Heyo I'm Nat! || I love supporting artists and writers || My hyperfixations turn me insane || Contrary to popular belief, I can't draw! || Multifandom Hell || Married to my waifu @xs-xs || Talk to me about games and my ships! ššš || About || Art || Ask || Natreblogs || Insta || Header made by: Valenberg and edited by me!
An extremely late take on the character color wheel challenge! (I challenged myself to draw the first game character I thought of for each color with no franchise repeats)
Check out my insta post for more steps of the process and some information about this project! (And how it took me literally a year to finish LMAO)
āThere was a time when I didnāt like seeing flowers. They would bring back memoriesā¦ and they reminded me that what is beautiful can quickly wither away.ā
šš Yukari with Gerberas ācause she likes them!
Hi, I'm Natsumi, and I'm wondering who is even reading this but if you are, welcome to a very long post about how I got into Tears of Themis, how it helped me through such a hard time, and how I ended up falling in love with a certain detective.
I made this post for an event on hoyolab but Iām posting it here too in my trashcan! I already wanted to have a post documenting this online just for myself, even if in the future I cringe while reading it, I can look back and remember the emotions I felt through the year. I also wanted to share it with the world so that maybe people will feel like me, or come to appreciate this character that I love so much as much as I do. (youāre free to reblog btw!)
Warning: This post is mostly about Luke!
It contains spoilers about some Luke cards and some spoilers for his Blossom Chapter. There are small scenes from episodes 2 and 5 of main story as well. Oh, and Artem and Luke 2nd anniversary cards.
If you are here because youāre interested in learning or reading more about Luke and do not care much for the rest, I recommend the interlude, part 6, and The end: part 1. The other parts also talk about Luke and his stories but those are the most important in my opinion.
Due to Tumblrās 30 image per post limit, this will be divided into 3 parts, each part added with a reblog.
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Index because this post ended up incredibly long so here are the parts laid out to read anything youāre interested in!
> Part 1: Introduction
(How did I learn about this game?)
> Part 2: Contact
(Getting the game)
> Part 3: The Beginning
(Starting the game and first impressions lol)
> Part 4: Falling
(FOR LUKE AHAH)
> Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
> Part 5: Obsession
(How and why did this obsession start?)
> Part 6: Reflection
(Thinking back on Lukeās personality that attracted me)
> The end: Memories
(Extra memorable moments)
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Part 1: Introduction
I play Genshin (shocker) and I have some online friends who play it as well, so when Tears of Themis came out globally since it's made by Hoyoverse as well, most people who played genshin went to check it out. I discovered Tears of Themis through those people, and I was recommended the game by my online friends.
What was my response?
āI have no phone storage.ā AAHAHAH, yes. I'm not a day one player. I only started during the second anniversary because back when the game came out despite being interested I could not play because I did not have any device that could handle the game. My phone could not handle Genshin's size either, it's not compatible to begin with- I played Genshin on the PlayStation [emoji]
However I did not forget about the game, I was just hoping that somehow one day, a miracle will happen and I will be able to play mobile games like other people LOL but what are the odds of that happening?... Well, a miracle happened 2 years later.
Bonus: I had a little beef at the time with Artem because I kept thinking drawings of him were actually of Jumin who is a very well written character I love like crazy from mystic messenger since 2016 BWAHAHA
Every masterpiece.. has its cheap copy.. IM JKJK PUT THAT KNIFE DOWN AHAHA
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Part 2: Contact
So one day I was visiting my aunt's house and met my cousin's acquaintance. I met the guy for like.. only 2 hours and during those hours my cousin told him about how I draw digitally but I have been drawing on an 8 year old phone that stays alive for like 30 mins at a time AHHAHA
The guy was like āThat's it, I'm getting you an iPad to draw on.ā I laughed, thinking he was joking- but then 2 days later I received TWO iPads, one for me and one for my little sister! W t f. Angels do exist on earth? And I was never able to thank him in person because he's a busy guy who only visited my village and I never saw him again o.o
Can you guess what I started doing when I got it? Download a bunch of games I wanted to try throughout the years but couldn't! Among them was Tears of Themis. My house didn't have the best Internet and had a couple hours of electricity a day so I downloaded it very slowly at my aunt's house.
I remember so clearly about how I sat next to my sister as I was downloading the game, and it started playing the second anniversary promotion video since it was starting during that time. At first I was like āaww, they proposing!ā but suddenly things turned spicy and I almost dropped the iPad from my hand HAHA.
I did not know what to expect going into this game because I stayed away from spoilers and videos about it since I knew I wanted to get into it myself one day (I was interested in the main story). It made me sad too to be honest because I wanted to play it but couldn't, so I avoided it for years.
I however, did not expect at all that the game would get THAT spicy LMAO my sister noticed my reaction and she was like āWhat's up?ā And I was like āyou cannot see thisā though she is older than the gameās age rating AHAHHA
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Part 3: The beginning
I was so excited getting into this game! When I started I was incredibly hooked to the main story, and at the time.. hear this.. I had a bias towards Artem because he looked like Jumin AHAHA
I was honestly more interested though in the main story than the boys, because the boys didn't make me feel much at the time- I do not have a ālove at first sightā I never had that kind of experience for real life people or fictional people. (Anyone can experience it, and that's valid! It's just for me personally that never happens.)
After knowing characters and learning more about them, that's when sometimes- I fall in love with them as a character, they end up giving me so much happiness just seeing them, they give me comfort.. And they fill up my sketchbooks HAHA is this love romantic? Usually no, that's very rare!
I did not feel much for Artem (turns out the only thing he and Jumin have in common were their looks and being socially awkward, shocker-) but I had a little interest that led to me pulling for his second anniversary card when I started being able to wish. I lost- and got a standard Artem, but then I won and got his card LMAO you can get a lot of wishes starting off. However I was doing the stories of the standard SRs, along with the main story and someone.. someone was warming up a lot to my heart.
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Part 4: Falling
The boys were all very interesting and lovely characters! (The NPCs as well!!)
Artem, despite how he comes off at work, is actually just a shy guy who is bad at communication outside of work.
Vyn is actually a very interesting and well written character being very different than the rest of the cast due to his unique upbringing (honestly? His family feels like a cult, bro literally is running from a cult) and you learn more about his own psychology the more you get to know him.
Marius is literally just an artist who wants to chase the life he wants but is hindered by responsibility and his position.
And Luke- Luke stole my heart LOL
First off, he's a detective and I've already confessed online to having a thing for detectives by a drawing- that starting since I was a kid and I watched detective conanš§āāļøhis introduction chapter.. was very interesting. It was literally the first episode, Rosa clearly knows and cares about this character right off the bat you're like hmm? What was this guy doing for 8 years? Why did he show up now after so long? Almost making him suspicious even. But he and Rosa seemed so close despite it all.
After that Luke had started showing up in the story here and there, a moment that made me go āohh.. what a cool guy.ā Was when after Mariusā case in episode 2, he shows up on a bike like āget in we outta hereā and saved her from all the reporters.
His theme plays at this scene.. my heartttt
Revealing he'd been watching her and the case from afar and was literally waiting for her to get out and get her away.
I started reading the standard SRs, the first one I did was āAmong the great blueā which honestly I recommend everyone doing again because I bet you all do not remember Luke saying this about Jellyfish
The card made me go *the rock eyebrow raise* GAHAH and at the time I was all innocent, not knowing anything about what Luke was going through, so when Rosa woke up and did not find him sleeping next to her (after she invaded where he's supposed to be sleeping lmao) and Luke was hunched over like āI'm fine I just accidentally swallowed gum lolā I actually believed him š there were signs, but it would fly over a player's head until things are revealed ON THE FIRST FREAKING ACT OF HIS PERSONAL STORY and suddenly everything makes sense. Wow.
When I started personal story, I was just starting it because starting all of them is part of the āRookie tasksā event you get when you start the game. Only to be punched in the gut immediately.
This is LITERALLY what youāre greeted with when you start his story š
I was starting to warm up to this guy and you're telling me.. he's sick and planning to leave us.. omg.
I got to choose one limited SR from the Rookie event, and I thought Luke looked adorable so I picked his card "A star in the palm" and the story.. omg that card, I'm weak. Everyone needs to see it, READ IT!
Itās illegal to be BOTH handsome and adorable smh
After that I started WANTING to do more Luke stories so I did the other standard SRs āRadiant Sunlightā, āTimely Rescueā, āInner Sanctumā. They were all so good, my favorite being Inner Sanctum for how much it messed with my heart.
Dude is literally falling and he STILL makes sure to protect her.
I- was dying. I started pulling for Luke's anniversary card, starting to regret my choice going for Artem's. But he wouldn't come-
So I went back to main story because that's how you get the most schips, and guess what- I had reached episode 5ā¦
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Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
The way episode 5 starts, Luke joins the NXX and Rosa is incredibly surprised seeing him there introducing himself as an agent from the NSB. Meanwhile Lukeā¦ is mad.
At first he can't believe Artem would even make her do this but she confirms to him that it was her decision, and then he spills the truth about his identity, and about where he's been the past 8 years. He apologizes, for lying, for planning to leave her again, for everything.
And then this happens.
You guys, this scene made me go straight up insane. You can tell how much he had cared and loved her for all these years, and how his biggest fear is literally the main character getting hurt or something happening to her. I felt so emotional over it, that after this act I started DESPERATELY pulling for his card and I finally- finally got it
Episode 5 BTW is one of my favorites in the main story, it is 3 parts because it's THAT good. It's when people will start seeing what Luke is as a character, what's beneath the surface you see in episode 1. (Also this episode introduced the best character: Hugh Moss AHAHH)
The parallel between Rosa, and Jasmine (the reporter whose case you investigate), was not lost on me. That reporter died trying to expose the truth which is exactly what Rosa has been trying to do. I think the entire chapter literally is showing you why Luke is so scared of her continuing the path she's in.
But you know what's the best part? He's freaking terrified, yet he never forces her to leave. He says this:
People keep saying Luke is a red flag that keeps trying to control Rosa and her actions and I swear my reaction is always āAre you even paying attention?ā Luke never forces Rosa, he only shows he's against it, but he always says he will support her whatever decision she makes.
A similar more light-hearted situation is the story of his summer card āIridescent Heartbeatā where Luke is afraid of Rosa getting hurt or doing things that are too much for her so he doesn't consider doing things such as Bungee jumping or rafting. But Rosa insists that she wants to do it and when she's visibly afraid later, Luke teases her a bit (LOL)
but then holds her close to him and soothes her saying there's nothing to be afraid of cause he's there.
He encourages her to do what she wants! And when she does indeed get hurt because the rope was too tight around her leg, he does NOT put the blame on her, but on himself-
Y'ALL HOW IS THIS GUY CONTROLLING??
(The scene after kinda got on my nerves cause Rosa got āangryā that heās not his usual ācheerful selfā like girl I love you but please- canāt you see how much you getting hurt affects him? She pretends that sheās angrier than she actually is making Luke apologize over and over like š but tbh it was also funny, I donāt like how she handled it but it was funny lol)
When they go rafting Luke lets Rosa take the lead and he will follow her because she wanted to prove to him that he doesn't need to plan everything, however Rosa's plan backfires, things go horribly wrong and she can't figure out how to get the raft to go straight. Luke again, does not reprimand her in any way and only helps her so she can do what she wants. Later on even after they've fallen off the raft and onto the water he immediately holds her and takes her up to the surface so worried like āare you okay???ā And despite all that, he says she's right. That she's always right and he will stop trying to plan and go more with the flow.Ā
Luke never tried to control Rosa, he just loves her so much that he does not want to ever see her in pain or sad. He wants her to be the happiest girl in the world.
So who is Luke? Luke is the coolest mf, a guy that always jumps into action to help others with a heart so damn big that his own emotions slowly destroy him. He has felt an astronomical amount of guilt and regret since childhood- and has cared for and loved the main character just as long. The girl who is the reason he was able to keep his sanity, the girl who he always wanted to protect, and the girl who is the reason he is still here today.Ā
I wholeheartedly believe that without Rosa in his life, Luke would've ended up completely different, if still alive at all.
Bonus: I remember people being like, the characters have gemstones that match their color in the proposal ring, so why does Luke have Ruby instead of something like Topaz? This is why.. the ruby in the ring represents Rosa (getting emotional over here omg) and honestly that ring is freaking insane because not only did he design and make it and its box by himself for years.. but a ruby is inside the key that Rosa gave to him.
Remember how Luke when you click on the key in visit says āI wear it like this to have it as close as possible to my heartā now look at the key.. if the Ruby is Rosa, and Lukeās heart is the key, do you see what he conveyed in that ring? Yea, Iām crying too.Ā
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Part 5: Obsession
I have a bit of an obsession problem, I've been obsessed with stories, games, or characters and that obsession can last years of my lifetime. And it's understandable, when you're going through terrible things in your life, you get attached to what makes you feel happy and you hold on to that feeling. That's what starts that obsession.
When I got the second anniversary Artem card I did the story immediately and it was.. it was alright. Artem wants to propose, but in his attempt to keep it all secret distances himself too much and gets Rosa worried, but then wow! He proposes with the help of his coworkers and happy ending + things get a bit spicy at the end.Ā
But I felt like.. like I'm getting deja vu AHAHA like I've seen this kind of story a million times before. (Probably cause I did from watching a bunch of kdramas and having consumed a bunch of stories from a lot of media) It did not exactly get me to feel anything much, I'm sure it's different for Artem stans though having him propose after probably following his story for 2 years XD good on you guys have fun with your mans!Ā
For me though who had just started, it did not have that much of an effect. After I got the Luke anniversary card I was excited and went into the story oh so innocently not knowing back then that Luke cards are honestly heart wrenching.Ā
It led to me crying in bed while the sun was rising from the window as Luke says āThat's because I love you.ā
The way how he blocks the wind from her and lets it hit him instead at that exact moment is freaking PEAK writing.
That card showed me a lot more about this man who is so shackled by his own emotions and circumstance, that he's willing to sacrifice everything even his own wants and dreams for the one he loves.
Have you guys seen that one official art with Rosa posing as Themis? And the boys are represented by the objects around her? Luke is the sword, Artem is the balance, Vyn is the blindfold, and Marius is the snake by her leg.
It starts to make sense why Luke is holding onto her sword to the point of bleeding, he's bleeding yet he looks up to her in absolute devotion not caring for what happens to him and his eyes are only always on her. Heās willing to be her sword, to take all of the pain and protect her so she can be happy.
My life.. has not been what is considered ānormalā. I'm not going to give my backstory in this post aHAHAH but at the time when I started Tears of Themis I was going through a very bad point in my life where I was close to have given up completely on my future and accepted my fate as it is. I had shut down completely, and I went back to becoming a shut-in which is honestly something I went through for four years before, it wasn't good.Ā
When you reach that point, you start becoming apathetic to everything.
Luke however, somehow started making me start having emotions again. Reading and learning about this character was actually affecting me in a way I have not been affected in a long time. He felt.. real, like I could feel his emotions, his love, his despair.
And that's part of why I got so attached to him and he became my comfort, because of him, I started to feel human again.
AHA CRINGE. OK enough with the sadness.
But I'll never forget how much Luke and Tears of Themis helped me keep a grip during those hard months. I'm in a better place now, it's not good- but it's better, and I still just open this game and visit Luke to help me ground myself.
One time after a bad day I accidentally touched him and he said this, I went insane-
I think that says a lot about the state of my sanity AHAHAHĀ
Call me Vyn because I'm a very self reflective person LMAO after I noticed my new hyperfixation, I started asking myself- wow, how did this happen? I was aware of the fact that the timing has played a part of it, but I also love analysing my emotions towards characters because believe me, if I fall in love with one, I could probably write a book about all the reasons why (this post barely covers any of it!) Iām very passionate about writing, so I gush about characterās writing a lot because that writing itself is what made me fall in love with them.
So here are some of the main points that stood out to me listed using lyrics from incredibly old songs that are not even what I listen to! LOLĀ
1) I can be your hero BaBEH
In Luke blossom chapter (and it might be referenced in some cards) itās revealed how Luke became an agent. I canāt find the exact scene but Luke says that as a kid, after him and Rosa were rescued by a police officer, he wanted to be able to make people feel that comfort he felt when the officer said āDonāt worry, Iām here.ā
One day at the capital while helping someone he got involved in some case and then the NSB noticed his actions and recruited him, Luke accepted because he wanted to get stronger and to be able to protect others with them. (Itās kind of sad that in the main story you notice the moment Luke reveals his identity as an agent to make others more relaxed, they become terrified instead LOL the police effect doesnāt have the same effect on others oops)
Luke also talks in that chapter about how it feels, being the āheroā
I actually completely understand his motivation, because growing up.. I had a very similar mindset. I had a bit of a rough childhood, but my respite used to be my PlayStation 2. I loved coming home and running to this very small TV we had and just boot up incredibly cheap copies of games that cost like two dollars LMAO and I idolized the heroes of the games I played and the TV shows I watched (it was mostly sonic tbh LOL) I wanted to bring others happiness just like how they did for me and others.
And I did act on it back then, but being a kid full of fears- over time my anxiety took over and I stopped. I became a person who only freezes and needs others to help instead of the opposite. Luke worked on his goal and became the hero he wanted and he keeps being that hero despite the reality he faced about the downsides, but he presses on. He basically had the courage I never had, and I admire him so much for it. He reminds me so much of my childhood heroes, and I mustāve noticed it from early on in the story.
His words towards Ted in that scene in his personal story really hit for me, I felt like Ted because I try but Iām not strong or courageous enough to help others the way that I want like Luke, but Luke says he thinks heās a hero in his own way for trying despite being a mess, because thatās how itās like being a hero in the first place.
I think Iām getting better now, I might not be who I dreamed to be as a child but I still try despite everything by helping others with little things and itās starting to make me feel so much better about myself as a person. Thanks Luke lmao.Ā
Expanding more on being the Hero, to be one you usually have to jump to action immediately.
I experienced the event āMystery of Bakerlonā and I noticed that they always show that Luke is always about action. If he sees any type of injustice, he jumps in to help unlike the other boys who would do it more in an indirect way. Seeing him immediately block someoneās fist while protecting another and then give those dead eyes- it does something to me LMAO
Also.. also.. YALL.. this scene
Heās also described as Rosaās knight? And takes the role of a fire fighter as well? Itās like they know what Iām into haha.
TLDR; I love my messy hero..
2) Lay your head on my shouldeeeerrr
I- Iām revealing too much of my dirty laundry in this post LOL
So basically I have a problem with feeling alone LOL I think most people do! and I donāt mean alone as in I always want to be around others- that sounds like a nightmare. But I mean alone as in no one to turn back to, no one to cry to, no one to even talk to while youāre at your lowest and need someone.
And usually it just feels like nobody cares- youāre just there to listen to their problems and be there for them, they donāt owe you anything. And really, they donāt because it was your decision to be that kind of person, because you care about them.
Luke for some reason, just happened to say the stuff I wanted to hear the most. āIām the rock and wind by your side.āĀ āIāll always be there for you.ā āIāll always support whatever decision you make.ā
So many of the cards show his devotion to the MC and I guess my delulu head ended up getting attached because those words would actually comfort me LMAOO
I canāt remember where this scene happens but one time, despite Rosa being the one in the wrong for being rude to Luke who was just worried about her not sleeping and working too much, he doesnāt get mad at allĆ¢ā¬Ā¦ She does apologize for her behavior (thankfully) but heās like hey donāt worry Iām not mad, I understand. And I was here like āwhy donāt I have people like you in my life?ā LOLĀ
TLDR; Heāll never leave you or let you feel alone
3) No one can hurt you nooww
Wow would you look at that? My obsession is connected to another fear of mine! LOL are we noticing the pattern?Ā
I have a hard time feeling safe- Iām not going into details but because of this fear every time I see a character thatās like protective, you could say I latch onto them wishing they were real so they can make me as safe as I feel whenever I see them.
Whenever Rosa feels unsafe or scared, Luke is always there to comfort her saying that thereās nothing to be afraid of because heās here. And it shows multiple times that Rosa really does feel so safe around Luke- and I just, man! I want that sense of safety badly AHAHHA But yea I become so down bad whenever Luke protects or assures the MC that sheās safe with him
TLDR; He makes me feel safe T_T
4) Luck and control, wait this isnāt a lyric-
So, I donāt know enough for this topic cause I probably need to read more Luke cards (I usually avoid reading ones Iām planning to get in the future but my luck has been terrible) but I have a sneaking suspicion- that Lukeās obsession with planning and controlling the future comes from how he feels like he has no control over anything in his life.
You notice in his stories that heās always meticulously planning, planning for trips- planning for the year, he has lists everywhere, keeps journals and he plans for every worst case scenario. Iā¦ I do the exact same thing LMAO part of the reason why is because it often feels like my life is always out of control so Iām desperately trying to quell my anxiety by trying to control whatever I can.
This loss of control usually comes from feeling like the world is out to get you, constantly getting in unlucky situations that make you wish you could have prevented it somehow and then it festers internally in the form of self depreciation like itās all my fault, I deserve this. (Something that Luke also said once, I deserve this- itās karma.)
So my theory is that Luke constantly feels unlucky and like everything is out of his control so he tries to plan and control his life to hold on to his sanity but all it does is drive the idea that he couldāve prevented things from happening leading to a lot of self hatred and guilt-Ā
but thatās just a theory! A game theory! Thanks for reading.
(but note that Rosa helps him through this mindset with making him be more free, a lot of the points here about Luke are actually basis for character development he goes through later on in his route with Rosa and gets WORSE in the main story which is interesting to see but also painful)
TLDR; Heyy life is against me too!
5) An angel with a shotguuun, wait- I listen to this song
Ah, the duality of Luke Pearce that somehow made me even more enamored by him.
(I can be your angleā¦ or yuor devil)
Luke is often described as warm, reminding the MC of sunshine, however he is also connected to rain (often in Luke cards if you havenāt noticed, Luke and Rosa keep getting DRENCHED LOL) Even in his confession and proposal cards, it rains on them.
His scent is described as sunshine after rain, because while rain follows Luke wherever he goes, thereās always a fire burning within him. This fire has been associated with Luke multiple times in the game.
Luke and Rain:
Luke and Fire:
There are so many more examples for both the rain and fire, and I think a lot might have noticed the fire part from his card āSky ashesā, the event āLukeout fireā, and his card āInvincible for Loveā The rain can also be seen in cards like āLooming nightmareā and 1st and 2nd anniversary cards.
I think Luke representing both Rain and Fire also connects with his double life as Detective Pearce and Agent Raven.Ā
If you look closely at this card by the way.. you notice that the āLukeā side is more warm color toned with a candle to represent his warmth and fire, meanwhile the āRavenā side has colder tones and thereās droplets of water on the glass looking like rain.
do you know what results from rain and sunlight?
Luke is surrounded by rain, however he has fire burning within him that Rosa is the one able to make him shine it, and thatās why when theyāre together.. a rainbow is created. A rainbow that she usually notices first, and can be a double rainbow representing how to Luke everyday with her has been a miracle to him.
Luke once says that he would always take Rosa to look for the treasure under the rainbow, but then he discovered that she was his treasure all along. I think heās not only saying it because sheās precious to him, but because to him, all the rainbows heās seen were created by her light. Thatās why his confession gift is the two of them holding hands under the rainbow, that rainbow is one created by them.
Iām a sucker for symbolism like this, and a sucker for characters that are so well written that you discover that there is just more and more below the surface. Luke is a complex character with two sides that are still him, and Iām captivated the more I learn about him.
TLDR; God theyāre so perfect and make me mentally illĀ
Bonus: Heard of Rain and Sunlight? Get ready forā¦
Dusk and Dawn
Sunrise and Sunset
There are many other reasons like the fact I think heās so freaking cool and I admire so much about him, or how due to my past I feel loved by gifts especially ones bought or made with me in mind- so when Luke turned out to be the type of guy to constantly be giving gifts ones MADE BY HIM and he constantly mentions that āthere are not enough occasions to use as an excuseā to give gifts to the MC. Ugh- agh- Iām dying.Ā
I also was a huge fan of totally spies as a kid I always wanted those gadgets they had LMAO I thought they were so cool- yet Luke over here is literally making ones and giving them to Rosa for protection. Like the keychain with an alarm, a lipstick tranquilizer and a hair pin for secret communication.. GAHH so cool and- caring!!
Okok but I need to stop or else we will be here even longer and this post is already so long AHAH
Here are some moments in this game that I can never forget AHAH Iām not including anything from main story because everything there has been memorable to me (I love the main story even though it freaking hurts and Iām in love with NPCs and cried a lot over some stories) I especially love the episodes with Luke like the ENTIRE thing and honestly his entire personal stories too. And Iām not going to include sad stuff just funny or beautiful memorable moments XD
1) Redolent Nonage
This is not referring to a moment in the story but referring to the first time I heard Redolent Nonage during Luke's 3rd birthday event.
Do you remember when you visit Luke for the first time? and you see him sit there absent-mindedly going through files on his tablet. I loved just sitting there and hearing his theme along with the ācomputerā sounds of opening and closing files. I'm no music expert to explain properly what it is about his theme that affects me this much, but back then I was like āthis theme makes me feel nostalgic for some reasonā Lukeās theme felt warm yet melancholic, exactly like childhood memories.. I also love the piano and the use of the guitar in the background which comes in very rarely.
Summers Past is Luke's full theme, you could say where his visit theme probably came from.Ā
Hearing this for the first time I loved it like crazy but did not realise immediately that it was his theme somehow, my ears and head did not connect the dots and I just thought āwow.. I love this, it feels like a love confession, and like warmth and hope.ā it did not take me long though to discover that was the full version of Lukeās theme and I ended up blasting it so much that it ended up in my top tracks of 2023 despite only starting since July. The name of this track is also clever because not only is it talking about Luke and Rosa's past summers which convey warmth and memories, but also Luke's name in chinese references Summer that makes the name also mean āLukeās past.ā Which is why it sounds so happy.
Summer is also used in Lukeās Japanese name āMinase Natsuhikoā, Natsuhiko meaning summer child. Yes- the Natsu in my name also means summer but we are not here to talk about that LOL
Our piercingly beautiful reunion, this one is another version of Luke's theme used in a PV for Luke and GAH they just? They just keep destroying me! They added so many emotions into this piece and it had my heart going up down left right, to space- the inclusion of the violin beat me up emotionally but you also notice that this version.. the sadness of his theme had started to become more prominent. You feel nostalgia and hope, yet you also feel sadness and regret hidden in this piece.
And now we come to Redolent Nonage..
Omg the first time I heard it, I froze for like 10-20 minutes in awe. Just sitting there and listening- I recognised Luke's theme in it immediately because at that point I'd been listening to summers past a lot, and just?? ITāS BEAUTIFUL, ITāS SO BEAUTIFUL. When I heard it I legit was about to start crying.
The song starts off with the guitar, but you can also hear in the backgroundā¦ the muted sound of a ticking clock- the ticking accompanies the guitar, until it is joined by another sound that make the ticks sound as if theyāre reverb-ing(?)Ā
With the reverb comes the violin, and you can start to hear Lukeās theme more clearly. It starts off sad and slow, not overpowering the guitar that plays with it but then we get to a point where both instruments stop for a second before playing again with the violin more powerful as it plays Lukeās leitmotif, giving a sense of revived hope.Ā
āThe clock is ticking but I wonāt give up, just so I can see tomorrow with you.ā
This is what I felt from this piece, it felt like it had conveyed Lukeās emotions so well through music and I get emotional everytime I listen to it but I cannot stop HAHAHĀ
Redolent Nonage is also a fancy way of Reminiscent Youth, or basically āremembering childhoodā which just carries the same meaning as āSummers pastā but maybe the first track were those memories and this track represents the current time and now we are remembering it, so itās sadder than before yet more beautiful.
2) Bombastic side eye
Also, bonus Luke messing with Peanut as revenge LOL
3) God damn whiplash
I lied about not including sad stuff LOL because this freaking scene was such a roller coaster. I was fangirling and the next second Iām crying and Iāll never forget this scene because of it AHAH
4) Means itās fresh no?
The rock eyebrow raise LOL
5) I love you
This is not good for my poor heart-
6) Aran Krall freaking dies
Love when Luke is so mad he drags someone out to sight to beat them tf up AHAHHA
7) āRelease your desiresā, Luke: šļøšļø
Iām sorry it was SO FUNNY. Luke sees some guy talk about his drug addiction on TV and heās so cooked heās like āIām addicted too (to Rosa) heās just like me frfrā and as soon as he hears ālet out your desires on a mediumā HE TURNS AND LOOKS AT ROSA LOOOLLL
8) I have access to your computer logs
Instances of completely normal behavior from Luke LOL
Part A)
bonus Luke teasing Rosa again LMAO
Part B)
huhā¦ suspicious timing there bestie-
H HOWD HE KNOW ABOUT THE ARTICLE- HELLO POLICE?? Wait heās the police LOL
9) Luke scares the **** out of Rosa LMAO
LMAO LUKE
10) LukeRosa Vs Raft
and they werenāt able to get back on the raft LOL
11) Lukeās encrypted album
Luke did what- AHAH
12) Unhinged Rosa
Little did Luke know that sheās just as crazy about him LOL
ex-freakin-cuse me? LOL
Bony, long, and strong. Thanks for the vivid description Rosa PFF
13) My funeralĀ
Very memorable moment indeed, because it was all thanks to this man. He freaking destroyed me.
Iām a loyal Luke stan who saves like crazy to pull only for his cards but he treats me LIKE THIS- insanity
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And this is the end of this post!
If youāve made it this far, I applaud you! You have a higher attention span than the majority of the world right now LOL Thank you so much for reading, I hope this post was fun and maybe made you laugh a bit, and I mostly hope that it made whoever is reading it appreciate the genius of a character that is Luke Pearce! I love my mentally unstable detective LOL
I end this post with a random sketch I have made a while ago!Ā Thank you for reading and see you next time!
Hi, I'm Natsumi, and I'm wondering who is even reading this but if you are, welcome to a very long post about how I got into Tears of Themis, how it helped me through such a hard time, and how I ended up falling in love with a certain detective.
I made this post for an event on hoyolab but Iām posting it here too in my trashcan! I already wanted to have a post documenting this online just for myself, even if in the future I cringe while reading it, I can look back and remember the emotions I felt through the year. I also wanted to share it with the world so that maybe people will feel like me, or come to appreciate this character that I love so much as much as I do. (youāre free to reblog btw!)
Warning: This post is mostly about Luke!
It contains spoilers about some Luke cards and some spoilers for his Blossom Chapter. There are small scenes from episodes 2 and 5 of main story as well. Oh, and Artem and Luke 2nd anniversary cards.
If you are here because youāre interested in learning or reading more about Luke and do not care much for the rest, I recommend the interlude, part 6, and The end: part 1. The other parts also talk about Luke and his stories but those are the most important in my opinion.
Due to Tumblrās 30 image per post limit, this will be divided into 3 parts, each part added with a reblog.
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Index because this post ended up incredibly long so here are the parts laid out to read anything youāre interested in!
> Part 1: Introduction
(How did I learn about this game?)
> Part 2: Contact
(Getting the game)
> Part 3: The Beginning
(Starting the game and first impressions lol)
> Part 4: Falling
(FOR LUKE AHAH)
> Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
> Part 5: Obsession
(How and why did this obsession start?)
> Part 6: Reflection
(Thinking back on Lukeās personality that attracted me)
> The end: Memories
(Extra memorable moments)
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Part 1: Introduction
I play Genshin (shocker) and I have some online friends who play it as well, so when Tears of Themis came out globally since it's made by Hoyoverse as well, most people who played genshin went to check it out. I discovered Tears of Themis through those people, and I was recommended the game by my online friends.
What was my response?
āI have no phone storage.ā AAHAHAH, yes. I'm not a day one player. I only started during the second anniversary because back when the game came out despite being interested I could not play because I did not have any device that could handle the game. My phone could not handle Genshin's size either, it's not compatible to begin with- I played Genshin on the PlayStation [emoji]
However I did not forget about the game, I was just hoping that somehow one day, a miracle will happen and I will be able to play mobile games like other people LOL but what are the odds of that happening?... Well, a miracle happened 2 years later.
Bonus: I had a little beef at the time with Artem because I kept thinking drawings of him were actually of Jumin who is a very well written character I love like crazy from mystic messenger since 2016 BWAHAHA
Every masterpiece.. has its cheap copy.. IM JKJK PUT THAT KNIFE DOWN AHAHA
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Part 2: Contact
So one day I was visiting my aunt's house and met my cousin's acquaintance. I met the guy for like.. only 2 hours and during those hours my cousin told him about how I draw digitally but I have been drawing on an 8 year old phone that stays alive for like 30 mins at a time AHHAHA
The guy was like āThat's it, I'm getting you an iPad to draw on.ā I laughed, thinking he was joking- but then 2 days later I received TWO iPads, one for me and one for my little sister! W t f. Angels do exist on earth? And I was never able to thank him in person because he's a busy guy who only visited my village and I never saw him again o.o
Can you guess what I started doing when I got it? Download a bunch of games I wanted to try throughout the years but couldn't! Among them was Tears of Themis. My house didn't have the best Internet and had a couple hours of electricity a day so I downloaded it very slowly at my aunt's house.
I remember so clearly about how I sat next to my sister as I was downloading the game, and it started playing the second anniversary promotion video since it was starting during that time. At first I was like āaww, they proposing!ā but suddenly things turned spicy and I almost dropped the iPad from my hand HAHA.
I did not know what to expect going into this game because I stayed away from spoilers and videos about it since I knew I wanted to get into it myself one day (I was interested in the main story). It made me sad too to be honest because I wanted to play it but couldn't, so I avoided it for years.
I however, did not expect at all that the game would get THAT spicy LMAO my sister noticed my reaction and she was like āWhat's up?ā And I was like āyou cannot see thisā though she is older than the gameās age rating AHAHHA
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Part 3: The beginning
I was so excited getting into this game! When I started I was incredibly hooked to the main story, and at the time.. hear this.. I had a bias towards Artem because he looked like Jumin AHAHA
I was honestly more interested though in the main story than the boys, because the boys didn't make me feel much at the time- I do not have a ālove at first sightā I never had that kind of experience for real life people or fictional people. (Anyone can experience it, and that's valid! It's just for me personally that never happens.)
After knowing characters and learning more about them, that's when sometimes- I fall in love with them as a character, they end up giving me so much happiness just seeing them, they give me comfort.. And they fill up my sketchbooks HAHA is this love romantic? Usually no, that's very rare!
I did not feel much for Artem (turns out the only thing he and Jumin have in common were their looks and being socially awkward, shocker-) but I had a little interest that led to me pulling for his second anniversary card when I started being able to wish. I lost- and got a standard Artem, but then I won and got his card LMAO you can get a lot of wishes starting off. However I was doing the stories of the standard SRs, along with the main story and someone.. someone was warming up a lot to my heart.
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Part 4: Falling
The boys were all very interesting and lovely characters! (The NPCs as well!!)
Artem, despite how he comes off at work, is actually just a shy guy who is bad at communication outside of work.
Vyn is actually a very interesting and well written character being very different than the rest of the cast due to his unique upbringing (honestly? His family feels like a cult, bro literally is running from a cult) and you learn more about his own psychology the more you get to know him.
Marius is literally just an artist who wants to chase the life he wants but is hindered by responsibility and his position.
And Luke- Luke stole my heart LOL
First off, he's a detective and I've already confessed online to having a thing for detectives by a drawing- that starting since I was a kid and I watched detective conanš§āāļøhis introduction chapter.. was very interesting. It was literally the first episode, Rosa clearly knows and cares about this character right off the bat you're like hmm? What was this guy doing for 8 years? Why did he show up now after so long? Almost making him suspicious even. But he and Rosa seemed so close despite it all.
After that Luke had started showing up in the story here and there, a moment that made me go āohh.. what a cool guy.ā Was when after Mariusā case in episode 2, he shows up on a bike like āget in we outta hereā and saved her from all the reporters.
His theme plays at this scene.. my heartttt
Revealing he'd been watching her and the case from afar and was literally waiting for her to get out and get her away.
I started reading the standard SRs, the first one I did was āAmong the great blueā which honestly I recommend everyone doing again because I bet you all do not remember Luke saying this about Jellyfish
The card made me go *the rock eyebrow raise* GAHAH and at the time I was all innocent, not knowing anything about what Luke was going through, so when Rosa woke up and did not find him sleeping next to her (after she invaded where he's supposed to be sleeping lmao) and Luke was hunched over like āI'm fine I just accidentally swallowed gum lolā I actually believed him š there were signs, but it would fly over a player's head until things are revealed ON THE FIRST FREAKING ACT OF HIS PERSONAL STORY and suddenly everything makes sense. Wow.
When I started personal story, I was just starting it because starting all of them is part of the āRookie tasksā event you get when you start the game. Only to be punched in the gut immediately.
This is LITERALLY what youāre greeted with when you start his story š
I was starting to warm up to this guy and you're telling me.. he's sick and planning to leave us.. omg.
I got to choose one limited SR from the Rookie event, and I thought Luke looked adorable so I picked his card "A star in the palm" and the story.. omg that card, I'm weak. Everyone needs to see it, READ IT!
Itās illegal to be BOTH handsome and adorable smh
After that I started WANTING to do more Luke stories so I did the other standard SRs āRadiant Sunlightā, āTimely Rescueā, āInner Sanctumā. They were all so good, my favorite being Inner Sanctum for how much it messed with my heart.
Dude is literally falling and he STILL makes sure to protect her.
I- was dying. I started pulling for Luke's anniversary card, starting to regret my choice going for Artem's. But he wouldn't come-
So I went back to main story because that's how you get the most schips, and guess what- I had reached episode 5ā¦
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Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
The way episode 5 starts, Luke joins the NXX and Rosa is incredibly surprised seeing him there introducing himself as an agent from the NSB. Meanwhile Lukeā¦ is mad.
At first he can't believe Artem would even make her do this but she confirms to him that it was her decision, and then he spills the truth about his identity, and about where he's been the past 8 years. He apologizes, for lying, for planning to leave her again, for everything.
And then this happens.
You guys, this scene made me go straight up insane. You can tell how much he had cared and loved her for all these years, and how his biggest fear is literally the main character getting hurt or something happening to her. I felt so emotional over it, that after this act I started DESPERATELY pulling for his card and I finally- finally got it
Episode 5 BTW is one of my favorites in the main story, it is 3 parts because it's THAT good. It's when people will start seeing what Luke is as a character, what's beneath the surface you see in episode 1. (Also this episode introduced the best character: Hugh Moss AHAHH)
The parallel between Rosa, and Jasmine (the reporter whose case you investigate), was not lost on me. That reporter died trying to expose the truth which is exactly what Rosa has been trying to do. I think the entire chapter literally is showing you why Luke is so scared of her continuing the path she's in.
But you know what's the best part? He's freaking terrified, yet he never forces her to leave. He says this:
People keep saying Luke is a red flag that keeps trying to control Rosa and her actions and I swear my reaction is always āAre you even paying attention?ā Luke never forces Rosa, he only shows he's against it, but he always says he will support her whatever decision she makes.
A similar more light-hearted situation is the story of his summer card āIridescent Heartbeatā where Luke is afraid of Rosa getting hurt or doing things that are too much for her so he doesn't consider doing things such as Bungee jumping or rafting. But Rosa insists that she wants to do it and when she's visibly afraid later, Luke teases her a bit (LOL)
but then holds her close to him and soothes her saying there's nothing to be afraid of cause he's there.
He encourages her to do what she wants! And when she does indeed get hurt because the rope was too tight around her leg, he does NOT put the blame on her, but on himself-
Y'ALL HOW IS THIS GUY CONTROLLING??
(The scene after kinda got on my nerves cause Rosa got āangryā that heās not his usual ācheerful selfā like girl I love you but please- canāt you see how much you getting hurt affects him? She pretends that sheās angrier than she actually is making Luke apologize over and over like š but tbh it was also funny, I donāt like how she handled it but it was funny lol)
When they go rafting Luke lets Rosa take the lead and he will follow her because she wanted to prove to him that he doesn't need to plan everything, however Rosa's plan backfires, things go horribly wrong and she can't figure out how to get the raft to go straight. Luke again, does not reprimand her in any way and only helps her so she can do what she wants. Later on even after they've fallen off the raft and onto the water he immediately holds her and takes her up to the surface so worried like āare you okay???ā And despite all that, he says she's right. That she's always right and he will stop trying to plan and go more with the flow.Ā
Luke never tried to control Rosa, he just loves her so much that he does not want to ever see her in pain or sad. He wants her to be the happiest girl in the world.
So who is Luke? Luke is the coolest mf, a guy that always jumps into action to help others with a heart so damn big that his own emotions slowly destroy him. He has felt an astronomical amount of guilt and regret since childhood- and has cared for and loved the main character just as long. The girl who is the reason he was able to keep his sanity, the girl who he always wanted to protect, and the girl who is the reason he is still here today.Ā
I wholeheartedly believe that without Rosa in his life, Luke would've ended up completely different, if still alive at all.
Bonus: I remember people being like, the characters have gemstones that match their color in the proposal ring, so why does Luke have Ruby instead of something like Topaz? This is why.. the ruby in the ring represents Rosa (getting emotional over here omg) and honestly that ring is freaking insane because not only did he design and make it and its box by himself for years.. but a ruby is inside the key that Rosa gave to him.
Remember how Luke when you click on the key in visit says āI wear it like this to have it as close as possible to my heartā now look at the key.. if the Ruby is Rosa, and Lukeās heart is the key, do you see what he conveyed in that ring? Yea, Iām crying too.Ā
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Part 5: Obsession
I have a bit of an obsession problem, I've been obsessed with stories, games, or characters and that obsession can last years of my lifetime. And it's understandable, when you're going through terrible things in your life, you get attached to what makes you feel happy and you hold on to that feeling. That's what starts that obsession.
When I got the second anniversary Artem card I did the story immediately and it was.. it was alright. Artem wants to propose, but in his attempt to keep it all secret distances himself too much and gets Rosa worried, but then wow! He proposes with the help of his coworkers and happy ending + things get a bit spicy at the end.Ā
But I felt like.. like I'm getting deja vu AHAHA like I've seen this kind of story a million times before. (Probably cause I did from watching a bunch of kdramas and having consumed a bunch of stories from a lot of media) It did not exactly get me to feel anything much, I'm sure it's different for Artem stans though having him propose after probably following his story for 2 years XD good on you guys have fun with your mans!Ā
For me though who had just started, it did not have that much of an effect. After I got the Luke anniversary card I was excited and went into the story oh so innocently not knowing back then that Luke cards are honestly heart wrenching.Ā
It led to me crying in bed while the sun was rising from the window as Luke says āThat's because I love you.ā
The way how he blocks the wind from her and lets it hit him instead at that exact moment is freaking PEAK writing.
That card showed me a lot more about this man who is so shackled by his own emotions and circumstance, that he's willing to sacrifice everything even his own wants and dreams for the one he loves.
Have you guys seen that one official art with Rosa posing as Themis? And the boys are represented by the objects around her? Luke is the sword, Artem is the balance, Vyn is the blindfold, and Marius is the snake by her leg.
It starts to make sense why Luke is holding onto her sword to the point of bleeding, he's bleeding yet he looks up to her in absolute devotion not caring for what happens to him and his eyes are only always on her. Heās willing to be her sword, to take all of the pain and protect her so she can be happy.
My life.. has not been what is considered ānormalā. I'm not going to give my backstory in this post aHAHAH but at the time when I started Tears of Themis I was going through a very bad point in my life where I was close to have given up completely on my future and accepted my fate as it is. I had shut down completely, and I went back to becoming a shut-in which is honestly something I went through for four years before, it wasn't good.Ā
When you reach that point, you start becoming apathetic to everything.
Luke however, somehow started making me start having emotions again. Reading and learning about this character was actually affecting me in a way I have not been affected in a long time. He felt.. real, like I could feel his emotions, his love, his despair.
And that's part of why I got so attached to him and he became my comfort, because of him, I started to feel human again.
AHA CRINGE. OK enough with the sadness.
But I'll never forget how much Luke and Tears of Themis helped me keep a grip during those hard months. I'm in a better place now, it's not good- but it's better, and I still just open this game and visit Luke to help me ground myself.
One time after a bad day I accidentally touched him and he said this, I went insane-
I think that says a lot about the state of my sanity AHAHAHĀ
Call me Vyn because I'm a very self reflective person LMAO after I noticed my new hyperfixation, I started asking myself- wow, how did this happen? I was aware of the fact that the timing has played a part of it, but I also love analysing my emotions towards characters because believe me, if I fall in love with one, I could probably write a book about all the reasons why (this post barely covers any of it!) Iām very passionate about writing, so I gush about characterās writing a lot because that writing itself is what made me fall in love with them.
So here are some of the main points that stood out to me listed using lyrics from incredibly old songs that are not even what I listen to! LOLĀ
1) I can be your hero BaBEH
In Luke blossom chapter (and it might be referenced in some cards) itās revealed how Luke became an agent. I canāt find the exact scene but Luke says that as a kid, after him and Rosa were rescued by a police officer, he wanted to be able to make people feel that comfort he felt when the officer said āDonāt worry, Iām here.ā
One day at the capital while helping someone he got involved in some case and then the NSB noticed his actions and recruited him, Luke accepted because he wanted to get stronger and to be able to protect others with them. (Itās kind of sad that in the main story you notice the moment Luke reveals his identity as an agent to make others more relaxed, they become terrified instead LOL the police effect doesnāt have the same effect on others oops)
Luke also talks in that chapter about how it feels, being the āheroā
I actually completely understand his motivation, because growing up.. I had a very similar mindset. I had a bit of a rough childhood, but my respite used to be my PlayStation 2. I loved coming home and running to this very small TV we had and just boot up incredibly cheap copies of games that cost like two dollars LMAO and I idolized the heroes of the games I played and the TV shows I watched (it was mostly sonic tbh LOL) I wanted to bring others happiness just like how they did for me and others.
And I did act on it back then, but being a kid full of fears- over time my anxiety took over and I stopped. I became a person who only freezes and needs others to help instead of the opposite. Luke worked on his goal and became the hero he wanted and he keeps being that hero despite the reality he faced about the downsides, but he presses on. He basically had the courage I never had, and I admire him so much for it. He reminds me so much of my childhood heroes, and I mustāve noticed it from early on in the story.
His words towards Ted in that scene in his personal story really hit for me, I felt like Ted because I try but Iām not strong or courageous enough to help others the way that I want like Luke, but Luke says he thinks heās a hero in his own way for trying despite being a mess, because thatās how itās like being a hero in the first place.
I think Iām getting better now, I might not be who I dreamed to be as a child but I still try despite everything by helping others with little things and itās starting to make me feel so much better about myself as a person. Thanks Luke lmao.Ā
Expanding more on being the Hero, to be one you usually have to jump to action immediately.
I experienced the event āMystery of Bakerlonā and I noticed that they always show that Luke is always about action. If he sees any type of injustice, he jumps in to help unlike the other boys who would do it more in an indirect way. Seeing him immediately block someoneās fist while protecting another and then give those dead eyes- it does something to me LMAO
Also.. also.. YALL.. this scene
Heās also described as Rosaās knight? And takes the role of a fire fighter as well? Itās like they know what Iām into haha.
TLDR; I love my messy hero..
2) Lay your head on my shouldeeeerrr
I- Iām revealing too much of my dirty laundry in this post LOL
So basically I have a problem with feeling alone LOL I think most people do! and I donāt mean alone as in I always want to be around others- that sounds like a nightmare. But I mean alone as in no one to turn back to, no one to cry to, no one to even talk to while youāre at your lowest and need someone.
And usually it just feels like nobody cares- youāre just there to listen to their problems and be there for them, they donāt owe you anything. And really, they donāt because it was your decision to be that kind of person, because you care about them.
Luke for some reason, just happened to say the stuff I wanted to hear the most. āIām the rock and wind by your side.āĀ āIāll always be there for you.ā āIāll always support whatever decision you make.ā
So many of the cards show his devotion to the MC and I guess my delulu head ended up getting attached because those words would actually comfort me LMAOO
I canāt remember where this scene happens but one time, despite Rosa being the one in the wrong for being rude to Luke who was just worried about her not sleeping and working too much, he doesnāt get mad at allĆ¢ā¬Ā¦ She does apologize for her behavior (thankfully) but heās like hey donāt worry Iām not mad, I understand. And I was here like āwhy donāt I have people like you in my life?ā LOLĀ
TLDR; Heāll never leave you or let you feel alone
3) No one can hurt you nooww
Wow would you look at that? My obsession is connected to another fear of mine! LOL are we noticing the pattern?Ā
I have a hard time feeling safe- Iām not going into details but because of this fear every time I see a character thatās like protective, you could say I latch onto them wishing they were real so they can make me as safe as I feel whenever I see them.
Whenever Rosa feels unsafe or scared, Luke is always there to comfort her saying that thereās nothing to be afraid of because heās here. And it shows multiple times that Rosa really does feel so safe around Luke- and I just, man! I want that sense of safety badly AHAHHA But yea I become so down bad whenever Luke protects or assures the MC that sheās safe with him
TLDR; He makes me feel safe T_T
4) Luck and control, wait this isnāt a lyric-
So, I donāt know enough for this topic cause I probably need to read more Luke cards (I usually avoid reading ones Iām planning to get in the future but my luck has been terrible) but I have a sneaking suspicion- that Lukeās obsession with planning and controlling the future comes from how he feels like he has no control over anything in his life.
You notice in his stories that heās always meticulously planning, planning for trips- planning for the year, he has lists everywhere, keeps journals and he plans for every worst case scenario. Iā¦ I do the exact same thing LMAO part of the reason why is because it often feels like my life is always out of control so Iām desperately trying to quell my anxiety by trying to control whatever I can.
This loss of control usually comes from feeling like the world is out to get you, constantly getting in unlucky situations that make you wish you could have prevented it somehow and then it festers internally in the form of self depreciation like itās all my fault, I deserve this. (Something that Luke also said once, I deserve this- itās karma.)
So my theory is that Luke constantly feels unlucky and like everything is out of his control so he tries to plan and control his life to hold on to his sanity but all it does is drive the idea that he couldāve prevented things from happening leading to a lot of self hatred and guilt-Ā
but thatās just a theory! A game theory! Thanks for reading.
(but note that Rosa helps him through this mindset with making him be more free, a lot of the points here about Luke are actually basis for character development he goes through later on in his route with Rosa and gets WORSE in the main story which is interesting to see but also painful)
TLDR; Heyy life is against me too!
5) An angel with a shotguuun, wait- I listen to this song
Ah, the duality of Luke Pearce that somehow made me even more enamored by him.
(I can be your angleā¦ or yuor devil)
Luke is often described as warm, reminding the MC of sunshine, however he is also connected to rain (often in Luke cards if you havenāt noticed, Luke and Rosa keep getting DRENCHED LOL) Even in his confession and proposal cards, it rains on them.
His scent is described as sunshine after rain, because while rain follows Luke wherever he goes, thereās always a fire burning within him. This fire has been associated with Luke multiple times in the game.
Luke and Rain:
Luke and Fire:
There are so many more examples for both the rain and fire, and I think a lot might have noticed the fire part from his card āSky ashesā, the event āLukeout fireā, and his card āInvincible for Loveā The rain can also be seen in cards like āLooming nightmareā and 1st and 2nd anniversary cards.
I think Luke representing both Rain and Fire also connects with his double life as Detective Pearce and Agent Raven.Ā
If you look closely at this card by the way.. you notice that the āLukeā side is more warm color toned with a candle to represent his warmth and fire, meanwhile the āRavenā side has colder tones and thereās droplets of water on the glass looking like rain.
do you know what results from rain and sunlight?
Luke is surrounded by rain, however he has fire burning within him that Rosa is the one able to make him shine it, and thatās why when theyāre together.. a rainbow is created. A rainbow that she usually notices first, and can be a double rainbow representing how to Luke everyday with her has been a miracle to him.
Luke once says that he would always take Rosa to look for the treasure under the rainbow, but then he discovered that she was his treasure all along. I think heās not only saying it because sheās precious to him, but because to him, all the rainbows heās seen were created by her light. Thatās why his confession gift is the two of them holding hands under the rainbow, that rainbow is one created by them.
Iām a sucker for symbolism like this, and a sucker for characters that are so well written that you discover that there is just more and more below the surface. Luke is a complex character with two sides that are still him, and Iām captivated the more I learn about him.
TLDR; God theyāre so perfect and make me mentally illĀ
Bonus: Heard of Rain and Sunlight? Get ready forā¦
Dusk and Dawn
Sunrise and Sunset
There are many other reasons like the fact I think heās so freaking cool and I admire so much about him, or how due to my past I feel loved by gifts especially ones bought or made with me in mind- so when Luke turned out to be the type of guy to constantly be giving gifts ones MADE BY HIM and he constantly mentions that āthere are not enough occasions to use as an excuseā to give gifts to the MC. Ugh- agh- Iām dying.Ā
I also was a huge fan of totally spies as a kid I always wanted those gadgets they had LMAO I thought they were so cool- yet Luke over here is literally making ones and giving them to Rosa for protection. Like the keychain with an alarm, a lipstick tranquilizer and a hair pin for secret communication.. GAHH so cool and- caring!!
Okok but I need to stop or else we will be here even longer and this post is already so long AHAH
Hi, I'm Natsumi, and I'm wondering who is even reading this but if you are, welcome to a very long post about how I got into Tears of Themis, how it helped me through such a hard time, and how I ended up falling in love with a certain detective.
I made this post for an event on hoyolab but Iām posting it here too in my trashcan! I already wanted to have a post documenting this online just for myself, even if in the future I cringe while reading it, I can look back and remember the emotions I felt through the year. I also wanted to share it with the world so that maybe people will feel like me, or come to appreciate this character that I love so much as much as I do. (youāre free to reblog btw!)
Warning: This post is mostly about Luke!
It contains spoilers about some Luke cards and some spoilers for his Blossom Chapter. There are small scenes from episodes 2 and 5 of main story as well. Oh, and Artem and Luke 2nd anniversary cards.
If you are here because youāre interested in learning or reading more about Luke and do not care much for the rest, I recommend the interlude, part 6, and The end: part 1. The other parts also talk about Luke and his stories but those are the most important in my opinion.
Due to Tumblrās 30 image per post limit, this will be divided into 3 parts, each part added with a reblog.
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Index because this post ended up incredibly long so here are the parts laid out to read anything youāre interested in!
> Part 1: Introduction
(How did I learn about this game?)
> Part 2: Contact
(Getting the game)
> Part 3: The Beginning
(Starting the game and first impressions lol)
> Part 4: Falling
(FOR LUKE AHAH)
> Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
> Part 5: Obsession
(How and why did this obsession start?)
> Part 6: Reflection
(Thinking back on Lukeās personality that attracted me)
> The end: Memories
(Extra memorable moments)
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Part 1: Introduction
I play Genshin (shocker) and I have some online friends who play it as well, so when Tears of Themis came out globally since it's made by Hoyoverse as well, most people who played genshin went to check it out. I discovered Tears of Themis through those people, and I was recommended the game by my online friends.
What was my response?
āI have no phone storage.ā AAHAHAH, yes. I'm not a day one player. I only started during the second anniversary because back when the game came out despite being interested I could not play because I did not have any device that could handle the game. My phone could not handle Genshin's size either, it's not compatible to begin with- I played Genshin on the PlayStation [emoji]
However I did not forget about the game, I was just hoping that somehow one day, a miracle will happen and I will be able to play mobile games like other people LOL but what are the odds of that happening?... Well, a miracle happened 2 years later.
Bonus: I had a little beef at the time with Artem because I kept thinking drawings of him were actually of Jumin who is a very well written character I love like crazy from mystic messenger since 2016 BWAHAHA
Every masterpiece.. has its cheap copy.. IM JKJK PUT THAT KNIFE DOWN AHAHA
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Part 2: Contact
So one day I was visiting my aunt's house and met my cousin's acquaintance. I met the guy for like.. only 2 hours and during those hours my cousin told him about how I draw digitally but I have been drawing on an 8 year old phone that stays alive for like 30 mins at a time AHHAHA
The guy was like āThat's it, I'm getting you an iPad to draw on.ā I laughed, thinking he was joking- but then 2 days later I received TWO iPads, one for me and one for my little sister! W t f. Angels do exist on earth? And I was never able to thank him in person because he's a busy guy who only visited my village and I never saw him again o.o
Can you guess what I started doing when I got it? Download a bunch of games I wanted to try throughout the years but couldn't! Among them was Tears of Themis. My house didn't have the best Internet and had a couple hours of electricity a day so I downloaded it very slowly at my aunt's house.
I remember so clearly about how I sat next to my sister as I was downloading the game, and it started playing the second anniversary promotion video since it was starting during that time. At first I was like āaww, they proposing!ā but suddenly things turned spicy and I almost dropped the iPad from my hand HAHA.
I did not know what to expect going into this game because I stayed away from spoilers and videos about it since I knew I wanted to get into it myself one day (I was interested in the main story). It made me sad too to be honest because I wanted to play it but couldn't, so I avoided it for years.
I however, did not expect at all that the game would get THAT spicy LMAO my sister noticed my reaction and she was like āWhat's up?ā And I was like āyou cannot see thisā though she is older than the gameās age rating AHAHHA
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Part 3: The beginning
I was so excited getting into this game! When I started I was incredibly hooked to the main story, and at the time.. hear this.. I had a bias towards Artem because he looked like Jumin AHAHA
I was honestly more interested though in the main story than the boys, because the boys didn't make me feel much at the time- I do not have a ālove at first sightā I never had that kind of experience for real life people or fictional people. (Anyone can experience it, and that's valid! It's just for me personally that never happens.)
After knowing characters and learning more about them, that's when sometimes- I fall in love with them as a character, they end up giving me so much happiness just seeing them, they give me comfort.. And they fill up my sketchbooks HAHA is this love romantic? Usually no, that's very rare!
I did not feel much for Artem (turns out the only thing he and Jumin have in common were their looks and being socially awkward, shocker-) but I had a little interest that led to me pulling for his second anniversary card when I started being able to wish. I lost- and got a standard Artem, but then I won and got his card LMAO you can get a lot of wishes starting off. However I was doing the stories of the standard SRs, along with the main story and someone.. someone was warming up a lot to my heart.
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Part 4: Falling
The boys were all very interesting and lovely characters! (The NPCs as well!!)
Artem, despite how he comes off at work, is actually just a shy guy who is bad at communication outside of work.
Vyn is actually a very interesting and well written character being very different than the rest of the cast due to his unique upbringing (honestly? His family feels like a cult, bro literally is running from a cult) and you learn more about his own psychology the more you get to know him.
Marius is literally just an artist who wants to chase the life he wants but is hindered by responsibility and his position.
And Luke- Luke stole my heart LOL
First off, he's a detective and I've already confessed online to having a thing for detectives by a drawing- that starting since I was a kid and I watched detective conanš§āāļøhis introduction chapter.. was very interesting. It was literally the first episode, Rosa clearly knows and cares about this character right off the bat you're like hmm? What was this guy doing for 8 years? Why did he show up now after so long? Almost making him suspicious even. But he and Rosa seemed so close despite it all.
After that Luke had started showing up in the story here and there, a moment that made me go āohh.. what a cool guy.ā Was when after Mariusā case in episode 2, he shows up on a bike like āget in we outta hereā and saved her from all the reporters.
His theme plays at this scene.. my heartttt
Revealing he'd been watching her and the case from afar and was literally waiting for her to get out and get her away.
I started reading the standard SRs, the first one I did was āAmong the great blueā which honestly I recommend everyone doing again because I bet you all do not remember Luke saying this about Jellyfish
The card made me go *the rock eyebrow raise* GAHAH and at the time I was all innocent, not knowing anything about what Luke was going through, so when Rosa woke up and did not find him sleeping next to her (after she invaded where he's supposed to be sleeping lmao) and Luke was hunched over like āI'm fine I just accidentally swallowed gum lolā I actually believed him š there were signs, but it would fly over a player's head until things are revealed ON THE FIRST FREAKING ACT OF HIS PERSONAL STORY and suddenly everything makes sense. Wow.
When I started personal story, I was just starting it because starting all of them is part of the āRookie tasksā event you get when you start the game. Only to be punched in the gut immediately.
This is LITERALLY what youāre greeted with when you start his story š
I was starting to warm up to this guy and you're telling me.. he's sick and planning to leave us.. omg.
I got to choose one limited SR from the Rookie event, and I thought Luke looked adorable so I picked his card "A star in the palm" and the story.. omg that card, I'm weak. Everyone needs to see it, READ IT!
Itās illegal to be BOTH handsome and adorable smh
After that I started WANTING to do more Luke stories so I did the other standard SRs āRadiant Sunlightā, āTimely Rescueā, āInner Sanctumā. They were all so good, my favorite being Inner Sanctum for how much it messed with my heart.
Dude is literally falling and he STILL makes sure to protect her.
I- was dying. I started pulling for Luke's anniversary card, starting to regret my choice going for Artem's. But he wouldn't come-
So I went back to main story because that's how you get the most schips, and guess what- I had reached episode 5ā¦
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Interlude: Luke Pearceās Fear
The way episode 5 starts, Luke joins the NXX and Rosa is incredibly surprised seeing him there introducing himself as an agent from the NSB. Meanwhile Lukeā¦ is mad.
At first he can't believe Artem would even make her do this but she confirms to him that it was her decision, and then he spills the truth about his identity, and about where he's been the past 8 years. He apologizes, for lying, for planning to leave her again, for everything.
And then this happens.
You guys, this scene made me go straight up insane. You can tell how much he had cared and loved her for all these years, and how his biggest fear is literally the main character getting hurt or something happening to her. I felt so emotional over it, that after this act I started DESPERATELY pulling for his card and I finally- finally got it
Episode 5 BTW is one of my favorites in the main story, it is 3 parts because it's THAT good. It's when people will start seeing what Luke is as a character, what's beneath the surface you see in episode 1. (Also this episode introduced the best character: Hugh Moss AHAHH)
The parallel between Rosa, and Jasmine (the reporter whose case you investigate), was not lost on me. That reporter died trying to expose the truth which is exactly what Rosa has been trying to do. I think the entire chapter literally is showing you why Luke is so scared of her continuing the path she's in.
But you know what's the best part? He's freaking terrified, yet he never forces her to leave. He says this:
People keep saying Luke is a red flag that keeps trying to control Rosa and her actions and I swear my reaction is always āAre you even paying attention?ā Luke never forces Rosa, he only shows he's against it, but he always says he will support her whatever decision she makes.
A similar more light-hearted situation is the story of his summer card āIridescent Heartbeatā where Luke is afraid of Rosa getting hurt or doing things that are too much for her so he doesn't consider doing things such as Bungee jumping or rafting. But Rosa insists that she wants to do it and when she's visibly afraid later, Luke teases her a bit (LOL)
but then holds her close to him and soothes her saying there's nothing to be afraid of cause he's there.
He encourages her to do what she wants! And when she does indeed get hurt because the rope was too tight around her leg, he does NOT put the blame on her, but on himself-
Y'ALL HOW IS THIS GUY CONTROLLING??
(The scene after kinda got on my nerves cause Rosa got āangryā that heās not his usual ācheerful selfā like girl I love you but please- canāt you see how much you getting hurt affects him? She pretends that sheās angrier than she actually is making Luke apologize over and over like š but tbh it was also funny, I donāt like how she handled it but it was funny lol)
When they go rafting Luke lets Rosa take the lead and he will follow her because she wanted to prove to him that he doesn't need to plan everything, however Rosa's plan backfires, things go horribly wrong and she can't figure out how to get the raft to go straight. Luke again, does not reprimand her in any way and only helps her so she can do what she wants. Later on even after they've fallen off the raft and onto the water he immediately holds her and takes her up to the surface so worried like āare you okay???ā And despite all that, he says she's right. That she's always right and he will stop trying to plan and go more with the flow.Ā
Luke never tried to control Rosa, he just loves her so much that he does not want to ever see her in pain or sad. He wants her to be the happiest girl in the world.
So who is Luke? Luke is the coolest mf, a guy that always jumps into action to help others with a heart so damn big that his own emotions slowly destroy him. He has felt an astronomical amount of guilt and regret since childhood- and has cared for and loved the main character just as long. The girl who is the reason he was able to keep his sanity, the girl who he always wanted to protect, and the girl who is the reason he is still here today.Ā
I wholeheartedly believe that without Rosa in his life, Luke would've ended up completely different, if still alive at all.
Bonus: I remember people being like, the characters have gemstones that match their color in the proposal ring, so why does Luke have Ruby instead of something like Topaz? This is why.. the ruby in the ring represents Rosa (getting emotional over here omg) and honestly that ring is freaking insane because not only did he design and make it and its box by himself for years.. but a ruby is inside the key that Rosa gave to him.
Remember how Luke when you click on the key in visit says āI wear it like this to have it as close as possible to my heartā now look at the key.. if the Ruby is Rosa, and Lukeās heart is the key, do you see what he conveyed in that ring? Yea, Iām crying too.Ā
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Part 5: Obsession
I have a bit of an obsession problem, I've been obsessed with stories, games, or characters and that obsession can last years of my lifetime. And it's understandable, when you're going through terrible things in your life, you get attached to what makes you feel happy and you hold on to that feeling. That's what starts that obsession.
When I got the second anniversary Artem card I did the story immediately and it was.. it was alright. Artem wants to propose, but in his attempt to keep it all secret distances himself too much and gets Rosa worried, but then wow! He proposes with the help of his coworkers and happy ending + things get a bit spicy at the end.Ā
But I felt like.. like I'm getting deja vu AHAHA like I've seen this kind of story a million times before. (Probably cause I did from watching a bunch of kdramas and having consumed a bunch of stories from a lot of media) It did not exactly get me to feel anything much, I'm sure it's different for Artem stans though having him propose after probably following his story for 2 years XD good on you guys have fun with your mans!Ā
For me though who had just started, it did not have that much of an effect. After I got the Luke anniversary card I was excited and went into the story oh so innocently not knowing back then that Luke cards are honestly heart wrenching.Ā
It led to me crying in bed while the sun was rising from the window as Luke says āThat's because I love you.ā
The way how he blocks the wind from her and lets it hit him instead at that exact moment is freaking PEAK writing.
That card showed me a lot more about this man who is so shackled by his own emotions and circumstance, that he's willing to sacrifice everything even his own wants and dreams for the one he loves.
Have you guys seen that one official art with Rosa posing as Themis? And the boys are represented by the objects around her? Luke is the sword, Artem is the balance, Vyn is the blindfold, and Marius is the snake by her leg.
It starts to make sense why Luke is holding onto her sword to the point of bleeding, he's bleeding yet he looks up to her in absolute devotion not caring for what happens to him and his eyes are only always on her. Heās willing to be her sword, to take all of the pain and protect her so she can be happy.
My life.. has not been what is considered ānormalā. I'm not going to give my backstory in this post aHAHAH but at the time when I started Tears of Themis I was going through a very bad point in my life where I was close to have given up completely on my future and accepted my fate as it is. I had shut down completely, and I went back to becoming a shut-in which is honestly something I went through for four years before, it wasn't good.Ā
When you reach that point, you start becoming apathetic to everything.
Luke however, somehow started making me start having emotions again. Reading and learning about this character was actually affecting me in a way I have not been affected in a long time. He felt.. real, like I could feel his emotions, his love, his despair.
And that's part of why I got so attached to him and he became my comfort, because of him, I started to feel human again.
AHA CRINGE. OK enough with the sadness.
But I'll never forget how much Luke and Tears of Themis helped me keep a grip during those hard months. I'm in a better place now, it's not good- but it's better, and I still just open this game and visit Luke to help me ground myself.
One time after a bad day I accidentally touched him and he said this, I went insane-
I think that says a lot about the state of my sanity AHAHAHĀ
OMGā¦ Iām kind of busy but I REALLY need to update this blog! Just noticed that the links in my bio(?) are messed up for some reason, and when I clicked on the about me link I cringed myself half to death. I sound like Iām still a young amino user-
Anyway Iām going to make a list of stuff I need to change here and hopefully go through them one by one. First on the list is that horrendous page that I just witnessed. Iāll definitely update the website playlist as well, I bet the persona osts have been taken down for the millionth time aHAHAH
Since itās Lukeās bday Iāll also share that around a month ago I made this video based on a scene in his personal story! Feel free to check it out!
