#WHY NOW THEY REMIND ME OF IVAN AND TILL-

[kris21sposts]

I was definitely late to this trend... But I did it anyway!

I recently finished watching BSD and loved it, definitely my favorite characters are Akutagawa, Mori, Kenji and Yumeno (Even Kyuoka, I think I identify with her in a certain way)

I also really liked the Sskk ship, they are so perfect for each other that I love them a lot

[sakuraluck]

AJDJAJBDSJDJJD ROUND 6 HAS ME SHAKING AND TREMBLINNG AND CRYING AND MY BRAIN IS ON FIRE THEY KISS AND HE SUFFOCATED AND TILL WANTED TO DIE HE WAS READY TO ACCEPT IT AND IVAN WARRED BETWEEN WANTING TO DIE WITH TILL AND NOT WANTING TILL TO DIE AT ALL AND GOD IVAN REALLY RELEASED ALL HIS INNER DESIRES SO MANY KISSES

[reomikagekin]

Can you make alien stage headcanons where the reader is like a little sister to them but then in one of the rounds boom she dies and their devastated :3

you didn't specify which characters you wanted so I just did the main 4 + luka and hyuna, I hope that's okay!!

"Echoes of a Lost Star"

Till

• Till was always the most gentle with you, treating you like a fragile little thing that needed to be protected. He’d always fuss over you, making sure you weren’t overworking yourself or getting into trouble.

• He saw you as a little sibling he needed to protect from the horrors of Alien Stage. When you died, he completely shut down. His hands shook so badly that he could barely hold a microphone.

• He stopped talking for a while, unable to process the loss. It wasn’t until he saw Mizi trying to comfort him, equally broken, that he let himself cry.

• He never forgot you. Sometimes, when no one was around, he’d whisper your name, as if hoping you’d answer back.

---

Ivan

• Ivan wasn’t the type to show affection, but you were one of the few he genuinely cared for. He wasn’t obvious about it, but he always kept a watchful eye on you.

• He didn’t let many people close, but you were an exception. When you died, something inside him snapped. He’d always been cold, but now, he was ice.

• He kept everything of yours—anything you left behind, any small reminders. He wouldn’t let anyone touch them.

•During his performances, he no longer cared about winning or attention. He was just going through the motions, empty inside.

---

Mizi

• You were like a younger sibling to Mizi, someone she could joke around with and feel a little less alone. She’d always make sure you were smiling, even when things were at their worst.

•When you died, she couldn’t pretend to be strong. She tried, she really did, but her voice cracked during a performance, and she nearly collapsed on stage.

• She hated Alien Stage more than ever after that. Your death haunted her, and no matter how much she smiled, the pain never went away.

• Sometimes, she’d hum the songs you used to like, trying to keep your memory alive.

---

Sua

• Sua wasn’t one to get close to people, but there was something about you that made her lower her guard. She’d never admit it, but she liked having you around.

• When you died, she didn’t cry—not at first. But her performances changed. They became even more haunting, even more intense, as if she was screaming her grief through song.

•Late at night, when no one was watching, she’d whisper something like, “You idiot. Why did you leave me alone?”

---

Luka

• Luka wasn’t the best at expressing emotions, but you were one of the few people who saw past his cold exterior. He let his guard down around you, just a little.

• When you died, he refused to acknowledge how much it hurt him. He convinced himself that attachments were weaknesses, that he should have never let himself care.

• And yet, in the moments when he was alone, he’d find himself gripping his chest, unable to breathe, as if your absence physically pained him.

• He never spoke about you, but anyone who looked into his eyes could tell—he had lost something irreplaceable.

---

Hyuna

Hyuna adored you, treating you like her own sibling. She was always ruffling your hair, cracking jokes, and making sure you were okay.

When you died, she lost a part of herself. She blamed herself for not being able to protect you, for not doing more.

She drank more after that, trying to numb the pain. But no amount of alcohol could bring you back.

She made sure no one forgot you. She spoke about you often, reminding others that you existed, that you mattered.

[ivanttakethis]

WHAT R UR FAV ALNST THEORIES/ ANALYSES!?!?!!

GREAT QUESTION ANON!!!

These my favorite theories in no particular order, with some of my own personal theories mixed in.

Most of these are about Ivan, but he’s my favorite character so yeah lol.

Long post under the cut. Let’s go!!

1. IVAN IS ALIVE (yes, the capitalization is necessary)

I believe this one for a few reasons:

- We haven’t seen any official art about Ivan’s death (which is inch resting imo)

- At one point, there was a post/comment/rumor that Vivinos/QMENG (not sure which) said no one else was going to die after Sua (of course now I can’t find where I initially saw this, so take it with a grain of salt). This could’ve been said to mislead us or maybe they changed their minds later on, but I’m still holding onto this — assuming the statement was made/is true.

- Ivan didn’t get shot in the head. If they wanted to kill him to stop him from “hurting” Till, why waste bullets on shooting him several times in non-lethal places when they could’ve just sniped him one time in the head or neck and been done with it?

- Ivan’s owner Unsha is an alien underworld mobster who has a rivalry with Till’s owner Urak. I don’t think Unsha would take Till (and by extension Urak) “winning” Round 6 in the way he did lightly enough to let Ivan rest without a rematch. But maybe he’s not as petty as I would be idk.

- I’m delusional 🙂

2. Luka isn’t branded.

- This is one of my theories. I think Luka doesn’t have his name branded anywhere on him because he was grown in a lab.

- If the aliens are capable of growing humans, they probably also have the ability to “edit” or design them however they wish. They could’ve made Luka into the perfect Alien Stage contestant: beautiful, musically talented, charming, eternally youthful, but also cunning and cutthroat.

- I think they made him obedient on a fundamental level, more obedient than Ivan or Sua. It’s part of his DNA.

- He’s incapable of rebelling, so there’s no need to brand him. There’s no need for a reminder of who’s in charge because Luka wouldn’t step out of line in the first place.

3. Sua was turned into an android.

- Based on this official art that continues to haunt me.

- Also this post about Vivinos saying Sua will appear again “no matter what form she takes” makes me go hmm 🤔

- If Mizi and Hyuna get captured, I could see android Sua being brought in to break down Mizi as some sort of psychological torture method. (Wow, that got dark. Anyways…)

4. Ivan will appear in the 10th video in the series.

- I talked about my reasoning behind this theory here, but to summarize: the three numbers in this pic with Ivan could represent Round 3 and Round 6, which he appeared in both, and the 10 could represent him appearing in the 10th video in the series. This also ties into theory #1 on this list (IVAN IS ALIVE)

- This is one of my favorite theories because it gives me big “cork board and red string” conspiracy vibes lol

5. Ivan has a connection to the wagyeins.

- Based on the official art we have of Ivan being close with a wagyein as a child. I did a mini-analysis about their relationship in this post.

- Ivan also has some of similarities to the wagyein that we don’t see in any other humans (red pupils, sharp tooth, etc.)

6. Ivan was experimented on.

- Another one of my personal theories is that Ivan was experimented on, though not to the extent that Till was.

- This might explain why he was able to tank like three bullets without flinching much in Round 6.

- And also why his blood might be a different color, as mentioned in this post.

Finally, and perhaps most devastatingly:

7. Till did look at Ivan, he just didn’t notice.

- I think Ivan is an unreliable narrator who is deeply self-deprecating and always sees the worst in himself. And because both Round 3 and Round 6 focused heavily on Ivan’s perspective, we as the audience end up seeing the world how he saw it, rather than how it actually was.

- Ivan thinks that Till never noticed him, but I think he did. Just— not when Ivan was looking. There’s some art/screenshots to back this up too (his eyes being closed in some of these 😭).

Those are all my favorite theories as of now, but I’m sure there’ll be more in the future.

Thank you for the ask anon!

[verdantlights]

Theory time for when you have the time and energy!

Everyone is a little (understandably) delulu about Till being alive in the new art, but my artist brain did a very uncanny theory.

What if the reason Till uses the wrong hand and doesn't have the branding is... Because that isn't Till at all? What if it's Io?

There's also a weird upside down blue triangle between Till's hand and his cheek, basically would've been the reflection of the Till in the mirror. I don't know what's up with that and why it's there but it bothers me, like it's a fragment taken out of a puzzle and matches the background more than the colors used on Till himself.

okay hi im here my gears have been working

im using you to start my own ramble anon thank you i love you anon

also the blue triangle is uhhhh the bandage over tills nose on that specific design

ANYWAYS BRINGING BACK MY PURGATORY THEORY (rolls in whiteboard)

okay so remember the first friday after round 7? this one?

yeah. yeah were bringing this back.

you can clearly see lines in the back showing the false sky, clouds, and trees of ANAKT.

till has an IV hooked up to him and he's still tagged. we would still be able to see his brand from this angle, but there isnt one there.

now we look at todays drop

whats in the background? a false sky and clouds. where is tills brand? nowhere to be found. hes still in his round 7 fit, but he only has one hand up on the "mirror" ...and its not even the correct hand as you said anon

both ivan and sua have both of their hands up and are looking at us with blood on them, representing their "deaths" (i put death in quotes cause i refuse to believe any of them are dead ahahahahshahdnahagabwmde theyre not dead guys!!!!!)

till is not facing us, and we cant see au till's face either.

till is most likely in some sort of purgatory, he has one foot out the door/one foot on deaths doorstep. that purgatory is the Great Anakt.

as for ivans, his background has the pink hearts. that probably is just. him dying for the one he loves. im a bit unsure about ivans honestly. i will say that both faces arent covered at all. yes ivans eye is covered by his hair, but his face still isnt obscured by perspective. he bared his whole heart for till

now as for sua... blinks my eyes autistically at you about the android sua theory.

okay so listen. sua is partially covered in the back, and her body is turned in a way so that her other hand is obscured. we know shes still using both hands though because we can see her elbow. so why is she partially obscured? because bababababababaa aaaaa android. or the theory that sua will come back "wrong"

the sua in the back honestly reminds me of my september. like genuinely i get my september vibes from the sua in the back. shes so uncanny. she looks lifeless but still.... somehow alive. and the real sua looks like she knows. she knows something while also being sad or melancholy.

its terrifying tbh.

thats all i have i might come back with more cause im p sure i forgot a few thinfs

im just like. whats getting me is that they uploaded a day early. are we getting a double upload?? cover maybe??? teaser??? idk

[xingchens-eyeballs]

OKOK GUYS OH MY GODDDD I JUST WATCHED ALIEN STAGE ROUND 7 AND WHAT THE FUCK?? IM ACTAULLY CRYING RIGHT NOW I HAD TO GET UP AND LIKE SCREAM INTO A PILLOW I CANT DO THIS ANYMORE

this is gonna b a long one guys i need to rant about it sdfjhsdjkfhs

spoilers under cut :3

Firstly, IVAN??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??

ALSO YALL WERE RIGHT LUCA DID REMIND TILL OF IVAN OMG THATS ACTUALLY SO FOUL

he looks so good tho ngl id smash

AND MIZI?? PLEASE YOU WERE SO CLOSE

I CANT BELIEVE HE DIED?? AND MIZI MOTIVATED HIM TO SING AT THE END TOO OH MY GOD I AM NOT OKAY

HAVE YALL SEEN THAT ONE POST EITHER ON TIKTOK OR ON HERE I FORGOT WHO ITS BY BUT THEY WERE SAYING THAT TILL IS A VERY PASSIVE CHARACTER FOR SOMEONE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT REBELLION AND THEY ARE SO RIGHT TILL IS SO INFLUENCED BY THOSE AROUND HIM, LIKE LUKA AND ALSO THE IVAN PICTURES DID ACTUALLY MAKE HIM HALLUCINATE/REMEMBER IVAN AND THAT MADE HIM UNSTABLE LIKE HE DID TO MIZI BUT THEN MIZI SNAPPED HIM OUT OF IT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE 😭😭

but look at his adorable blushy face when he sees mizi 🥺

ALSO THE ROUND 6 KISS SCENE?

WHAT

AND THIS? ITS LUKA GUYS ITS LUKA MAKING TILL HALLUCINATE THAT HES IVAN, LUKAS JUST A FREAK WHY DOES HE DO THAT EVERY DAMN ROUND???

its kinda interesting though cuz seeing ivan makes till have the same reaction as he did when mizi saw sua in round 5 DOES THAT MEAN TILL FELL FOR HIM??? jkjk guys im not that delusional but i do think that luka just likes to take advantage of grief maybe the aliens like it or something and thats why luka chose to imitate ivan and not mizi, because till still has hope for mizi he didnt see her die in front of him like ivan

YALL WERE KINDA RIGHT THO WITH THE LUKA SWITCHES BETWEEN MIZI AND IVAN THEORIES, LUKA CHANNELS IVAN AND THEN MIZI SHOWS UP IN PERSON TO INFLUENCE THE ROUND

LETS TALK ABOUT THIS TOO CUZ WHAT??! THIS SHIT MAKES ME MENTALLY ILL

anyways i dont think alien stage is over though there will be another episode to tie together the loose ends trust we're gonna have hyuna v luka and then lukas gonna get a taste of his own medicine fr

LIKE LOOK AT THIS ENDING FRAME ON EVERYONES SOULS ITS HYULUKA ROUND 8 FORESHADOWING

[atrophiedemotion]

ivan

im always down for an excuse to talk about ivan, thank you anon :3

Why I like them

ivan and his thought processes are just completely intriguing to me. as someone who loves media analysis, ivan is kind of like a big puzzle for me to try and put together (i say lovingly). i was drawn to him initially because of how melancholy and hopeless he seemed to be, and that despite him seeing his feelings for till as futile and shallow, he still wanted to express them in whatever way he could. i just love how,, full of love he is, even though none of it is self love. it's like he's overflowing with excess love that should be for himself but isn't, i guess. it's very interesting.

Why I don't

put simply, he reminds me too much of myself LMAO. the fact that he is ultimately his own downfall makes me want to shake him by the shoulders until he gets it, but story-wise that's actually something i love about him too.

Favorite Lyrics

notice my pain / and mend me right now

to quiet my fears / i'll drown in you

Favorite frame/screenshot

Favorite outfit

his costume for black sorrow. i know it's covered in brands and was heavy for him to wear (lmao) but it just feels. so ivan to me, brands and all.

Favorite official art

this comic page. there is SO MUCH emotion on his face here. it's the real him, jealous and yearning for a connection, for someone to love and understand him.

(the bleeding hearts photocard is a close second)

Favorite canon fact

i love the ones that soften up our view of ivan, like the fact that he loves sweet food and his cutesy handwriting. in particular i think my favorite is the fact that he organizes his notes in a way that he thinks would help till understand lmao. it could be insinuating that ivan helps till study (which is very nice- contrasting his self belief) or it could just be showing us how much he thinks of till and incorporates him into his day to day life, which is. actually really sweet :(

Favorite straight-up-not-canon headcanon

ivan has aspd (antisocial personality disorder). it's canon tho dw i am vivinos

Favorite song/cover

black sorrow, definitely. just the song itself says SO MUCH about ivan and his character. that writing room went off

Song I want them to cover

BLINK GONE. make that song a little slower, slightly brooding, and overall haunting. i think pbh would do GREAT at that. also a full unknown cover bc pbh's little blurb was soo good

[missinconsistent]

Some ivantill fans are pissing me off. Till was not the main character of Alien Stage. Mizi is. They're acting like Final was disappointing because it wasn't about Ivan when 1) round 6 already closed that chapter and 2) stop neglecting Till's feelings for Mizi.

It has been established since Till's introduction that he loves Mizi and she was his driving motivation. It doesn't mean Till didn't care about Ivan. If he didn't, then Luka's mind tricks wouldn't have worked. But what narrative purpose would it show to show more ivantill flashbacks?

It makes sense that seeing Mizi helped spark some life in Till for a moment and relieve him of the pain Luka was reminding him of. The final flashback being the moments between Till and Mizi and not Till and Ivan make sense because Mizi is the one losing Till now. And I feel like some people forget that Mizi and Till were friends, and Mizi meant A LOT to Till.

I also get why some didn't like the pacing of Final, but also the point of the song "Blink Gone" is basically about how life could disappear in the blink of an eye. So it does make sense that Till's death was short. Also, I don't know how much story you expect Vivinos and Vivimeng to squeeze into one music video.

Finally, while you're allowed to have your opinions on the latest episode, please be careful with what you say. I already saw a tweet saying they didn't like how *Vivimeng* handled Ivan when she has already been harassed by Alnst fans because of ivantill to the point of deleting social media. She has clarified that the story has mostly been under Vivinos direction, so enough blaming her for anything related to Ivan or Till. The same goes with Vivinos.

If you're upset about your pair not getting the amount of screen time you wanted, go look at fanart or read fanfiction, or make your own. Don't give the creators a hard time for writing the story the way they wanted to.

[redrandomposts]

Hello I’m the anon from the abo Ivan dies timeline ask u just responded to (btw I see everyone is like picking emojis so can I be 🖤?)

my first idea is that post death they eventually get approached to do a documentary about his life and death (maybe go like increase awareness about the complications that killed him so more people can be safe) and all of Ivan’s loved ones get interviewed- and I just, I wonder what they would say !! What words would they put to him?? And how does Till sum up all his mixed feelings into one interview

also I was thinking about the kids and since no one saw it coming Ivan definitely didn’t update his will- so Till can be extra confused as to why everything went to him instead of some one else. Since he doesn’t know the kids are his yet- he can’t comprehend why he would get all this (all this stuff that normally goes to a mate) I also have a lot of thoughts about single dad till raising two kids all by himself and being floored by how similar they are to Ivan. I do think both kids would look more like till in my head because that means till will never have the solace of seeing those features he loved so much look back at him again

The features that made Ivan - Ivan are gone, Till seethes as he thinks that the kids must look exactly like their father-no their sure because whoever abandoned Ivan had no right to that word-because their resemblance to their mother is completely gone. And till hates it sometimes- sometimes he looks as his beautiful children who have slowly become his whole world and loathes them for daring to look like the awful alpha who caused this mess. The alpha who’s absence arguably killed their mother

and once he knows that the kids are his? He won’t know what to do with himself. Because now he looks at the children and all he can see is himself- and no matter how much he strains to see the pin pricks of Ivan in them- he can’t escape the fact that they are his children. That Ivan died because till failed to be there for him- and that in the scheme of things Ivan’s life is forgotten and only his death remains , he’s remembered as a bright star snuffed out too soon and Ivan’s legacy is nothing but an echo of tills greatest mistake.

but the kids act a lot like Ivan once they are older! They are very curious and smart but aren’t the most emotionally intelligent- and they always have their curious eyes turned on till! Plus they will buy at their lips when they are thinking hard in a way that reminds Till of Ivan’s snaggle tooth (and maybe once they get their adult teeth they with get snaggle teeth of their own) (altho till can wonder with how long it’s been how much of these traits Ivan truly had and how much of it is grasping at straws to make his heart hurt less)

At some point Ivan is just a footnote in Tills story of stardom, and he is only rembered by the world as the omega who produced Tills children, and a title to one of his albums. And it makes till sick. —————————

I went kind of overboard but I hope this isn’t like cringe to send 🫥

xoxo🖤

hey its not nice to hit me with this first thing in the morning 🖤

you have to spare me okay? i was thinking happy thoughts from my happy dream ready to make a nice happy once-in-a-lifetime tillivan au and then suddenly bam documentary never see ivan again even in his children and ivan only being known as an omega.

i refuse! ivan will not only be known as "ivan an omega," because his fanbase is large. alright? and mizi and sua and luka and hyuna and till and everyone else in the whole damn industry won't let that happen! ivan deserves respect!!!

on another note, no its not cringe to send otherwise im a cringey creator... which is bad for the both of us.

guys i think its time to retire dead ivan au. my heart can't take it. i love him too much to just discuss what happens after death.

...in the documentary, it mentions how ivan was briefly a musician who mainly collabed with till, or was apart of till's band at the time. and till breaks down when he realizes that ivan learned the piano, and maybe the guitar, to play it for him and with him.

[mindpalaceofmyown]

THE SONG BEING ABOUT LEAVING PAST BEHIND IS INSANE. everybody confornts their past and feelings for each other throughout the series. not luka. NOT LUKA. him facing hyuna at the end and the video cutting is such a cinematic choice ok. this is really what this lead to.

ivan and till

first off; tills hair is styled the same way as ivan's in round 6. till is wearing a white outfit in the final. notice how tills clothes get progressively lighter as he approaches the final. notice this with other characters. are they implying something about unrequited love between the characters? YES. notice how their behavior towards the love interest is different showcasing the difference in their personalities: ivan makes a last ditch attempt to show his love (ditching the competition and kissing till. then dying bleeding from his mouth (symbolism????)) and till seeing mizi in the crowd and also running towards her but not reaching her in time urghhhh. this may MAY imply the variance in strength of feeling also. ivantill to tillmizi is like a double bond is to a resonance form double bond. almost there but still slightly weaker because of the nature in which it appears. chemistry.

ALSO THAT ONE FUCKING SCENE WHERE LUKA IS IVAN BUT IVAN AND IVAN AND TILL screaming crying throwing up

till and mizi

mizi gives till strength so he runs off and reaches towards her but is too slow. so notice: till runs, doesn't reach her, dies in her arms. ivan runs, kisses till, dies by himself. so what does this say about the strength of their feelings towards each other? :3

luka

this blond bitch gets a whole separate section BECAUSE:

1. slutty outfit.

2. plays violin.

3.THE RINGS HELLO???? he already had bad circulation what was that about huh imagine this a metaphor for the control his guardian has over him. restrict his already weak part even more <- mental illness. this is so reflected in the ending where hes facing hyuna. he won the battle but lost the war.

4. CONTINUING: observe how luka was turned from a child, with expressed feelings, forced into something he had to do and losing that expression as he aged. yes. this is why he gets his section. this man is just like me- i mean what. facing hyuna at the end, his expression is just i would rather die than see you again and be reminded. remember when he was performing with mizi, he was sassy towards hyuna, assuming thed always be separated by some barrier. but theyre not. now he has to actually consider the feeling locked far away. oooo

5. THE WAY HE IVANED JUST LIKE HE SUAD FOR MIZI

overall the animation music so cruchy and smooth and vocal really good urghhhh. @fishyizm wrote abt this more i think

[aventurineswife]

—–· Alternate Universe (From my Alien Stage AU):

—· An alternate universe, where Till managed to survive the final round, but is left with after-effects, becoming permanently mute. Shortly after, his product arrives, from him and Ivan. J —| ☄️| –· My Little Star:

—- …The first time we met, I felt disgusted with you. I didn't feel disgusted by his memory, not by you. Your eyes reminded me of his. Something I didn't want to remember, linked to the least desired memory.

—- Even when I tried to deny your existence, you still approached me and placed my hand on your head. I understood what you wanted but quickly pushed you away. But you remained persistent and began to follow me. Even when I let you fall and didn't help you, while you were crying, I felt the need to go to you. But… You shouldn't exist. I can't fully understand you. I treated you badly, but you still wanted my attention…

—- Soon, you began to cry a familiar melody. I felt terror and panic. Where did you learn that? You shouldn't know that. I felt terror mainly because you shouldn't have to experience what I suffered throughout my past. On the other hand, I felt fear because I didn't want to lose. You're the most precious thing I have. Why should you participate? If you could… [#####], I really didn't wish that for you.

—- You would deserve better, but you seemed so happy when you cried that familiar melody that I couldn't help but take that feeling of joy away from you, even though it would only last a short time. So I tried to continue crying with you as best I could, even though it meant having an unbearable pain in my throat.

—- You know? I could never truly understand you, but I felt a slight flutter in my heart when I saw you smile at me or seem happy when I paid attention to you. I'm truly sorry to know that at some point I'll be separated from you. I really don't wish that for you… But how could I avoid that? You'll always be my little star, you know? I vaguely remember that he liked to watch them. I guess that's why I started calling you that in my mind, my little star…

—–· Fact: Silver would canonically be a daddy's boy (Till), if Till were still alive.

What do you think of this dedication from Till to Silver?

And what do you think Ivantill would think about this Till? Although there's no explicit mention of Ivan, it's noticeable that there were parts where they were talking about him.

—–· [ 🌻☀️ ] anon.

This is so incredibly bittersweet—it’s gut-wrenching, tender, and painfully beautiful all at once. The way Till struggles with his emotions toward Silver is so raw; it’s not that he hates Silver, but he can’t separate him from Ivan, from the pain, from the memories he never wanted to face again. That line— "Your eyes reminded me of his. Something I didn't want to remember, linked to the least desired memory." —that alone says everything about his internal conflict.

But despite everything, Silver still reaches out to him—even when Till pushes him away, ignores him, refuses to acknowledge him. There’s something so tragic yet deeply human in that. Till wants to reject Silver’s existence, but Silver refuses to be rejected. And eventually, Till breaks. The moment Silver sings that melody, it’s like all of Till’s walls crumble at once. He’s terrified—not just for Silver, but for himself, because he knows exactly what that song means, what it leads to.

And still, despite the pain, despite everything, he sings with him. Even when it physically hurts him, when it brings back every agonizing memory of his past, he still tries. Because Silver is his little star. And that line— "I'm truly sorry to know that at some point I'll be separated from you." —it’s devastating. He knows this happiness is temporary. He knows Silver will be taken from him just like everything else.

But even then, for now, he holds onto him.

It’s so beautiful and heartbreaking, because this is the closest Till has probably ever come to love. And yet, he’s already mourning the moment it’ll be taken away from him.

As for Ivantill… Oh, God. If Ivan could see this version of Till, he’d be completely wrecked.

Till surviving but becoming mute, hollowed out by trauma, unable to sing ever again—that alone would destroy Ivan. But seeing Till struggling with fatherhood, trying so hard not to love Silver, yet ultimately failing and loving him anyway? Ivan wouldn’t know how to handle it.

And the way Till talks about him, even without naming him—it’s impossible not to feel his presence in every word. The fact that Silver’s existence is so deeply tied to Ivan that Till can barely look at him at first? Ivan would ache at that. He'd feel guilty, knowing that his memory is still haunting Till, even in another life.

But at the same time? I think a part of Ivan would be proud. Because despite all the pain, Till is still capable of love. He’s still trying. Even if he knows he’ll lose Silver one day, he still loves him. And I think that would mean everything to Ivan.

(I teared up a bit, wtf...)

[verdantlights]

YOUR TILL ART IS FRIKIN AMAZING!? HOW DID YOU GET THE POSING SO ON POINT, THE ANGLE OF THE FACE, THE TEEEEETH

Amazing

I'm also here to ramble about something arguably meta oops

What if Mizi's hair is a connection for Ivan and Till? This isn't just Ivantill narrative, but rather, her role in their lives!

We see several arts of Till holding the strand of Mizi's long hair, and the new Vivinos instagram image has Ivan brush a similar strand of hair over his lips/nose.

But in one of the alnst Friday arts, we see Ivan practicing/copying Till's guitar notes in the air while Mizi is sleeping on him. Her hair notably is splayed out, but Ivan isn't touching it.

Before I make the connections, let's also look at WHEN Mizi's hair gets shorter.

That happens in All-In, during the infiltration mission into Alnst, right before Round 6.

Now! With all the pieces set, here's the theory:

Mizi's hair signifies life itself. In round 1, her hair was tinted blue at the tips, almost eerily similar to Luka's fingers. In round 1, Sua sacrificed herself for Mizi.

Her hair remains tinted blue at the edges in Round 5, when she comes dangerously close to death herself, since she's at the whims of Luka there.

To note: Her hair had no blue tips during her time in Anakt Garden, from what I've noticed.

Till is notable holding onto Mizi's hair, like his red string of fate and yet hope too. It's his will to live. He grasps onto it the way he had idolized Mizi in part, yet he would never do that if she's next to him (see the flashback in FINAL).

How is Ivan involved in all this? I feel that Mizi's hair shows us memories of both Ivan and Till (I hope this will make sense, trying to explain the connection my art brain already did is hard).

Since Mizi's hair was cut in All-In, the link has been broken. Till will now no longer have anything left to hold onto, because the hair is no longer connected to Mizi. We see his resignation in Round 6.

And just the way Ivan was like a best friend to Mizi, and the way he was always more than willing to tease Till and her through his own ways (see the "What does this mean" comic with the whispering in ears and all), the connection to Ivan that connected the three is also broken. Ivan was more of a stand-byer and protector even to Mizi, never too close and never too far, hence the "Mizi sleeps on him while he copies Tills guitar practice".

In round 6, Ivan sacrifices himself for Till. Till is left pulling at strands, literally, because the hair he held onto is connected to nothing.

In round 7, Mizi and Till try to reunite, but the connection was already broken. Till was still pulling at strands, and when he reached the end of them... There was nothing.

Till looses round 7, and Mizi is left to watch.

Both her friends, maybe everyone she knew, was doomed, metaphorically, because she has moved onto a different life.

The short hair is, in the narrative of All-In, meant to represent change, moving forward from the past. This is why it's significant that she had her hair cut off, the hair that held memories of Sua... And her friends. By removing her grief, even if briefly, Mizi as a character has moved on from her past.

This is also meant to represent why you shouldn't dwell on the past. Again, this isn't intentional on Mizi's part, and she's allowed to move on, but now, her past will destroy her.

It's a very interesting deconstruction of grief, and I know a story that represents this just as impactfully! But yes, Vivimeng's work is a deconstruction as it is for the idol industry, and one moment even for AI (only briefly in FINAL, I could go into that if anyone's interested 😭), so I thought these parallels were more than coincidence 😅

now sorry this took me so long to respond to, it was a bit daunting seeing a whole analysis in my inbox, but rereading it just now reminded me that... sua was braiding mizis hair in the new comic. tills comic with Io.

its as if they all clung to mizi and that yeah, her hair was a representation of life itself. its a really interesting view on grief and how its applied in alien stage.

also thank you, and im glad you liked my till usseewa so much!! it was heavily referenced from the original, but i changed a lot and redid the background so that it wouldnt look weird. i just think a song about going against an oppressive controlling system is very tillcore... yaknow?? hehehehe

[karamazovposting]

On the peasant in the snow

Okay so I've been reading and rereading Book Eleven for a while now, which is why this blog is gradually becoming even more Ivan-centric than it already was, for multiple reasons (partially because of my bipolar Ivan essay, but mostly because it's my favorite book out of all of them, it's so interesting to me and gives me so much to think and write about so I don't want it to end) and Ivan does a lot of strange things in there that I've always been able to find an explanation to, mostly because poor guy's going through dysphoric mania and psychosis and I get where he's coming from, but there was one thing that I didn't understand. Until I thought about it a little harder because I felt that it was very important.

The thing is, even if his mental state isn't the best in those moments, the things he does never really striked me as out of character (I'll talk about it in the last part of my aforementioned, and at this point quite famous since I'm constantly mentioning it, essay in the future) because again, I get it, but I felt weird about the way he acts when he encounters the drunk man on his way to Smerdyakov's for his last visit: he's walking in the snowstorm and he sees a drunk peasant who later falls on him, Ivan pushes him away violently and he falls unconscious to the ground; Ivan then thinks to himself that the man will freeze do death and walks away. I didn't really get it at first, but when I did I had to close the book for a few minutes because Ivan Karamazov you bastard you'll drive me mad.

As the man, a short peasant walking in zig-zags while swearing and singing to himself in a husky drunken voice, walks in his direction Ivan feels a very deep hatred towards him and even feels the impulse to knock him down and okay, just Ivan being Ivan, he's like that all the time, but then he leaves him there and wait a fucking minute. Ivan is definitely not someone who lacks empathy, and even if he is more empathetic towards children than he is towards adults by his own admission, he would never let a stranger die just like that, and in the end he indeed doesn't. I decided to go over the description of the man and on the particular verse of the song Ivan hears him sing again, which also echoes in Ivan's head after he hears Pavel's confession: Vanka's gone to Petersburg / I won't wait till he comes back. The man is described in a way that resembles Fyodor; and Ivan (Vanka) went away (to Moscow, not to Petersburg, but still) and Fyodor didn't wait for him to come back because he died and Ivan didn't even make it in time to attend the funeral. And that's when I closed the book; please please please don't tell me Ivan almost left a stranger to die in the snow because he saw his own father in him.

What made me want to scream even more than I already did is how that ends: as I already mentioned and as we all know, on his way back to his place he picks the man up, goes to the nearest house to ask for help and saves the man's life; he even calls and pays for a doctor to make sure he's okay. That is who Ivan truly is and that's why I always say that his words are rarely reliable; he said he was going to kill Smerdyakov, yet we're shown that once again he's just putting up an act and that Father Zosima was (of course) right about him: he's a struggling soul with a noble heart, as he tells Ivan in Book One. He's not like Pavel described him to be during that last visit; he tells Ivan that he's more like Fyodor than any of his children and Ivan agrees, but Ivan's perception of himself is already skewed on its own and Pavel is just another person who didn't understand Ivan. Ivan's actions redeem him and show us his true colors while his words condemn him; he's going to testify against himself at the trial and he decides to save the life of that stranger that reminded him too much of his father, that he wanted dead. Or did he, really?

This was supposed to be a short post but I talk too much, especially when it comes to Ivan; I can't believe the first meta I post that is not part of my bipolar Ivan Karamazov agenda in months still turns out to be about him. I swear that I have things about other characters in my drafts, I just want to be done with that essay first but at the same time I needed a break from it so yeah. The thing that drives me insane about this novel is that it's made of parallels and metaphors and I love stuff like that, so my metas are often about parallels and metaphors. Expect more of them in the future (it sounds like I'm threatening you but I swear I'm not) (maybe).

[storiesbykim1997inerie]

Unlikely love: Aila and Ivan pt 2

But why him? What's so special about him? I've seen that same stoic expression on boxers that Rocky has fought, but I could care less about them. As I scramble to think of reasons why I want to know more, my phone buzzes. It's Tatyana. The text reads: "Pack your bags, we're leaving for Philly." Why are we going to Philly? Don't I have swan lake? Even though ballet isn't the most popular thing, I'm pretty famous because of Rocky. But a surprise interview so close to a performance is unlikely. But I do as I'm told and pack. Tatyana told me that I won't be there for very long, so I pack the bare essentials. She comes in (I gave her a key to my apartment, she didn't break in,) just as I'm assuring myself I don't need my LED therapy mask. Skincare is one of my weaknesses. She comes upstairs, pulls it out of my hands and zips my suitcase closed. "Good afternoon to you too, Tatyana." I say it in Russian with a smirk. In addition to everything else, she taught me Russian. "Oh Aila, always prioritizing beauty." She says with a hint of a smile. "But no time for that now. We have a flight to catch." I follow her out the door and into the waiting taxi. We go through airport security surprisingly quickly. I mean, we have an our till they start boarding. That's Tatyana for you. Always ridiculously early. Even when she took me black Friday shopping we were the first ones there. I start daydreaming. About swan lake, about why I have to go to Philly, but surprisingly not about him. Sergei Vorbyov, my well, I don't if he's my ex, boyfriend. He died two years ago today. He's the him I've been talking about. Usually he's on my mind ever free moment I get. I'd known him since childhood. He came from Russia when I was in first grade. We became friends, but once we started sixth grade, that changed. Well, a lot of things changed then. Two weeks after I started school, my mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. There was still a chance she could beat it, but I stayed hopeful. But one day, she told me she was dying. I didn't want to believe it. I told her that wasn't funny, that she shouldn't joke about things like that. But right in the middle of the lecture I was giving her, she started crying. That's when I knew she was telling the truth. Apaerantly she and Rocky were childhood friends, so I was sent to live with him. But back to what changed between me and Sergei, I had a little crush on him. But one day changed everything. The day I went back to school after mom's death, I was crushed. Everyone new, and even though I'd asked them to just go on like nothing happened, my friends kept asking me if I was OK. I can't blame them, but I justed wanted one aspect of my life to be normal. Every day after it happened, for a good while, everything was a reminder of what happened. Waking up in a bed that wasn't mine, an Italian man on the floor next to me. Rocky coming to sit next to me on the bed, asking me if I was OK before pulling me into a hug, whispering "You're gonna be OK, kid," into my ear. I didn't want to leave school that say, to go back to those reminders. But just when I started walking home, Sergei ran up to me, and asked me if we could walk home together. I said yes, and we did. He didn't say anything, but halfway home, he took my hand in his. That's when I knew I loved him, not just liked him. We stayed friends, but I still loved him. I confessed at sixteen, and dated from then till his death. He moved to New York with me when I got accepted into ballet school, turning down a scholarship that was a lot closer to home. He wanted to be a doctor, but he died before his residency even started. It was a car crash, I was on my period, and went out to get me chocolate. But some asshole hit him head on when he was pulling out if the gas station. I remember the crushing feeling that was too familiar. I remember selling my car, afraid the same thing would happen to me. He's been in thoughts ever since that day. But now I'm thinking about Ivan. And I'm not sure I like it.

[luxmaeastra]

Calcifer stared at her, fingers tightening. He turned away, grabbing the rest of the medication. They were young, it's not anyone would remember this happened.

"What's your name?"

He paused turning to look at Alina, her home rose up behind her. A quiant little place for Outsiders to live, stay in their land and ignore their rules.

But she'd helped heal him hadn't she? She'd hid him in that barn for a week till he'd gathered his strength to find his kin again. He slid his grey eyes to hers.

"Ivan."

He'd given her a different name, Malyn but his Mama used to call him that - her gift, her sheild. Perhaps there was a truth in that name even now. But she saw through that right? Why else ask him again for his name?

"I'm -"

"I don't care and didn't ask."

She glared at him, stepping closer. His light throwing his hackles up.

"Well you're going to learn it. I nearly got in trouble for you. It's Alina. Remember that okay? I'm going to be a famous warrior one day."

------

The hum of war drowned most things out. But he stared at that scar on her hand. She hadn't noticed him talking to one of her brothers.

Cal watched his own kin, they were getting ready to move out. To hit one of the civilian towns to -

He turned away, following her to the treeline, he didn't flinch this time seeing the light. He only smiled and tilted his head.

"So...are you on your way to becoming that famous warrior yet?"

Those days were a distant memory, a world away of the time she had spoken to a boy. It had been a fond memory, one she kept close to her heart the older she became. Her siblings had warned her not to hope, that she probably wouldn’t see him again.

It was funny how war seemed to challenge that, she had sensed him following long before she reached the tree line. A familiar scent, someone she knew. Alina’s hand moved to the blade at her side, her attention remaining upon what was just beyond the tree line.

His words reached her as she turned, his smile disarming in a way she hadn’t expected. Alina tightly pulled her powers back, he wasn’t an enemy - she could tell by what her wore.

A famous warrior? So it was him, it was the boy. Ivan.

“Well, if you ask those who know me and are my friends, they would say yes. If you ask my siblings, they’d say I am just getting into trouble.” She smiled as she turned to face him fully.

“Do you remember what I told you to remember? Or do I have to remind you again Ivan?”

[mcheang]

Juicy Gossip

This is a rough idea inspired by House of mouse

With Chloé always spreading mean gossip, and her infamous reputation, people don’t really believe her anymore. She never has anything to really back her up except photos or facts taken out of context.

Angry at this response, Chloé promises the whole student body that she has a certain juicy gossip (with evidence) about someone that everyone will be talking about for days.

Paranoid, students wonder if they are that someone, and rush to Chloé to explain their side of things.

Marinette: her outing with XY was not a date! They had just been hanging out since Silencer as she had comforted him. Bob is just trying for a romance angle so Kitty Section and Jagged will be more amendable to working with his son. Luckily XY shut him down.

“Or wait, did you find out about my father? I told him sunglasses were a dumb disguise alone. But things are different in Gotham I guess. But please you can’t tell that. My father is serious about privacy issues and he once sued an employee to hell for leaking a Wayne project to the press. If anyone finds out Bruce Wayne is my father, I won’t be able to leave the house for a month. Mostly because he says reporters would probably stake out my place. But do you really want my dad to go against your dad?”

Lila: you know I’m a liar. So what? Who’s going to believe the school bully over sweet, innocent me? Please, if I can turn them against Marinette, I can talk them into rioting at your hotel.

Adrien: it is true. I have a crush on a girl with black hair and blue eyes (Chloé is going to yell and throw stuff) it’s Ladybug. (Oh never mind. Understandable.)

Kim: i have a girlfriend, why would I still like you? (Chloé: I hope not)

Nathaniel: please don’t tell Marc about my crush

Marc: Please don’t tell Nathaniel about my crush

Rose: I pretended to have a crush on Prince Ali so Juleka wouldn’t know my feelings for her. I like Ali, but not in a romantic way, more a hero worship thing, I think you would call it. (Chloé: you skunk-sprayed me over that???)

Juleka: I basically ship Marinette with my brother and really would not like to be part of this Adrien planning project anymore because it just isn’t healthy. She just grabbed my bike to chase after him because he was tutoring Lila (ok, Chloé is worried about her Adrikins now) But I don’t want my brother to be a rebound guy, you know?

Max: sometimes I let Markov do my homework so I can work on my other projects, some of which are about him. If Sabrina can do your homework, why can’t Markov do my work, especially considering I made Markov.

Ivan: I bought a ring yes. But it’s not for Mylène! My cousin is getting married and he wants to surprise his girlfriend, who works at the store. So I have to buy the engagement ring for him.

Alya: I know babysitting is my job, but what my parents don’t know won’t hurt anyone. Besides Marinette and Lila agreed.

Sabrina: I’ve broken the law several times for you. You can’t tell the school. It’ll get back to my dad and ruin him. (I don’t think she regrets breaking into Marinette’s house. She just regrets getting her hand stuck)

Nino: I tried reporting Gabriel to child abuse authorities but Adrien insisted they were misinformed. Up till now, he still doesn’t know I’m the one who called them. (Chloé can’t blame him)

Alix: I was the one who pranked the Owl’s gear. Come on, Kim dared me to. And it’s not like they would have worked anyway.

Aurore: i have an umbrella obsession and because I’m a fan of Adrien’s, I kind of stole Marinette’s umbrella. Just to hold it, I promise. I even returned it before she noticed it was missing! If you ever tell anyone, I’ll get angry, and then you’ll learn about frostbite first hand.

Mylène: I’m scared of a lot of things. Is it so surprising I’m scared of mimes? They remind me of silent clowns. I don’t why my father doesn’t remember this, but this job is his dream and I don’t want him to give it up just because of me.

Chloé is interested and alarmed at the gossip she has learned.

Of course Aurore’s warning and Marinette’s alarm stand out. Chloé doesn’t want to be attacked. But she still holds the cards.

And anyway, she can spread what gossip she chooses.

There’s a lot of love gossip to share.

Mylène and father have a heart to heart.

Ivan is congratulated and he has to keep reminding everyone that he isn’t the one getting married so please stop congratulating him.

Lila is serving detention for bullying Marinette. And while she is a class pariah, other students have also started playing pranks on her in retaliation for lying to them.

Adrien joins thé Ladybug fan club and ignores everyone’s attempts to tell him his father is abusive and overcontrolling

Ms Bustier doesn’t care about who does whose homework so long as it is handed in.

Alix has detention.

Of course Marinette does tell her dad that Chloé now knows about their relationship.

To Chloe’s dismay, Bruce Wayne just bought her father’s hotel and demands she sign the confidentiality agreement after snooping about his daughter.