rewards

[linkupmods]

REWARDS

INFO

We have three tiers of rewards available, all of which have more information down below. Please fill out the appropriate forms (you may combine different tiers into one comment) and follow the formatting below.

TIER 1: COMMISSIONS

Completing commissions from the biweekly Job Boards count towards bonuses. All you need to do is have completed the commission, or have the thread be a total of 10 comments minimum (so at least 5 per character). In the case of the latter, it is okay if the commission is still in progress; as long as it's the focus of the thread and 10 comments in. You may give us multiple submissions for the same job, as long as they are with different characters.

Commissions are eligible for rewards up to 1 month after the commission was posted.

Rewards in this tier are generic items that come with effects upon usage/consumption, or generic items that feature your character in them in some capacity! Commission rewards may also occasionally include items that are specific or relevant to the commissions themselves. These commission-specific rewards will be given once per person, per commission, which means that you cannot earn the reward 3 times for submitting 3 threads involving the same commission.

Note: Your first commission turn-in for the month will net you some new abilities that you can play with! These would typically be given with AC, but redeeming commissions will enable you to play with these abilities a little earlier. This bonus will begin from the end of Week 2.

<b>COMMISSION SUBMISSION:</b> <a href=LINK>Commission Name</a>

TIER 2: PLAYER EVENTS/EXPLORATIONS

Player Events are defined as player-run events that are considered game-wide player plots. For example, a mingle, someone causing trouble for everyone in the dorms, breaking up a large fight -- anything big where the whole game can get involved. Smaller plots (i.e. ones that are for 3 people) do not count.

Explorations are defined as mod-run CYOAs (choose your own adventures) that may pop up throughout the course of the game.

Threads must be a minimum of 10 comments, one submission per event per player. For Player Events, event runners may submit their post/initial writeups for a reward in this tier.

Threads in this tier do not expire and will always be eligible for rewards.

Rewards in this tier are gacha items that were submitted to us through your applications.

<b>PLAYER EVENT/EXPLORATION SUBMISSION:</b> <a href=LINK>Here</a>

TIER 3: RANK 10 SOCIAL LINKS

This is meant to be a "late game" sort of reward tier (though these can be submitted at any time), in which both players must agree that their characters have "maxed out" their bonds. Maxing out doesn't necessarily need to be in a positive way; essentially, both parties must hit a point in their CR where they feel as though they have revealed as much about themselves to one another as they possibly could have, even if they both feel negatively about one another.

For positive CR, this may mean that characters trust one another completely; for negative CR, this may mean that a character understands how the other operates, but disagrees entirely with the other's ideology. We are pretty flexible on the reasoning behind achieving a Rank 10 Social Link, however, so don't worry too much about providing the "perfect reason". As long as both parties feel like they've established an extremely strong piece of CR, we'll likely count any reasoning towards the reward.

A reward for maxing out a social link is a custom ability that both parties will receive. There is no cap on submissions at this time, but both parties must be present in a battle to use the ability they have received.

Please follow the instructions in the form below when submitting for a Rank 10 reward.

<b>RANK 10 SUBMISSION:</b> Please give us, at minimum, 3 sentences on why your characters have reached Rank 10 in their social link. Please provide at least 1 thread for us to look at. There is no penalty for not writing more than 3 sentences. After the initial form submission, please ask the other half of your CR to reply to your comment with confirmation that you are both on the same page.

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TIER 3: RANK 10 SOCIAL LINK SUBMISSIONS

[linkupmods]

Please submit all Rank 10 Social Link reward submissions under this top level.

ELI & CELESTE

[fullmoonmutt]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: They're in love, your honor. From the very start, the two had common ground. It began by acknowledging that they were both familiar "creatures" from one another's world, albeit not the same. From that, Eli asked Celeste to sit with him during the full moon in case something went wrong, knowing a vampire was the safest option to do so. From there, it only grew over the various trials and tribulations Braphine's Chosen has endured. This all ends with Eli confessing his huge crush on Celeste. Turns out it was mutual, so, lol, yeah, Social Link 10, bb.

THREAD: post-shadow event with Celeste

MAFUYU & CELESTE

[beathollow]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: From the very start, Mafuyu and Celeste have been close- with her pitiful state of arrival, he's been looking out for her ever since, and she trusted him completely and wholly from then on. Since then, they've only grown closer with Celeste taking on a guardian role- and then explicitly a fatherly role with his own permission for Mafuyu to use the term 'dad' for him- while Mafuyu feels more and more at ease with him, even proudly asking if he watched her performances or other similar, childish acts for his affection. Though Celeste's shadow did shake things up, she still held firm on her resolve to love him and to support him properly... and with that, and his assurance that he does love her, she's taking the promise to truly know him better as a promise to stay together regardless of what comes, and to strengthen their bond even more.

THREAD: One final reassurance

SAYAKA & FRAY

[destage]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Ever since the second week, Sayaka has basically confided into Fray about everything and trusted him more than she could have ever imagined; she loves him dearly and with all her heart, and she's given everything to helping Fray find himself and learning to understand the knight. She's let him understand her too, for better or for worse; he's been the first to know her secrets and her stories before anyone else, and he's always given her unflinching support in everything that's happened. Whether it's in battle for the sake of Braphine, as siblings in their own way, or as two people who've never truly known what it's like to be human for very differing reasons, the two of them have found a deep level of solace and understanding with one another that has made their bond rock solid. She calls him family for a reason, and the reason is that he's done what nobody has ever done before; he kept reaching out his hand when she asked, and she's been more than willing to do the same for him. She also wants to follow in Fray's footsteps and become a Dark Knight in her own right; just like a proper lil sis following her brother, and she intends to follow it to the end.

THREAD(S): In my heart of hearts, I couldn't pick just one, so y'all get three. Sayaka's anon post, Sayaka's dream/memshare, and Post-Kirumi's Palace noun verbing.

ARGENTI & FRAY

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: From the very start, on their first interaction, they began on the right foot with an extremely good impression - both due to their natures meshing well, and a good ol' intense spar. Soon afterwards, they both easily fell into a habit of relying onto each other. Fray first with his near death from a spar with Izou coming to Argenti to tend to him, then Argenti killing Fuyu, and being accompanied by Fray who not only looked out for him, but told him the truth of his nature. Argenti's trust deepened swiftly, knowing he can depend on Fray to the point he chose him to seek out first to speak to when Jordi died, easily showing a rare vulnerability, feeling safe to cry in front of him. Their developing passionate and beautiful feelings towards each other then began intensifying in other various interactions as regular sparring partners, go-karting practice, helping one another with commissions, and even just hanging out together at movies following go-kart practice. Then, these feelings between them both first came to a head when Fray confessed to Argenti in his Palace, and Argenti accepted it all wholeheartedly, bridging them even further together. Finally, with Argenti deciding to come with Fray to his world after he asked, and Argenti repaying the favor with his unwavering perseverance in helping save Fray from his palace, their already extraordinarily high social rank became all the more evident. There is no doubt that Argenti and Fray have achieved Rank 10.

THEAD: Ending Thread at Argenti Palace

ARGENTI & SAYAKA

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Their first encounter sparked immediately Argenti's fervent wish to watch over her and bond as a person - which intermingled in concern over the initial state of her arrival, unaware that his kindness had also made a mark on Sayaka. Upon their next meeting in the Nekyia, Argenti continued to show he was someone Sayaka can rely on - it proved necessary when Sayaka became ensnared in a moment wherein she recalled an unfortunate aspect of her past. Though their bonds were challenged in the aftermath of Ushirono's murder, with both on uncertain footing. But, they managed to talk it out when they met again, surprises occurring on both ends despite a difference of opinion that came to a mutual understanding that they still saw each other as friends, which in turn became a pivotal moment in strengthening their bonds. This continued on the upswing when Sayaka made her entry into Argenti's Palace, never faltering in her desire to return a dear friend back from the darkness of his heart, and even daring to embrace him, showing her acceptance of him as he is even while he was in the shadow's ugliest form as the "Omen of Evil". Argenti then returned the favor, exploring in-depth Sayaka's dreamscape, learning about her past difficulties in entertainment, and her home life - then heard it in greater detail when she came to visit him following his palace. This was topped off finally when she mentioned that she saw him as a brother figure, communicating as such to Argenti, who subconsciously saw her as someone he could perceive to be family, and expressed to her his gratitude in being seen as that to the point of mutual acceptance. It was a defining moment for him who lost his family entirely and the nature of their bond, which all coincided with her great efforts to help rescue Fray, that was appreciated immensely. In the end, this all culminated to them achieving rank 10.

THREAD: Post-Argenti Palace Talk with Sayaka

YOON & HARUKA

[strawsandals]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Yoon and Haruka started off a little rough! Yoon criticized Haruka's swordsmanship, but Palaces started immediately after they both arrived, and they both got to see each others' softer sides. Yoon saw how affected Haruka was by Jordi's death and firmly decided that this guy hasn't seen the horrors yet, so he's gotta be protected. From then on they got more casual, less snippy with each other – Yoon's Palace showed him that Haruka cared about him with his approach. (Thanks for being one of the people to shove him out of danger, homie. Also, hot pot.) They also Kept Meeting In Palaces after that and had some moments in between where they were just kinda stupid and cute. This all wraps up nicely in Haruka's Palace, in which Yoon will go forth with the power of friendship to try to talk Shadow!Haruka down. They're pretty much as close as they're gonna get while they're here!

THREAD: Short and sweet! A good summary of their cr.

YOON & SCHNEIDER

[strawsandals]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Yoon and Schneider started off pretty well. Schneider immediately figured out that Yoon was a pacifist on Day One. They both showed up to Aubrey's Palace, talked here and there – Yoon's pacifism was the way to Schneider's (platonic) heart, though, because she saw it in him in his Palace. Yoon didn't want to fight, he kept healing foes and allies alike, and Schneider firmly cemented herself through her actions as a friend of his. He learned about her heart condition and her sister through memshare, and now, they're in Orange Hell, in which he's getting to talk to Shadow!Schneider about her past. He's at the point where he wants to take her home with him so she can start a new life. That's Rank 10 material!!

THREAD: Oranges

ARGENTI & AERITH

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Their first meeting, the two hit off the conversation with one another well, bonding in holding some similarities in perspective, and genuinely enjoying making art. But soon enough, their bonds were put to the test when Argenti killed Ushirono, with Aerith taking a neutral stance as opposed to most, even with the conflict in her heart. Though even if Argenti appreciated it, he recognized that she was affected deeply by what he did, and didn't want it all to end on that note, because he already considered her a friend. Soon, he reached out to Aerith, not only because he considered them friends, but she had put so much of herself out there, and he intended to offer her a chance to ask anything and know personal details in turn that he refused to tell in the meeting. Surprisingly, despite the strain, the two of them entered a deep conversation surrounding Ushirono, change, as well as their respective backgrounds. Though matters had yet to be completely removed from being complicated...both of them clearly began to understand one another more. Following that, having not expected her or thinking he deserved her consideration, Argenti hoped to turn her away in his Palace, but Aerith stubbornly persisted, caring too much to do otherwise. Argenti then learned more about her situation in the dreamscape, and felt closer in knowing her even more because of the circumstances. Aerith continued to show her support in the wake of Fray's disappearance and later on when the Palace formed as well; afterwards, Argenti decided to end up shopping with her in the midst of thanking her, where they continued to bond over a simple activity. But, for the both of them it was clearly meaningful in how deep their bonds had progressed...to Rank 10!

THREAD: Discussion of Important Matters

ELI & IZOU

[fullmoonmutt]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: ELI AND IZOU ARE THE SAME PERSON? Okay, fine, maybe not the same same, but they're both barky dogs who feed off one another's energy to the point of utter chaos if left to their own devices. They started out at one another's throats, with Eli picking a fight and Mr. Manslayer Izou trying to kill him. Literally their first thread. Eli was still antagonistic towards Izou until the end of Izou's palace, in which he more or less realized "oh shit this guy is like me". They've been close ever since: drinking together, gossiping together, talking shit together, threatening violence together. They're two doggy best friends by now.

Thread: two morons gossiping about their boyfriends then fighting (positive), that's it, that's the entire CR

MAFUYU & AUBREY

[beathollow]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Mafuyu has always had a weird fondness for Aubrey- though after they truly bonded after Aubrey it was less weird. Aubrey was abrasive and hostile in a way that Mafuyu found genuinely refreshing, which did not help the weirdo allegations. But after the discovery of garbage moms and suicide, they've supported each other. From the cathartic sounds of Mafuyu's music to rescuing each other from palaces to Aubrey pulling a wildness out of her that no one else can reach, Mafuyu considers Aubrey to be one of her best friends...

LINKS: of quiet and loud moments

SHALEM & HARUKA

[prozaic]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: The thing is, they might not have gotten to a 10 so quickly... But Atem's palace happened, where Shalem went completely off the rails (and attained self-actualization as the murder cultist), and Haruka realized This Is His Taste In Men. It's immediately after Atem's palace that their relationship took a turning point because instead of judging him, Haruka accepted who Shalem actually is-- the only person to do so-- and that was the catalyst for Shalem truly trusting him. They began talking more about themselves, eventually sharing their lives, their mutual passion for music, and the stressful mess that is the life of a professional performer, which they both shared, which brought them up to about 8 or 9. Haruka's palace pushed them over to the romantic flavor of 10 because of all the lore drops and Shalem actually realizing that Haruka fits the "bratty, quirky, tsundere drama llama" kind of guy he likes, which led him asking Haruka out, without even caring that he was technically asking the Shadow out-- he wanted Haruka, no matter how he would end up after the palace.

Thread(s): after Atem's palace (NSFW warning), haruka's palace (kinda nsfw), haruka's palace again. I APOLOGIZE THESE THREADS ARE DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF SMUTTY, they're a horny pair

ARGENTI & MAIKA

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Their first meeting was cryptid to cryptid conversation, with them getting to know one another. Immediately their bonds were tested thoroughly by the time murder happened with emotions running high between them - Maika attempting to bait Argenti, and Argenti rubbing salt in wounds by refusing to fall to bait. Argenti kept on running into Maika and working with her despite their explosive and emotional kind-of fallout. Through it all, Argenti thought more and more she was at least a combatant who could watch his back, and resolved to watch hers without telling her. Maika was equal parts infuriated by him and distrusting, inclined to believe that his baseless assertion that she's not a monster could be taken back as lightly as it's given. She regarded him as someone volatile to watch — but she's still conscious of the fact that he's helping her, and she intended to pay that back in kind while she tried to understand the motives behind his actions. Then, everything began to truly change when Maika chased him down out of (not) concern, and Argenti attempted to bait her into a fight and terrible insults...realizations occurred on both ends. For Argenti, that she truly cared somewhere, and Maika that as unreliable as she felt Argenti to be, his desire to protect the people in the city wasn't entirely a farce. She's also a little surprised to find that she can be stung by him appearing to think the worst of her; that while she hadn't been willing to trust his warm words, she's on some level hurt to find that she was right to be skeptical. She wanted to see Argenti in his right mind again to get her real answers. Then, came time when the Palace showed Argenti's fears, despair, grief, loneliness, and twisted emotions. Argenti himself further realized Maika's cares ran deep, and Maika felt she could finally understand and rationalize his actions. While she still disagreed with him killing Fuyu, she begian to believe that he might be an honorable man in a difficult position rather than just a zealot. The parallels in their situations and their histories softened her perspective on him considerably. Following that, they hung out at the Izakaya, had a heart to heart...and then, a deeper moment of connection with the dreamshare wherein both spoke on similarities of the harshness of their experiences/worlds. Realization came that they felt comfortable with one another to divulge such deep thoughts mutually...ergo, they are now Rank 10!

THREAD: Dreamshare Introspective

JOSHUA AND MAFUYU

[finalmix]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Sometimes all it takes is some Nekyia fuckery to realise that you're just similar kinds of people branching through different routes and support systems (or lack thereof). Since then, for how much Joshua complains about being Perceived, he doesn't really mind it that much if Mafuyu is the one doing it since he knows that they understand each other after going through several Palaces together, and she's helping him keep a hold on his humanity that he's lost touch with for so long. Trauma bonding fr does Some Shit to social link rank ups. Mafuyu is also the only person that Joshua uses endearments with so there's... that... and while Mafuyu has her own support systems in place now, Joshua is content to watch out for her in the background and catch her if she falls and he knows that she would do the same for him.

THREAD: THERE'S A BUNCH BUT here's a couple of snippets we're gonna speedrun this to get this over the line i promise in sou's palace / atem palace trauma bonding / dumbass hospital jailbreak

JOSHUA AND ATEM

[finalmix]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: By all accounts, on paper, they're basically the same person - pseudo immortal beings (though with very different circumstances and limitations) who have some sort of duty regarding the dead, and with a penchant for games. So it's a little bit telling when they decided that they reflect (ha) the worst parts of each other and got off on the wrong foot during their first meeting and the dreamsharings and palaces Did Not Really Help since it was reslly showing off the worst parts of themselves to each other. BUT in that there is a silver lining - it paved the way for them to speedrun to Rank 10 because they Understand the nuances and the differences between each other now and start over from scratch - and they're comfortable enough to keep making royal and old and angel jokes at each other. It also helps that they would both prefer not to use violence in a conflict (shared goals!!) even if it comes from very different places (joshua just because he's... joshua and prefers to do things the easy way and atem's pacifist inclinations).

it's also not in a thread because i refuse to write out twewy beyblade but ATEM KNOWS HOW TO PLAY TIN PIN NOW BECAUSE JOSHUA YAPPED AT HIM AND ATEM LISTENED THAT'S AN INSTANT RANK 10.

THREAD: this was their first meeting and look now they have a hospital selfie and a drinking party for two

ARGENTI & YI SANG

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: When Argenti met Yi Sang, most judged harshly or showed some level of approval. But, Yi Sang was a rare outlier because he approached it with complete neutrality, and didn't know him. But, treated him politely nonetheless. He had the chance to see how he operated when they were in Palaces very early on, witnessing his logic and thoughtfulness drive his interactions. Yi Sang himself became appreciative of Argenti's presence after Palace shenanigans, even when Argenti's Knight of Beauty persona made him feel rather mortified at times. Especially when this showed an indication towards a lack in reading the room, given Argenti's everything. Yet, he found Argenti's unrestrained spontaneity and positivity pleasant, alongside his initiative. It inspired and motivated him, though Yi Sang noticed that alongside that independence Argenti's a good, supportive listener. For Argenti, he saw that Yi Sang while quiet, yet kind, and firm (stepping in when necessary) was welcome company in normal settings. This approachability led him to conduct talks and discussions with him with ease, no matter how or where unfortunate their mutual line of thought lead them. The kind reliability was reinforced for Argenti when he saw Yi Sang at Fray's Palace, though his concern and empathy was at a high when he viewed Yi Sang's painful past, hoping he had been truly free. Yi Sang himself was grateful for the tendency towards support from Argenti's end in Palaces. But even while he has reached a place where he felt truly content with his life, he did not wish to trouble anyone with his troubled past. But, he found Argenti's concern in such matters sweet, even if he hoped he assuaged such worries, while also showing his sincere gratitude over Argenti being worried. Argenti himself reached out, and prepared to listen to Yi Sang's side...and yet, provide his unconditional support - such strong feelings on either side indicate how they have reached rank 10!

Thread: We both said Resolution and Dreamscape

MAFUYU & IZOU

[beathollow]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Initially the two were incredibly standoffish with each other for obvious reasons, one being a literal assassin and one being a literal mostly-normal teenage girl. But with Izou's palace came understanding (and... Mafuyu reading him for filth to the point that he lashed out) and from there, they were able to settle into a comfortable dynamic, including Mafuyu gently bullying him into actually using their shared room instead of sleeping in the common room. From there, Izou quickly became a dependable figure for Mafuyu, declaring himself her bodyguard and helping in various trials and wild rides, while Mafuyu kept him hale and healthy in battles. Tellingly, even after the traumatic incident of being stabbed by him while he was mindcontrolled, with a looser filter than normal Mafuyu still referred to him as onii-san (much to his dog-coded delight). Now, he's one of the people Mafuyu feels comfortable being imperfect or even childish around, and they confide in each other now and then.

LINK: How far they've come and also this because it makes me cry still

Schneider & Kaine

[unweathered]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION:
here!

What happens when you stick two intensely lonely women with habits of being cryptids lurking in the shadows despite the Need to be Loved and Known in the same room? They end up in a situationship full of messy feelings, because Kaine is in a two nickels situation and Schneider is Schneider.

Schneider didn't exactly make the best impression on Kaine to begin with while Kaine was taken at face value by Schneider. But as time went on, they began to see beyond the masks the other put up. Schneider got to see Kaine's dream while Kaine admitted to some of her vulnerabilities to Schneider...only to be shocked awake by visiting Schneider's living nightmare world. This has lead to them both recognising how important the other is, and a willingness to try to make the most of what they have.

They may not have long to love, but they will work that out when the time comes. After all, sometimes the shortest loves are the ones people remember the most.

ARGENTI & KIRUMI

[beautifulknight]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Meeting Kirumi earlier on, Argenti clocked her as a dedicated and kind individual who made good efforts for success - something he could understand, as he was a hard worker. Fighting by her side, he realized that focus/dedication extended to the battlefield (next time they had spoke!) She was one of the few people who took a far less explosive or opinionated stance to his actions at the first meeting, and even continued to talk to him normally afterward, which he appreciated. Meanwhile, Argenti always seemed to Kirumi like someone with strong convictions, proven further when he admitted to everyone he had killed Fuyu. Kirumi respected that, since it'd have been so simple to not let anyone know what he had done, yet he admitted it despite the possible consequences. They both then showed that they were able to work well together, by the time Izou's Palace happened along, teamwork feeling simple and easy at times. Her coming to his Palace showed that she was thinking kindly of him and as a dear friend, indicated well when she checked on him following that (which he duly appreciated!) And for Kirumi, the incursion into Argenti's palace made Kirumi sympathize with Argenti, since she saw some of the background behind Argenti's beliefs. Other pivotal moments included that he learned deeply about Kirumi in her dreamscape and her Palace, bringing about a sense of deep concern and a wish to help her as best as he could, like she did him. Argenti coming to her palace and being willing to support her despite her crimes - since she doesn't see Monokuma's manipulations and her modified self as justifications - meant a lot to her. In her opinion, Fray is lucky to have someone like Argenti by his side. Lastly, Argenti hoped for the best for her and he's certain that as a friend she does too - these mutual feelings of intense support indicated that both have reached rank 10.

THREAD: (Aftermath) The Beauty of Dedication

YI SANG & MAFUYU

[idealitas]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Second dad and daughter :)

Okay, here's the write-up:

Yi Sang was probably not the first to realize Mafuyu was a troubled prosekai teen, he learned about her broken phone early on, which was really important to her. Mafuyu was so honest with him about what caused it to break too (her abusive mother), as painful at it was to recall that. He promised to fix it the best he could. Then they go into Izou's castle, eat at a Dennyhops's as a celebration and in the meantime connect in ways that would surprise eachother, like teaming up to mess with Izou who wanted hugs (they provided). They can be silly, your honor.

But, later Yi Sang gets a better idea of how deep and painfully relatable some of Mafuyu's emotional scars, because he's been there and has similar scars, they've both been through suicidal low points with bad coping mechanisms. He kind of takes on a parental figure for Mafuyu since escorting her back to the dorms that time. Formerly depressed dad and depressed, accidentally adopted daughter... He just wants her to be okay.

Then Mafuyu has her palace (she's not okay), and Yi Sang is having none of the Queen/Cognitive Mafuyu's Mom bullshit. Maybe called her a bitch too, he was done with her delusional excuses. He also coincidentally found and protected Mafuyu's heart from the Queen until he knew he couldn't do it safely and passed it on. He's not like her, he knows he's not the only one who truly cares about her. But, the fact that she seeks him out really means a lot to him.

At this point he's a very hands off, but still doting and attentive parent, whoops. But! They appreciate each other's more mellow company too, which is a nice reprieve from things as... Taxing as Nekyia-related activities can be. It's good to just chill and vibe, the fact they can is character development, probably.

THREAD(S): Beep beep and Doot doot

SHALEM & ATEM

[prozaic]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: They are a Reversed 10, your honor(s). Atem is the catalyst for Shalem's self-actualization, because his penalty game is what brought the murder cultist to the forefront, at the expense of the personality that joined the game. Atem understands this because his penalty games have fucked people up this hard before, and they did have a talk after defeating Oberon, where Shalem did show that his screws stopped being in the right place for that mission (the screws are all gone). Before this point, they were at 8 or 9 because they understood each other well, but this talk after Oberon pushed it to 10... albeit reversed because while they do understand each other perfectly, Atem doesn't like that Shalem is like this (he believes he's at fault and is trying to take responsibility), and Shalem doesn't like that Atem is attempting to "fix" him, as evidenced by their fights during Sou's palace.

Thread(s): post-oberon talk (we're still backtagging this, please wait warmly), a fight in sou's palace

CELESTE & MCGILLIS

[cirquedesang]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: It sure took them a while to get here, but at the same time it's almost always been a foregone conclusion. The recognition of the Self in the Other is a powerful thing, and they began seeing parallels in each other from the first week. The parallels went far, far deeper than the superficial things they noticed on first blush, though, and with how events (palaces, inter-friendgroup conflict, memory shares, compelled honesty, the list goes on--) kept pushing them together and peeling away layers of masks and veils and fakeries, they eventually had to sit and have a quiet - but frank - discussion of shared traumas and how they got where they are. So. Yeah, the recognition of the Self in the Other is horrifying, but it doesn't have to be The Worst, actually.

Thread: Mind The Content Warnings: The CR

MCGILLIS & IZOU

[vogelfrei]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: They're not in love but they will be.

McGillis and Izou were cursed with matching sharp edges to cut at each other from the get-go: the friend-betrayer and the betrayed friend. From Izou's palace on, McGillis knew that Izou would come to hate him eventually - so when an opportunity to accelerate the process presented itself, he self-destructively jumped at it and dared Izou to come kill him. And ironically, the intensity of barely-presented murder got them stuck on each other's minds ever since.

Thanks to the interference of dreamsharing, Izou was forced to confront that McGillis is a threedimensional person with his own reasons and actually reached out to try and gain a deeper understanding. For this, he was rewarded with McGillis opening up to him - even if to McGillis it took the form of an 'experiment' to see how far a bond could actually go.

McGillis has always wanted the bond between him and Izou to shatter, to be proven right so that he could retreat to a solitary existence once more. Instead, their relationship has stabilized. What started as projection and obsession has turned into a genuine enjoyment for each other's company, turned into an intense sexual fling, and finally turned into a real relationship.

They both conceptualize their relationship more as obsession than as love, but at this point McGillis knows that he could fall for Izou - and that he wants to, as well. The 'experiment' has changed from something McGillis wanted to fail into something he is nurturing to succeed.

By the point where they agreed to stay with each other permanently, even after all this is over, their relationship well and truly hit Rank 10.

THREAD: The First Heart To Heart + A Nice Date (NSFW after some 200 comments....) + Getting Together

.... please do not read the whole date, it's 300 comments. I am linking all this for skimming and posterity, but the last one is the most representative of their current relationship so pick that one.

CELESTE & IZOU

[cirquedesang]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Man these two are sure chaotic. Their first real meeting involved an accidental bite, a death threat, and then a murder pact, and it only got more wild from there. Izou's palace (and the subsequent Dennihop visit) created the Lanternfam(tm), though, which really shoved Celeste down the road of acknowledging that allowing genuine interpersonal connections are good, actually?? Not that he let Izou know that until after his own pseudo-palace because it took that long for him to actually acknowledge it. Idiot. Throughout most of the game, Celeste flirted with Izou on and off, and often left Izou wondering if anything he did was genuine or not. While that was very intentional, and could have easily formed a rift between them, it never quite did, and their mutual orbit eventually culminated in that pseudo-palace making Izou realize he's not quite as put together as he projects, and it was a mistake to believe he was. For his own part, Izou's palace happened so early on in the life of the game, that Celeste got to not only see what caused the palace to spawn in the first place (on account of, you know, showing up to it...), but also got to watch fondly as Izou grew after it. He didn't actively have a hand in that himself often, but he does think of him fondly because of it. Very cute dog, would hair ruffle again. Ultimately, they're now on much steadier footing than they ever have been for whatever comes their way going forward.

THREAD: [???????? HOT????]

ATEM & MAFUYU

[metagame]

RANK 10 SUBMISSION: Atem is Mafuyu's other Emotional Support Gamer. Atem initially kept his distance from Mafuyu (and everyone else honestly) as he wasn't sure how to interact with them or why Braphine brought him at all. He grew used to being a passive observer during his time in the Field of Reeds. And Mafuyu in particular was difficult for him to be around since he couldn't get a bead on what she expected him to be like, so he kept to small, shallow pleasantries and polite conversation. Nothing too deep.

Until she literally fell into his palace and all hell broke loose.

Prior experiences lead his Shadow self to believe her easy to target and manipulate, so he tried. He failed. Miserably. She stood up to him instead, fighting him on equal footing--- all while rescuing her friends and others from his Penalty Games. Through her efforts, they were able to beat Shadow Atem at his own game.

And despite his cruelty, she still held out her hand to him at the very end.

After the Palace, they shared a quiet moment in the Shawarma Realm (idk what else to call the restaurant), and... friendship kinda bloomed from there. They bonded more during the sleepover where she revealed she solved the Millennium Puzzle (a miracle roll from Avrae tbh), and he encouraged her to stop letting her mom influence her.

Then all hell broke loose again during Sou's Palace.

In the aftermath, Atem realizes he truly cares for her as a dear friend, and more than anything he wants to keep her safe and happy.

THREAD(S): Shawarma Realm, this is where I used up Atem's only fuck in the game, the Link 10 rankoning.