#asks tbota

In a world where assassin was a selectable former profession in game, how might that affect interactions with the staff & ROs who learn about their past?

What a freaking cool idea for an MC!!! Assassin isn't a selectable career (yet? 👀), but this is too fun not to run with. Let's see...

Death would be half mortified, half judgmental, and doing a TERRIBLE job hiding both. You'd get the world's most transparent attempt to redeem your image in their mind.

"So it was... I mean, you were... forced to, right? Like, a situation thing?And only like, really bad people. Right?"

Obviously delighted, and they'd start consulting you with some... ventures they have. Lilith/Damian would slide a dossier across the bar and casually ask, "Darling, would you mind reviewing a few performances? This new hire has been sloppy."

Morgan/a would be interested in the HOW. Not the ethics, the methodology. "What was your weapon of choice? Did you ever get caught?" and would be extremely impressed that you did it all without magic.

Pepper would judge. Not a surprise though right?

Of course! That's a new feature of the update, an idea you guys gave me! Which is why y'all are the best.

So yes, your cause of death unlocks a unique Death Scar in the character customization menu.

Here's the full list (spoilers and all):

"i hope death is like being carried to your bedroom when you were a child & fell asleep on the couch during a family party. i hope you can hear the laughter from the next room."

And that was a really nice thing to think about death. I also hope that death will be like falling asleep

It actually immediately reminded me of the eulogy I wrote for my father, eight years ago, after he passed away. Kind of crazy how much so.

His death, in large part, inspired this game. Just found it in my Google drive and read it again. I guess that in order to explain why it reminded me of what you wrote, I have to share it. Why not :)

I will always remember those nighttime car rides to the city. They are etched in my mind, like a map of the stars. I think that even if I close my eyes, I'd still know the way. I remember the stillness. Dad driving, Mom asleep beside him. I'm in the back seat, leaning against the window, and the few stars in the evening sky are swallowed by the headlights of passing cars. We're coming back from Friday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's. The taste of the fried potatoes makes my mouth dry, while I wait for a thing that only you and I know is about to happen. Your eyes look at me through the mirror, and I'm busy marking the landmarks in my head between the city and my bed. The McDonald's we always ate at. The crooked tree on the side of the road that always looked like it was about to fall. The gas station where my school bus got into an accident one morning. They'll always be there, I'm sure of it. Even if the world burns, I'll know that old tree still hasn't fallen. And in the end, there was the thing. The thing that sealed every night, the thing I waited for the whole drive. We are pulling into the parking lot, and Mom drags herself tiredly to bed. But not you. The ritual isn't complete yet. I rest my head against the window, and my eyes are closed. But I'm not asleep. I just know that if I fall asleep, you'll carry me to bed. You gather me carefully in your hands, so I won't wake from my non-sleep, god forbid—and carry me to bed. And I'm just trying not to smile, not to laugh, so you'll keep going. Even though we both know I'm pretending.

Love this one! Some of these are actually in the game already ;)

Chrysanthemums for Death. If you've visited Limbo, you already know.

Roses for Lilith/Damian, especially the blood-red type. If you've visited the Château, you already know that too.

Wolfsbane for Morgan/a. Magical, dangerous, purple. Pepper prefers catnip.

Saffron for Hastur. Requires tons of patience to cultivate, is treated with absolute reverence, and is used in cooking!

Tuberose for Peisi. Simple and white, but the scent is overwhelming.

Ghost orchids for HWN. They're almost invisible, super rare, honestly shouldn't exist... and yet.

Mesembryanthemum for Yaga. Grows in the desert where nothing else will. She'd hate the name, though.

Sunflowers for Shelly. Always turning toward the light.

As for the ask: Will there be/are there scenes to change what Mc is wishing for? I could see depressed MCs changing their initial wish as their loneliness, sense of purpose, or apathy changes.

Damn, THANK YOU! (Guess one will be able to tell I was in a bit of a depressive episode myself two years ago, when I started writing the grief paths?)

My personal favorite depiction of depression comes from the movie Melancholia, which also depicts anxiety extremely well. The literal force of nature that depression can feel like.

But while that film is extremely nihilistic about it, I wanted TBOTA to offer a different perspective and the possibility of healing, which is a never-ending road, but a hike worth continuing on.

Only one and a half files left to overhaul.

Hastur after your MC smashed him:

Hi, dear proprietors! Hope you're having fun with the update :)

Just posted about the update for the first time on Reddit, and would love, if you have a second, to give that post an upvote and maybe leave a comment!

Thank you! (link here)