#The Pale

[frauggiethecreature]

late but i got really interesting results on this :]]

two people who appear to have read the book brought a detailed description that i wasnt aware of before which! awesome!!

someone said it appears beige and my mother expanded on that by comparing it to amber which i will maybe never stop thinking about (the connections to the text... girl engaged with disco elysium for one singular conversation and hit a crit)

almost noone said black despite it being the typical color of void or nothingness and apparently being the color of one of the layers of pale! how interesting!

also the descriptions of it being static or warping are so fascinating!

for me personally, i always imagined it as pure white. i imagine the soft, blinding haze falling over palesick people's eyes, the way the lorry drivers are lit in a cold stark white, the one time i personally was a passenger on a bridge at high tide in a cold cloudy morning and the water blended so perfectly with the sky that i couldn't tell where the horizon was..

anyway in a while i wanna do this poll again with better choices :]] thanks for playing!

What I'm talking abt here is The Pale from Disco Elysium (and Sacred and Terrible Air), specifically the "physical space" (like, the motorway south + what you would see if your transit through the pale had windows)

[yekokataa]

"The world of Elysium is a fictional world that is aware that it is fictional. You could think of Pale as what happens when a reader puts down the book and puts the book away. As long as you remember, it exists. When no one remembers it anymore, it stops existing. For me the simple answer would be that Pale is an acknowledgment of the fictional nature of Elysium, the writer’s relationship to its creation and the reader’s relationship to it." - Argo Tuulik on the Pale

[mercuriobebop]

YOU - Why are you doing this? I just want to sleep. I can almost see the dark. ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - We're trying to help you. All these processes -- these tortures, voices and tremors -- are all just distractions. Flares and countermeasures. To keep you from the last dream. The worst of them all. YOU - The… last dream? LIMBIC SYSTEM - The last dream will be total annihilation. Cinders peeling off the fuselage. We won't be there to help you anymore, Harry. We will be dormant. You will be naked and alone.

Skills version and what came to mind after reading "A Spilled Kaleidoscope" fanfic, what are the consequences of The Pale

YOU - "The pale can damage the mind?" JOYCE MESSIER- - "Extensively." YOU - "How?" JOYCE MESSIER- - "Some say the damage stems from extreme sensory deprivation. Others argue that pale somehow consists of past information, that's degrading. That it's rarefied past, not rarefied matter. They call it the blend-over of the self. The pale does not only suspend the laws of physics, but also the laws of psychology, maybe History, even… The human mind becomes over-radiated by past."

[the-uncanny-dag]

Actually, let me post it by itself

[skeletor9000-blog]

The Pale part 2: The Pale Driver

[hushimstressed]

The world of Elysium is so much bigger and vaster than our own when you consider that The Pale, the all consuming fabric that splits the 7 isolas is about 6000km (3728 miles) north of Revachol, to put that in perspective, that’s roughly the distance between London and Detroit in our world! Meaning you could travel the equivalent of London to Detroit and ONLY JUST reach the edge of The Pale!!

Which makes the concept of travelling through The Pale more terrifying and impressive to me at least. The amount of resources needed to make a trip like that in a lorry is *insane* to me!!!

[s34tiz0p3n]

Pale exposure

Oops, haven't posted art in a while! Made something for disco elysium :)

Reblogs > likes

[theanxiousbookdevourer]

Put me out of my misery. Is the phone call real?

(Disco Elysium spoilers and poll below the cut.)

This has been driving me mad.

I saw this really thought-provoking post on the DE subreddit: Was the phone call with the Ex-Something real, or was it just created by the Pale?

As the original poster says, there are explicit mentions of Dora in the Pale. Does that mean the long-distance call isn't real?

Evidence that it is not real:

The Pale can cause "'entroponetic crosstalk. The one you get in radios and long-distance calls.'"

It can also result in hearing "'the voice of your former lover.'"

We have heard fake calls before, as we do with Tricentennial Electrics in the Doomed Commercial Area.

The number is unusually long, even for a long-distance call.

It seems strange that she would give Harry her new number.

It's also strange that, no matter when you call, she has just woken up. It is always the same time.

Evidence that it is real:

She does not want to talk to us.

She is with someone else.

(Of course, this could be Harry's imagination.)

She responds to whatever we say. For better or for worse.

You can read more proof for/against it in the original post here. Credit to /u/dudu4789 and all the people who responded.

To be honest, it never even occurred to me that the call might not be real. I need to know now. What do you think?

[ritual---impulse]

The way the Pale is described, I can't help but think of Michael Biberstein's works:

[jjangredpanda]

[ssweetiebop]

Things I would like to see written more, or would write about if I could write featuring Disco Elysium:

- Harrier Du bois is a Innocence ! It would start out very subtly, with Kim catching Harry just seemingly not breathing, of course his first concussion would be that Harry’s heart must’ve just stopped, que panicked moments where Kim shakes Harry awake or semi freaks out whenever he sees Harry napping at work or just sleeping in general, because Harry is just not breathing. (Because it’s stated in game that apparently Innocence’s are said to not even breathe, they just eternal like that.) or maybe Harry just makes one too many predictions that are scarily accurate which really fucks with Kim as he entertains the idea of Harry being an Innocence, like he doesn’t believe it, but it’s a entertaining thought to ponder until Harry’s lungs suddenly glow out of nowhere, maybe Harry doesn’t notice himself or Kim convinced himself it was a trick of the light… just alot of second guesses and whatnot!

- Harry dating (and it’s not Kim) Harry, after finding out about his sexuality and finally coming to terms to it — decides it’s time to head back into the dating scene! Maybe Harry just ASSUMES Kim is taken already because I mean… it’s Kim! Kim is so cool! Of course he has a partner! (He doesn’t.) and Kim is just like wow my lungs are burning with hurt right now. Kim painstakingly supporting Harry but also dying inside hearing about all of Harry’s dates and partner(s). I just want jealous Kim honestly. Or even possessive Kim teehee… like Kim overhearing Harry has a date tonight and before Harry himself can tell him Kim abruptly asks if Harry wants to hang out tonight, wanting Harry to choose him over his date, even sweetening the deal by saying he has alot of plans of *insert literally all of Harry’s favourite activities and also maybe Kim confessing or being willing to let Harry do XYZ for once* Harry of course just blurts out ‘YEAH ILL HANG OHT WITH YOU!!’ Without thinking and is like oh shit I have a date tonight. Oh god. Do I blow my date off or Kim?? Kim realllyy smug when Harry chooses him all while acting innocent. Even “scolding” Harry when Harry admits he choose Kim over his date. Just small moments where Kim feels guilty for sabotaging his dates but also just can’t help it, he keeps purposefully somehow ruining the relationship. Of course he feels really guilty but Harry will forgive him because it led to them finally dating. Maybe Kim takes it too far or EVEM GETS CAUGHT ACTIVELY TRYING TO RUIN HARRY’S DATES and for the smallest second Harry sees Kim as some sort of jerk (sorta rightfully so!) and gets mad at Kim until later he thinks about WHY Kim was doing that.

- Body swap au ! I know there’s already some of body swaps out there, but I want more! Like the idea of Kim hearing Harry’s skills and being like ‘This is what Harry is forced to hear all the time? It’s so noisy…’ and then Harry being like ‘wow it’s so… quiet… I don’t like it! I miss my friends!’ BUT ALSO!!! BUT ALSO!!! People always do Harry and Kim! I want to see some more variety! Hell even just adding Jean to the mix sounds so fun! Jean waking up at Harry and just being absolutely mortified. I think it would be funny if the skills know right away that the person in Harry’s body right now isn’t Harry, and are deathly quiet during those first few minutes when Jean first wakes up Harry’s body, until… let’s say perspective or reaction speed helps Jean stop a mug from falling and Jean goes very still at the sound of their voices. Harry in jeans body… or maybe KIM in Jean’s?! Oh Kim would be absolutely checking himself out in the mirror (and delighted at how he can SEE!!! WITHOUT GLASSES!) before catching himself and scolding himself to be more respectful. And I think we all know how Harry would be in Kim’s body…

- Furry Elysium ! Look… here me out. we all agreed that Harry and Kim have a very dog + cat dynamic — or at the very least it’s fun to draw them as animals! But alas… I have seen almost ZERO fanfics about them as actual animals/animal-like features! I want to explore a world like disco elysium filled with animal hydrids! … do you think Jean would be a horse? Or a bird like his name suggests? Would Harry actually be a dog or would he be something else? I feel like Kim being a cat or cat-like is perfect BUT if you think of another animal Kim would fit lmk!

- THEM AS KIDS !!! BUT, BUT… I want them to turn into kids! How? Idk! The pale did it maybe?! It doesn’t have to make logical sense. Maybe they remember their adults self maybe they don’t. I just want someone to hold Harry when he’s a toddler… he deserves some soft parental love… or Jean waking up as a teenager and being absolutely pissed because of it… MAYBE they all are different ages, Harry a toddler, Kim a little boy, Jean a teenager. Or just the classic one-person-magically-turns-into-a-toddler-and-then-the-remaining-adults-have-to-come-together-to-take-care-of-said-toddler.

- Kid fic OR parent fic I know I just mention kids but this time I want one of them to HAVE a kid. Of course Kim would likely be excluded from this biological wise but adoption works too! I just like the idea of of Harry being a father or Jean awkwardly holding a youngster or Kim looking around to see if he’s alone before cooing at a cute little kid. Harry would have a blast dressing the baby up. Also imagine just Harry walking into work with a baby strapped to him on day and Jean just spits out his coffee like WHAT is HARRY doing with a baby?? And Harry is just like ‘this is my baby! And you’re the godfather… kinda rude of you to not know!’ I read some kid fics and they were so, SO sweet.

- MAGICALLY TURNING INTO AN ANIMAL ! Yes. We are pulling out ALL the classics. It doesn’t have to be a cat but I WILL be using a kitty here. I’m so sorry this one is the longest. I wanted a fic like this for so long so please allow me to ramble my ass off:

They can’t change back… or maybe when they do change back to being a human it’s not their choice! Think of ‘A Whisker Away’ type of situation. Kim waking up as a kitty absolutely terrified and thinking the one person who would be able to tell it’s him would likely be Harry, right?! Like he gets premonition and predictions and insights all the time! Surely Harry will immediately know it’s Kim! …. Harry does not know or find out actually. Harry just immediately scooping Kitty-Kim once he ‘gains it’s trust’ (but really it’s just Kim stuck between indecisiveness of just running back home or not and trying to figure this out on his own because he already trusts Harry!) and Kim allowing himself for ONCE in his life to be held and loved and pampered and cooed at without shame. BUT I also love the idea of this happening to the others too, like Harry immediately using this to get to know what Kim is like behind closed doors, feeling guilty but also just can’t help but still go and try to get adopted by Kim (newsflash, it takes FOREVER for Kim to finally let Kitty-Harry inside his apartment, and even LONGER for Kim to officially adopt Kitty-Harry, (bonus points if Kim is still in/at precinct 57) but then ! Kim wants to introduce Harry to his cat! uh-oh! Kitty-Harry also kinda afraid of Jean’s reaction to Kitty-Harry but going to be nosy anyways and turns out — Jean is a big animal lover! It barely takes any convincing for Jean to decide to adopt Harry. Harry feeling jealous that he doesn’t get this soft side of Jean but also gives Harry a new perspective on Jean overall. Que Kitty-Harry awkwardly being owned by two of his friends and THEN also imagine them both talking about the cat they own and finding out it’s the same kitty and they both feel sorta backstabbed(?) or are like ‘wow my/our cat isn’t loyal…’ Jean as a Kitty sounds very amusing… just hissing and very annoyed that they don’t clock it right away that it’s him! Knocking over mugs to get their attention and whatnot, getting scolded and put in kitty jail.. :( !

- SWAP AU! Do I really have to go into detail here? I love the idea of a ‘very, very sane’ Harrier du bois and just an absolutely pathetic failure of Kim Kitsuragi in the swap au… shout out to @/Danielcalmdown0 on Twitter for the new perspective/dynamic on this au!! Kim doesn’t own the kineema in this au because they gave it to a more dedicated officer and Kim is just… absolutely heartbroken over it, but also a bit petty and jealous like ‘I WOULDVE TAKEN CARE OF IT THE BESTEST!’ I wish people discussed Jean and Harry’s relationship in this au more though! I like to think in this particular au they would have a bit of a more father-son dynamic?? MAYBE? not necessarily father-son, but something close for sure, just older figure Jean looks up too… (Maybe Harry baby’s or coddles Jean too much in this au and it PISSES Jean off.) would he still be his brooding self?! Let’s just say yes. I think Jean would have a bit of a crush on this Harry, of course he denies it to himself but it’s there, until Kim joins the picture then its pathetic loser vs pathetic loser and Harry wanting them to be friends but it doesn’t really work to much at first… they figure it out later though. IDK! I have a lot of ideas! And a lot of them contradict eachother!

I have alot more ideas. But I been typing for far too long so I’m gonna call it wraps. If you read the entirety of this I love you. AND if you’re a writer… and you get inspired by ANY of these and if you write it?? Please let me know! I would love to read it!

[f1rewalk3r]

Do you think Joyce Messier stands on her boat all day never moving or doing anything just staring into space

she’s canonically exposed to the pale “up to the gills.” she’s “over-radiated by the past.” like far more than most people in elysium or revachol. i think it’s extremely likely she’s standing on the boat never moving just tripping balls remembering the past. staring into space, reliving someone else’s memories of the revolution and the beauty of life in the commune. then harry asks her for money or something, snapping her back to the reality she plays a huge part in sustaining. she’s batshit crazy. just better than everyone else at hiding it by way of being bourgeoisie.

[hypomixolydianmode]

Thinking today about the Pale as a collective unconscious mind. All of humanity's unrealized thought. Unaccessible, but in constant communication.

[mercuriobebop]

"it's not Dolores Dei nor Dora Ingerlund, but a monster of your own invention"

Typography from the PJÕL titles I experimented doing, and WIPs under the cut

EDIT: second version (TW body horror)

[katt1281]

Somewhere, a worker in the Pale takes off their helmet and surrenders themselves to what lies beyond a porch collapse. Rather than death, their head fills with disco lights. Images of a crumbling marriage and drunken police work hound them, even long after they’ve been retrieved and sent home. These memories are not theirs, yet they hold onto them nonetheless...waiting for the true owner to one day come get what he’s lost.

heya! this is just a lil oc ive been thinking about. tbh there's a lot i don’t really get about the pale, but...hey, harrys memories must have gone somewhere, right? i think it would be really cool (and terrifying for harry) if someone knew his entire past. plus i really really like the art for ‘a worker in the Pale’ from the wiki:

also here's a sketch I did to try and get a better understanding of the suit (with some creative liberties taken):

yeah anyways thats about it! if youve read this far ty :3 reblogs are really appreciated, my paintings never do as well as my shitposts unfortunately