#mb rambles

Okay so, after reading about color-coded multiplayer and searching up other alternate Goopmares in Google and just contemplating for a while, I realize there's so much to think about because I could technically be making two whole new character alternate ideas for Nightmare (which is what anon is probably asking for but uh yeah lol)

The thing is, there are already so many flavor alternates of NM (usually of the sweet kind) and I think it's fun for ppl to design their own Goopmares aesthetic-wise? I guess? Ppl just wanna doodle smth cute and I think that's neat and valid, go ham if it makes you happy :]

(I also found this amino page which has a list of so much more variants??wh)

(For some reason I'm struggling because I have to think about lore; the corruption/goop incident and Dream, and how that character just becomes... Goopmare? or that's just my brain making things difficult for me lmao)

Since NM is made of/covered in whatever negativity goop is and S!NM is, well, strawberry goop, I'm trying to think of a different 'type/theme' that the goop can be, maybe sour or bitter? or something with nature or another element? toxic waste?

P3 and P4 characters (usually green & yellow) are basically just alternate color palettes, and I don't think I've actually encountered any P3/P4 AU content ever... (At this point they're just your regular alternates/variants; think Fell (P2), Swap (P3), and Swapfell(P4))

To go over some basic terminology for those who don't read tarot, when I refer to an "identifier" I am referring to a tarot card that can represent a person in your life, or you!

The Fool is the first card of the major arcana, and it is typically representative of people's life journeys. However, you and others may have other cards they represent you.

For example, my personal identifier in my tarot decks is The Star. A lot of my friends have found the same. If they're asking a question about me or about a situation I'm involved in, the card might fall out to represent my presence or involvement. HOWEVER- these cards still hold their overarching meaning.

Another example- if I was asking how to deal with a difficult opportunity and pulled The Star, it wouldn't necessarily mean "Hey you", it more likely means "have faith, hold onto your hope."

And disclaimer: I don't claim that this is the one and only way to interpret these cards. I'm just giving my two cents as a lore girlie with a couple tarot decks :)

Xavier

Xavier, The Emperor; "On the card, Xavier is wearing a golden crown and a red velvet robe. Sitting on the throne, he looks imposing as if he belongs there. It's completely out of character for him."

Xavier: "Do I look like a tyrant?"

MC: "Of course not! But these royal garments suit you perfectly. You look like a true king."

Xavier: "I don't think I can whisk you away in them. They look too heavy. I'd say I'm better off as an ordinary person."

Just to call out some things I noticed right away with this, I find it fascinating that the game itself immediately calls out that this is "out of character" for him. I've mentioned this before, but I do believe this was King of Darknight foreshadowing. In the myth, Xavier is repeatedly referred to as a tyrant.

Though the card is upright in the game, it seems like Xavier personally is interpreting the card within it's inverted attributes.

The Emperor typically is associated with stability, structure, authority, protection. If it is an identifier card it may be pointing to someone with traditionally masculine qualities, and/or is a very strong authority figure in your life. However, when inverted, the card can come to mean being domineering, rigid, stubborn, reckless, or being a tyrant.

Xavier's strong reaction to this card shows us that these qualities seen with the Emperor are things he's hesitant or uncomfortable with. They reveal a fear to us. Which makes perfect sense, he was the crown prince. With what we know about Xavier's father and the Philosian royal lineage, it was in fact domineering and rigid.

Is this Xavier's identifier? NO. He outright rejects it as such. This isn't a card that represents Xavier, it represents a part of his past that he fears. And a future he is trying to prevent.

Xavier, The Star; (no image description)

MC: "Is there even a point in choosing? The correct answer is practically screaming at me."

Xavier: "What does The Star represent?"

MC: "Hope, tranquility, and faith."

MC: "I find myself surrounded by these things when I'm with you. Even my worries fade away."

Xavier: "I see. In that case, you should come to me whenever you're feeling anxious."

This is Xavier's identifier. Primarily because it is in line with his in game icons and iconography, which is primarily celestial. However, it also is heavily in line with his personal story.

As we've learned in the newest chapters of the Main Story, Xavier and the Backtrackers left Philos in hope of finding a new power source. Xavier is a figure representing hope and change among the backtrackers, though the inverted meaning of the star can be hopelessness as well.

Xavier doesn't outright agree with the card, but I'd argue this is his signifier because of how others perceive him. I would also argue that this is Xavier's main story identifier, this is a great representation of who he is as of the main story of the game. Identifiers can change over time as people grow and change.

But for now? He is The Star. He is a beacon of hope.

Xavier, the Knight of Swords; (no image description)

MC:"I choose this fearless, valiant, and dependable knight!"

Xavier: "Are you about to say-"

MC: "It's exactly like Lumiere!"

Xavier: "..."

MC: "I knew you'd make that face."

MC: "It suits Lumiere. But when it comes to Xavier..."

MC: "He needs to let others support him sometimes."

Xavier chuckles softly and starts to lean into you.

Xavier: "Yeah, I need to rest well after this Deduction. I'll entrust my sweet dreams to you, my dear partner."

I find it fascinating that Xavier actually has two very clear myth tarot cards and a main story card! It really goes to show how he changes over time.

MC blatantly calls out that the Knight of Swords is a Lumiere card, not a Xavier card. The Knight of Swords is assertive, direct, intellectually daring, but a bit of a perfectionist and maybe a little too ambitious. In most art, the card shows a young man rushing into battle atop a white horse. But there's a storm brewing that he pays no attention to.

Whew, what a Lumiere card!

It also shows a very strict dichotomy between the Lumiere persona vs who Xavier is as a person. MC chews Xavier out a bit here, reminding him he needs to rest. He can't, and shouldn't, embody the Knight of Swords. He needs to rest. And he ultimately agrees.

I mentioned it in my initial post, but as I was digging through some old screenshots I found my old screenshots of Xavier, Sylus, and Zayne's cards. Sylus and Zayne have remained the same, but in March of last year Xavier didn't have The Emperor. He had the King of Wands. Unfortunately I didn't screenshot his response and the game doesn't have it anymore, but I'll analyze it, too.

Bonus:

Xavier, King of Wands:

I sadly don't have a screenshot of the conversation, but this is FASCINATING.

Some of the key words for the King of Wands are leadership, taking control, boldness, and optimism. But the inverse are domineering, vicious, powerless, and, get this, tyrant.

Sound familiar?

With this in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if this was also a hint at King of Darknight. But without his reaction I can't say. Since it's in the upright position we can assume it would depict Xavier as a gracious and bold leader, which again fits with the main story information we have with him right now. Even though he can be strict at times we see his genuine care and concern for the Backtrackers and his home, he leads with boldness and a lot of hope!

It's not the exact same as The Emperor, since it's a court card (court referring literally to the page, knight, queen, and king cards), but it fills a similar function. I wonder why InFold made the switch...

Zayne

Zayne, The Tower; (no description provided)

MC: "The Tower represents destruction and awakening. It's a broad interpretation."

Zayne stares at the card for a long time in silence.

MC: "Zayne?"

Zayne: "It's nothing. The building on this card feels familiar for some reason..."

WOOF- the fucking tower for Zayne????? This is one of those cards that is infamous for all the wrong reasons.

When you think The Tower, don't think death and destruction. It's more akin to "something has to end for something else to begin." It's about a tumultuous end to something. The Tower of Babel is a great example if you're familiar with the story.

But this is another myth reference. The card depicts a tower- and I believe it's the Tower of Thorns from Zayne's foreseer myth.

This is the Foreseer's card.

However, I believe it does reflect some information from the main story as well. It could double as a reference to the Fractal Library, which we know existed in the Tower of Thorns. And Zayne's exposure to the Fractal Library (and Dawnbreaker) created an incredibly chaotic end to a part of his life. We watch him go through a tower moment!

Do I think this card represents Zayne? No.

But it does tell us that we've got a VERY bumpy road ahead for his story. Zayne fans, grab your tissues. There are more tower moments coming.

Zayne, seven of cups reversed; "Card Reading: Seven of cups reversed- dreams overturned, illusions materialized, and reality faded... Is it the dream that shattered, or reality itself?"

MC: "Oh, I know the answer. Dreams are just a result of the thalamus influencing a human's sleeping state. Right, Dr. Zayne?"

Zayne's slightly furrowed brow slowly relaxes.

Zayne: "You remember that so well. But didn't you say my books put people to sleep?"

MC: "It depends on the circumstances of when I read them."

Even though MC's response is kind of joking and flippant, I think this is one of the more significant cards here. You should take note that he is the only character to have an explicitly inverted meaning.

But Zayne explains the meaning well. It's about illusions.

Now, I do want to emphasize that no card is bad or evil. It's literal paper. It can't do anything. However, it can make you reflect.

That last line, though, also really makes me think of the latest main story for Zayne! Again, we watch Zayne go through a HUGE tower moment where he leaves his job, his home, breaks off contact with MC... and it seems his dreams of a normal life are shattered. This has plagued him all his life, but now he has to confront the reality.

Zayne, Temperance; "On the card, Zayne is bathed in a silvery-white light. He wears a pristine white robe, and a pair of wings are behind him."

MC: "It's almost like it was made for you."

Zayne: "I know what you're thinking."

Zayne: "An angel in white."

This is the shortest one thus far, so it doesn't give us much information. But temperance itself is about balance. Patience, serenity, everything in moderation.

It's very much a Zayne card, especially as a health professional. He's all about life in moderation, patience, balance, etc. However, I feel like this card would be an identifier for Zayne in someone else's deck. This is how others perceive Zayne, but it's not how he always is. He enjoys being a little reckless from time to time.

This isn't a card about Zayne, this is a card about how Zayne is perceived.

Especially when we think of Dawnbreaker. The angel of death, the grim reaper. Dawnbreaker Zayne is an excellent example of the Temperance inverted, the inversion of balance would be a lack thereof.

Rafayel

Rafayel, Five of Cups; "On the card, Rafayel stands under a dark purple night sky. He wears a black cloak, and his head is lowered as he looks at three overturned cups."

Rafayel: "... Five of Cups represents separation and grief."

You tap the corner of the screen where two cups stand behind Rafayel. But if he doesn't turn around, he'll never realize it.

You turn the tarot card upside down.

MC: "Now it's the Five of Cups reversed. Gathering the pieces of a broken past, you'll be stronger than ever before. Ready to face reality, you'll write a new chapter in your life."

Separation and grief, you say? This is just a great overarching card for Rafayel in this consistent dance he's in with MC. Constantly losing her, grieving her, finding her, then losing her again. But if he only looks at his loss he'll never see the beauty he's gained in the time he has with her in each lifetime.

MC points this out herself, that this card can also mean moving forward during and after grief. It's a very hopeful card, a reminder to not ignore beauty for grief. The grief is real and needs to be addressed, but you'll feel even emptier if you cannot turn around to see the three full cups behind you.

The mention of a black cloak is pretty typical for depictions of the Five of Cups, but it admittedly also made me think of Abysswalker. While Rafayel sees this cycle of pain and grief in every lifetime, Abysswalker is one of the myths where we get to see Rafayel at his most reserved. He's deep in grief and doesn't exactly hide it. The ocean is gone, his people are hunted, and he has to kill the person he loves to restore order. And yet, in my humble opinion, it is one of the most hopeful endings we see in a non-main story myth!

All Rafayel had to do, before he left, was turn around to find Princess!MC running to him.

Do I think this is his identifier? No, but it is a great summary of what he's going through.

Rafayel, King of Cups; "On the card, Rafayel sits upon a throne, crowned and draped in a golden cloak, holding a chalice and a scepter. Surrounded by endless waves, his throne sits on the sea's surface."

Rafayel: "It's represented by a fish and rules over the kingdom of emotions."

Rafayel: "It's a little too on the nose."

Again, this is a short one. But we see Rafayel reject it- "It's a little too on the nose."

This is another court card, another King card. Rafayel is right, the Cups suit deals with water and emotion. Both of which are inherently entwined with a merman from a group of people who are known for their emotional connections. On the nose indeed!

The King of Cups rules over wisdom, diplomacy, balance. He has balance between head and heart, he's a devoted advisor and counselor.

Rafayel doesn't have much to say, though he doesn't actively agree or vehemently disagree. He's somewhat dismissive to the card. But I'm interpreting that to be a sort of resistance to his role. He's devoted to his role as Sea God, and he loves his people very dearly, but we see the pull between his duty and his heart throughout the story. This may be an aspirational card, something that Rafayel is moving towards.

We also now know that Rafayel is a prince, his parents were the king and queen of Lemuria before its fall in the current timeline! Raf isn't a king yet, but this may be where he is heading.

Perhaps a little foreshadowing? Maybe he will ascend the throne, or reject it all together like Xavier.

Signifier? NOPE. In my opinion, this would not represent Rafayel most of the time. It's a part of his story, but not a representation of his character.

Rafayel, The Magician; "On the card, Rafayel is surrounded by flowers. The red roses symbolize passion, and the white lilies represent wisdom."

"The Magician doesn't let life push him around. He charts his own course through the currents. This card often signifies the success of new ventures and the beginning of happiness."

Rafayel: "I would've chosen this, too. It suits who I am right now."

Well, we found his identifier! Rafayel outright says this is who he is right now. Which makes perfect sense if you've read his anecdotes. The Magician is a card about willpower, desire, resourcefulness, concentration.

But the way I like to remember it is that The Magician is a card about resources. In most depictions, the magician stands before a table with all of the suits around him. Cups, wands, swords, and pentacles. He has all of these resources at his disposal, and he's crafty and resourceful enough to know how to use them wisely.

Rafayel, where he is in the main story, has established himself. He's exactly where he needs to be. He has all the resources of an upper class snob available to him, plus the black market at his fingertips. MC is in his grasp, and EVER is finally revealing its hand.

The inversion of The Magician also accurately represents Rafayel. Manipulation, cunning, trickery, deception. It can also represent waster talent and illusion, though I don't think those apply in this context.

I frequently refer to Rafayel as a trickster within mythological and storytelling contexts. Yes, he can use his strength to get out of situations, but he more often uses his resources and his cunning to do so. Some other mythological tricksters would be Inanna and Enki of the Sumerian pantheon, Athena of the Greek pantheon, Anansi of the West African pantheon.

I could argue that most of the love interests are tricksters in their own ways, but since trickery is one of the inverted meanings of The Magician I think the game is agreeing that it's one of Rafayel's more significant qualities. Also I just really like the trickster archetype

Anyway- yes, this is his signifier, and a very blatant one at that.

Sylus

Sylus, The Fiend; (no description)

Sylus: "Heh, a lot of people call me that."

MC: "I still prefer Sylus."

Sylus: "Good choice."

Sylus runs his fingers over the couple beneath the Devil on the card.

Sylus: "Pure, primal, and lost in the pleasures of desire... they're just like us."

Like The Tower with Zayne, this is one of those cards that gets a really bad reputation for no reason!

But when reading this card, it's less about a literal devil or demon. The card is referring to humanity's flaws. Oppression, addiction, obsession, and an excess. If Temperance is "everything in moderation", The Devil is its opposite. The Devil can sometimes refer to limitations you're dealing with as well. I vividly remember someone doing a tarot reading for me and leaning in, slightly irritated, and said "Stop getting in your own way."

However, the inverse of this card is all about independence, freedom, release, reclaiming your own power and control.

The latter sounds a lot more like Sylus!

Sylus is a dragon, and he has a lot of religious and demonic imagery about him. But a lot of it is him reflecting people's flaws. He feeds off of people's desire, yet with MC he's reflecting the inverted meaning.

The Devil is about desire. It can mean an inability to find balance, an over indulgence. Or, it can mean reclaiming your power, desiring autonomy.

Definitely a Sylus identifier.

Sylus, Ten of Swords; (no description)

MC: "I don't get why this card is here. It doesn't suit you, and there's no way you'd be lying on the ground with swords in your back."

Sylus: "Those who hate and fear me would like to see that."

Sylus: "It's a shame they're the ones who are usually on the ground."

Again- "it doesn't suit you." The ten of swords is a card about ruin, failure. Other terms like betrayal or exhaustion fit as well. The way MC describes the card is in line with a lot of despictions. Someone is on the ground with ten swords in their back. So you can say they go stabbed in the back (betrayal) or just that the battle is over, and they're exhausted.

Exhausted, victimized? Not words to describe Sylus at all.

This is more a card of situation in my opinion. Sylus has many enemies who want to see him in this situation, it's not that he's down and out, it's that people are out to get him. But just as Sylus says, he's the one doing this to others. He's fierce, he goes after his enemies personally if necessary.

However, we could also interpret this as Sylus growing tired. It's not impossible for him to get tired. And, in theory, this could also point to someone betraying him in the future.

But that remains to be seen.

Sylus, Five of Pentacles; (no description)

MC: "The five of pentacles represents financial loss. If you went broke..."

Before you can imagine it, Sylus interrupts you.

Sylus: "Don't bother with impossible scenarios. You can spend eight centuries trying to bankrupt me, but you'd fail to knock one zero off my wealth."

MC: "Wait, how can you look so composed while wearing rags?!"

Sylus: "It's called having class."

The suit of pentacles (or coins) is pretty literally about money. And just as MC says, it's a card about financial hardship. However, that's a pretty restrictive interpretation. It can also represent isolation, hardship, and general adversity.

Since it's in the pentacles suit it would reference money, so with the specificity of this I think this card is literally just meant to be ironic. It shows us just how powerful Sylus is-

But.

Again, this could be some form of foreshadowing. Sylus cannot die, but he is not impervious to everything. He can still be harmed, his assets can still be taken from him. It would be dangerous, but he's not immune to everything. EVER has its eyes on him, and how that will progress is yet to be seen.

Caleb

Caleb, The Hanged Man; (no description)

MC: "I used to think you could handle anything, even if you were upside down."

Caleb: "Now you don't?"

MC: "Now I think you'd actually enjoy it."

Caleb: "Seeing the world from another angle offers a fresh perspective. It's like seein' someone you've known for a long time in a different light."

The Hanged Man is a card of uncertainty. He's hung upside down by his feet, his arms behind his back. He's waiting, uncertain. But he's also contemplating his next course of action.

Just like Caleb says, another angle gives you a fresh perspective. Caleb is a pretty crafty character, he's smart and quick on his feet. But he's also smart enough to always think ahead. His time in the DAA had him conditioned to think and act a certain way, then his upheaval with the explosion forced him away from everything he knew. With the addition of the brain chip, he had to adapt pretty quick.

Caleb, while still in danger and in a very uncertain situation, changed his perspective to better adapt.

This is a great card to show his adaptability. While he's still in a precarious situation, he's changing his perspective and adapting as necessary. He's willing to change his perspective over time.

On a personal note, I DESPISED one of Caleb's endings in Final Farewell where he went behind MC's back. On a personal note it does irk me that he sometimes babies MC. (Probably because I'm an eldest daughter myself and MEN undermining me pisses me off.) But that made the impact of one of the "good" endings where MC stands up to Caleb, tells him no, and helps the people trapped find peace have even more oomph.

In the end, Caleb also sees this moment and it changes his perspective of MC as well. So honestly, Final Farewell could be his Hanged Man moment.

Is this his identifier? Possibly. I could see it being a card representing his situation rather than him as a person. Another situational card rather than a 'reflect his character' card.

Caleb, Two of Wands; (no description)

MC: "Two Wands- one for staying the same, one for change."

MC: "It reminds me of when I saw you again. You had a new job, a new place... Everything I was used to had suddenly changed."

Caleb: "Not everything."

Caleb: "You're still here with me..."

Caleb: "But if I'm going to be honest... Some things did change."

Ohohoho, what was I just talking about?

That seems to be the connection between these two cards for Caleb. Change. The Two of Wands is all about the first steps, making decisions, and taking risks. Staying stagnant and resisting change doesn't help, it's a matter of making effective plans to leave your comfort zone.

This makes a lot of sense for Caleb. His entire life revolves around MC, in my humble opinion even as a non-Caleb main, more so than any of the other love interests. His dynamic with MC is all about nostalgia and the "neverending summer", living and existing in a paradise of their own creation. But they can't go back. They can't continue to remain sedentary. And they can't go back to those summers of youth.

Caleb is in a crosshairs. He has to change, he has to adapt to the Colonel role if he's to take advantage of it in the name of protecting MC. He's still the same Caleb that picked her up when she fell down, or makes her dinner.

But he had to change to progress. He cannot keep the same perspective. Some things have changed, just as he himself admits.

Caleb, The Hermit; (no description)

Caleb: "... The Hermit listens to his inner voice in solitude, explores relationships through emotions, and ultimately finds his true purpose."

Caleb: "Good choice."

MC: "How do you remember all that?"

Caleb: "Back in school, tarot cards were all the rage for a while. I just glanced through them."

Caleb: "I'm curious, though. Does this card suit you as well?"

Tarot reader Caleb??? Okay analysis aside for a moment I would want Rafayel and Caleb to read my cards cause that would be utterly fascinating.

Back to the main topic. The Hermit is a card all about introspection and self reflection. He is not lonely, he is withdrawn. He is searching for self and truth.

However. The inverted Hermit IS loneliness, isolation, and rejecting friendships and socialization.

Here's our identifier for Caleb.

That was something I was noticing for Caleb for a while. I'm so glad he's reconnecting with Gideon and old friends, these people ground him alongside MC. But within their dynamic Caleb and MC only cling to each other. Which, given what they went through, it makes sense.

But Caleb had gone through so much that this introspection and self reflection had turned into a rejection of friendship and social circles. We see it when Caleb was reintroduced in the main story, we see it in the World Underneath with Gideon. Caleb pulled away in the name of keeping people safe, and perhaps the time to reflect helped him.