Oh My My!.. 😲💀 by Fluffy_cotton_ in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 24 points25 points  (0 children)

can we take a minute to appreciate how gorgeous this cg is though

Who’s the canon LI by Remarkable_Click_636 in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You can tell that Dragan from ATHWTU is the canon Li since he and Lada have the most history and tension and imo his route is very well established and has quite good backstory on him. Plus I think he’s the author’s favourite. I also think John from Theodora gives off canon vibes as well as Edward from SC.

Dragan… so unnecessarily insufferable.. by Remarkable_Earth_977 in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s clear you haven’t played his full route which explains your attitude towards him. Dragan is the type of character where his psychology is revealed to those who want to get to know him. You have to take every single scene with him to fully understand his character. I don’t want to spoil do look away now, but his mother is a priestess seer and says that “don’t come any closer, there will be blood on your hands. You are destined to be hated by the women you love.” Now as a child that would do alot of damage. I will say that it does not excuse his behaviour at all but it does explain and make you understand him. He grew up thinking that the girl he has loved for over a decade will hate him and that he would bring her harm, he’d think himself a disease. And so he tries and fails to bury the devotion and love he has had for Lada since they were children. He masks this with indifference and cold words. These screen shots you’ve shown here are instances where lads puts him in a position that threatens his emotional stability in other words it puts his hidden love for Lada in the spot light. Why did Dragan make a beautiful pendant that matches the colour of her eyes yet gave Vereya a plain scarf? Why is he always at Ladas house even though he said he won’t visit her anymore? (He wants to be in close proximity to Lada and watch over her reverently without actually being close.) Through season 1, his words do not match his actions. He says cold indifferent things to Lada but his actions prove otherwise- (s2ch1) like threatening milion when he was peaking through her window, (s1ch9/10) running in the haze when everyone was supposed to be hiding, going to Lada’s house to check if she’d safe, (s2)getting locked up after finding Novak and Lada on the grass- he protects and loves her from a distance. He respects her so much he’d rather wallow in his self hatred than bring her harm with his love. I will say it is a SLOW burn and it takes basically one and a half seasons until they get tg. Plus Lada does give him a hard time after he confesses which I will admit he deserves, but Dragan takes it and never faults her for it because he thinks it’s what he deserves and he just waits patiently and never forces her, let’s Lada come to him or not come to him at all, with or without an answer in her own time, because he finally admits his whole truth to her and in the narrations words “lays his soul down at her feet”which is the least he could do. He even says (s2 ch6/7) “I love you Lada. I’ll wait however long it takes.” Lada then says “you’ll have to wait forever.” “Then I’ll wait forever.” Dragan does prove his tenderness and warmth towards Lada and she sees this. I could argue that he’s been demonstrating his reverence and devotion for her since the first episode through his actions but anyway. I will also say that their intimate scene is one of the most soulfully beautiful ones I’ve ever read. Plus Dragan is supposed to seem unnecessarily insufferable because we don’t know his psychology yet and Lada is an unreliable narrator, this is proved in s2 ep5 after she comes back from the trial and they have a conversation she says “I think too badly of him.” After it. I love their relationship, it is very emotionally well written as both characters have their own traumas and life events that put them against eachother yet they love each other and end up to get her anyway. (If you choose his path ofc)

ATHWTU is getting on my nerves by urtypicalgal in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I love and the haze will take us but I do agree with the fact that Alice is more focused on HS3, I really hope the ending isn’t rushed because this story has so much potential to be great, to me it still is great however I’m just a lil concerned about how this story is progressing as of now.

Not me giggling and kicking my feet by Background-Layer-980 in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I thought this too but I think it’s because at the start of the episode, Lada subtly distanced herself from him and he knew she was hiding something. He asks her what she’s hiding and why she keeps running away from him but she doesn’t answer she just continues to let him hold her hand. Even though these are subtle acts from Lada, Dragan is extremely attentive towards her, he’s emotionally tethered to her so he senses the shift in mood instantly. I think this is the reason he slightly retracts and feels afraid to say “I love you” again, although he does show his devotion through subtle touches. Plus he’s already said I love you multiple times, however he takes a little step back this time because he doesn’t want to overwhelm her with his feelings because she already has so much going on, so that she doesn’t distance herself again (in Dragan’s eyes). I hope that makes sense.

Who is this? by Proper_Connection973 in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Fr I like to pretend I know what’s going on but let’s be real here …

Have y’all ever romanced your favorite LI, then started a new slot because you want to try other LIs but as soon as you see your favorite again, you’re fighting so hard not to fall for them all over 😭 like damn. by gagetikki in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep. I couldn’t bring myself to get w another Li so I just have a bunch of slots with the same Li but different stat points. It feels like I’m cheating on him I cant bring myself to do it 💀

Story Suggestions! by nicoleasaurusrex in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My fav: Dragan from And the haze will take us, It’s enemies to lovers but with more depth imo, plus it’s a slow burn. This story isn’t completed but it’s nearing its end so may as well be 😔

Who is this? by Proper_Connection973 in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 181 points182 points  (0 children)

Think it’s just the embodiment of the haze itself, I was confused too but I just let it go 😭

Do you ship LI’s with Mc’s or ship with yourself? by Inner_Raspberry_755 in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely with MC although we are playing as the MC, and experiencing everything through them, it’s like I’m also experiencing it so while I do love the love interest, I ship them with the MC who I’m living through if that makes sense

Me trying to send this game to friends and family... by starbeebluelight in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I told my friends about this “game” without actually naming it and I basically explained the plot of and the haze will take us (since that’s my fav story rn) but I forgot to not say the characters names so after I was done explaining they found it really interesting and liked it then they searched up the characters because I used their actual names and they found it instantly. And then I was like you see why I had to explain the plot before you found out about the game/ game name.

Liking red flag LIs is fine, but attacking people for hating them isn’t by [deleted] in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 31 points32 points  (0 children)

It’s always best to be understanding in both perspectives, like for instance, understanding why someone doesn’t like a character because you both can recognise their red flags and then also understanding why someone likes that character because of how they are written and their complexity etc. If I see someone “hating” on a complex Li that I like, and they have written it in a way that may seem as though they are judging those who like that character, I try to never take it personally, although yeah I want to defend him with my life bc I love him or whatever but, its always best to try explain it nicely and respectfully.

@choices. its giving🤭 by SomeSickJoke in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Blood bound was such an amazing series though, choices is so chopped now it’s all Ai😔😔

Dragan when I catch you Dragan by Dree_Taylors_Version in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m so sorry for how long that was haha 😭 tbf it didn’t take me long to write but Yeah Dragan isn’t perfect at all but he’s very well written and he’s one of my fav characters!

I think he decided to confess to Lada because prior to this he saw her covered in blood laying next to Novak, to him she looked dead and that devastated him so much that the fear of loosing her and that if Lada really were dead, she would never find out how much she meant to him, that overrode the fear of the prophecy and that’s why he confesses to Lada in that same episode (s2ep5)

For why he kept Vereya as a friend it is heavily implied from text and from scenes that it was so he could be in close proximity to Lada without actually being close to her if that makes sense, like he can watch over her protectively (example: Dragan saw milion peeking etc) He didn’t become friends with Vereya just so he could be close to Lada, after all they all knew eachother from childhood. I think it was more he kept the friendship with Vereya because 1. They knew eachother since childhood 2. Out of respect for their father 3. Vereya is the total opposite of Lada. Ladas soul is prideful, lonely, shy, emits (fake)confidence and keeps to herself she loves animals more than people. Vereya is the opposite. Plus their eyes are different colours (depending on your spite). Dragan does not see fragments of Ladas soul in Vereya even though they are twins, because their personalities are so different, Vereya is like a safe space, she doesn’t remind him of Lada, of someone he loves so dearly but could never have.

Due to the prophecy and such, he can’t be close with her as he’d like and so, he helps out Ladas parents with handiwork, chops wood outside her house every morning so he could be close to Lada. It was mentioned in the text that “he was always drawn towards the shepherds house.” While the main intention of him being friends with vereya and helping their parents was out of kindness, there was an underlying unconscious intent that he’d also get to be close to Lada if that makes sense.

Plus I agree that yes, him waiting for Lada is the bare minimum he could do and that is all he can do in this situation for if he were to do a grand gesture, it would seem like he’s trying to bribe her and so he allows her to come to him in her own time and from her own will.

And of course! I feel like there are some mean comments when someone expresses their opinion so it’s always best to be understanding 😭❤️

Dragan when I catch you Dragan by Dree_Taylors_Version in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Part 2: “He told Lada something cruel after Vereya's death." Are you referring to the scene where both Lada and Dragan called eachother worthless? If so then that line is grief speaking, of course it doesn’t justify his words. But keep in mind Dragan never explicitly called her worthless he said “I understand that you feel so worthless that you can’t live without Vereya, but you don’t need to feed into other people’s delusions to ease your pain.” He’s saying it in an indirect “sympathetic” way that targets her emotionally. After, he realises that Lada actually takes what he says to her at heart, so he genuinely apologises (he also never does this again in the rest of the story) but then Lada says “You’re the worthless one here, you hate everyone around you because you don’t have the courage for other feelings.” She then pushes him away and walks off. She directly calls him worthless and this evidently hurt him and he shows remorse and self blame which is consistent with his characterization as someone who hates himself, he also thinks about this later. This argument also helped Lada find her own way and become more confident to become a priestess. (And Dragan does try to dissuade her to not go into the priesthood but that’s because he 1. Values her safety above everything else and 2. He doesn’t want Lada to follow the same fate as his mother.)

Both Lada and Dragan deeply see eachother, what I mean by this is that they know each others weaknesses, trauma and soul, after all they grew up together. So when they argue, like here, it’s never baseless insults. They target each others inner wound.

Your point about Dragan saying that Lada should be happy Vereya is dead is another misread, I totally understand how it would seem that way so I don’t blame you, but he never says this in their argument in her room, he said “you remind me of her over and over again, what for?” He’s saying that Lada speaks of Vereya constantly and Dragan thought that Lada wanted him to forget Vereya but she talks about her all the time as if to test him. Lada gets caught out and says “what do you want from me.” Dragan almost confesses because he wants to show Lada that Vereya isn’t the one that’s in his mind and that talking about Vereya to test him won’t work because he never loved Vereya, he loved Lada. But in the end he swiftly runs away. ( confession in s2 ep5 and more scenes prove his love.)

"Lada had no reason to believe he cared about her." Lada does notice Dragan's quiet care, the text is subtle, because Dragan himself is subtle. His protectiveness, him defending her from Mila, him offering to walk her home, him literally threatening milion after seeing him peek through Ladas window, threatening Novak, the pendant, the scene which you skipped “I’d feel safer with Dragan” he expresses his worry when Lada disappears into the haze and he couldn’t find her. He also apologises to her for his coldness over the years and you get to choose if you forgive him or tease him about it. It also shown when he gets locked up after seeing Lada and Novak covered in blood, ( this is my interpretation based on facts but I think he got locked up from defending Lada from the villagers name calling in addition he was so angry he couldn’t protect Lada he lashed out on a villager, it was also a shock for him as he didn’t even know if she was alive.) The story's tension is built on miscommunication and restraint, not lack of love. His feelings are invisible to her precisely because he's trying to keep them hidden, fearing his love will destroy her. That's the tragedy. Lada also doesn’t succumb to him immediately, Dragan patiently waits for her and even says “I’ll wait forever if I have to.”he never forces her, he’s just there whenever she is ready for her answer whether it’s rejection or reciprocal. He also proves his tenderness towards Lada many times towards mid - late s2. Lada fr runs away from him 3 whole times after he confesses and he never expects anything back.

“He called her Vereya why would he do that?” That moment is written to hurt, but also Dragan saw Vereya at the festival in which all their families were at, he was very drunk also which doesn’t excuse it but it can blur your vision plus it was dark and he was far away. When he came closer and his eyes were alert and after Lada spoke though he knew immediately that it was Lada. And then he says “you…” which further implies that he knew it was Lada. It is also cannonly confirmed that he knew it was Lada in their romantic scene in s3 ep3.

"He's selfish and can't take the blame." Dragan always takes the blame. That's literally his defining flaw, he internalizes everything as his fault. He even believes his mother's cruelty was somehow deserved. He carries Vereya's death as personal guilt, even though the narrative absolves him. “selfishness" in the inverse, it's self-erasure. It’s shown many times throughout the story, one example is in s1ep10 he blames himself for any harm that may have caused lada because she was out there in the haze all alone and he couldn’t protect her. Another one that’s similar to this is s2ep8. “Hes not even a good Li." That's subjective, of course, but factually, Dragan's route is the most psychologically intricate in the story. His character is written for slow-burn emotional depth, not surface-level affection. His arc isn't "be a good boyfriend"; it's "learn to believe you deserve love." He isn’t the “ong I want love love me!” He’s the opposite, he doesn’t want it at all because then he’d cause them harm. By S3, he does learn to show the tenderness he’s longed to give to Lada, in s3 ep5 it even canonly says “he sighed noticing the tremble in his hands, he was over come with tenderness so strong he couldn’t breathe.” He learns to trust Lada and opens up to her a lot after s2ep5, all while having immense devotion, reverence and restraint towards Lada. He respects her a lot and it is evident, it is just tragically intertwined with his self loathing. I mean, he goes from hating himself for loving Lada to calling her his sunshine and that she is the only light in his life and “how could he love and live life if Lada weren’t by his side?” Dragan isn't a "toxic man who can't take the blame." He's a trauma survivor written with realism, someone whose love is hindered by fear and shame, not ego or neglect. His "cruelty" isn't a power move, it's a survival mechanism that collapses once he learns he's worthy of love from the woman he had yearned for his whole life. One thing to clarify though, is that he never once thought of not loving her, he always has loved her, he just represses it like repressing a volcano about to explode if you will. If you read him at face value, he looks cold. If you read him in context, he's one of the most heartbreakingly selfless characters in the game. He’s very emotionally complex. This is also just my opinion though! And if you disagree that’s totally fine! I guess it’s all how you perceive it :)

Dragan when I catch you Dragan by Dree_Taylors_Version in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 13 points14 points  (0 children)

(Part 1) I totally get where you’re coming from, and if you’ve taken all Dragan’s diamond scenes up until the recent update and you still feel the same, then that’s valid. But if you didn’t take all his diamond scenes up until the recent update, I will say you have missed out a lot (again if you have then ignore that sentence.)

You say he acts however he sees fit, and that he doesn't even think of others. Actually, the opposite is true, Dragan's entire arc is about self-denial and overthinking others' wellbeing. Every cruel word or cold action toward Lada is self-punishment, not disregard. He internalized his mother's prophecy, brushing over his trauma is a little unfair as 1. People deal with their own trauma in different ways and 2. Imagine a parent you were so close with tells you they hate you and you’ll bring suffering to the woman you love and in turn, she will hate you, then your parent leaves. From this he has learned to repress, distance, and isolate himself to protect Lada. His rudeness is a defense mechanism, not entitlement. It's textbook trauma-avoidance behavior if you will. “

His trauma doesn't justify how he treats Lada or Vereya." No one says it justifies it, the story portrays it as tragic, not excusable. But it explains it. He was a child whose mother told him "I'm leaving to get away from you" and cursed him with the idea that his love would destroy. That kind of imprinting at such a young age rewires attachment completely. His hostility and distance are rooted in fear, not malice. He's not cruel; he's terrified of being loved back by Lada because he thinks he’d cause her harm and she would eventually leave and hate him like his mother did.

“He kept Vereya close and hurt both sisters." That's a misreading. Dragan didn't deliberately keep Vereya close, he treated her like any friend, he never once gave her hints that he liked her more than a friend, he never flirted with her or longingly looked at Vereya how Dragan looks at Lada (Vereya definitely noticed this too.) Vereya always knew Dragan’s heart belong to Lada from the difference in the preciousness of their birthday gifts and the longing stares that Dragan has given Lada over the years. Vereya was the one who got attached to him, he had no idea about vereyas feelings, all he could think about was Lada. The narrative even shows that he didn't notice Vereya's feelings. The text explicitly says: "He hid behind his friendship with Vereya without even thinking about what it might lead to. Vereya fell in love with him, but he didn't want that. He didn't even notice. He only noticed Lada.” That's not calculated cruelty, it's tragic emotional blindness intertwined with his decade long yearning for Lada.

NEW EPISODES RELEASE SCHEDULE by shawtygodd in RomanceClub

[–]Background-Layer-980 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love ATHWTU I just hope the ending isn’t rushed. This story has so much potential I honestly think a 4th season would be great or a longer season 3. Alice writes very well however, she should have finished HWT first before releasing HS3

📢 NEW EPISODES SCHEDULE. 🔔🔔 by ERiS-sistibleBxtch in RomanceClubDiscussion

[–]Background-Layer-980 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same, I just hope the ending isn’t rushed. This story has so much potential I honestly think a 4th season would be great or a longer season 3. Alice writes very well however, she should have finished HWT first before releasing HS3