#and who else is associated with cubes?

[mondglocke]

I just finished the 4.2 Archon Quest and i can't help but continue to be suspicious of Zhongli for being the only version of him to ever exists in Teyvat.

There are the nameless Bard and Venti.

There are Makoto and Ei.

There are Rukkhadevata and Nahida.

and now Focalors and Furina.

Every Archon has some kind of Double or Doppelganger, or simply a Mirrorself - someone who LOOKS and acts like the first or tries to live the former dreams, goals and ideals. They aren't the only one with their face, there were at some point two of them in Teyvat (As if they were twins, but only one remained...well, in case of makoto and ei that's literally what happend but you get it) There already once was someobody conscious with the Face the current Archon wears.

Except for Zhongli. He is the only one with a face that belongs just to him. There is no counterpart or mirror, no friend or sibling, he didnt split himself into two, his face is unique and yet he is also the only one who keeps it hidden in every cutscene...

[talonabraxas]

Metatron's Astrology Cube by Camille Murgue

"We are born at a given moment in a given place and like vintage years of wine we have the qualities of the year and of the season in which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything else." - C.G.Jung

Metatron's Cube

Metatron in Spirituality and Mythology

Before we dive into the world of Metatron’s Cube, it is essential to understand the figure behind this sacred symbol – Archangel Metatron. This celestial being holds great significance in various spiritual traditions and has been mentioned in mythological and religious texts throughout history.

Archangel Metatron is often referred to as the “Chancellor of Heaven” or the “Angel of Life.” He is believed to be one of the highest-ranking angels in the celestial hierarchy, acting as a bridge between humanity and the divine. In Kabbalistic tradition, Metatron is associated with the topmost Sephirah on the Tree of Life, Keter (Crown), representing divine unity and infinite light.

Mythological references to Metatron can be found in Jewish mysticism, particularly within Merkabah (chariot) mysticism and Kabbalah. According to some interpretations, he was originally a human named Enoch who ascended to heaven and transformed into an angelic being. His transformation from mortal to angel signifies his role as a mediator between earthbound humans seeking a spiritual connection with higher realms.

Metatron’s roles and attributes vary across different belief systems. In some traditions, he is considered a scribe who records all actions taken by any soul throughout its existence. In others, he is a powerful guardian angel who protects individuals on their spiritual journey. Some even believe that Archangel Metatron helps souls transition from life to the afterlife.

Metatron’s Cube and the Merkaba

Metatron’s Cube and the Merkaba are two interrelated symbols in sacred geometry, each with unique spiritual significance.

Also known as a star tetrahedron or three-dimensional Star of David, the Merkaba consists of two interlocking tetrahedrons (one pointing upward and one pointing downward), creating an eight-pointed star when viewed from certain angles.

In Hebrew, “Mer” means light, “Ka” refers to spirit, and “Ba” signifies body; thus, the term “Merkaba” encapsulates the concept of a light vehicle that carries our soul and body between different realms or dimensions.

Hidden within Metatron’s Cube lies a three-dimensional representation of the Merkaba.

To uncover this connection, focus on specific intersecting lines within Metatron’s Cube that create equilateral triangles arranged in an upward- or downward-pointing orientation. Visualizing these triangles as part of interconnected tetrahedrons reveals a three-dimensional version of the Merkaba.

This connection between Metatron’s Cube and the Merkaba is another demonstration of how sacred geometry brings together different symbols through common patterns and themes. Metatron is known for connecting humans with spiritual realms, and the presence of the Merkaba in Metatron’s Cube emphasizes this link even further.

Metatron’s Cube and its Spiritual Significance

Metatron’s Cube is rich in symbolism and holds deep spiritual significance. It is believed to represent the divine energy that flows through all creation and acts as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. The interlocking lines and circles symbolize the interconnectedness of all life forms and the unity of the universe.

The cube itself is a symbol of stability, foundation, and structure. It represents the physical world and the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The triangles within the cube represent the divine trinity, the union of body, mind, and spirit, and the balance between the masculine and feminine energies.

As discussed, Metatron, the angel associated with this sacred symbol, is often referred to as the “scribe of God.” He is believed to transmit divine knowledge and wisdom to humanity, acting as a guide and mediator between the human and divine realms. Meditating on or working with Metatron’s Cube is said to invoke his presence and assistance in matters of spiritual growth, transformation, and understanding.

[nyxrev]

The Plot Thickens

almost thought I clicked on the wrong manga

Do not be fooled by pretty faces.

For an agent of shadows, display of emotions is always purposeful.

Void: certified 疑心暗鬼* sneaky ass, wonders if Blast meant to pry about his village, so he prods him back…with crocodile tears(?)

(ready, set, cry)

Mission Blast

get close to him,gather intel about associates, financial flow, unknown technology, can be used for village or not, then get rid of unnecessary elements.

“As you wish”

Meanwhile Blast snores sonorously like an uncle, asleep like a log.

Luna: Void's younger sister, refers to him deferentially as if a master

Ofc it's all related… Void schemes…

Funny how it looks like Blast just accepted pretty lady out of nowhere & life henceforth without an ounce of suspicion. Happily bamboozled.

No clues if Blast knows it's Void's sister yet but I doubt Void reveals it while the mission went on.

Void: his eyes are unreadable…

Maybe he's got no motives to read. Unlike you.

Luna is known to Blast &co. as Maya

She died from combat with a particularly strong ‘agent’ of the cube. And her brother's reaction?

Void: to be eliminated by such circumstances, pathetic.

“I don't even get sentimental about my sister's death. You died because you are weak. It's all your own responsibility.”

“…incompetent bastard…”

Or so he says, while he looks like he is haunted by her ghost.

Maybe he is in denial about grief, maybe he only saw her as a means to an end, a tool for his plan anyway, not as a person. Who knows.

His guilty conscience even suspects Blast knew & let her die to get rid of spies,as the timing of her death was when she delved into crucial details of his circles.

How much did it affect him? Hard to say, he's the calculated unreadable bastard who puts on facades.

Only the weak die, peak survivalist mentality. You only die because you are weak sounds real tough until it happens to yourself.

He may deny it, but I suspect his most useful subordinates still had some value to him… else, why would they appear to him when he was hit with cube vision? And why he didn't go for Blue… surely smb as ruthless as him could if he wanted. He has his reasons, and weaknesses.

Truly apathetic humans do exist,but how far can you stray from yourself & how much can you reject your humanity at the end?

*疑心暗鬼: a bit difficult to explain but it's like, your heart is always so full of suspicion, it becomes plagued by ghosts of endless, often irrational thoughts.

[razrogue]

Unusual OC Associations

Saw this when I was visiting a moot's page and thought it looked fun!

Gan

SEASONING: Ground coriander, sage leaves

WEATHER: Slightly breezy, mostly cloudy day

COLOR: Ruby red

SKY: The sky just before the sun sets fully

MAGICAL POWER: Invisibility

HOUSE PLANT: Aloe or Yucca

WEAPON: Dagger

SUBJECT: Biology and Botany

SOCIAL MEDIA: None

MAKEUP PRODUCT: Lipstick

CANDY: Sour gummies

FEAR: Being trapped with no way out

ICE CUBE SHAPE: Sphere

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVELING: Horse or carriage

ART STYLE: Post Impressionism

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Pixie

PIECE OF STATIONERY: Wax seal stamp

EMOJIS: ✨🌹🫦

CELESTIAL BODY: Planet - Mercury

No obligation tagging: @bhaalbaaby @coldshrugs @griffinsanddragons @we-staybhaalin @phasebun @absansombre @20skai @blackmagickatt @mightymizora @meishuu @the-eldritch-it-gay @covenscribe @antivan-surana @rowanisawriter @grandmother-goblin @tragedybunny @hamethyst @commander-krios @eeldritchblast and anyone else who wants to do this!!!

[galakianexplosion]

Okay so; another little one punch man ramble. {SPOILERS! :D}

This is for the non revised lastest chapters in specific, and the monster association arc.

The parallels between Saitama and Flash,

Originaly from a conversation with my friend @kachikirby , it might be extremly obvious to everyone but id like to speak about it anyways! :D

To elaborate a tiny bit more on this and mostly rephrase ; So both have their own foe to defeat; Saitama with Garou and Flash with Emtpy void (motivated to fight god himself).

Both of their enemies is possessed by said god. And both wanted something out of the other party. Garou wanted to fight Saitama at his best and Empty Void deemed Flash worthy enough to be gifted the same "possession". So to throw both off they needed to get a reaction, something that'd break something inside of them.

Both don't have all that much to look to, even if we know less about Flash, i think it's safe to assume he's lonely and focuses on his strenght. Saitama is simillar, a man so bored with his own strenght.

But, both have someone, now you might add that Garou also managed to kill all other heroes (and more) present near him which certainly did not help Saitama feel better, which i will agree with! But the main factor for the whole state he gets into after stays Genos. (It's also heavily heavily implied/basicaly said that Saitama relies Genos for support and all of that) Saitama recieves Genos' core- his heart.

Now Flash on the other hand, despite his messy fall out with Sonic, said Sonic is really the only one he has. They both were each other's only source of "happiness" during the times when they were in the ninja training thing. They both relied on each other and had a whole dream with each other. They both have a very strong history despite their falling out. And even after that they do still care for one another. So, even with what Flash says to Blast about being soft in the revised version, he too, has a weakness in the form of someone else. Flash receives Sonic's head as his dismembered remains falls in the back. His head is even cut in half. In the middle, horizontaly.

Now, hear me out, im pretty sure there's a connection between God and the brain (as well as psychic powers and the moon but anyways,) and Sonic's head was cut in a way that kept said brain intact. I don't have much on this part right now but i do believe theres a link between all of those things---

Also could it be said that there was Heart and Mind (Reason and feelings) parallels

SO

Sonic's dead was false. It's a projection made from Empty Void to Flash, an illusion to break his spirit. WHICH SUCCEEDED. And broke Flash for long enough to able Empty Void to get the cube to touch him.

Meanwhile, Genos' death was fully real. He was really dead when Saitama fought with Garou.

But all turned out alright for the four of them. Flash got saved by Sonic, who was fully alive and well. And Saitama turned back time which allowed Genos to be alive again (and all the other heroes but you know)

So; both also had similar expressions at simmilar time. Faces shadowed out except for eyes. (Saitama's eyes don't appear on most of the pannels however) But both were clearly in a form of distress over someone they care about dying. They're both well aquainted with Death. They're heroes who kill monsters. And Flash also is an assassin.

It can also be said that they would not really have made it out on their own in some ways. Genos' core being there managed, in some ways, to keep Saitama's brain mostly in check (if you get what i mean). Saitama could probably have been way more dangerous otherwise. And Sonic managed to snap Flash out of the possession before God took a hold of him.

Because in the end, God is a convincing little meanie. Taking the form of someone you trust. (Except in psychos case where she fused with someone already gifted by god i believe) (and that homeless emporor who i believe saw a version of god because he perhaps didn't have anyone close to him.) So Flash did see Sonic, like if all his life and troubles were just a bad dream, he was in front of his childhood friend, in a vast field, being reassured by the other he just saw being cut apart seconds earlier.

And both Flash and Saitama know each other. And both lived trough their first encounter with God next to each other (along Manako)

All of this to say that both their parallels are very dear to me. I wonder what we'll see of it in the revised version!

[councillor-kenric-fathdon]

Hello there! My beloved Oralie suggested I should get [tumblr], and while I’m not 100% sure what a ��[tumblr]” is, everyone else seems to be here, so all’s well, I suppose! By the way, I’m Councillor Kenric, though most just call me Kenric (you can, too!). If you’re interested in saying hi to some of my friends, here they are!

Children to protect:

Sophie - @therealsophieelizabethfoster

Mr Sencen - @keefe--sencen

Mr Vacker - @fitz-avery-vacker and/or @fitzroy-avery-vacker

Miss Vacker - @sparkles-make-anything-better

Mr Dizznee - @dex-the-smart-one

Mr Song - @tam-shade-song and/or @tam-song-the-shade

Miss Song - @linh--song

Miss Heks - @im-just-cooler

Miss Chebota - @the-only-maruca-chebota

Miss Redek - @shut-up-i-will-burn-you

Mr Endal - @flasher-boi-endal

Miss (Amy) Foster - @amy-rose-foster

Mr Babblos - @jensi-babblos-rules

Responsible Adults:

Alden - @alden-dendrick-vacker

Quinlin - @quinlin-sonden

Grady - @not-a-fan-of-that-boy

Edaline - @edaline--ruwen

Elwin - @elwin-at-your-service

Magnate Leto - @magnatetheleto

Juline - @julinekdizznee-off

…

Lord Cassius - @thebestsencen

Fallon Vacker: @fall-on-this-widows-peak

Fellow Councillors:

Terik - @terik-the-councillor

The one to be kept away from Sophie at all costs (Bronte) (jk jk he’s my bestie) - @bronte-the-inflictor

Oralie <3 - @oralie-pretty-in-pink

Emery - @emery-is-a-king

Black Swan:

Squall - @the-prettiest-ice-cube

Blur - @blurrieidentities

Forkle - @norwegian-trickster-god

Tiergan/Granite - @prentices-husband

Livvy - @candies-and-sparkles

Miss Jolie Ruewen - @jolie-lucine-ruewen

Neverseen/ex Neverseen/associated with the Neverseen:

Fintan - @fintan-pyren

The worst mother known to Elfkind - @lady-gisela

Vespera: @vespera-neci-folend

Ruy: @ruy-tonio-ignis

Alvar - @alvar-not-vacker

Glimmer (Rayni) - @little-miss-neverseen

Trix - @trix-up-my-sleeve

Brant - @brant--redacted

Umber - @umberthebettershade

And the rest!

Sandor - @igowhereyougo

Silveny - @therarestprattlespin

Ro - @hunkyhairs-backup

Iggy - @iggy-the-imp

Organizations:

Black Swan - @black-swan-official

Neverseen - @neverseen-official

Foxfire Academy - @foxfire-official

Exillium - @exillium

Matchmakers - @thematchmakingoffice and @the-official-matchmaking-office

The Council - @thecouncil-official

Eternalia's Library - @eternalialibrary-official

Main rp - @kotlc-rp-official

Bonus!

The incredible artist who drew my pfp - @wow-youre-so-pretty

My main - @bookwormgirl123

And that’s everyone! Have a lovely day, everybody!

[aleeyenn]

Fireafy shower thoughts that I realized for this story I'm trying to write #1

I remembered that Firey gave / built Leafy an whole ass ferris wheel for her twice

Now of course, the ferris wheel would lead to the downfall of the two, but ya know, for just for a friend... that seems like a big ass gift and work for just a pal Like Firey doesn't do anything similarly big to any for his other close friends

:thinking:

YES OH MY GOD I THINK ABOUT THIS SO MUCH… and the end part about how firey doesn’t do stuff like that for his other friends… have you ever thought about who his actual friends are? just think about it… everyone he associated with in bfdi were almost just acquaintances… he was super focused on challenges and usually worked more independently when he had the chance He didn’t really make time for friends and stuff.. he had minor friendships with certain people but he mainly stuck to his objective of winning dream island whereas leafy liked to work with people during challenges that didn’t require teamwork (like ice cube and sometimes bubble) or random people she would help during challenges) if you think about it hard enough… leafy was fireys only true friend (at least in bfdi)!!! she was the only one to establish a friendship with firey and it seemed like firey needed that push to see someone as a real friend instead of a fellow competitor (or enemy LOL). she was the only one he ever really stood up for he really really saw her as a friend he has never done any of that for anyone else before either (at least up until then) and he also changed his challenge strategy of independence with her at least a couple times… he stuck with her through the challenge in bfdi 20 (for as long as he could…) and occasionally stuck with her through bfdi 23. firey also really passionately defended her and demanded for her to be back when she died and announcer told him that he sold the recovery centers. and yeah of course the ferris wheel GAH but you already mentioned that! and of course firey saving leafy from her punishment of what they thought would be permanent death even tho they were punishing her for something she did mainly to firey … but to wrap up my point! firey has never expressed compassion the same way he has for leafy with anyone else. she was his only true friend in bfdi she was like the only one he ever really had to consider a friend for that whole season of competition … of course there’s much more to discuss for later seasons but i’ve been typing for like over 30 minutes now so i’m gonna quit HAHAHA SORRYYY there are so many words i am really enthusiatic about them

[spiralinghours]

“Fading Out” (continuation/installment of “Filth”)

Fandom/media: Saw franchise

Rating: R/18+

Pairing: Mark Hoffman x Peter Strahm

Tags/content/warnings: humiliation/degradation, teasing, name-calling, feeding kink, weight gain… a lot of the same from the previous fic

Summary: A canon-divergent continuation where Strahm is alive and well (and didn’t get put in the cube), but does know Hoffman’s identity. Hoffman, meanwhile, is done with the Jigsaw business, too confused by whatever he has going on with Strahm. Low key teasing continues to happen during work hours, which culminates in Mark experimenting on his own at home.

Author’s note: I was gonna add more to this, but it felt long enough and I got impatient haha. I’m not great at long form/chapters because I get bored by the idea, so there’s no set length, but just know this installment is a filler before I churn out the next part.

Enjoy. Or don’t. Make your choice.

So things hadn’t gone as planned, but they seemed to work out. For the time being.

Strahm had strolled—intently stamped, more like—his way out of the meat plant on the night of those simultaneous games, looking the victor, as he gave the exact story he promised he would (blah blah, came in alone, everyone dead but Hoffman, helped him out of the trap, blah blah blah) and reported that Jigsaw, finally, was dead. That was that.

Jigsaw was dead, in more ways than one. Mark had anticipated carrying out the last couple games as John’s dying wish, taking out anyone who put even a slightly inconvenient kink in the grand scheme of it all. But, the blunt truth was John was gone. Amanda was gone. Jill, while probably wanting to respect John’s will, did not have the heart to play murder games. (And this Logan fella… he was never coming back. He had a whole life. Who cared?) Mark didn’t want to associate with anyone left alive in John’s legacy—his fucked up family.

And with Peter knowing the whole smoking truth of it all with some sick fixation and the potential for blackmail, there was no point for Mark to dig his hole deeper. He would tie up the loose ends and move on.

On a formal, procedural, surface level, tying loose ends also entailed wrapping things up with the feds. It was a whole parade of paperwork, exchanging identical manila folders, making the same public statements to major media outlets, and staying caffeinated into the ungodly hours of the morning to make sure all the stories on record were solid.

It meant Peter was still around, digging through the inner sanctum of the precinct like a mite. He was always lurking, and actually focused on his job, to be sure. But at moments when Mark thought he’d look up and make eye contact, or see him walk through his office door, there was nothing.

It was jarring, in fact, how removed Strahm seemed, given the immense tension and lingering promise of their last interaction. Perhaps it was best left that way. But if anything, despite all else—the wet dreams and fleeting, empty want—Hoffman felt the need to confirm some kind of arrangement given what Strahm knew of his identity.

Yeah, that was all it was. Just business, in that sense.

In a completely random occurrence, in the middle of one of the many days hazing into the next, Mark spotted Peter, alone in what was his and Lindsey’s makeshift office watching something on the old TV. It was the tape from when Mark originally interrogated Jill from however long ago—the one Rigg wracked his brain on, watching it on repeat.

Mark could only assume Peter was looping it for completely different reasons, but he let his crass curiosity get the better of him.

“Hard at work?” Mark sort of muttered as he entered the space, cringing at how stupid and generic it came out.

“Yeah,” Peter replied, not even turning to look. It was as bland an answer as if he’d been offered a cup of coffee.

“My tape with Jill have something we missed?” Mark probed on, tilting his head at how Peter rewound the part where he passed in front of the camera, backside in full view. (‘Jesus, I look like that back there?’)

“Just enjoying the view,” Peter replied, tone unchanged.

What a stone cold prick.

He made an obvious point of pausing the spot where Mark had twisted his torso just enough as he leaned over the table, showing at just the right angle the way his belly hung over his belt, past his generous chest. The blue hue of the tape made even his fuzzy visage look very shapely.

“You’re a sick fuck.” Mark was going for a threatening, undercutting slant to his words, but it fell short into something on edge.

“I’m not doing anything sick, stupid,” Peter finally turned around, looking annoyed for barely any reason.

“Enjoying the view? Yeah?” Mark mocked. “You’re a creep, lookin’ at me like that.”

“Who said I was looking at you? Ms. Tuck is pretty gorgeous.”

Mark was well aware that one of the many skills he possessed was passively getting on people’s nerves until he got something out of the situation. But Peter had out-obnoxioused him somehow. Mark shook his head, lips fixing into a dumb pucker, and started to turn away.

“You look fucking fat in this tape.” Peter’s cold voice trailed behind Mark, smacking him and reeling him back in.

“Excuse me? Fuck you.”

Strahm stood up abruptly and got into Hoffman’s face, his eyes drifting momentarily to the open door to make sure Lindsey or Erickson or even some subordinate didn’t pass by. “Why are you taking that as an insult? Looks good on you, big boy. Say ‘thank you’ when you’re complimented.” A rare, menacing smile cracked across his face. “I like having something to hold onto.” He swatted at Mark’s lower belly, just out there, pushing prominently over his belt buckle and badge.

The TV clicked off and Strahm exited the room without another word. He was frequent with sudden, callous departures like that. It left Hoffman standing there, gears visibly turning behind his eyes and a hand reflexively cupping his stomach where he was just touched.

What the fuck?

—

For the most part, Mark had little awareness of his own body and his overall perception. Outside of his hair and his face, he didn’t pay mind to much. He was just there, just a guy. And, over time, he cared less, living a lifestyle where there was so much stimulation, too much to focus on, too much worry, death and dying at every corner…

He never stopped and realized that people looked at him and just saw a “big guy”, let alone found it attractive. That was the part that alluded him. Like the general public, he assumed the stereotypical thing people wanted to rub their hands over were rock-hard abs and sharp jawlines or whatever. All that to say, Mark felt like Strahm was ogling him for the weirdest reasons.

Late into the night, hours after the little tiff about the tape, Mark was still mulling over what had been said. He knew he was thinking too much on it, but that type of interaction was just too specific and new.

He breathed a bored, unfocused sigh and traced around his house, debating on if he was hungry or just frazzled enough to go to sleep. But a weird impulse seeped into his mind as he leaned towards the former.

In a bit of an autopilot state, lightheaded with a tingle up his back, Mark trudged from one side of the kitchen to the next, alternating between grabbing items from the fridge and the two cabinets. Each “dish” (if the senseless piles could even be called that) merited another garnish or more to add to the taste profile. The remaining four slices of pizza needed more protein, so the egg and sausage leftover from the morning were topped on. But then it needed a dipping sauce, so he had to throw a little ranch in there. But all that became too salty-savory, so Mark made a side salad (which ended up being a mixing bowl’s worth) stacked with croutons, cheese shreds, and chips (because they were spicy, and the whole deal could use a little spice). But then after that, a little sweetness made sense to cut through all the cheese, meat, and sauce, so ice cream came next. But it was too frostbitten to dig a spoon in, so he microwaved the pint… maybe a bit too long, as it ended up mostly melted. But hey, that was just a milkshake, right? So into a glass it went, with some extra milk to thin it out.

He was incredibly hungry, sure—more than he realized—but there was a ping, some kind of creeping inspirational spark that kept him going. There was the idea of Strahm watching him eat this way, maybe even pushing him through it with nasty little remarks the whole time. The condescending “Oink oink” Peter demanded of him from that night in the plant echoed in his head, like an obsession, over and over, unfurling a blackout sort of feeling.

It was over as quickly as it started, leaving Mark in a haze, a little confused at what he just put himself through. He didn’t come—didn’t touch himself or get off or even get super hard—but it felt like he was experiencing “post nut clarity” all the same. There was a hint of shame to it, as Mark recognized how secret and foul gorging himself felt, and how it would be a struggle to hide the results if it kept happening, shifting around slowly with a likely angry and wobbling gut fighting against his pants button.

Peter would be around, and he would see. Would he? Hoffman was curious to know what he would say, how his sharp, dour expression would shift. What catty comments would Peter let burrow into Mark’s dumb, eager brain?

As itch-inducing as the mental image was, Mark’s energy would be reserved for that at a later time. Down for the night, he had slumped into the corner of his small burgundy couch, hyper aware of the way his white undershirt stretched and smoothed out across the expanse of his belly, creasing only at his sides, above his love handles. Every breath was a chore, the shallowest inhales and exhales making him slosh, which eventually set off a chain of hiccups that made his gut bounce uncomfortably.

Letting a hand creep under the tight fabric, Mark ended the night absentmindedly scratching the side if his stomach while some previously-aired episodes of The Girls Next Door droned on his meager TV.

“Guess I’m a pervert too,” Mark mumbled to no one in particular.

[dxsole]

🎶 SONGS I ASSOCIATE WITH...Lawrence Valdis

Ice Cubes - Dounia

Silver Platters - Les Gold

Social Climb - IDKHBTFM

Infatuation - Denver Hall

My Type - Saint Motel (Also see this)

Blank Slate - Joywave

Ego - doysormay

Borderline - Tame Impala

TAGGED BY: @id1eyouth // thankies lovely~!!! TAGGING: @escapedartgeek, @vitalphenomena, @disposablelover, @survivics, @corsey, and anyone else who wants to do this~!

[amphiptere-art]

Ok. Not everything is set up. Butttt. I may as well share my plans.

The Cube, The Triangle, and the Sphere are returning.

So the cube kind of lost its focus. Arcade Blue Moon doesn't have one. Runaway is currently in reworking hell. And the Sphere is this third object that's been in the works for a while. But either way they sort of vanished from my mythos.

But surprise. They were never really gone. Yes the cube is usually associated with the dimensional travel thing. Something I think most people associate with the Tsams fandom. But that's not what the cube was made for. It was to explore all my dimensions. And I mean all. That's why in travels of the cube you go to Rusted Wheels. Because the cube can go anywhere.

The triangle is the same. Runaway has talked about these strange outer lines. These other timelines he didn't touch because he didn't know what they were. And while his rework isn't entirely done. Those other timelines are going to start being the only thing he can touch.

So now we get on to the sphere. The circle. Whatever the hell I'm going to call it, I hate spelling Sphere. Anyways. I'm sure everyone started wondering why I had a square and then a triangle and not anything else. And that's because the lovely sphere has been in work. I couldn't decide how it was going to function.

The Cube provides entire randomness with no choice. But supplies a home and at least a knowing that you will return. Usually leaving you high and dry on where or what's happening.

The triangle provides almost every choice except time. But it doesn't supply a home, and you can get terribly lost if you use it unwisely. But at least it can supply a basic outline of what events triggered the timeline.

And now that I've had some time to process it.

The sphere or circle. It will give you the choice to get there but not out. It will save where you've been but not teleport you back. Along with actually supplying information about the world you've entered.

That's why when I made that poll. Way of the Sphere was the one that allowed you to get into the dimension easily, but do some work to gain back abilities and get out. Because that's what I had decided upon for the circle. That it could always get you in but not out. Simply supply in the information you might need but you would have to do all the work.

Now you might be asking well what's the plan? So far you've just re-explained what the cube, triangle, and apparently the sphere will do. You've been pairing these objects with characters. So who? Is Blue Moon getting back the cube? What is the plan?

Well. These objects have always come out of some sort of magical void nonsense or something. Sometimes they come from a time paradox. Sometimes they're described as the remains of some grand Cthulhu-esk creature. And the same still applies.

But now there's this creature. This little fella. The feral cat child. That is existent in almost every scenario I wish. He has multiple iterations that teeter out into a faded status quo. And they will like this... Funny ball.

[brotherlysuggestion]

Hey, for any of my little sibs trying to learn to eat salads/vegetables but running into a lot of unhappiness/failure/sensory issues, I recently started learning to eat veggies after a lifetime of struggling due to autism and sensory issues, and I have some tips that I’ve collected along the way!

Forget all about the “healthiest varieties” or “most nutritional salads” elitism.

A lot of that talk is based on bogus science or half-truths to begin with, but even for anything that’s true, you’re trying to eat in a way that is sustainable for you. You don’t need to be like anybody else. If you like iceberg lettuce, screw the people who say “well that doesn’t have any nutritional value”. It’s fiber and roughage if nothing else! You like a lot of dressing or add ins and people tell you that isn’t a real salad/isn’t a healthy salad? It’s more vegetables than no vegetables! It gets the greens in your body! Do your thing, you don’t deserve guilt (external or internal) for figuring out your own path.

This is about habit forming and breaking bad associations to form better ones.

Think of this as practice! I eat salads nearly daily when available because I genuinely look forward to them now, but I used to want to retch at just the thought of salad. When I used to think of salads, I always thought of being a kid and trying not to gag while forcing sensory hell so that adults wouldn’t get mad at me. It was punishing for me, and it took a lot of gentle work to change that association! So if you hate salads, really try to identify why. Are they bland and tasteless to you? Conversely, are the bitter flavors too strong? Is it a textural thing? Do you have some highly negative experiences with them in the past?

Don’t force yourself to keep trying something you know you hate.

I personally can’t stand a lot of “ultra healthy” salads that have a lot of different textures/flavors mixed in, and years of trying to suffer through salads like that never made me like them more. Back to the first point again, forget about what you’re “supposed” to be eating and eat what you find the least repulsive tbh.

The greens you choose can make a massive difference, so try a lot of different things!

This is especially important if texture or flavor is an issue for you. Personally I find iceberg lettuce the “easiest” because it has a very mild taste. I started out my adventures in learning to eat salad eating EXCLUSIVELY iceberg lettuce. Butter lettuce or romaine (especially romaine hearts) are others that are popular for being pretty palatable, and I’ve come to love them! And you don’t even HAVE to have lettuce! You can have cabbage, beets, carrots, whatever! Pick a vegetable you like and search for salad recipes using it!

Find a dressing you really like and drench that bad boy if you need to!

Some people really like ranch, or poppyseed dressing, or vinaigrettes, or even sweet dressings with honey and fruit! You can use mustard or honey in dressings! Look up different types of salad dressings and try them all out if you want. Personally, I really like zingy dressings like Italian vinaigrettes or blue cheese, but everyone’s different. You can make a lot of dressings at home, too, and if you have the stuff already it can be a cheap way to find what you like. I know dressing freaks some people out, but referencing my very first point again; some salad is way better than no salad. You may even eventually find yourself able to use less and less once you’re more accustomed to eating salad! So use as much as you need, whether it’s just for now or forever.

Toppings! Salads are allowed to be goodies with obstacles!

Use a protein like chicken or fish (I like tuna a lot) or crumbled bacon, use croutons, hummus, little cubes of cheese or shredded cheese, sliced hard boiled eggs, whatever! If there’s vegetables that you know you like, put those in! I love some sliced cucumber or shredded carrots in my salads. Some people do nuts like almonds or cashews in their salads, some people use chickpeas and corn from a can, and if you’re feeling super adventurous you can try some fruit to sweeten things up! If you like variety then mix warm foods and cold foods, creamy textures and crunchy textures! Make it totally your own. Personally, I’ll sometimes eat around my croutons so that once I’ve eaten all of my greens I have a big, crunchy reward. There’s no rules for how you have to eat something!

Conversely, be as simple as you need to be.

If you need to get used to salads by eating just iceberg lettuce and ranch for a while, you don’t need to be embarrassed! You don’t have to throw the kitchen sink at your salad, even if that’s what helps some others! This is about what works for you.

Don’t be afraid to have salad ingredients… not as a salad!

You can make a green smoothie by blending ingredients if texture is your big issue! Or make a fruit smoothie with some spinach or lettuce thrown in to help you ease into it. Or try dicing up some lettuce, cabbage, and a preferred vegetable or two (avocado, bell pepper, tomato, or cucumber would all work!). Drizzle that with a generous amount of dressing or sauce, and you can use it as a chip dip! Tortilla chips work especially well for this. Or maybe make a vegetable wrap in an actual tortilla? Or throw some chopped up vegetables in your next soup. Even if it’s as simple as putting some lettuce, carrots, or tomatoes into a sandwich, that’s awesome too!

Even outside of salads, experiment with texture for vegetables!

You can roast most vegetables on a sheet pan in the oven (or in an air fryer) for a crispy and crunchy experience! Or you can boil or steam them on a stovetop (or in the microwave) to different levels of softness; you can get most vegetables pretty mushy with enough time, if crunchy textures are hard for you! Looking up vegetarian versions of your favorite meat-including dishes can sometimes also offer great ideas for getting different textures out of vegetables! Try everything that you think you might like: grilling, griddling, roasting, steaming, boiling, sautéing, braising, stir frying, and blanching (which also helps reduce bitterness!) are all different methods to look into, and different methods have different results with different vegetables!

Big takeaway…

Be patient and kind with yourself. Working through food aversions is hard. The goal is gently pushing/testing your boundaries and expanding your comfort zone, NOT forcing yourself. Forcing yourself into extreme discomfort, distress, or pain typically only makes aversions worse! So it’s in your best interest to be patient and go as slowly as you need to. Be proud of yourself for trying, and don’t let anyone (including yourself) make you feel shame for doing what you can.

And obligatory disclaimer:

Please don’t get discouraged if none of these tips work for you! This isn’t an exhaustive list, and I’m not any kind of professional. This is just a mix of tips I’ve seen online, and what worked for myself and my own sensory issues, and I’m still learning more about myself all the time! If you’re struggling, there’s still more out there! You can achieve your goals, I believe in you. 💖

[sillyslayer6]

genshin lore questions i need the answers to:

what the hell is being 'guarded' beneath the thunder sakura, on kannazuka?

why aren't electro visions being issued?

^ who controls visions, if not the archons?

where's the electro sovereign?

where's the cryo sovereign?

where's the anemo and geo sovereigns, if they're not dvalin and azhdaha?

what is project stuzha?

^ miss tsaritsa, why are you trying to make ragnarok happen?

literally what is the tsaritsa doing.

who's the third descender?

who's the SECOND descender?

is the primordial one celestia?

what the fuck is paimon.

is the unknown god a shade? (probably!)

why are cubes seemingly linked to primordial stuff... and why is zhongli associated with cubes? 🤨

why was specifically venti's statue used by the abyss order, in liyue?

is teyvat actually the home planet of lumine and aether? or, related to their homeland? (the inteyvat flower... 🤨)

is 'the abyss' actually a corrupted and flipped light realm that's trying to reclaim its native territory from the primordial one's meddling? or is it just purple.

why does sandrone resemble mary-ann AND guizhong?

is the big robot behind sandrone actually sandrone?

are constellations/fate written in the fake sky, or the real sky?

when will the heavenly principles wake up? and which nation will piss it off the most? (my bets are on snezhnaya, though fontaine did literally execute the hydro archon)

what did childe wake up? the narwhal?

why does skirk look like the narwhal?

how did childe, a regular human, manage to leave the domain of the archons (the abyss) and come back without being turned into a hillichurl?

what even are the wayob?

what's with khaenriah and their obsession with irminsul? king irmin, crimson moon dynasty having memory fuckery powers, abyss order loom of fate, etc. 🤨

is the abyss space/the void?

how did childe manage to no-clip into the abyss? did he actually?

why did SPECIFICALLY childe's vision stop working, and nobody else's?

when, where and HOW did he get a hydro vision?

why does foul legacy look kinda like a seelie and a dragon had a weird moth baby?🤔

who did the ancestor seelie fall in love with?

why did the moon sisters start brawling and killing each-other?

what's the tsaritsa going to do with all the gnoses? eat them?

how did peruere/arlecchino end up in the house of the hearth?

is crepus ragnvindr the 10th harbinger? 🤔

is diluc's mother in the hexenzirkel?

and so many more! (kill me)

[raayllum]

One of the tricky things about speculating from a thematic and symbolic basis is that it gives you a very good gist of what the pieces are and what to derive from, but of course is harder to predict when - and sometimes precisely what - is going to happen. 

For example: Callum has always been a character who has a tendency to get stuck in his head, hence why 2x08 has this happen literally. He also something in his possession related to Aaravos that he got in a situation that had good intentions but ultimately with sideways. From these two facts I deduced, 2-ish months post-S3, that Callum’s tendencies and behaviours would lead to him being more like Viren than he was comfortable with; that he’d have a part to play in Aaravos’ plans; and that his worst fear would be his mind being unsafe / his mind being invaded by Aaravos in some manner (dreams, nightmares, etc). I didn’t think it’d be quite so Literal and total as possession (although I did note Callum’s new S4 outfit with the circles around his wrist were rather like chains), but it was ultimately just a different take on the same thematic basis. I had all the right pieces and the right gist.

With all that said, here are the next set / ongoing set of pieces in approximate order of dissection:

Game Motif

Callum’s Associations with Freedom

Light and Dark Motif

Book 6: Star / Destiny

The Game Motif

The game motif is most interesting to me personally, as many people know. In S1-S3 it’s primarily carried through in Rayla’s comments regarding the Key of Aaravos, found in the game room (and pointed out) by her in 1x04. As of S4,  the game motif has a subset consisting of Ezran’s hide and seek motif (given that the key and Aaravos’ prison was hidden), the literal puzzle it takes to figure out the placement of the prison (S4), and four figures displayed as game pieces: Viren (S4 intro), Callum (S4 intro) with the cube as a bonus, Avizandum (flashbacks in 2x06 and 3x06; also literally turned to stone), and Rayla (elven toy in 1x04). 

The two theories regarding the Key of Aaravos that I’ve had are centred around the assumption that it is something Aaravos wants or needs back (as this could not be the case). The first, most likely if the Key’s use is revealed in S5, is that it’ll relate to his prison. The second, perhaps more likely if it the secret is only revealed post-S5, is that it is a Key related to Aaravos: his chest piece, a memory holder, or something else he needs to seemingly regain his full powers. 

The Game Motif, therefore, on a certain level works quite well with TDP’s tendency to be both more literal than expected (see: possession plot line) and simultaneously less literal than expected. If the Key is related to his prison, then it’s more literal, in which a captured chess piece can be exchanged for a pawn if the latter has reached the end of the board (hi, Aaravos getting out in S5). If it’s related to something else Aaravos adjacent and is involved in S6, then it’s still literal, but involved not in his escape but in his victory, or checkmate, if you will, key squares with pawns and kings and all. It would also make sense that Viren is the primary pawn in S5 and for Callum to be the primary pawn in S6 (as indicated in the Ziard-Viren-Callum game motif art forever ago).

But more on that later.

Callum’s Associations with Freedom

I’ve talked more about Callum’s associations in this meta about how TDP is inherently thematic, so I won’t repeat too much of it here. The core of it is that of course Callum is a Sky mage (“My breath for freedom”) being set both literally and thematically against a being from the Stars (“and destined to play right into my hands”) as the centrepiece of the story’s conflict. Aaravos’ associations and hand in creating/discovering dark magic and Callum being a human primal mage with an arcanum just extends this further.

What this means going into S5 / the coin / possession plot line threads (for future seasons) is that Callum and Aaravos are both seeking freedom, much like Claudia (for Aaravos and her father by extension) and Kim’Dael (for herself). Which is to say: in S5 Aaravos is seeking Callum’s thematic core, and that’s interesting to say the least. The symbolism of a Key and Breaking the Chains of History don’t help either.  

What this means, ultimately, is that there are roughly two main thematic paths (in line with the above) that this can take.

1) Callum is coerced into helping to free Aaravos (cube or otherwise) and that’s how his freedom is trampled upon, quasi-losing his own in exchange for Aaravos’ literal formation (+ possible bonus points if freeing Rayla or her parents’ plays a role as well). 

2) Callum’s role in Aaravos’ plans relates to Aaravos’ checkmate move. This would more away from the more literal manifestations of Callum’s role as like, Freedom, to his more lowkey motif of Breaking Things (Rayla’s binding, the primal stone, the seal of King Harrow’s letter, the chains in 2x07, Rayla’s pendant in 3x08, and probably the boat in S5). This again plays into Aaravos’ talk of shattering: “And when everything they have built lies shattered, I will savor their fall from the sky” (TDP Reflections: Patience).

The key factor to each, I think, is putting Callum’s wrestling of freedom, and by extension narrative control and bodily autonomy, on full display. S5 and S6 are the Tragedy Seasons, and given that all signs point to him losing Aaravos’ game (at least at first). Whether it’s him doing something under possession (although more on that later) or him regaining his freedom by well, breaking free, only to play into Aaravos’ hands anyway... It’s clear the Startouch elf wants him for something, and it can’t be anything good, whether it’s a Path of Darkness or Light.

And, speaking of which...

Light and Dark Motif

Again, I’ve gone over this before (here’s how it manifests with Rayla and Callum, and here is why the ‘light’ isn’t the solidly good thing it can be easy to think of it is, in-show). General light and darkness motif tag here for anyone interested in tracking this motif further / it’s extensiveness going into S5. 

What matters though is that 4x02, 4x04, and 4x07 complicate the Game Motif and Callum’s dynamic with Aaravos further by tethering it explicitly to the Light and Dark motif. It’s not just that the cube is in Callum’s hands before Aaravos picks him up; it’s that the cube flashes a bright white light as well beforehand. It’s “In darkness, gaze upon a Fallen Star” and “the human mage, already tainted by darkness, and destined to play right into my hands” and “what if I’m on a path of darkness?” This duality also ties back into Viren’s statement in 2x06 (“We emerged into darkness and quickly got to work. [Xadia] held both the promise of our salvation and threat of our destruction”) as well as statements regarding Rayla (“So they might kill you or they might save you” from the book 1 novelization, explicitly about Rayla / “Now you’re back. That’s kind of good and kind of bad”). These both tie into the keys themselves being something that can lock and mutually unlock things. 

They’ll either come to fruition in book 5 (which, I could see Rayla breaking Callum out of brainwashing, and/or Callum doing something that leads him into being ‘in darkness’) or will be built upon mildly in order for S6 to deliver the true sucker punch. But it is still likely in the cards that Rayla will save Callum from brainwashing when the Light and Dark Motif finally, fully, comes to call.

And while the full resolution of the plot line would work nicely for Book 5: Ocean (the ocean is about navigation and inherently cyclical; Rayla is accordingly scared of water and of losing him) I do wonder about the well, irresistible temptation perhaps of it being in S6. Callum choosing Rayla over Aaravos’ brainwashing is him choosing agency and love (for however long) over fear and control. A chosen destiny over an enforced destiny. And well, doesn’t that sound like

Book 6: Star

It is known now that in S5 we’re going to get to go to a place that Rayla went to during her time away, meaning she gets to act a bit like a guide. We also know that however Rayla and Stella, and indeed why Stella is connected to the Star arcanum, is important and yet untold. And that Stella is our only non-Aaravos related being/object related to the Star arcanum that is also not a quasar diamond or tied to Aaravos (the key, the staff, Sir Sparklepuff, and the elf himself). 

And that the Key, the star arcanum, Stella, and Rayla’s reappearance into Callum’s life are all tied together with Light in 4x02.

Uncovering secrets and discovering the truth is also often associated with light, both in general and canonically in-universe with the show’s symbolism (i.e. Callum walking towards Rayla in the light out of the darkness once he discovers the truth about King Harrow). 

The fact of the matter is that until the Key comes into play in some way, the according foreshadowing attached to it ( “I hope it was worth it to you, putting everyone’s lives in danger” / “Are you practicing magic or losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?” / “It’s the Key of Aaravos. No good can come of it”) is still floating up in the air. 

And thematically, Stars is all about Destiny, wishes, and vision. Stars are lights in the dark, both a sign of hope (hi Leola’s Wish and the South Star) and a manifestation of our main villain. S6 could also be dark magic, which would take the ‘dark and light’ associations to a new level. If S5 is about getting Callum be in or more inclined to the darkness, then S6 is when he will presumably be in it, whatever that means (possession or hopelessness/rage, probably).

I could see him becoming obsessive to figure out the Key, hoping that it’ll be a weapon or Aaravos’ downfall (as also posited pre-S4) only for it to lead to everything spiralling out of control, leading to possession or putting Ez and Rayla at risk in another manner. And of course, they/she save him, because they always will. But as I’ve said many times, S6 is also the Tragedy Arc. It has to bring everyone to their lowest moment. One of these Tragedy Seasons will also, I think, be the perfect place for Callum to do his Fucked Up Thing and bring his Viren (and Claudia) parallels full circle. “They aren’t games, they’re tests” and “tests of love” and all that. Cause if all those plot threads and parallels and consistent imagery doesn’t go somewhere in S5 (and S5 has already majorly added to it) it has to go somewhere, and S6 is it. 

After all, with Aaravos’ shattering in mind...

And when everything they have built lies shattered, I will savor their fall from the sky.

I laid out here how Rayla and Aaravos represent Callum’s two future paths (similarly to the way Rayla and primal magic vs Claudia and dark magic are Callum’s two paths in S2) and how well, choosing her over Aaravos may not be as mutually exclusive as he thinks.

It’s not a coincidence, either, that S4 ramps up the negative cube associations to a 10: showing Callum toying around with it while Zubeia explicitly states that mages are Aaravos’ favourite prey; the cube being in the 4x04 intro when it did not have to be, and the intro exists entirely for the audience’s benefit; Callum being unable to let it go / give it up in 4x07, even though he’s willing to give up his life to stop Aaravos from using him, etc.

Explaining/exploring Stella’s connection to the Star arcanum in the same season that will finally explain the Key of Aaravos in the same season Callum has to confront ‘his destiny’ in the same season that the kids are destined to lose more than ever? Sounds amazing, don’t you think?

Conclusion

One of the reasons it’s comparatively easy to speculate is because well, like any good tragedy, we know how S5 and S6 have to end: not well. It seems more likely than ever that Aaravos will indeed be released by the end of S5 / very beginning of S6, leading to destruction and upheaval. Either way, it leaves S6 to be Aaravos, in his mind, ending the story. Finishing the book. This is his checkmate, his victory. Callum and the rest of his pawns have lived out their usefulness. But just like how Aaravos outlived the end of his myth/story, so will they, and Callum (and Rayla, and Ezran) at the very least will return to successfully win in S7, come hell or high water.

As such, much of what is highlighted above is taken from these consistent puzzle pieces, if you will, and attempting to figure out the various options we have for their execution. And of course, TDP could always throw us some delightful curveballs, but it seems the gist and playing out of well, the game, has to fall somewhere along these patterns / routes, tethered together by the possession plot line and Callum being coerced to do Aaravos’ bidding. There’s not a lot of ways those things can go happily in a Tragedy.

And that is exactly why I am very happy and excited to see where it all goes, and I hope you are too. 

[xx-psych0-rabbit-xx]

and Flamberge

favorite thing about them:SHES SO FUNNY IN THE SENSE SHES SO NORMAL.hear me out francisca has a frozen corpse collection zan is insane abt their cult leader n competitive n violent.berges just mad you beat her sister up.they even show that in the dialogue w franciscas light struggle w talking n zan sounding like she reads the dictionary for fun n flamberges just casual impolite.franny n zan will be breaking the geneva convention in the background while flamberges sniffing flowers n frolicking through the fields n thinking abt how beautiful life is while also thinking shes an absolute freak of nature whos so cool.the jamba cult is this meme to me n shes the fighter

least favorite thing about them:THE STREAK NEVER ENDS KIRBY CHARACTERS R UNSTOPPABLE N GODLYYYYY

favorite line:"For what you've done, I'll scorch you to such a degree that...that...even tasty, toasty marshmallows will seem like ice cubes compared to you!" youre doing great baby girl dont listen to the haters

brOTP:half her dialogue is wanting to beat you up for beating francisca up i think we know the answer to this

OTP:none yk how i see the cults dynamic

nOTP:read above !

random headcanon:she has Some Degree Of Doubt that started w hyness worsening behavior n her n zan keep fighting abt it bc doubt is sin n shes daring criticize hyness' greatness but alas the girls dont have anyone else so they cant stay anything but subtly bitter at each other.someone get francisca out of there she has to witness those two fight every week

bonus gijinka (similar to frannys some parts can translate to canon designs)hc:most of her body is burnt n bandaged, that started w hyness patching the wounds up, evolving into zan having a weird insistence she has to keep them patched even after theyre.as healed as can be n eventually berge just thinking they look sick

unpopular opinion:IF YOU DONT LIKE FLAMBERGE YOURE CATCHING THESE DAMN HANDSSS !!!

song i associate with them:uhhhh yeah you can guess i got none 💔

favorite picture of them:

she looks like a child throwing a tantrum i love her

[heyclickadee]

Tech’s Alive, Part Three: Ace

I’m gonna level with y’all right off the bat: This going to be one of the more cracked entries in this series. The next two I’m writing focus are both a lot more grounded more on structure and narrative, and they’re going to hold up a lot better. THIS is me awake at 3 am waving my hands at a conspiracy board and making a wild attempt hail mary throw that probably means nothing. Buuut I’m going to bring it up anyway.

So, it always struck me as kind of weird that Romar calls Tech “Ace” back in “Ruins of War.” And it’s not that the nickname doesn’t fit. “Ace” is a slightly old-fashioned nickname you give to someone who’s extremely skilled at what they do, and Tech is. Ace technician? Yeah. Ace pilot? Oh hell yes. Tech is so gosh darn competent in his role that, yes, he’s about as much as an ace as you can get, so the nickname absolutely works. So it’s not that it’s strange for someone to call him “ace,” it’s just that it’s strange coming from a complete stranger like Romar, because Romar has no real way to know that about Tech. It would be one thing if Romar started up with that nickname after Tech fixes his data storage…cube…thing, but he actually calls him “ace” for the first time directly before that.

I do think that there’s a perfectly good watsonian explanation for why Romar uses this nickname. Either he heard Echo, Tech, and Omega talking and picked up that Tech’s an ace pilot from their conversation, or maybe Echo or Omega called Tech that out of hand, and Romar thought it must be Tech’s name. To be honest, though, I’m really not as fussed about why Romar addresses Tech as “ace” as much as I’m interested in what it’s meant to signal to the audience.

My initial impression was that it’s meant to be part of a pattern of clone characters being called by their names only by other clone characters, and everyone else failing to do so, either because they don’t realize clones have names (which might be the case with Romar, at first anyway), because they’re trying to avoid getting attached (Cid), out of affection (Phee, who does actually introduce them by their names at one point), or as a sign of disrespect and dehumanization (every imperial character except Hemlock, whose use of the clone’s names is every kind of messed up keep their names out of your mouth sir). I think that’s still at least partially the case, because multiple things can be true at once, but in light of the finale, I think there’s another possible meaning to it.

So, in cards, and in poker specifically, the ace can be a pretty important card. I should probably acknowledge that not every association between “ace” and the ace in cards is positive—the ace of spaces, for example, is associated with death, and I don’t think that’s necessarily irrelevant even if Tech is alive—but I am going to lean hard into the more positively applicable ones here. In some versions of poker, each player is dealt a card that only they can see, and which is placed facedown in a hole. Because ace is high in poker, an ace in the hole can mean a winning hand. The term “ace in the hole” has colloquially come to mean a hidden asset or advantage that can be brought out when the right opportunity presents itself. Which could potentially be applicable here, because Ace

(Sorry, I just really love this screenshot. He’s so flabbergasted.)

Fell into a really freaking big hole:

Tech fell into the clouds—literally into mist, figuratively into uncertainty. They obscure his ultimate fate to us, and to the other characters. He’s not just gone, he’s hidden. A very literal “Ace in the hole.”

Now, whether or not that means Tech will be brought back by the writers, and whether that means he’ll be brought back at a moment that provides an advantage(1) to Hunter and the rest, is pretty up in the air. This may not be anything at all. But it was a thought I had, so I figured I may as well share it.

(1): Okay, but, like, “the eagles are coming,” but instead of eagles it’s Tech as air support. I can see this happening

[therobotmonster]

Proposal: The Perpendicular Remake

Ladies, gentlemen and honored members of the jury, I say to you the day of the reboot or remake is over. From now on, a new beast shall reign, one that I can only describe by example.

Fact: The soundtrack to 1980 dance-musical Fame is equally, if not more, suited to use in a movie about supervillains than one about performing art school.

It might be the atypical brainmeats, but you can't tell me that song isn't the most Megamindy thing next to the movie Megamind.

"I sing the body electric, I glory in the glow of rebirth, creating my own tomorrow, when I shall embody the Earth!"

Those are the words of someone who finally got that cosmic cube they've been wanting for the last three Christmases.

I'm not saying that theater kids are megalomaniacs. That's well documented in numerous tomes of almost unquestionable veracity.

What I am saying is that a film about maniacal villains using the soundtrack (in whole or in part, I can make anything fit), of Fame, with nothing else associated from that film, would be frikkin' awesome.