hello, i just wanted to say that i love the game, it's so beautifully written/drawn/programmed and i cannot wait to play the full version.
i've been following for a while and only realized now that you have a tumblr so i wanted to ask a question i have. i read the most recent ask, at the time of writing this, and it really reminded me just how much power the li's have compared to the mc. as far as i'm aware, the mc is pretty much human or human adjacent.
knowing myself, i would not be able to rest dating someone who could literally kill me if they felt like it cause i would have panic attacks every day worrying about if i upset them or if i'm too comfortable (still playing all the romance routes though lol).
which leads me to my question, would we have the option in game to show our apprehensiveness towards the li's for our own safety? would they say anything if we were trusting one day then ignore them the next? pretty much a hot and cold relationship where we do love them but our fear of them outweighs that love at times.
and also (this could be really heading into spoiler territory so feel free to not answer), is there a chance of the mc ever being able to stand their own in a fight with any of them? thank you for reading, enjoy your day.
HELLO LOVE!! 💜
First of all, thank you so much for trying our demo! AND FOR LIKING IT!!
Alright, your ask is ✨packed✨ (in a good way) so I'll try to answer this avoiding spoilers. Keep in mind this is me replying as the writer, through my perspective. Y'all can disagree, and y'all can choose to explore things differently for your character! In fact, I think this would be something really cool to explore in fanfic :^)
Before we start, I hope I word my thoughts correctly and feel free to point it out otherwise! Sometimes the spanish brain gets too excited :^)
BEWARE OF THE YAPPING BELOW THE LINE!
Second of all! I think this ask would benefit from answering some other questions that are in our inbox rn.
So, I feel like it's necessary to make a distinction between the MC (or a regular human that's not the MC) and a Limbanian.
A Limbanian is born knowing gods exist. At least their gods. They're born in a world where superior beings help rule that world. Someone else asked whether their true forms are kept a secret—and the answer is no. Limbanians know the Sovereigns take on familiar forms to fit in, not only for their people but for themselves, too. Fitting in is an instinct and/or basic need they also experience.
Also, their true forms are not, for a lack of a better word, something you can objectively perceive. Limbo's history has various records and representations of the Sovereigns' forms. They look like what people think they look like, and that's also how they see themselves.
For example, it's "known" Gael's form is the biggest (we're not considering Pride here. its complicated). We talked in another ask about how their powers and therefore their size depends on the faith of their followers. However, some books talk about Gael's form having many arms, and others say he literally looks like a bookshelf. If you think of it, there's no truth. There's only perspective.
Thing is, people regularly interact with them. You can easily forget they're not "human". They do forget they're not "human" themselves. They speak, feel, and look like one. The concern is absolutely valid and they know this; that's why they take responsibility of the power they have in their own ways and don't judge people who don't trust them—generally. They're flawed and are driven by the same emotions as us. That they understand doesn't mean they feel good when they're reminded they're not like everybody else, or are treated / thought as monsters. The two can co-exist!
The power dynamics the Sovereigns have with their people are not the same power dynamics the MC has with them. The MC wasn't born in Limbo and has no ties to Limbo; they owe nothing to the Sovereigns, and so on. They have a choice in that regard. Obviously if Amon decided to torn the MC apart he could. Would he? No. He'd rather die.
Mind-wise, I think that difference is critical. More than being subjected to the power of an individual, Limbanians face the power of a system (or of a natural order of things, even) that is greater than themselves. They don't necessarily fear their monster form; they fear what it implies (and also a bit of lovecraftian mindbreak because it's cool. im not immune to the power of coolness).
would we have the option in game to show our apprehensiveness towards the li's for our own safety?
You can already show disagreement / hostility / mistrust to them during the demo (I hope it felt that way at least, it was my intention lol) and you can keep making that obvious during the initial beats of the story. The extended demo will also improve this, by the way! However, I can't say that will be a regular or central topic for various reasons:
Not all LIs will appear in their true form during their routes or even during the game
For me, as the writer, it's not something I see relevant for all the LIs or something I want to explore at length above other ideas
A matter of script length
River is not a blank slate
That doesn't mean it will never be brought up! In some routes it will, in some it will not—sometimes it will be obvious, sometimes it will be subtle. Sometimes we'll need players to fill in the blanks or assume River has talked this out with the LIs.
i would not be able to rest dating someone who could literally kill me if they felt like it cause
In regards to this (and I hope this doesn't come across as me challenging your thoughts but as me using your ask to address good points or perspectives others may have, which is what I'm trying to do!!) violence is a choice*. Anyone could kill you if they wanted to. I know it's not the same! I know where the thought of being scared of your safety steams from. It may sound like a crazy comparison, and maybe it is, but it's the base in which the whole game rests. That at the end of the day, human or not, the connection the MC builds with the LIs is irrevocably human.
*violence is not always a choice and this has many nuances but let's generalize for the sake of not writing a thesis paper
The LIs cannot choose what they are; they can only choose what they do with it. And you of course have the choice whether that's something you're comfortable with or not. Of course, you don't have to believe they're "universally good" (they're not)—as I said, the MC questions this several times, but eventually grows to trust them and love them like they would anyone else.
In addition—the LIs themselves wouldn't be able to date someone who fears them to this level. That they're not "human" doesn't mean they wouldn't feel a certain way when being presented of a fear of what they are. And this leads me to another ask we got today! The sender wasn't anonymous but just in case she doesn't want me to tag her, I won't reveal it!
Let's say the MC saw the true form of the LI's and now is very wary/uneasy with them (MC not average, they don't go mad :<).
How would the LI's handle the situation/try to help the MC?
They know that shit can be scary, better than anyone. They'd be understanding, supportive and reassuring. If further boundaries need to be set, so be it. Of course none of them would be happy at having unsettled the MC, and taking in their true form is not something they do happily or just because.
AND YOUR LAST QUESTION! Jeez, I'm sorry I yap this much!!
and also (this could be really heading into spoiler territory so feel free to not answer), is there a chance of the mc ever being able to stand their own in a fight with any of them?
To answer this without spoiling stuff; an ant can't fight a bear. There's no fight because there can't be. Both contendants are fundamentally in different planes. But the LIs wouldn't fight the MC, ever, and much less in their true form. At least willingly.
That'd be against them. Fighting alongside them—yeah! That happens in the game. And it's cool af! The MC can stand their ground perfectly fine, in different ways :^)
I hope I actually answered your questions! And of course, in case I have to say it again, it's completely valid to feel that way. Feel free to send as many asks as you want, too! We discuss a lot of things in the discord server, so I encourage anyone who enjoys talking about this stuff to join us there!
I was VERY nervous as time approached for the finale of When It Rains, It Pours. I don't like finales in general, and I had lived and breathed this show for weeks. I try to keep my expectations VERY LOW for finales. Most shows I might make one wish. Maybe two. Mainly, I just hope there's fewer than 2-3 narrative crimes.
But with this show - my wish list WAS LONG. I had three narrative wishes and NINE wishes related to symbol/parallels. That's a lot.
And the show delivered most of my wishes and MORE.
Unexpected Delights
The show actually brought a good number of unexpected delights to the finale. These were things I had nowhere on my wishlist and that I hadn't even thought to request.
#1 - The SUNSHOWER
Sunshowers are an EXCELLENT symbol for this show. They show rain still occurring even though there is a break in the clouds. This works as a metaphor on so many different levels. The clouds are gone. The light is shining. The rain (passion/desire) is still there.
In my culture, sunshowers do not have a positive meaning ("the devil beating his wife"). However, in MOST cultures, they do have a positive meaning. In fact, many cultures associate sunshowers with marriages and weddings of some type. In Japan, this is "the kitsune's wedding". It's considered a good omen.
#2 - The Water Droplet Sound
When Sei approaches Hagiwara with the umbrella, there's a water drop sound. These were used in earlier episodes when affection was being given, but there hadn't ever been a droplet when Sei GAVE affection previously (unless I missed it).
#3 - The "I want" Sequence
I absolutely LOVED the sequence where they went through everything they wanted to do together. To me, that sequence was the best part of the entire finale. It emphasized the "little luxuries of everyday life" that was referenced earlier in the show.
This sequence told you SO much about our characters and what they want to do after they get together. It was a clever way of indicating how much they missed each other, and it depicted that they really needed intimacy with each other (not JUST sex). It's "time together" before they actually got back together.
Since a theme of the show has been about expressing what you want and taking steps to achieve it, them verbalizing directly "I want..." was a big deal. Combine it with their voices alternating (and Hagiwara's tone in part of it). 😍 I melted. In particular, I loved the shot where Sei was watching Hagiwara.
This was inserted purposely to convey that Sei's feelings matched Hagiwara's. He's not as expressive. The show tells us he's a man of few words and that people may misunderstand him. So all of his words in this scene and the confession scene are PRECIOUS. He doesn't make a lot of eye contact (with anyone) so anytime he watches Hagiwara is a big deal.
#4 - Hagiwara Gets a Friend
There were numerous great things about the arc with Hiraiwa. Some were callbacks like Sei not thinking about the perfume after grilling meat. This was meant to show you the progress Sei is making.
Others were unexpected like the fact that Hagiwara purposely went out of his way to get Hiraiwa's contact information to Sei. It shows that while Hagiwara was respecting Sei's directive, he still cared about Sei. It shows that unlike Fujisawa, he's not isolating Sei. He's helping him connect. It's a great way of contrasting the two Kazuakis.
I also hadn't expected the parallel where Hiraiwa and Hagiwara grill the meat the same.
It actually reminded me of the discussion in episode 4. Sei said Hiraiwa was a nice guy and compared him (jokingly) to Hagiwara.
So to have them be LITERALLY similar in some ways was a nice touch. I also thought it was great that they took it one step further. Hiraiwa decided to befriend Hagiwara.
We haven't actually seen Hagiwara with any friends of his own (besides talking to his coworkers). His friends were all Kaori's friends. So it's nice to see that he's developing some new relationships as well. I had wished for Sei/Hagiwara to eat together (preferably rice); however, this worked better. It showed both men developing connections with Hiraiwa and stepping forward in life. I'm sure they'll eat rice together eventually.
#5 - The Female Coworker's Role
I enjoyed the female coworker being brought back in organically. She brings back up cheating (she was the first one to do it in the show), and she brings in the only reference to coffee this episode. 😭.
She even spills the tea. When I worked in an office, I loved these coworkers. I was Sei. If you hung around them often enough, you could find out all the good office gossip. She seemed like a realistic connecting point between our two leads. It was a great narrative purpose for one of our main people on the periphery. It's always a great thing when supporting characters can provide depth to the story's "world" to make it seem "lived in".
Narrative Delights
I have criticisms of the finale, but it did pull off quite a bit narratively in its short time. We saw Hagiwara moving into his new apartment and grapple with his potential job offer.
We know Sei had to take some type of transportation to reach Fujisawa's studio. They reached a type of closure where both of them could move on, and Sei is working through his trauma (it seems). Hiraiwa point blank says "he's better", "he's smiling". We see that in how he is using color in his wardrobe and moving out.
We got our happy ending with the leads kissing in the rain. More importantly, Sei was the one to approach Hagiwara with the umbrella (coming full circle).
In episode 2, Hagiwara held the umbrella over only Sei.
But now, they are sharing the umbrella together. It's also important that Sei is the first one to say he likes Hagiwara. Since Hagiwara has largely been the one initiating, it's important that Sei shows initiative as well. It helps depict them as equals in the relationship.
I mentioned that I had three narrative wishes. They were to show Sei dealing with his trauma, to show closure between Sei/Fujisawa, and to get our happy ending. Technically, I got all three.
The Symbols & Parallels Wishlist
As for my symbolism/callbacks wishlist, I had nine wishes based on items the show had brought up. I knew I wouldn't get them all. These were just things I thought would be cool if they happened.
Meet at the museum
SHARE an umbrella
Kiss in the rain
Sei hosting a party
Sei getting LINE
Drinking fresh coffee TOGETHER
Eating rice TOGETHER
Come up the stairs/from the underground TOGETHER
Exposed Feet TOGETHER
In the end - I got 4 of the 9. They were the most important four. It's possible that Sei not having LINE is a personal preference.
The other four symbols they can show us if they ever make a special episode. They really are things that would happen AFTER where the finale ended anyways. (Side note - I ONLY want a special episode if it serves narratively. Miseinen type of special episode? Absolutely on board. DON'T give me one that's poorly done.)
Bonus Notes:
Sei is eating pasta (again). I never dug into pasta, but Sei eats it at least in the intro & episode 3. This isn't instant ramen this episode even though he's eating by himself. Make of that what you will.
Additionally, there were numerous other dialogue or callbacks to previous episodes. For example, Hagiwara ripping off the bandaid or calling Sei a "liar" in the closing sequence.
Conclusion:
This show had a chokehold on me, and the experience watching it and sharing with everyone is beyond description. 💖
There's a ton more I could say. A lot of the dialogue could be examined in depth. As we've all discovered, this show is layers upon layer upon layers. The music/soundscape is also top-notch and worthy of deep dive, but I don't think I'm the best person for that task. For now, I'm done. I'll just bask right here in their happiness.
so seven decades ago in my youth i wrote fanfiction and i just went back and revisited my old fandom blog bc that’s what you do when you don’t want to read aristotle and oh my god people were so nice to me i was just a kid who was super depressed and sort of liked writing about people falling in love and that’s not really a thing i do anymore (both things) but it’s funny to revisit old chapters of your life and see it with new eyes, huh? it’s nice to see 40k hits on the things you wrote and people commenting that they loved it and it made their day to read it and authors you liked to read telling you they like your stuff and it’s such an odd feeling in your present day chest to remember how much that meant to you, years ago, and how nice it is to have nice comments from strangers on the internet
Just wanted to say I am trying to be better about kudos & comments from reading your Tumblr! Love your fic quotes and I really like that you pull the curtain back on the workings of ficdom in a way I hadn't encountered (I aim to try writing my own but keep putting it off). Anyway I am overdue to re-read Any Instrument - the location imagery you created in my mind with that fic is so vivid it is one of my favourite H/D worlds to revisit, like replaying a great movie.
<333333 anon!! I’m really glad to hear that you’re trying to leave kudos and comments more!! I know it can be rough, that sometimes you get to the end of a fic and you’re tired or rushing off somewhere or don’t know what to say. But it is such a loving, supportive, generous thing to do, and it is wonderful to hear that you’re being thoughtful about it and doing more of it!! (Also a great way to get more fic!!)
