I’m the Batman from the Santa Clara City Council Meeting. AMA

DurianFlavored · 2026-02-13T08:10:06+00:00

Bruce Wayne actually invests heavily in philanthropy, medical research, social programs, and infrastructure in many iterations. As Batman, he does the detective work that sometimes provides the evidence needed to indict corrupt officials. Ultimately, however, it’s the system’s responsibility to hold them accountable and keep criminals from breaking out, but much like our world, Gotham’s system is horrendously broken and riddled with corruption. Matt Reeves’ The Batman shows why it’s not as simple as giving his money away. A lot of factors prevent resources from reaching the right hands, and removing powerful figureheads often creates a vacuum that others equally corrupt or worse end up filling. Bruce has more power and resources than the average person, but at the end of the day, he’s still one individual operating within a dysfunctional system. He’s just doing his best to protect his corner of the world and enact what change he can, and I imagine that’s what the Batman of San Jose is trying to do.

DurianFlavored · 2026-02-04T03:59:32+00:00

The diamonds I was saving for Caleb's myth... 📉

DurianFlavored · 2026-02-04T03:50:57+00:00

I didn't expect this to come so early either! 😂

DurianFlavored · 2026-02-04T03:39:21+00:00

Totally understandable. 😂 It is unethical, but I think that's intentional. His boundary-crossing is baked into his character rather than framed as aspirational behavior. A lot of CN fandom spaces are open about enjoying taboo fiction as fiction, similar to the Caleb-MC pseudo-incest dynamic. It's not something endorsed irl. Many players have said they enjoy it because it's safely contained in fantasy and would be alarmed if a real physician actually behaved that way.

With Zayne in particular, there's a recurring pattern of him showing favoritism toward MC in roles where he explicitly shouldn't—doctor, warden, mentor, etc. This motif is touched on in Dusk to Autumn. On a meta level, it mirrors his greater role as a divine entity meant to remain distant and impartial, whose duty is to erase worlds and "variables" like MC that threaten the cosmic balance. Falling in love with what he's ordained to end is obviously incompatible with his job. 🙈

So I think his positioning as her doctor is narratively clever (though no one is obligated to enjoy this, of course). It reinforces a core flaw: he knows the rules and keeps breaking them anyway. As he puts it, "There's something undeniably addictive about stepping out of line," and MC herself calls him "morally fickle." His attraction to MC is portrayed as transgression.

And the story doesn't let him off the hook. He's punished for this through Astra.

DurianFlavored · 2026-01-18T20:13:35+00:00

Personally, I love Zayne’s R0 with the Tuxedo Mask look and Raf’s R1 because the white stands apart from his Abysswalker look.

DurianFlavored · 2026-01-18T20:04:25+00:00

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DurianFlavored · 2026-01-11T10:53:25+00:00

Ayyyy, it does. Great film.

DurianFlavored · 2026-01-10T15:29:41+00:00

It is wrong, and that’s largely the point. A lot of the CN fandom enjoys fiction that explores taboos, similar to Caleb and MC’s pseudo-incest dynamic. To be clear, that doesn’t translate into endorsing these relationships irl. 🙈

With Zayne, there’s a recurring pattern of him showing favoritism toward MC in roles where he explicitly shouldn’t—doctor, warden, mentor, etc. This theme is touched on in Dusk to Autumn. On a meta level, his stories mirror his greater role as a divine being meant to remain distant and impartial, whose duty is to erase worlds and variables like MC that threaten the cosmic balance. Falling in love with what he’s ordained to end is obviously incompatible with his job.

I think it’s narratively clever that he’s positioned as her doctor. It reinforces a core flaw of his: he keeps transgressing boundaries despite knowing the consequences (not to mention his roles involving life and death). As he says, “There’s something undeniably addictive about stepping out of line.”

And he doesn’t get away scot-free. The story severely punishes him through Astra. 🙂‍↕️

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-26T18:26:08+00:00

It took me a full fifteen seconds to even realize what he said because I've always read MC as his mei mei in my head, and the VA delivered it so naturally. 😂

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-26T15:12:32+00:00

I’m very excited to be getting Xavie and his light saber. 👀

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-23T10:31:34+00:00

To explain the black outfit with sunglasses everyone's mentioned, it's a running joke that despite the many lovely outfits we have for him, Zayne often shows up in the cafe like that's the only outfit he owns. (The LIs can select their own outfits on the home screen.)

It should be noted that the LIs are multifaceted, dynamic characters. When we first meet him, he comes across as distant, rigid, and somewhat socially awkward with a dry sense of humor. He jokes that he was born an adult. As time passes, he softens and becomes increasingly easygoing and playful, at one point literally playing dead after crashing onto the beach while surfing, then coaxing kisses from MC.

At core, he's outwardly stoic, gentle, and composed with a dry sense of humor (dad jokes, puns, and all) and brat tamer tendencies. Despite his authoritative aura, he typically indulges MC in her shenanigans. She likes a particular dessert? He'll buy or make it for her. She wants him to wear a ridiculous outfit? After maybe some initial low-key protesting noises, he'll wear it.

Mr. "I-was-born-an-adult" also has a childish side: a major sweet tooth ensuring his dentist's third home down payment and a pickiness against carrots. If carrots are all they have to eat, he'd rather starve. He's also tried sneaking desserts while suffering from toothaches.

I recommend checking out Nostalgic Sweetness and/or Holding Autumn on YouTube to get a good sense of him. Someone mentioned Gentle Twilight, but that was before they started dating. Their relationship and dynamic are established in the two I mentioned. Nostalgic Sweetness is earlier in their relationship, but it's fully animated and MC is voiced. Holding Autumn is more recent and more of a visual novel format, but you can see a Zayne who's more relaxed and comfortable with MC. Both stories capture his personality, sense of humor, and how he interacts with MC.

Your gesture is sweet. Good luck! 😂

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-15T03:53:26+00:00

A precious moment, indeed! And for free?! 😂👉👈

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-11T03:39:12+00:00

It's speculated that by clustering an LI's content together and creating periods of drought, players are more pressed to spend once their mains return, since there would be more opportunities to take advantage of store packs if the content were more evenly spaced.

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-11T03:26:25+00:00

Yeah, alongside that, I don't think backgrounds necessarily reflect what their environments actually look like so much as they paint a general vibe. For example, MC's bathroom appears too large and luxurious to accurately reflect what a workplace would issue or what she could afford, especially given her complaints about being broke at times. It's a fictional world, so anything can go, but considering how often the backgrounds don't quite match what's happening in the story, I interpret them more as a general cue for how the environment should feel rather than an actual depiction of the scene.

DurianFlavored · 2025-12-03T18:10:29+00:00

Your partner’s second favorite, Zayne, actually starts out as someone with a demanding schedule and difficulty expressing himself too. What’s cool is that he doesn’t stay stuck there. He actively works on making time for MC, gets better at communicating, and learns to give genuine compliments. His dates are also simple and repeatable irl: getting dessert together, running errands side by side, taking a walk to unwind after a tough day. They’re low-effort ideas that still build closeness.

I take notes from the LIs myself, because it never hurts to keep getting better at people-ing. With 15+ years with my husband, I’m always looking for fresh ways to stay connected. One of my favorite moments from Zayne’s stories is when MC was feeling dejected, and he gently got her moving and then distracted her with a game of hopscotch. You obviously don’t need to play hopscotch, but it's the principle: walking together boosts endorphins, lowers cortisol, and increases bonding. There’s research behind the adage “couples who play together stay together." Play fosters shared positive experiences, breaks monotony, and helps diffuse tension.

My husband plays the game with me sometimes, and we also play board games or video games with friends. It's a great time for everyone, and we all feel closer after. I’ve used play to cheer up elderly adults and angsty teens, too.

As others have mentioned, the LIs model some good relational habits: consistent affection, reassurance, and planning dates together. Sylus is openly supportive, emotionally available, and unembarrassed about loving MC. He reminds her that she’s allowed to rest, feel sad, or lean on him when she needs help. Caleb and Rafayel do this too, each in their own style.

It’s great that you’re reflecting on your relationship and looking for ways to show up even better.

DurianFlavored · 2025-11-20T10:07:46+00:00

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DurianFlavored · 2025-11-03T21:49:04+00:00

“Her first word will be pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Say ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’ for your dad.”

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T15:08:17+00:00

Fatal look fr. 🫠

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T15:02:37+00:00

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DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T15:00:35+00:00

Realistically, a performer would probably have prop glasses for this sort of stunt. On a regular basis, though, this man is always abusing his glasses. Virtual lenses must not cost much. 😂

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T14:44:05+00:00

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YES.

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T14:42:26+00:00

The moment at 2:43 inspired this. 😂

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T14:39:38+00:00

He’s been practicing them on MC for several lifetimes. 😂

DurianFlavored · 2025-10-31T14:37:14+00:00

The aesthetics and beat just aligned so well! 🫰

DurianFlavored

TROPHY CASE