Bayushi Choudai wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 6:06 am
So, with Inori and Choudai both about wrapped, I can get more nitty-gritty!
What was Inori's emotional journey in this game like to write?
It took a while to find the character voice again, in part because I didn't know exactly where she was after the last game had left of. It got a little better after 3-4 days and built from there.
I mean she started insecure and still a bit shaken, and given that she basically had no cash and no equipment (because Ronin school) I had to roll with that as well - meaning there had to be something wrong at the home front. Add in the fact that Inori was very much a kiddie character and I tried to account for that. That said conditions were pretty stable and I was able to find a way for the character to work.
This is the first character in a while whose mental state actually improved as the game went on. She built confidence, had some success and generally speaking things just worked out for her. As a consequence she became happier, more motivated and confident as the game went on.
Obviously, she and Choudai hit it off (and she had a major role in his efforts to find a reason not to have Mikan murdered, even though she'll likely never know it), but I'll admit, I'm curious as to why you think they clicked (I have theories of my own, but this is your Q&A).
I mean he IS a Scorpion, so I did my due diligence in having her be wary for the first two threads, but Inori was pretty isolated this game and looking for friends, so she latched on to Choudai because, well, he was around and actually friendly.
What ensued was, from her side, a lot like an older brother - younger sister dynamic. She did look up to Choudai a little and give him maybe a bit more credit than he deserved, but it's not like that hurt, and had him help her figure some things out while at the same time providing an alternative, not-so-jaded and cynical perspective.
There was also in the later part something like a mini-crush that she held off on - and that Choudai likely noticed but likewise did nothing about, for various reasons. Which, from my PoV, is pretty much how that should have played out.
Given the Imperial assignment, it seems her new niche will outlast her Sapphire Ambassadorship. How's she gonna take to that?
For context and because I've told this to you in PMs and to some people on Discord, but it's not been public: I do not "dream big" for my characters usually. I have more quaint notions about their place in the overall scheme of things and their future advancements. My characters do well, but they don't carve out empires for themselves.
Same here. Gaitsu actually offering Inori a job hit me as the player by surprise, even though there were definitely signs, and also the reason why I genuinely took almost a full OOC day to consider Inori's reaction.
Is this where I thought she would be, or exactly where she WANTED to be? No. She's stuck in an untenable position in character and so has to get ahead some way, and this is most certainly the biggest chance she has been offered this game, so she'll take it. And again, looping back, I assume realistically the biggest break she's going to get for the next few years. So, and also as to not offend the imperial she took it.
I have no real idea how it would develop from there if I actually played it - perhaps she would grow into it, become a Seppun and never look back - but there's the anti-imperial bias of me the player, and also Inori's main wish as of now is to get back out there and look for other undiagnosed talents and develop them. That's where she'll end up if she got her wish
She'll do well by the imperials, because that's the right thing to do, but preferrably not stay in the capital forever.