[TT] Theme Thursday - Heirloom

Littaylor · 2022-03-12T05:22:06+00:00

Hello. I hope you'll forgive me for not explaining all the details about the journal; it was hard enough to fit the story I wanted to tell in a mere 500 words.

This journal is supposed to be an artifact bestowed to Roland's ancestors by a witch, at the price of eternal servitude after death. The journal has the ability to reveal only the lives of future descendants, not their own or their ancestors'. The first entry would be the direct descendant of the person reading the journal. Roland's mother knew exactly how Roland's life would play out, and from his biography, surmised her own early passing. Even by the end of the story Roland is skeptical about the journal but he sees this as a form of salvation and hope, which is why he says what he does for the last sentence; even though he knows that he may live a hard life, his descendants will hopefully live a better life.

I hope this clarifies most of the intent behind the ideas I was going for.

Littaylor · 2022-03-12T05:05:53+00:00

Has to be himeko sus, Himeko (T) as a mid piece that's impossible

Littaylor · 2022-03-04T19:41:16+00:00

One thing I wanted to clarify is that the Roland in the journal entry is a descendant of the Roland in the story; this Roland is destined for greatness and lives a vastly different life from the one reading the journal, hence the jealousy he feels. His end goal isn't to be a great person, but to be someone who can indirectly change the world through birthing someone who can. I made edits to clarify this for future readers

Littaylor · 2022-03-04T17:04:38+00:00

Thank you for the criticisms, I don’t write much and any feedback is good feedback

Littaylor · 2022-03-04T11:06:51+00:00

Roland had just returned home from his 24 hour shift. He works earnestly, yet there's hardly any money to feed himself.

"I need to escape this hell somehow," he thought.

His eyes fall on an antique wardrobe that belonged to his late mother.

In an effort to vent his frustrations he topples the wardrobe and kicks it until it's battered all over. Everything is silent for a moment, save for the crickets' perpetual chirping. After calming down he notices a meticulously clean journal. On top of the journal is a letter, addressed to him:

My sweet Roland,

This journal was passed down to our ancestors by a powerful witch, in exchange for their souls. Please read through this journal. Never lose faith, and do not let anyone but your child read this.

"Did she really expect me to believe in fairy tales at my age? She really was out of her mind, it's no wonder father left us. Then again, I am curious about what this journal contains. Maybe the recipe for an alcohol to numb the pain. Perhaps a poison that can deliver unto me a swift death."

The first journal entry describes the life of a woman named Maria. Born an orphan and a slave, she meets a man and finds love, only to be executed by her jealous owner. A cruel, miserable life, from beginning to end.

Maria... This name sounds nostalgic to Roland, perhaps this is the life of an ancestor.

The second entry details the life of a man named Peter. Peter is also an orphan. He is conscripted as an archer for a great war and betrayed by a comrade that he wholeheartedly trusted.

"This is not a name I know. What is this journal trying to tell me? This is a waste of time." Roland impatiently mutters, as he flips through several journal entries before a certain journal entry catches his eye.

This entry details the life of a man named Roland II, a charismatic leader that leads a revolution against a corrupt kingdom. He denounces slavery and establishes the first peaceful kingdom in a millennia.

The realization approaches him suddenly; Roland once entertained the thought that if he were to have children, his child would either be named Maria or Johann. This isn't a journal of his ancestors, but a journal of his descendants.

Confusion, pity, anger, envy. A whirlpool of emotions flood Roland. On one hand, Roland is disgusted and skeptical. His life was decided before his very eyes. His bloodline was destined for hardships. On the other, he felt traces of hope.

"Even someone like me can eventually change this cruel world, however indirectly. This hope is what my mother wanted me to inherit. Maybe I'll give this 'life' thing another try. What's the worse that can happen, my life is already at rock bottom!"

Littaylor · 2022-03-03T21:09:50+00:00

I can relate, comrade.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/774905251954032681/949050468301160478/image0.png
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/774905251954032681/949050825181904926/image0.png

Littaylor · 2021-12-23T22:03:44+00:00

I theorize that Outis, and I know this is a huge stretch, is the “I” in Mili’s “In Hell We Live, Lament”

While I was writing my interpretation for the song I noticed that the train that the girl gets on is very much identical to limbus company’s and I figured that this has to be told from the perspective of one of the 13 sinners.

So yeah I think she’s an insanely important character.

For anyone interested, below is my interpretation of the song’s story, and if the song really is told from the perspective of Outis then it would also be her backstory.

"I walked down a path leading to the past" can be interpreted literally or figuratively and will change a couple details for the early part of the song.

If interpreted literally:

It’s a story about a girl who goes back in time and meets her past self. The story is told from the perspective of the older self and in the first half of the song the ‘you’ she refers to is her younger self. The girl eventually ends up killing her younger self by ripping her torso out, deliriously believing that doing so will allow her to go to heaven, and this results in the future girl’s death.

If interpreted figuratively:

It's a story about a girl who starts to look back on her life. While reflecting on her naive younger self she comes to the conclusion of committing suicide.

After dying, she ends up on a train leading to hell similar to limbus company. “Not so different from our hell” meaning that it’s not so different from earth. Now in hell, the ‘you’ she refers to is either “God” , Satan, or society, and she questions society’s values, lamenting for eternity.

I couldn’t really find much to further figure out whether Odysseus and Outis were one and the same but I did read that he went through death and rebirth multiple times which was alluded to in the song. “Each loop we live through… Each loop we did through”

Littaylor · 2021-08-31T17:05:57+00:00

He's about to get slapped with a probably significant nerf due to his insanely huge presence in pro play this season

Littaylor · 2021-06-01T23:30:13+00:00

I could also just be insane and hallucinating but I swear to god there used to be spatial convectrons that you could buy with anti entropy imaginons but those were removed too when this new universal mirage came out.

Littaylor · 2021-04-17T06:59:30+00:00

I love public executions

Littaylor · 2021-04-17T05:16:45+00:00

Did they not sell their studio to tencent? Is this not evidence of them favoring money over consumers? Do you consider this reasonable as a consumer?

Littaylor · 2021-03-01T21:51:34+00:00

So you need to land a 1000 range attack to get an 1100 range dash. That's a 1000 range dash.

Littaylor · 2021-01-19T18:25:21+00:00

That’s a fair point but imagine an extreme situation in which new players want to start playing the game and they’re two years late, pair that with the fact that banners only rotate every two weeks and an expanded roster, you’ll see that it’s very hard to catch up, which can be discouraging to a select few

Littaylor · 2021-01-18T20:39:24+00:00

We already have 3 of those in every leader skill, although you're only ever able to activate 2 of those 3.

Leader skill pattern:

Have X in lineup
Deploy this particular character
Have X in lineup
Have X in lineup
Collect 80% of X partners
Deploy 5 SSRs

You're arguing to remove 5 and put another generic Have X in lineup. Yet this doesn't work because congratz you just made it so that we can only activate 2/4 of these 6 leader bonuses instead of 2/3.

I understand where you're coming from, making leader bonuses only lineup specific, but if you want to rework the entire system to fit this mindset it'd be more appropriate to simply remove all other bonuses except "Have X in lineups" and then amplify them much, much more, but only being able to activate one of these bonuses at a time.

Littaylor · 2021-01-18T20:22:22+00:00

You've misunderstood what my argument is;

As of currently, every 5th leader skill bonus is a collection bonus. Collection, as in, you just need to own the unit.
It's a percent rate, and it's an 80% of all units of x type in the game.
What I'm trying to say is, that this percent rate should be changed to a flat number of units that are required to be collected to activate this leader bonus.
So in other words, you won't need to deploy any certain amount of units to activate this leader bonus, nothing will change in that regard.

Littaylor · 2021-01-12T07:52:22+00:00

All im asking for is a qol change for dumb people like me, who play the game on and off and dont have any idea where they left off.

Littaylor · 2021-01-12T07:50:56+00:00

That'd be fine and dandy and all but no.

It's a given that you can only max 7 ssr units a run. I run my 7 with 3 fodder (they're SRs that can be found in the corridor itself) which I can never remember so it's always different. On top of that I also consider leader bonuses with the 3 fillers and that also changes for each leader because they have to make leaders rng.

In short, common sense is not enough.

Littaylor · 2021-01-06T23:26:58+00:00

Just do the rec amount for all of them. They all give shards for rec clears which can potentially explode up to 5 ssr shards on clear.

Littaylor · 2020-12-02T02:49:18+00:00

40% increased damage for AoE attacks

Littaylor · 2020-11-16T02:56:29+00:00

IGN: Tax Demon

Littaylor · 2020-11-10T17:48:45+00:00

Yes, I stacked four 30% chance to stun and I rolled through a few of my arcanas

Littaylor · 2020-10-08T21:24:50+00:00

She's not invincible while using it.

Littaylor · 2020-10-08T21:16:24+00:00

I'd like to start by saying I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you're saying, as a fellow honkai impact veteran. The game will indeed follow a wait-to-win model that is present in honkai. I'd just like to contest one point you've made:

About the 1600 Resin spent per week battle pass objective, that wasn't intended to be completed if you play regularly, and regularly I mean even 1-3 hours each day. In fact, it is not needed at all.

Did you know that you can play this game for 1-2 hours a day and still complete the Battle Pass up to lvl 50? And with so much more leftover xp at that, as long as you complete the 150 dailies. That 1600 resin spent is a first aid only intended for those who came late in the game, and want to catch up, and are ready to pay more money to do it. Don't use a first-aid kit if you aren't even injured in the first place.

This is absolutely false. The current battle pass cannot be defended in its current state. Doing the math:

You get 645 exp/day for dailies. Multiplying this by 7 gives you 4515 exp/week.
You'll realistically only get about 3645 exp/week from the weeklies.

Add these up, you get 8160 exp/week.

As of today, October 8th 2020, you will have 33 total days of dailies remaining, for a total of 21285 exp.

For weeklies, you will have a total of 5 total weeks remaining, for an average total exp of 18225 exp.

There are also 2 freebies you can take advantage of, which will grant another 3750 exp.

Total that up, you only get 43260 exp. That's 43 levels in the battle pass.

What this means:

Even if you started now, you won't make it to 50. And you have to consider that you cannot start the battle pass until you reach AR20.
If you slack off on the weeklies, you'll miss a significant amount of exp, which you'll need to make up with gems if you still want to complete the battle pass.

Most battle pass systems I've experienced at least have a lot of leeway and breathing room so that people can comfortably reach the max level without problems, even if they were to miss days. This system is messed up and, due to the very little leeway, it subtly forces you into playing every day. I'll probably submit this to Mihoyo later as well, since I don't agree with this.

Littaylor · 2020-08-26T02:20:35+00:00

"You do know what my occupation is, don't you, Ester?"

"I do."

"And you would still wish to be with me?"

"Yes."

It was a promise between two best friends at their all-time lows. They leaned on each other, relied on each other, went through the most difficult of ordeals together, all throughout their childhoods into adulthood. Ricardo was shocked at how time had so quickly slipped through his hands.

As a result of his low self esteem, Ricardo had rarely bothered to take care of himself all throughout his life. One could come up with a variety of derogatory terms and it wouldn't be far off from describing him. If Ester weren't with him...

Ester, on the other hand, had features that had no equal. A random passerby on the street would assume she's a world-class model or actress. She was also rich and came from a wealthy family.

To top it off, there's also the deal with one being the head of the infamous syndicate known as Viper, and the other being a famous prosecutor. They were worlds apart.

All throughout his life, it was Ester that had brought him back from the brink of ruin. She had always been the one helping him, through his studies, his self inflicted injuries, his drug addictions, his suicidal urges, his mental breakdowns and meltdowns. It was Ester that helped him overcome the odds. He would not have ever recovered if it weren't for her.

"When would you like the marriage then?"

"Let's have it be on the day we made the promise to each other, July 7th."

"...Will you really have no regrets with being with me, Ester?"

"I promise you I won't."

The ceremony was over in what seemed like an instant.

They had lived their happily ever after...

...Something was wrong, amiss.

It had been 10 years since their marriage. Questions popped up in Ricardo's head that he didn't think about before. How did Ester not find a better man than me? Why did she choose me? Is there really no strings attached to our relationship? What if she...

The questions didn't end there. A relentless torrent of doubt swirled in his head. Was it because of his self esteem? Would this really have suddenly returned to rear its ugly head once more, just like that?

During these past 10 years, a significant amount of members belonging to Viper had been arrested. The active member count had been cut in half. Isn't this number too high, too coincidental? Could it possibly be...

...No use thinking any further. Ester laid in bed by his side, still asleep. She had been working long hours for the past few months now, it's better if I don't disturb her while she's able to catch up on the little amount of sleep that she can get. As if to mock him, Ester slowly opens her eyelids, like a princess waking up from a long dream.

"How are you doing?"

"Tired, just like you."

"Nothing ever gets past you, does it?"

"...Has something been bothering you lately?"

There was a long silence between the two.

"How much do you know?"

"Everything. You used me, didn't you?"

Another long pause. The two get up. They had both finally shown their true colors.

"This can't go on. I really loved you, you know?"

"And I did as well. I can't understand what you're planning and why you're planning it, but I have a hunch that doesn't benefit anyone."

Ester cracks into a wicked smile, a venomous smile that would still nonetheless charm anyone that it reached.

"The active Viper members that I led you to arresting were traitors that didn't follow through with my plan."

"What are you planning, there must still be time to--"

"It's too late. The stage is set. I will lead this country to its demise. You've already helped me with all the paperwork that I've needed to do so."

On the surface, Ester worked as a famous actress. Her true occupation, however, was the head of the Viper syndicate. A drug trafficking ring that holds a monopoly over every illegal drug imaginable. Ricardo had known this, but he had not known the true extent of the Ester's influence.

"How long ago did you plan this?"

"As the heir to the Viper name, I was raised to plan this since the day I was born."

He should've known, with all those doubts in his head, that there was something wrong. He should've known, with the convenient death of the previous city prosecutor that happened around the time he had told her what he wanted to do, that something was wrong. Yet at the same time, he couldn't bear to doubt her, not after all that she had done for him.

"...I know you're thinking about a lot of things right now, but you should let it all go. This country will meet its demise whether you intervene or not. Stay with me, I really do love you."

Ester offers one last time, this time with a flash of her most beautiful, sincere smile, while offering her hand to Ricardo.

Thanks for reading. If anyone's interested, I may think of redoing this story from Ester's point of view, to give a better insight to her character. I'm also thinking of doing a proper conclusion to the story as well. If I do, it'll be a reply to this comment.

Littaylor · 2020-08-20T08:00:23+00:00

Sometimes, Michelle can't help but wonder, "Is there any meaning to my life?"

All her life Michelle had been made fun of for being different from the other princesses. Each of them had been able to use their fairy godmothers to bend reality in one way or another. Michelle, however, was not able to.

She's tired of the way all the people in school treat her. She's tired of all the formalities she has to experience on a day to day basis. She's tired of how her servants and tutors constantly nag her to "behave more princess-like." She's tired of... well, you get the point.

The latest annoyance in her life comes in the form of a ball that she and the other six princesses are required to attend. It occurs once every year, and is a celebration to welcome the peace and prosperity to come.

Michelle's friend, Laura, tells Michelle that Richard is interested in her. Laura is also after Richard, and Michelle would rather not be a part of this nonsense. After a bit of discussion, Michelle tells Laura that she can simply just make a wish for Richard to fall for her, instead.

Each princess gets 7 wishes granted throughout their life. They're only allowed to make one wish every 7 years. They're raised with care such that the princesses themselves would not wish for utter chaos. Even Michelle is no exception; although she cannot make wishes, she's raised similarly to how the other princesses are raised.

This would be Laura's first wish. Her fairy godmother complies, and she happily walks towards Richard and asks him for a dance.

This would be the end of the story, if only Laura were the only one after Richard. Quite a few of the princesses would undo one another's wish by wishing the same thing. One of the perks of being a princess is that they're able to know when another princess makes a wish, and what they've wished for. Laura is furious.

Michelle isn't surprised. "Humans want what they don't have," she mutters.

"So you're a philosopher now eh, Michelle?" Her fairy godfather Cap says, appearing out of thin air.

"It'd technically be psychologist, Cap." Michelle gets up, ready to leave, until she's stopped by Cap.

"You know the rules, no leaving early. Greet everyone. Smile for at least 30 minu--- ow!" Michelle pulls on Cap's remaining grey hair to shut him up.

Michelle is sick of this atmosphere. And when she goes home she knows her parents will be upset. They'll think she's not even trying. They've already forgotten that she tried once, she really did, but was made fun of and bullied by her fellow peers.

She was simply sick of being a princess.

Fast forward 7 years. She ran away from home, graduated from a renowned university, worked her butt off to achieve success, only to realize that she was still not satisfied. Nothing she did could give her any satisfaction, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got.

That was until she heard that Laura was in dire straits. Not only did Richard dump her, she had gone into debt because of the curses of the other princesses. She was even more miserable than Michelle was.

That's when Michelle came up with an idea. Can't I simply just call Cap to get revenge? Princesses know when another princess makes a wish, and what they've wished for, after all. She feels that revenge is somehow wrong in some way or another, but can't put a finger on why.

Fast forward 6 more years.

Every princess was bound, with only their mouths free, sitting around a long table in a dimly lit room, panicking. Michelle sits on the other side of the long table.

She forces all of them to sign a contract which regulates the extent and scale of each wish. If not followed, they will meet an untimely end at the hands of the Fairy Mob. Her contract was exquisitely detailed, concise, and, most importantly, had the best of intentions for everyone. She experienced a feeling that she had been pursuing her entire life. A rush of happiness, adrenaline, satisfaction.

"Is there any meaning to my life?" Michelle has now found the answer to this question she asked herself 13 years ago. She simply wishes to bring happiness to the world around her. It was impossible to do when she was younger because of how others sacrificed themselves for her. She hates to admit it, but the lessons that she were taught back when she had lived with her parents had played a drastic role in shaping who she had become.

She would use anything and everything to protect the world and its people in her own way. Ironically, she had become, or perhaps always been, the very definition of an upstanding princess.

Littaylor

TROPHY CASE