#��anyway this is not real speculation. just rambling on an idea i think would be cool lol

[deltaruminations]

what if gaster in a future chapter calls out the audience for speculating so much about him. the guy canonically has some amount of access to Real Life Social Media. like i started this mostly as a joke but there are definitely some real metanarrative opportunities for a character with recklessly curious impulses, and possibly a fragile sense of self, having nearly limitless access to streams of debate over whether or not he’s a bastard. rude to talk about someone who’s listening etc

[orcelito]

Gencon is very busy...!!!

Ummmmm highlights of the day..!!!

I maybe bought 4 Naruto figurines. Thankfully not individually expensive (though perhaps a little expensive all together...) see I wanted Sasuke but I also wanted Kakashi and I couldn't have Sasuke without Naruto and well it would feel wrong to have the 3 of them without Sakura and so I somehow. Got all 4. Haha. I'll most likely post pics later, whenever I end up opening them. I'm still at the convention center rn lol

(Putting the rest of this under a cut bc it got a little long lol)

I was on the field of the Lucas Oil Stadium, aka the stadium that the Indianapolis Colts play at. I've attended all of One game here (not professional football, it was a high school game lol) so I've felt the size of it, but it's still fucking crazy being on the field. It's so BIG...... and obviously they've got the grass covered rn, but it's still pretty cool!!!

I maaaade dice!!! Pretty precise process it seems, & definitely would require a Lot of work (after the sanding and the painting etc etc). I do still wanna get into it, but if I wanted to spring for stuff like the vacuum chamber or the pressure pot...

Yeah, it'd get expensive. Add in the fact that I don't have a good place to do this away from the cats & it really is not feasible to start rn. But!!! Eventually!!!! I think I'd really enjoy it. I just need a dedicated workshop space where I can spread out without worrying about poisoning my cats lol.

Here's some cool game set stuff I saw in the event hall. This picture is maybe... hm... a fourth of the event hall? And then when you consider that the vender hall (connected to the event hall, though it's closed right now) is maybe 1.5 times as big as the event hall?? Give or take a little...

Aka just imagine booths upon booths upon booths... I'm gonna have to take a pic of it tomorrow. I was there too briefly to think about taking a pic. Honestly I maybe managed to get through like a tenth of the whole vender hall in an hour of wandering. It's fucking huge. And So Many Dice... I bought one set of 14 (I think it was) dice. Aka an extended set. And then I got a random set bag of dice (just a basic 7). And then a d20 with a cat on it. And a dice of LETTERS. Aka I guess a d26 (I totally did not have to double check that there were 26 letters in the alphabet)(I have 702k words written & posted to ao3)(😂😂😂 I'm very tired) but with letters instead of numbers. And it's glow in the dark!!! And I found some hxh buttons, and a mighty nein poster, and uhmmmm. A cute lanyard. And that's all I bought. Which really is such restraint for me. (Omfg I just saw a dragon cosplay)(someone just dressed as a dragon)

OH YEAH I saw a fucking. Persona 5 Ryuji cosplay. Hanging out with the biker lady from Durarara. Featuring the Ryuji holding her scythe hfksbfmd which was such a funny image. I was too shy to ask for a pic but just trust 🙏 i saw this

Anyways yeah the only real big thing I bought is the naruto figurines. I'll show pics later once I got the stuff again (I dropped it all off in the car earlier)

Omfg literally as I've been sitting here (on a bench at the side of a main hallway) someone stopped by and gave me a handmade bracelet !!!

DND's 50th anniversary!!! So cute!!!!

[waitmyturtles]

Forgive me for this ramble, but If I could put my TMZ hat on for a second ... while we have no idea what the issue is/was between Joong and Est, I wonder if class disparity might play a part? I've noticed that quite a few actors in the Thai BL space, especially at GMMTV, seem to come from wealthy backgrounds. Just off the top of my head at GMM there is Off, Tay, Win, Bright, Pond, Phuwin, Dunk, and Boun. While not at gmm I can think of Mile, Billkin, Mew, Tul, Ta, Nut ...etc. You can even see it in the kpop industry with Minnie, Ten, and Nichkhun.

Now while I haven't read anything indicating Est's, or for that matter Daou and Offroad's wealth status, it does make me wonder. Perhaps @respectthepetty might have more insight. However, from what I have read about Joong, his bio-father died when he was young, his mother remarried a Turkish man, and they moved to Turkey where his half-siblings were born and then his step-father died. Joong finally worked to make enough money to buy a house and moved his family into the house in Thailand. I am not sure if his mother works, but if she doesn't then he would be the sole breadwinner of the family.

Now while being wealthy doesn't make one a bad person, there might be some ignorant mindsets, hyper-consumerism, image maintenance, and thoughtlessness that could could clash with people that don't have the financial freedom or free-time to spend as they like because they have people dependent on them.

Considering Joong is really big on his family, and he most likely had to grow up faster than others due to the circumstances of his life, I wonder if he is just has a lot more to consider in his life, while the others are able to just be young?

I really can't tell if he is the messy kind of person that constantly posts cryptic things for attention but never wants to talk about it (or in this case cant because he is a celeb), or if he is actually just being a little too real for a celeb, while the others are following their PR to a "T."

If wealth disparity is playing a part, this could compound the Dunk issue aside him being caught between fighting friends, because Dunk also comes from a wealthy family.

This is highly speculative BUT is an angle I haven't seen discussed.

Thanks for the note, @simysaru43! Tagging Sis @respectthepetty for thoughts.

It’s been gently speculated that wealth and family connections may have played a part (besides Ohm’s 2023 controversy) in the break-up of OhmNanon, considering Nanon’s nepo baby status. And Chimon Wachirawit has been public over the years about the huge financial burdens caused by his family’s debt that essentially led to him needing to find entertainment work in Series Y; as we know now, he has been working through mental health issues over the past year and likely his young adult life. (There was this very impactful video that I saw on Twitter last year, I wish I could find it, with Chimon being interviewed in front of his family’s house that had once been repossessed. Very tough to watch.)

Anyway, you may and even likely have a point. A lot of these guys — Chimon, Earth, Nanon — have been relatively open about their depression, and very often it’s financial burdens and stress that can trigger omnipresent mental health issues. Joong’s been pretty messy online. These are otherwise highly trained entertainers who are trained to not be so messy publicly. Something could be behind whatever’s driving Joong’s messiness, and it could very well be class disparities and how they’re expressed in the young Thai upper-class society that these guys roll in.

Any thoughts from your circles, @respectthepetty?

[a-jar-of-beetles]

kristen thoughts plus divine musings

I really want to write out my theory and speculations about last episode but Kristen C. Applebee's won't stop taking up all my brain space so I might as well share my ramblings.

First off it was a really interesting choice to reach out to her parents she could have easily settled for checking in with Bucky to see how he and their other siblings were doing, but decided to talk to her parents anyway which besides being brave also shows a maturity that often alludes Kristen (not that ignoring her parents for the rest of her life is immature but that's not the point I'm making).

Although I wish she could have interacted more with her brothers her conversation with her parents was not as confrontational as I would have expected I for sure thought that Kristen would have bitten back at the "Helio might not have let that happen" comment when Kristen the literal chosen one of Helio has died multiple times.

Another thing that stuck out to me was the way Mac and Donna talked about Galicaea, they acted like she was just some random goddess but in Elysium Galicaea refers to Sol as her brother which is a weird thing for Kristen's parents to ignore so is the fact that Sol and Galicaea are siblings something that not common knowledge? Could it just be something that's forbidden or just taboo to talk about? Mac and Donna were also pretty judgemental about elves when they were first introduced so maybe it has something to do with that?

So that got me thinking about how Cassandra is mostly referred to as Galicaea's sister instead of Sol's while it could just be that they're both associated with night and that they both had elven followers but it made me wonder what type of relationship they had. Were they just never close in Elysium he never mentioned Cassandra but that could have just been because Kristen didn't ask him about her the only real thing we know about Sol is that he obviously approved of Ankarna and Cassandra otherwise he wouldn't have officiated their wedding.

Which brought me back to how Sol followers in the modern/evangelist church of Sol don't seem to actually know or care about what Sol actually represents/represented, which made me think about the inverse. Does Sol even truly know what's going on with his followers? Because of devil's nectar we know Gods can be purposely deceived but we also know that the nectar works by deceiving yourself first so if you truly believe something and tell your God the same they will believe it too because in Spyre the gods aren't omniscient, we've literally seen it with Galicaea who thought that Cassandra erasing her old name was her own idea and the Nightmare King killed her even when there was evidence to the contrary. Do you think her clerics did it on purpose? Whether their words were Honeyed or delusional Galicaea was still lied to. Galicaea who loved her sister, who would destroy anyone that would dare hurt her baby sister, who bared her fangs at the mention of doubt and only spoke of conviction and clarity which belonged to her fallen sister in law.

Do you think that after Cassandra died Ankarna wasn't the only one who got corrupted? Do you think that with out someone to champion doubt and hold peoples hand through the unknown, people stopped questioning the words of their preachers, paladins and clerics? because doubt became hard to speak about was it just ignored and swallowed? Was it the avoidance of doubt that made the followers of Sol demonize Ankarna? Because without Cassandra Ankarna was no longer a part of their family? Sol and Galicaea did they care? How did they when they lost the last part of Cassandra besides themselves? Were they sad?angry? relived? upset? apathetic? Did they even notice it happen at all?

Maybe I've just been thinking too much

IDK

[mars-rnr]

Speculations & Thoughts on The Hollow (animated series)

The Hollow: Season 2 Episode 010 "Race"

Indeed, I know that an official Season 3 of The Hollow might never happen, but let me still try to speculate it a bit!

Spoiler Warning & More Incoherent Ramblings!!

Gustaf Stays or Gets Fired: In the end, Weirdie/ Gustaf saves the digital version of the Hollow Gang. Adam expressed worry he might lose his job but Gustaf replied, "There is no Hollow without me". I still think Gustaf will have to face the consequences of disconnecting Hollow Life and putting in another server without the permission of- whoever is running the Hollow Game.

Vanessa's Cheating Contacts: It has been expressed several times it is impossible to cheat the Hollow Game, but Vanessa was able to do that with her specialized eye contacts. She still didn't win thought (haha). Anyway! For Vanessa to have such eye contacts, there must have been someone from the real world who have intentions to go against makers of the Hollow or simply have motivations that's against the Hollow- and they are skilled enough to make something that causes glitches in the game previously thought of impossible to cheat. I do have this idea that the Hollow didn't receive just glitches but also acts like a trojan horse, it brought more than glitches but something that entirely end the Hollow Game

R.I.P Skeet? (Couldn't Be Me): I do think there is a possibility of the digital version of Skeet to 'live on' but not in the way you think. Every time the Hollow Game ends, it 'resets' and the NPCs such as 4 Horse of The Apocalypse, Benjamin and Benjamini, and Akuma take up new roles. In the 2nd season, new teams play a new round of The Hollow and those NPC characters are 'reused' to be the bartenders, jazz band, and waiters for the club Gustaf was singing in the "Dead End" Episode (s2 e6). As for Akuma, he was the leader of the Akki Temple in Season 1 (s1 e5), however, in season 2, he was 'repurposed' to be a Game Show host called Andy Kuma in the "Puzzled" Episode (s2 e4). I am saying all of this because Akuma, also called later on Andy Kuma, died from falling off the Akki Temple floating island and never seen again in Season 1. However the Hollow Game, repurposed him to be a game show host later on. This means there is the possibility of Skeet being 'repurposed' in the next round of the Hollow Games, but without his memories. Yup! When Adam confronted Death the Bartender in season 2, Death doesn't remember him, when the Hollow Gang saw Benjamin and Benjamini again in season 2 they also don't remember them, so does Akuma/ Andy Kuma- None of them remember the Hollow Gang because it was new round of the Hollow Game and the NPCs were given different roles.

I think that is all I have to say. I could yap some more about the parallels of Vanessa and Mira, but that would lead to me talking about the potential of Rivals-to-Friends-to-Lovers that their relationship could have.

Hilarious Idea, if season 3 pulls another straight-bait on the audience by confirming the Hollow girls are Bi or lesbian. Honestly, at this point I want a comic book series as a continuation- the goofy nature of comic books would be pair up so well with the premise of The Hollow.

OR MAYBE AN ACTUAL GAME OF THE HOLLOW!!?? HOW META WOULD THAT BE!?!!? YOU ARE NOT THE AUDIENCE OF THE HOLLOW- YOU ARE ITS PLAYERS. YOU ARE NOT ITS PLAYER- YOU ARE ITS NPCS!!

I also like the potential philosophical talks Mira and the Hollow Gang could have, if they meet the digital version of Skeet without his memories. Their point of continuing on stands on the grounds their pain, emotions, and feelings do feel real for them, what if they didn't have the memory of those feelings anymore? Does it still count? If you could feel it before but no longer do- Does it still count? Bring Skeet back!! He just wanted to hang with his family and friends and eat burgers, why take that away from him!?

[coochellati]

Hey, Jovia ^.^ I’ve been following your blog for a while now and I absolutely ADORE it. Your rants and everything are literally my safe space, I’m just as obsessed with Bruno 🥹🤧

I want to share with you something maybe less typical to your usual head-canons. It’s related to that scene where he ascends to the sky and he says sth like “I’m only going back to where I was supposed to be. I’m simply returning to how I once was”. Do you ever think Bruno might actually be a spiritual person? Not in the religious sense necessarily (but it might explain something, since he’s Italian and most likely a Catholic). But I find that scene quite symbolic to his character - let’s be real, it’s one of the most majestically-portrayed deaths in Jojo (might be biased, right, but can you not be when it’s about him? 🥲). I like to think that he might have some faith - whether in some god or simply the universe. He shows this multiple times in the show, but I think his sense of faith and spirituality shows the most in his optimistic thinking. He sees the light even on a dark path (and, sometimes, he’s the light himself; to others) and tries to be moral, even in his area of “work”. If some kind of faith doesn’t drive him, then what else?

This turned into a long rambling. Anyway, I’m curious to hear your opinion!! Stay safe ✨

Hi!!! Thank you so much for reaching out!! It makes me feel incredibly honored that you think so highly of my blog and consider it a safe space 😭🩷

Ooh!!! This is a good one; I love getting all philosophical over Bruno.

Oh my god his ascension scene is fucking beautiful. I too think it is the most majestically-portrayed death in JoJo’s. Yeah.. okay. im Biased too…. Still though. I can’t think of a more beautiful death. And the SOUNDTRACK. Ascensione is so perfectly composed. It sounds like something Debussy would write. (It’s also in Ab major; my favorite key signature. 😩 Ab major just feels… so emotional.) I don’t listen to it very often though because it makes me burst into tears. 😭 Also the VISUALS. Can you think of a JoJo’s death that’s objectively more beautiful than Bruno’s?

(can you??? CAN YOU??)

I agree with your thoughts! I too believe he’s spiritual. Like you said, I don’t think he follows a specific religion, but it’s shown he believes in fate, which is a higher power, in a way. The idea of fate is highly associated with religion, so the chance of him believing in something is pretty high. You’re right, there’s a chance he could be Catholic, considering that 79.2% of Italians are Catholic (this data is from a Eurobarometer poll from 2021.) But I don’t get Catholic vibes from him… (what even are Catholic vibes?? LOL I don’t know, but Bruno doesn’t have em.) His ability to see light in dark things is also very correlated to religion.

Araki himself is somewhat spiritual, I’ve heard. He went to a protestant school when he was a kid, but he isn’t a Christian now. People speculate he leans more towards Deism now. Since Araki’s beliefs no doubt influence JoJo’s, I believe Bruno approaches religion the same way Araki does. Of course, Bruno is his own character, so he may not follow what Araki believes, but he is Araki’s creation…

So yeah, those are my thoughts! Thanks for sending me this; analyzing this man is my favorite pastime! :)

[it-lives-within-the-dark]

I’ve been thinking about names recently

Specifically the idea that knowing someone’s name gives you power over them and is often used in fairytales as a way to get out of a deal, and how that relates to both Sebastian and Ciel (please excuse my non cohesive rambling)

For Sebastian, it boils down to whether or not demons have their own names, or if they have no name except the one they are given by their master.

If the first, then would finding that out give the contractee additional power over the demon? (I believe @k-s-morgan takes this stance in TGSTLTH)

Or, if there is no name but the one given to them, then does that in itself lend power to the contractee

Alternatively, does the given name have more or less power (or form a stronger connection between demon and master) based on the meaning behind it? For instance, does the fact that Ciel names Sebastian ‘Sebastian’ lend them a deeper power than if Ciel named him something random like Greg?

And as for Ciel…hoo boy

First, does Sebastian even know Ciel’s real name? Like, I assume he knows R!Ciel’s name because he ate his soul, but Ciel never gives Sebastian his true name, nor does Sebastian ask. Do we think he was a nosy bitch and looked it up at some point, or did he just go fuck it the kid’s using a fake name and I wasn’t going to use his true name anyway because *~*aesthetics*~* so who cares?

So with that in mind, if Sebastian in fact does not know Ciel’s true name, does that give Ciel some kind of advantage over Sebastian? Or -

Does the fact that Ciel claimed the name of ‘Ciel Phantomhive’ for himself and recognizes himself solely by that name now, mean that that is now considered his true name (in the context of weird name magic; the actual in story answer is yes)

Idk, there wasn’t really a point to this, just some interesting speculation

[cass-rambles]

Hiii guys, after my last .. uh theory thingy I'm back to ramble more. (About mostly Morty Prime this time). Because I'm very normal about R&M I promise. :D

Anyways! (Major spoilers for season 7 ahead!!!)

I've been thinking about season 7 again, as well as the earlier seasons, and I've got a few ideas/possibilities/plot bunnies of what the writers of Rick and Morty might do for Morty.

The thing is, season 7 had somewhat really juggled Morty's character back and forth between its development and regression for Unmortricken, giving more light to the rest of the Smith family and Rick. I don't mean to phrase this negatively, but compared to earlier seasons, Morty seems to more of just being there, not taking into mind the episodes w Rick Prime and episode 10 of the latest season.

And this brings me to my point: What will they do with Morty's character and development now?

Let's take all things into consideration:

Rick Prime is gone/dead (hopefully permamently but it could be an interesting throwback)

Rick C-137 can be now actively allowed to heal

There is nothing (particularly) endangering their whole family

Evil Morty returned to his paradise island and there doesn't seem to be a strong/certain reason for him to return to the Central Curve

So the new arc, by technicality, should consist of Morty's and Rick's healing, right? Right???

That's what I thought of at first, but there's a good chance it's not as clear as it may appear.

For example, let's talk about the last episode of season 7. Throughout all of it we have the dissection of Rick's and Morty's fears, even as far as having an accurate Diane in it. It portrays how many fears and worries Morty Prime has accumulated through the seasons, including, of course, not being accepted, his fear of being replaced (THANKS RICK <3🙄) and many more. My point here is, that his trauma runs deep, it's hard-rooted into his character and almost unmovable. The most fucked up thing about it in the ep, is that Morty receiveing positive attention from Rick, is what made him realize that he's the only one in the hole. Because he doesn't believe Rick would consciously describe him as an irreplacable person in his life.

Which brings me to one of my key-thought-out-problems. Can Morty Prime even heal properly, at least around his family?

Chances are: it might be a HUGE FUCKING ISSUE.

(To be fair here, I'm not an entirely objective theorizer, even though I'm trying to stay as neutral as I can, please take my ideas with a grain of salt.)

Morty Prime actively thinks that all healthy affection he receives from Rick isn't actually received from Rick (most likely paranoia from the Rickbot arc) or that he's in a scenario in which his family isn't real. His counsciousness has already started to agree and intertwine into his approach all of the things and actions that have previously hurt the teen. (For example, if his family lashes out at him, he's being ridiculed or hurt by them to some degree, then it must mean they're real. It is an objective truth.) And it makes me think that Morty may need to be away from his family to be able to acknowledge each of his traumatic experiences in order to attempt moving on from them.

I think that Morty in order to heal, will have to learn that he doesn't have to focus on others all the time and can learn how to depend on himself, because he lacks trust even in his own thoughts. And so far, Morty has barely digested his trauma, more of "shelving" it away for later or having occasional meltdowns once he's under too much pressure. He always seems to be stuck in survival mode in some way, meaning that his brain prioritizes keeping him alive, rather then caring for the damage.

So by those thoughts, it is a possibility that Rick's healing and Morty's healing, cannot partake side by side, and therefore may result in Morty leaving his family to achieve healthy progress.

Either way, this is all just speculating and my ideas, but I hope it helped some people in their own theories. (My inbox is VERY open to rambling about R&M in ANY WAY.)

(Side idea for my enjoyment: Morty leaving his family can play into the theory that Morty Prime may actively search out Evil Morty to understand how he can achieve a process and goal in which he doesn't "cling" to his family and Rick.)

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 5: Curse this World

author's note: TW blood, vomit, hallucinations. take care!

***

Fiddleford McGucket was distinct from Ford, as Y/n discovered once the three began working together. She remained on the sidelines, only waiting for orders because she couldn't contribute anything useful to their conversation. She chose to be a simple assistant, which she has always been good at.

"The plans in these blueprints are unbelievably complex," F said after the three of them had moved on from the subject of the "leg warmers" fashion trend. "Did Y/n also help you come up with the idea, or did you consult with anyone else?"

Ford paused for a moment, as if he was debating something. He looked at the girl next to him, who was trying not to look like she was judging him despite the fact that she was speculating on his expressions. F's question made her think, too; she knew damn well that Ford didn't have anyone else to consult about his plans because it was just the two of them.

The man in question then averted his gaze from F, then from her, before dismissively stating, "With hard work, anything is possible. Anyway, I want you to double-check these," he said before moving to the other side of the table and handing F a stack of calculations. "Y/n, follow me."

She did, trailing behind Ford as he scribbled in his journal. Before she could take a peek at it, he shut it close, earning a loud poof. He turned around and handed her a copy of the blueprint, as well as a demonstration of the portal's structural form, and suddenly everything made sense. She was a quick learner, which was one of the many benefits of eating that mushroom.

It was the following day when F suddenly went into a panic and began rambling about how the portal would require a Temporal Displacement Hyperdrive before spouting about his worries about humanity and its limited knowledge. At that moment, Y/n remembered something, and it appeared that Ford did as well. They exchanged glances before Ford exclaimed, "We know exactly where to get that kind of device!"

F was stunned, pulling some of his hair out, and their grins grew even wider at his reaction. The destination was Crash Site Omega, which had the coolest name ever, and Y/n and Ford had already begun packing for the two-day trip.

Ford had reminded Y/n to bring curses and spells for when they ventured into some of the dangerous areas of the Uncharted Forest, and they were on their way.

***

***

On the first day of the journey, Ford, F, and Y/n hiked up the granite pass to the lake, where their secret mountain shortcut is located. For years, Y/n and Ford had been walking and climbing up mountains, but that wasn't the case for Fiddleford. Around midday, he took a break and could be heard grumbling about wanting to invent a pair of robot legs while eating a sandwich. With a stick, he even drew a diagram in the dirt.

"Would you like one?" " F offered the girl, but she politely declined. She ate a light breakfast, but it was sufficient.

A low-pitched growling was heard, and an odd red-and-black-checkered beast unexpectedly waddled out of the brush for a bite of F's sandwich.

Standing up from the small boulder, Y/n exclaimed. She looked at the creature with awe. She didn't believe they were real! "Oh my gosh," she mumbled, hiding her mouth behind her hands.

"Don't go near it, Y/n," Ford cautioned, but Y/n paid no attention. Many of Ford's commands were always ignored. "Y/n, it could be venomous."

"It could not," she countered. One of her hobbies appeared to be defying his orders.

The creature stared up at Y/n, motionless, but when she took a step forward, it growled, causing her to come to a halt. "Actually, I would like a sandwich," she said to Fiddleford, who gave her one shakily. Y/n unwrapped it from its plastic wrapping and waved it in the air, as if producing an aroma. The creature perked up in interest and approached her innocently.

Her face lit up as the creature bit off a piece of the sandwich and munched on it quietly. It bit again, and this time a larger piece was ripped off. "You're so adorable," Y/n said. She looked up to see Ford scribbling in his journal with a small smile on his face. F was also taken aback.

"It looks like a platypus-" F began.

"But its skin has a plaid pattern," Ford added. Y/n stood there, a teasing smile on her face, waiting for her friend to make yet another witty pun. "I'm guessing it's called a plaidypus?"

Her lips trembled with laughter. The sandwich in her hand was gone, and it appeared to want more. Y/n took an item from her bag. It was a biscuit box. The plaidypus seemed to enjoy salted crackers as well. She deliberately picked it up and gladly obliged, as long as it was accompanied by food. The plaidypus made a sound, but she couldn't tell if it was happy or disgruntled due to a lack of crackers.

"Don't feed it too much or we might just run out of food."

"Yeah," she said. "Or I could've been destroying this cutie's dietary habits or nutritional intakes, or something..." She petted its bald head, and her heart skipped a beat as she listened to its purr.

"Is it a female?" Fiddleford questioned, repacking his backpack.

"I think so," Y/n concluded after peering into its underbelly. The plaidypus wriggled its way out of her arms, and she let it go, carefully placing it on the ground. It waddled back to where it came from, and Y/n dutifully followed. Silently, the two men followed as well, intrigued by this creature's movements. They didn't want to split up so might as well follow the girl's trail.

What welcomed them was the plaidypus' nest where its egg had the same plaid pattern as its skin. "Good thing none of us are hungry, because I would advise not to eat those eggs."

The sun had finally set, and the three of them had unanimously decided to take a break. Ford proposed going to the top of Gravity Peak and setting up camp for the night. Y/n huddled inside her sleeping bag, gazing up at the vast expanse of night sky made up of various constellations. She mentally named a few constellations that she recognized right away. Her favorite was the Big Dipper. It appeared to be so simple, and it is literally a big dipper.

Ford had situated meters away, and Fiddleford had followed. For a brief moment, there was only the sound of the flickering fire, which provided them with some light and warmth against the cold midnight air.

F began to open up and talk about his plans after the project was finished. Ford and Y/n listened intently. The former was lost in thought, relating to his friend's ambition. Y/n wondered about her future as well, knowing that this project would end sooner rather than later. She can't keep relying on Ford indefinitely. He'd have to leave Gravity Falls once his research was finished, leaving her all alone.

But she'd considered this possibility before. She considered her own future plans and what she might do. She needed to prepare. She wasn't stupid, after all.

"And how about you, Y/n?" " Ford inquired, clearing his throat.

"Well, I know you won't be here forever, Ford, so... once you leave, I'm thinking of opening some sort of treatment facility for the creatures that live here," she explained, leaving out the fact that she is vulnerable to physical pain. She and Ford had already discussed not telling Fiddleford because he would freak out even more. She didn't like lying to the guy, but she reasoned that it was for his own good. "I sincerely want to assist everyone."

"Such an admiring dream for a little girl. We have the same goal; helping people," F remarked, giving her a smile.

Ford followed and shared his own thoughts, expressing his desire to prove his theory and getting excited about the future, already seeing himself as a prizewinner and genius and rubbing shoulders with other notable prizewinners and geniuses. Y/n admired his determination despite the fact that his dream seemed to be more for his own benefit.

The scope of Ford's plans perplexed F. He's caught a glimpse of the journals, which are thick with pages of amazement that he never imagined could be true. He explained that his former classmate should publish his findings and then enjoy life. But Ford was adamant, acting as if he was in a race with other scientists who also wanted to get their hands on this discovery.

Ford ended the conversation with a sweet reminder that he was glad to be accompanied by his two friends.

The two-day trip was clearly well planned, because they arrived at their destination after an encounter with cows. Y/n noticed that nothing had changed since she and Ford left this two years ago. Ford's excitement returned as he gleefully broke open the hatch and climbed down. They soon discovered what they were looking for: the Hyperdrive. Fortunately, with F's mechanical knowledge, Ford's keen intuition, and Y/n's clairvoyance, they were able to locate and extract it, which is now safely stored inside F's backpack. It was quite bulky, and Y/n agreed that it would be too heavy for her sadly short stature.

Mission accomplished..

It was about to be a terrific day for the three of them, until that turned terrible. Y/n was so used to Ford's life-threatening curiosity. She was confident that she wouldn't get hurt, yet sometimes she feared his complacency when nearing a beast like this one. He doesn't have the same invulnerability as her.

The Gremloblin was a legend, that was what she heard from Ford, and now he got the chance to draw its figure up close because they knew that creatures like it are heavy sleepers. Normally, when it's the two of them, Y/n can sit beside Ford and watch him draw, all the while admiring his line work, but it was different this time now that they have a new addition. Fiddleford was shaking up in his boots as he cowered behind Ford.

"C-can we please, just, move along? I don't like them large chompers."

"You don't have to worry," Y/n reassured F, but just as she finished, the Hyperdrive emitted an ear-piercing alarm from F's backpack. "What! I thought it was inactive!" She exclaimed, slightly alarmed.

The Gremloblin awoke with a start, seized Fiddleford with its gigantic claws, and peered deeply into his eyes, as expected. Ford flung his canteen at the beast, hoping to shock it, but it had little effect. The water simply made the monster scarier!

The creature has just mutated, and its wings have grown to be twice their original size! It flew down the mountain with F still in its grasp, with a powerful heave of its wings. "Come on, Y/n!" She sprinted alongside him, her gaze fixed on the Hyperdrive in F's arms. The gleaming metal glistened in the harsh sunlight, and she had an idea.

"Ford! "Give me your bag," she demanded. Ford handed it to her, unsure why, preferring to trust her rather than question her. The two ran down the cliff-side, tearing their clothes. Ford had a bloody scrape, but Y/n was unharmed. He looked up helplessly as the girl rummaged through the bag, eventually finding what she was looking for. It was...

"The magnet gun! Y/n, what a brilliant idea!" She handed him the gun, and as the Gremloblin slowed down, Ford took advantage of the opportunity and aimed at the Hyperdrive, holding Y/n close to him. With a magnetic rush, the two were lifted fifty feet into the air and landed on the monster's back. Ford drew his gun and delivered a hard blow to the back of the head, knocking it out cold. The four had landed in a soft, cushioned hayloft after crashing through the barn roof.

F's condition caused Y/n to frown deeply. His entire body was trembling, his eye twitching uncontrollably, and his knee bouncing faster than usual. He was in such a state of terror that he didn't seem to notice that his arm was broken and pierced in several places with the venomous quills of the Gremloblin.

Immediately, Ford and Y/n took F home for treatment.

Y/n took the liberty of tending to her friend's physical wounds, having learned to do that because she had practice. The practice being Ford, that is. She successfully wrapped bandages around his arms and forehead, but he was still left shaken. He was still mumbling something about his family. He tends to mention that word a lot.

With a worried gaze, she turned to Ford who was deep in thought. He also appeared to be very concerned about his friend. Finally, he stood up. "Thank you, Y/n, but I fear there are mental wounds not as easily remedied." He grabbed her shoulders and gently drew her away from F. He knelt down to her level once more. "We've survived many monster attacks without trauma, but perhaps he is more sensitive than we realized..." Ford mumbled to the girl, who nodded understandably.

"Maybe you should spend the rest of the afternoon with him. He needs to face his fears with his closest friend."

Ford agreed with her suggestion and nodded. He stood up and affectionately brushed her hair. "You should get some rest. Your dream of opening a clinic will come true thanks to your expertise in wound care."

With a spring in her step, she left the two friends to their own devices. Ford appeared to know what to do, deciding to teach Fiddleford some of his meditation techniques as well as a heart rate slowing exercise he learned to help him control his fear. She was curious where he had learned it because the information came out of nowhere, but she decided to assume he had known it since high school.

A few more weeks had passed and the three were still working on the project until Ford decided it was time to take a break. Fortunately, Y/n read in a newspaper, after beating the daily crossword puzzle, that "Mama Misfortune's Traveling Carnival and Freak Show" was in town for the day. She told Ford that this could be good to get F's mind off his recent trauma.

Ford agreed to go albeit she knew his distaste towards nickel-grubbing circuses and sideshows. She reassured him, telling him that this could be a day of relaxation for poor F and also an opportunity for new discoveries.

Surprisingly, at the mention of a carnival, Fiddleford was excited and was already looking alright, going back to his usual mannerisms.

People swarming in left and right. Looked like it was jam-packed even with the town's low population. And looking at the lively decorations, Ford and Y/n exchanged excited glances and the three entered the carnival.

Unfortunately, Ford and Y/n's excitement turned out to be short-lived. The first "beast" they had encountered at the fair was literally a chicken duck-taped to a silver-back gorilla wearing a wizard hat.

She knew those creatures were fraudulent, but Y/n couldn't help but stifle laughter at the mere stupidity. Ford grumbled lowly as he scribbled on his journal. If Ford hated them so much, then why go through the effort of sketching them. And they looked so detailed!

Even though Ford's mood was sour, he was still happy for his friend who was clearly having the time of his life. He had just won first prize on a pig race by using advanced probability calculations.

A stand of jewelries caught Y/n's eye. She approached the man and inquire about the necklaces hanging from the metal bar. The man with a mustache and kind eyes happily told her about the low price.

"What d'you got there?" Someone stood beside her. It was Ford, and suddenly Y/n wanted to walk away. But a certain necklace attracted her. Ford saw her eyes focused on the jewelry. "Would you like one, Y/n?"

The girl looked up at Ford, a blush on her cheeks. She averted her gaze from him and began thinking of ways how to tell him that she wanted this. Ford took one of the necklaces from the stand and inspected it real close. The pendant was awfully familiar to him. He's seen it before.

"It's a real, tough metal, sir. No need to doubt my handicraft," The man remarked, not liking the way Ford handled the jewelry.

"I can see that," he replied, flipping the pendant back and forth. Y/n smiled, knowing that he was probably looking for parts that might be mystical. The two had a fair share of experiences with cursed objects and magical items after all. "Alright, we'll get this. How much?"

Ford's wallet felt a little lighter after that purchase, but every penny was worth it if he gets to see Y/n's wide smile as she admired the necklace around her neck.

The pendant was a flower with a yellow bud and white petals, resembling a daisy.

Fiddleford brought something troubling over breakfast a few weeks after the carnival. He proposed that the three construct an additional underground laboratory, one designed with the utmost paranormal security precautions. Its purpose is to store and study more dangerous specimens that are on the verge of leaking into their dimension. Fortunately, the three had discovered a location for their hidden storage bunker and began excavating.

Y/n mostly assisted with the layout of each room, deciding which one to put where, while Ford considered the pros and cons of living underground. They would need cooling systems, the ability to provide oxygen, and strong walls to protect themselves from underground creatures.

Meanwhile, FIddleford was the genius behind the horrifyingly complex security room. While assisting F with carrying equipment for their cooling chamber, F revealed the security code, which included multiple variables and equations, but Y/n easily remembered it.

The plans were completed, and the cooling system was completed and ready. They only needed to clear the dirt to find space for each of the rooms. Ford had discovered a large blue egg containing a strange creature during the dig. Y/n approached it with caution, having never seen anything like it before. The first thing it did after hatching was transform its body to Ford's coffee cup, leading them to believe it is a shapeshifter.

F suggested freezing it right away to test their cryonics, but Ford had grown attached to the creature. He even dubbed it "Shifty." Ford enlisted the help of Y/n in caring for this creature. She was assigned to bean duty and reluctantly agreed. Shifty grew so big every day that they had to upgrade from a small kennel box to a full-sized steel cage.

One night, while working late in the bunker and Y/n was about to step in for feeding time, they heard a high, otherworldly, parrot-like voice call out, "Beans!" They knew Shifty had learned to speak at that moment! Ford was the most ecstatic about the news, while F has grown increasingly skeptical of the creature.

Several days later, around midnight, Fiddleford approached Y/n, who was cleaning the surveillance room. He appeared panicked once more, so she was concerned and ready to assist. He was coughing a lot, claiming to have a sore throat, and asking for her assistance in retrieving the journal. "I-I -" he coughed again, "I think I- I saw a remedy in the journal for... these-" cough cough. "-coughs!"

F's unusual behavior piqued Y/n's interest, "I think cough drops are the best sore throat treatment. If you want, I can get you one from the first-aid cabinet-"

"NO!" He screamed. "I- I mean. Little girl, the journal has the answer and I need it."

She became uneasy under F's incessant gaze, and the way he addressed her as "little girl" just doesn't feel right. "Ford?" She called out, her gaze fixed on F's agitated expression. "I'll get you the journal... just stay right here."

Y/n visited Ford's bunker. Maybe he was there, but when she arrived, Fiddleford was leaning against Ford, shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety had rendered him nearly speechless. Strings of rope were on the ground, and the steel cage had been busted open, proving to Y/n that the Fiddleford she spoke with earlier who claimed to have a "sore throat" wasn't the real Fiddleford, but rather the shapeshifter.

"He said he wanted the journal," she said as her voice dropped to a low whisper.

Ford carefully placed F on the mattress and quickly devised a strategy. He drew a crude six-fingered hand on a plumbing manual found by Y/n with gold spray paint. He tossed it into one of their three cryogenic tubes before strolling back to the surveillance room, where the imposter F had been waiting impatiently, his chair shaking involuntarily. "There you are, Fiddleford. You said you needed the journal for your coughing problem, right?" F almost immediately nodded. "I've looked everywhere in my bunker for it, but to no avail. I believe I had inadvertently left it in the cryonics room. Could you please get it for me?"

The imposter didn't even wait for Ford to finish his sentence before fleeing for the journal. If Ford wasn't interested in the unknown, he'd be scamming people left and right with his acting abilities.

The instant he stepped inside the tube, Ford slammed the red button, trapping him in.

Following this incident, the three agreed to put it behind them. Before Ford apologized profusely for yet another traumatic experience, Y/n made sure Fiddleford had no wounds.

Several nights have passed, and the three have spent their time working on the portal, which is nearly finished and will soon be ready for the first major test. Ford had grown extremely frustrated by the necessity of sleep as Y/n dozed off for a bit of rest. He didn't like how fatigue loomed over him, taunting him with the relaxing prospect of sleep. Why sleep when he could've been working on his most important project yet? He's squandering valuable time!

F's mechanical knowledge is impressive, but he occasionally frustrated Ford. He could consider Y/n because she is less knowledgeable in engineering, but F is just stubborn. Ford realized that if they were to stay on schedule, he would have to work at least another three hours. He envied Y/n's peaceful slumber as the minutes passed, and he, too, began to feel fatigue's wretched powers pull on his eyelids.

Y/n blinked a few times before hearing a low hum, which was how a headache felt to her. She was still awake when she noticed movement and realized she was surrounded by stacks of paper. Her arms didn't hurt from sleeping on the table in an idle position. She eventually found Ford, who was concentrating on writing multiple equations. Ford had just finished a calculation when he noticed Y/n and turned to look at her.

Is it just her eyes playing tricks on her because she just woke up, or does Ford have different shaped pupils? It was a thin slit, similar to a cat's eyes. His eyeballs glowed a faint yellow before he cracked a wide grin. "You should go to sleep, Daisy," he urged, scratching her hair. "I'll take care of this."

It was a nice offer, and she was really tired, so she accepted and sat on the couch instead. She had some difficulty getting comfortable in her bed because of the items placed at her feet due to the lack of free space in the house. "Good night, Ford."

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

She fell asleep completely, and the confusion of Ford calling her "Daisy" didn't even enter her mind.

It was the night before the test. Fiddleford, Y/n, and Ford all went out to eat at a local diner to toast their future success. Ford was the most ecstatic, F was uptight and concerned, and Y/n simply wanted food. If nothing seemed to be wrong with the portal, she figured it was safe to proceed.

Ford raised his glass, and Y/n followed, attempting to match his zeal, but F couldn't meet their gazes. "I'm having second thoughts about this," he said nervously as he slid a napkin across the table. It had a diagram with the words "Probability of Failure" on it. "My final calculations revealed significant flaws in your design, flaws that could have disastrous consequences."

The man across from him remained silent.

"I feel like we're being reckless. Reconsider the whole plan for the safety of the town."

Y/n looked at the paper, shaken by F's words. The graph's arrow just kept going up, and she had no idea what would happen if they continued. Fiddleford is the more cautious of the two inventors. He quadruples checks each calculation, so if he knew the portal could fail horribly, she trusted him.

She looked at Ford, who seemed to be contemplating something.

"Where do you get these ideas for the portal, Ford?" Fiddleford asked the same question as that morning from months back. His tone was so careful, as if he was willing to listen and Ford almost considered telling him the truth, the both of them the truth, until F showed him something that shocked Ford. In his trembling hands was a thesis paper: "The Astonishing Anomalies of Gravity Falls" with Ford's name credited underneath. "I have spent the last three days working without breaks and have written a paper exhaustively chronicling all of your greatest discoveries. Publish this," he said, placing it on the table. "This is your research, I merely went through the trouble of cataloging it for you. There are enough discoveries here to make you a multimillionaire. With this, you will have everything you ever wanted, and you won't need to go through with this risky test. Forget about the portal and the Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness! Publish this, get your life back, and move on!"

Y/n sank deeper into her seat. She had never heard Fiddleford yell before. He has always been timid, so careful with his words. She looked at F before turning to Ford and saw that something changed in his eyes. Could it be regret? Restraint? Contempt?

Instead of replying to F's proposal, he asked for the check and refused to even give the paper a glance.

"We will do the test tomorrow night at eight o'clock sharp," he told him. "Be there or get left behind. The choice is yours. Come on, Y/n."

She swallowed nervously and followed without saying anything else. Ford felt something in his pocket as the two walked home in the murky twilight. It was the ring given to him by the Palm Reader at the carnival. Y/n stared at the gleaming black ring, but before she could ask him about it, Ford had already tossed it into the lake before storming off.

Ford opened the door to the house, and Y/n preceded. He threw away his coat, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was clearly tense from the previous situation. Fiddleford's "thesis" paper was a slap in the face, and he couldn't believe he'd done it to him. He couldn't believe it when his friend betrayed him.

"Ford?" Y/n's voice cut through his thoughts. The man turned and faced her. "I can trust you, right?"

'What a random question', Ford had thought at that moment. But he gave her a reassuring smile. In some ways, he felt guilty for dragging her along, and seeing Fiddleford's outburst might have rattled her nerves. But she shouldn't be concerned about a scribbled graph on a napkin. The three of them had been working extremely hard for several months. They couldn't go back now!

"Of course, Y/n," Ford began, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me. And I trust you."

With a smile on her face, she drew him into an embrace. Ford reluctantly returned the hug, but his gaze was distant. He just wanted to skip ahead to the first portal test and succeed. He is excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow, everything could change, and they'll laud him as a hero.

He could feel Y/n's hug tightening, but he couldn't see her frown deepening and her gaze glowering on the ground. She was afraid that this was the last hug she'd ever get from him because his promise could be empty words. Everything could change in an instant, so she's seizing every opportunity. If the portal test is successful, he'll take the first bus out of town the next day to publish his theory and never return. If it didn't work out... that was a thought Y/n didn't want to entertain.

"Good night," Y/n said, pulling away and immediately turning to her couch. She didn't look back or he'd just see her tears.

"Good night, Y/n."

If monsters and other hideous creatures don't scare her, the unknown future might. But Ford had taught her that if she trusts her instincts, there is no need to worry about tomorrow. Her instinct is to trust Ford, so she tried to reassure herself. They had worked so hard on this, so she had to wait for their inevitable success.

And her birthday is the week after that.

***

The big night had finally arrived. This could be a major breakthrough, or it could all go horribly wrong. Fiddleford returned the next day and can be seen working on the finishing touches, but he didn't say anything to Ford. The two exchanged no words. Y/n wasn't sure where to stand. F had also become her friend. She would not dismiss their year-long journey. They were both stubborn scientists who preferred to work in their separate areas rather than work through their differences. She knew from some of Ford's stories that forgiveness wasn't his strong suit.

She sighed helplessly and resolved that if these two boneheads don't get along, she'll just mind her own business.

"Thank you all for coming," Ford said, standing in front of the portal. It was a meaningless speech. He rubbed his right eye vigorously, and Y/n noticed that it was different from his other eye. It appeared irritated, bloodshot, and sluggish. He said a few more words before the three of them went to carry the test subject, a mannequin. A rope hangs from its feet. Ford had the right limb, F had the left, and Y/n had the back.

The portal was so bright that it looked like a sea of diamonds swirling around it. Something is waiting on the other side. They may be testing the safety of this portal, but Y/n should have suggested attaching a camera for photographic evidence.

Standing in front of this portal with the other two is actually making her giddy. This is it. This is it.

"Ready... steady... and-" They all released the test dummy and it got pulled into the portal. So far, so good.

Her joy quickly turned to dread as the rope wrapped around her ankle. Y/n's heart leapt to her throat as she was abruptly lifted from the ground, and gravity was not on her side. She tried to grasp something, but all she found was air. "Help! "She gasped. "Help me!" "

"Y/n!" Ford screamed.

The gravitational magnet was too powerful, sucking half of her body inside before being pulled by the other end of the rope. The two men yanked and yanked on the string until the portal consumed so much energy that it malfunctioned. Static electricity erupted until everything went dark. They were able to pull her out because the portal was no longer active.

She crashed on the ground, hard. Fiddleford's brow furrowed, but Ford was only concerned with what she saw on the other side. "Did it work?" He inquired. Y/n was breathing heavily before twitching uncontrollably. F buried his hands in his hair and tugged hard. "What exactly is it, Y/n? What did you see?"

She sat upwards and the two watched as she slumped exhaustively. The girl was muttering the words, "ꟻɘɒɿ ɟ⑁ɘ dɘɒƨɟ wiɟ⑁ ᒑuƨɟ onɘ ɘγɘ" repeatedly before suddenly retching significant amount of dark brown blood in her vomit before passing out. F grimaced deeply, while Ford was greatly shocked at this revelation.

"We have to shut this portal down," F spoke. "It's clearly highly dangerous! See how this affected a little girl!"

"I can't stop this; it's my life's work!" " Ford drew his brows together.

"This is your life's work?" F angrily motioned to Y/n who was still lying on the ground.He knelt down and drew Y/n to him. "She was almost dead, Stanford!" Ford was surprised by his use of his real name. "Can't you peer inside your heartless soul that we just put a child in danger?" Destroy this portal before it annihilates us all! "

Ford remained deafeningly silent. He wanted to yell at him that Y/n would be fine and that they should try again. Although he couldn't help but feel a pang of panic in his stomach when Y/n didn't move. F lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms. He paused, a deep frown on his face. He was disgusted by this man's complete lack of understanding of the situation. He wanted to take her in his care if he walked away, but... he'd rather forget about it all.

Quickly but carefully, he handed the girl to Ford. Instantly, he pulled her close to him. "I quit," F declared.

"What?"

"I said I quit!" He stormed off without another word.

Anger filled Ford's veins. He clutched Y/n's frail body. "FIne!" He screamed. "We'll do it without you! We didn't need you!"

Those were their last words to one another.

He looked down at Y/n, searching for her pulse. He felt a faint beat on her wrist and felt relieved for a moment. "Y/n? " He said quietly. "Talk to me, Y/n."

She only let out a few groans before collapsing again.

He frowned. He didn't like that response, prompting a sigh from him. He's been working so hard, and sleep is finally catching up with him. However, he became aware of whispers. Ford looked up, alarmed. Did Fiddleford decide to return and apologize for his insulting remarks?

However, there were whispers coming from the left, right, and back. "Is anyone there?" " Ford yelled into the night. "Show yourself! " The whispers continued. It was getting louder, and Ford couldn't stand it any longer, so he stood up, bringing Y/n with him. He needed to get out of this room.

Ford cradled her against his chest and moved her to the upper floor of the elevator. Because he couldn't see well due to the blackout, he walked cautiously between the scattered items left on the ground until he arrived at his room. He carefully placed her on the cushiony mattress and covered her with a thin blanket, but before he could pull away, Y/n reached for his sleeve.

Ford looked at her, but her eyes were closed and she was silent. He tugged on his sleeve, but she wouldn't let go. He decided to comply with her wishes and sat beside her. He placed her head on his chest, and Y/n immediately became calm as she breathed slowly.

As he looked down on Y/n, he felt another pang in his heart. Was it remorse? Guilt? Pain from his anger?

He is indeed guilty for stringing her with this. He went down a dangerous path that he ventures alone, yet somehow she's still here. She has been a part of his journey in Gravity Falls ever since the beginning. He can say that they have been through thick and thin, and these last 6 years have been an adventure.

Ford's thoughts returned to Fiddleford, and his rage resurfaced. He took his journal and pen from his coat pocket without disturbing Y/n's sleep. He had a lot to say to F, words that would look better on paper rather than spoken aloud. He'd rather save his time than spend it yelling at him.

GOOD RIDDANCE!He wrote in bold letters. It felt final and liberating. He shouldn't have contacted Fiddleford in the first place. This project could have been completed with just Y/n and his muse. He'd introduce Y/n to his muse, and the three of them could collaborate. F and his weak, cowardly demeanor were utterly pointless.

His right eye felt like it was burning again. It was stinging and it was much more painful than the last. Is this a symptom that his muse is contacting him?

"wfs yic fswty?"

"jvy xijily cgcujk"

"vevibgsrmt droo xszmtv"

"!eye eno tsuj htiw tsaeb eht raef ,yks emoceb htrae dna sllaf ytivarg nehw"

"Stop!" Ford screamed, standing up. "Stop it!"

He dashed out of the room, but the whispers remained. He clutched his journal close to his chest. It felt like he was drowning for hours, but it had only been a minute. Slowly, his muse's voice became clearer.

"THE DOOR IS OPEN..."

What had he done?

***

Y/n opened her eyes to find herself in a void. She looked around but saw nothing but darkness. Is she able to walk? She took a step forward, luckily not falling. She walked and walked until she felt she had no choice but to run. Y/n was getting short of breath. She didn't have to look behind her back to realize that she was being pursued.

Her foot suddenly lost contact with the ground, and she began to fall. She could see the ground from below and instinctively put her hands in front of her to brace for impact, but she was floating before she could land.

First and foremost, she was perplexed. "Huh..."

Maniacal laughter erupted from above, and she was left puzzled by what was going on. From above, a yellow glowing triangle floated down. He had thick lines for limbs, a top hat, and a bowtie to complete his one-eyed body. She was still processing her situation. Where the heck is she?

"You're inside your mind, short stuff."

Internally, she screamed. Can this slick-looking fella hear her thoughts?

"Oh, why thank you for the compliment. I tend to dress up for a special occasion!" He even stretched his bowtie for effect. "Anyway, how'd you like that glimpse, Daisy?" He placed both his hands on the side of his head/body.

Y/n suddenly remembered everything. She remembered the first test, how she accidentally got caught on the rope, how half of her body got sucked in, how she got a glimpse of what was really on the other side, how she puked blood. If she's in this void of nothingness, is she still unconscious?

"Boy, your thoughts are loud. Ever taught them to shut up?"

She huffed, "Stop reading my mind! And who are you?" she suddenly felt chills as she realized that he had that similar black slits for pupils, similar to a cat's eyes. It dawned on her like a meteor shower. "You were the one helping Ford, aren't you."

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Here's your prize; a handful of fish guts!" he snapped his fingers and it magically made her hand catch, you guessed it, guts from a fish.

"Agh!" Y/n screamed in utter disgust as she threw it away from her. Bill's obnoxious laugh just echoed. With another snap of his fingers, the fish guts disappeared and her hands were clean of the blood.

"Haha! I knew I liked you better than that weak, obstinate Glasses! He was too cowardly to carry out the plan. Meanwhile, you blindly obey every command from Six Fingers. That's exactly what we want to see! Let's give Daisy a standing ovation!"

Y/n stood there, unimpressed as Bill summoned multiple pairs of hands surrounding her, giving their rounds of applause. Some even hollered and cheered even though they didn't have any mouths. He's starting to annoy her second by second. His taunts, his maniacal laugh, and what's with the "Daisy" calling? When had she heard it before?

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

At the chilly realization, she felt like she was showered with a bucket of ice cold water - because she was literally showered with a bucket of ice cold water by Bill. Y/n sputtered and spat out the water as Bill's maniacal laughter resounded. "Stop it and stop mind-controlling Ford!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"HAH! But why should I do that? He's just completed an interdimensional bridge connecting our worlds! We owe him a heartfelt thanks. This dimension will soon learn how to party. Are you ready?" he leaned down and produced a party pipe out of thin air before blowing it in her face. She slapped it away angrily, making Bill laugh again.

"Party? What the-" Y/n shook her head. She didn't know what he meant, but it sounded dangerous. She shouldn't have to think too much anymore or he'll just hear her thoughts! She was already well aware that Bill is a dangerously powerful being. "I'll stop you! I-I'll force Ford to close the portal!"

"And what makes you think I can't take over his body just like last time?" he replied without missing a beat. If he had lips, he would be smirking.

"You aren't welcome here, you psycho! You- you pyramid jerk!"

"Heh, your childish insults tickle my funny bone, and I don't even have one! I don't think you have a choice here once the portal finishes, Daisy." he taunted, pointing finger guns at her. Suddenly, his eyes changed and Y/n didn't like how it meant that an idea had entered his mind. What could the idea be? "And if we're going to have a party..." Bill paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes and before she knew it, it glowed to yellow and emitted a laser. He zapped her, enveloping her entire body in a yellow glow. He cackled so carelessly. "Woo!"

Her body was no longer glowing, and she scanned herself for any changes. Her physical form was unchanged, and she didn't feel any different, but Bill had clearly done something to her. "What have you done to me!"

"Even if Six Fingers stops the portal, he's just delaying the inevitable!" Bill chuckled. Even if it takes a thousand years, I'm sure you'll be present to see it! "

"What the- Bill!"

He began to float away. "Have fun with your birthday present, (nickname)-y! You'll thank me later!" his voice faded and the world around her began to flicker in black and white. "OH! Hey Daisy!" Bill exclaimed one last time. When she looked up, his eyes widened into saucers.

"WANNA HEAR AN IMPRESSION OF FIDDLEFORD?"

She awoke with a start, having no memory of what had happened in her dream or her harrowing encounter with the portal.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 6!

MASTERLIST

9-0-11-14-15-23-0-23-5'-12-12-0-13-5-5-20-0-1-7-1-9-14-0-19-15-13-5-0-19-21-14-14-25-0-4-1-25-!

[themissingnumbers]

Hey, it’s me again! This isn’t an ask, just me yapping again. Hope you don’t mind!

Ever since it was posted, the flowers on Loneliness’s (and Leaf’s) grave has been stuck in my head, living rent free and bugging the hell out of me. It’s not a bad thing, but it was bugging me in a “you need to find what flower that is right now” kinda way.

So I had two ideas of what the flower could be, going off of the shape and the color.

My first guess was Harebells. They’re bell-shaped, they grow in small clusters on a singular stem and they have five petals. They symbolize consistency and everlasting love, along with some darker things like death and grief, as well as having associations with witchcraft and folklore. With the flowers name “Harebell” coming from the folk belief that witches would use the juices squeezed from the petals to transform themselves into Hares.

And my second guess was Gentiana Acaulis. Similar reasonings to the Harebell—they’re trumpet-shaped, multiple can grow on one stem and they have five petals. Gentiana has quite a few meanings associated with it. They symbolize intrinsic worth, integrity, justice and victory, with the flowers Victorian symbolism meaning “You are Unjust”. With Leaf’s character having so many mentions of/ties to Justice, at least from what I’ve seen so far, I felt like this flower fit the bill pretty well.

I genuinely contemplated typing this all out because I didn’t want to be annoying about this. Could this flower have been completely fictional? Yes. Am I overthinking a flower? Probably. Were any of the flowers I guessed the right one? I don’t know. But it was fun to think about flowers and their meanings for an hour or so.

Anyways, that’s all from me this time. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Leaf’s talksprites are gorgeous by the way. Keep up the good work and have a nice day! :)

Referring to this point in the story.

[I know I said I wouldn't confirm or deny anything, but I will say the flower is a real flower thar was deliberately chosen, but it's not either of your guesses. I don't mind saying this as its symbolism isn't a critical part of the story, but it does add to an aspect of Leaf's character that (as of now) hasn't yet come up.

I've considered saying outright what the flower is, in fact... theres already a post in drafts if i decide to, but I thought it'd be fun to allow you guys to speculate and see what you come up with ^^]

[maareyas]

Hey hey hey its been a hot minute, i hope life is treating you well? (It better - if not ill fight life for you in the ring)

I’m giving you the opportunity to info dump about anything. And i mean anything be it something to do with one of your aus (we love lore) or even about any interests you may have (i know you like the fun-guys, whats your favourite shroom👀?)

Sidenote i just thought of this when typing the shroom question, i really thought that during feb that you mightve dabbled with the funguary prompts. Idk i thought you’d really like those. Like pair up a shroom with a character or something and go wham with it. Idk where i was going with this… yeah

I JUST STRAIGHT UP FORGOT to answer this ask hhdhdhdg whoops. I lost whatever idea I had to ramble about so I'm going to use this as an excuse to ramble about my thought process thus far behind the merhog Shadow I'm working on

(I keep forgetting Funguary exists and my database of Fungi Knowledge is unfortunately not specific enough for me to parcipate ahfhjdjsjsj)

Anyways. With merhog designs, I tend to have a "speculative biology" approach to it, i.e the different merhog design elements make some sense in context. I think I mentioned before that designing Creatures and Robots scratch a similar itch in my brain; and this is why. You can tell a bunch about how a Creature moves, eats, and lives just based on their physical traits. Same goes for robots!

Of course, I'm still an artist first and foremost. So when it comes to creature design, I still put aesthetics and Vibes™️ first before realism XD

with that out of the way, here's the rambles about the In-Progress merhog shadow design. No images because I'm lazy ahdhdjs

My first thought with the merhog shadow design was that "I have to throw a little bit of Godzilla inspo in there". I've had Godzilla on the brain since I watched the new movie with Kong a few weeks ago lol. And bc I like bioluminescence way too much, he's gonna be a glowy boiiiii.

I'm thinking he does actually have atomic breath and can subsist off/absorb nuclear energy. In the hypothetical au this design is from, the ARK would be an underwater facility that was destroyed in a nuclear explosion of some sort. Shadow was the only survivor and he "haunts" the spot to this day.

Shadow's concept isn't as clear to me as Silver's was. Vaguely, I want him to be more reptile-adjacent as a callback to the Biolizard and the Black Arms. I feel like going full reptile would make him look too bulky and slow so I'm still working it out.

This is the current iteration of the design so far:

barely anything, but it's what I got XD

I like the idea of merhog Shadow having two huge front flippers that can sort of act like extra hands. the flippers were partially based by a winged Black Arms enemy I forgot the name of + humpback whale fins. the little bumps on the front side of the fins? they're for speed, like with actual humpbacks. The little claw is NOT biologically realistic at all, but it looks cool and im already planning to take inspo from godzilla anyways so. yeah.

In general I think I might just take a more fantastical approach to Shadow? It feels fitting with his canon origins being weird.

For his head, I decided to turn his quills into tentacles, specifically of the Vampire Squid. There are spikes underneath to protect the back of his head from roundhouse kicks (bc he's the only one allowed to do that lmao). I'm thinking he might also have a false eye pattern in the center of the tentacles? A deterrent to potential predators + as a callback to Doom's Eye.

His eye markings get a little change too. They can emit red light, just like Stoplight Loosejaw (yes that's a real fish name) which have organs underneath their eyes that emit red light to hunt prey with. I imagine merhog Shadow would also have its extremely messed up jaw configuration ✨ I don't know how I would draw it though ✨✨✨

As far as solid inspiration goes, that's what I have so far. I'm considering giving Shadow more whale-adjacent features. With how huge his front flippers are, I think it'd make sense that he'd be more of a power swimmer? aka he has a big tail that does most of the work propelling him forward, and the flippers are to reduce the energy cost while also increasing speed and maneuverability. It would be a close enough analog to his skating, maybe????

He doesn't sound very fast but then again, I imagine neither is merhog Silver lol

[ratcandy]

speculating nosk biology things with my now minimal understanding of basic entomology because. I dunno. I can (aka I started thinking about it late a few nights ago and now can't stop thinking about it)

This is HEAVILY based on preconceived headcanons of mine so if you're wondering "where did that idea come from" it came from that time I wrote a zote fanfiction about it. Anyway

A LOT of this is just me rambling and throwing out ideas to see what sticks. And explaining entomology concepts. 'Cause this is also doubling as me studying for my prin. of entomology exam on Monday. So if anything I'm saying here is blatantly wrong,,,, I am running off of what I have been told in class and mixing it altogether in a pot, so I mean. I dunno!!! I am jus saying shit. There's a LOT I'm left to learn and I'm jus running with what little i know so far </3

what I'm saying is. more experienced entomologists pleas be nice to me if u see this sdhgKSJDGH I AM a baby .

anyway REALLY long post below, be warned; as well as REAL BUG PICTURES

So Basically. In my already established nosk headcanons, I had considered nosks as sexually dimorphic (males and females are physically very different from one another). I had it that males were wingless and developed raptorial front limbs whereas females developed wings in place of those limbs.

And this type of dimorphism - where one sex has wings and the other doesn't - does occur in actual insects (which we're assuming nosks are for this, since they're hexapods at the very least). It's just not too common, and usually the other way around. The only example I can think of rn are embioptera/embiidina, or webspinners; females stay wingless and live in expansive web galleries while males are winged for the purposes of going out to find mates.

(image link)

And that's Usually how it goes if one sex has wings. Usually it's the male that develops wings (or both do, but the female can shed them, such as with termites), and that's due to how different sexes have contrasting optimal reproductive strategies (Females produce less gametes and they take more energy to produce, whereas males have a lot more and therefore can have a low investment in individual gametes. Male insects then - for the most part - want to reproduce as much as possible, whereas females are more "choosy" and go after quality males)

Now the thing about biology as a whole is that there's always exceptions to the rule. Nothing is the end-all-be-all and especially not with Bugs. Some insects do it the other way around, where the males are "choosy" while the females compete for them (see: Mormon crickets). There are ALWAYS exceptions!!! So with nosks, let's say the female develops wings and the males do not. What does that suggest for them?

It's kinda suggesting that the females are going to have to be the ones in charge of dispersal. She'll probably have to leave her nest, find a mate elsewhere, before starting her own colony - sorta like queen bumblebees do. Kinda. A little bit. It would make sense if the male nosks are like drones, anyway; usually unable to care for themselves that well and existing to reproduce and then die.

The thing is, and this is my own oopsie since I was young and didn't know all that much, in my previously established lore, all the mate selection is pretty much going on within one nest. It functioned a lot like a pack of mammals as opposed to a nest/hive of bugs. Because if it was functioning like a bug hive, erm. Well everyone in there would be related. So. I can Make Shit Up/Mesh Stuff Together to avoid that, though - there are Things that happen with bugs that can be messed with to better explain some of this. Potentially.

Firstly I gotta talk about a type of polygyny. Specifically resource defense polygyny. This is where a male insect finds a resource that females will need, be it food, shelter, or whatever, and will sit and guard it for when females come around. That male will mate with any female that comes for "his" resource. And there's another called female defense polygyny, wherein a male will gather up a bunch of females and defend the whole lot of them for himself.

SO. What if we (sort of) combined these with sociality in insects, as well as the idea of sexual role reversal? What if for nosks, the nest is the resource? A female will find the resource and guard it, perhaps having her own daughters to begin the inklings of a colony, and then just grabbing any male that comes by and dragging him into the colony. If she can get males to mate with her or her daughters, it potentially could help inclusive fitness (wherein cooperating with relatives increases one's own genetics being passed down, therefore increasing fitness). This would then explain why females are still considered somewhat matriarchal in nosk structures; the female starts the colony, allows the males to have shelter in her nest, and it's up to her/her daughters who gets mates. Eventually, then, one, a few, or all of the females of a given nest would leave to start their own colonies elsewhere, while some of the males would scatter to hopefully find their own mates.

Because I'm assuming it would work like bumblebees, where once the new queen leaves, the old hive dies off. Or maybe not. Maybe some females stay behind with some males, and it just keeps perpetuating as more males stumble across it and the females drag them in.

And/or maybe nosks have their own royal jelly type thing that dictates who the next colony-founding nosks will be. Not necessarily queens, as the daughters are also having mates, but Nest Founders.

The sociality would come in with overlapping generations (the Nest Founder, her daughters, her daughters' offspring) and kiiiind of reproductive division of labor? Not really though. Both sexes contribute to hunting/providing for the den, at least according to my old headcanons, so. Erm. Well honestly even that is weird. Maybe the males have to prove they're worthy enough to stay in the nest offered by the females by bringing in food? Or maybe that's how they prove quality? Uncertain. My train of thought fell off with this one shdgKJDHG

(For COGR purposes, That would explain why Mama chose zot's dad tho. If he's bringing in food consistently, he's proving quality of some kind, even if he's otherwise Just Some Guy)

Definitely no cooperative brood care, though. These guys are still awful to each other. Which is a whole other thing. I don't know if any social insect species are openly hostile with their nestmates unless something is wrong with said nestmate (such as disease/parasitism)?? Maybe nosks are just way too into that whole 'quality' thing to the point of ruthlessness. Maybe female nosk gametes are even more expensive/limited than most, and that's why they're Like That. More cost, more to lose. I dunno. (Though that would be another thing pretty fitting with cogr stuff,,, weak baby = wasted gamete, and if those are super limited, that's a huge yikes)

Ok now I'm really losing track of what I was talking about. I dunno how much of this is even making sense at this point. I should study for ento exam like a normal person and yet here I am . just saying shit about a fictional insect that can morph its entire appearance at will. Which is decidedly not a thing irl bugs can do . that I know of.

Like mimicry yes of course. But this is Advanced mimicry. I can literally only think of those spiders that mimic ants rn and. well it's not like the spider puts on an ant costume while hunting and then looks like any other spider normally. no they just look like this

(image link)

At the same time as all this we gotta remember that nosks, at least in my headcanons, are like. At least a little bit sapient, be that the Pale King's influence or not; so there's that added element. Societal structure is a thing they have, as well as empathy (something they deny/often do not show) and maybe some loose culture. So like. There are complications here, obviously, but again I Am Just Saying Shit.

anyway. um. Yeah. If I think of more things maybe I will make another post like this. I don't know I'm just saying shit

[samgiddings]

hi :) i'm sorry to bother you but i've been digging into earlier versions of UD and was wondering since you've been around these parts for a while if you knew anything about this question i have. i've heard for a long time that apparently jess died no matter what in earlier versions of the game, but i don't think i've ever seen a source for that? looking at the ps3 prototype version of the game, that seems like it could be likely i guess? though i know the character that i'm pretty sure became jess was alive as of the part of the game that has been posted online, it seems like a much more linear game (with scott and chrissie getting unlimited redoes after death, and multiple other deaths seeming to happen no matter what such as lex and bell) so i can see that version of proto-jess dying no matter what being relatively likely. however, since that fate would have been far from exclusive to proto-jess, it wouldn't make sense for it to be the bit of info it's often used as, justifying jess's smaller role/lesser playtime in the final game. it would make more sense for that to be the case if jess was unsaveable further into development (in the 2013 beta versions, i think). anyway all that is to ask- do you have any idea what the source of this piece of info was or was it just something someone said as like. a possible explanation that got spun into being seen as fact over the years? sorry for rambling in your inbox i'm having my periodic UD hyperfixation resurface lol

you’re not bothering me at all, no need to apologize for anything! honestly people don’t talk to me about the game enough anymore, so this was a nice surprise in my inbox. unfortunately i’m not sure how much help i’ll be, though. 🥲 i have been around the UD fandom more or less since the game came out, but i don’t remember ever hearing that specific rumour. i’ve got a lot of ud mutuals tho who have also been around for a while, so maybe one of them will have more info!

i’m guessing it’s just a form of speculation that came up to explain her not being as prominent in the game, but like on that note, matt also isn’t in the game a ton? but anyways, someone probably speculated that the reason was because jess was supposed to die no matter what, and then eventually (like you said) it kinda spun out of control and became seen as a fact? early UD days were full of rumours and facts without real sources.

if anyone has more info tho, pls reply or send another ask to help out 🙏

[dendrophalaen]

can we talk about baldur's gate i've been dying to talk about baldur's gate

(spoilers below, mostly about act 3 and the ending)

i'm sure these points have already been discussed MANY times and by people who are better at articulating their words than i am. BUT I GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS STUPID GAME CONSUMING MY MIND (brain worms (real) (tadpole) (not clickbait))

very rambly

i am a cut content truther

i did not play Early Access but bring daisy back!! i think she is more interesting than what the guardian became

daisy can still be the manifestation of the tadpole and the guardian is there to steer you away from its influence. plus down by the river gets to make sense again

obviously the guardian is the emperor, who does have an interest in convincing you to embrace the tadpole powers in canon HOWEVER. in my silly little fanon, the emperor wants you sane and/or manipulatable enough to work with him to defeat the elder brain, so he would discourage the use of the tadpole

why would he NEED tav to be a mind flayer too? 🤨 like buddy what if i'm a STRONGER rogue illithid than you are and i ruin your plans?

there should've been actual consequences for consuming tadpoles/using the powers (even with the emperor's/orpheus' protection) → as in: you start to lose control and your sense of self because you are accelerating ceremorphosis

not sure how that would work game mechanics-wise, but it gives more weight to the dilemma of choosing to use the tadpole or not than just "raaa i am upholding my morals and values i want to stay 100% non-illithid raaaa" (which i think is a valid reason but feels a bit flimsy)

speaking of orpheus, i think he should've had a more active role earlier on in the story than being reserved for the very very end, whether that be actually being freed from his prison or just a way for tav to interact with him

just some way of getting to know him better instead of just taking voss' and lae'zel's word for his character (i guess taking the gamble on if orpheus is trustworthy IS part of the story and my tav was stupid enough to do that, but i feel like there are many companions/other tavs who would rather make a more informed decision) lol

emperor... what a guy (it/he)

it would've been so funny to play up his straight man/Only Sane Man role, especially for a tav who is easily distracted off doing side-quests

no fun allowed (emperor) vs yes fun allowed (daisy)

anyway he is SO frustrating like he says he's Special and not like other mind flayers because he still has his personality, but at the same time he says "i can't help it i'm a mind flayer"

WELL WHICH IS IT (this may be the point. to cast doubts over trusting his words. i am still allowed to hate it though)

was balduran already an asshole. is that why his personality stayed

ooohhh OOOOOHHH BALDURAN/ANSUR. WHY DO THEY GOTTA BE DIVORCED OLD MEN (affectionate)

dear ansur.... i'll always be your balduran....

I WOULD TREAT ANSUR RIGHT

(← dragonborn tav)

let me ride this undead dragon into battle just to kick the emperor's ass

SPEAKING OF kicking the emperor's ass, i hate how freeing orpheus makes the emperor throw a tantrum about trust and join the netherbrain

mfer i can trust you WHILE ALSO disliking the idea of imprisoning and exploiting a whole ass PERSON

YOU SAW WHAT I DID FOR NIGHTSONG

i've seen people speculate that it's because the emperor believes he has a higher chance of survival by siding with the netherbrain and willingly allows himself to be dominated by it

but i think it is so. stupid 😭 cmon man it can't just be two binary choices for you (get killed by orpheus vs join the netherbrain) i'm sure there's a secret third option we can work out

it would've made more sense to just have a fight in the astral plane right then and there over the netherstones (but he wouldn't initiate an unnecessary battle where he would be outnumbered lmao)

plus that choice/ending should've factored in more of what your relationship with the emperor was (making overall positive/cooperative choices over the course of the game → chance of convincing the emperor to stay on your side or something)

IT'S JUST SO SUDDEN

i had more things to say but i forgot them all. the emperor scrampled my brain and i would let him do it again

also i'm still early in act 1 in my dark urge playthrough, so i do not have thoughts on how durge aspects fit in with everything yet :]

i love this game i like to think about it

[nickiemoot]

doesnt susies japanese bio say she's eliminating savages.

okay. first of all, before i start rambling, if this is referring to the "susie has never done anything wrong" post, that was clearly a joke. obviously she's done bad shit. she's a flawed character. she falls under the "redeemed villain" category like many kirby characters. don't get me started on the importance of a nuanced approach with flawed characters and the overall unfair treatment of female characters. if this isn't what you were going for, i apologize. you happened to stumble on a thing i have Opinions about lmao.

anyway. i don't speak japanese and i have to solely rely on other people's translations. so this is a lot of speculation on my part.

i think you're referring to the quote from star allies. i had to go to the wiki to find it, here's a copy and paste:

Her Dream Friend description states that she intends to bring back the company her father built. In the Japanese version, direct quotes from her are given: 「科学の力で 家族だんらん、幸せな くらしを ごていきょう…」("Through the power of science, I offer family harmony and a happy life...") and 「そんな理念の もと、ヤバンなヤツは くじょ、いたしますわ！」 ("I will exterminate the uncivilized!")

now i have no idea what the subtle connotations of the word that was translated to "uncivilized" is. i don't know japanese. i know that the word you used, "savages", has really serious connotations in english because of actual real life history. the haltmann company is definitely meant to be more or less "destructive western capitalism" in theme. but does this word in japanese mean the same thing as the highly specific and deeply racist english word? i don't know. the wiki translated it as "uncivilized". does that make a difference? i don't know.

here's my take: she is a person who was raised to believe she was superior to everyone. her father is rich and powerful and her people are very technologically advanced. she was probably spoiled as a child. her time in AD was no doubt very shocking and traumatizing, and when she came back there was no happy reunion because her father didn't recognize her. her response was... not healthy! she focused on revenge and didn't question shit! not until the star dream incident did she actually start questioning what she believed, how she viewed the world, the consequences of her actions, etc. obviously she wasn't immediately fixed and is now flawless! she has so much baggage to unpack! unlearning things is really hard, and unlearning whole worldviews taught to you since childhood is extremely difficult. this is a real thing, it's possible to unlearn prejudice irl but it's a long process that takes constant conscious effort. but i think she is trying.

plus, i highly suspect that the way that quote is written is meant to convey her way of speaking. "exterminate the uncivilized" is susie-speak for "defeat the enemies". the word "exterminate" is just scifi talk meant to make her sound robotic. and sure, the way she considers anyone not on her side as uncivilized is. problematic. but again, she's unlearning a lifetime of bias. if anything, it would bother me immensely if she was suddenly redeemed and perfect with no lasting effects! that doesn't happen!

anyway, im not gonna get into it because that's a whole 'nother goddamn essay i could write, but consider: kirby is full of redeemed villain characters including ones who are not really good guys at all (marx, dark meta knight, hell even taranza and magolor are questionable) AND YET the only one who gets judged like this is susie, the female ex-villain. female characters are always scrutinized more than male characters in the same fandom. why is that? think about it.

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Im three chapters into the legend of the twins section and I honestly have very little to say about them, not because theyre bad or anything theyre just these little vignettes featuring random incidental characters that don't really make me feel or think all that much. Basically the only thought that I had that I feel compelled to share is this one I had while reading Pandora's chapters which was, "its impressive how much I dont give a fuck about all this bullshit about grand temples and living gods, compared to how much I cared about that edgy 14 year olds weird rambling about her little existence"

Anyway, the real reason why Im stopping to write a post even though I didnt end up having that much to say is that next chapter is gonna be about my beloved, the interview-guy from the first book aka Daniel Malloy (which is a name that Ive know from some posts about the show, and Ive already guessed that it was the interview-guy, Ive just been calling him that on the slim chance I guessed wrong and also bc I think its funny)

He is just. so weird. I started rereading the first book right before starting on this one, and I kept noticing these little things about him, like his oddly horny-seeming response to Louis asking him if he ever lost a lot of blood and knew what it felt like. And of course theres the big thing that stuck with me ever since I first read it like a year ago, and thats the fact that he listened to Louis whole lifestory and then asked him if he could turn him into a vampire as well, like what. And to be fair to my boy Daniel, if I was really into the idea of vampirism and immortality then Louis' story wouldnt really convince me that being a vampire sucked, it would just convince me that Lestat sucked. Like, tough luck that the guy who turned you into a vampire and that you fell in love with was this freak who babytrapped you, but I dont think thats a universal vampire experience so Im probably gonna have a great time being one. But then he decides to try and find Lestat to ask him instead iirc so idk man. I think he might just have a kink at this point

I am very intrigued by him being called The Devil's Minion but I dont really have any predictions or speculations regarding that. Obviously I think that the devil he's minioning for is Lestat but now that I think about it, it could very well be some other vampire that snatched him up after he published the interview. Also, based on show-spoilers Ive seen, it looks like hes gonna be the token human in the cast, which is another intriguing thing that I dont have any further speculations for, so whatever. Im gonna take a nap now and unravel all that intrigue later