If Your MU is to Marry Tiamo - How will you justify the marriage?

[GamingPandas]

I am trying to write a critical reflection for school based on any one of the themes of Love, Denial and Truth on any medium of digital art and my teacher has allowed the exploration via games too. I would like help on this topic.

Question: If your MU is going to give the ring to Tiamo, how will you justify that?

Seeing that she has a crush on Krom (who is probably going to be your best buddy), if you are going to pair MU and Tiamo up, why do you think Tiamo will give up on Krom and start liking you (MU)?

I did read somewhere that Tiamo joined the Pegasus squad 2-3 years ago. She was lonely but hardworking. It is Krom who helped her during that period and that is the basis of her crush. But apparently, Tiamo being all professional and all thinks that she and Krom will never work out.

Isn't it a bad choice or a wrong choice to pair MU and Tiamo together? What qualities does Tiamo see in the MU that supercedes or takes over Krom in her heart? Why wouldn't Tiamo betray your love?

Indeed this may contain spoilers for the game Persona 4 (Golden) so please do not read what's below if you have not played it:

Remember Ai Ebihara? At the end of her social link, she reveals that her crush isn't really "love" but she was also lonely and tried to pursue love for the sake of being loved. But it is really not "love" at all?

Can a similar argument be made here?

[Fanfaire]

No it isn't a bad choice. Out of the supports MU doesn't know that Tiamo was in love with Krom and MU tries to keep it professional. Of course that wont happen if you hit S rank with her.

As for qualities... Well MU has always been there for her, if you do the supports, and their relationship builds up. While her relationship with Krom never goes anywhere and watching him from afar just wasn't making her happy as the other supports with her showed. Vake's support mentions that he knows Tiamo loves Krom but even if she did confess it wouldn't be something Krom would pursue anyway and he would give her the proper love she deserves.

Wonder what Mariebell has going on that Tiamo doesn't....

[Original Alear]

If Krom doesn't like it, my MU will duel him to the death.

But I don't think my MU will get paired with Tiamo, at least not on a first PT.

[Fanfaire]

Eh, I like Tiamo but not touching the Krom thing unsettles me considering you're his bro. I'll most likely pair her with Vake for blonde Selena or Sol because he understands Tiamo very well.

[shadowofchaos]

Think Sariya and any of the other S supports she can get despite the fact that she keeps stalking you and outright tells you that she's her first love.

The other doesn't show any interest nor a CHANCE to show an interest... that's how the game was made. No supports for Krom with Tiamo. Your relationship with her develops, enough so that she accepts your love. It happens. People move on from a crush. In this sense at least, if she accepts your proposal of marriage, that isn't to be taken lightly. That means you have more of a place than Krom in her heart...

At least, that's what it would be idealistically. Sure there is a chance that Krom still resides in her heart... but if Krom never shows any interest in her and he ends up marrying someone else, where is THAT gonna go? That's how the creators made it. She's the Catria/Katua of this game.

Edited October 20, 2012 by shadowofchaos

[veetasoy]

Because, excuse the cliche, there are plenty of fish in the ocean. :| I'm not sure if you're asking why MU is better than Krom, or why it's wrong, or why it's bad, so I'll answer all three.

1) You can't explain why MU is better, because MU doesn't have a defined personality; it's your avatar, and you can paint him to be whatever you want. I don't think this question's really valid with respect to MU. Besides, "better" is really, really vague. Better in terms of what? Compatibility? How likeable he is? Whether he's a good role model? Whether he'll remain loyal? I'd rephrase that question.

2) There's nothing morally wrong with it, since she's not in a relationship with Krom. You're not committing adultery or anything. Perhaps you may be confusing her initially since love is a relatively alien experience for her, but I'd hardly believe that's wrong. Asking for "justification" makes it seem as though proposing to Tiamo is wrong, which it isn't. We're not hurting her feelings; we're giving her a choice. No one's denying her from Krom, just opening up her experiences so Krom is not the only one that can alleviate her loneliness.

3) "Bad" is also a vague term. Maybe Krom will be distracted in terms of directing the army, but that wouldn't show in the gameplay. I don't know what you mean by bad. If it's about Tiamo possibly cheating on MU, well, it's possible, but I have a strong belief she wouldn't be able to, because Krom wouldn't agree to it, anyway.

As for why Tiamo may give up on Krom to start liking MU, I have no idea, because MU has no definite personality; he was meant to be an avatar for the player. I don't think that question works here. And whether her crush on Krom is really love, we don't know enough about their past to answer.

I don't think delving into this topic works too well, because there aren't enough support conversations to have a background on the two, and MU is too much of a blank slate, intended for the audience to inject themselves into the game. The answer would differ for everyone's interpretation of MU, unless if you just accept him as a really bland guy, but that's not the purpose of the character (really though, he's not so much a character as a medium for the audience). I'd look for an alternative relationship that doesn't involve MU, and preferably one where we have more info on.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Keilis

[GamingPandas]

Because, excuse the cliche, there are plenty of fish in the ocean. :| I'm not sure if you're asking why MU is better than Krom, or why it's wrong, or why it's bad, so I'll answer all three.

1) You can't explain why MU is better, because MU doesn't have a defined personality; it's your avatar, and you can paint him to be whatever you want. I don't think this question's really valid with respect to MU. Besides, "better" is really, really vague. Better in terms of what? Compatibility? How likeable he is? Whether he's a good role model? Whether he'll remain loyal? I'd rephrase that question.

2) There's nothing morally wrong with it, since she's not in a relationship with Krom. You're not committing adultery or anything. Perhaps you may be confusing her initially since love is a relatively alien experience for her, but I'd hardly believe that's wrong. Asking for "justification" makes it seem as though proposing to Tiamo is wrong, which it isn't. We're not hurting her feelings; we're giving her a choice. No one's denying her from Krom, just opening up her experiences so Krom is not the only one that can alleviate her loneliness.

3) "Bad" is also a vague term. Maybe Krom will be distracted in terms of directing the army, but that wouldn't show in the gameplay. I don't know what you mean by bad. If it's about Tiamo possibly cheating on MU, well, it's possible, but I have a strong believe she wouldn't be able to, because Krom wouldn't agree to it, anyway.

As for why Tiamo may give up on Krom to start liking MU, I have no idea, because MU has no definite personality; he was meant to be an avatar for the player. I don't think that question works here. And whether her crush on Krom is really love, we don't know enough about their past to answer.

I don't think delving into this topic works too well, because there aren't enough support conversations to have a background on the two, and MU is too much of a blank slate, intended for the audience to inject themselves into the game. The answer would differ for everyone's interpretation of MU, unless if you just accept him as a really bland guy, but that's not the purpose of the character (really though, he's not so much a character as a medium for the audience). I'd look for an alternative relationship that doesn't involve MU, and preferably one where we have more info on.

But I wonder why Tiamo who really likes Krom suddenly decides to marry MU, or any other characters in the game as if her first crush didn't matter at all.

Doesn't this mean that the marriage with Tiamo (anyone who marries her) will result in a failed marriage? This is because she will also like Krom and no one else. Thus shouldn't Tiamo just be left alone and not paired up with anyone? Isn't this her fate?

But judging by Tiamo's personality, she appears to be the faithful dutiful type. But its really confusing. How should I define her "love" for Krom? Should I use "spontaneous"? Or should I use "mistaken"? What about "confused"? Or just "premature"?

Should I then write Tiamo's marriage proposal (her partner) is the true love and that her previous "love" is false? Who is in denial here? Is it Tiamo who is in denial of who she truly loves? Or is it the person who is marrying Tiamo denying to himself that Tiamo can move on? This really confuses me, can someone give me some opinions?

Edited October 20, 2012 by GamingPandas

[shadowofchaos]

But I wonder why Tiamo who really likes Krom suddenly decides to marry MU, or any other characters in the game as if her first crush didn't matter at all.

Doesn't this mean that the marriage with Tiamo (anyone who marries her) will result in a failed marriage? This is because she will also like Krom and no one else. Thus shouldn't Tiamo just be left alone and not paired up with anyone? Isn't this her fate?

But judging by Tiamo's personality, she appears to be the faithful dutiful type. But its really confusing. How should I define her "love" for Krom? Should I use "spontaneous"? Or should I use "mistaken"? What about "confused"? Or just "premature"?

Should I then write Tiamo marriage proposal (her partner) is the true love and that her previous "love" is false? Who is in denial here? Is it Tiamo who is in denial of who she truly loves? Or is it the person who is marrying Tiamo denying to himself that Tiamo can move on? This really confuses me, can someone give me some opinions?

Saying "I can't love anyone than my first crush and it isn't dutiful if I find someone else" is a really shallow view.

I mean sure, it's that much more "idealistically romantic" if the one you marry is your first love, and it shows with Fire Emblem...

BUT the tone you're expressing is "anything other than your first love isn't true love".

Edited October 20, 2012 by shadowofchaos

[Strunk]

From what I understand, she has a crush on Krom at the beginning of the game. I believe that over a year passes by the time the game ends, which means she has more than enough time to realize she isn't going to end up with Krom, make friends with MU, or any other of her options, and end up falling in love with somebody. Also, having a crush on someone, and being in love are two different things. Once she gets married to somebody, I figure she has real, strong emotions for that person, probably stronger than the emotions she had for Krom. Plus, you can love two people at the same time, in different ways. I believe that she would end up caring for Krom as a friend, after a while, especially if they're both happily married to other people.

[veetasoy]

OK, let's write this in general terms instead of Fire Emblem terms... Basically, you're saying that a person who has been alone all their life and has not known love, support, or care has finally met someone who's been kind to them on occasion. Now, this lonely individual has fallen in love with said kind being. Person B comes along and spends some quality time with them, is fairly kind to them as well, and has decided to propose to this lonely person. Your first primary question, I believe would be: Is lonely person's first love "true", or simply an expression of desperation given her circumstances? Now, we'll want to define the expression "love", because that's subjective. I don't really like getting into the semantics of love, but if you have to, then you may want to define it according to the length of time one can remain interested in his/her love interest, and how much care they'll invest in said love interest. There are other factors, I'm sure. Now, we can use the game's scenario to answer this question (of course, there's no real universal answer). You need to ask yourself if you believe Tiamo can remain interested in Krom. What if she continues to experience acts of kindness? Will she realize that Krom's actions are simply the norm, and that it's actually her circumstances that are unusual? Can she still like Krom after that? Consider whether Tiamo is in love with Krom's kindness, or Krom himself. Can she see past this kindness and look at his other qualities, or is that the only quality she focuses on, even after spending a long time with him? If it's the latter, she may simply not see him as a love interest, but as a tool to heal her psychological injuries. There are other things you can explore, but I'm too tired to think of more, haha. That should get you started, though.

Once the primary question has been answered, you should ask the second question, which would address Person B's proposal: Can this lonely person maintain a sustainable relationship with Person B should she accept his proposal? Unfortunately, you'll have to look at MU's personality in this case... if you're still asking about MU. Problem is, he's not well-defined. If you're asking about another character now, that's also an issue because you'll have to consider their personality and such. Assuming he's a decent human being, however, I guess you can ask if the lonely person, who's inexperienced in the affairs of the heart, will be able to have a healthy marriage at all. I think this question's easily answered, as I'm sure there are people in reality who don't have a rich history of love interests, yet can live happily with their partner despite their inexperience. So really, the brunt of the reflection is from the first question. I may even just cut it off at the first question, and not ask the second one at all. Forget about MU. Focus on the situation about sheltered, lonely people and whether their love is true or not. I think that's a bit more interesting. The second question is highly situational depending on the love interest, but is easily answered because I'm sure anyone can think of someone they know who has a happy relationship despite their lack of love experiences.

Hope that helps...? Haha.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Keilis

[GamingPandas]

OK, let's write this in general terms instead of Fire Emblem terms... Basically, you're saying that a person who has been alone all their life and has not known love, support, or care has finally met someone who's been kind to them on occasion. Now, this lonely individual has fallen in love with said kind being. Person B comes along and spends some quality time with them, is fairly kind to them as well, and has decided to propose to this lonely person. Your first primary question, I believe would be: Is lonely person's first love "true", or simply an expression of desperation given her circumstances? Now, we'll want to define the expression "love", because that's subjective. I don't really like getting into the semantics of love, but if you have to, then you may want to define it according to the length of time one can remain interested in his/her love interest, and how much care they'll invest in said love interest. There are other factors, I'm sure. Now, we can use the game's scenario to answer this question (of course, there's no real universal answer). You need to ask yourself if you believe Tiamo can remain interested in Krom. What if she continues to experience acts of kindness? Will she realize that Krom's actions are simply the norm, and that it's actually her circumstances that are unusual? Can she still like Krom after that? Consider whether Tiamo is in love with Krom's kindness, or Krom himself. Can she see past this kindness and look at his other qualities, or is that the only quality she focuses on, even after spending a long time with him? If it's the latter, she may simply not see him as a love interest, but as a tool to heal her psychological injuries. There are other things you can explore, but I'm too tired to think of more, haha. That should get you started, though.

Once the primary question has been answered, you should ask the second question, which would address Person B's proposal: Can this lonely person maintain a sustainable relationship with Person B should she accept his proposal? Unfortunately, you'll have to look at MU's personality in this case... if you're still asking about MU. Problem is, he's not well-defined. If you're asking about another character now, that's also an issue because you'll have to consider their personality and such. Assuming he's a decent human being, however, I guess you can ask if the lonely person, who's inexperienced in the affairs of the heart, will be able to have a healthy marriage at all. I think this question's easily answered, as I'm sure there are people in reality who don't have a rich history of love interests, yet can live happily with their partner despite their inexperience. So really, the brunt of the reflection is from the first question. I may even just cut it off at the first question, and not ask the second one at all. Forget about MU. Focus on the situation about sheltered, lonely people and whether their love is true or not. I think that's a bit more interesting. The second question is highly situational depending on the love interest, but is easily answered because I'm sure anyone can think of someone they know who has a happy relationship despite their lack of love experiences.

Hope that helps...? Haha.

Thanks! Will be using your first answer and try to incorporate it in my writing project. Thanks!

More I think about it, more I think Tiamo marrying anyone else other than Krom can be successful.

[Murdok Dracul]

Oh my God, you're allowed to do a school project on Fire Emblem?

Why wasn't my school life that awesome?!?!

[Xeniferos]

Oh my God, you're allowed to do a school project on Fire Emblem?

Why wasn't my school life that awesome?!?!

Right? That was the first thing I thought.

[NinjaMonkey]

I'm attracted to women with red hair (Is that justification enough?). As for Krom, he may be my MU's best friend, but in matters of the heart, he's nothing but a rival.

Of course, I could never marry a Pegasus Knight, regardless of what her hair colour is, so it doesn't really matter anyway...

[Paladin25]

i think tiamo and blue haired rufure (male mu) are the coolest pairing in the game, and if tiamo becomes a falcon knight, they will work very well togheter.