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avatarvyakara · 2 years

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Drops of Gold and Silver

A Tangled Fanfic

Prompts 301-315

“A Saporian Lexicon”

NOTE ON PRONUNCIATION: Stress on final syllable unless marked by an accent. All Cs and Gs are hard, not soft. <kh> is an unvoiced velar fricative.

301. Porakh

(nm) tower, fortification; nominative plural borakh

There are few places left where real Saporian buildings can be found; most of the prehistoric ones have rotted away by now, being built of intricately carved wooden beams. But one or two remain, in unusual places. Towers with spiked ends, rising like the seven-crowned pines found nowhere else in the world. Blessed by the earth itself, raised with its permission. Of the three most popular towers, two are stone—one, in the inland city of Gamba to the west, is wood, but it is a chapel now, and people in prayer gaze up instead of down.

The land remembers. When Gothel sings her sanctuary into being, and Cassandra her fortress, that is the shape their dwellings take.

302. Olómpa

(nf) Sunbloom, symbol of Saporia; essive singular ulúmpe

“And it could cure anything?” asks the Prince.

Xavier nods. “That is the legend. This was not merely a pretty decoration, Your Highness. It was a symbol of life and healing. Much like the legend of the Sundrop, for which Lord Demanitus searched far and wide. Some suggest that the two are the same, but it is unlikely.”

“And yet if it is the same flower, and we could find it, then perhaps it could be used for everyone. To heal the sick and wounded, to ensure safety in childbirth...” muses the Prince. “To ensure that none die before their time. That would be a thing of awe. And a means of drawing the last of the Saporian secessionists into the fold peacefully and without conflict.”

“It is something worth looking into, Your Highness,” says Quirin.

Frederic smiles. “That it is, my friend, that it is. Ah, but why worry about it now? There is time enough to seek out fairytales. And seek it out we shall—we simply need to start early...”

(They don’t find the flower in time to save Queen Margaret. It’s almost too late for Queen Arianna.)

303. Ilipur

(nf) godmother; essive singular ailipaur

Everyone knows there is someone living in the deep woods, in different homes at different times. The Lady of the Woods, or the Great Guardian. She who found where the first ray of light fell and kept it for herself, vanquishing death. The Lay of Oroc has a lot to say about the meeting of this lady, and how she would cure of all ills any who found her and gave her proper respect.

Publicity, Gothel has found, works well—when it’s of a certain kind.

(None have met the Great Guardian for hundreds of years. Many have met Gothel—however briefly.)

304. Nesparakh

(nm) spiritual presence, world-soul; translative singular nisperekh tu

“It’s hard to explain,” says Catalina. “But...sometimes it feels like there’s a song out there. Not just birdsong or music, but like, the whole world is alive and moving like one single being. It kind of rises up from the ground into your bones. And being around people I care for makes the song louder, and makes it more complicated.”

“Can you hear it all the time?” asks Angry, who’s a little worried. She’s always been the practical one, but Catalina’s never spoken like this. Not before the Beast. And she can’t even be sure it is the Beast.

Her sister smiles. It’s a slightly alien smile.

“Not all the time. But when I do...it’s hard to let go.”

305. Khitho

(vta) use a foreign name, be foreign; 1st singular future active mikhthar

“Among them, I will be Andrew,” says Hubert. “And on the Day of Hearts, I will finish what the First Spear from long before should have done in the first place.”

Clementine nods. A good name to bear, when infiltrating Corona. The people of the capital have likely completely forgotten what it means when a man named Andrew sets foot on the island on the Day of Hearts.

(Just like everyone has forgotten, and nobody really cares, that Andrew is not a Saporian name at all. The name of Shampanier's First Spear has become intertwined with their culture. There is always an Andrew. Perhaps this will finally be the last one.)

306. Sinel

(nc) hatred-with-horror, disgust at betrayal; ornative singular senal ca

How could she leave me? How could she not see I needed her? She was right beside me all the way, and nothing was wrong. Why did she try to kill Eugene? Why did she change?

Why wouldn’t she leave me alone? How did she not see me when I needed her? I gave up everything to be by her side, and she didn't care what went wrong. How could she not see the way she destroyed my whole future on a whim, leaving me crippled and abandoned? Why couldn’t she change?

How dare she try to take my dream away from me?

307. Zarotho

(via) suffer an eternity of doom; 2nd plural commissive cazrothin

There's a reason Shampanier insists on burying Herz in a barrow like the Kings Before the Generals, the Sunbloom crest on his gravestone. There's a reason she herself, in accordance with the last wishes of her husband, is buried under a pillar shaped in her likeness in the Great Chapel by their son Audemar, the Seven-Pointed Sun above the statue’s head.

Because no matter how much they love one another, their respective peoples are still…a teensy bit antagonistic. Audemar will be a good king and a better general should the need arise, but some Saporians and Coronans would love nothing better than to destroy the tomb of the one who seduced their rightful leader.

But the Coronans won't risk damage to their most holy site. And the Saporian elders know barrow-curses well.

(At least it's only Undead Protectors. The Mind-Fungus in the barrow of Queen Samellu is much more difficult to escape from.)

308. Zarothay

(ni) banana; nominative plural yarozay

"You know, I thought we didn't get these in Corona," says Rapunzel with her mouth full.

"Nah, Neserdnia sends along a few every so often," replies Cassandra, grinning. "Not so bad, right?"

"If you don't mind the seeds," grumbles Eugene. "Can't they try growing any without them?"

"Seedless fruit? Dream on, Fitzherbert."

309. Phereco

(vta) to execute, drop (someone) from a great height; 3rd singular present active ephrecu

Gothel screams. Gothel runs.

Pascal has had to be brave for Rapunzel his entire life. Now he is brave for Rapunzel, and pulls on the long, brown hair that kept the other half of his soul trapped in here for so long.

Gothel falls.

310. Iscortonáthi

(nm) spiritual valuation, power-of-the-soul; privative singular escartanóithe mo

"It's been in my family for decades," says Andrew easily. The lie comes more easily still: "It means, 'love is true inner wealth'."

(That's symbolized by the blue poppy, not the Sunbloom. But she doesn't need to know that, if she doesn't already.)

The Princess doesn't recognize the symbol or the phrase. Cassandra frowns—does she recognize the old adage? But no. It's a common enough saying in Corona, not necessarily Saporian anymore. She probably thinks he's just being overly flirty. (Which, to be fair, he struggles with on occasion.)

The people of Corona have forgotten nesparakh. They see strength in weapons and walls, and while they take an eager delight in festivals and friendship they do not gain strength from them. They don't see how strong they become by giving themselves over freely to something they love, how much they get in return.

He regrets, just a little bit, that he can’t love Cassie. But only a little.

311. Dúcos

(nc) general, commander; leader of a Myonotian legion; nominative plural dúgos

Frederic kneels. So does Arianna. One after another, they repeat the oath.

“I swear, now and forever, to uphold the laws of the people of Corona. I swear to protect my people, with dignity and honour. I shall be their healer in times of pestilence, their succour in times of famine, and their general in times of war. And neither ill conscience nor exterior threat shall keep me from my duty to them.”

The Bishop places the crowns on their head, Frederic’s (as the heir) first, then Arianna.

Somehow, to Frederic, it feels far less real than Arianna’s hand in his.

“Hail King Frederic and Queen Arianna, Sovereign Monarchs and High Commanders of Corona!”

The throne room explodes into applause.

(“So...if we’re both commanders, how exactly do we split that between us?”

“To be honest, my love, I think it’s supposed to be one or the other.”

“I call dibs on the generalship then.”)

312. Nirácu

(nc) one recently buried (and then dug up again), an immigrant who converts to the old ways; essive plural nairegau

"You want to learn?"

"Well, you know," Eugene tries to play it cool, "maybe it wouldn't be the worst. And it would be pretty weird to be living here and not actually know about what not to do."

Arianna smiles.

"I'd be happy to help," she says. "One newcomer to another, this kingdom can be tough to understand sometimes."

"Tell me about it," sighs Eugene in relief. "But it's worth it."

If anything, Arianna's smile becomes even brighter.

"Well, yes. It really is."

313. Ocomar

(nf) spy-houser, enemy person who willingly provides room and board to warriors from outside their home community (positive connotations); genitive singular aucamoir

Of course he's a Saporian. She knew that from the start. But Cassandra can't help letting him stay close, even joining her on the grounds of the palace. That’s part of her job. And rebel sympathies or not, possible violence sometime in the near future notwithstanding, he is quite charming.

Still, she can't let her guard down. (Andrew certainly won't, not until the time is right. And then…then she'll be waiting. Regardless of how kissing him is suddenly becoming an increasingly viable option in the near future.)

314. Tayna

(adj) mixed-spirit, halfway between human and animal; masculine singular taynakh

“Remind me again,” says Eugene, “why a horse learns to sword-fight?”

It’s the most effective method of hand-to-hand combat, he reads as the words flash across the front of his mind. As a Guard, I must be prepared for any and every eventuality.

“But...correct me if I’m wrong...most horses aren’t?”

...this discussion is concluded.

Most Horses haven’t had to learn how to be a proper horse at a relatively late age. Most don’t see the..disadvantages...in their nature. Maximus has learnt how to behave from the people who love him—horse, dog, human—and doesn’t care which he is. He is Maximus, and he is a Guard now. He will not be taken again.

(Flynn Rider can’t possibly understand his need to reinvent himself from whole cloth because of just how broken he used to be.)

315. Soreco

(vi) to undergo changes because of hurt to a loved one; 1st plural perfective nostrecol

They leave that tower with short hair and an old name renewed.

He vows to make amends as best as he can, to make it up to the brother he lost.

He lets the cold in, staring up at his father’s golden corpse, and promises to be more like the man he loves so much if it means setting him free. Even if it means sacrificing everyone who abandoned his dad to this fate. (Even himself.)

He’s got to step up. Trying to protect their daughter has lost him his wife. He’s been paranoid so long over one person that he neglected to ensure everyone else he is indebted to was actually alright. No more.

She won’t let anything happen to her sister because of her own arrogance ever again.

He tells a Lie, breaks the golden rule and warps reality for one night so his Cassandra can sleep peacefully for the first time in over a year, knowing the consequences will be dire. (He may never forgive himself.)

All these people, people she hurt and yet people willing to forgive her when she doesn’t deserve it...she won’t die, then. She’ll find her destiny, and at last (at last) destiny is aligned in her mind with duty once again.

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sunbloomdew · 9 months

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19yo baxter my worstie <33 (pls i love him sm)

my moot @maybeanartist02 told me that baxter reacts in a pretty interesting way if you tell him that you volunteer and this is one of the things he says. pls his reaction is everything, it's so fun skfhskjfshsdfjs just when i think i know everything about baxter ward i learn 5 new things in one playthrough,,,

i've been thinking about this line for days so i had to get it out of my system somehow (o/////o " ) this started out as a simple doodle omg

clothes ref i found on pinterest below!

i'm sorry but im an eye shirt hater. i don't like (to draw) it,,

#baxter ward #blorbo doodle!!#olba baxter #baxter dlc #our life beginnings and always #our life beginnings & always #our life fanart #if this flops i will cry #/j or is it #either way i liked working on it :3 #his hair is still a nightmare to draw btw #i love it its very silly goofy but it makes me struggle. why.#sunbloom draws

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sunbloomdew · 1 year

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my little meow meow sketch i drew to cope with the existential dread. i am so normal about them <33

i played all the routes except xyx's, and really it's no surprise that toasty is my favourite. that WAS inevitable. i just wanna kiss him kshfkshfkjfskd

blooming panic good! i also got some lil sketches about my gaming experience, might post them butttt idk they kinda suck

aight, sleepy time zzzzzzzzz

#blooming panic #nakedtoaster #blooming panic fanart #blooming panic nakedtoaster #i might replay their route very soon actually #pls i love him <333 #sunbloom draws #sunbloom talks

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sunbloomdew · 7 months

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"could you love me more if by the sun and moon i swore that i would never flee?"

background is a screenshot from our life beginnings and always :]

inspired by this pin i put on my board for these two:

they are a "black strawberry dress/pink strawberry dress" couple ueueueueueue (˃̣̣̥ᴖ˂̣̣̥)

#guys help i am PRODUCTIVE???#what is goin on #mixed feelings on this one i kinda like it and i don't at the same time #i'm still proud i drew it :]#and before any of you tells me that the bottom of the dresses is different that's cause i was looking at a reference and i realized toolate #they are fkin adorable jesus christ #quote from a the oh hellos song “bitter water”#baxter ward #olba baxter #our life fanart #our life beginnings & always #olba #our life beginnings and always #sunbloom draws #mei's kids #i don't know why i keep drawing baxter in step 3 WHEN HIS HAIR IS A NIGHTMARE TO DRAW #dude just draw him in step 4!!!! the pain #olba mc #olba oc

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sunbloomdew · 9 months

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silly doodles of my olba mc and other characters from the game <3

i just wanted to get a rough idea of the heights and colours of the characters but i ended up actually liking the finished doodle, so might as well post it!

the second one appeared in my head after i was having a crisis with haru's step 3 design. their natural hair colour is brown but i knew i wanted them to dye their hair in step 4. then i switched the steps to have them dye their hair in step 3 and THEN i got the idea of not fully dying their hair one colour, but to have blond streaks instead! so now they have this vanilla-chocolate ice cream hair look and i giggle everytime i think about it. but hey, they match with baxter skhdfkshfsd

#baxter should have more moles than TWO #i have a lot of cool moles let him have them too #our life fanart #olba mc #our life beginnings & always #our life beginnings and always #baxter ward #cove holden #elizabeth last #miranda eckert #terry brook #mei's kids #sunbloom draws

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sunbloomdew · 6 months

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oc inspired paintings :D

lyrics from "Message In A Bottle" by The Police

lyrics from "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins

see more about these pieces under cut :]

you don't have to, i was drinking melisa and as such was a bit sleepy while writing it. might not be very detailed or sensible lol

so, these are actually my ocs inspired paintings! first one is for haru and second one is for primrose. they are 'mirror characters' as i like to call them.

they were created alongside (more or less, the concept for them was anyway) and share themes and arcs in a way :)

now a little bit about the landscapes i picked and the songs.

"Message In A Bottle" is one of the songs from haru's playlist. There are a couple of reasons for why i chose it. First it's about loneliness which is a central aspect of haru's arc. they are a character who hates being alone and tries their hardest to make sure that doesn't happen. However in their pursuit of social renown and validation of a collective, they abandon the only people who loved them in the first place.

Loneliness is one of the things that prompted them to change in a way that would earn them approval of strangers and aquaintances. But their transformation ultimately didn't lead to them feeling better, instead it made them even more lonely - not able to connect with their newer friends and not able to open up to the old ones anymore.

The lyrics i chose have sort of a double meaning. It's how haru was feeling before their change begun. but it is also the way they are continue to feel, no matter how badly they deny it. the lyrics are also a contrast to their actual situation - they are surrounded by people who don't understand them - wether because they don't know them or don't know them anymore.

Second is the imagery. Haru was created for Our Life Beginnings and Always. While they are a spring themed character, i view them as the period of ending of spring and beginning of summer, so they embody both seasons to a degree. A castaway island in the song is something that i definitely associate with summer. And a summer, beach, california child is what haru tries to emulate, even if it's not truly what they are.

Third, it's a little inside joke with myself i have. i'm developing a pirate au with olba characters and ya know. bottle messages.... pirates......

Almost forgot but the last thing is that haru listens to a lot of 80s & 90s music, and this song came out in 1979 so. they definitely have heard it before. not their vibe but they thought it was okay.

anyhow, that song is fucking good, go give it a listen <3

and now for the second painting.

"Tonight, Tonight" is a song from Primrose's playlist. I think this song describes the uncertain nature of the future, but regardless of that, at this moment, tonight is tonight. There are things to come but not now. later. tomorrow. It ties into Primrose's arc.

At their core, Haru and Prim's stories are about change. Haru who rushes into things, changes themselves almost mechanically - with no regard for themselves or others, just to achieve their short-term goal. Primrose is going to be the opposite. A character who clings to the way things were, who never wants to plan for the future, afraid of what might change.

She is content to pretend that everything is just fine and things will go back to the way they were, losing herself in the comforts of her stories, books and the internet. Primrose is my Our Life Now and Forever character who is also spring themed except it's the winter-spring period. The change of the season is more visible and that makes her even less likely to accept it. The spring connection and imagery is more important here because spring is in a way a season opposite of fall. So part of the reason Primrose is afraid of change is her awareness of the fact that she doesn't really fit in Golden Grove.

Her journey will be about accepting that change in inevitable. And Haru's journey is about letting things be the way they are.

Her aversion to change is especially highlighted in her teenage years - everyone around her seems to be changing yet she is staying the same, not knowing if it's a bad thing or not, but not willing to find out either. I connect this song with her, because i feel like this is her expressing that she is not clueless about change but won't easily accept it either.

The lyrics are a bit of a foreshadowing to Prim's state as a young adult. People around her are figuring out their post high school plans, but she doesn't want to leave her hometown. "You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth." is the way she feels about leaving for university/college right away. It's also a bit more subtle in a way how growing up makes you leave some pieces of yourself behind, wether you want it or not.

I've been listening to other songs by The Smashing Pumpkins and what i like about them is that they aren't very direct with their meaning. It's a little bit how i want this character to be too. Maybe. Primrose isn't nearly as developed as Haru at the moment.

Some smaller things about the second painting. This song reads to me as Qiu/Primrose song specifically, step 2 one probably. I chose a forest with those type of trees because Rosie is Canadian and they have boreal forests there. Also i liked this imagery for her.

this song is good too, although i like "1979" from the same album more. still, give it a listen :3

i wanted to post some oc stuff, cause i get distracted by my other characters easily and start working on them, but i still wanna yell into the void about Haru and Rosie :]

toodles~

#sunbloom draws #mei's kids #olba mc #olnf mc #olba oc #olnf oc #original characters #landscape painting #digital art #digital artwork #digital painting #i made them a little bit ago but i still like them enough to post them #and ya know they are not the best in the technical sense and some of the oc stuff have changed in the meantime......#but i had fun #and it doesn't mean i shouldn't post them #it was what i felt when i was making them #and if i learned something new in the meantime that's great <3

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sunbloomdew · 10 months

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i drew this meme with lizzie and my mc at 3yo and 1yo respectively! i had to dig up my own baby pictures for a baby reference lmao

the background is just the ss from the game zoomed in

i imagine that after the moms talked with lizzie about adopting another kid she was generally excited at the idea but still had doubts... i think she would go from being very happy and anticipating the new family member to being mopey and super jealous.

so when kaito (haru's birth name, they use it in step 1 along with he/him pronouns) finally joined their family lizzie had this very brief moment of hating the baby. then kaito looked at her with as much wonder as a 1yo can show and she was like "actually you're good, you can stay." and they have been best friends ever since <3 thaaaat is until cove moved in, kaito latched on to him immediately

i love them, siblings <33

#olba elizabeth #olba mc #our life beginnings & always #our life fanart #our life meme #elizabeth last #our life beginnings and always #elizabeth last my beloved <33 #realistic sibling character i stan #sunbloom draws #mei's kids

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sunbloomdew · 7 months

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my olba mc timeline!

introducing my darling buttercup, Haru Nakamura :D

finally i can post this! i'm very happy to talk about a character i have been working on since may haha. does that mean they are fully cooked? let's talk about something else :) insert why do they call you babygirl meme

you don't wanna know how long was the process of making this one drawing,,,, 1/10, would do it again no question, but god did that take time. here's the sketch for comparison :]

(hopefully) short and concise description of each step below + a couple of songs that i assign to each step, from their playlist because i can and i will

ʰᵃʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃ ᵗᵘʳⁿˢ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁱ ʷʳᵒᵗᵉ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵗ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃʰ ⁱᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵃˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵐʸ ʰᵃⁿᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵐᵃʳʳⁱᵃᵍᵉ ᵇᵗʷ

now before i move to each step, i want to take a moment to talk about Haru's name. they are japanese american (their biological parents were both japanese people who moved to california) so i wanted them to have a japanese name.

first their birth name, Kaito. i picked this [快仁] way of writing it. 快 means "pleasant, comfortable, agreeable" and 仁 means "humanity, benevolence and kindness". i chose it as their birth name because of a few reasons:

first, some other ways of writing this name include a kanji that means "ocean, sea". it's an obvious connection to the setting of olba, as well as the character's deep connection with sunset bird, especially in their childhood.

the meanings assigned to the version i chose, describe haru at their core and during step 1 when they use this name. they are a comfortable presence whose greatest desire is to make meaningful, genuine connections with other people (fucking extravert). while they are pleasant they are a people-pleaser as well - part of their journey is to unlearn that.

it sounds very cute and they are the sweetest kid

now the name people actually know them for, the one they feel describes them the best - Haru. the kanji that i picked [春] means "spring, season of growth and renewal" and it's precisely what Haru's 'arc' is about. the meaning and value of their personal growth, understanding themselves and working with oneself instead of against.

a little tidbit about their name: there is a kanji with which it can be written that means "cherry blossom". those flowers are considered as a symbol of spring in japan, usually blooming between the end of march and beginning of may. another fun fact, haru's birthday is on the 2nd of april :]

Nakamura is a surname i chose instead of Last in the game. i thought it would be fun to headcanon that the family's surname is actually from Noelani's side (some Hawaiian last names are Japanese in origin, hence Nakamura). The kanji i picked to write it are [中村] - 中 meaning "in, inside, middle, center" and 村 meaning "village, hamlet". I think of it as a reference to sunset bird itself.

so once we put all of the ingredients together it already forms an image of a character. i've been reading a book by david day "the hobbits of tolkien" in which the author describes j.r.r. tolkien's process of creating the hobbits. it's very fascinating, the way in which he used his philologist knowleadge - digging up the word first and then tracing it's origins and the word family to slowly create the hobbits we know today. my process of creating haru was somewhat similar in methods, though definitely not the process (god no, i am nowhere near tolkien's level). i wanted to mention that because the words we use to describe the world, or in this case characters are important.

i like to think that haru's whole name means "spring in a village", with them being the embodiment of said season, connected to an undeniably summer town. a little bit like baxter, our resident autumn boy stumbled into a seaside tourist town. only in haru's case the lines are more blurry. i think of them as the manifestation of the spring/summer period, when the sun shines brightly and trees bloom but the wind is still chilly and strong.

in any case, let's move further! fairies know i could talk just about their name forever

Step 1: welcome to childhood folks! in step 1 Haru uses their birth name, Kaito, and he/him pronouns. Kaito is a lonely child who wants only one thing - to have a friend. he is too fat, too shy, too different from other kids his age, which leads to him being isolated from them. this plants the first seeds of his insecurities that will follow him into the future. being ignored and laughed at really impacts Kaito, who only wants to make friends with anybody. it makes this thought slowly grow at the back of his mind: "there is something fundamentally wrong with me." thankfully, he has the support of lizzie and their moms and the soothing sound of the waves and the warm sand at the beach, which make his social isolation feel less hurtful.

when it comes to his personality, Kaito is an open-hearted, open-minded kid who is quite shy. he is naive, terribly impatient and impulsive which can be a fatal combination. curiosity is another defining trait of his - not really with any things of an academic nature, but definitely about other people, so much he can be very nosy. despire that he is pretty good at reading social cues and figuring out people's feelings. if only he had enough foresight to actually confirm his thoughts with others - he is prone to assume things solely based off his judgement. he is empathetic and a good listener. his tendencies in people-pleasing are only starting to grow, but it will be a huge problem down the line.

a sidenote about his design: colours chosen for each step hold a meaning. the colour palette for step 1 is a triadic colour scheme with purple, teal and yellow. i chose those colours because they remind me of summer, and in step 1 kaito is at the beginning of his growth as a person. at this point in their life, they are connected with summer as a season the most, because they have yet to begin the process of figuring themselves out and understanding themselves.

Cove moving in is a turning point for Kaito. he changes his life by befriending him. it doesn NOT alleviate the insecurities and doubt still nestled in Kaito's heart. rather he views Cove as someone special for befriending him. the setting for their relationship is Nervous Fond. Kaito likes Cove immediately (as they do with most people, they are very open) but is very nervous about this whole making friends process.

Alright this all probably sounds very angsty but this internal turmoil of Kaito's is (for now) very much in the background. think of it like a box covered with sheets, dusted over and hidden in the attic. step 1 is mostly cute kid shenanigans (and some crying).

Songs:

hawaiian roller coaster ride - mark keali'i ho'omalu, kamehameha schools children's chorus; lilo and stitch original soundtrack

the right amount of dumb - kan gao; finding paradise (original game soundtrack)

i have a hole in my tooth (and my dentist is shut) - dodie

take me anywhere - kan gao; to the moon (original game soundtrack)

second child, restless child - the oh hellos

(the right amount of dumb is like their theme in step 1 because they are a bit of a dumbass <33 silly little kid)

Step 2: ahhh early teenage years. i think 12yo and older is the time when you start to realize how profoundly fucked up reality is and react appropriately! which is exactly what Haru is going through, on top of being obsessed with becoming popular. sigh.

step 2 is very rough for Haru. for one, their insecurities from childhood only grow. they see their inabilty to create a large circle of friends as a reflection of their worth. their self-esteem is at all time low, which is why they do everything they can to cover it up. kids are cruel so they cannot show any weaknesses. in order to cover up their low self-confidence they become very arrogant,they arrive at this conclusion: if they are so unlikable (false) then they only need to pretend to be someone else entirely to make people like them (bruh. teenage brain is a mystery).

and so begins their fabrication of themselves, altering parts of their appearance, personality even giving up and picking up hobbies just to appeal to the 'popular kids'. deep inside they know that this is futile. you cannot make people like you, you cannot make them respect you if they don't no matter how hard you try. but they are so starved for social interactions, that it doesn't matter at the moment. if they get to hang out with the cool kids, if people wave to them in the corridors then what does it matter that the person they are greeting is fake?

those purposeful but forced changes consume them. they are constatly playing a role around people they know but don't trust - they can only relax with their family, Cove and Derek. but even then, they aren't fun to hang out with that much. seeing as they can reveal their true thoughts only then, it makes them constantly angry (at everything, but at themselves the most probably) which affects their relationships with their friends and family.

to them it feels like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. they can't bear their soul to the cool kids group, because that would mean admitting that they are not a person they pretended to be - this loud, out-going, larger than life, perfect person. and in their head they think they can't reveal anything to their loved ones either - it would mean admitting defeat in making friends.

so yeah, the struggle is there y'all. despite all the harm that comes from their behaviour and their environment, they learn a couple of things too. they realize they aren't a mind reader and perhaps asking people about their problems is better than assuming you know what is wrong, even if you are like 99% sure you know. doesn't mean they won't ask in the most blunt, tactless way possible tho. their shyness as if evaporates completely - you're not gonna make it far in middle school being shy. funnily enough, they are a massive people-pleaser. you'd think that this bold, boisterous teen star would be far from it, but every action Haru performs in their school circle is for the approval of others. if there are any mild upsides to their state is that they can fulfill their innate need of connecting with other people. it's not deep or meaningful in most cases but what can you do.

as you probably noticed, the main colour of this step is green. but why? green is such a nice colour, with so many positive meanings... sike! i mean yeah it is, but you know what else green symbolises? greed and envy. i used green for this step to highlight haru's desire of becoming popular not as a genuine dream, not even as a way to connect with others but because of the immense jealousy they felt. of other people who got to have friends that liked them for who they are. of elizabeth especially, who never seemed to struggle with making people like her. in this stage of their life, green is definitely a negative colour for them.

the comfort level in step 2 is Direct Fond for both Cove and Derek. no matter which route i'm deciding on romantically, haru does not have a crush on anyone in step 2, or at least doesn't allow themselves to have.

Songs:

freaks - surf curse

kawaki wo ameku [カワキヲアメク] - minami [美波]

carnivore - starset

stand out fit in - one ok rock

remember my name - mitski

(i especially like carnivore for this step because haru starts avoiding eating meat, cause they don't like the taste that much. the choice of this song is a bit of an inside joke for me, also the lyrics fit very well)

Step 3: we enter era of healing! i'd say in step 3 haru is at a solid 3/4 way to doing better internally. step 2 was their lowest, but now they are beginning to bloom. but growing older doesn't only bring knowleadge and growth, it also brings a new lot of issues to deal with.

Haru has been confronted about their behaviour. the impact it had on others and on themselves (there was a lot of crying and broken confessions, not a good time). as they reached their limit, they finally decided to speak their feelings and accept help from their loved ones.

now, it's hard to simply get rid of one's insecurities, especially those that seemed to be reinforced by the outside world for a long time. they use a strategy as old as time to deal with (not cover up anymore) their low self-esteem - fake it till you make it. some of their arrogance stays with them, as a blanket of security in a way, but they are determined to be confident in themselves.

their growth starts with a somewhat superficial thing but one that they always cared about: their clothes. they were always interested in clothing and fashion but only in step 3 they move a bit further with that interest and begin to make clothes on their own. it's an important passion to them, not only being very therapeutic but also allowing them to express their true self, both in terms of their personality as well as gender.

a major shift in their perception of their relationships with others was caused by realizing, that gaining popularity was not going to make them feel fulfilled. they had always desired deep, meaningful relationships, and while being recognized at school was nice, it wasn't really what they were looking for. this in turn make them rethink their whole "pretending to be someone you're not" business and with their loved ones assistance they figured out that... it simply wasn't worth it.

and because haru is the most impulsive person on this side of the globe, they did not ease themselves into this realization but again forced themselves to abandon their old ways in favor of being painfully true to themselves. and then everybody smacked their foreheads.

haru is a lot kinder to themselves now, courtesy of cove and others, but they still tend to ignore themselves in favor of somebody else. their shyness returned, and they no longer try to force themselves into acting more out there than they are. since the let down their walls, they speak their mind without thinking and are prone into agreeing to things immediately, often finding themselves in uncomfortable or annoying situations.

right now their most pressing struggle is dealing with becoming an adult. they feel as if they had just got peace and stability in their life and yet their friends are leaving or staying, getting jobs, time is slipping through their fingers like sand and everything is different. haru themselves feels very lost and overwhelmed by the future, so for now they latch onto people, their friends, sister and moms and try to spend as much time with them as possible, drowning the sound of their own fear in their laughter. on top of that there is a new guy in sunset bird, who seems to have a bit similar internal struggles to them, and haru feels like they could make a connection for life. i wonder how that will go :]

step 3 colours! they wear a lot of different colours because their style is mostly inspired by the 80s, plus they like to go crazy with the clothes they make. but colours that appear the most are definitely pink and yellow, plus a little bit of green. green appears in smaller amounts and in shades closer to yellow to express it's different nature than the green in step 2. this time it represents growth, freshness and hope.

now yellow is a very important colour that i consider haru's main colour. they are simply inseparable in my head. it was completely gone from their colour palette in step 2, and in step 1 it had more of a golden shade, one reminiscent of summer, but in step 3 it brings forth thoughts of spring more. it is purposeful, as Haru is finally growing into the person they want to be. yellow's positive meanings are among others optimism, happiness, creativity and enthusiasm. but it can also be associated with fear and cowardice and that is definitely something that fits haru in this step as well.

pink is prevalent in this specific outfit, but like i said, the clothes they wear in this step are pretty colourful. still, it holds meaning, seeing as it's also visible in their step 4 clothes. pink is invincibly linked with romance and romantic feelings - something haru allows themselves to open up to in step 3. like most things about them, if they have a crush on somebody their infatuation comes fast and strong, seemingly out of nowhere. but other than romance, pink is a colour of youth and playfulness.

after dealing with all that teen angst, they are very playful. combined with the dread of the future and genuine excitement they finally feel, they are a sweet, sociable person. the comfort level is Relaxed Fond, unless they have a crush on either Cove or Baxter, then it's Nervous Crush.

Songs:

permanence - bears in trees

wishing well - the oh hellos

infinite - lyn lapid

summer depression - girl in red

what if it doesn't end well - chloe moriondo

(i didn't put this song here despite it being the first one on haru's playlist, but teenage dream by katy perry is such a step 3 haru song)

Step 4: sweet woes of adulthood! Haru has grown and grown up but of course, life is a continuous string of things happening and us having to deal with them. some things stayed the same, for example their big ego. from aiming to cover up their low confidence, to actually gaining a healthy amount of it, like in most things they do, they went overboard. and while some of it is still a little bit of a defense mechanism, they are also completely insufferable and a beast of self-esteem. you win some you lose some.

they grew into the person they were always meant to be: free spirited, open, empathetic and creative. even so, they still retain their oh so recognizable traits. their curious, almost nosy demeanor, impatient nature and people-pleasing ways. they are still reckless though not quite as impatient, they learned to be a bit more chill.

haru learned to manage their intense nature. especially when it comes to meeting new people, they realize and respect the fact that not everybody will be eager to form a deeper bond, as much as it confuses them sometimes. they have always been ride or die type of person, but growing up has mellowed them out a bit.

the most growth happened with their way of managing their relationships as well as their perception of themselves. they are a lot more mature and as such manage to maintain their relationships. even if they still sometimes assume other people's thoughts or take up too much upon themselves, they see what they have accomplished and are very proud of themselves.

their struggles now involve the usual perils of adulthood, but mostly keeping up with their friends and making sure everything is alright. other than that though, they eagerly travel and go out of their way to meet even more new people - they do need someone to anchor them, or they will get carried away and eventually step on somebody's toes (or fail to return from another state on a scheduled date).

speaking of their adult relations, baxter leaving was a huge blow to them. like traumatic event rank S type of thing. when they meet again it's a storm lol

when it comes to Haru's other dreams and goals, i picture them with a business that makes custom clothes, like handmade ones. their side job would be helping out cove with surfing lessons and his business. they like to work with other people and are a fairly good leader, but they dislike doing the simple tasks because they are so boring.

last design notes! so there is yellow and pink, a bit of blue and white, at least in this outfit. yellow, pink and white are their characteristic colours, but green finds it's place here too sometimes (to drive home the spring theme more).

like i mentioned, haru's colour is yellow. it's the colour of sunshine, buttercups, the sand and some birds and fish, and most importantly it's the colour i associate with spring (along with green). haru is a character that represents the late spring, teeming with life and joy, intense in growth and weather, downpours or clear skies alike.

i don't think there is much more to say about the colours in this step, as in my opinion yellow is most significant. pink also connects with haru's acceptance of femininity and figuring out exactly how much they associate with it. and blue is the colour of the sky :)

in step 3 they are at Direct Fond or Crush. I like their energy in relationships with other people :]

Songs:

hey blondie - dominic fike; barbie the album

everybody loves me - onerepublic

never gonna not dance again - p!nk

sick of losing soulmates - dodie

rebel rebel - david bowie

dancing with myself - billy idol

(hey blondie is such a bop holy shit you guys- also very much a haru song <3)

wow i can't believe i actually wrote this. i am very particular about my characters so now that i have this sort of "introduction" for haru posted, i can post other things about them! don't ask me how that works, it has to be chronological

if you've read this thank you very, very much <3 and if you didn't, fair i feel you lol. feel free to ask about them if your heart desires :]

toodles~

#my eyes are closing on their own #so tired #but i'm proud of myself for finishing this :]#if you've seen any typos you didn't!!!#mei's kids #olba mc #olba #our life beginnings and always #our life beginnings & always #our life #sunbloom draws #sunbloom talks #<3 #this post is over 3.5k words long btw

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