Usagi Rei wrote: ↑Mon May 09, 2022 4:27 pm
I hope it's okay if I ask a somewhat self-interested question...
How do you see Mariko's future developing? We've discussed that a little bit, but mostly from the Rei perspective. I see them developing as a power couple. Perhaps revitalizing her flagging career, which we got occasional glimpses of? But perhaps she goes into something different. Design, fashion? Espionage? Rei will be along for the ride no matter what it is!
(Grab a chair, this is going to be long.)
This is a good question. To be honest, I had Bayushi Mariko and Matsu Eriko trying to jockey for the top spot for the main NPC of Shadow War, only because they each had elements I wanted to lay the groundwork for and resolve to an ending. Matsu Eriko 'won', naturally, as her plot was the investigation and fighting the True Scions.
Bayushi Mariko was a bit here and there, which I've wished I really played more to convey her general arc. It perhaps wasn't so obvious but she had Doubt in Acting. She had been born into a dynasty of fame laid by her father and several ancestors. While she wasn't a bad actress in the slightest, mechanically could still do well even with Doubt, it wasn't exactly something she wanted to become. There was just so much obligation on her shoulders to fulfill and she dragged her feet around on that. She also had her bad luck with setbacks and awful parts, which further kneecapped her confidence as an actress. The death of her father hit her hard, and also compounded this legacy even more. Since then, she faded from the mainstream spotlight.
Despite that, she still had to serve her Clan and fulfill her lineage's legacy. By obligation, they stuck her in the
super-secret operation that is Chikushudo House and played the role of Nari-chan. From there, she found some renewed fame and a following of fans with her new hidden identity. It was a bit embarrassing and not exactly what she wanted to do but at least the burdens of her legacy weren't so obvious in public.
Even with her new role, she still finds herself wondering what other things she could have done with her life if she wasn't obligated into acting. She leans on that crutch of her first main role for many reasons, not just for flirting, because she had some asperation to be medical personnel (her mother is a Kuni shugenja-healer).
So yes, the reason I wish I played her more was to get more interactions and have the players of the game help her shape which direction where she wanted to go. A 'climax' to her story arc was supposed to be Realm Expo, which the unveiling of her personal project and the potential lambasting of her past work. I admit that I didn't ramp that enough for that to become a climax. The other climax was, of course, the reveal of her work as Nari-chan. So at the moment, she's a bit neutral about her future. She could continue on as Nari-chan, go into plushie artistry full-time, or get her grove back and go into on-screen acting! I haven't quite decided on what, I suppose the third option edges out slightly but not by much.
It was shocking how everyone managed to blow through the event. I was thinking most of the locations would be solved when I made it and considering that ended up to be almost the case regardless of how effortless it was, I think I might have actually reached that 'just-right' spot I was hoping for!
Actor 