Character Development Meme!

[rubycitymods]

!! Character Development Meme !!




Being pulled into a world different from their own can be taxing for any character and the relationships that they develop and experiences they have can alter them in many different ways, pushing them away from their canon personalities, appearances and more.

Some will change more than others, not always dependant upon how long they've been in the game!

How has your character (or your characters) changed over their time in Ruby City? Do they have scars they didn't have before; have their opinions on certain topics changed; how has their perspective been shifted by their time in the city? Which events - game-wide or personal - have impacted on them? What would they think if they came face to face with the 'vanilla' version of themselves?

Tell us all about it!

Comments

[all_onis_are_true]

PHOENIX: Phoenix, as the veteran of the group comparatively, has developed quite a bit. Beyond just getting used to the insanity that Ruby City embodies, he's also come to double down on his belief in the truth, at least in part due to finding out both about his impending disbarment and subsequent reinstatement. This, along with Trucy, has lent him an odd sort of optimism about his future at home even knowing about the seven year gap. More importantly, Phoenix has become one of the few to genuinely doubt that the Overseers are necessarily the true enemies of the city, largely due to his efforts in investigation. Whether he's right or not remains to be seen.

HIROSHI: For the time being, Hiroshi has regained a calm he hasn't been able to possess since the night at the Jailhouse. He still has dreams, as seen by his last post, but he's managed to find ways to make himself feel more useful and less of a failure. That said, there are currently no people in the city who know about his background; if something flares up his guilt again, he'll basically need to start from square one again in terms of talking to someone.

SOGA NO TOJIKO: lol character development. She's become fairly outgoing out of necessity, but that's about it.

[crowsicle]

Bahaha oh my god, how much has Davesprite changed in the almost-two-years he's been here

SO MUCH

His original canonpoint was seconds after [S]: Cascade, which was, you know, not actually the best time for him all around. In the space of a day, his older brother and sole family was killed in battle at his side, Davesprite himself got stabbed through the gut and had his wing ripped off, he'd been forced to abandon his sister to a doomed, collapsing timeline, and he gave up the right to his own identity and merged with a dead crow. He came into Ruby City hurt, overwhelmed, and bitter with his lot, and he could have very easily withdrawn only occasionally to lash out at his friends without ever communicating what was wrong, as he did in canon.

But instead, despite a truly rough beginning (I was brilliant and apped him into the middle of a month-long horror event, thinking, "What could possibly go wrong? 8D"), he found BOATLOADS of support and guidance both from his family, especially in the early months, and from new friends. Dirk, Saber, and Xion get the honorable mentions here; their presence changed him the most, I think.

The first time I knew that the relationship between Dirk and Davesprite was actually getting him to grow was this thread, when Dirk was blaming himself for a warg breaking Davesprite's arm. That Davesprite could actually articulate what was pissing him off was a huge step forward for him, and every conflict Davesprite and Dirk have had since then has continued to push him forwards, to push him towards realizing that he IS worth something, that he IS someone capable of growth and change, that he doesn't have to be mired in his own shit unless he traps himself there under his own power. And that's just when Davesprite and Dirk are in conflict (and every conflict they've had has led to amazing growth spurts); most of the time they're on the same wavelength, and seeing both Dirk's stability and his awkward teenage imperfection has gone a long way towards mellowing out Davesprite's insecurity. He doesn't have to prove himself to Dirk the same way he felt he had to with Bro or Rose, or even his other friends.

I actually really really want a Bro to come back to Ruby City and stick around, just so he and Davesprite himself can see how much he's been able to grow away from that sad, hopeful, childish, unhealthy hero worship.

Saber's also provided Davesprite a stable ground on which he could build his own identity: particularly his moral values. Being the King of Knights' squire means it's okay for him to believe in right and wrong, it's okay for him to believe in justice, it's okay for him not to be cynical about Goodness. He doesn't have to play it cool around her; and if so, he doesn't really have to play it cool at all. And that's actually cool, though he hasn't realized that yet.

It's also been good for him to be able to see in Saber his own Knight Problems, and to be able to help her with the Pendragon family problems that weirdly echo his own, sometimes.

And then there's Xion. Sweet, scarred Xion, whom Davesprite can love unreservedly, without worrying about appearances. Xion, who laughs when he's trying to be funny and when he's trying to be cool. Xion, who doesn't need a shield, but is too perfectly precious, too irreplaceable not to protect. Xion, who's the same as him, who knows what it's like to get the shit end of existence, who understands what they've both given up.

Seeing in her his own martyrdom and unwillingness to see just how unfair their fate is has pushed him to a place I never thought Davesprite would be able to go: He understands now that he can't say he doesn't matter, that if he is going to sacrifice himself, he has to understand the weight of his own life instead of downplaying it for his own comfort. He's still grappling a little with the aftershocks of that realization.

It's just been good for him all around to have someone he can share everything with. Also someone he can hold hands with and just share quiet times with without thinking of his presentation.

Eren's been great for him too, but the boys just tend to reinforce each other's behavior. And of course the rest of his family and all the friends he's made have been indispensable in getting him to a place where, actually, he's pretty okay.

As far as events go, he's STILL feeling echoes of horror from that first October he was in the city and gets a little overprotective for it, and of course the Holy Grail War last October really did a number on him. He's both less afraid of death and more, now that he knows what it feels like--and now that he knows what it feels like to choose to die, to do it for someone he loves.

All in all, Davesprite went from being a closed-off, prickly, traumatized kid to being a much more balanced and happy fifteen-year-old during his time here, and y'all are to thank for it.

[earlybird]

[ ooc: wow dat's fukkin kawaii. pinch his lil birdy cheeks bless his Knightly heart. ]

[pocketmobster]

Kuzuryuu hasn't really been in-game long enough to develop much past his impressive development in Super Dangan Ronpa 2, but the people he's met in Ruby City have reinforced those lessons he learned from canon. He could've fallen back on old defensive habits to keep people at bay--and has, a bit, to be sure--but falling in with so many superheroes has instead bolstered his resolve to help instead of hurt and continue to make up for the damage he's done.

[sickjoke]

Edward is frustratingly static, which it to be a bit expected -- he likes who he is and he's afraid of who he could become, so he's trying to maintain a certain level of status quo. However, this means he doesn't grow as much as I'd like. He's got a lot of potential that isn't being explored which is a bummer, but in time that could change. Right now he's mostly frustrated and trying to keep himself from climbing the walls and scrawling riddles everywhere.

Jack on the other hand, has been hurt grievously, attempted to deal with it, and still finds himself falling back on old habits while opening himself to new experiences. It's a big deal that he's fallen for Steve because he's been closed off for a long time. He'd lost everything, and here in Ruby he was immediately killed, left shaken and in a moment of vulnerability, let Steve in and has been so blessed since he can't even articulate it. It's lead to him opening up in marvelous new ways.

Bruce was actually pushed back in development by IC misunderstanding, wounding him emotionally and reverting him to 'welp I'll be a monster then' behaviors -- however, with Tony's arrival he's gently being nudged out of that. But he's only been here for a little bit, so it's alright. He's got time and room to grow.

[fashionablekeeper]

Caius Ballad has gone through a series of changes since his arrival. While he still has Yeul to protect, which is his priority, he has also come to realise that death isn't permanent here and that unsettles him. He's also discovered that he's no better off than the average person when it comes to being sent away or being used by the Overseers. That bothers him a great deal even though he's never voiced that it has.

He has also learned that since he can't do a damn thing about his situation here in the City, he's forced to step back and watch while he acts as Sephiroth's foil in a sense. He's seen a lot happen and while he's not willing to just out right say that he can't do anything, he's still learning what makes this place tick. This is the type of patience he has and he may take up the role as a philosophy teacher in Dia's school. Might.

With so many people from his world gone, he hasn't once grieved for them and he won't. However, he does speak about them as if they were great heroes and in truth they were. Each one that he's faced, he respects them. His encounter with Grimmjow over the network made him realise that he's not willing to show what he's capable of which is QUITE a bit. Will he use that power to overthrow the Overseers? No. To him, it's not his place even though he might be able to blow a hole straight through if he finds that weakness.

Yuj has also gone through some changes as well. He's still the same Yuj that first arrived in the City but with one huge difference. He's learning to embrace the city than fight it and he's not so eager to volunteer himself that much and for good reason. While he's been working as a tailor to keep himself busy as well as working on his natural beauty products line, he's also been looking for ways to bend himself a little more to adapt.

As a survivalist and one hell of a marksman, he's still keeping up his Jack-of-All-Trades mentality and has been learning as much as possible. It's the same as what he's done back home only with a lot more emphasis in trying to bring about some normalcy within the chaos.

Zack Fair has finally gotten over the loss of Aerith which has been a huge step for him. He's picked up a few things along the way and is learning how to cook from Rosalind. They became fast friends and while he still loves Aerith, he knows that she wouldn't want him to be stuck in a rut either. He's gone through the natural grieving process and he's ready to move on.

Along these lines, he's also getting out a bit more and returning to his old self. While Sephiroth's presence still annoys him, he can't stop him either with the reality that death isn't permanent. So, he's working with the investigation team to try to find ways to keep the demi-god in line.

lots of tl;dr incoming!

[provenworth]

Four years. Its been four years since Elena first stepped into Ruby City and during that time she's gone through a series of transformations and changes that have shaped and molded her into the woman she is today.

When she first arrived, Elena was very much still the serious, business-focused, President-protecting Turk she had been back on Gaia. And with it just being herself and Rufus ShinRa, Elena was in full-blown Turk mode. Everything was done methodically, pre-planned with coordination with Rufus - making their existence more of partners than boss and subordinate. Elena was also very much the care provider since Rufus had come into the city ill with Geostigma, meaning that she had the delicate job of balancing the visible concern over his health, maintaining the man's pride, and refusing to allow him to push himself too hard.

This relationship, beneath the rigid and professional exterior shown had a softer side that was shown to no-one. Brief moments of compassion and affection that were given no name and never mentioned. Just experienced. Its up for debate if the relationship became physical, Elena would never kiss and tell. When Rufus left, it was the first true heart-break that Elena hard really undergone in her lifetime.

A note left behind became her focus and her resolve, and Elena took on the mantle of the city's unofficial protector and leader in times of crisis. This was the start of a new phase for a woman who had spent her professional career in the shadows. She had come forward and into the spotlight, coordinating efforts and creating the Ruby City Star Patrol. Brought together people of great minds and strengths.

From her third story penthouse in Hotel Shinra, Elena watched over the city like an overprotective mother. During her tenure with Rufus (and after), she identified and befriended several individuals, such as 202, Aqua, Morrigan and James Potter. These friendships had been started with an underlying purpose - purely logistical, collecting talent for her and the city's needs. It was these people, and several others, who began to work their way past the hard exterior that was Turk and into a close circle of actual friends. The mentality of a Turk was to keep friends close, enemies closer, and your resources even closer. But with these friendships came the understanding that people weren't pawns to be used, but brought value beyond their skills, knowledge and intelligence.

A series of unfortunate events make Elena question her ability and caused her to become more aware of her mortality. The excessive weight of her self-imposed responsibility of taking care of the city, not to mention the unexpected contraction of her world's most deadly disease - the Geostigma - eventually was Elena's undoing. Having driven herself into the ground, hiding her illness from those closest to her, she collapsed in the Cathedral. Had it not been for Kirei Kotomine, she would have died. It was another educational moment for Elena - the anger and hurt from her friends, feeling betrayed and untrusted because she would not share her situation with others teaching her that she could not continue this way.

And then Sephiroth showed up and all the forward movement came to a screeching and grinding halt.

While she hasn't entirely returned to being the city's unofficial leader - stepping back as others came forward to lead other protective teams - she has made it her priority to keep a watchful eye on the man who she knew was capable of so much chaos. An unfortunate, not to mention awkward and uncomfortable, partnership during the Holy Grail War increased the hostility between the pair and Elena, in an attempt to keep the man in line, made a deal with a devil.

With the end of the HGW, and the arrival of her entire team and a new Rufus (sans memory), Elena found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Unable to fully tell the team of what had happened out of fear of their disappointment and disapproval, terrified to say anything out of fear of being held captive, tortured by the silver-haired swordsman, the ties between herself and her Turk family were strained and stretched. Their leaving without her being able to fully explain, to rebuilt that trust, crushed the spirit that had been her signature and her strength.

And yet, beneath it all, is the strong and iron will that has not given up. Despite being broken, despite being doubted, Elena fully believes that what she has done was the best that she had available at the time. Conversations with newly-befriended Dirk Strider has helped her see that she's taken on so much and that she should - could - go to others. That she could no longer be the owner of Sephiroth's doings and intervene with the residents sought to engage him. She still watches the man closely, of course, not fully separating herself from him - though if this is by choice or by some other reason she has yet to confirm.

Elena has also come to understand, appreciate, and even love children. She had been the unofficial mother to Conan Edogawa and currently is the not!mom to Alice Liddel. Not once had she ever considered being a parent, but when Alice called her 'mother' - whether by accident or on purpose - there was no going back.

As things stand now, Elena has modified what it means to be a Turk in the city. She still serves as a coordinator, though she only comes forward when information or history is required; instead she supports the leaders of the respective groups and doesn't try to usurp their leadership. With the return of the Hotel, Elena's investigative instincts are firing on all cylinders. She's kind, compassionate and caring to those who are considered close friends and family; considerate and calm with those she's knowing; and hostile to anybody who threatens the city or those within it.

Say hello to Elena 2.5

[neverbeamemory]

Sephiroth has been in Ruby City now for little over a year. Yet he hasn't changed that much at all due to the fact that he stubbornly keeps others at an arms-length distance and doesn't form social connections with anyone, unless he has something to gain from it and even then casual conversation isn't his strong suit; nor does it need to change since it's a human habit and he's not human.

Not to mention, he will not allow this place to change him and woe betide anyone who would dare suggest it to him.

Yet, even with his amount of stubbornness to change, no one is truly immune. Sephiroth came to Ruby City after having lost to Cloud at the end of Advent Children Complete, he had surrendered his physical vessel in order to retreat back into the Lifestream and gather his strength once more. So, to end up in another place, with his body completely in tact immediately after wards certainly blew up an already inflated ego. Not that he needed it. Granted there is no Lifestream for him to tap into but this has only served to draw Sephiroth's attention to other things about Ruby City.

Very quickly he identified that this new realm is a lot cleaner than the one he had left. There is hardly a fraction of the pollution that there was in Midgar and it did not take Sephiroth very long at all to begin to toe over the line between wanting to get home and wanting to stay and see what he could make of this new realm he's been presented with. It remains, to this day, a long term goal of his; if he can't have his Planet, he'll take another.

Though, keeping this from others is crucial; he can't have everyone step up to get in his way at once and it's even better if no one ever suspects anything. More cards to keep close to his chest, while he goes about learning not only what he can about the City, but also, what other power resides here that he might be able to use - developing a keen interest and some minute ability in both the Chaos and Darkness so far. That is until recently when the Sending succeeded in baring his soul to these opposite energies and they nearly tore him apart from the inside. Post crystal-extraction Sephiroth is still suffering with the short-term amnesia, and a light metaphysical aversion/allergy to Chaos energy as a result; which will make him more prone to otherwise better-controlled emotional-outbursts. When this passes he will re-evaluate and adjust his interest accordingly - lesson learned.

Despite the Holy Grail War and its attempt to have him brought down a few pegs; which accumulated in his first death (and all the associated shock that entailed), his near death by Warg-pack as a result of stripped-regeneration, or even his more recent power-strip after he'd killed Zack, Sephiroth still remains not so far from his personality at the end of canon. With one footnote-

Sephiroth is all about control over himself and the environment around him. To him, he is the biggest fish in the pond (he's not even the same fish as the rest of you!) and more often than not will never hesitate to demonstrate as such when triggered to do so.

HOWEVER, considering there is no threat of Death in this realm, he has lost his sharpest tool to do this with - he can't very well demand the respect he deserves without a viable threat to back it up! Death was not only a finality for his enemies before, but by returning them to the Lifestream where he had such an influence they could in effect become a part of his own existence. The ultimate dominance of his will over theirs. With this gone from his arsenal, recently Sephiroth has become disinterested in constant fighting with others for the sake of it - the exception being if they do enough to stir his anger.

Hence he has devolved further into a more psychopathic leaning, by switching to a lesser-used tool; letting (or even keeping) others stay alive while putting them through the most miserable, painful or mentally-destructive torture he can care to deliver to them. He is developing an affinity for causing anguish in people and enjoying making them suffer rather than finishing them off outright, and Cloud will always be his practice dummy for the mental abuse. For the physical side, his torturous itch is reserved for those that deserve such attention and/or punishment - at least for now, but it's very much like picking up any new habit; he wants to do it more.

[shwarm_after]

Tony is relatively new so he's basically just finally accepted that he might be here for a good long while so he's actually settling in a little bit. He's also kind of accepted that Steve not all of his teammates are jackasses and he might be grateful that they're here. Also his science siblings are way cool, okay.

Only problem is that he keeps falling on old habits he's had for years and have intensified tenfold since the canon point I picked him up from. Instead of reaching out to people, he spends a lot of his time hermiting in his house, working and not sleeping. And occasionally not eating. Also drinking. Maybe.

Oh, and he's mega bummed out that Thor's gone so look! He mildly cares about someone else! Tony you are a terrible person

[discordiality]

Actually I like this kind of thing. uwu Let me see what I can manage to convey here.

America: He's been in the city for two years, and while he hasn't forgotten that he is, in fact, a nation, being in the city creates a sense of disconnect, and he's never had any instances where he'd been sent home and brought back to the city like anyone else, so he has no idea what has been going on at home. He almost wishes he did.

Still, he's grown to be comfortable in the city--or as comfortable as one can be--since he knows this is pretty much the best place for him to continue exploring his feelings and relationship with England. When they're here, they can just be Alfred and Arthur, no political messiness, and it's for the better. He likes his crazy home with his cats and the kids and all this domesticity. Though...sometimes he just doesn't know what to do with himself, when he's not running loose patrol with Cap's squad.

The biggest goal he has at the moment is to actually get married to Arthur before either of them gets sent home...though he doesn't want to push the man too hard to soon. If there's one thing being in Ruby City's taught him, it's patience.

Discord: His tenure's at a little over a year, and Discord's done a bit of growing up! Unfortunately, despite his ease at talking to people lately--not without trolling, because he can't help it--he still hasn't made a LOT of friends. It's probably just not in the cards for him. JW and Twilight are his best friends right now. ;3 He is warming up to Roman and Rosalind, and he is quite curious about Lumina, while also feeling a deep and pressing duty to bother Dirk at any possible moment (ok fine Dirk's an actual friend...ish). He gets a bit stir crazy in the city, and tends to wander about looking for trouble. He'll deny it.

During his stay, he's adapted a taste for small woodland creatures that would simply curl Fluttershy's mane worse than Pinkie Pie's. But it simply can't be helped, when he had a personality swap. Sheesh.

Ryou and Yami Bakura: One at a time, but they've been in the city for a year and a month now! Ryou's had his ups and downs, and copes by making friends as best he can. Unfortunately, he hasn't adjusted to this losing-of-friends thing quite yet, and it's messing with his mind a bit. He has been working hard to keep it together though, and the added presence of his fire lizard, Yugi, has been of some help. It reminds him of home, symbolizes defiance against his darker side, and also the small animal's bond with him, though it is no bronze, is still strong enough to influence his...questionable strength of will, and add a bit of positivity to any situation. At present, he's not sure of where he wants to live, since he has decided to vacate the Coffee Joint. There were others expressing a wish to properly run it, and that was enough that he didn't want to be in their way. Now that the city's gone and done a magic trick though, maybe he'll have a nice place to settle soon...~ All in all though, no deep changes. Just a mopier, sadder, less social Ryou because he misses the Scooby Gang back home.

HIS YAMI: Is still predominantly a night owl, and responds to other citizens with either cryptic, leading replies meant to pull them into mental games (or extract information), or he does whatever it is he damn well pleases. The city's starting to make him antsy, and he doesn't like this whole city shift. He hasn't been able to procure a tarot deck, which he would sorely enjoy having, if only to while his time away with reading the cards and attempting to get a hold on the situation here.

He's also attempting to garner interest in Monster World, so as to run a campaign, in which he may or may not intend to do some dirty soul-stealing maneuvers with his Ring. The city hasn't tamed him, he's just biding his time because blowing one's cover any sooner than necessary is entirely inadvisable. That said, he's probably going to start trying out some daytime posting, if only to reach out his feelers and get integrated into the city.

Because his time here hasn't developed him into anything but a dirty villain. :V

[thepuppetmaster]

Okay, here we go...

England was my first character here and he's been here for two and a half years now. He's seen a lot of people come and go, but never been out of the place himself. Sometimes he does wonder why that is and he would love to know what's going on back home - it's so strange to be cut off from his people and he's still not used to it.

In the time he's been here, he's managed to reconcile his poor relationships with his brothers Scotland and Wales and rekindle a functional relationship with France, and though all three of them are now sadly departed from the city he still has the knowledge that, with a little work and outside of the political quagmires of their usual day to day lives, the bridges burned between them can be rebuilt. Maybe not as grandly as before, but they can be functional, if slightly ugly and rickety things. That is a thought that gives him some comfort as much as he knows it's not likely to be something that would ever come to pass back home.

The most important reconciliation, though, came between himself and America. The idiots finally admitted how they felt about each other not long into their placement in the game and they've been through a few ups and downs but more or less a solid 'thing' ever since. Arthur finds himself often exasperated by the younger nation, but you might say that his time in the city has mellowed him a little. It's hard to be mad at things when everything is always turning itself on its head anyway.

Over the years, he's ended up pulling a little entourage of wayward children under his wing. Starting with Alice Liddell in April of 2012, the little family has expanded to also include Ib, Garry and Hiroshi as well as four cats (and Alfred). He actually finds the domesticity to be comforting, in a way. He doesn't need to be 'England' in Ruby City, he can just be 'Arthur' and that's all that he needs to be.

Well, except when it comes to Arturia Pendragon. It never once occurred to him past their first meeting to think it strange that 'King Arthur' (or, a version of him) was in fact female. Arthur's had some strong women in his life and he has admired all of them, why should she be any different?

Speaking of strong women, a friendship that has certainly defined his stay in the city has been the one he holds with Helen Magnus. She's a complex, frustrating, delightful woman who reminds him very much of a certain redheaded queen at times and he values her friendship more than he would that of most people. They both have strong personalities, so they argue at times, but in the end it's only because they care about each other.

You could say he looks at things differently now. He has more patience than he did.. but he can still tsun it up given the right circumstances.

* * *

Dirk Strider came in not long after and has been here for over two years as well. This kid's really been through the mill over that time. With the absence of most of his friends for a large chunk of his time in the game, Dirk was never able to retreat to them and was forced to actually develop social skills. Over two years on, he's far better than he was, but still an awkward little shit.

His near-constant 'rock' has been Davesprite, the only person he's let get close enough to see him for what he really is who hasn't then been taken away. The two of them went from uncertainty to a slightly unhealthy co-dependency to such a strong bond that he can't really imagine what things would be like without him around. To Dirk, Davesprite is the real Dave.

That's not to say they don't argue - they do and when they do, it's always about something explosive. Though a lot of these arguments are things that push Davesprite through to new development, they definitely do the same for Dirk as well, forcing him to look at things in different ways or acknowledge radically differing opinions to his own as equally valid. He could have never anticipated Davesprite becoming as important to him as he has. If he met him in canon, who's to say he would even give him a second look? But Davesprite's happiness and the value he places on his own existence is something that's become of paramount importance to Dirk. He wants his little bro to be happy, he wants to protect him and make him believe that he deserves to exist. It's a work in progress.

He's not the manipulative asshole that he was when he came fresh out of canon. He still is manipulative, to a degree, but orchestrating a complex plot using his friends as pawns (because they'd only fuck it up if he told them what was going on) isn't something that he would think to do anymore. He's been forced to face down and admit to a lot of his many personal flaws - manipulation and gaslighting being only two of a long list - and his reaction to this, rather than denying them, has been to actively try to make himself a better person. There are people in the city - and memories of people who have been there - who he wants to make himself better for.

Because god knows they deserve someone better than him.

Someone else who really changed him was Xion. In the time that she was living in the same house as Dirk she went from someone who was afraid of him to his baby sister, his princess, someone he would lay his life down for and her loss devastated him in a way he could never have anticipated. Davesprite told him once that it was in his nature as the Prince of Heart to keep making connections with people no matter how much losing them hurt, because that was just how his aspect drove him. He wouldn't disagree with that assessment, but that doesn't mean he doesn't think it sucks.

Elena, too, is someone who has pushed him to alter his perception of things. The way that she makes broad assumptions without evidence and puts herself and others into danger without thinking frustrates him to no end, but he's only partly realised that it's because it reminds him of himself. He and Elena are excruciatingly similar, but he sees in her a lot of things that he hates about himself and a lot of things that he has tried to change. Still, they've managed to settle into a co-operative friendship of late. Hopefully it will be good for both of them.

Another important person in his life has been one Maya Fey. Though no one could ever take the place of Roxy and Jane in his life, Maya has certainly stepped into the role. She would be one of the first people he would turn to in a time of crisis, someone he knows he can trust and rely on and to Dirk that means a hell of a lot. Trust isn't something that comes all that easily to him, even now.

Meeting his own bro and Roxy's mom, too, allowed him to put a close on a lot of unanswered questions. He doesn't know if he'll ever be able to meet them using Sburb, but at least he did meet them. He made his bro proud... and that's all he needs to know.

Last, but certainly not least, the presence of one Jake English has been a cause of much confusion and uncertainty in Dirk's life, particularly after Hanna - someone he had utterly fallen for - returned to the city with no memory of him. At first, he thought it was just a rebound, but as time has worn on he's starting to realise (partly to his horror) that he still has some strong feelings for the other boy. More than that, he's realising that because of the way they've both grown and matured, they are infinitely more compatible now than they ever were in their own canon. A relationship with Jake is something that he can see working now, but he doesn't want to take the risk on it. He'll only fuck it up again.

Dirk has grown from a gangly sixteen year old to being almost eighteen and by now looking very, very much like a young version of Bro Strider. Though he hasn't gained access to his aspect abilities through a canon update, he's developed them naturally in the city. Ripping souls out and destroying them isn't something that he's sure he's comfortable with yet.

For someone who would always claim to be somewhat antisocial, he's possibly one of the most well-known people around the city by now. As of yet, he hasn't really used it to his advantage. The amount of loss he's been through has made him somewhat jaded, but he's not entirely inaccessible yet. He keeps trucking on, somehow, without cutting everyone out.

* * *

The Dolorosa has definitely been through some changes too.

She arrived from the canon point of her death, being shot through the chest on Mindfang's ship after years of mental and physical manipulation by the ceruleanblood. She'd been a slave for so long that she could barely remember anything else and now, though she still bears the marks of that time, it feels like nothing but a distant memory.

While she's been in the city she has been introduced to humans, a species that she had never been aware of before save for a chance encounter with John Egbert when the Signless was only a grub, and learned so much about them that she has begun to wonder if their way of life is not preferable to how things are on Alternia. She's been able to see the Signless again, and the other rebels and spend enough time with them to begin healing the wounds on her heart and she has grown bold enough to even stand up to Dualscar in the times he has made his appearances.

At one time, she was the only troll present in the city and it was at that time that she began to grow close to Dante - someone who she has now been in a relationship with for a year. He's helped her in ways he couldn't possibly know, as well as introducing her to the idea that love might not always be something that divides itself into quadrants. She understands how the Signless and the Disciple felt for each other far more now.

During her time in the city she's done her best, at times, to educate the uninformed on the specifics of her species. It's hard to miss her, yet most remain woefully unaware.

She's set up shop in the city's clothing store and enjoys replacing the rather dowdy fashions offered by the city with her own more colourful creations. Being useful and putting long-abandoned talents to use is something that she can't help but enjoy.

The Dolorosa has really come into her own, removed from the rigid social class system of Alternia and being mostly surrounded by youngsters. More often than not she's had to gently let them know that they have no reason to fear her and she tends to watch over them in a far more 'motherly' fashion than any troll normally would.

Being dead in her own world, she has no wish to leave the city despite the things that happen here. This life and the things she's gained here have far more value to her than returning to a painful death and oblivion.

* * *

Remus Lupin has gone through a large number of changes relating to his confidence in himself and his acceptance of what he is. When the Teen Wolf cast was still around, he was taken in by them and introduced to the idea that one can certainly be comfortable with being a werewolf without turning into someone like Fenrir and even though he wasn’t exactly like them, Derek had more of an impact on him than he was ever able to articulate and it eventually led to his outing himself to the entire city.

Most of them didn’t care, but it was never about whether or not anyone cared, it was always about his own opinion of himself and if everyone knows then he no longer has to feel like he has something to hide. It did wonders for his self-esteem and though he still refers to himself as a monster far too easily, he’s actually far more at ease with himself than he ever was.

Being pulled out of his own canon not long after the First Wizarding War, Remus came into the city at a painfully low point in his life. Three of his best friends were dead and another of them had killed them and subsequently been thrown into Azkaban. James, who had always supported him financially, can be assumed to have left him nothing (given that he was said to have taken a number of odd jobs until his employment as a professor) and after his death he was no doubt pushed into a life of near-poverty that was only exacerbated by the fact he couldn’t find much more than minimum wage employment thanks to his condition.

While in the city, he was able to learn – from Snape – how to create the Wolfsbane potion and not long after that, Sirius arrived. It didn’t take much from him to convince Remus of the fact that he’d been wrong all along, that it had never been Sirius and that Peter was the one to blame for everything. In a way, that made it worse. To know that one of his closest friends was innocent and rotting away in the worst hell ever created for wizards. It had broken him in ways that Remus couldn’t hope to understand, but he tried (and he’s still trying).

Something that’s affected him almost as much as coming close to being at piece with his Lycanthrophy is his relationship with Sirius. Admitting he’d had a crush on him for years was the first step and there have definitely been some (large) bumps along the way. Remus is peripherally aware that Sirius doesn’t think he’s good enough for him but at the same time he’s not all that sure about being good enough for Sirius, either.

He takes up most of his time experimenting with magic and potions, in particular ones that might be of benefit to the general populous as well as using some of his time for volunteer shifts in the clinic. Feeling like he’s actually doing something useful is a big boost for him, rather than just floating around trying to hide what he is and trying to get by from day to day.

He’s also found a close, singularly unusual friend in Sirius’ younger brother Regulus. Had you told him that he would form such a close bond with a Slytherin he might have laughed, but in the time they’ve known each other, Regulus has gone from something of a peculiar annoyance to someone that he trusts, despite Sirius’ warnings against it. He cares about Regulus a great deal, though that doesn’t mean that he won’t tell him when he’s being an idiot.

Which, let’s be honest, is fairly often.

[thepuppetmaster]

Twilight Sparkle has, almost from the start, been separated from all of her friends. Fluttershy was around when she first came to the city but left not long after and for quite a while she was alone, until Discord appeared. At that time, he definitely wasn’t anything close to any friend of hers.

She couldn’t revert back to the kind of pony she’d been when she first moved to Ponyville. Twilight needed her friends, she was lonely. Then, she found an unlikely friend in the form of one James E Walter, a prickly and easily irritated man who hated magic and well educated people and, in a word, everything that Twilight was. Despite this, though, the two of them ended up in an almost sibling-like relationship that, for a while, Twilight utterly relied on (whether he knew that or not).

Since then, she’s gained a few more friends, but JW is certainly the best one she has. There’s very little that she wouldn’t do for him, just like she’d do anything for her Ponyville friends.

After their most recent canon update, Twilight and Discord have also become firm friends. They had been partly on the way beforehand, but Discord’s capricious nature was still standing in the way of it. Really, they needed the finally few episodes of season four to cement their fondness for each other as much as they might both vehemently deny that their feelings go anything beyond tolerance.

Twilight is probably the one who has changed the least out of everyone that I play in the city and though her ideas about friendship have been altered, they’re no less strong. She misses Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity every day, she misses Celestia and Luna and her brother and Cadence, but she wouldn’t wish them to her even if she had the opportunity. It’s just not in her nature.

For a while, she was genuinely afraid of putting herself ‘out there’ and being visible in the city, mostly due to the kinds of reactions she got (on account of being a talking purple magic pony). She grew tired of this, though, and vented her frustrations out over the network, after which she was encouraged to ignore the haters and go about her business like anyone else in the city. It was advice that she took to heart and since then she’s been more confident in just walking around, though she’s still somewhat aware of being stared at.

Recently, she seems to be slipping back into teaching, as she did with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. From mapping the stars with Ib to teaching Ezio how to read English, she’s keeping herself busy around constantly practicing and improving her magic (and keeping Discord and JW out of trouble).

[sheloves]

Rill Hasn't really been here for very long at all, but she's met lots of incredible people that she really likes and honestly, she doesn't dislike anyone. Not even that dude who was throwing energy bolts at residents. She's learning how to kick back and have fun courtesy to the Sixth Doctor, which is lovely, and actually enjoying herself sparring with Diarmuid. It's been fantastic, really, and it'd be more so if her ship were here so she didn't feel like she ought to be missing her, but alive is good. New friends? Awesome.

Being without her sight made her appreciate it more, but didn't really change her.

Not much, I guess, and certainly not enough to think much of the change if she met herself. More time ought to pass, then we'll see! The having fun part, is such a bonus for her though.

[bifroster]

Oh goodness, Jane has changed a lot since coming here.

First, and most notably, she is not as much of a workaholic anymore. She is as passionate, driven, and excited for her work as she has ever been, even more so with all of the possibilities that this world possesses, but because of everyone here and all of the people she has come to know, she is not hiding herself up in her trailer computing all the time.

Back home, she pretty much only had her work—not much of a social life, a ton less drama and adventure (even when Thor came into the picture), and until SHIELD came in, she really didn’t have any colleagues take her seriously or even want to work with her.

All of that has changed since coming to Ruby City. She’s found a reason to come out from behind her computer screens and equations, which have all been the friends she has made since coming here. She goes out and does patrols for monsters (which I need to plot with some more sometime; she should totally run into a monster on one of the higher number days or something), she helps out with Mr. Gold’s store, and bunches of other things. She gets a ton more action, helping with missions and explorations!

I love how she has been able to go out there at the drop of a hat without someone holding her back and how she has learned so many different ways to help—from sword fighting to surveillance and first aid and more. She’s expanded a lot in her knowledge, from not being solely theoretical and academics, but to practical and applicable knowledge that is outside of computers, technology, and space.

She’s now working on not just making a name for herself or proving that her theories are right, but has refocused on finding answers and helping to pave paths for those who come to Ruby City after her to get closer to those answers she seeks.

It’s not just about her anymore—with her relationships with others, especially Regulus, she has realized that she needs to find a balance of some sort. She’s not perfect, and is still getting the hang of it and finding a happy middle, but she has come a long way.

Overall, the road has been bumpy, but I have enjoyed every minute of it and look forward to how else she is going to change and what other directions she could go towards.

[snakesroarquietly]

When Regulus arrived in Ruby City, he had already taken the first step away from the only life had ever known by turning against the Dark Lord. But... he was kind of not okay with murdering innocents anymore. Woah. What a revelation.

He was very prickly upon his arrival, willing to see an enemy in everyone, and he refused to cooperate with other people. No, he retreated fully into the entitled pureblood attitude and pushed everyone away. It was here in Ruby City that he came to understand that it is better to approach people in a friendly, or at least somewhat courteous manner - that without his name and blood status letting him get away with things, he actually has to work for people's respect. He is no Mister Sunshine, but he has come to understand there is more to be gained by cooperation than confrontation.

On a related note, Regulus has come to understand (mostly due to Sephiroth) that you need to tread lightly. That it is sometimes better to take a step back and swallow your pride - not an easy lesson for someone with his sense of entitlement.

He also had huge misconceptions about Muggles - while he didn't want them dead or tortured, he considered them little more evolved than your regular monkey. When he first met Jane, he probably would have agreed with his compatriots that a wizard being with a Muggle is akin to bestiality. It was through Muggles like Alice and Jane that he came to appreciate first their individual intelligence, and finally to understand that Muggles as a whole aren't inferior to wizards. Okay, well, let's be honest, it's a work in progress! But he's come a long way. He no longer treats them well because he feels guilty for his past crimes, but because he honestly believes they deserve to be treated with respect and consideration for their well-being.

This extends to other prejudices, such as his prejudice against werewolves and magic from other worlds. He still thinks his magic is best, but he spends his days studying the magic of other worlds because he appreciates its power. More shocking yet, he came to see a werewolf as his best friend where he first saw him as nothing but a dangerous beast. Again, he's learned to judge people on individual merit than by their blood.

Regulus has learned to open up to other people, that it is not only okay to confide in them, but that they make you stronger instead of weaker. He's still very selective in whom he trusts with how much, and he often remains manipulative even of his friends, but defining people by the use they have to him is deeply ingrained. He's unlikely to change. He does, however, genuinely care for his friends - and admit they are friends - and he permits himself to love Jane. He also takes great pains to treat Jane as a true equal, even when his instincts tell him it'd be easier to manipulate her. He wants his relationship with her to be built on trust and honesty.

There have been great disappointments as well, first and foremost his relationship with his brother. While it looked at first like they might use their second chance, they have squandered it. Regulus has found a slew of new reasons to resent Sirius.

His daily life is not different from what he would have had at home. He is a socialite spending his days on pursuing his personal interests and seeking to extend his power base. As such, he has been nurturing his Machiavellian Slytherin and Black characteristics, and seeking ever greater magical power has become a purpose unto itself.

[neurotic_insect]

Dimitri: He came into the city very reclusive and prone to not showing his face outside a lot. Many of his earlier posts had persons he met for the first time noting that they had not seen him much. He kept to the hotel for the sake of simplicity and not wanting to make too much of a presence for himself. Celty, Feliciano, Alice and 202 were about the only people he spoke to with any regularity. They all represented something odd, but personable that made it easier to talk to them. They rarely asked questions about his past, if at all, and he began to appreciate having them around to talk to.

Several people have left an huge impact on Dimitri over the years for various reasons. Feliciano and 202 were both successful in getting him to talk more about the things that he finds interesting and funny, with Feliciano especially getting Dimitri more relaxed with regard to enjoying the little things about life. He's learned to actually try and get along with people rather than maintaining his distance, and it's gotten him other friendships across the board. He can even say that he has friends, which he would never have done when he first arrived.

Marius Eldrich is also an interesting aspect of Dimitri's time in the city. He took a very strong shine to Dimitri and they actually fought a lot at first because Dimitri was so wary of someone liking him that much so quickly. When Marius openly admitted that he had feelings that could err towards romantic, it legitimately frightened Dimitri to a large degree and when that wishing well event came a while back, he asked for "something to care for" in the hopes that his starvation for honest affection could be staved by something else with a pulse (or lack thereof). This is how he got Anastasia. When Marius left, Dimitri was at a point where he was still too frightened to make any choice about how he felt, but he has gotten to the point where he truly believes that if things had been different, he would have been able to fall for Marius. He isn't keen on the thought of trying to fall for someone like that again right now, and his old self would have called him an idiot for thinking it could have worked out.

Oh sweet babies, Anastasia! I wasn't too sure what effect pet ownership would have on Dimitri, but he took to it fairly well, even if he had his few slip ups. She's become this influence on his life to the point where he genuinely forgets that people may sometimes see him doting on her. And he does dote. Anastasia gets more love from Dimitri than anyone else in the city, which suits him just fine. It's made it easier for him to talk to people when he can use his fox as a conversation starter.

Quite possibly the two most dangerous city events had the best result on his personality. The Hotel ShinRa burning down revealed his incredible fear of fire and forced him to rely on others to not only save his life, but also to find him shelter after losing everything to the flames. He ended up with Crowley and Aziraphale after that time and Crowley in particular became a good influence on him as they got along rather swimmingly as friends without asking much of each other. Dimitri still thinks fondly on how he rescued one of Crowley's reject plants, and it's growing in his garden as I type.

Overall, Dimitri has grown to be a hell of a lot more sociable, which is a damn good thing for him. He's glad that he can have some small happiness in his life now, even if it's been bugging him from time to time that he's gotten very domestic about his existence. The fact that his Hymn is now complete is one of his biggest accomplishments in the city, and he's proud to be able to use it as well as he can. Dimitri used to drink a lot when he first arrived, and he doesn't do so much of that either. He's not about to sing from the hill tops, but he's definitely a happier person than he once was.