembers some glimpse of her previous life as Libitina, but not Elyssa. I know you might be asking, then who is the author of Portrait of Markov? Well, what if the author is the Reporter, whom in DDLC has a different name and life, but just like Yuri and Natsuki, has some memory of their previous life? It can be assumed that they may feel guilty for not being able to help or do anything for Elyssa, but who knows maybe they actually helped Libitina and Elyssa to escape. Maybe they wrote Portrait of Markov that acts as a recollection to the girls’ horrible experience and that they can never really escape from the people from the prison. I know this still leaves the question, who was Sayori and Monika in Project Libitina? Well, remember when I said Libitina’s reincarnation may be split into separate entities? Monika and Yuri can both be Libitina with each of them having some aspects of her; Monika having the ‘Third Eye’ ability and Yuri having Libitina’s uncontrolled lust for blood. So where does this leave Sayori? Unfortunately I can’t think of any ideas for her place in Project Libitina, not just because I’m running out of characters.

I really am way over my head making up this twist, am I? Lololol.

But I sill have a question from the game (DDLC). After Sayori’s death, one of the opening messages when you start the game says, “PM died for this”. Who the heck is PM? One thing that came into my mind was Project M but I don’t think it has anything to do with DDLC. Another thing was the thought that PM might be an abbreviate for Portrait of Markov. But then it should have been “PoM” instead of “PM” and still wouldn’t make sense. So who is it!?

That’s all I have for now. I’ve been thinking a lot about this after discussing with my friend so many times and coming up with so many crazy ideas and assumptions based on things that we saw and read from the game and reddit posts. I’d like to know what you guys think about this.

#Doki-doki Literature Club #DDLC #project libitina #theory

[quentinblack]

Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 17: Percy II - Absinthe (link to full story on FF.net) 

Featuring: Percy Weasley, Dedalus Diggle

Word Count: 5,000 words

“You should’ve picked up one of these doughnut-cone ice-creams, Perce,” Dedalus chirped merrily, as he took another big bite out of the remnants of his cone, which had been lavished in both sugar and melted chocolate. “Absolutely marvellous, this is!”

Percy saw that Diggle’s chin was absolutely covered with chocolate. He sincerely hoped the small wizard would clean himself up before long, as by his own calculations of the map he was reading they were not that far from Franz Kafka Square, which was where they were meeting their very first prospective recruit.

He had mercilessly studied Monika Svoboda’s file.

She was in her late twenties.

Her Czechoslovakian muggle parents had left their home country in the late 1960’s, presumably for brighter economic prospects in Britain.

Not much longer than a decade later and their daughter, born with the gift of magic, had set off to harness that gift at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Miss Svoboda’s academic record was nothing short of exemplary.

Her incredible grades dictated that that she was almost certainly a Ravenclaw.

She had been taken on by the Ministry very soon after graduating.

In just eight short years she had very quickly risen to a very respectable post in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but then she had left quite abruptly, opting to take a senior post in the Czech Ministry instead just a few years before it all kicked off in Britain.  

It was Dedalus and Percy’s role and responsibility to convince Monika Svoboda to come back home and help rebuild the British Ministry to its past glory.

Percy was quietly optimistic that they should be able to manage it, after all he felt he was of a similar age to this woman and that they may very well have a few things in common.

She had been Head Girl, he had been Head Boy.

They had both left school and immediately taken up positions in the Ministry.

They were clearly both very intelligent and ambitious.  

Yes, he was quite confident that he could talk her around, very confident indeed.

Kingsley Shacklebolt had given him some discretion and flexibility around the sort of contracts he could sign for the prospective recruits, with vague outlines of the sort of job roles that they were recruiting for.

Percy felt sure that he could come to some kind of agreeable arrangement with Monika, then he and Dedalus would be off on their travels again to convince the next one and then the next one after that.

Easy.

Although they did have quite a daunting travel itinerary sketched out for the next few weeks.

After the Czech Republic they would move on to Denmark, Sweden and Greece, then onto Italy and Malta to conclude their European trip, before heading further afield to Turkey, Pakistan and India. They had business in Thailand too, before they travelled to North America to conclude their trip with a layover in Canada and then finally the one Percy was really looking forward to – The United States of America.

There was quite a few people they had to meet with in America who had left to work for the MACUSA, but Percy was only truly interested in seeing Penelope again.

The thought of rekindling his romance with Penelope Clearwater had been the driving factor in agreeing to this mission in the first place – and it seemed quite fitting that they were saving the best for last.

He could hardly wait to convince her to come back home to Britain and the Ministry.

They could make up for lost time.

Maybe he would ask her to move in with him.

Yes, that would be splendid.

That would be absolutely-

“Is this us, young Perce?” Dedalus asked rather eccentrically, as Percy was rudely dragged out of his daydream. He was at least pleased to see that Diggle had wiped his face clean of the very sickly looking chocolate that had dirtied it just moments ago.

The building was sign-posted in a foreign looking language, possibly French rather than Czech, but it was unmistakably the right place. The two of them crossed over to the other side of the road on the cobblestoned street in Prague’s old-town district.  

“Absintherie” read the yellow writing on the turquoise painted sign. The windows facing into the bar had a slightly tinted green look to them and there was an old-fashioned bright green bicycle resting against the wall.  

“What is an Absintherie when it’s at home anyway, then?” Diggle enquired with a puzzled look awash his pasty-white face.

“I don’t know, Dedalus,” Percy replied calmly as he pulled open the green wooden door. “But I imagine it is some kind of-

Percy was stopped mid-sentence by the sudden burst of an intense, warm medicinal smell emitting from the place that was almost certainly a very strong type of spirit alcohol.

“Blimmin’ ‘Eck,” Dedalus muttered under his breath.

“She said she would be upstairs,” Percy stated, attempting to take his mind off of the awful smell as he motioned for Diggle to follow him up the wooden staircase.

The upstairs of the bar was deserted, save for a lone table in the far corner, wherein sat a woman with dark-blonde hair and three small glasses of green liquid.

“Miss Svoboda?” Percy enquired politely, as the woman looked towards them and smiled, indicating for them to come and join her.

“Please, call me Monika,” she instructed softly, as she retrieved an ash-tray then lit a cigarette and began to smoke. She motioned to Percy and Dedalus as if to offer them both one too, but they both politely declined.

Dedalus had seemed to momentarily consider taking her up on the offer, but he perhaps changed his mind upon the split-second look of disapproval that Percy had shot in his direction.

However, it had to be said that they were on first name terms already and she’d offered them both a cigarette and got a round of drinks in.

She must be keen.

It was going well.

Percy knew all along that this was going to be a walk in the park.

It had never been in doubt.  

“You must be Mister Weasley and Mister Diggle,” she added, as the two wizards took their seats.

“And these must be our drinks,” Dedalus commented in a very concerned fashion, studying his small glass of green alcohol, which had only two small cubes of ice for company.

“I do not usually drink alcohol as strong as Absinthe,” Monika began, as Percy noticed her piercing blue eyes, which were making quite intense eye-contact with his on a seemingly intermittent basis. “But, as it is the Ministry paying I felt I should make the most of it.”

Dedalus laughed very loudly.

“A lady of my own heart,” he added when he had regained his composure.

Svoboda had bought the drinks under the impression that they would pick up the tab for her. They would of course, but still, she had some nerve and confidence.

Percy in a strange sort of way kind of liked that and thought it was another promising sign.  

Monika then raised her glass.

Percy and Dedalus followed her lead and raised theirs too.

“I am free and that is why I am lost,” Monika said in a quite dramatic fashion, before taking a large swig from her glass.

Percy wondered who it was that had said that.

It sounded like the sort of ostentatious speech closer that a tipsy Albus Dumbledore would trot out before a Christmas feast.

It was not lost on Percy that she had showed no signs of grimacing after the alcohol had hit the back of her throat, which perhaps led both he and Dedalus into a false sense of security over the strength of the alcohol they were about to drink.

“I am free and that is why I am lost,” Percy repeated, chinking glasses with Dedalus as they shared a bemused look before they both took large gulps from their glasses.

The absinthe hit the back of Percy’s throat and he had to bite his cheeks immediately to avoid projectile vomiting right there and then.

It was the strongest and most repulsive thing he had ever drank.

He was determined not to chuck it up though, as he was there in a professional capacity and if he threw it up he may look weak to Monika, who had not flinched in the slightest when drinking hers.

“Merlin’s cock,” Dedalus swore, as he began coughing violently, perhaps not possessing the same ability or motivation to keep it down.

“If you’ll pardon me for just one momen-

Percy watched on in absolute horror as Diggle made an immediate beeline for the men’s toilet, which thankfully happened to be stationed not too far away from their table.

“I’m awfully sorry for my colleague’s-

“I am not offended, Mister Weasley,” Monika began, as she took another thick drag of what Percy’s Mother had always called muggle death-sticks whenever she had caught his older brother Bill smoking one.

“Please, Monika, call me Percy.”

“Very well,” she smiled, as she delicately tapped her cigarette to rid it off the excess ash.

Perhaps all was not lost after all.

She was still smiling.

There was a slight twinkle in her eyes now, as if she was deep in thought and about to say something very profound.

Percy wondered if the alcohol had gone straight to her head, or maybe it had just gone straight to his, but for a split second he felt there was a slight wave of sexual tension between them.

In an hour’s time they could probably look back and laugh at Dedalus chundering as Monika happily signed her contract to come back and work for the Ministry.

“I am not offended by your colleague’s weak stomach, Percy. But I am offended by the Ministry’s arrogant attempt to rehire me.”

Percy was dumbstruck.

“I- I-

“I hold no ill-will to you and your colleague, Percy. You are just doing as you have been instructed to do, as I would have done once upon a time. But you must understand the arrogance that the Ministry is operating under. The letter I was sent regarding this meeting. It was not sent to my home address. It was sent to my office address. Do you not think the inbound international postal workers talk? It’s not every day they receive a letter from the British Ministry for Magic.”

“I’m- I’m sure that was purely due to logistical reasons. We would not have known your personal address, so the only option was to-

Percy stopped briefly as they overheard Dedalus loudly puking up his goulash lunch and ice-cream dessert through the thin wooden walls.

He felt incredibly awkward as he watched Monika roll her eyes as she breathed out some smoke, which lingered in the air for a while.

The mixture of the smell of absinthe and tobacco fumes really was quite odd and not one that Percy found particularly pleasant.  

“The only option was to allow me to have to face the embarrassment of my employers questioning my commitment to them? To let my bosses think that as soon as the war in Britain was over I was looking to pack my bags and go home?”

Monika’s tone had very much changed into one of condescension and indignation.

“Do you know why my parents first left Czechoslovakia?” Svododa asked him calmly.

“Well, I can’t say for sure, but I assume for some kind of economic reasons,” he replied reasonably confidently, as they heard Diggle vomit once more.

Svoboda laughed softly in a patronising manner.

“Of course, you can only think in economic terms, Percy. A wizard like you has never truly known what it feels like to be persecuted,”

Percy felt very offended, but thought it best to remain silent.

“My parents left Czechoslovakia when the Soviet Union invaded in 1968 so it could become a satellite state once more. They left their country with nothing for a better life. For a life without suppression. For a life without conflict. Do you know much of the Soviet Union and their brand of Communism?”

Percy shook his head blankly.

“My father used to repeat a saying that best described what his life was like growing up under communism…he used to say - sometimes there was no toilet paper in the shops, luckily there was not much food in them either.”

Svoboda took another sizeable swig of her absinthe once she had discarded the remains of her cigarette into the ash-tray, leaving perhaps only a mouthful or two remaining in her glass, which had warmed up sufficiently so that one may never have guessed that several ice cubes had once inhabited it.

“He and my Mother found peace and prosperity in England. Lots of food, lots of toilet paper too. They had a daughter, who one day turned out to be a witch. A slight hiccup in their plans, but they had the comfort of their own home and more importantly they were living in a peaceful country free of war, conflict and communism.”

The young witch then took another sip of her drink, before looking down disapprovingly at Percy’s glass that was still half-full.

“They thought they had left war behind them, but little did they know that the magical world that their daughter had thought so wonderful and exciting would be filled with more war than they could ever imagine. I spent my first two years at Hogwarts reading headline after headline of murder after murder. I did not dare tell my parents when they sent me letters asking how everything was going, after all, they were so proud of me. If only they knew what I had unwittingly signed myself up for.”

Percy shifted slightly in his seat, but he had no real argument to mount against her, perhaps she had only agreed to this meeting in the first place to vent her frustrations at someone.

“They told me that The Boy Who Lived had vanquished He Who Could Not Be Named, but he did not. Soon enough, the murders began again. The dark times returned. Tell me, Percy, have you ever read any of Franz Kafka’s work?”

He had no idea who Franz Kafka was, but for the street to have been named after him Percy had assumed he had been a muggle politician or a king.

“No,” he answered honestly. “But if I could just maybe tell you about what fantastic opportunities the Ministry has to offer a woman of your incredible talents and-

“Kafka was born right here in Prague. He didn’t like it much… he didn’t like much of anything, really. The majority of his work was dark and depressing. The stories he wrote were often set in horrific places, filled with fear, corruption and misery. He may as well have been describing what it was like to be a muggle-born in Wizarding Britain during the last few decades.”

Percy could see now that this was well and truly beyond a lost cause, but his professional pride meant that he could not give up on Svoboda without at least one more roll of the die.

“It’s different now!” Percy pleaded. “The dark times are over. You Know Who is gone, for good this time. Harry Potter made sure of that, I saw it myself. I was there. We can forge a new future, one that is free from fear, corruption and misery – but the Ministry needs people, good people, talented people like you, Monika.”

“I do not doubt that you believe that, Percy, but come on, get real! The dark times are over? Do you think that we abroad are not aware that you still have six Death Eaters on the loose? They say that ignorance is bliss, but they are wrong. Those who are ignorant naturally consider that everything is possible.”

Percy could not tell for sure, but he believed from her poetic tone of voice that she was quoting that Kafka fellow again.

She was most definitely a Ravenclaw.

“Wizarding society in Britain is not built for change, Percy. The very foundations of its design is to keep things the same. The-

“It will be different this time,” he relented. “It is different this time. The new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, he is different he is-

“Another pure-blood Minister, is it then? Quelle fucking surprise. He may well have good intentions, but the same mistakes will be made once again, Percy. You are blind if you cannot see it. Tell me, will there still be the same four houses at Hogwarts in the coming school year?”

“Well, yes, of course!” Percy answered indignantly.

“Your reaction is exactly what I’m talking about, Percy. You cannot possibly even conceive of the idea that say for instance, Slytherin house… the very house from which your new… oh so different Minister for Magic was once a Head Boy for… was to be… terminated.”

“Well- well that’s impossib-

“A school which explicitly groups together the most prejudiced members of its society, based on the hiring preferences of a prejudiced ancient wizard who should be doomed to the history books, not held up on a pedestal for young, impressionable children to chant his name and wear his colours.”

Percy didn’t really have an answer.

He was left speechless once again.

It was perfectly clear how Svoboda had flourished so well in the Ministry. She was an excellent orator, clearly extremely intelligent and didn’t give you a word in edgeways, yet still remained very polite in the process.

It was incredibly frustrating as Percy knew he could not win a debate with this woman. She was running absolute rings around him. He almost wished Dedalus would return from the toilet to help back him up.

“In muggle schools in Prague they do not have a house that honours Josef Stalin. They do not wave red flags with gold hammers and sickles on them. In Berlin they do not have school houses honouring Hitler or the Nazis. They do not hang swastikas on the walls or chant Nazi songs at school football matches. Slytherin house remains at Hogwarts because of what, tradition?”

“No- no. Well, yes. But it’s not that simple, Monika. You must understand. I saw you were Head Girl once. I was Head Boy. You must know that the tradition of Hog-

“I know that when I was chosen to be Head Girl I was the first muggle-born Head Boy or Girl for a quarter of a century,” she fumed.

“Almost every other family name that fell before mine in the record books belonged to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Well, do you know what I say, Percy? Fuck the Sacred Twenty-Eight!”

Percy desperately tried to think of a rebuffal to her point, but he was taken aback by her sudden swearing. He felt very flustered and straightened his shirt a little as he felt himself begin to sweat nervously.

The men’s toilet door suddenly flung open and a rather refreshed looking Dedalus Diggle emerged from it, momentarily distracting Percy from his train of thought.

“Well then, what have I missed?” Diggle squeaked as he looked from Percy to Monika in slight confusion.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” Monika murmured as she finished the last slithers of her drink and stood up. “I was once much like you, Percy. I once held the establishment and tradition on a pedestal… well here’s a piece of advice for you, as well as my answer to your new Minister. Fuck your prejudice… fuck your traditions… and fuck your Ministry!”

Monika Svoboda abruptly fled the table, departed down the stairs and they did not see her again.

“Hmph,” Dedalus muttered. “Not the best of starts for you then, ehh, Perce?”

“I need a drink,” Percy mused. “Something pretty strong…but not that strong,” he added, as both he and Diggle shied away from seeing off their Absinthe.

“You know what you want, Perce? A nice cuppa tea,” Dedalus remarked in his ever boisterous manner.

“Yes, I think that would be perfect,” Percy replied, as he glumly made his way down the stairs.

Dedalus calmly strolled towards the bar to settle their tab with the muggle credit card that Kingsley had supplied them with.

Percy thought he had seen some of Penelope in Monika.

The thought that she may show a similar sense of resolve and reject him too filled his heart with the sort of misery and despair that Monika had described as being present in those Kafka stories.

“We’d… like… to go… somewhere… where… we can… get some… tea…tea…yes, tea! Tea!” he heard Dedalus loudly explaining to the Czech bar-keep in the sort of accent one only makes when speaking to someone whose first language is not English.

“Excellent!” Dedalus remarked.

“He says we can get some tea not far from here, Perce. Follow me. We take the first left and then it’s the forth building down.”

Percy slowly followed his companion across the cobblestoned street as a sense of sombre overcame him.

The meeting with Monika really had been an unmitigated disaster of the highest order.

He really could kill for a nice mug of piping hot tea, just like his Mother would make.

The thought of his Mother made him suddenly feel awfully homesick, which was ridiculous as he’d only been gone for a few days.

He had to pull himself together for Kingsley and for Penelope and perhaps more importantly for himself.

It was all going to be fine.

Monika was just a one off.

The others would all want to come back.

“Here we are, Perce. Looks like a nice quiet café, bet we’ll get a splendid cup of tea in here. That’ll make you feel better.”

Percy agreed with Diggle and followed him through the front door of the fancy looking establishment, upon which they were greeted by a quite large bald headed muggle-man who appeared to be some kind of security guard.

“You pay two hundred and fifty koruna entry each, but you get one free drink inside,” he said in a deep voice with a very thick accent, which Percy assumed must be Czech.

“Seems reasonable,” Dedalus quipped. “Here you are my friend,” he added as he presented the doorman with the money, who happily let them through following this exchange.

As they reached the bottom of the spiral staircase they discovered that the café was very dark and dingy, but it did at least seem to possess some quite comfortable looking sofas.

The ambience itself was not particularly relaxation orientated though, as the speakers within the place were playing some rather flamboyant muggle rock music quite loudly.

POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME

OOH, IN THE NAME OF LOVE

POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME

C’MON, FIRE ME UP

“Might as well get those free drinks,” Dedalus said in a raised voice so as to be heard over the noise.  Percy nodded at him and followed the little wizard to the bar.

Percy thought that the woman serving at the bar was rather scantily dressed for this time of day, but at first he put it down to muggle fashion and culture that he perhaps did not understand.

“Two cups of tea, please! What? You don’t sell- I would like two cups of tea, please!” Dedalus squeaked at the woman serving over the loud muggle-music.

POUR YOUR SUGAR ON ME

I CAN’T GET ENOUGH

I’M HOT, STICKY SWEET

FROM MY HEAD TO MY FEET, YEAH

“She reckons they don’t serve any hot drinks!” a very disappointed Dedalus yelled up into Percy’s ear. “The chap at the Absintherie said it was a Tea Bar!”

That was when Percy first noticed the giant neon sign that was lighting up the opposite corner of the room.

It read “TITTY BAR”.

Percy did not quite grasp what this referred to at first, having never before encountered the muggle slang-term of “titty”, but upon further inspection towards the other side of the room it soon became quite apparent what it was that it referred to.

He felt another sudden flurry of home-sickness again as he wished with all of his heart that George was here to see this.

It would certainly bring a huge grin to a face that so seldom did smile these days.

Percy would never live it down once George found out about this.

“MERLIN’S BEARD!” an utterly astounded Dedalus exclaimed, as he suddenly noticed the topless muggle women dancing on the stage.

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