#( bren 001. )

[henrysglock]

You Can Respawn Fabric, but You Can't Respawn Your Hair? Makes Sense.

I absolutely hate watching this scene because it makes me cringe to hell and back (and that's probably intentional, Stav mentioned to me a while back that it mimics Dr. Manhattan's transformation scene). So like. Give me a little love on this one because it was TORTURE for me. I didn't mean to go so in-depth here but...the details just keep coming.

I love/hate how fucked up this man's jumpsuits are.

So this guy clearly starts out as Jamie (we've all seen the BTS of him in the harness for this part).

But by the end, he's transformed completely into someone who looks distinctly like Brenner, as I've said both here and here.

However...the singe pattern just straight up changes. This is not the last time we see a singe pattern completely change. He respawns fabric by the right sleeve, too. This is also not the last time this happens.

And all while he gets a handsome-Squidward style facial reconstruction...

...Until he doesn't?

The next time we see him, we're back in Jamie-face territory.

And, of course, here's the other time the singe pattern has changed. We also have some more respawned fabric (like I mentioned earlier). The shape of both holes, shoulder and left-chest has changed entirely.

It's not the same scorching.

(We've also added a brand new random singe on the right arm. Which, before you say "oh he's probably been down there a while/maybe he burnt it one the planet"...there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of fire on the planet. Maybe he got zapped more on the way down or something, I don't want to misattribute anything.)

Either way, the scorches, the fabric, and...yes, once again: the blood spatters.

In the Dimenson X Pattern, notice those two distinct dots under the scorch?

Not present in the Zapping Scene Pattern.

And it shows up in the big spray too, specifically near the buttons and the shape of the big drips:

But the blood pattern throughout the zapping scene seems to stay consistent, even if the scorching doesn't.

So at the very least we can conclude that: whoever reached out the the Shadow Monster and whoever we're told became Vecna are likely two different people.

Which, with Dimension X having this sort of planar mirroring...I don't think it's too massive of a stretch to say something weird is going on in a pair.

Especially when earlier I spoke here and here about having 2 of each interdimensional event (or lack thereof in the gateless version).

We see 2 dematerialization events based on the orientation of the shards, and we know from ST1 that dematerialization yoinks you into the Blue UD. We don't know where the dematerialization may have lead us here.

We know that the gate leads to Dimension X, since we visually follow Bren-Hen-Ward through the gate and into Dimension-X. Two Gates.

And then the no-gate timeline (timelines? there are at least 2 blood-free Bren-Hen-Wards).

And of course. As per usual with this godawful episode. His cheek and ear blood straight up disappear (not to mention his ears and eye socket shapes changing completely).

Either it got scorched off at some point when this side is facing away from us, or there's something else going on. I'm putting a pin in this one. I don't have the brain space for it right now.

Before anyone comes in with production error talk, I'd like to remind us all:

As we've discussed before, we know how particular they are about both blood spatters (Em has talked endlessly about this particular subject)...and they're the same way about scorches:

So whoever they are, those two Dimension-X guys aren't the same guy.

[rozyrne]

            001.  /  elusian wyvern biology

so bren was like " are elusian wyverns somehow cold-resistant? " and i thought to myself oh yeah huh they are cold-blooded aren't they...... and realized that elusia is actually unique among fe continents with wyverns being exclusively associated with a frigid northern country. the others we have to look at are:

macedon , southern peninsula

thracia , southern peninsula, opposite end of silesse

bern , southern landmass, opposite end of ilia

grado , southern landmass, opposite end of frelia

daein , northernmost nation of tellius, but i'd argue a misleading case because tellius in itself looks to be a southwestern peninsula with a lot more of the main continental landmass to the northeast, so i would argue that it's more of a europe situation where none of tellius as we see it in the games is actually very far above a hypothetical equator. this seems to be supported by daein being rocky / mountainous, but not necessarily known for being snowy / icy / cold as tits in the same way as more traditional " fe northern nations "

awakening is unclear; cherche is from valm, not ylisse, from the dukedom of rosanne. while rosanne's exact location isn't given, the description of "fertile lands" seems to lean more zofia-area than former rigel

fódlan is also shrug, but generally not faerghus

so what's the deal! here's the deal.

◟ ❝ BIODIVERSITY OF ELUSIA'S WYVERN SPECIES

there are three major species of elusian wyvern that are generally brought up due to being the most common and having distinct differences from each other.

the southern woodland wyvern, as the name suggests, is naturally occurring in elusia's forested south. when one thinks of "elusia", it's the north that comes to mind — where the palace is, as well as destinea cathedral and most major houses of worship, and the bulk of elusia's civilization. the south, due to being difficult to navigate, with most of the land consisting of narrow rocky passes and steep forested inclines ( and the shadowy moor taking up almost all of the land that is flat and more geographically traversable ), is largely wilderness and uninhabitable. don't let the ample greenery fool you — the land isn't any more arable than the north due to the soil composition and the forestation taking up most of the ground nutrients, further contributing to its abandonment.

similarly, the south woodland wyverns are the last things people think of when they they of elusian wyverns, but they are actually greater in number than the northern species. these wyverns are much smaller than their northern counterparts, about the size of a velociraptor, with shorter, rounded wings more suited for gliding or short flight. they have larger eyes, fewer distinctive "wyvern features" like plated scales and horned ridges, boasting an overall sleeker appearance and superior camouflaging. many of their behaviors are also notably more bird-like than reptilian, though they are still cold-blooded. they tend to live in treetops and seldom come down to the forest floor, from which it's difficult to take off again due to the density of the underbrush, and tend to be reclusive. they are also excellent climbers.

due to their size and tendency to hide or run over fighting, they sometimes make for exotic pets among collectors, though this is considered illegal and all wyverns in this situation have been trafficked. this is unfortunately a fairly lucrative business in elusia's south however where they're far from the heartland and have fewer means of livelihood.

the elusian coastal wyvern. now you're starting to get more to what "wyverns" are imagined to look like. though subspecies of the coastal wyvern can be found throughout elusia's longitude, they are more common — and more commonly thought-of — as belonging to the north. coastal wyverns possess many of the wyvern's distinctive traits, hardier scales, and larger size, though they are still sleeker and smaller than the wyverns elusia primarily deals in. the main distinction of coastal wyverns is their wings, the membranes of which are much thinner than those of their inland cousins.

the northern inland wyvern. "the elusian wyvern" typically starts and ends here. these wyverns, most common throughout elusia's northern landscape, are large compared to the other species, easily large enough for a person to ride. however, they are notably smaller than classic wyverns from most other continents, an evolutionary trait of adapting to the cold. they have adjusted to be large enough for survival in their habitat, and small enough that excess energy is not wasted

multiple layers of thick scaly hide, in the same way that sharks have multiple layers of teeth. they grow these layers starting early autumn and start to shed them in late winter ( an unfortunate-looking process for anyone unfamiliar as it can involve shedding anything from big scales to whole sloughs of hide ). these layers provide some insulation, as well as protection against the harsher topography of elusia's mountains

naturally dark in color. elusia spends most of the year in darkness, and the color of elusia's wyverns matches accordingly. this makes it easier to hunt in a landscape where there are fewer natural ways to conceal yourself from prey once you're airborne. northern inland wyverns are naturally crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk — they are too easily visible by prey during the day, and the night is too cold. during spring and summer however, their active hours can span further into the night, with some subspecies becoming seasonally nocturnal.

the coastal wyverns lean more carnivorous, but both northern inland wyverns and southern woodland wyverns are full omnivores. supplementing their diet with rough barks and fibrous plants helps the inland species to create their signature multi-layered hides, and it's been found that in the wild, this actually becomes a larger portion of their diet than meat during the summer months

wing membranes are much thicker than those of their coastal counterparts to better facilitate thicker blood vessels and better circulation while flying for long periods of time. inland wyvern wings are awfully veiny, but also less delicate than other species'

generally, the further inland you go, the larger the inland wyvern. bigger size is needed to survive where access to water is more limited and the landscape becomes more treacherous.

due to size, temperament, and natural defenses ( their hides make them hardier and sturdier ), it is the inland wyvern that is primarily used and bred for elusia's military.

◟ ❝ SO THE COLD RESISTANCE?

despite their natural habitant, elusian wyverns — and the inland species — are still cold-blooded. so how do they survive?

evolution has done two things:

1)　elusian wyverns migrate. to some extent. the coastal variant has the longest migratory route spanning up and down the border of elusia. the woodland species can sometimes be found as far south as northern solm in the winter months, though not yet into the desert, where it is too dry and there is too little cover for them to survive. the inland species tends to migrate further south in the fall and north again in the spring. it is said that the two points of elusia's castle and destinea cathedral were built at the two ends of the inland wyvern's natural migratory route. due to their similarity in appearance to dragons, the migration of wyverns took on a religious light when the fell faith first gained traction in elusia, with their migration to the areas close to destinea in the autumn seen as symbolic of sombron's arrival. there's probably some religious holiday for it around that time that i haven't thought about yet.

2)　supercooling. however, the majority of the elusian wyvern's adaptation to the cold comes in the form of their ability to supercool, far beyond the same capability found in other similar cold-dwelling reptiles and amphibians.

supercooling: a process by which liquids in the [reptile's] body drop to well below their normal freezing points without actually freezing. they do this by storing extremely high concentrations of glucose and other cryoprotectants (compounds that protect tissue from freezing conditions) between the cells within their bodies. (source)

elusian wyverns — the inland species in particular — have noticeably larger livers as a percent of their body mass compared to others, and it is primarily for the production of the glucose and additional proteins that come into contact with the water in their bodies, interacting with the molecules to lower the freezing point. the inland wyvern has been observed capable of supercooling to -48F before flash-freezing occurs, which, coupled with migration, is often enough to ensure the wyverns' continued normal function throughout the winter months.

due to their size and the proteins created in this process, the elusian wyverns are additionally resistant to the flash-freezing that would ordinarily occur in smaller reptiles when they come into contact with external ice nuclei in this supercooled state, that would essentially seed the crystallization process upon contact and cause a chain freezing reaction from the outside-in. this allows them to still remain unfrozen even while contacting the ice crystals in the air and on the ground during the short periods needed to hunt and forage, though they are essentially racing against the clock. greater concentrations of ice exposure, however, especially all at once ( such as being hit with ice magic while supercooled ) would greatly expedite the process.

even if they were to freeze upon contact with external ice, however, the wyverns can often survive thanks again to the properties of the glucose that allows them to supercool:

the same glucose that helps the turtles supercool also protects their tissues from damage caused by the freezing process. high concentrations of glucose between the cells draws water into the extracellular spaces so when freezing does occur, it occurs outside of the cells and the ice does not rupture the cells as it expands (source)

in this state, all but the liver and other vital organs freeze solid, and the wyverns can remain like this for entire weeks on end without sustaining harm. wilderness-goers in elusia know it is best not to disturb a wyvern that looks frozen, even if you may want to help it — not only are wild inland wyverns dangerous while active, but artificially thawing a frozen wyvern, if done incorrectly, will often do more harm than good.

as a final additional note, hatchlings are also capable of the same supercooling as adults, though eggs are laid to overwinter as far belowground as possible in caves or natural pits to help insulate from the lower surface temperatures as well as to protect from flash freezing. because of this reason, and because few predators and egg-eaters are active during this season ( elusian wyverns do not nest or guard their eggs; like turtles, the young never know their parents and are self-sufficient to forage upon hatching ), the elusian wyvern breeding season takes place uniquely in the late fall to early winter, with eggs hatching in early to mid spring as the weather warms.

[swallowedblood-archived]

@oldno7​ sent:  ❛ do you have feelings for me? ❜ 𝙰𝚂𝙺𝙱𝙾𝚇.  ://  𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙴.

❝ come on, man. you know i don’t do business like that. ❞

but of course that wasn’t the whole truth. truth was that they’d grown closer, more so than she had ever intended, it was never supposed to get this far. he’d been a bump in the road at first, a nuisance more than anything. but, bianca wasn’t so sure exactly when things had changed - he had just sort of snuck up on her, gotten under her skin. 

           fact was, she had never really felt this type of way about anyone before. most of her life had been filled with anger, pain-- loss. she had never let anyone else get too close, but with jack, things had somewhat just fallen into place. even if they did disagree on most things, there still was a certain understanding between them. something she’d never had.  ...  and maybe that had led to her developing feelings for him, at a time when she least expected it.

                                                 ❝ ... is it really that obvious ? ❞

[nxghtjxr]

nightfall, a busy street in the middle of a festival        @brenharrowood

It wasn’t often that he found himself jumpy. By virtue of his job, he couldn’t let surprises effect him. But this was something else entirely. Because the Gambit was here, Bren was here, and it felt as if he was waiting for them to appear around every corner he passed, heart permanently stuck in his throat, beating a frantic tattoo just at the thought of seeing them again. For all of the eloquence he usually possessed, he couldn’t begin to imagine what he would say the moment he saw them. The thing was, though, he didn’t have to see them. It would be simple enough to leave now, before the festival ended. He had what he’d come for, and that was that. It was time to move on to the next place, search for the next ingredient, there was no reason to stay. And yet, he could not leave. 

A familiar feeling, the inability to leave out of desire to catch one last glimpse of them. Then, it had been for the chance at a goodbye, and now it was for the fear of a hello. He was not even certain he would have the voice to say what he had not managed the last time, though, if he saw them again. How could he explain what had been done to him, how could he explain why he was here now, searching? Worse, how could he face them, knowing he was no longer the same? The thought made it hard to breathe, made the busy street feel nearly claustrophobic. He turned on his heel, a little too quickly, to head back the way he’d come, towards the tent he had been staying in, but stopped, struck by the familiarity.

There they were, just as he had remembered them over and over again in his dreams, and before that in the warm comfort of a paradise now lost; they had fit so perfectly, there, in his mind, he wished that was where they were meeting again, instead of on the mortal plane. They looked the same, just the tiniest peek of curly hair from under their hood, green eyes forever searching the crowd for danger, suspicion. And every single unspoken word was there on the tip of his tongue, just waiting. His mind told him to turn back and go, before they saw, that he was not yet ready, but his body refused, unable to look away, in case this might be the last chance at a glimpse of them.

[petersprincesss]

To start, I’m dying at “Dr. Bren” lmao

But seriously, I have been thinking about the choice to make him an orderly.

Why didn’t Brenner just put the tracker in him and lock him away? Why did he allow him to work, not just in the lab, but with the other test subjects? Peter still knows who he is, he still knows he’s 001. One misstep and any of the kids could have seen the tattoo.

It’s incredibly dangerous and just asking for trouble for Peter to be an orderly. And it’s easy to chalk it up to “The Duffer Brothers wrote it that way and that’s it,” because it was one of the phattest plot twists I’ve ever seen, but I want to believe there’s more.

Think about how carefully they wrote Dr Brenner. Dude is a fucking genius. We saw him solve The NY Times crossword puzzle in 60 seconds this season. He has a dangerously high IQ. So it’s hard to believe his choice to keep Peter as an orderly despite the risk wasn’t extremely calculated.

I need some fucking sleep, I’ve been thinking about this nonstop

Now that I’m looking back on it… they put that chip in 001’s (or Peter if you will) neck. They knew he was powerful and dangerous… that’s why Dr. Bren we was telling the children that 001 didn’t exist. Dr. Brenner knew how powerful and dangerous Peter was which is why he implanted a chip into his neck and made him an orderly, it was to compress his powers so he wouldn’t rebel earlier than he did. They didn’t need him in the outside world plotting revenge so they made him a prisoner.

[arc-erzmagier]

HEADCANON  001  :  astrid’s  parents

astrid’s  parents  were  the  carpenters  of  blumenthal .     both  of  her  parents ,  tobias  and  petra ,  were  gifted  in  the  creative  and  mathmatical  aspects  of  building  both  fine  and  simple  things  out  of  wood ,  and  sought  to  teach  their  daughter  not  only  the  skills  that  they  possessed ,  but  to  instill  in  her  the  desire  and  drive  to  learn  even  more .     astrid  doesn’t  use  the  skills  that  her  parents  taught  her  often ,  not  even  back  then  --  she  would  help  out  when  they  required  it ,  but  most  if  not  all  of  that  skill  went  into  carving  small  figurines  and  toys  for  her  two  friends ,  eadwulf  and  bren .     the  first  things  she  made  them  both  were  a  somewhat  crude  wolf  and  cat  respectively ,  though  they  certainly  weren’t  the  last .

[apropensityforcharm]

Widojest for 1

(Also for anon who asked for Widojest <3 )

001 | send me a ship and I will tell you:

when I started shipping it if I did

I first sat up and took notice of their dynamic back in episode 42, during their talk at Darktow - I just absolutely love how Caleb was so kind and patient with her and gave her the space to talk about how she felt about Fjord without any judgement or demands of his own. And then Jester returns with her own poking and teasing, and instead of getting annoyed, he just finds it amusing and sweet. <3

The first time I properly considered them as a romantic pairing was all the way forward to episode 77, i.e. the I’ll Tell You Later Episode. I mean. Look at Caleb. Look at the way he looks at her. It was so plain that he felt something for her at that point, and I realised that I really liked the idea of them as a romantic pairing. 

my thoughts:

I don’t know if this is a specific question or what, but my hot take of the day is that Jester is developing or already has a crush on Caleb in canon. In this house we wear our clown shoes PROUDLY.

What makes me happy about them:

They really look out for one another. The both of them tend to use a lot of masks - Jester’s brightness and optimism hiding her uncertainty and sadness, Caleb’s self-loathing as shield to explain why people ‘shouldn’t’ want to be close to him - but they are able to see past those masks and see who the other is at their heart. And more than that, they reach out to those true selves; they’re not content to accept the fronts that the other puts on. They push past those fronts, and make it clear that love and accept each other for who they really are, not who they think they should be.

For the both of them, there’s nothing selfish about how they love each other. They simply do, because they think the other person is worth that love - not because they think they’re owed anything in return.

What makes me sad about them:

I don’t think they’re going to end up canon lol.

More seriously, I think that neither of them think they deserve more than what they already have, and that’s a major part of what gets in the way of them, like. Talking to one another. And being open about how Caleb, at least, feels.  

things done in fanfic that annoys me:

idk, I suppose bad characterisation is a bit of a sticking point for me. It’s not anything specific to Widojest, but it is one of the few things that guarantees I’ll close out of the fic almost as fast as I open it.

things I look for in fanfic:

I’m typically a bit of an angst monster when it comes to fic. Widojest has a very specific flavour of angst called Two Idiots Pine Without Any Expectation of Reciprocation. The best part is that it’s canon, babey.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:

Ehhhh, I mean, if not each other then I’d prefer for them to end up alone honestly.

But if I had to pick, Jester/Yasha is the only other Jester pairing I like at all, and as for Caleb... I like Widofjord, but that doesn’t have a chance in hell of being canon lmao. I’m also completely soft for Bren/Astrid but hoo boy do those two have a lot to work through before it could be anything other than horrifically unhealthy.

My happily ever after for them:

Give them a little cottage by the seaside and let them be happy!!!

who is the big spoon/little spoon:

They switch! Depending on who is feeling more vulnerable or in need of comfort that day. But I like to think that their preference for sleeping is just sprawling on top of one another like puppies; I think the both of them like to feel their partner’s heartbeat under their head as they drift off into sleep.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity:

POLYMORPH. SHENANIGANS.

[tinycaprisun]

rules: put your favorite playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 songs, then tag “10” people

thanks for tagging me @junglecassidy!!!

- “rodeo” by lil nas x

- “backyard boy” by claire rosinkranz

- “are you bored yet?” by wallows

- “whistle for the choir” by the fratellis

- “no mercy” by the living tombstone

- “touch the sky” by casey lee williams

- “paid in exposure” by natewantstobattle

- “april showers” by apollo james

- “henny in the hamptons” by bren joy

- “worst of you” by maisie peters

- “jane” by jefferson starship

][][][][

peeps i’m tagging: @believe-that-001 @berettay @hurricanranabaybay @kennyhoemega @yellow----daisy @heelstylerollins (if you’ve been tagged in this before, or don’t feel like participating, that’s chill lmao)

[henrysglock]

That's Him, Your Honor! That's Vecna.

Or at least that's what they want you to think.

I've gone ahead and matched up one of five possible jumpsuits from the NINA sequence with the weird Brenward character from this post.

(Note, the exposure and sharpness have been adjusted on Brenward's shot for ease of comparison because I'm blinder than a bat. No other edits were made.)

And then, (with the help of Em's bloodstain pics)...

Not the same guy.

This means, without a doubt, we have multiple massacre guys (per Em's initial catch on the jumpsuit bloodstains), multiple versions of the massacre itself (per Em's changing corpses and my later catch on El's eye blood swapping), multiple different dimension events (per the mirror shard reversal and crack changes)...and now the multiple Dimension X guys to go with it.

One of them became Vecna, and the other...?

He's the subject of a different post, because I need to see more instances of certain jumpsuits to line it up properly. The guy who shapes the Shadow fits with one of two different jumpsuits, I just need to tease apart exactly which one he is. I have a sneaking suspicion he's the one El had pinned against the wall, but I want to compare with more pictures to be sure.

Originals below the cut, in case you still don't believe me and want to compare for yourself.

[crystalcityrpg]

PLOT DROP: 001

It’s nearly the end of the night at the Morgan-Wells Engagement Party.  Everyone is filled with drinks and appetizers, and Elias and Casey, the guests of honor are on stage ready to give a closing thank you speech.

In an unexpected turn of events, Caleb Johnson shows up in the crowd, gun hidden in his jacket.

The BANG is a sound that is felt more than heard, a shot into the crowd, a bullet aimed for the stage.

In the shuffle of things, people running to get out, heading for the exit points, things get a little out of order, chaotic.   Nothing is safe or sacred in Crystal City, and after this, nothing will ever be the same.

INJURIES FOR THE PARTY: 

Casey Wells was shot by Caleb Johnson when he attempted to shoot Elias Morgan. 

Mari will suffer a twisted ankle during the chaos. 

Stefano will be hit in the head and tossed into a closet by Caleb Johnson.

Considering Caleb needed a way in Bren was just that. They will be beat up and tied up outside of the club. 

Niklaus will get a dislocated shoulder during the chaos. 

Jason will break his right arm during the chaos. 

Veronica will be taking the kill shot on Caleb Johnson. 

How your character reacts to the shooting, and gets their injury is fair game, as long as it’s relatively realistic for the situation!

Happy roleplaying!

[gweelczz]

Now that I’m looking back on it… they put that chip in 001’s (or Peter if you will) neck for a reason . They knew he was powerful and dangerous… that’s why Dr. Bren was telling the children that 001 didn’t exist. Dr. Brenner knew how powerful and dangerous Peter was which is why he implanted a chip into his neck and made him an orderly, it was to compress his powers so he wouldn’t rebel earlier than he did. They didn’t need him in the outside world plotting revenge so they made him a prisoner.