#I will reconcile this show's lore so help me

[rita-repulsa-ke]

Wandavision Ending, But Rio Is There

Death, in the guise of a simple green witch, stares at her, taking in the situation. “Really, Agatha? After all this time, you called me to—what? Protect you?“ Her lips curve up, up, up, into a malign, sickly smile. “Or have you finally decided to be kind, beloved, and let me watch you die?”

What if Agatha had asked Rio for help at the end of Wandavision?

“If I need to find you, I’ll know where to look,” Wanda tells her, and Agatha knows exactly what the Scarlet Witch going to do, knows and is powerless to stop it. Her lips begin to shape a name she hasn't said in decades. Death is everywhere. She might still come, if Agatha calls.

It has been centuries since they were on anything like good terms, decades since she gained the Darkhold and saw Rio for the very last time. She can’t imagine how angry the other woman will be at Agatha for hiding from her for so long.

In the end, it’s too late—she hesitates, pride warring with fear and Wanda wipes her mind, leaving only Agnes behind.

But what if she hadn’t hesitated?

“Rio, please!” she blurts and she isn’t surprised that it works, because she’s gotten used to Rio being obsessed with her. Maybe, at the moment, she is grateful for that obsession.

Death, in the guise of a simple green witch, stares at her, taking in the situation. “Really, Agatha? After all this time, you called me to—what? Protect you?“ Her lips curve up, up, up, into a malign, sickly smile. “Or have you finally decided to be kind, beloved, and let me watch you die?”

“She’s not planning to kill me,” Agatha says, grateful for that, because she’s almost certain Rio would let that happen, she’s always been excited by the thought of Agatha’s death. “She's going to—"

Wanda seems to decide that she doesn’t have time for this domestic drama and tries to do what she intended all along, scarlet magic lancing toward Agatha. Suddenly she’s Agnes, silly, nosy Agnes, a good neighbor and friend.

It’s awful. She’s caged in her own mind, screaming to get out.

And then, abruptly, it stops. She’s herself again, shaking, and green-black magic is twined through Wanda’s, devouring it.

Not easily, which is terrifying. Until she had the Darkhold, she never came close to winning against Rio in a serious magical battle, for all that she was by far the superior magician. Death's raw power has always left her outmatched.

Now she can see that Rio is struggling. “This is why you should have actually practiced your craft!" she complains. "You’re always so sloppy.”

Rio gives her a shockingly familiar look of exasperation. “You never change, do you?” Still, she studies Wanda with curiosity—and maybe hunger. “You are very powerful, though, aren’t you? You could leave so many bodies in your wake.”

Wanda is looking at Rio with equal fascination. “You. I should have recognized you at once. I would know you anywhere.“

“Get a room,” Agatha murmurs, a deeply stupid thing to do when she should have been sneaking off stage-right, fleeing from the two people who hate her most, both who have just redirected their attention to stare at her.

It’s only that she hates seeing Rio looking at anyone else like that.

“I could kill her,” Wanda decides suddenly, releasing her attempted mind-wipe spell. “I really could. If anyone deserves it, she does. For threatening my children, if nothing else."

Oh. That’s not good.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she says but her voice is drowned out by Rio’s high-pitched, shrill laughter, the shriek of a delighted crowd at particularly well-deserved execution.

Death hauls her up to her feet by the throat, her other hand against Agatha’s cheek in a mocking imitation of a caress. “Finally,” she murmurs, her voice soft, adoring in a way that is far more terrifying than anger.

“Rio, wait, can’t we talk about this?” Agatha pleads, searching her former lover's face for any sign that she’ll yield.

“Agatha, come see. Come face the final mystery.”

Wanda is still here. “Do you two have some kind of thing?” she asks.

“Never met her before,” Agatha says and Rio sighs dramatically, unnecessary for a being that doesn’t even need to breathe.

”I won’t stand in your way, if you kill her,” Rio tells Wanda and despite everything between them, that stings worse than if Rio had stabbed her.

“Hey, come on, not like this,” she protests. “I’m defenseless. It’s beneath you, both of you!”

“You know, Agatha, I can live with that," Death says.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Agatha’s lips twitch. “Can you? Live with it?”

Rio tries to hide the answering light in her eyes, the far softer smile that curves her lips. “Well,” she says. “It certainly won’t kill me.”

Wanda has been too lost in her own moral quandary around murdering a defenseless person to pay any attention to this exchange. She seems to have decided she can, though. Better that than letting Agatha Harkness return for revenge. Also, it’s unfair, but she does hate her a little for destroying some of her illusions about the nature of this carefully maintained pocket reality and the people within it.

She can't blast Agatha directly, so she takes the easy route, grabs every nearby piece of scrap metal and twists it into one massive spear, sends it toward the witch in front of her. At least it will be a painless death.

Except it doesn’t hit Agatha. It hits something much bigger, too vast to comprehend, the implication of robes and perhaps a skeletal grin, the final punctuation mark at the end of the story.

And then that great, unnameable something resolves into Rio, standing in front of Agatha, blood in her mouth, a hole in her chest or rather some hints of chest around the hole.

She can’t really die, but having a body means being able to feel bad things along with the good.

Agatha catches her, her breathing coming in shaking, violent bursts, draws her down to sitting and strokes her hair. “Relax,” she whispers. “It’s not like it will kill you.”

Rio tries to laugh, but she’s lacking some relevant anatomy. She manages to speak despite that, a sign she isn’t playing by all the same rules. “At least…say thank you…beloved.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” Agatha says and it isn't like she's been standing by uselessly all this time, it's only that she's limited in what she can do, all that's left to her is simple, mechanical magic that requires time and components.

She loops a bit of thread from her dress around her fingers, wet with fresh blood and murmurs the last bits of an incantation, her teeth pulled back in a wild, crazed smile. "For the record, Wanda, I think you should seriously re-examine whether you're the good guy here," she says.

Then she disappears.

"No!" Rio snarls, grabbing for thin air, as Wanda sinks down to have a mental breakdown or perhaps some kind of vital personal realization. "How did she—she had something set up beforehand, some escape route, Ags always thinks of everything." She leans back, still dying or perhaps even dead, arches her uncomfortably visible spine at an impossible angle to look back at Wanda. "You still have the book, though, don't you?"

"The book of the damned?" Wanda asks. "Yes. Why?"

"Because it means she doesn't have it," Rio says, smiling like the incoming tide, ready to drown everything in her path. "That means I can find her."

"You don't need to try to find her," Wanda points out. "She'll come to me. She'll come looking for the book."

"Not until she's gotten her powers back." But then, she doesn't really want Agatha defenseless. She wants Agatha vibrant, alive, too full of herself for her own good, stuffed to the gills with power. "But she will. So maybe I'll stay around you a little while longer, Wanda. I think I'm going to be needed here anyway, aren't I?" Their eyes meet and a silent understanding passes between them, the terrible thing Wanda knows she must do. The other woman's eyes flood with silent tears.

"Don't worry," Death tells her, wounds replaced by flowing green robes, face skeletal, expression almost kind. "It really isn't that bad."

"Will I see them again? When it's my turn?" Wanda whispers.

Here, Rio let something slip that Agatha would have literally killed to know, perhaps by accident, perhaps out of a slightly petty desire to tell someone else the mysteries Agatha has been trying to pry out of her for centuries. "Probably. It's their choice, whether to be reincarnated or not, but I expect they'll wait." She looks away from Wanda, away from this world and into another realm entirely. "Little boys always want to see their mother again."

[thewistlingbadger]

I'm going to be honest: I think one of the ways you fix season 2 is by getting rid of Warwick

Act 2 was more or less entirely dedicated to Warwick, a new character who really isn't that new bc he's actually Vander from s1. Despite the fact that he plays a heavy role in the act, his character isn't explored at all. Warwick is used in act 2 for the main purpose of reuniting Jinx and Vi. The sisters end up basically ignoring all their problems and differences and become family again solely due to Warwick's presence. If you get rid of Warwick, then the sisters don't reunite. They either stay on opposing sides or they end up reconciling later in the show, most likely due to them developing some sort of understanding for the other and by actually exploring their baggage.

Warwick is tied to Singed in this season, and through him and Viktor he's tied to Ambessa. Half of the plot in act 2 is Ambessa trying to find Warwick by using Singed to turn Warwick into the ultimate weapon. This part of the show was kinda weird and it definitely took away from the plot. If you get rid of Warwick you can actually focus on ambessa and her motives, or on ambessa and Caitlyn since their relationship is established but not developed.

The sisters end up bringing Warwick to Viktor's commune, which is how Viktor gets reintroduced to the story after not being seen for several episodes. Viktor decides to attempt to heal Warwick, but it isn't said why. We learn that Viktor's powers are suffering and that the commune isn't all that it seems, but we never get to learn anything further bc this segment isn't focused on Viktor- it's focused on Warwick. If you get rid of Warwick, you could actually focus on Viktor, his powers, his commune, his relationship with sky and the hexcore, and his motives.

At the start of act 2, we see that Vi is in a really bad place. She's fighting a lot, getting wasted, and isn't taking care of herself. We see that she has a friendship with Loris as well. However, we're not able to explore Vi's friendship or her current situation or her character bc shortly after Jinx asks Vi to help her with Warwick. If Warwick is gone then you can actually focus on Vi as a character and unpack all the shit the show has built up.

At the start of act 2, we see there's a lot of unrest in zaun. We see zaunites starting to band together and view Jinx as a symbol. This is a really cool concept that isn't explored because instead of Jinx spending the act with other zaunites, she spends it with Warwick. If Warwick is gone then we could actually explore the current politics between zaun and piltover and the effects they have.

It really doesn't make sense to have Warwick be the center of the act when he's not a main character. Hell, he isn't a character at all. He's a plot device. Literally almost everything that happens in act 2 is somehow related to him, yet he has no arch in the season. Everything he does just adds to the plot, not to the value of the story. We end up getting the most random piece of lore dropped in the middle of the season because of him. Lore that literally wasn't relevant at all to what was going on in the show and was never brought up again. I understand that season 1 hinted at Warwick being Vander but if it were up to me I'd be prioritizing the other, much more important shit that s1 set up. Not fucking Warwick. Especially since he's just Vander, an excellent character that we were done with at the start of the first season. There's no reason for him to be back. Since act two is so centered on him, the other acts had to condense and become jammed packed full of shit. But if you get rid of Warwick, you give the story space to breathe. You could have things stretched out longer and in more detail because now you have the time to! You can go into the gray and Caitlyn's dictator arc in detail because now you don't have to worry about wrapping it up before Warwick shows up.

Warwick was literally so big in the show that he took away time and development from literally every character, but especially mel, jayce, ekko, heimerdinger, and Viktor, who were rarely seen this season despite being key players from season 1. If Warwick was gone, you could actually show what happened to ekko, Jayce, and heimerdinger before act 3. You could give ekko some much needed depth and screen time. You could actually explain the black rose, which is never explained throughout the entirety of the show. You could have had Ambessa's backstory be in the show and not its own separate music video. You could have showed Mel more. If Warwick was gone, you could actually explore the characters of Caitlyn and Vi and their relationship. You could explore Sevika's character, who got pushed to the side despite her promising start. You could explore Isha as a character. You could explore lest as a character, who was introduced and then completely forgotten. You could have expanded on the chem barons instead of glossing over them.

In general, if Warwick isn't around you just have more time to do more shit. Like holy shit this is actually crazy.

[casdeans-pie]

If I could pitch season 16 of Supernatural:

Dean wakes up and it turns out that everything from 15x18 was an Empty Nightmare because he actually grabbed Cas just before he got taken, so got pulled in too.

Sam and Jack have been trying to get them both out for 5 years.

Jack still got the God Powers but he's whimsical with them and retains his personality. He wants to try and preserve human free will. But also helps in small ways where he can. (and still pops into the bunker for a bowl of cereal from time to time)

Sam is the 'new Bobby' in the MOL bunker - sending out hunters and knowing all the lore about all the monsters. (Also he practices witchcraft on the side)

No blurry wife - Sam and Eileen are engaged - and no Dean Jr. But! they are considering having a kid soon. And! They can get married now that Dean and Cas are back!

Dean and Cas heartfelt reunion!!! Clinging hug!!!! Never let me go again!!!! We're not talking about the confession but we both want to!!!!! etc etc

Cas is still an angel and Jack offers to make him an archangel !! Cas feels like he should say yes out of obligation (even if he doesn't want to leave) but Dean actually FINALLY asks him. to stay? (Cas immediately declines Jack's offer)

Dean struggles with the memories of his Empty Nightmare. (It was just SO bad. But also he tries to describe Old Man Sam and his bad hair and that cheers him up.)

The original Death is back because he never really died, he just didn't want to be involved in all the Winchester shenanigans. But he's back now that all the world-ending chaos is over. (Tessa is also back as his second-in-command)

Billie is the new ruler over the Empty, and it's a place of eternal rest now. Very peaceful. Meg is there and she's having a great time relaxing.

Crowley comes back as a human for a second chance. He's still kind of an ass but he's lovable with it.

Lots of reunions and cameos. It's magic you can bring all sorts of characters back to life - a lot of them died unfairly in the first place. Bring them all back!

Dean! and! Cas! Kiss!

I want all the genres of kiss. Confused. Desperate. Relieved. Passionate. Tender.

The season is all very character focused and character driven and ties up any loose ends the show had left.

The drama comes from internal character struggles and with Dean and Cas figuring out where they fit into this 5 years on world now. (The answer is together doing whatever they want to and Dean comes to the realisation he wants to retire, but he struggles with reconciling that he wants to retire and Sam doesn't and they have to go on different paths now).

The series ends with the big Sam/Eileen wedding and it's just a huge party and gathering of all the cameos you can possibly think of. Friends, family, frenemies, some beloved characters who only appeared in one episode... they're all there.

Dean proposes to Cas by taking the loop from Baby's keys out of his pocket and getting down on one knee and using it like a ring stand-in (it's way too big but it's symbolic and cheesy and sweet and it doesn't matter)

Of course he says yes.

The end.

[thefirstknife]

i unironically hope Eris stays in her Hive form at least physically bc im already loving how both her & Immaru are pointing out Ikora's (and humanity's) inherent dehumanization of the Hive.

Eris being all "If this form does not leave will you still view me as a friend?"

Immaru when asked where the Experiment Subjects come from and responding with "Don't act like you care."

Honestly, it's so good. I really love the Eris stuff and some of these questions being posed. A lot of people react negatively to Eris doing this, forgetting that Eris has already been part-Hive for a long time. She was just hiding it behind the eye cover.

Technically, nothing inherently changed about Eris; she just embraced that part of her. And that's super important for her arc I think because she's been on a journey of accepting her trauma and her losses for a very long time. We helped her face her fears and traumas in Shadowkeep and she came out of it victorious. And the story never treated it as her traumas being gone; she still has them, but she has the means to tackle them and handle them and live with them. Since we helped her, she became more open and more involved with what we do to save our home, even if it meant tackling dangerous things.

And the thing is, now that her traumas cannot be exploited by Darkness anymore, she's capable of involving herself in these things, knowing that she has friends to fall back to and a support system and better mental fortitude. We've seen it through her endurance beneath the Pyramid on Io, and her grasp of stasis, and her dealing with the Crown of Sorrow and egregore and the Lunar Pyramid nightmares. And now with her embracing her Hive self. It doesn't change anything about her, but people prefer when she hides it so they don't have to see it. And she knows it (Sororicide lore book, page 1):

It's a perfect example of how we inherently view the Hive as untrustworthy. Obviously, there are good reasons for it! The Hive have caused immense pain and trauma to pretty much everyone in the universe, Eris included. It must take an incredible strength of character to embrace the fact that you're physically half-Hive, creatures that traumatised you in the first place. No one else has dealt with anything similar so naturally they're afraid for Eris. But I believe in her strength. And so does Drifter and Drifter is never wrong:

He'd read the reports. He saw the theories on VanNet. He didn't trust them. He trusted her.

There's a cutscene that people skip and can cause people not to see it, I recommend replaying the thing on a different character or seeing it online, but it shows Eris taking off her bandage in front of us:

It's such a powerful image to me. A symbol of her taking off her mask. Not pretending to be the same as us anymore. Because she isn't! The Hive are a part of her and have been for centuries. And she's always been in control. Our mistrust has always hurt her, but before this, we could act with pity towards her. Now that she's fully in Hive form, people's perception of her changed, for really no good reason other than prejudice. She is still Eris.

I definitely think that eventually we will have to reconcile with the idea of the Hive not being inherently evil in totality as a whole group of people. Obviously this is going to be difficult, especially when their leaders act the way they do, but eventually I do believe we will have to accept some of them, even if it's only Eris for a start.

[bloodcossmos]

since we're LITERALLY A WEEK away from season 2 release, here's some things I'd like to see before arcane ends:

1. happy caitvi. that's it. just give them a happy ending. let them stay together. they deserve it.

2. more of sevika's past. I GOTTA see what this woman's all about. she's literally one of the characters we know the least of. probably not realistic to wanna see this given all the other stories they gotta continue but a girl can dream.

3. is viktor alive??? is he fused with the hexcore completely??? is he a pile of ash??? is he breathing??? I just need confirmation please. also some jayvik to cure my soul.

4. young vander and silco. hear me out IT'S CRITICAL FOR THE LORE. all these theories and hints that vander is warwick have me shaking and I can't help but wanna torture myself by watching him and silco when they were still... well, brothers. also, it would be good for drawing parallels between vi and jinx.

5. wtf noxus is all about. from the music video with young ambessa I'm already loving the scary warlords vibe but I'm so intrigued. why tf are they invading piltover?? what's their endgame??

6. tying to the last one, more of ambessa. LORD HAVE MERCY. ahem I mean... I've been thirsting for her milf ass since season 1 and I ain't stopping now. is she deplorable? yes. will I still get my drawers wet every time I see her? also yes.

7. TIMEBOMB TIMEBOMB TIMEBOMB. from the teasers and trailers I'm so happy to see some things connecting them, possibly hinting that they've reconciled. but I GOTTA SEE MORE FLUFF. ekko's nothing but a cutie pie and him and jinx deserve some healing. platonically? romantically? idc atp just wanna see them breathing the same air without trying to kill each other.

8. SEX!!!!!! GAY SEX!!!!! SPECIFICALLY CAITVI SEX!!!!!! KING PRINCESS AIN'T ON THE SOUNDTRACK FOR NOTHING!!!!!! if y'all break up you better make up FAST and HARD.

9. I wanna see vi happy. is that a crime? absolutely not. give her some joy, something nice to look forward to. my itty bitty strawberry cupcake pookie princess deserves some healing she's been suffering since the first fucking minute of this show.

[miyamiwu]

Ness is actually a very rational player, despite his obsession with magic (and Kaiser)

It’s past 3am and I was just about to go to sleep, but I suddenly had a eureka moment and now I’m wide awake! Forget what I said about going on a semi-hiatus. Ness occupies my mind, and I need to get this out.

Before I saw the c263 leaks, I jokingly posted about how Ness could be Bastard Munchen’s new ace should Kaiser ever leave for Re Al. But now this idea is no longer just a joke. It’s actually really possible...

Let’s look at this panel from c262:

Don’t attempt any more irrational plays.

The official translation used the word “impossible,” but a look into the raws would show that it’s not the same “impossible” Kaiser is obsessed with. More info here.

And not only did Ness call out Kaiser on being irrational, he also told him the most rational thing to do, which was to wait.

Kaiser, of course, just brushed him off—but who cares about that ungrateful bastard! Let’s focus on Ness.

I took a closer look on Ness’ previous scenes and....

What was your plan for that play? ...You made that utterly irrational, shot-in-the-dark solo play...

You ignored Kaiser to pass to the orange machoman despite his low chance of success. It was a selfish play without a shred of rationality...

Based on your data, your direct shot is a faulty move.

This guy’s pressing? He never did that until now!

Ness has a very scientific approach to his plays. He looks at existing data and decides his next move based on it. When he’s stumped, he needs a strategy to follow or a role to adhere to. In other words, he needs clear directions:

When Kaiser is being bothered by Lorenzo, my job is to crush you in his place...

My job is to lure them in!

Ness: I haven’t done anything... Kaiser: If we can deal with Lorenzo, we can win. Ness: Yes, Kaiser… I will erase stupid Lore

Ness may not realize it, but growing up in a family of scientists has greatly influenced how he thinks. His rationality makes him a highly skilled player, but at the same time it limits him.

Because of his extremely rational way of playing, he’s unable to look beyond what is possible and achieve the magic he seeks. But Kaiser is different. Unlike Ness, Kaiser is always out to attempt the impossible.

So when Ness is with Kaiser, his rationality gets shut down and he is led into the realm of magic—or at least, the magic he think it is.

What should we do, Kaiser?

Just keep doing like we practiced. I’m not asking you to be creative... Just have faith. Nothing’s impossible for me.

It also doesn’t help that whenever Ness wants to discuss proper countermeasures with Kaiser, the latter shuts him off and tells him to just have faith—an extremely irrational thing.

But is it really magic when thinking stops? Is it really magic to just leave things to faith?

Definitely not for resident overthinker Isagi.

I think again of Ness’ manga cover:

Obviously, the thorns from the blue roses represent Kaiser’s control on him.

But what about his chains? Why are they separate from the thorns and roses? Kaiser has a glass chain, so why can’t Ness have an all-thorns one?

I think it’s because there are actually two things chaining Ness down.

If the thorns and roses represent Kaiser and magic, then the hard and cold metal one represent what science and logic have been to Ness.

Aside from breaking free from Kaiser, for Ness to truly awaken… he needs to reconcile the realms of science and magic.

Because science is magical.

Ness thinks football is magic. And Noel Noa, the best striker in the world, is a very logical player.

I used to think Ness being in a team that prioritizes rationality was a mistake… but now I think it’s fate.

Ness may just be Bastard Munchen’s new ace.

[i-never-forgot]

Ah shoot, I know you've talked about the gang's love languages before, but I can't remember Dusknoir and Eliana's specifically— but could I request a little doodle where they're making efforts to show each other they care?

Oh Sofie you know me so well🥺thank you for the serotonin boost!

And now for the needlessly long lore-dump bc I can't help myself:

I did indeed write a post on it, but I only talked about Dusknoir’s love language (which would still stand in this case) and a generic hypothetical hero. He outwardly expresses acts of service, but I feel he would appreciate receiving quality time the most (since he might have some negative memories regarding perceived deceptions messing with words of affirmations plus his low self-esteem or receiving touch bc...you know that man has never experienced an ounce of physical affection, but he learns to appreciate it for reasons below). He feels unwanted and unloveable at his lower moments, so to have Eliana (or Lu or Grovyle/Celebi, too, admittedly) stay close to him even in simple companionable silence helps a lot; to be reassured that they're no longer afraid of him and see him as someone valuable beyond what he can offer with his hands. Play games with him (bc there's no way they wouldn't have board games or smth) or start in-depth conversations/debates/lectures with him, where he can exercise his mind, and he'll be eating out of your hand.

Eliana specifically tends to give gifts the most. She leaves things around for people she cares about, whether it's items they mentioned they needed/general explorer necessities, their favorite berries/gummis/etc, or random objects (flowers/pretty rocks/shells/leaves/etc)/keepsakes/treasures found in dungeons. You know that you've won her favor and affection if you find these sort of things laying only where you would find it, whether it be on your bed or otherwise. She loves spoiling the people she loves; it makes her feel like she's finally offering something of value for them having to "tolerate" her (but she's getting better about her self-worth issues through unending patience from her family).

(She always made sure Treecko ate first while they traveled and gave him the best items, even after they met Old Master Lucario and were in relative safety and security. She inadvertently gave Grovyle her old scarf when they were separated, but when he tried to give it back once she returned to the future, she only kept it long enough to have its wear stitched back up to regift it back to him since she knew how much it had comforted him while she was gone.)

(Once they reconcile, she gifts Dusknoir his Unlucky Sash. She secretly goes to Toxicroak and trades out enough items after she pays to have him requisition it. She doesn't say anything or give it to him directly, but when he finds it in his Treasure Bag he knows - especially since he had been trying to emulate her habit as a show of good will the last several months. It's good that he was alone in the Bluff when he discovered it because he would never be willing to explain to Grovyle or Celebi why he had started blubbering. Just a little. He would sooner die (again) than admit to it, but he was so relieved that he couldn't control himself. He hardly ever takes it off after that, wearing it like a badge of honor - only if it gets dirty or torn, and even then he gets almost unconsolably upset until Eliana reassures him that it can be cleaned/fixed. One time he takes a slashing hit for her and it rips pretty badly. He's almost sick to his stomach about it, but she has the same seamstress mentioned above embroider some Unown runes into it, followed by a symbol unfamiliar to Pokemon from their world; Dusknoir understands the runes where most uneducated in such ancient writing wouldn't, something they had bonded over previously, and it contextualizes the symbol for him without Eliana ever having to say a word. He runs his fingertips over the threads over and over when he's feeling anxious or upset, and especially if he's separated from Eliana for too long.)

Upon receiving love, believe it or not, Eliana's most inclined to crave physical affection. It's an impulse and hunger she's buried deep for many years, as she lacked in it from her childhood (boo her parents for being austere, stuffy jerks only concerned with reputation and status), and it only got worse when she lost her first partner. She closed herself off for the most part for years afterward, and her past romantic endeavors thought her too cold bc she always tended to keep them at arm's length emotionally and physically bc she was afraid of getting hurt again. But Treecko wears down her barriers and she holds him a lot, even when it's unnecessary. Having her memories wiped helped her to work through some of that with Lu, thankfully, and by the time she met Dusknoir and gave him the benefit of a doubt she was far more comfortable bumping into others and giving them head-rubs while she tried to choke down her purrs. Dusknoir indulged in her casual affection far more than he should have, but he was starving for it, too (although he was noticeably stiff and uncertain about receiving it and reciprocating; he only got more back-and-forth once Eliana revealed her identity since he was trying to pull away but couldn't help himself). When they make up Eliana is slow to warm back up to him again, but once she does she's almost always making contact with him somehow, whether it be pressing her flank against him in public, riding on his shoulders, curling around his head, or letting him carry her (although this is usually in a context where she needs it bc she gets flustered easily). She'll also nip at him or slap him with her tail if she's feeling feisty or playful. She loves it most when he pets or scratches her back since she can't always reach the places that itch or stay sore. (She loves it more when they press their foreheads together, in private, usually on the verge of sleep when both of their inhibitions are lowered...but you didn't hear that from me. She feels closest to him that way.)

(The bottom right pic is an old sketch I had so I decided to add it for posterity🥹)

[tehrevving]

What has been Vincent's thoughts on reader? Especially the latest date fiasco and his moody reveal turning into probably the best bj of his life

Holy crap this answer got so long and drops so much unrevealed lore lmao. Enjoy!

My general characterisation of Vincent with regards to sex is that he is very interested in giving, but not so much receiving. Most of his sexual experience was with women at 'Turk Academy', who gravitated towards him because he was great at eating out and didn't expect too much in return. Vincent is demi and bi in my fic, but has a preference for women (because they make more mess lmao), not sure if that's relevant but *shrug*.

Due to him being demi, most of his experience being casual and how Lucrecia used him (which I've hinted at a little bit). He doesn't see fingering/eating out/etc as things that are overly emotional or complicated. Especially in the 'modern' day, as he can just keep his clothes on during all of it.

Reader made a deliberate effort in the beginning to understand him and get closer to him, just as a friend of course, but I don't think it's too surprising that he 'latched on' to the first person to take an interest in actually getting to know him in a long time. I do wish I'd added an extra chapter near the beginning to make this a bit more clear lol, but oh well.

After Hojo's experiments on him, he doesn't think anyone could ever want him. He actually is that person covering the bathroom mirrors and showering in the dark lol. He interprets Reader initially showing sexual interest in him, not as her actually wanting him, but as her wanting him to pleasure her, which he has no problem with doing.

She tries to address this in chapter 9 (the one after the stargazing but before the eating out), and explicitly tells him that she wants more, but he's so in denial that while he says he'll try and be better, in his mind he doesn't believe her, and to cope with it reverts to trying to ignore all of it with sex. Which was basically his relationship with Lucrecia lol, everything is too complicated so we'll just fuck and ignore all of it.

Vincent caught feelings after the fight where he transforms and the conversation afterwards. He didn't realise that's what was happening at the time, and has been in extreme denial about it. A lot of his back and forth behaviour has been him trying to reconcile his feelings with his own self-doubt and just general trauma and issues, and that he generally didn't see sex as a big deal, until suddenly it is.

All of this then builds up to the point where he just can't handle it anymore. He hasn't tried getting off after all of the experimentation, and finds that he can't on his own. I might write this as an extra chapter one day, but I feel like he can't push himself over that metaphorical edge because of his self-loathing, hatred and fear of losing control over his own body.

When he asks her for help getting off that first time, he's actually asking for a lot of unspoken things. The fact that she doesn't shy away from him, is very enthusiastic, and works within his boundaries, is a huge deal. That interaction gives Vincent hope that all of this might work.

Which brings us to the Gold Saucer date. I love this chapter. It might not be super obvious, but almost every single interaction that the two of them have with the attractions and the other group members has narrative significance. (send me another ask and I'll do a whole analysis on that lol)

Vincent decides that he is going to use this time at the Gold Saucer as a test, to see if he thinks that he can make this work. Vincent has a lot of hangups about his body and that he's not normal. He has quite an old fashioned mentality about courting someone, dating etc (but not fucking lmao). And is very aware that he can't take her out to share a meal/drinks, or do a lot of general date things. He considers this to be a huge deal.

He starts off in a good mood but grows continually frustrated throughout the night as he is reminded of all of his perceived shortcomings, and the fact that none of them seem to bother her.

By the time the G-bike VR is finished, that frustration reaches its peak and Vincent is sort of minutes away from losing control and transforming. She tries to comfort him, but he realises that nothing she says to him will work. Like, she says it's not a big deal that he can't play VR, when that's not the problem, the problem is that he is so inhuman that even a computer is rejecting him. He tries to remove himself from the situation as fast as he can and storms off. At the beginning of the date, he had some hope that he wouldn't have to reject her, but at this point he is completely convinced that he is going to, even if he has to be forceful about it.

He just stews in his own anger and self-loathing, not noticing anything around him or how his emotions are actually physically affecting her. When she calls him out on it and he actually looks at her and sees that she is basically shaking and paralysed with fear (I think I played this down in the actual chapter, but in my first draft this shit was intense), he realises that he needs to control himself. The fact that she followed him and is still trying to help him even though he is making her feel like that dissipates a lot of his anger and just leaves him with the frustration.

He doesn't want to reveal too much about the experimentations that were done to him, and honestly I think he doesn't quite understand the implications of a lot of it either. So he tries to explain while glossing over a lot of it, which means he ends up talking about more of his general human sexual trauma instead lol.

He figured that she might not shy away from the monster arm. He had hoped that showing her that would just explain everything, but of course it doesn't. I think that Vincent's self-loathing means that he's not that good at predicting how other people will react. When he thinks through conversations in his head, he assumes everyone has a terrible opinion of him to start with. So, she catches him off guard when she talks about how she already knows he's a 'monster' and doesn't care.

He continually keeps throwing out these bullshit reasons, that ignore her feelings on the matter and she's sick of it. She realises that she needs to hold him the fuck down, make him shut up and realise that she doesn't care about his dumb excuses. But at the same time, she's also smart enough to realise that it'll just make it worse if she forces him. It's important that it's him that takes his clothes off, exposes himself, pulls her into position etc. I really like that scene and the buildup because it's clear that they're both trying to show and enforce consent while being angry and not talking about it.

As for the actual blowjob. Look, she sucked his soul out through his dick and he is now 100% ride-or-die committed. He has never had anyone treat his body with any actual care. Obviously the experiments were bad, but even before that, having had mostly one night stands and then of course Lucrecia. He hasn't ever had someone care for him like that before. The fact that Reader is showing that care for the first time on his ruined, experimented-on body, destroys him. The way that she checks in on him, reassures him, and has taken note of his own cues (The 'I'm here', is so fucking important), convinces him. All of those things are the actual, polar opposite to how Lucrecia treated him (and I do intend to write a prequel about that too lol)

I love their little sex affirmations. My fave part of the fic honestly. The way that they can bounce off each other, reassure each other and show understanding with a just a few words or hair pulls. I love it lol.

Anyway, Vincent starts acting a bit differently after the Gold Saucer date, and I am so excited to show you all. I am writing furiously, but these things can't be rushed lol.

[definitelynotshouting]

i literally can't stop rotating hunger au worldbuilding and lore in my head. forgive me if you've ever touched on this in an ask before, but... re: the existential horror of being a parasite that has the sense of self of the host it ate. if one of grian's friends ever did get taken and used as a watcher larva host. how do you think he would feel about the watcher that came out the other side? would he want to see them as still the same person as his friend, or...?

Ive been staring at this ask since i got it with like. I need you to picture the most comically heartbroken expression right now okay. like this is me reading that and thinking about it in great and terrible detail:

Gods he would be devastated if this ever happened. He knows what thats like. He knows just how much it hurts-- and that its not a hurt that can be quantified, because its just that intense, that scalding, that encompassing of an experience to go through. I think, genuinely, Grian would be so utterly horrified and grief-stricken for whichever friend went through the Watcherification process that it would trump every other potential feeling on the list

But i think, ultimately, he would still view them as his friend, and treat them in the same way. There's a little bit of hypocrisy in Grian's character that i enjoy engaging with while writing him, and a good part of that in hunger au is centered around how he's firmly designated himself as the monster, and everybody else is the victim, and theres no room for nuance because he sucks and theyre the only people who are valid. When in reality, yes he hurt them, yes he did terrible and invasive things, but he did them out of pure survival rather than maliciousness, and that does make a subtle difference. And... hes not the only one who has fucked up, either!! The entire point of hunger au is how everyone has fumbled the bag in various ways and now they're all trying to clean it up together. Its just, yknow, Grian is so wrapped up in his own pain that he cant see those grey areas yet

And the thing is, if one of his friends got Watchered™, so to speak, and was standing in front of him, i think he would treat them with SO much compassion. Theyve been through possibly the worst thing anyone can experience and come out the other side-- at his core, Grian is i think a character who wants to do good, and do good by other people, and in this hypothetical that would translate into a lot of kindness he doesnt usually afford for himself. Honestly i think he'd spend the time trying to show them the ropes, get them set up in a better position than he found himself in, and provide his own fumbling emotional support as best he could, just out of sheer solidarity. Like, he gets it. He's been there. He may as well help out.

And i think he wouldnt even realize how hypocritical he's being until someone else pointed it out to him, about how he treats this friend with so much care but is simultaneously cruel to himself. I dont think he'd know how to handle that-- he's sort of dug himself a rut in the road with the way he thinks about and treats himself, and the cognitive dissonance would be really uncomfortable for him. Ultimately a good thing!!! Growth is often very uncomfortable. But imo Grian has a tendency to run from things like feelings of discomfort, so i think it'd take him a while to reconcile his previous ways of thinking with whats being presented in front of him essentially in the form of a mirror.

So uh. tl;dr: he'd be a little hypocrite about it and would feel a lot more compassionately inclined towards the friend than he does himself, and would try to help them out as best he could. Thank you for the incredible question that has given me the opportunity to rotate this worm at even higher speeds than usual inside my brainpan DKNFEKNDSKDJKDKD

[see-arcane]

Everything is happening so much in today's entry and while the Bloofer Lady bloofing all over the place is meant to be the co-star of the show, alongside the Great Document Exchange of Vampire Lore between Mina and Van Helsing--or, specifically, Mina entrusting Van Helsing with her husband's private diary and a desperate hope that she can trust this man with this and her own turmoil over the subject and that of Lucy--listening to the @re-dracula version kind of veered my focus off track. Hearing the dialogue in action will do that.

And now I'm left fitfully, unhappily re-chewing on some of Van Helsing's least sparkling attributes in the novel. Not the worst! Those are coming, and all of them still very much well-meaning! But the well-meaning does not take away from the fact that a lot of his commentary has and will continue to make me want to grind my teeth into dust.

Now, does the narrative manage to take all his benign sexism/secret keeping from those who need info is best! bullshit in its very sharp teeth and ragdoll it mercilessly with The Consequences of Acting Like This are Very High, Actually repercussions? Yes.

Do I hope with every fiber of my being that, when Certain Events happen, and Van Helsing has to contend with--

SPOILERS BELOW

Jonathan going full ice cold Fuck You, Fuck This, Fuck God for letting this happen and then burning her for it, come October 3rd,

and Mina being the one to take the brain reins of the operation out of his hands,

and Jonathan Blowing Right the Fuck Up at the old man for saying Mina has to come along with him to Castle fucking Dracula, with zero explanation, assuming everyone will just go along with this decision sans explanation, complete with Jonathan cementing himself as Not One of Van Helsing's Ducklings if he, like God, does not start pulling some sound logic and results out of his ass right this fucking second,

--that the Re: Dracula audio hammers home that VH is not only a flawed character rather than the Mega Genius Does-No-Wrong Scholar Vampire Hunter Hero, but has to reconcile with the Harkers existing outside the mold that we'll have come to find the Suitor Squad locking into (and that the Harkers themselves very very grudgingly squeezed into for a time, grating against every minute of it) because the Harkers do in fact have equal or greater intel/ability on their side than he does.

I don't say any of this to crap on the character of Van Helsing. He's honestly a great vessel for all the pluses and minuses of the Elder Generation That Means Well, But Fumbles Details. The man is genuinely self-sacrificing and earnest in all his efforts to help these young people he barely knows, and then works with the tools and people he has on hand to try and root out an unthinkable supernatural peril before it can start drinking the whole country into the grave. We'll see in much later chapters how down he is to throw himself and his life on the line to give someone else better odds. And even if it's only by (still period-accurate sexist) inches, he does learn a little better eventually.

...But god damn, does his quirky sexist/secret keeper/Follow My Orders No Questions Asked, Silly Incapable-of-Understanding Children mannerisms need their fucking teeth kicked in. I sincerely pray that Isabel Young and Ben Galpin get to deliver on flipping the table in audio drama format with all the thematic tune bells and whistles they deserve when the time comes.

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

RotG and HiJack Recs

Alright, I'm building this list because some of these fics are just a tad dusty, and they could use more love. (A lot more love, I am literally dying from how much I adored these.) But note that a good few are incomplete.

Let's start with:

INCOMPLETE FICS

The Long Road:

Presently Gen, but Hiccup very much falls for Jack. He does however retain his feelings for Astrid, so bear that in mind. There's the classic Viking mindset when it comes to homosexual relationships that's pretty much giving Hiccup like a lot of anxiety.

But beyond that! I cannot shower this fic with enough praises! It gives me the same sort of excitement that the RotG movie does. Jack's characterization is Spot On. He's friendly and outgoing and also incredibly secretive and flighty. It balances out Jack's blunt mannerisms with a joyous charm and just that hint of vulnerability (which he keeps so well hidden lol).

The plots take place after HttyD, during the Riders of Berk TV series. Jack is folded into the Dragon Rider group who considers him some kind of Elf. Yes, this is Jack Frost in all his frosty glory. The way the story builds on a solid foundation of camaraderie and friendship, giving plenty of scenes to show how Hiccup and Jack became great friends, lends well to the Hiccup's realization of: "Oh I'm into him". Without giving too many spoilers, that "oh" moment is forever ingrained into my memory because of how PERFECTLY timed it is.

This blends Guardians of Childhood book verse with HttyD book verse, mostly via cameos over lore. Overall, a beautiful, fun, and simply enchanting read. I cannot recommend this enough.

A Story about Ice, Dragon Fire, and Belief:

Another gen fic. Mostly, it's about North looking at Jack and going, "he's my son now", and Jack having absolutely none of it. When placed together with Stoik and Hiccup's relationship, it becomes an almost interesting study of contrasts. North is the guy who's trying to prove something to a boy that he disappointed. Hiccup is the guy who's trying to prove something to a man that he disappointed. But ultimately, it ends up the same with a schism forming between the two pairs the harder one of them tries to breach it.

Also, it talks about how Jack is a force of fucking nature? And his blizzards can kill and have killed in the past? There's a little bit of trying to reconcile that with his new ID as a guardian. North is not doing a great job helping here.

But really the Crown Jewel of this fic is North and Berk's reactions to North (and by proxy his relationship to Jack). We go a little into the historical Viking side of things (like the pillaging et al), and apply that lens to this jolly old man. Let's just say some troubling (hilarious) assumptions are drawn. Also...

Everyone loves the sleigh.

I think this is one of the few RotG and HttyD crossovers that really do a good job of merging the two movies. Primarily because it's not just Jack in Berk. And this just made me hungry for more fics where more of the RotG cast arrive as Berk, and be just 100% fantastical and strange as the bedtime stories they are. Put some respect on the Guardians name, if you know what I'm saying.

In the Shadows of My Mind:

This one is an RotG only fic. No pairings except for whatever's going on between Pitch and Nightlight (and by proxy Jack). It's not a for real pairing. That said, it's such a complex and intricate relationship that doesn't resemble a romance but remains markedly intimate. Basically, this fic takes advantage of Pitch and Nightlight's ridiculously long history then throws Jack into the mix. Alive, human Jack in an early 18th century colonial town wherein he very recently did not drown (and boy, isn't that suspicious?)

My favorite thing about this fic is how spot on the dialogue feels? The lexicon, the syntax feels true to the time its set in. Although, I can't say that it is accurate as I'm not an expert of this time period in this region. Regardless, it certainly appears that a good stack of research went into this.

All that said, this fic has captured Bill Joyce's writing style the best, but with a deeper, more complex, more mature layer underpining that bedtime like vibe. There's a good host of OCs but genuinely, I didn't notice them as OCs. I could really believe they were characters of Joyce's books. Not to mention, they feel like fully fleshed out individuals even if they have like maybe two paragraphs of screentime.

The entire premise hinges on the idea of "what if Jack survived the skating accident" and everyone's reactions to that, as well as... the hidden secret thing that involves Nightlight. GoC spoilers are hinted so beware. But the little interplay between Nightlight and Jack is such a delicious little mystery, and also makes me so sad. These two boys deserved better.

Then we throw in Pitch for fun, because Pitch is always fun, and he just makes the whole thing even more complicated or as Jack calls it, "unnatural". But he's not even the main villain. It's Christianity. JK. That said, the fic does explore the idea of well, how would a fairly backwater colony be able to explain how Jack survived or... the powers that's slowly revealing itself from within him. There's a particularly nasty boy (around Jack's age), who is an OC and I believe an exceptionally well placed one. The OC understood his role to play and he plays it fantastically. Everytime he shows up, I too feel scared and indignant and excited all at once.

Speaking of great OCs, shoutout to Jack's Da. His appearances are brief but the impact is maximized with each appearance. He has that sense of realism and whimsy baked into him that I could gush endlessly about.

Overall, just a pure delight to read. Will re-read again and again.

Zastruga:

Total Gen fic. And a classic in my opinion.

I started reading this when I was in college - note the publish date. Nevermind the update date. Because even after all these years, this story? Still good. Still very very good.

This takes the original RotG plot and makes it more epic, and also more sad. RotG was very joyful at its core, which this fic somehow manages to retain. But it's just under a layer of sad. It's not overwhelming angst though, just enough to really pinch your heart.

Also whereas the movie has a few epic battles before things go really wrong, this fic stretches that out into a proper war against Pitch (and Jack). That's right. Jack is with Pitch ala Mother Gothel/Judge Frollo style. Jack isn't locked up entirely. He's given just enough rope to hang himself with. Mind the Jack whump is what I'm saying. But also do note that Jack's character remains as steadfast and loyal as he ever was in RotG, so the whump just hits nicer since this Jack isn't so irrevocably changed.

I have re-read this before. I will re-read this again. Nevermind the incomplete status. There's plenty of chapters that simply give me great joy.

COMPLETE FICS

It's the Great Spirit Sleigh, Hiccup Haddock:

Gen fic, in that there's no pairing actively getting together. But remains faithful to the original canon's hinted love interests. So Hiccup has a big crush on Astrid and Jack leans towards Tooth. That said, the relationship between Hiccup and Jack is just plain adorable and also heart-wrenching. They care about each other. So Much.

Now this is just a good holiday cheer. It literally has the Hallmark movie template, which is the point really. You know, the whole "oh no, a holiday is ruined" followed by "clever and charming ways to fix the holiday". With Hiccup and Jack taking the starring roles.

If you know your Hallmark movies, then you know that the leads get together in the end. And they don't in this fic. But the amount of "Gosh do I care about you" is so good. It's a lot of hurt and a lot of comfort. And I am here for it.

Also, this fic was completed way before the HttyD 3 movie so it doesn't have a canon compliant ending. That may be a bonus for some of you.

Scary Monsters and Super Creeps:

Pre JackRabbit (Bunny/Jack). But honestly the pairing isn't the main focus, mostly that Jack and Bunny admit to liking each other (but not to each other). So their dynamic remains in the best bros category. The pairing mostly shows through the plot machinations.

So long story short, Pitch opens the Guardian-Verse and recruits the other versions of the Guardians - the corrupt versions. And it's good, action/adventure fun. There's some gore, so mind that. Because the corrupt versions are nasty little things that fight dirty. Which makes the action feel like there's legit stakes. Also makes for a quick read because you must know what happens next? Did they get out of this sticky situation? Are they going to be okay? That sort of thing.

[lover-of-mine]

Morning! Things just keep happening.

Quick note on the 911 ‘unbiased’ news account. Before their username was 911UnbiasedFun it was 911Unserious. Now it is EddiePornstache for some reason? Whoever is running this is obviously fumbling. Talking about ‘even bad interaction helps me’ despite not being verified? And being at the same follower count for a while? Idk it is truly just another example of how strange and out of touch BTs are.

They are still believing in the ‘hiding Lou’ theories. Apparently now he is going to be hidden for months then have Lou-centric photoshoots/BTS/interviews/promo dropped all at once right before the premiere. And then he will not show up in 8x1 for the sole purpose of ‘keeping the audience on edge’ as if the GA remembers who he is lol. Alternatively they are hoping he will be hidden the entire time only to appear in most episodes of the season.

Apparently Buck wearing brown means that he is wearing Tommy’s clothes which means that he moved in with Tommy. Of all the insane leaps of logic…

Also finding parallels between Michael and Eddie is now inappropriate according to BTs. We are not allowed to hope for an arc of a man struggling to reconcile his queerness with his Catholic upbringing. Further if you are not a gay man you are not allowed to want Eddie to be gay. At ALL. Crazy.

In better news Maddie is now officially Maddie Han! In worse news the BTs are pretending to be happy about this while secretly complaining that the cast list did not get updated in other Lou-related ways. All roads lead back to that man apparently. I fear Lou being listed officially as a recurring character would not be enough for them. They need this to be the Tommy show or for Buck to be renamed as ‘Evan Kinard’ or something like that. They will only be truly happy when it is all about them.

Hello love 🩵

The 911unbiased lore keeps getting weirder lol. Again, I ask why would they be hiding Lou? I'm not even saying it's not possible, I want a reasonable explanation that's not "oh the buddie crazies will try to kill him" because all of us are expecting him to come back. Keep the audience on edge? Sure. I love that the jacket thing was proved wrong beyond a doubt because the shirt is grey lol. I wonder if they ever get tired of policing how people are allowed to experience fandom. There are very clear parallels between Eddie and Michael. And you have to be a specific type of queer to talk about another specific type of queer? So I'm taking Buck away from anyone who's not bisexual. This is so stupid.

Also Maddie is officially Maddie Han 🥰🥰🥰 war days of her being listed as Maddie Kendall are over. But they are still grabbing onto the idea that he's gonna somehow make lead this season? Seriously, dude, the hope of these people would be inspiring if it wasn't so deranged.

[taki118]

How Bayonetta x Luka and Bayo3 Makes Sense to Me

SO I just finished the game and while I do agree it has issues I think I know what they were going for (whether or not they landed is debatable) but basically I think the series and the coupling of Bayo/Luka makes sense if you look at them as parallels of each other.

I wanna say two things first before getting into it.

1) I have no horse in this race. I never really shipped anything in series but could see how others shipped what they did and saw them all as pretty cute. My only real bias is I’ve always loved Luka and never got why others hate him (well 3 I can kinda get but thats more poor implementation than the character)

2) I very much believe this franchise is a “You get what you put in” kind of game when it comes to story and lore. This is typical of a lot of Japanese games, Square titles come the most to mind. But basically it relies a lot on intuiting via context clues and how I look at something may not be the way you look or even how the writers meant it, but its’ how i make sense of it. 

Now that thats out of the way. I think Bayo and Luka’s stories purposely mirror each other and shows the evolution of child to adult. HEAR ME OUT

Bayonetta 1: So in this game both Bayo and Luka are in a state of arrested development, neither of them are able to move on and therefor grow. 

With Bayonetta its due to her amnesia. She is unable to mature as she feels something is missing. She can’t know herself without knowing her past and therefor is stuck. The entire game has her thrusted into the role of an unwitting protector and thereby maturing as a result, while also recalling who she was. In reconciling who she was with who she is Bayo is able to move on and grows changing from who she was for the past 20 years. 

With Luka he is unable to move past the death of his father the trauma of the scene and how no one believes him makes him stuck in the past no matter how much he psychically ages. He is still very much that little boy at the lake, I mean the most prominent aspect of his design is the scarf he wore as a child. And like Bayo is being thrusted into the role of a protector to a child and that along with the discovery of the truth forces him to let go of past and grow. 

Like they are BOTH playing at being adults in this game. (this could explain why the sexual jokes lessen with each game though it’s likely more nintendo) They both are acting how they THINK adults should act this is most evident in Luka as he very clearly is emulating his father and there is a conceptual image where he presents a nun a flower as a child just like he does as an adult. Luka has clearly modeled himself after others the way a lot of children and teens do and it isn’t until towards the end of the game that his true self begins to shine. We can infer this in Bayo herself as she appears influenced by the people around her most notable being Jeanne, this being what Baldars plan was in a way. Molding a child to conform to the parents desire therefor the ending is Bayo showcasing her adulthood saying “this is who I am”.

Bayonetta 2: Now this game is about those early stages of adulthood where you are trying to be more adult like, if that makes sense. Of trying to appear more in control than you are, the I’m striking out on my own phase until you realize actually I do need some help. 

With Bayonetta you can kinda see this is her design its the most visibly distinct in the games and can be seen as her trying to push past the child she was. This can also be seen in how despite telling Loki he can call her Cereza he states throughout that she doesn’t look like a Cereza. This is tied into the main conflict of the game with Balder and what happens to many children with their parents. First they are a hero, then a villain, until they can finally see what they really are a person. Bayo at the beginning of the game could never imagine herself calling out to her father in genuine care but the one at the end can. In this game she is  now able to see people for who they really are and I think this includes Jeanne. Despite Bayo actually being a year older than her Jeanne has always been presented as more of a protector and mentor figure to Bayo. So the notion that her being the one to save and protect her this game serves to further show her growth, that she does not need to rely on Jeanne anymore, ending with the two truly becoming equals.

With Luka its more to be inferred as he’s in the game less but I think that is the point. In the 1st his LIFE is tied with Bayo because he needed closure with his fathers death. Since he has it his life no longer revolves around her, he doesn’t NEED to follow her, he’s becoming more of his own person. He’s made contact with Rodin on his own, has his own glasses to see the spiritual. In fact Bayo seems to need Luka’s skills in investigation more than he needs hers. Their interactions in this game are more happenstance than prior showcasing that Luka is becoming his own person. Is he still playing at adulthood? a little but he seems to actually believe his own hype now that he isn’t trying to prove he’s of value, an important step in becoming a true adult. You can also see his growth in his design as while the scarf from his childhood is still there but its far less prominent.

With the two we see a shift in how they interact with each other. Luka has proven himself to Bayo and she is adjusting to how she treats him because of it (but she seems to almost miss the old days as she secretly calls him Cheshire and remarks how much Loki reminds her of him) and Luka is still not use to her actually acknowledging him and being less of a try hard. They are essentially colleagues now, like it or not Luka is a part of Bayo’s world and we see this in how it ends with Luka working with Rodin. 

Bayonetta 3: Now this game is where they come full circle where they are both become sure about who they are and truly become adults and reach self actualization. (Now I play the game with the thought that you are playing the same character played in the last games. However even if you don’t think that this thematic reading still works as what is presented as the previous Bayonettas are said to have lived similar lives to the one in 3.)

With Bayonetta having come to better understand her parents in the previous game she now embraces her past more fully showcasing this in her design that is inspired by the child design in 1. She no longer needs to PRESENT as an adult she is confident in her identity as an adult. In this her main growth is in her self actualization and better understanding of what SHE wants.  This is showcased in how she is essentially training a new witch something only a true professional can do, showing us she has reached the peak of her powers. Once one gets there the only thing left is to pass on your knowledge to the next generation. (What I’m getting at is that the idea that this was Cerezas swan song as Bayonetta is pretty obvious) Her journey is also filled with lives she COULD have lived and deaths that COULD have been hers. This sort of thing leads one to introspection that comes when one reaches adulthood, the notion of the paths we could take and what options are left for us, it also imparts the things that are the most important. (I’ll expand on this is a bit)  Then there’s the ending where after connecting with the alternate Bayos of the game the pervious games Bayonettas arrive and the three fight alongside each other and combine. With this she has come face to face with who she was, with her past and embraced it fully. Whether or not you think you are playing the pervious character, the game makes it fairly evident that the three experienced very similiar lives and the bios indicating that the other two are still on the journeys Bayo 3 has finished. The journey of self actualization of becoming the truest version of yourself, of embracing the person you have matured into. 

Now I know a LOT of people hate the end and while I think it could have been done far better I think I get what the devs were going for. Bayonetta knows if she keeps going she will die but that doesn’t matter she can stop Singularity and thats what matters. She’s sort of following the idea of not caring if she loses she just doesn’t want him to win. And that is VERY in line with with the franchise, you don’t get to choose how I die I do. Like her mother before her she has given her life to protect her child (even if Viola isn’t technically hers) the cycle repeats as it were. And as I said she has no where to go she has reached the peak of her powers and personhood, she is passing on her knowledge, and she is confronted repeatedly with her death. “Bayonetta” dying is really the only way this could end. Do I think it coulda been better? Yes I think the game needed a few more levels, but I also think this was the natural end to the character. Also Cereza might not really be dead just her presence as Bayonetta she can retire that part of her and rest, as she if fulfilled. 

With Luka he is DIRECTLY going through the same thing as Bayonetta the difference is it’s not on his terms. Luka has thought he reached the level of self actualization Bayo has but he really hasn’t, there is an aspect of himself that was unknown to him that he needs to confront. The problem is that part is thrown on him. (I really wish we got more levels for Viola so we could see this more but it is what it is.) He is having a crisis of self, his world and perception of himself is being thrown on its head and he has to come to terms with that. I think it’s important that while Bayo tries to help him through it, it is ultimately another version of himself that saves him and helps makes sense of it all. Once Luka and Lukaon are joined and Luka accepts that there is more to him than he ever thought we are presented with a more refined version of the dork we love (well I love, I know he’s not for everyone). In understanding himself he understands what needs to come next. The world and Viola are more important than his own wants and desires. Luka has become a proper adult, just as Bayo has, this is why he snubs her when she looks for a kiss. It should also be noted that this is the first time his childhood scarf is not an aspect of his design showing that he has grown past it and into himself.

When looking at the two in this game this is the most blatant of their interest in each other. (but was always there like the amount of shit Bayo lets Luka get away with is very telling) Their relationship has gotten closer in the years to the point where he calls her Cerezita and while she claims not to like it its very obvious that she enjoys it. (this is paralleled with Viola and Kitty) This nickname also indicates that he sees her for who she truly is as the only other person to not call her by her birth name is Jeanne. Bayo herself isn’t even all that surprised by Luka’s presence as she just assumes he will always show up which leads into my thoughts on a main complaint I see in the fandom on the relationship. People often say how Bayo’s actions towards Luka in the first half is completely different from the second but it actually makes some sense. See Bayo has come to see Luka as a constant in her life but she likely hasn’t forgotten how long her life is. The idea of pursuing her feelings towards Luka has probably been something she has debated on, like fluctuating between theres plenty of time to do so and maybe even the thought of is it right to as his life is shorter, and if you think this way it makes sense that Bayo has kept a line between them. However seeing yourself die, seeing them die with wants left unfulfilled, would 100% effect her. By the time Bayo’s feelings seem to “Shift” towards Luka she has been confronted with her own mortality multiple times so the notion that she would follow feelings she has had but kept at a distance for sometime is not that hard a push. It is also why that kiss snub happens, seeing him nearly die is the last push to act on these feelings she has pushed back but Luka who has always acted on those feelings realizes he needs to hold back for the first time. Its actually kinda sweet in a way the two have been maturing together over the years but in opposite ways at times, that resemble the other.

I would say the cheesiness of their last scene was a little much but it is hard to tell if the game is literally saying Luka and Bayo are always meant to be together or if its just the two being cheesy which Luka has ALWAYS been. Also just like Bayo paralleling Rosa with Viola its very evident that the creators are trying to parallel Bayo and Luka with Rosa and Balder, the aspect of tragic love that can’t be “together” (again theres an implication that they aren’t dead but might be separated by plains of existence) Once more I think had the game been longer this idea could been shown more but I do think its purposeful. The series does seem to love the idea of the cycle repeating itself.

It should also be noted that the two interact with a companion in each game that shows their own growth. In 1 they take care of a child someone they need to protect and watch over and they need to be gentle with, mirroring their own struggles with healing their inner childs. In 2 they assist a teenager (I know Loki is technically older than both of them but he acts like a teenager) they have to guide and help him but they can’t protect him like a child, he can do this himself and asserts his personhood. Therefor they have to be better and do more to impress and help him than a child requires. Finally in 3 they have a young adult someone who resembles who they were before, someone who doesn’t need them, but someone who WANTS them around and wants to help them. And like most parents with a young adult the focus is on leaving them with the best tools to continue without them. Like the idea of them being parents together was planted in every game so I don’t know why it really surprised people. Parenthood has always been a theme in the franchise and it makes sense to end the series with Bayo’s own child.

I want to say I did not come up with this reading to make sense of 3, this is how I have ALWAYS read the games that it is a coming of age story for adults and I’ve only been more secure in this reading as the years go on and games are added  and my own maturity grows. So while I do think there were probably issues behind the scenes and that the game needed adjustments I don’t doubt this basic story was always part of the plan. To me the lore should be looked at more figurative than literal, its an avenue in which to explore internal ideas and concepts that’s why its always been rather loose. If you get bogged down by lore I think you kinda miss the forrest for the trees.But like I said this is just how I read the series maybe it helps you maybe it doesn’t. 

[cairoscene]

fic writer meme

thanks em @uhuraisgay and lore @megafaunatic for the tag <3

How many works do you have on Ao3?

between my accounts, a nice tame 18 total

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

217,330 lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i definitely write for fewer fandoms than i'm in, so in the past it was mxtx danmei novels and now it's batman (current obsessions pending fic...)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

what else is there? (mdzs)

2. you'll know, you'll fall (tgcf)

3. send to all (batfam)

4. one word from you (mdzs)

5. to recollect and long for (mdzs)

the wangxian monopoly....

5. Do you respond to comments?

not anymore :( i used to respond to every comment i got, but it ended up being too much stress. so i read and appreciate every comment i get, but i only really respond if someone asks me a question or needs clarification on something

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't really write unadulterated angst and i'm a lover of a happy ending, so i guess it would be bring the ashes to me......... my fic which famously has no ending at all...........and in fact leaves xie lian in a Pretty Bad Place.......... oops

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably you'll know, you'll fall, which i briefly reread not too long ago and. well. to those who continue to enjoy it, i treasure you. i will say i tied up every possible loose end in that fic including?? giving xl a job at sqx's hotel management firm????? let's just say i would do it differently now

8. Do you get hate on fics?

honestly no, never, just the occasional rude comment. i delete and move on

9. Do you write smut?

with varying degrees of success, yes. i like to think i've gotten better over time. writing porn is an aspect of craft that really fascinates and interests me, figuring out what i like to read vs what i like to write, balancing titillation with characterization and finding where the two lean in and kiss. half of my private bookmarks are random fics where the sex scenes just worked for me and i must squirrel it away to study under a microscope to figure out Why

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?

not really, and i don't tend to read them, either. i think they're really hard to pull off successfully and generally my brain isn't on board with reconciling irreconcilable world-building aspects just for the fun of it

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so? there was definitely...... a trend of let's call it Unattributed Inspiration in the mxtx fandoms, where any fic or tweeted idea or headcanon that got passed around would inevitably show up in the tag without attributing it to the originator. i remember reading a fic and enjoying it and then suddenly being like Wait...... why is this familiar? and discovering it was very clearly inspired by one of mine lol. i wouldn't call it plagiarism bc let's just all calm down, but it isn't a phenomenon i've encountered outside mostly mdzs fandom, let's put it that way

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!!!!!! mostly russian and mandarin. i feel like being asked if someone can translate my fic (or podfic it) is the highest possible praise and i'm always very flattered

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i was going to say no at first but then i remembered that @bluecrystalrainingdaggers helped me write a charity fic back when i wasn't really feeling wangxian but needed to fulfill on the charity raffle we ran. she basically gave me the outline and i wrote it and i would never have survived without her

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

i am a fickle creature, so i don't have one. i have ships i return to over the years when i crave a specific dynamic, like kirk/spock and wolfstar and damen/laurent. in general my ships fulfill a specific need i'm looking for, hualian for the comfort and care, ghostbat for sustainable toxic soulmates, [redacted] for the angst and misunderstandings, vashwood for the doomed clowns etc etc etc

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

bring the ashes to me. sorry

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think i can write a good sex scene

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

plot :( dialogue :(((( sitting down to write at all :(((((((((

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?

i feel like i don't have strong opinions on this front. it seldom bothers me but when it's done well it's a really great element

19. First fandom you wrote for?

on ao3, mdzs. on fanfiction.net the musketeers (2014) and that wizard one

20. Favorite fic you have written?

i'm really very fond of lover be good to me. it's one of my least accessible fics on account of the rarepair but i had a lot of fun writing it and i think the final product is pretty satisfying. i feel like i was able to say and explore everything about the ship i wanted to, which is really fulfilling

tagging @englishsub @vinelark @eggmacguffin @90kon @yuebings @floofyfluff @deadchannelradio and anyone else who wants to do it

[auraxins]

4.7 archon quest live react utc!

okay I started this a little while after starting the quest but I'm talking to atossa now

my original theory was the missing guy was dain but this dude has lived in the village for ages so it can't be LOL

and THEN i started thinking oh could this be a wanderer type situation ,,,, but who knows 🤷‍♂️

if this quest goes deep into traveller sibling stuff like that animation that dropped suggests I'm so not gonna be stable after this btw LMAO

well duh paimon of course the abyss is involved this is a dain quest didn't u pay attention 🙄 /j

DAINSLEIF HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU

God he's just as pretty as ever ,,,,,,

has his outfit gotten more detailed or am I just forgetting things 🤔

ugh I need to kiss him

it's so hard to pay attention to what he's saying when he looks like that 😪😪😪

ALSO IS IT JUST ME OR DOES HE HAVE A HUUUUUGE CROTCH BULGE 😳 not that I'm looking or anything I swear it was just so prominent

anw I support big dick dain theory

DO NAWT ASK IF WE BELIEVE OUR SIBLING BETRAYED US OMFG what do I respond what do I SAY

I'm going w I want to have faith in her 🙏 truly I think the traveller understands their sibling so intimately that they're still trying to reason out that they're in the right with whatever they're up to ,,, but it's also understandable that they might feel betrayed bc clearly their sib can contact them if they really want to and they're just choosing not to ,,, 😔 idk bro it's complicated

"there's still hope for the two of you to reconcile" 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I WANT TO RECONCILE 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

omg sinner lore cmon tell me who it is I wanna KNOWWWWW is it someone we know already or what

vedrfolnir is a Very mondstat sounding name,,,,

DAINSLEIFS OLDER BROTHER ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

WHAT . THE . FUCK .

STOP ARE WE ACTUALLY ABOUT TO GET GENUINE KHAENRIAH BACKSTORY RIGHT NOW I WILL SCREAM AND BAWL MY EYES OUT

five sinners of Khaenri’ah ooooo

RHINEDOTTIR?!?! OH MY GOD?!?!?!?!?!?! I KNOW WE KNEW SHE WAS INVOLVED BUT LIKE OH MY GOD SHE WAS INVOLVED INVOLVED???

oh my god is that why albedo looks the way he does w the blond hair and the blue eyes is it bc he's been modelled in dains brothers image ,,,,, (<- delusional theory hours)

god fuck i love abyss lore so much this is why i still play genshin man

ooooooo okay so they weren't directly involved in the cataclysm but that in itself IS the problem bc they could have helped stop it I see i see im with it 🧠

our sibling WAS travelling with dain though right ... we're not gonna get slapped with oh yeah we showed u them w dain this whole time but it was to throw u off bc its really his brother ... right ....

well surely the purpose of the loom of fate is to rework the world. like. loom. fate. kinda an obvious name if u ask me

oooo yes please be to do with the leylines I LOVE when shit is to do with the leylines

OOOOOOOO WAIT DID THE ABYSS TRY TO IMPLANT SOMEONE INTO PPLS MEMORIES USING THE LOOM AS AN EXPERIMENT PERHAPS

christ paimons yawn just fucking exploded my ears

omg dain got implanted w memories of The Guy ,,,

"and it appears he has the ability to "implant" memories into the minds of others" THATS WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING DAIN

we would work so well together bbg

omg we're gonna go look for the eye

of all places he chose the outside of the chasm?? hmm.

DAIN?!

BBG DAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING TO U

he's being fucked with isn't he .... im abt to throw HANDS w someone aren't i

this domain description is scaring me maybe i don't want the answers to be revealed bro

oh we r fully In the chasm now huh

don't get me wrong it makes sense I just also feel this was way too obvious of a location for dain to hide smth so sensitive LMFAO

WDYM THE MECHANISMS HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME

why do I feel like dains brother has like. possessed him or some shit rn. just a bad feeling I have LOL

I'M NOT COMFORTABLE HERE LADS I FEEL VERY BAD VIBES RADIATING FROM THIS ALTAR ROOM

NEW ABYSS LECTOR??? Big fan big fan

I do NOT want to leave u rn dain I fear for ur safety

UM

HELLO?

OH MY GODDDS

LUMINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE U LOOK SO HOT WHEN UR EVIL

AND WE GET HER VOICELINES TOOOOOOOOO

picking aether once again a choice I will never regret

THIS IS SO INTENSE BROOO

I'm not gonna lie I thought for a split second we might be getting a taste of playable dain there ,,, of course I was too hopeful 😪

omg the disembodied voice,,, whoever is doing this put their whole va-ussy into it icl

the fact that we're not just. back in the world map rn. and this is a "special story mode" map. is scaring me a little icl

everyone remembers him now and he's not gone missing ??? and he was WITH SOMEONE??? bro what is HAPPENING RN

genshin don't make me piece this together by myself u KNOW my theories are full of shit

we're in someone else's memory was right omg okay maybe I'm not full of shit after all

OKAY YEAH I'M ACTUALLY PIECING THIS TOGETHER PRETTY WELL NOW maybe I am smart /j

Holy shit an actually good npc design??? he's kinda hot icl

HES GOT THE KHAENRIAH EYES

is this... is it .... is he .......

CARIBERT :(((((( WHAT IF I EXPLODE

WHAT DOES THE NOTE SAY I CANT READ THAT

oh this place is pretty,,,,

bro I'm feeling so many big emotions rn

omg NOW i can rly see kaeya's hair colour on him it wasn't so noticeably Blue in the other lighting

delulu theory x2 is kaeya the loom /j

I FUCKING KNEW THE LOOM WOULD WEAVE LEYLINES !!!!!

caribert :(((( mf I thought we were done w u making me cry in ur last quest

I'M BAWLING HE JUST WANTED A NORMAL LIFE

sobbing and screaming "even the form you see before you is nothing short of an illusion [...] an imagined version of what I would look like if I had had the chance to grow up" IM NOT WELL RN

I'm omw to hyv hq to make caribert exist in teyvat fr I can't handle this shit

UHM.

CARIBERT DID YOU FUCKING SIDELINE US SO DAIN COULD BE AMBUSHED BY LUMINE????

OH NO

OH GOD OH FUCK WHAT THE FUCK OH MY GOD?!?!?!

I FUCKING KNEWWWWWWW DAIN HAD THE EYE ON HIM AND NOT IN SOME RANDOM LOCATION

BUT WDYM INSIDE HIS BODY LUMINE BETTER NOT HAVE RIPPED IT OUT OF HIM

BROOOOOOOOOO CARIBERT IS A DICK I TAKE EVERYTHING BACK FUCK YOU DUDE

oh goddamnit maybe he's not a dick he's been nice to the hilichurls 😔

still PISSED at him though

I'm going to kms actually

NOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO I'M GONNA SOB SCREAM THROW UP

STOPPP HE CANT TOUCH HERRRR :((((((

"I'd love to hug you too" IM NOT OKAY RN I CANT DO THIS

oooo okay so our sibling wants to use the loom against celestia that tracks but like. how?

o shit she's so right u would think the whole furina focalors thing would have angered celestia but they're just. quiet.

STOPPPPP OUR NAMES BEING PERSONALISED IS A CANON THING BC OUR SIBLINGS THE ONLY ONE WHO CALLS US BY OUR REAL NAME WHAT IF I KMS

"for some reason I'm not interested in asking questions rn" IDC DUDE IM INTERESTED TELL MEEEE /j

"why can't we continue our journey together?" my meds aren't powerful enough to fight this shit rn /j

TWO KIDS IN THE TREE??? WHOMST???

"I don't know how to face myself sometimes let alone my own brother" I'M BAWLING AGAIN

UHM. FUCKERY???

BRO THE GLASS CRACKING OVERLAY I like that, nice touch

DONT FUCKING TELL ME WE WONT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE FUCK THIS SHIT

THEY REUNITED AND WONT EVEN BE ABLE TO REMEMBER IT?!?!? HOYOVERSE U HATE US FR

im never playing genshin again what the fuck /j (<- loves it)

PAIMON YAWN JUMPSCARE AGAIN

DAINS INJURED :( BUT HE LEFT :(((( BBG COME BACK :(((((

we literally only don't remember meeting our sibling that's so fucking tragic what the shit man

"I'm not sure why but it almost feels like I lost something" SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP I CANT DO THISSSS

caribert left a memory for someone as to what "happened" :( his legacy can live on in the village :((((((((

now what IM interested in is whether the loom of fate is going to have any significance in natlan or whether we're still going to have to wait til the 5.7 dain quest next year to find out what's going on with it bc if it's complete NOW why would they wait a whole year to put their plan into motion

aw atossa really loved caribert huh :(((

THE PICTURE?!?!?!?! I'M GOING TO END IT ALL RIGHT NOW.

fuck me what a quest,,,,

as usual ty to anyone who bothered to read through the brain vomit LOL ily <3 im gonna go uh. cry a lot now, goodbye 👋

[bunmuffin]

Hello, feel free to ignore this if you don't wanna answer but I finally got to watch your rpg video (which was very cute and fun to watch) and you seem to know your way around tsams. Do you think you could maybe give a quick explanation of what the fuck is happening?! I want to get into this show but there's like 1000 layers of lore, drama, and complications (and don't get me started about their side channels) that make it hard to understand what's happening. I don't really wanna watch 6 months of daily content, I've already tried and failed, and nobody has any sort of explanation of what's going on 😱😱

Again you don't have to go through if you don't want to (or don't know) I'm just lost man...

Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed my video and appreciate your kind words <3 As far as the lore of SAMS goes dw, I was in your shoes too. I only started watching them last December and I had like 7 months of lore to catch up on. I did find out (if you want to experience the lore yourself) you can just watch their VRchat videos. Most of the lore is in there (besides a few minecraft lore videos). They have a Playlist of it on their channel, and that should help you understand the majority of it. But here is my crappy bullet point explanation if you want a super summary. Keep in mind though I wasn't there for most of it so some of these events I don't fully understand myself. Before they started their channel: - Sun and Moon shared a body. Moon hated it and was constantly causing Sun pain. Moon already has a virus (though they refer to it as a Kill Code) - They eventually reconcile and agree to work together. Moon makes his own body and transfers his AI too it while trying to leave his Kill Code behind (hoping it would just deactivate) - I believe they follow the in game events of the pizzaplex burning down and now their homeless The start of their channel: - Two bros, chilling in a bunker, 5 feet apart cause their playing video games for their channel. They also continue to run a mini daycare - Moon starts to show signs that his Kill Code is returning and Sun also starts to act a bit-- kill codey (because Moon left it behind in Sun) - JULY 16th! Sun kills for the first time. This kill code Sun eventually becomes the character Eclipse. Eclipse and Lunar Era: - Eclipse makes another AI named Lunar (think of it if Moon was actually a nice non-gremlin killing DCA) and he stealth ninja star usbs Lunar into Moon's body. - Sun and Moon are unaware of them for awhile, until they eventually make themselves known and take over Sun and Moon's body (The Sun and Moon show temporarily becomes the Eclipse and Lunar show where the two alternates play video games instead. Very amusing to watch). - Eclipse tortures Sun and Moon a lot while he tries to get the Newton Star (a device that Moon created that can wipe out all AI's memories in a certain vacinity) - Eclipse is an asshole to Lunar and eventually Lunar decides to help Sun and Moon out instead, officially becoming a 'brother' to them. - This part I don't know much about but somewhere along the line-- Moon learns magic and Sun, Moon, and Lunar were able to defeat Eclipse and leave him to rot in a forest. Bloodmoon Era: - Things are pretty chill. Sun, Moon, and Lunar become closer. Monty is a thing. He's a good freind. Lunar and Sun take care of the daycare (they now have a full daycare they work and live in) and Moon is busy looking for and destroying Eclipse's backups. - Bloodmoon becomes a thing. Idk how. Idk why. But he's here and he's out for your blood (I think Eclipse had created him at some point) - Bloodmoon is two AIs in one body and all they crave is blood and violence - Sun, Moon and Lunar visit different AUs, one of them being if Eclipse had won (also known as the SAMSwarAU which is an AU that slowly getting popular if you ever see it-- thats what that is) - Eclipse has a backup in Bloodmoon and the two(three?) start working together to get back at Sun, Moon, and Lunar Kill Code Era (current Era): - Sun breaks Moon's computer and Moon's Kill Code gets reactivated (all orchestrated by Eclipse) - Monty enter's Moon's head to save Lunar and Moon's Kill Code becomes an official character named Kill Code (or KC) - Bloodmoon and Eclipse try and get KC on their side (though Bloodmoon and KC just end up making a deal instead), Monty saves Lunar, and Sun is just trying his best - KC and Moon make a deal. KC will leave Sun, Lunar, and Monty alone, help Moon take control over Bloodmoon and Eclipse, if they can work together to kill their creator. Moon accepts the deal so he can get his body back. (oh ya-- their creator is appearntly an asshole but idk much about him) And now you're all caught up. Thank you for coming to my spark notes edition of the SAMS lore. There is a lot of small details I left out and I'm sure there are some things I've gotten wrong or just didn't know even happened but this is my own understanding of it, coming into the community late. Hope this helps!