Silly. Dork. Fujoshi. Boricua.🌺🏝 Also known as "Aruru." Possibly too old for Tumblr. (Usually on Twitter: @aderall) R-18+/NSFW about 50% of the time.👫👬👭🏩💞💗 English & español = OK!👌❣ 🛠My Projects!🛠 🗡To Tomorrow - An Arc the Lad Series Fanblog
(Stragglers ahoy, waving weakly from the corners of perpetual exhaustion! ^^;;)
Hi @tyo1999, Aruru here! I’m your Secret Santa for the 2020 Slayers exchange, and... well, 2020 decided it wanted to pull one more number on me, because somehow found a way to interfere in every possible manner during the exchange time period in getting this done in a proper and diligent manner. x_x
Anyway, after a bunch of false starts along with the other issues, I’m still working on getting your gift finished and then beta’d so it’s nice and spruced up, but I wanted to drop a snippet here so you get an idea of what’s on the way. I don’t really do art, so I hope you like yourself some fic like you’d mentioned you were ok with in your letter! :D
In the end, I’ve been going with your Gourrina prompt of "injury,” which I’ve decided to extend the interpretation/meaning of a bit, and looks to have a bit more focus on Gourry to start off on. Here’s the first couple of paragraphs, I hope you find it interesting enough to look forward to the rest! ^_^;;
"Auntie Tassa'd, you alright? It's not the usual day you close up shop for time off." A blond boy, roughly eleven or twelve years old, had looked up from his waiting seat by the entrance of the bakery and asked the old fortune teller in town, when he'd noticed her hang a sign indicating she’d be unavailable for a few days.
“Ah, is that the little master of the Gabriev family I hear fooling around this alley again?” the elder woman chuckled. “You’re either getting a bit old for your gran to let you be that naïve about women and men, or you really like letting people believe you’re that much of an idiot.”
“H-hey… I’m actually helping today!” Gourry pouted at the perceived mockery. “I’m just waiting on granny’s order here, and saw you closing.”
“Hehehe, so there’s really an observant brain in there! Yes, my sister’s visiting, so I’ll be taking a few extra days off ahead of my usual,” Tassa’d answered, as she started sweeping her entryway. “This time of year doesn’t get as much business, so it’ll be alright -- it’s very sweet of you to try to look out for this old lady’s health, though.”
Gourry observed the peculiar pattern in which Auntie Tassa’d swept as she answered before he replied, puzzled. “Oh, I see… wait, you have a sister? I don’t remember you mentioning her before.”
Valgaav remembers being drawn to Gaav’s chest for the first time.
“Don’t do that. I don’t want it, that … . stuff, anymore. I don’t want it.”
Sure I do.
I want to bathe in it. I want to get it in my pores, that sequence of proteins that birthed a new creation, that birthed me, that made me part of you, that very thing I claim to despise. that’s the worst part: I love it, and you, and I always, always will.
He remembers being the last of his kind, held to the chest of a pariah demon, and he didn’t push away. He basked. He basked in being the smaller one, ‘wouldn’t be so bad,” he said.
Resting his chin on ]the Chaos Dragon’s shoulder, and angling his cheek against his neck. His eyes close; this was the sweet surrender he really sought all along.
Gone, now: but he will dedicate his life to the sacrament of revenge.
——
Hey, @fujioshi-aruru! I’m your Secret Santa this year!!!! Because art history is my thing, and because Classical art and Greek mythology friggen’ slaps, I decided to quote a pose and composition from a Victory (Nike) standing on the body of a defeated foe. Only this is the inversion of victory, defeat, as Valgaav’s (pictured here as Val) savior has been murdered by Lina Inverse, and he’s out for vengeance. Paired it with a little angsty internal monologue from Valgaav’s POV, since you wanted both fanfic and fanart! And yes, I picked the “break y heart” prompt…sorry XD;;;;
Hope you like it! Ink, graphite, metallic markers, and salted India Ink.
Hey @xxelloss, sorry for being late to respond! I kinda check into Tumblr very minimally nowadays plus I was waffling in and out between feeling overly exhausted at least half of the day, ahahah... ^^;; (Thankfully the Discord group was very good at linking and tagging me when your post came up -- thanks again, y’all!)
Anyway, I also took my time while I let this work of art just sink in for a bit, hoping to have some kind of coherent reply explaining the combined EXCITED SQUEE NOISES and SOBBING IN A CORNER that was my reaction, but maybe an overdramatic GIF train like I did in chat would illustrate things better.
Like, I get notified and it’s kinda like:
[GOES AND READS IT AGAIN, MULTIPLE TIMES]
In summary: OMG, THANK YOU! ;_;
No, seriously! <3 I’m really digging the art itself (Your handiwork is always amazing, I can never get over all the crosshatching to give the right tones and shading to your illustrations!), and the symbolism of this piece by making it an inversion of the Greek goddess Nike is kind of really damn perfect!
And I actually would’ve been happy with just art or just fic and... and you went an extra mile with the flash fic for more context and... I... just... OMG.
∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
This was beyond anything I imagined someone would do for me for these two in a secret exchange. Thank you so much, and hope you’re having a great holiday season! m(_|_)m <3 <3 <3
(Copy/pasted from Pillowfort, because I thought this was fun and maybe my remaining followers here would like to have some fun with the meme too.)
I know it's impossible to tag people on Pillowfort, but I nabbed the meme from antigravitas. Some of y'all probably remember seeing this meme going the rounds on Tumblr in the past.
Anyway...
Rules: Write your 10 favorite characters from 10 favorite fandoms and then....let anyone else who wants to do it since we don't have tagging system yet for what I know ^^U"
(Now you get to know all my other dumbass favorite fandoms, oh my. I’ll be adding some brief commentary on each below the cut, too. :D DEFINITE SPOILERS for some? Then again, a lot of these are old as hell fandoms...)
10 favorite characters from 10 favorite fandoms (in no specific order or ranking, mostly).
Gaav (Slayers)
Tosh via Monji (Arc the Lad 1-3)
Viktor (Suikoden 1 & 2, referenced to in Suikoden 3 on account of the Star Dragon Sword being present, though in the hands of someone else)
Jack Van Burace, AKA Garrett Stampede (Wild ARMs 1/Wild ARMs Alter Code:F [remake of WA1])
Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney series)
Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy 7)
Joseph Joestar [especially the old Joseph!] (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Terra Branford (Final Fantasy 6)
Leo (Lunar 2: Eternal Blue)
Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Tiger and Bunny)
1 - Gaav (Slayers)
He's my definite pick for Slayers, though it's a bit of a hard choice because it's SO unfair to the other characters -- especially those I also consider “favorite” -- since I honestly DO love just about everyone in the series (and Lina Inverse is truly one of the best female main characters/protagonists out there you'll find!).
But Gaav is one of the huge reasons for making Slayers one of my most favorite series ever in the brief amount of time he has in the story -- I mean, here's a creature with powers on (demi)god-tier levels that has become a persona non grata to his kin for reasons beyond his control choosing to hoof it out and survive if only to piss them off. To this end he even seeks agreements with traditional enemies of his!
He's clearly smart to be able to survive as long as he manages, though he can get carried away by his zest for a challenging fight. And there's things about him that almost still seem like an enigma and good theory material even though his overall basic concept and motivations were pretty well laid out. He's basically become an anomaly in their universe's system.
He's also pretty hot in my book (that fabulous wild red hair, those smug, smirking faces, and a very sexy voice provided by Jouji Nakata... and yes, I like the eyebrows, so distinctive! :3), and has a lot of BL potential with his servant Valgaav (pictured on the right in their image, also an incredible and compelling antagonist in the season after the one Gaav shows up in!) who he seems to hold some respect or even empathy for.
Anyway, there's just something about this guy that continues to be compelling for me, if only for his will to stubbornly fight against everything that would reject or destroy him, and carve out his own path.
(Honorable mentions in this series: Valgaav [unsurprisingly, and for a lot of similar reasons as Gaav], Zelgadis Greywords [my first crush in this series], Xelloss [my second crush here], Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun [my favorite girl/fave girl crush, edging out even Lina], Lina Inverse [because there's no denying this protag or she'll get mad!], Rezo the Red Priest, Copy Rezo)
2 - Tosh via Monji (Arc the Lad 1-3)
(FYI: He's the redheaded samurai in the left of the series picture.) AKA the guy I WILL CONTINUE TO SWEAR TO THE FOUR WINDS is either Gaav’s younger brother or son from another universe, because just the level of physical resemblance alone is ridiculous. I mean, WTF. And he happens to be one of the HEROES, LOL.
This is a series in which I also felt picking just one favorite was highly unfair because I like everyone, but in the end he keeps winning out.
But seriously, why do I like him? He's a little rough considering his background (and the basics of his background hilariously line up with Gaav's basic details too, LOL) but he definitely has a kind heart. He has a tough resolve and a passionate, headstrong personality. He's driven to protect those that can't do so on their own, thanks to the teachings of his father figure, whose bond runs deep. He's also shown to be a competent, capable leader if need be for him to take that role.
And of course, there's his particular bond with Shu, which leads to some of the best scenarios in the series. Whether you ship it or not (and hell yes do I ship it, the BL potential here is off the chart!), their trust and belief in the other runs very deep in a way few people can match it.
He's. Just. Amazing. And yes, hot as freaking hell.
(Honorable mentions in this series: Shu [Unsurprisingly, again! You'll probably notice a pattern that in most cases, the chara I pair my fave with is often just as equally a favorite, for their own set of reasons. ^^;;], Elc, Choko, Shante)
3 - Viktor (Suikoden 1 & 2, referenced to in Suikoden 3)
Oh man, Suikoden. Such a HUGE roster of characters, so many of them really cool, quirky, or interesting enigmas, but I keep coming back to THIS guy.
Another one of my favorite “beefcake” types (he’s actually bulkier than what Gaav impresses me as being under that coat, haha). People literally have referred to him as a “bear of a man” in the canon.
Why do I like him? He’s friendly, kind of a wild-but-easygoing (and kind of a dumbass, lol) type, though he’s also carrying a painful backstory with him that he doesn’t really talk much about except when it comes back to haunt him (and even then he doesn’t seem to wallow in it too much, so there are small details that are never explained fully, and would be cool to know about).
He has fun/hilarious banter with both his BFF/Bromantic Life Partner Flik (who is rather more honest about his own painful past -- then again, Suikoden is full of these, not to mention that the whole theme to the series is about all the different ways war ravages through countries and affects people/their relationships, so there are painful presents, too... and yes, I ship them, ahah...) as well as his other “partner/ally,” a friggin’ talking sword that is one of the greatest non-human characters EVER because of ITS AMAZING EGO.
Anyway, no doubt about it, he'd be one awesome guy to kick back with and share some booze with.
(Honorable mentions in this series: Flik [told you there's a pattern, lol!], Odessa Silverberg, Viki, Ted, Gremio, though I bet there are others I am forgetting right now, there's just so many characters!)
4 - Jack Van Burace, AKA Garrett Stampede (Wild ARMs 1/Wild ARMs Alter Code:F [remake of WA1])
Ah, probably my second favorite game after the Arc series!
I was really torn between picking Jack or one of my other top favorites in the game, Zed (then again, WA1 is another one of those where YET AGAIN I do really love everybody, so it’s hard narrowing it down anyway), but he won out because LOL apparently this list is starting to develop some kind of weird theme to it?
Anyway, Wild ARMs can probably be best described as “Old West High Fantasy-ish,” and Jack is a seemingly easygoing (sometimes also seemingly dumbassed/dorky) wandering swordsman who is actually initially out for vengeance, then he finds out what *actually* happened to the one he loves/lost (and it’s pretty bad anyway) and it almost breaks him, but instead it leads to him becoming able to transform himself into someone seeking not vengeance, but actual Justice.
He pretty much puts himself through hell and back for that other person, as well as all the friends he’s made. He’s a genuine sweetie, really.
And yes, look at him, he's another hottie.
(Honorable mentions in this title: Zed, Rudy Roughnight, Elmina Niet, Jane Maxwell, Cecilia Lynn Adlehyde)
5 - Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney series)
Nick barely needs an introduction in most fandom circles, does he? Most people will at the very least recognize him for "Objection!" and "Hold it!" (and for having a very, very queer fandom base, haha).
Anyway, yeah, he's one of those in which, even though it was difficult choosing a fave (yet again), at the very end of the day and putting down the game, I actually come back to the protagonist as the top pick.
I mean, really! The guy's not only cute as a button in design, and likely sharper than even he himself seems to believe he is, but he's just the dorkiest sweetheart who will put absolutely everything on the line for his friends and those he believes in, 100% unconditionally, even when it has cost him great pain.
I find that level of dedication and devotion extremely sexy, to be honest. Really, he's the kind of guy a person would wanna genuinely marry in real life.
Also love how he so easily reads as bi/pan from the source material due to this. Aside from the ridiculous levels of potential tension between him and Edgeworth, there are just So. Many. Possibilities.
(Honorable mentions in this series: Dick Gumshoe, Maya Fey, Mia Fey, Miles Edgeworth)
6 - Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy 7)
Ah... FF7, the fandom in which I first got online and found out there was such a thing as fandom, and cut my teeth on many a subject of interest here, including discovering people made fanart, fanfic, BL/GL, and doujinshi. :D
While I would say FF6 is still my most favorite of the Final Fantasy games I've played through thus far, FF7 was pretty grand and had A LOT to show me/inspire me with.
Note: I have never actually completed the rest of the Compilation of FF7, only FF7 itself and Advent Children, and played the intro chapters of Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus, though I do know more or less about most of the critical spoilers. I've also not really touched the series in over a decade by now other than maybe talking about it with friends.
Picking a favorite character here was perhaps slightly less difficult (though the whole cast is pretty enjoyable), maybe because I've had many years since last playing to think back on it, and maybe it's just my nostalgia talking, but it always seems to come down to two favorites in particular.
When I was still new to FF7, the pick would have been the now runner-up, Vincent Valentine. For a long time now though, my heart's swayed over to Cid.
I mean, look at this scrappy "older" scrufflord! Kinda cranky and very foulmouthed when you meet him, but also energetic and still never being able to let go of his dreams, even when it seemed foolish. He even gets to actually achieve that dream in the process of the adventure, and if you think about it, it seems like he is actually one of the bigger optimists in the team, however rude he may come off as being. (Which makes a beautiful contrast with Vincent... why yes I like this crackship, what can I say? Nostalgia for my first big BL pairing, haha!)
I only wish he'd not been so bullheaded and mean to Shera in his past (Though she got him back with the events in the ship, hah!), though considering how not only her, but the crew of the Highwind were quite willing to still work with him even all those years later, it seems that they already recognize there is genuinely a good man hiding under all that gruffness.
Also, the bit with him trying to be inspirational/motivational to Cloud by quoting the only thing about Loveless he remembered because he fell asleep during it, heehee... considering his dreams of space travel, he's likely a fair bit of a romantic deep down. So cute.
It'll be interesting to see if my feelings change in any way if/when (if?) the FF7 Remake ever comes out.
(Honorable mentions in this title: Vincent Valentine, Yuffie Kisaragi [though it's really hard to pick a favorite girl here, Tifa and Aerith are amazing too!], Cloud Strife, Zack Fair, Reeve Tuesti, Reno)
7 - Joseph Joestar [young and old, but especially the old Joseph!] (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Ah, a newer addition to my list, and coming up pretty strong thus far.
This man... is... oh god, what to say about his antics, LOL.
Joseph is rather the wild, crazy, and rude as hell type, especially compared to his grandfather Jonathan’s wide-eyed-almost-innocent-like but no less determined, honorable personality, or his grandson Jotaro’s collected and cool mannerisms... I'd say the closest in similarity to him is his illegitimate son, Josuke -- who even though he evidently inherited his trickster-ish and delinquent-like ways, is probably a nicer kid (and a real cutie too), so he's still a bit different.
Heck, he’s kind of a hilarious dolt in some ways, even when he’s older and wiser.
Even so, Joseph is still just as ultimately noble and filled with the “manly spirit” as the rest of the Joestars. He's just awesome to watch and just as oddly cute as an old man as he was young.
Hell, I'd dare say he's WAY hotter as an old man in Stardust Crusaders. (Have you SEEN that ass of his?!)
And you just want to hug him when he's really old in Diamond is Unbreakable where his cameos are simply endearing -- though he's still obviously that mischievous, troublesome young man on the inside he always was, and always will be.
Anyway, you're truly never bored with him around.
(Honorable mentions in this series [thus far!]: Josuke Higashikata, Robert E.O. Speedwagon, Lisa Lisa, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, Koichi Hirose)
8 - Terra Branford (Final Fantasy 6)
(What, you thought there wasn’t gonna be girls on this just because they didn't nab the top spot in the previous picks? XD)
Anyway, this was another highly nostalgic game for me in which I loved everyone and was hard to pick.
Ultimately I have to say my choice is Terra in part because I thought her story was really tragic but very hopeful. I wanted to hug her for everything and help her find the answers she sought in learning/understanding stuff like what it was like to genuinely care/love for others. When she was taking care of all those orphaned kids in the World of Ruin, and how she finally found the acceptance and love she craved through them and the team, I had serious feels.
She’s honestly a really sweet person even if she seems “alien” due to her being half-esper and her particular circumstances being used as a living weapon since a baby making her pretty lonely/afraid of building bonds.
I also find her really beautiful (I like her even better with the green/teal hair than the blonde. I also love her otherworldly esper form!), love her outfit design, and am amazed by the powerful warrior she is in the game ( she rarely left my party and I always gave her my very best stuff, along with Celes), both as a fighter and for her heart.
(Honorable mentions in this title: Celes Chere, Edgar Roni Figaro, Locke Cole)
9 - Leo (Lunar 2: Eternal Blue)
It was hard picking between the two Lunar games for one to represent for the main 10 list, since both are great in different ways and each would likely have a different favorite (given that they are in very distanced points in the timeline) and I would've rather listed both games in here, but there are 10 spots and in the end I chose Lunar 2 because... I dunno, guess it was a whim today when writing things up. I would've just as easily picked my fave from Lunar 1 (see bonus section at the end), and/or one of my honorable mentions from both games, Ghaleon, who has become more compelling a character over the years for me.
Anyway, Leo the White Knight!
On first impression, he comes off as a noble and overly serious guy committed to Justice who is going out of his way to irritate/stop Hiro and Lucia, since he believes their group to be the bad guys. He then comes to see who the *actual* enemy is, and first aids Hiro from a distance -- by DONNING THE MOST HILARIOUSLY DORKY, UNSUBTLE “SECRET” IDENTITY EVER -- then eventually joins you permanently.
His love for his sister Mauri and her lover (and his bestie) Ronfar is also very sincere, like his respect/admiration for Hiro.
Anyway, while definitely noble, committed to his cause and is a serious guy... he’s really just an adorable Dork For Justice at heart. He needs to hang with Amelia and Philionel from Slayers or something, it’d be absolutely great to watch what kind of absurd antics would happen.
Also, he's one very, very cute furry beastman dude. You take a look at him and tell me you wouldn't want to at least pet him.
(Honorable mentions in this title: Ghaleon, Nall)
10 - Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Tiger and Bunny)
And number 10 on the list is another guy who, like Phoenix, I think most people would genuinely want to have for a husband (and considering he's already been married once and his relationship was shown to be loving, he knows how to be a very good one!) -- Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, aka the superhero Wild Tiger, the Crusher for Justice!
While he can be rather reckless, especially when it comes to his own personal safety, and his job and secret identity distances so much from his daughter Kaede, the guy just has a gigantic heart and is passionate about both preserving the peace/bring justice and to reasonably provide for Kaede and the rest of his family's needs.
Speaking of family, you can also tell that he has found a great sense of extended family together with the other members of the HeroTV reality show, acting as one of the veteran heroes of the group and either a father-figure or brother to several of them.
And then there's his relationship to Barnaby... Oh god, while I'm wholly ok with leaving things open to interpretation and am never really obsessed with the canonicity of the pairings I care about... well, goodness, they're certainly a pair that ought to be canon.
(Tangential: I also love how Kotetsu's overall respectful [if a little playfully teasing?] to Nathan/Fire Emblem when turning them down during one of their come-ons to him -- it was really considerate and shows how accepting of others' lives Kotetsu is.)
And look at him -- not only very handsome, but Kotetsu just has style. Such a sharp way of dressing! Imagine walking down the street with someone like that on your arm. Barnaby (or whoever you choose to ship Kotetsu with) is lucky, and so was Tomoe before all of them. *swoon*
So yeah, Kotetsu, truly another ideal (if dorky/clumsy) husband type. I would love to try his fried rice, and I hope Barnaby never gets tired of it.
(Honorable mentions in this series: Barnaby Brooks Jr., Nathan Seymour|Fire Emblem, Ivan Karelin|Origami Cyclone, Karina Lyle|Blue Rose)
It was really hard making this, not only in picking 1 character out of each fandom listed, but just picking 10 fandoms as well! (Especially since some fandoms kept moving up and down the list!) So, as a bonus, here's some honorable mentions from 10 more series/titles that didn't get in there:
Nash Rumack (Lunar: Silver Star Story)
Jecht (Final Fantasy 10)
Bartholomew Fatima (Xenogears)
Virginia Maxwell (Wild ARMs 3)
Kamina (Gurren Lagann)
Leon Orcot (Petshop of Horrors)
Asirpa (Golden Kamuy)
Tenjou Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Ash Lynx (Banana Fish)
I would've gladly talked a little about these other 10 too, but unfortunately, I made a wrong click and everything I had written up on these got deleted, and I AM NOT DOING THAT ALL OVER AGAIN, ahahah... sob... orz
Please feel free to ask me about them too, though!
(Also, I'm pretty sure there's a fandom or two I haven't mentioned yet, but these are the ones that came to mind right now.)
Anyway, I hope you guys had fun reading this as much as I did making it. I now issue an extra challenge: Do you guys spot any trends/consistencies in my choices and tastes, or is it all over the place? (Especially if you count all my honorable mentions?)
Because I kinda do feel like I do sorta have a "type" or two somewhere in there, but then there's a wrench or two in there, hahahah... XD
So, feel free to comment/take the meme as well! :D
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I was not able to finish this on time for Valentine's Day or Shu's birthday (which were back in February), but I can finally say that I wrote my first Arc the Lad fanfic! <3
With A Little Help... - an Arc the Lad fanfic by AuroraDerall
Setting is after Arc 3. It is a lighthearted Cheryl story with (implied) Tosh x Shu.
Summary: During a work trip to Testa, Cheryl debates what kind of sentiment is her admiration for a certain ninja gunslinger, and a certain samurai guardian of the town helps her sort things out. (Or tries, at least.)
Was trying out the Daemon X Machina demo on Nintendo Switch earlier, and... had a little bit of fun with the character creator, which is pretty good as it stands. X3
(Hope they do add more to it tho, such as more hairstyles and facial structure options.)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Here's something else I wrote several years ago for a friend as a "thank you" for a commission they drew for me. I put up the final proofread edit for reading on AO3 (Thanks again for the help and sorry I took so long in sharing it, @panzercat and @jadeagogo!) around the same time I finished Yuletide:
Bathtime - a Slayers fanfic by AuroraDerall (for cmvm)
Gaav x Valgaav, R-18 vignette. I was trying to do something that would convey a possible mood for my friend's drawing (current URL for the image is on the author’s notes, since Tumblr killed her art blogs [along with my original draft] - like the fic, it is also pretty lemony), and hopefully I succeeded.
Summary: A bath and shower is a good time to reflect on the goings-on of one's days, and Gaav certainly has a... pleasant amount of things to consider.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
So, now that reveals have long passed, I can share what I wrote for Yuletide!
Reckless Memories - a Wild Arms fanfic by AuroraDerall for LadyHarken [part of Yuletide 2018]
General audiences, post-game vignette, references to Jack x Elmina. A little bittersweet in tone, slightly fluffy/cute in other bits.
Summary: After some training with Rudy and Zed, Jack gets caught up in nostalgia and shares a small anecdote about himself and Elmina in his trainee days.
Oh hey, sorry for the quiet, you all! I kinda got caught up with Real Life Stuff (TM) and was away from some of my social media. (I was still around on places that lend themselves to quick messaging such as Twitter and Discord, though.)
I hope everyone's been having a good 2019 thus far.
As for news from me? Well, my Yuletide recipient really liked the fic I wrote for them! I'm so happy! (And very relieved!) And now that the reveals have long passed, I can freely share the link with others here too, which I will be doing so in an upcoming post.
(Saving a backup copy of my Dear Author letter on Dreamwidth over here, just in case. Lengthy, so behind a Keep Reading cut.)
Hi there, fellow Yuletider! I'm Aurora (aka Aruru), nice to meet you.
I go by AuroraDerall over on AO3. (Still a total newbie, even having the account for several years now, ahaha! ^^;)
I'm kinda new to writing these letters, so please bear with me. I hope I am not too much trouble for you, and that we make a great match! :D
If any of our canons matched up, I have to say YOU'RE AWESOME AND I ALREADY LOVE YOU FOREVER for remembering some seriously old yet classic JRPG greats, and I am already itching to know what you'll come up with after hearing me out!
I guess I should go with mentioning my reading likes first?
In general, my likes in stories include: romance (with smut highly welcome), strong bonds of friendship, bonds of family that go beyond blood relation (families of choice, if you will), action/adventure, comedy, sexual/romantic tension (Unresolved or resolved -- usually getting to resolving them is one of those things I seek to read! X3), awkward but sincere expressions of camaraderie/friendship/love, happy endings, hopeful endings, bittersweet resolutions leading to new possibilities/hope, hurt/comfort (often of the providing emotional support variety, though nursing someone to health and the like is also fine), among others.
(Since I'm new I'm not sure how it's handled, but even if it has to go through the mods/hippos, it's ok to send me questions!)
I'm generally ok with violence/dark/tragic stuff if it's appropriate to a prompt/character story or it's canonical, but as I said I do prefer that things end with some kind of hopeful note. Holiday fics could work too, if you can come up with something that would intrigue me.
My do-not-wants generally include: Rape, abuse (physical or psychological), character/coupling bashing, excessive tragedy, any kinks I am not into (See the Yuleporn bit - if in doubt, I'm glad to answer questions!).
Most I've marked as a pairing preference is good and open for porn!
You can see my Yuleporn comment here approving of such offers. Below is a minor guide in case any Yuleporners are curious about me!
First off, I'm totally ok with vanilla smut! I'm a romantic at heart, so I like a good buildup as much as the porn itself. I'm not usually picky about things like top/bottom matters for most characters either, though I do admit to sometimes having a certain fondness for one side over another, possibly due to rarity (some of my rarepairs are rarer on one end of the slash/x, lol).
As for kinks I like, those generally include: oral, anal, masturbation (solo and mutual), showing off for a partner, teasing/touching, erotic dreams, making out, bondage, blindfolds, biting, fingering, first times (not necessarily meaning someone is a virgin, can simply mean it's the first time finally getting with the particular person in the ship in question), fondling over clothes/underwear, playing with nipples, playing with delaying orgasm, pegging, spanking, etc. (What I can think of offhand right now. If you have questions, ask!)
Kinks I do not want generally include: Rape, humiliation, scat, piss (Basically, if it isn't something like come or sweat then no, please.), non-con, psychological manipulation, coercion, guro, etc. Basically if it's pretty extreme I am not likely to be interested. (Again, please feel free to ask!)
Anyway! As for my fandoms, the series I requested I posted promo links for previously when I nominated them, plus added one more fandom when I discovered it was available. I will feature a link to each promo post (for the 3 I nominated) and mention a bit about the series/characters and things I think would be cool to see.
The 4 series I would love to see fics for are Arc the Lad I-III, Wild ARMs, Suikoden 2, and the Lunar series.
Arc the Lad I-III
Ah, there's so much I could say about this series and why it's so dear to me -- suffice to say this is quite possibly the reason I finally caved in and came here to participate in Yuletide! Anyway, again, you can read some of my gushing in my promo post here. (It also contains useful links to Let's Plays!)
Out of the characters nominated, I chose to focus on officially requesting Tosh and Shu, because they are both amazing characters on their own plus they do have a beautiful dynamic (both as BFFs and as a potential romance) and I love their ship.
Some prompts of them as individuals (involves heavy spoilers):
For Tosh: I think stories about him and his mentor, Monji, would be amazing stuff. Anyway, we know how strongly Tosh feels about him, but exactly when in his youth did he meet Monji? What sort of father figure was Monji to Tosh during those years. What kind of youth was Tosh both before and after meeting him?
Alternately, I think stories about his feelings regarding the journey with Arc and his other comrades, or his thoughts about the younger crew of new heroes from Arc 3 would also be cool to read.
For Shu: Shu's enigmatic background is another of the coolest things about the game series, because it gives so many options. What kind of young man was Shu before he was forced to become a soldier? What finally got him to quit and how did he get out? How did he wind up a Hunter? How did he pick up Elc (who'd just escaped White House and was still merely a 10-year-old or so), and what was their relationship like at first? What were his feelings when he started realizing that even what happened in his past connects back to what's going on in the story? (By which I mean the conversation you can have in the Sky Castle if you do one of the trials with Shu, in which he is confronted with his past.)
What is/was his outlook on friendships and family both before and after key people in his life like Elc, Tosh, and Shante? How does he feel about being a big brother figure to Elc? What kind of regard does he hold for himself?
Also, like with Tosh, I think it would also be interesting to see stories about his reactions to the journey with Arc and the rest of the group in Arc 2, or the new heroes of Arc 3.
Prompts for Tosh and Shu as a pairing:
Personally, I am not particular over top/bottom dynamics with them (each of them to me clearly has a dominant side and a vulnerable side, if you want to discuss it as seme/uke dynamics), though I admit that I might have a soft spot for Tosh on bottom since he's usually portrayed as the more obviously impulsive of the two.
Anyway, a few prompts for the two:
- Well, if you go with romantic buildup and/or first times, I think their potential to hook up is obvious and really highly likely, but the question is, when? Would they do so right away after the incident in Romalia, before they take on the train? (it was a vulnerable moment for both, after all.) Would they show restraint (or let their feelings grow first) and it happens later, at a casual point or another key point in the storyline (such as when Tosh's past is brought back to him)? The night before the final showdown in Arc 2? Or would it be a really slow burn and not happen until well into Arc 3 when they see each other again? Or even after Arc 3 ends and the bad guys are taken care of?
- Also, what would others close to the two regard the pair and their attraction, such as Elc (one of the other characters on the tag list), who has what seems to me like a brotherly relationship with Shu? Or Shante (also on the tag list), who seems to regard Shu as a trusted friend or confidant? (BTW: Please author, no Shante-bashing, aside from my dislike of character bashing in general, she is super awesome.) Would Elc and Shante be protective of Shu, supportive, or teasing? In what regard do they or other members of the Arc team regard Tosh?
- Speaking of Shante, I also have no objections whatsoever if your idea of a fic for Shu x Tosh happens to involve a Shu/Tosh/Shante threesome or them developing a poly romance instead. The thought of Shu and Shante double-teaming Tosh and showing him a thing or two is quite a delicious mental picture too. :3
Anyway, I hope these are good enough to get your ideas racing here! :D
Wild ARMs
My promo post regarding this series can be found here. (Again, with helpful links to Let's Plays! :D)
In this nomination and my character choices I'm specifically talking about the very first WA title, which was later remade into Wild ARMs Alter Code: F.
Anyway, I'm requesting any of the characters in the tags: Jack Van Burace, Rudy Roughnight, Zed, and/or Elmina Niet.
Pairings are wholly optional here, I'll go into that in a bit.
Anyway, prompts for individual characters (heavy spoilers):
For Jack: His travels after escaping Artica and his determination to avenge, and later save Elmina (the other character nominated in the tagset), his feelings over making allies, starting with Hanpan, then Rudy and Cecilia, as well as other comrades. His outlook on such a strange/goofy guy from the Metal Demons like Zed is and the acceptance of his offer to help their cause (when Jack has so much legitimate reason to detest the Metal Demons) might also be an interesting read. Also, seeing how it ended, would he attempt to recapture his relationship with the "new" Elmina after the end of the game (And maybe either hope her memory would somehow return, or become appreciative or any unexpected quirks the "new" version of her would have?), or would he let that relationship go, as much as it would hurt?
For Rudy: His inner thoughts at key moments like when he was kicked out of Surf Village, or making new friends in Jack and others like Cecilia, Jane, etc. His pain at discovering he's not human, his forgiveness of Zed and accepting him as another companion, his relationship with his grandfather Zepet, his outlook on the future.
For Zed: His feelings when he started realizing the humans weren't such a bad lot, and that the world could be shared, by protecting the blind girl from the decimated village. His choice to defend the humans along with Rudy, Jack, and the rest of the group. Sharing thoughts with Rudy over being the two non-humans and thus "alien" characters around, maybe?
For Elmina: This is probably an extension of Jack's own prompts but: Was her consciousness still having some hold on her as Lady Harken? If so, what was her mental state at not being able to control her own self? And what of the "new" Elmina after she is brought back?
In regards to pairings:
In this series the pairings I like happen to be Jack x Elmina, Rudy x Jack, and Rudy x Zed. (There’s others I like too but these would be pairings involving the tagged characters.)
Again, regarding the latter two, I'm usually not picky over seme/uke things but I have a soft spot for the idea of Rudy being a very gentle and sweet guy, but actually kinda winding up as the dominant/decisive one in a relationship (and position).
Anyway, thoughts on each pair!
For Jack x Elmina: See over on the comments for prompts regarding Jack solo, can be an extension of that. (For example, if Jack were to hook up with Elmina again post-game, how would that come about, and could he reconcile that aside from having no memory, she is possibly a different person in some ways, and not in others.)
For Rudy x Jack: Possibly Rudy in some way trying to repay Jack's kindness to him in the past with comfort? Jack is still hurting a bit over the loss of Elmina, even after succeeding in getting her to return, but finds it impossible to say no to Rudy's companionship, which he has grown used to.
For Rudy x Zed: Maybe an extension of some of what was suggested for Zed solo. Zed possibly having to deal with thoughts of what life had been previously like for him with the Metal Demons while in the service of Mother, and comparing it to interacting with the humans he is coming to know over time. Maybe asking Rudy about it and how he feels being "out of place," and how he deals with that. Again Rudy offering empathy and companionship to someone feeling largely alone. (This is Zed though, so hopefully something humorous and cute can also be worked in. XD)
I hope this is good enough for you to get ideas rolling as well, a lot has been written up in really short notice, sorry! ^^;
Suikoden 2
I didn't nominate this, so I don't have a hype post for it. Suikoden was pretty popular in its time though, so it's likely extremely easy to find some good Let's Plays of it in order to refresh yourself or get a feel for something about the game, at least in comparison to the other titles! ^_^;
Anyway, there's only two characters I saw in the nominees who I wanted fic for, and if you're getting a certain vibe from this letter thus far then you're correct: I chose Viktor and Flik.
They're badasses, they're hilarious, and they can be really heartfelt too. So amazing, these mercenary bros for life. *_*
Anyway, prompts as individuals:
For Viktor: Obviously, anything involving his past, his family, Daisy, and his home before being destroyed by Neclord. Or his friendship/relationship with Anabelle (the mayor of Muse). Or thoughts regarding the first hero (Bocchan) and the second (Riou), or influential or key characters in his life like Odessa (and how that relates to his friend Flik), etc. Obviously, there needs to be banter with the Star Dragon Sword at some point, and likely friendly back and forth between him and Flik.
For Flik: There's still the matter of dealing with Odessa's loss stinging in his heart, though he has been learning to cope. I can picture him and Viktor having hilarious drunken arguments, usually about ridiculous stuff they did in their mercenary jobs. Also possibly funny scenarios of his dealing with Nina's stalking fangirlism and Viktor possibly Not Helping because It's Funny To Him. Also, maybe Flik having a reflection either before or upon seeing Bocchan again of his past mistakes and his misjudgments of Bocchan's character. Additionally, possibly his feelings regarding how the past has returned for Viktor with the matter of Neclord returning.
In regards to pairings:
Yes, I think they make a good pair. Their exchanges can be a lot of fun, and they do share a ton of common history with each other.
Again not picky, but ohhhh if you bust out having Viktor as bottom you would be an author after my own heart, mmm mmm mmm. ;D
Anyway, as for prompts:
- Stuff pre-Suiko 2 when they were building their mercenary group which you meet at the beginning of the game. Buildup, banter, etc.
- Maybe an extension of what I mentioned over for Flik's prompts regarding his feelings over Viktor being haunted by Neclord again. Also, how Anabelle's death has affected Viktor, and how everything seems to want to crush him in the same/a similar way to how Flik was crushed emotionally during Suiko1. I could picture him feeling pretty protective over Viktor for all the shit he's having to put up with.
- Viktor still worrying over Flik's state of emotional health regarding the loss of Odessa, and now having developed an attraction for his friend, and confusedly wondering how awkward is this going to make continuing to work together.
- Somehow I get the feeling that this is going to wind up ending in maybe drunk arguing and then drunk making out with heart-to-hearts? Possibly with hilarious interference by other characters from Riou's army. Definitely from the Star Dragon Sword, at the very least. XD
And aaaaaaargh I wish I had a better prompt suggestion for this, so much could be done with these two but I'm drawing a blank right now! T_T
Lunar series
Last and not least, Lunar!
My promo post is over here. (And more helpful links inside!)
It's honestly such a cute series.
Since there's not that many characters, I picked characters from the two games in the series for my nominations.
Anyway, for this option I've decided to go with the "Any" option. You can write about any of of the four characters I submitted!
I chose Leo, Nash Rumack, Ghaleon, and/or Nall.
Prompts for the characters:
For Leo: Perhaps a story about how he became so fixated on the idea of becoming a hero, and how he copes when he finally starts realizing the corruption in the Cult of Althena? His feelings on his sister Mauri, his friend Ronfar, and new friends like Hiro, Lucia, Jean, and Lemina? What is he looking towards the future afterwards, once the world is saved and Hiro has been able to reunite with Lucia?
For Nash: Maybe a pre-game story about how he developed his lack of confidence and his starry-eyed admiration of people like Ghaleon, or his crush on Mia. Or post-game, now that he's been finally told he's okay as who he is by Mia, what happens then?
For Ghaleon: Definitely some pre-game shenanigans with Dragonmaster Dyne and their crew when Dyne was young, I think it would be cute and a good break for Ghaleon's overly serious (or overly dramatic) persona, lol. X3
For Nall: Maybe a pre-Lunar 2 story of how he came to take care of all those orphans, or reminiscing while talking to someone (like maybe Ruby?) about his old friends who've passed, and what his new friends have in common with them (aside from saving the world of Lunar).
In this particular set of characters listed I don't really do that much by way of ships between them, so we will be skipping that. (Though if you have an idea and want to run it by me, feel free to ask me about it.)
Anyway, I hope this letter was enjoyable for you and has you already jotting down ideas! And I AM SO SORRY IT'S SO RUSHED, due to a lot of things going on in my personal end I had to write it all up and my ideas really last-minute! T_T
But anyway, hope this is motivational enough, and I hope you get a great story as well from *your* Yuletide author! :D
-Aurora/Aruru
I managed to sign up for Yuletide 2018 just in time before the deadline came up. :D
Already got my assignment! Now I’m fretting over wanting to please this person and making something nice, aaaaaaaaaaaa. @_@
[I’m also fretting over who I was assigned to. I hope they liked something out of the fandoms/prompts I offered! And I hope my Dear Author letter was up to snuff. :O ]
HEY remember in WWII when Jewish people were fleeing Germany and the USA put a quota on how many Jewish immigrants they would accept because they were worried there were too many Jewish people coming over to the USA???
Reminder that the USA has always been fucking garbage to immigrants and basic humanity
Yuletide Promo Posts - Arc the Lad, Wild ARMs 1, Lunar series (crossposted at Dreamwidth & Pillowfort)
Well, since the mods over at yuletide-admin (Dreamwidth) were pretty encouraging, I wrote up some promo posts for all three of my fandom nominations. :D
I'm not sure how well I did at pushing why my fandoms are great, but they do have a bunch of useful links too, so I'll be linking the posts here and copy/pasting the contents under Read Mores to save them for posterity!
Hope people take interest in joining Yuletide 2018 (AO3) for these! :D (Or for other rare fandoms, natch. X3)
Arc the Lad promo post (Dreamwidth)
Wild ARMs 1 promo post (Dreamwidth)
Lunar series promo post (Dreamwidth)
(Text saved for posterity below the Keep Reading cut, also on my Pillowfort and my personal Dreamwidth.)
(Arc the Lad promo post)
So, promo posts, huh? Ok, lemme PROMOTE THE HELL OUTTA SOME NICHE PS1 JRPGS for you guys, then. \ :D /
First off:
FANDOM NAME: Arc the Lad
(I'd share screenshots or something but I'd need to make more. So here's Google Image Search at this time.)
In this particular nomination, I focused on the original game trilogy from the first PlayStation console, but the series has several other console titles (the most well-known being Twilight of the Spirits, its story set 1,000 years post-original trilogy), a mobile game just started last month in Japan (that apparently reboots the franchise by making it a direct sequel set 10 years after the ending of Arc 2), and related media such as anime and manga adaptations of the Arc 2 storyline.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT:
Oh... oh dear. If you let me loose in rambling about everything I might not shut up and it'll be past Yuletide! XD;;
Would mentioning that I run a fanblog on Tumblr for it with a friend convince you of how much this game matters? XD
But seriously, if you enjoy classic turn-based JRPG stories and characters it's got plenty to offer you.
In my case, some of what resonated even back when I first played (and still does) included not just the classic "chosen savior and a band of strange-seeming allies come together not just in rebellion against an imperialistic force that's decimating resources in its conquest process, but against the real darkness plaguing humanity and seeking its demise" trope, but that the world is actually pretty similar to ours in appearance and technology from around the 80s-90s... but with magic, thanks to the spirit realm to which humans used to be connected to and live in harmony with. Oh, and there's some pseudo-modern-ish looking airships about.
And your initial lead character (and world savior) is dressed in light armor and using swords, the second lead is an indigenous youth who's a fire caster and spear wielder, and the third is like the world's most patient and easygoing teenager with goggles who just wants to become like the guy who saved him when he was orphaned.
Characters that join you include: a samurai who's like the bro-est of bros ever with others, a guy who dresses like a ninja using machine guns and shotguns, a healing singer who can kill you with her heels, a band nerd who becomes one of your best all-around units, the cutest most OP little girl you'll ever meet with a sad story, an ancient robot that looks like an adorable trash can when he's fixed up after being discovered, a gentle beast tamer girl who gains resolve over time, a ten-year-old who can trap monsters in cards and then summon their powers (Seto Kaiba would want his dragon cards for sure.), a rich girl who can apparently use her jewelry to cast laser fire, a princess reclaiming her kingdom from dictatorship... and that's just *some* of the characters.
Characters return between installments so you see a bit more about them personally, too! Sometimes they're party members again (like almost everyone in Arc 1-2) and sometimes they're supporting cast (most everyone returning in 3, and those who do join in a fight are guests for some areas).
The characterizations range from rather light to quite fleshed out for an early PS1 game series (It was the first PS1 JRPG that what is now known as Sony JAPAN Studio ever released!), but I would say pretty much all the main cast has something very interesting/likable about them!
Seiyuu fans would probably also love the voice cast -- they were only used for battle voices, but there were some legendary actors on the list.
Some of you may be wondering "ok, cool, but how potentially queer is this what are the character relationships like?"
And I have to say that there are some really excellent and strong relationships going on between a good number of the characters, while others are totally what you wanna make of them. The options to read them as platonic, het or queer vary between characters and their individual backgrounds/connections in my eyes, but there's definitely more than one interpretation option for a good number of them!
(I'd gladly start listing my character and coupling biases, but that's probably something best left for the Dear Writer letter, plus I want you guys to reach your own conclusions! Tosh is still one of the very best though, and so are Shu and Elc. :P)
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?:
I've persuaded you? Good, good! Well, you actually have at least two legal options in terms of actually playing the game.
-- If you have a working PS1 or a PS3, there's the physical copies of the Arc 1-3 package (It was bundled together for the North American market as the Arc the Lad Collection), but they're usually pretty expensive now.
-- HOWEVER, if you have a PS3, a PS Vita, OR a PSP, you can purchase the digital games (individually) from the PlayStation Network Store for like $6 each! (The $9 bundle for Arc 2 is if you're interested in having the monster arena side game, which lets you gain items and equipment for your main Arc 2 game and can be helpful with leveling later in the game). Check out their PS1 Classics line. (Link leads to the US PSN Store, but it's also available in several of the other PSN Stores, such as the UK and Europe ones. Search your PSN!)
(Speaking of the PSN, I hope you also get interested in the PS2 sequel, Twilight of the Spirits! You can also get that on PSN for your PS4 [listed in the previous search]. :D)
-- *coughs*There is also the emulator route if you're knowledgeable on that front.*cough*
The other option would be to try searching Twitch or YouTube for a stream or playthrough, so you can familiarize yourself with the gameplay style and the like.
While there apparently aren't that many Let's Plays/playthroughs/streams for the game, I have seen one or two streams listed on Twitch in the past.
I noticed that on YouTube there's one or two people who've covered at least one of the games, it seems.
This person apparently has a silent playthrough of the very first game: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMHR2xnx8VCrTlvfBOI2sQauUrLE2izWn
And this other person apparently has completed playthroughs/commentary (At first they were trying to voice act the story but later on it turned into commentary, it seems.) for all of Arc 1, 2, and 3, plus a playthrough of Twilight of the Spirits in progress:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBBA42F6DF01CE05 - Arc 1
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6D25332B86EDBD34 - Arc 2
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0WqadsZvzlCU01cLpnFN94oO0hCDvqJ6 - Arc 3
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0WqadsZvzlCb9KZCdcezU1WqDpPgzNuB - Twilight of the Spirits (in progress)
There's a few other listings by other video makers when I searched YouTube, but I'm unsure of whether they have covered at least the entire original trilogy yet.
[EDIT: Found a silent play listing for Arc 2: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD25DE7F73C11865B , and a second one for Arc 1, in case the first doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL15FCF21517AA9CA4 Unfortunately, no luck thus far finding such a silent playthrough for Arc 3.]
Hopefully those work fine for any of you who prefer to spoil familiarize yourselves a bit first!
Anyway, that's fandom nomination # 1. I hope you will seriously consider it! :D
(Wild ARMs 1 promo post)
Next up!
FANDOM NAME: Wild ARMs
(Google Image search for WA1)
The very first WA title from PS1 is still my favorite Wild ARMs. :D
(This game later had a PS2 remake known as Wild Arms Alter Code:F [Google Image search for it], which made some supporting characters now potential party members aside from your 3 main characters from the original. Story remained essentially the same, though they extended/added some scenes and dialogue.)
Series also has a mobile game (crossing over characters from all the titles) coming out in Japan tomorrow.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT:
Dude, the world of this game is like, the Wild West meets magic meets sci-fi. (And you're probably thinking of Trigun a bit here, and that's a great anime series too! But right now let's focus on Wild ARMs, ok? XD)
There's of course, cowboy-looking characters with guns, swordsmen in trench coats, and magic girls, and anyone who makes a connection with the Guardians can summon them (the world has these spirits called Guardians that represent either an element like Fire or Ice or a concept like Time or Luck -- some of the very highest represent things like Love, Courage, and Hope).
There's also golems, Metal Demons (the invading aliens trying to take the planet Filgaia from the humans, and whose previous war left the planet like a desert), elf-like peoples known as Elw, and cyborg-like beings. :D
Anyway, the story starts with the resurgence of the Metal Demons, after they had been beaten back for about a thousand years by the humans and Elw.
You play 3 characters in WA1 (and 3 more in AC:F that were already great as simply supporting cast prior to the remake) that are strongly tied to the conflict at hand and become closer to each other from the struggle: The swordsman, Jack Van Burace; the magician princess, Cecilia; and the quiet gunner youth, Rudy.
They also have a cute mascot in the form of a Wind Mouse named Hanpan.
Anyway, their voyage has them trying to head off the Metal Demons from resurrecting their Mother, who they believe will conquer Filgaia for her children.
But of course, there's always a bit more to the story than that...
Anyway, some of what's great about WA1 is also the dynamic characters, who all have some pretty fleshed-out stories, both on their personal fronts and on their overall battle to save Filgaia. Their supporting cast members are also really great: Clamity Jane, for example. Or one of the goofiest yet funnest would-be bad guys ever, Zed. :D
Like in Arc, you'll find yourself both smiling and being torn at moments in this game, as each of the main character stories has a sadder side to it which they need to overcome.
And OMG, THE MUSIC IN THIS GAME. Michiko Naruke is a GENIUS.
Needless to say, this is another of my favorite games. The other titles in the series are overall very strong too (WA3 and WA2 come to mind), but the original continues to harbor a certain soft spot in my heart over the rest. It's probably Jack's fault. Or Zed's. XD
(Oh, and in the case of character ships, I would say Rudy goes well with just about anyone. He's too cute. XD)
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
Again, this is a PS1 game, so:
-- On physical disc, this is actually much more affordable to find than Arc.
-- It's on the PSN under the PS1 Classics line (again, US store link, check your region, it's available in a lot of them) for your PS3/Vita/PSP for like $6. (So is WA2, and WA3 is available for PS4, and XF [the strategy game] is around for PSP/Vita.)
-- Again, emu if you have the knowledge.
As for videos, you're in luck with this one, I found a silent longplay for this title that covers the whole thing (with most of the level grinding cut out). It even has the amazing opening song (Animated by Madhouse!) and opening prologue that play before you choose to hit Start!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzbGDnQOKhQ - Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkBqDoLvyxE - Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKFCdfEOB44 - Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMzsEWWnno - Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcOqd923ps - Part 5
Hopefully these will also gain your interest in this fun game! :D
(Lunar series promo post)
Last one!
FANDOM NAME: Lunar series
In this case, I nominated the full PS1 series (Consisting of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete [Google Images] and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete [Google Images]) rather than a specific title, since both had specific characters I was interested in (including 2 that overlap between titles).
The PS1 games are remakes of the original Sega CD titles. The first title, Silver Star, also had two more remakes after its PS1 remake -- these were Lunar: Legend for the GBA, and Lunar: Silver Star Harmony for the PSP, which added a tiny bit of extra story/character content.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT:
You want a JRPG that is very musically pretty (composed by Noriyuki Iwadare, also known as the composer for the Grandia series and the Ace Attorney games starting with the third title, Trials and Tribulations), with a cast of very cute characters that tug at your nostalgia buttons?
A localization script that is at times groan-inducing but also rather funny when its humor is at its best?
Fun, easy to pick up turn-based gameplay?
A dub that is also both groan-inducing but also pretty funny, and overall not too bad for its point in time?
Then yes, this is the series for you!
The first Lunar is overall more fluffy in tone than the second (even if the characters mostly stay light enough to still "feel" like a Lunar game), but the stakes of saving the world are extremely high in both cases.
The characters are overall very colorful and spirited, and sometimes I wish the JP voices had been kept, as there were some legendary 90s seiyuu in this title as well, including for cutscenes!
Also, there be dragons, and dragons in Lunar (at least young/teenaged ones) have small forms that look a lot like winged housecats. Don't tell me you'd dare say no to the idea of a KITTY-DRAGON?!?!? :O
Especially considering they're often SASSY, too. :O :D :D
Some of my favorite characters include: one of the aforementioned sassy kitty-dragons (because REALLY, SASSY KITTY-DRAGONS), a boastful but cowardly dweeb of a mage who has a good and braver heart than he believes underneath all his insecurity (which makes for a lot of his boastful attitude), one of the main villains (whose dub voice is kinda funny at times, and becomes rather interesting in the second title), and the furry a beastman who's dedicated to bringing the Hammer of Justice onto all evildoers! (And is a complete dork, too.)
But the rest of the cast members are also fun. You'll find among them: a beast girl healer eternally bickering with her childhood sweetheart, who's a bit of a flakey playboy swordsman, a dancer who's secretly a lethal martial artist, a money-obsessed magician girl who ISN'T Lina Inverse... but is voiced by Lina Inverse in the Japanese version, among others. :D
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
Unfortunately, you can only get the Silver Star Harmony remake over on the PSN (US store link, check your options in other regions!) for your PSP or Vita systems, leaving people wanting to play the PS1 Silver Star Story Complete with that option, or getting a physical copy/going emu, and absolutely no options for those wanting to play Eternal Blue Complete other than physical copy or emu as well.
I have, however, found silent longplays/gameplays for both titles, linked below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izav0KeT_AA - Silver Star Story Complete
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVMryzpORlhw1FyLThJJ868vnXr4bX7o4 - Eternal Blue Complete
And if you're curious about the Sega CD originals and what changed between versions (Eternal Blue especially had major changes in a few bits.), then here's a bonus find!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeq9fPOxz6o - (Sega CD) Silver Star
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yAfF0ARHx0 - (Sega CD) Eternal Blue (part 1) (Note: The omen of destruction scene at the start of this is WAY creepier/spookier than the one for the PS1 remake!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjsNJxK5fLU - Eternal Blue (part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO9BphLSlZg - Eternal Blue (part 3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMBlpexpwCM - Eternal Blue (part 4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4H4Tbo2GLU - Eternal Blue (part 5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMgRSGO0G7s - Eternal Blue (part 6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tt_tcbfNMs - Eternal Blue (part 7)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_wiJaVc6qw - Eternal Blue (part 8)
Hope you find these enjoyable! :D
My nominations for the Yuletide rare fandom exchange were all accepted!
And I managed to get the original Arc the Lad trilogy onto the listings! \ :D /
(It's too bad I only FINALLY took the chance [I’ve been debating trying to do this and join an exchange for at least a year.💧] and did this last-minute [because I found out pretty last-minute too, lol], I couldn't find someone to coordinate with on time. It would've been cool to also get Twilight of the Spirits in, and we could've had more characters from the games total if we avoided repeat nominees.
It's still cool though, my other nominees [also approved!] were Wild Arms 1 and the Lunar series, and those are awesome too!
Now, if I could just find a few other people who wanna sign up to write for any of these!!! :D)
It’s been TWO years since this account was first opened, so we have ANNOUNCEMENTS!
(Technically, our anniversary is December 8, when we celebrated our first post just two days or so after the original announcements for Arc the Lad R being in the works were coming out. However, as September 16 marks the day I reserved this username to make the fanblog, I figured we should do a few special somethings for all!)
- First off: A while back, I quietly started work on a Discord server, and while it’s still just starting, I consider it ready enough to launch.
I repeat:
FELLOW ARC THE LAD FANS, WE HAVE A DISCORD!
https://discordapp.com/invite/YcH5TcE
I sincerely hope you will all consider joining up and hanging out with those of us already there testing the place out, a few of us have different project ideas we would like to discuss with others, or are seeking help with!
(For one thing, we would love to find more people who know Japanese who would like to help Sparrow out with translation of some kind, be it either for Arc R topics or for items regarding the older games! We’re also hoping for fellow information wranglers and those good at research, both for topics discussed here on Tumblr and off-site!)
- Secondly, please enjoy the clip featured at the beginning of this post, of the footage that plays after you first enter your username and while the game data downloads.
It has really lovely music and covers part of what went on in the first two Arc games, and many of you might recall a lot of it being used in the promotional videos as well.
You can find a larger-size file of it (the Japanese should be clearer on it to read) here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SjZAXjF1h11Xa_xuKEgqk1SewS9191lP
I hope to make more clips documenting the actual game story and a bit of the play style soon! :D
(Also, I apologize in advance: Though it is fairly minimal, I messed up the audio in the recording a little, so you’ll hear some slight noise interfering with the melody.
I’m slowly learning how to use the recording feature my phone has, so I played with the settings and I should be getting it to work better now, though I will need to re-record some of the old footage I did – thankfully there’s a replay feature for the game scenarios that’s also useful for levelling!)
Anyway, thank you all who’ve been following us and liking and sharing these posts, and I hope we continue to grow!
