"too hungry, too brutal, too monstrous—what cannot be controlled must be contained, here, in pandæmonium..."

LANY: Oh, that's so adorbs!

*there is home-cooked post-arcadion lore (no plot spoilers) in this backstory, as well as mention of an irl's non-wol champion fighter!

Previously known to the better half of the world as simply 'Lany' (or 'Princess', to those they matter to the most), Red Velvet is one of the Arcadion's newest fighters, signed on after the introduction of a trial programme taking on trainees. If you asked her why she joined, somewhere away from all the glamour and glitz, she'd tell you that she isn't sure why she even auditioned in the first place—she'd assert her confidence that that decision wasn't motivated by fame or money, but falter at explaining exactly what it was. Maybe she just wanted to see how far she could push her knack for doing impressions, or maybe she just wanted a change. No matter the reason, she's here now all the same, terrorising everyone as the Arcadion's ojou-sama who's, well, not actually that great at being one. It would be a white lie to say that she has a talent for the stage and a significant stretch to say that she is any good at fighting, but if there's one thing Velvet has going for her it's her commitment to getting back up after tripping in her practice routine for the thousandth time. (That, and the fact that she can make some pretty decent magic displays.) Given enough time in the oven ring, perhaps this half-baked princess will be able to call herself a proper fighter of the Arcadion one day.In their life as Lany, they are generally seen as friendly, affectionate, and thankfully not as spoiled as their Red Velvet persona, though they do have a marked propensity for being rather emotional. Said to be as prone to tears as they are smiles (the former a fair bit more, if you ask their friends), those closer to them can attest that internally, they are constantly 'crying screaming throwing up', for lack of a better phrase. It is, perhaps, a remnant of a past life of sorts, when they spent lonely days waiting for time to blend into Solution Nine’s eternal twilight, but fortunately for them those days have gotten fewer and further between and they’ve come fairly far from that shy, sad thing who could barely stand to look at their own reflection. Still, Lany does have quite a ways to go before they feel ready to call themself the princess they’d like to be, and so despite their anxiety about themself and their place in the world they continue to dust themself off and stumble on in life with their tears dried and a lovely smile, even if they need a bit of help from time to time (which is how they became dear friends with their neighbour Pris). You know, Princess, it's okay if you hang your head a little sometimes—someone who loves you will always hold your tiara for you until you're ready to put it back on! In the meantime, they’ll just continue to practise in their little corner of Solution Nine with Pris as their only audience, swoon over Honey B Lovely, and also figure out exactly what they have going on with the Arcadion’s reigning champion...

PRIS: Always a pleasure, dear.

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give Pris a fish, though, and they’ll happily cook it for you however you like, and you might just have a friend for life! Unassuming and steadfast, Prismatine—better known as Pris—is a grounding presence wherever they go, and nowadays, they have certainly been to a lot of places! A childhood spent roaming Solution Nine’s extensive streets unfortunately didn’t help much in endearing Pris to the place they were born and raised, a fair number of years after the fusion with Yyasulani, and a curious find in their late teenage years would eventually become the final push they needed to venture into the wider world. Said find came in the form of a Xak Turali cookbook that had made the long journey into Everkeep, which they, having a passing interest in the culinary arts at the time, had found and purchased on the most ordinary of days. What followed were some decidedly un-ordinary days of thumbing through its pages, and a few weeks later, when they finally managed to procure ingredients for one of the simpler dishes detailed within, they had a proverbial lightbulb moment while piecing it together. Right then, in the middle of the kitchen on a weekend afternoon, Pris understood that there was only one path forward for them.Their natural dedication had always bordered on stubbornness, hadn't it? It took a few more years, but before long they were traipsing around Heritage Found and wandering throughout Shaaloani, eventually making it to Tuliyollal. The never-ending lightning, the open sky with its sun and stars, the descent upon a magnificent city’s steps into the ocean breeze, and of course the multitude of people and voices and stories and food!—even though they became cumbersome to carry around in the final legs of their travels, Pris has kept diaries upon diaries detailing their travels, filled cover to cover with hastily scribbled recipes, notes about ingredients and best attempts at putting the sights they’ve seen to paper, trying to commit even the simplest of days to memory. They might not speak of those years often, but they nonetheless hold them incredibly close to their heart.And yet these days they find themself on those blinding streets again. Squinting into the neon of that starless skyline, straying half-consciously to old haunts, falling into long-abandoned routines… leaving had been a very conscious decision that they’ve never found themself regretting, ever, but they find themself wondering if they can say the same for coming back. So why now? Why at all? Pris doesn’t know yet. But life does go on in the meantime, and so they build a new one, and at least that is something they’ve definitely known. New neighbours turned friends to get up to all sorts of shenanigans with, an unexpected reminder of an unforgettable night in Yyasulani, seeing familiar faces, new and old—oh, Pris, know that wherever you may go, you will always find people happy to welcome you home! The day may come where they set off once again, perhaps to finally make that trip to Yok Tural or somewhere even farther beyond, but for now, they are content to settle where they are.

MOMO: Let's hop to it, then!

double hook identical cast anglers art prize catch hi-cordial anglers art anglers art triple hook

YUKINA:

Displaced from their home in the mountains of Othard, Yukina's small family now live in Radz-at-Han, where she grew up the beloved only child of two craftspeople. It was thus of no surprise that Yukina, similarly possessed of an insatiable interest in the crafts, was soon learning bits and pieces of various trades, spending much of her time at the multitude of shops in the port city she called home and whatever that was left by the docks. Her parents sometimes told her stories of their childhood in the mountains—of the mist, of the fields, of the clouds drifting past on lazy days, and she knew that they longed to return in their lifetimes to the valleys that loved them so. Though the tug of the sea was far stronger for Yukina (many children of port cities long for the water, don't they?), those stories remained dear to her and as she grew older, she found herself wondering more and more often about what another life might look like for her. It might, she eventually decided, be time to fly the nest.To another port city, perhaps. Something she could work with.And so her parents sent her along with plenty of insistence that she would write and visit often, knowing that their child, with her steady hands and passion for the crafts, would at least be able to find work and support herself, no matter where she went. All the better that it would most likely be something she so enjoyed. She would turn out fine.So now Yukina has settled in Kugane. She has her hands, work at one of the shops there, and a life of her own. She knows she is really quite lucky—she meets all kinds of people, she is never far from the saltwater, and she can say that she leads a peaceful life. Perhaps one day she will return to those misty valleys, following the little mountain streams that trickle into rivers and then into the ocean, and reach for the sky like her family before her had on those peaks. But right now, the colours and crowds are enough.

AAC Light-heavyweight M0

this is placeholder text because i don't know what to write for an intro here. i don't know if i should be writing this based on 'my canon' timeline which is post-arca storyline i.e. no more feral souls or well and truly lean into the bit and act like my fake arca guy uses a feral soul to fight too. i also obviously have no experience in game design and i dont know if any of these mechanics would actually be feasible. please send help.

— In-game description

AAC Light-heavyweight M0 is a level 100 raid introduced in patch 7.XX with Dawntrail. The raid is also known as M0 or M0N. I Really Want Some Mignardises plays as the music in this fight.Guide

Half-baked Princess: Red Velvet
The arena is circular and may be split into smaller sections ('slices') for certain mechanics. Being hit with avoidable AoEs or attacks may inflict a Vulnerability Up stack, and in some cases increase the boss's MP Gauge.

Dialogue

All lines from Metem and Red Velvet are voice acted. Does not include conditional lines from Metem.

METEM: Fighting her might not be a piece of cake—it’s the Arcadion’s newly-crowned princess, Red Velvet!METEM: Red Velvet makes her grand debut! (on pull)
RED VELVET: Hmm... trying to win my hand too, are we?
RED VELVET: Hmph! (Whipped Cream)
RED VELVET: Shall we dance? (May I Have the Honour?)
RED VELVET: After you! (When a RDM resolves May I Have the Honour?)
METEM: What a performance from the challenger! Bravo!
RED VELVET: I'm feeling a little peckish after that... (before casting Have a Seat!)
RED VELVET: How about some refreshments? (Have a Seat! cast finishes)
METEM: What's the princess got in mind?! Rolanberries and cream... those look delectable!
RED VELVET: Any recommendations? (Choices, Choices)
RED VELVET: Hmm~! That was actually pretty good! (after the final ...This One!)
RED VELVET: Back to it, then. (Satiated)
RED VELVET: Bor-ing! (random, any death)
SYSTEM: Red Velvet seems to be getting a little stressed...
RED VELVET: (Ahhhh I keep messing up! This is a mess! I’m a mess!) (~20% left)
RED VELVET: O-one last dance, perhaps? (May I Have the Honour, Once Again?)
RED VELVET: Ah... is that you...?
RED VELVET: My prince... (on K.O.)
(Savage) RED VELVET: I wanna go back to bed... (enrage)