aaaa it's mari's birthday!!!! i've never written any of these before, but here's my story with mari / some lovemail.

when i first saw mari when aqours promo was released, i instantly fell in love. nozomi was my best girl even back then, and everyone was comparing mari to her, so i liked mari too! she was fun, bouncy, eccentric and “shiny” lol. but she’s not a nozomi copy, she’s her own wonderful character who i’ve learned to love! when aqours was finally added to the game, i saw myself in mari. she was everything i was and everything i wanted to be! as a quiet kid who was never able to get out there, mari was definitely like a big sister and role model to me. she had a big group of friends and could easily talk to people and was confident and did the things she enjoyed with no fear of what people thought about her. in 2019, life got a lot more difficult for me. i was still struggling with making friends although i wanted to very badly. i felt like i was holding myself back and i didn’t know what to do to try and gain the confidence to try and make friends. i felt really alone. but then i remembered mari. the me i saw in her way back in her debut was still there! i found identity and comfort in mari. on the bad days, i’d think to myself “what would mari do?” sometimes i’d lay in my bed for days, but when i’d get on sif, mari would say something like “let’s go out!” i felt like she was reminding me to take care of myself, so i’d go to the beach or something. before, i felt like i needed to have friends and look a different way to go and do the things i wanted to do, but now it was like i had mari by my side. when i asked myself “what would mari do?” in social situations, the real me came out! i slowly began coming out of my shell, and i made a group of friends who all loved and supported me! i felt as if she’d watched me grow up! when i first met her, i was literally like, 10. i’m still on my way to achieving the happiness i want, but with mari with me, i know i can do anything! i’m so happy she’s a part of my life and i couldn’t imagine my life without her. that’s why i love love live so much, especially aqours! i feel like i’ve grown up with them, muse broke up like a year after i started playing love live, and i love them SO MUCH, but i feel like aqours has had a bigger impact on me because i’ve watched them thrive. mari, thank you so much. thank you for being there for me when i needed you most. i love you so much and i’ve enjoyed every second i’ve spent with you! thank you for shaping me into a better person, thank you for giving me the confidence to make friends, thank you for pushing me to keep going and not give up! i promise, i will be as happy as you are one day! it won’t be easy, but i know if you can do it, so can i. you’ve always been there for me and i can’t wait to see what the future has the store for us. it’s really an honor to be able to grow up with you and aqours.

anyways, i didn't have enough time to make a piece for her but here's a little backstory! i've spent about 300 dollars trying to get a mari UR in the past two years, and this year she came home with 2!!! :) happy birthday baby <33

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