#aria's analysis

[ariapmdeol]

How would you describe the dynamic between seosane 🙏

they mean everything to me,, (receiving your question right after i got one that says "yaoi" was very fun for me. yeah thats my yaoi <3) Spoilers for the entire DLC, including whats past the youtube TL! I mention things from Hermit Room. quotes are paraphrased or referenced bc i am too lazy to dig for them.

I have another seosane essay somewhere in drafts but i can't find it rn and it's not edited so you're getting my current stream of consciousness <3

sanemitsu and seodore are two people who, by the end of dlc, have very different perspectives on how to handle the timeline and what should be done. Sanemitsu in particular goes through several perspectives on this, varying from his POV pre-1999, 1999-2015, S root, and S+. They are parallels and narrative foils, and this shapes how they interact with each other.

From their first interactions, they both have something that the other party wants. Seodore promises that Sanemitsu can change things, if they can reach Gods Love. Sanemitsu is critical to changing things (as we see in the start of DLC/S root). You can see them talk about this in record 4, where neither of them will know if Sanemitsu's ability has activated or taken effect. Seodore wants Sanemitsu to use this ability. Sanemitsu resists because he knows that if he changes the past, then he'll lose Reiji. Reiji, who is his number one priority, who he's clinging to as tight as he can.

But they appreciate each other. There's fondness. Their breakfast conversation at the end of DLC highlights that despite them ending up on different perspectives on the past, they still understand each other.

What always stands out to me is in Hermit room, there is a choice that the player can make. The two options are (paraphrased):

Even if we gained something at the end of it, it would have been better if none of it had happened. [better to change the past even if we gained something in the end]

If we gained something at the end of it, then we can't say that it would have been better that none of it had happened. [better that the past happens (good and bad), if we gained something in the end of it]

This choice is both paralleling Sanemitsu's perspective change in S vs S+, and the perspective of Seodore versus Sanemitsu (and System.NH) as two halves of the same whole. They're foils, and remain on good terms despite their differing POVs.

it's about the Metafiction. Sanemitsu doesn't break the fourth wall until after our current point in canon (System.NH is 2019 and also Outside the Timeline). Seodore breaks it ALL the time bc he Knows but doesnt SEE. Tangent but can you tell I really like the metafiction groups. I like System.NH + Seodore + Mutei, I think it's fun.

It's about the quiet things going on in the background. About blood, about factors, about inheritance. The contrast between the domesticity of daily life (seodore canonically makes him breakfast!). It's about "I'll take your hand, Seodore" (PARAPHRASING AGAIN) and things left unspoken. It's about what he says about Seodore in his journal from 1999. (see just before record 4. yt tl doesnt show us whats inside unfortunately).

Also it's SO good that they have other priorities than each other. They both know and are fully aware of this and it's so <33

This is why I like the intro scene to DLC so much too-- they both know that they're dying there. Even if this plan works, even if things change, even if the interaction between the Rainbow Factor Artifact (Malkuth) and Respawn means that there's a chance to save Reiji, then the selves that exist in this moment still die. This is peak yaoi to me.

There is something to be said about how sanemitsu refuses to risk using this power, until the very last moment. He only does so when Reiji is dead and he's lost the last person he wanted to cling to so desperately.

Fun Fact: Seodore has his eyes closed for this entire scene except for ONE frame as sanemitsu raises the blade <3

I realize a lot of this is about them as a duo but not necessarily in a shipping lens oops.

From the lens of them as a COUPLE, they dont talk about it LMAO. They are doing couple things and ignoring their feelings about it bc theyre both still mourning other people. I do think they're the kind of couple who do domestic things like grocery shopping together,, cooking,, sitting around at home,, a casual kind of comfort in each other. The hand holding symbolism gets to me. "ill take your hand" linked with THIS SCENE, RIGHT AFTER THAT LINE. Linked with Sanemitsu's scarred hand only being present in S+ because it comes from killing Seodore. They mean everything to me.

You have no idea how crazy i went when i saw this scene DSALKLKJDSA

This ended up off topic. this all factors into the dynamic of two guys who keep thinking about other things and have a lot going on but can choose to find comfort in each other regardless. i think they should kiss <3

anyways. these are my guys who i love and adore. Seosane forever <3

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

this little moment in 1x02 manages to sum up ian pretty well. ian is always independent and so nobody has to worry about him, in season 2 he is determined to get into west point by himself and when he sees monica attempt suicide, he acts like he’s fine. in season 3 he literally runs away from home and fiona, who is supposed to be responsible of him, just brushes it off as him being seventeen. he’s beat up, he’s drunk all of the time, he stays in bed for days, and he’s clearly struggling, but it’s just “he’ll tell you when he’s ready”. nobody ever really cared. and then, like in this moment where he breaks his nose, he has quick moments of vulnerability. people can actually see that something is wrong with him and they try to help, but he pushes them away. this happens later on, too, when he can’t get out of bed, when he takes yevgeny, when he flushes his pills, when he could’ve gotten that patient killed, when he becomes gay jesus, people can tell that something’s wrong because it’s obvious and then they try to help. but he’s really always been struggling, but since he loves to help people and is independent and quiet, nobody bothers trying to figure out what’s wrong. he doesn’t know how to accept help because he’s spent so much of his life being ignored and just expected to be “ok”.

and so, as a result of all of this, when people offer him help, this is his reaction:

[aria-greenhoodie]

I'd love if you could elaborate on

child of the stars

momento mori

magic

Touch tone telephone

from the start

Dr sunshine is dead

crazy = genius

are you satisfied?

turn the lights off

Dr gaster

digital silence

YES!!!! I LOVE BEING ENABLED!!!!

For those seeing this post who haven't seen the original playlist, here's the post where I link it!

NOW LET'S PLAY: WHY DID ARIA PUT THOSE SONGS IN THEIR ABIGALE BLACKWING PLAYLIST?

(Putting it all under the cut because it's. REALLY LONG.) ↓

Rule #9 - Child of the Stars by Fish in a Birdcage - This song is THE perfect song to explain the dynamic my version of Abbey had with her father (Atticus Blackwing). Abigale's dad was always super supportive of her, bending over backwards to make her life the best that he could make it, and saw so much of both himself and his late wife (Chastity Blackwing) in her. I hear the song almost like Atticus is singing this to Abbey somehow... a couple lyrics that really stood out to me: "You were a wanderer / Back when you were young"

Abbey was always a curious child, constantly wanting to explore and learn about the world around her.

"I could only lead you so far / I believe in who you are / Take the world by storm"

Atticus died of an illness he had been battling for quite some time right as Abigale graduated engineering school. He did everything in his power to set her up for success, to follow her dream as an inventor and tinkerer before his passing, and always encouraged Abbey to be independent. He passed believing whole-heartedly that his beloved daughter would, in fact, "take the world by storm."

Rule #21 - Momento Mori by Fish in a Birdcage - This song can work for the time before Abigale found Thurburt's ad, but after Bill contacted her, but it fits even better for after the events of the conference. I have this idea that Bill couldn't help but rub salt in the wounds of the Anti-Cipherites, and particularly targeted Abigale, who had panicked and gone into hiding directly after the conference fiasco, fearing being institutionalized like Thurburt (the way asylums and medical institutions in general treated female patients was historically far crueler and more brutal than male patients in that time period, don't even get me fucking started on the "Rest Cure" that shits insane) And so was far more fearful and vulnerable than the some of the other members. In my version of Abigale's story, Bill torments her all throughout her exile, leading to Abigale forgoing sleep, eating less and less, and overall just worsening her mental state even further. This ALSO goes fantastically with Abigale's mental breakdown near the later half of her life far after her Northwest husband suddenly and mysteriously passed away (read: was murdered) and her son came of age, but I haven't written about that part of her life just yet so I'll hush up for now... but know that the dots do connect!! Some lyrics:

"I never wanted to sleep"

Self-explanatory: Abigale isn't sleeping in order to try and keep Bill out of her dreams, she tries to justify this by saying to herself that she never wanted to sleep anyway.

"Oh I won't forget / Momento Mori, leaves a debt"

Abigale's time as apart of the Anti-Cipher Society was honestly amazing for her. She felt at home among the Anti-Cipherites, finally finding people who weren't too off-put by her eccentric and sometimes abrasive personality, falling in love with Jessamine, spending day in and day out working on fantastic inventions just like she had always wanted... if it weren't for the triangle tormenting her this would have been the best time of her life. And Bill knows that, and uses it against her now that it's all fallen apart. "I'm the one who brought you bozos together, I'm the reason you had such a great time, and I'm the ONLY way you're ever gonna get a bit of that high back! If anything, you OWE ME this!" ...Abigale almost succumbs to the offer of a deal at this time, but ultimately refuses.

"Like a muzzled hound / I'm tied and bound / A wild beast crying for release"

Abigale feels completely trapped after the Anti-Cipher Society's collapse. She can't go back home, since she saw the asylum workers at her doorstep the one time she dared to try, she can't stay in the Anti-Cipher Bunker for long, since its only a matter of time until its found, she can't really skip town because a woman traveling on her own could raise suspicion, and she can't even cross-dress and skip because all of her "boys clothes" from her crossdressing days are tucked away in her house, which is, again, crawling with asylum workers. She's condemned to this horrible state of limbo, "tied and bound" to the dangerous place she found herself in, with no clear way out.

Rule #1 - Magic by Fish in a Birdcage - I'll be so fucking honest this one is mostly here because of vibes BUT also a lot of the lyrics also fit nicely as Abigale trying to rally up the Anti-Cipherites during times of doubt. I sorta hc Abbey as being the glue that holds the society together, her enthusiasm and sheer zeal for what their doing at the society is infectious! Thurburt may be the leader, but Abbey is the motivator. No I totally don't pick favorites ah ha ha what do you mean??? <- (lie) Anyway some lyrics to use as an example of this:

"There is magic in this room"

"I believe in myself / I believe that we can make it / I believe in all of you/ I believe that we can make this"

Both sets of lyrics could be Abigale encouraging the other Anti-Cipherites

"For starters, this is larger than both of us"

Abigale has always wanted to make something that could change the world, and saving the world from Bill definitely could have been that thing. Stopping weirdmaggedon from happening is certainly bigger than just 5 weirdos in a bunker. (Honestly Abbey is lowkey the Anti-Ford. She is just as desperate for recognition and fame but for completely different reasons and opposing bill rather than being fooled by him... but thats a whole other post in itself I could make)

"You can't kill an idea"

This one's stupid but that's literally a Bill Cipher quote. Bill fucking says that in canon. I'm not joking.

Touch Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon - The whole song is about a crazy conspiracist making his case to someone on the phone trying to prove his theories correct. The Anti-Cipher Society's whole thing was trying to fight against Bill while also trying to convince other people that he's even real. They went to a whole ass inventor's conference trying to convince the crowd that a triangular demon was trying to posses minds and that giving the Society money would make their "Anti-Cipher" technology possible. This song isn't just an Abigale song, it's for the whole damn society! Although, I will say that the cheerful and somewhat unhinged way the singer sings the song is very much Abbeycore. SOME LYRICS:

"I've been working on a unified theory / If I make it through tonight, everybody's gonna hear me out"

Working on Anti-Cipher tech, hoping that everyone will hear the Society out at the conference. "Make it through tonight" could also be read as the society trying to dodge sleep in order to keep Bill away from their dreams.

"'Cause you're the only person in the world who'd understand / 'Cause you're the only person in the world who'd understand the meaning of this / Oh my god / I try, and I try, and I try to make you listen to me"

They really want this conference to go well, chat.

"Don't hang up yet, I'm not done / I'm an expert, I'm the one / The one who was right all along / Better to be laughed at than wrong / I'm an expert in my field / UFOlogy, yes, it's all real / Ancient aliens, it's all true / I'm an expert just like you / And like you, I'm a genius before my time / Disbelieving, that's the real crime / Pretty soon, they'll discover me / In the Super-Sargasso Sea"

Real thing Abigale would have said at the conference if she was put in charge of the sales pitch instead of Thurburt, actually, trust.

From the Start by Good Kid - So this is a cover, the original could work too but I chose this cover specifically because the electric guitar and way the singer sings honestly is so much more Abigale-core then the original's softer, more acoustic tone. Yes I know there weren't electric guitars in 1901 I don't CARE Abigale is ELECTRIC GUITAR-CODED!!! <- (I sound fucking insane.) Anyway, this song is there fore Jessamine x Abigale purposes. I think Abbey fell for Jessa HARD, but automatically assumed she wouldn't be interested, so this song is sorta how she felt being around Jessamine, having this huge crush on her but feeling that she'd never reciprocate... Obviously Jessamine DOES reciprocate in my version of the story but for that brief period of agonizing pining this song is perfect for Abigale and Jessamine in my mind. Not gonna put lyrics here just cause I think they're pretty self-explanatory lmao.

Dr. Sunshine is Dead by Will Wood and the Tapeworms - Ok so this goes back to what I mentioned in the Memento Mori song, this ones here because of Abigale's eventual mental breakdown towards the end of her life. I haven't written out exactly what happens yet, and I kinda wanna keep things vague till I do so there's some mystery left when I finally DO write it down, so I'm just gonna plop some specific lyrics that have to do with that part of Abigale's life and better go in depth once I post the story hehe (Sorry for being vague I just really wanna save my analysis for when that part of the story is up!)

"The room I'm in is still the same, the shadows have not rearranged it / No, the only thing that's changed is how I see at night"

"When did I become afraid of the dark? / Was it when I left the cave and swore I'd never go back?"

"Damn my eyes for seeing what's not there"

"All that I ask is, keep those empty frames / If nobody's in them, then no one is to blame / For your self-portraits, sign another name / Well, who should I be then, if I'll never be the same?"

"And if dreams can come true, what does that say about nightmares? / I'll stay awake tonight"

Make of those what you will, all will be revealed... later!!!!

Crazy = Genius by Panic! at the Disco - Im sorry for putting a Panic! at the Disco song in there it will probably happen again. Anyway this is here mostly for the chorus, and not for very deep reasons either. Abbey's always been eccentric and "crazy" in most people's eyes, and considering her technological prowess she's obviously pretty damn smart, a "genius" even. Also not for nothing but Abigale has absolutely set herself on fire for the sake of testing one of her inventions, on purpose. I know this because I actually was there and saw it happen trust me guys. Lyrics:

"You can set yourself on fire"

See above comment.

"If crazy equals genius / Then I'm a fucking arsonist (hey) / I'm a rocket scientist (hey hey)"

She's a crazy genius guys wow! Such a deep analysis from Aria tonight, huh?

Are You Satisfied? by MARINA - So, Abigale married a Northwest, and my version of her married him after he offered a deal to keep her safe from the asylum workers sniffing her out in exchange for her hand. Abigale never wanted to marry, she was always far too interested in her work (and also women. Cough cough...) Not to mention Mr. Northwest was a sleaze-ball bitch, but she felt she had no choice. This deal (and it was a deal more than a true marriage) was all she had left to protect herself. Then, after her husband's death, Abigale sorta... changed. A LOT. Before this, as unhappy as she was with her husband, she was nothing but protective and kind to her son, and would do anything and everything for him, especially because his father was a piece of shit towards him so Abbey had to really pick up the slack in the parenting department. After his dad was buried, though, Abbey became... A lot more distant, more paranoid. She also became almost OBSESSED with the idea of her son reaching lofty goals that were never enforced so vehemently by Abigale before. Abbey sorta wanted to make sure her son reached the world-changing, lofty goals she was never allowed to, the goals that were ripped away from her. On top of that, she became obsessed with keeping up appearances to neighbors, pretending to be as normal and prestigious as what was "expected of a Northwest." This was a desperate cry for help since her whole life was uprooted and taken from her, plus now she has to make sure no one in town suspects her of killing her husband. She was never cruel to her son because of this, but the relationship fundamentally changed, and later, strained beyond the breaking point. I feel like this song is a really great way to exemplify that part of her life, and both her and her son's feelings towards each other and life in general. Some lyrics that stood out:

"I was pulling out my hair / The day I got the deal, chemically calm / Was I meant to feel happy / That my life was just about to change?"

This is very much how I imagine Abigale to feel on the day of her wedding day. "The day I cut the deal" especially jumps out to me, since thats what that marriage was: a deal. It was a means to an end, an agreement with no love attached.

"High achiever, don't you see? / Baby, nothing comes for free / They say I'm a control freak / Driven by a greed to succeed"

After her husband's death, Abbey becomes obsessed with her son's success, and he starts to believe that success means everything.

"'Cause it's my problem if I wanna pack up and run away It's my business if I feel the need to smoke and drink and sway"

Abigale is still trapped in her new life, even with her husband out of the way. She's trying her best, but all she wants to do is disappear. The only reason she doesn't run into the woods to never return is because her son still needs her. Also, I do believe Abigale would take up smoking to cope at this point (Not drinking, though, for reasons I'll prolly explain in some other post).

Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall - Living as a member of the Anti-Cipher society was a surprisingly positive experience for Abigale, but it was also one hall of a whirlwind. Fighting a demon that lives in your dreams while also falling in love with another woman while also rushing to build tons of anti-cipher tech while ALSO dealing with nightly visits from that bastard triangle is a lot to handle. Turn the Lights Off as a song is also very similar to this experience: generally upbeat and fun tempo and melody paired with lyrics about monsters and evil, juxtaposed by other lyrics about lovers and taking back control of your life. Some lyrics that I think work well with this idea:

"Eyes of yellow"

Hello obvious and extremely easy to make Bill Cipher reference!

"Bend the nightmare / You control it / Artful dodger / Easy does it"

Abbey had to take some serious control of her mind the few times she does sleep in order to prevent herself from going completely insane due to Bill's nightly torments, at least until she starts developing better technology to prevent Bill's visits

"Don't remember (day's gone) / What we look like (night's on) / Younger holding (day's gone) / One another (light's passed)"

Jessamine and Abigale gay moment ... Specifically that sort of in-the-moment passion-driven kind of love between them where, if only for a moment, they forget themselves and their situation and throw themselves at each other, desperate for the other's touch.

"Can't they take it / Should be stronger / Books abandoned"

Could be about the no doubt near-infinite failed attempts at creating anti-cipher technology that actually works before settling on a final product, natural growing pains of a new developing technology... or could also refer to the conference that made everything fall apart.

Dr. Gaster by Shadrow - Another one heavily based on general vibes but I ALSO think this would be a really fun song for post-1901-timestuck AU Pacifica (like in this post)trying to hunt down any and all information about her ancestor and mentor Abigale Blackwing through years of buried and hidden family records, trying to piece together her life so she can understand what happened to her. Lyrics:

"Dr. Gaster / I won't let you down / Dr. Gaster / Left in the background / Dr. Gaster / I'll try not to frown / Dr. Gaster / I must flag you down"

Pacifica trying to "flag down" the pieces of Abbey's history, feeling she can't "let down" her mentor and wanting to give her life the spotlight she feels it deserved, to unerase an erased history, one that had been "left in the background."

"There was only one of you / Until you split the world in two"

Here, this line isn't as literal as the original song is. The first "you," as well as "the world," being Abigale herself, who is "split in two" as in her history is scattered and hidden, only the most basic knowledge of her existence being in family records while the bulk of her real life and personality. The second "you" can be seen as either Bill ruining Abigale's life, or as her descendants erasing her history for the sake of appearances.

"Dr. Gaster / Through oceans of time / Dr. Gaster / Please know we're both fine"

"Through oceans of time" as a Timestuck reference, since Pacifica meeting Abigale in 1901 and then returning back to 201X is trying to reach her mentor once more through her history and scattered documents. "Please know we're both fine" could also be Pacifica hoping Abbey knows she's back in the future safe and sound and doing the work to get Abigale's life the respect she wants her to have. (Disregard the fact that Pacifica is only one person and the song says this about two people I do what I damn well please)

Digital Silence by Peter McPoland - Another heavy vibes-based one, and also one related to Abigale's breakdown later in life! Also could work for how she was feeling right before and after Mr. Northwest's mysterious death (read: murder). Lyrics:

"This is the way that it is / This is the way that it always will be / Something you love turns to something you miss"

Feeling like she's trapped in her marriage, which she is. Missing her friends, her freedom and independence, her LIFE before Mr. Northwest came to sweep her away, before the conference happened, before everything went wrong.

"This is the way and it makes me sick / I feel it inside me like a pulse / It's starting to slow and the meter dips, oh"

Can represent the growing rage and hatred inside Abbey towards her shitty husband, feeling that hatred "like a pulse" from inside her body.

"Why don't you get it? Can't you get it? Understand / They're gonna execute the mother to elevate the man"

Execution is not literal here. Read it more as sidelining, ignoring, erasing the mother (Abigale) to elevate the man (Mr. Northwest). Abigale is constantly pushed aside in her marriage, treated like a prop and a toy, scolded for having any personality or interests, her very essence being erased (or at least, trying to be erased) by her husband.

"They're gonna propagate the killer, eliminate the youth"

Another non-literal line, here the "killer" is not literally a person who kills people, but instead someone who's generally violent and unpleasant, specifically Mr. Northwest. "Eliminate" here could just mean hurt or harm, and "the youth" is Mr. Northwest and Abigale's son, but I actually like interpreting "eliminate" as literal and "the youth" as the personality and ambitions of both Abigale and her son. Mr. Northwest is trying to "eliminate" his wife and son's personalities or "youth" in order to mold them into the perfect wife and perfect heir respectively, often resorting to nastiness and straight-up violence to do so.

"They're gonna blind date everyone until you love them too"

Yes another non-literal line listen I'm EXTRAPOLATING over here! Anyway this here I imagine as being a line about Abbey's attitude towards her son post-husband-death. As stated before, she wants him to be successful, and to keep up a good appearance/reputation for the family (both to ease suspicion off of their family for having a hand in Mr. Northwest's death, but also because Abbey wants to give her son the chance to actually reach his goals, plus living vicariously through him while he does so) and so "blind date" probably just means doing whatever upstanding boys his (Abigale's son) age should be doing, until "you," that being everyone around the family, "love" him too.

"This is the answer to the question / This is the sound of the truth / This is the answer to the question / There is nothing you can do"

Abigale convinced her actions serve as the only way for her and her son to survive, both before and after Mr. Northwest's death. This is the truth, in her eyes. There is nothing else she could have done.

WOO BOY THAT WAS A LOT! Thanks for reading y'all, and feel free to ask for more explanations about other songs in the playlist... or just enable my Abigale Craze in some other way I dunno I just love this woman sm

@chaseerr0rcode @localcanadiancreature62 ummm.... hey guys...... wanna read this giant wall of text.....?

[mytyldotwav]

FREEEEEEEESIAAAAAAA

Freesia is a song from Guilty Gear XRD. But it could have been released in Strive and still hit just as fucking hard. That's because it's applicable to multiple aspects of the story.

Sol Badguy is one of the most powerful characters in the GG universe. At least, he's in the top 10 (probably??). Despite that, he's a grown man who is a grief-stricken mess and has questionable direction to his life.

In my opinion, this song is best interpreted as coming from Frederick. Not Sol, the Badass god-like gear that has saved the world on several occasions. Frederick Bulsara, the man that lost everything important to him.

The start of Freesia is someone reaching out to Frederick. Because really? Frederick does a lot of brooding and self-isolation. He wouldn't reach out to someone otherwise. His head isn't in the clouds, it's in space, drifting aimlessly amongst the stars.

But everything is fine, Frederick says. There's enough air for at least 2 people where he's at, and he's alone. So everything is ok. Frederick, or more accurately, Sol, has everything he needs. He's achieved great feats normal humans only could dream of achieving. He's reached greater heights than anyone ever has, and yet? Something is still missing.

There's enough air for 2 people up there. Boundless information. Wisdom beyond that of any normal human. But there's enough air for 2 people. And he knows why, but he can't bring himself to say it.

"The whole world is kind to me"

Yes, Sol has reason to be happy. Everyone has rewarded him for saving the world. Everyone appreciates what he has done in some way, and every day brings fresh start. The world has been ushered into a new era of peace; but there's someone missing. But Frederick can't bring himself to tell anyone what it is.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..."

It'd be ungrateful for him to imply something was missing, or that something could be wrong. Sol apologizes, but laments his cowardice.

This next portion feels more like Frederick reaching out, or at least telling someone in passing about how miserable he is:

"The world may crumble down with just one piece missing"

Now, he is (to the best of his ability) trying to be genuine and honest about how life's trials have affected him. Frederick is saying that if he can't get that one thing back, if he can't reach his goals, why continue? Without this thing he's been pursuing for DECADES, actually being obtainable, his life has no purpose. He's just a shell of a man looking for comfort in the past.

This is where the dam breaks. This is where Frederick and Sol's lives converge into one. Frederick Bulsara is Sol Badguy and vice versa. He can't pretend that his reasons for fighting and living don't come from a place of loss and pain. He's not just bounty hunting for money, not just traveling the world because he can. His emotional strength isn't there because he's fixed all of his problems. His experiences have made him physically stronger, but mentally? He's exhausted and desperate for rest. Everything he has done up to this point has been for Aria Hale. But if she's gone, everything falls apart. There is no point.

That's why the song is named Freesia. A Freesia is a flower from South Africa that is commonly seen at weddings. They typically convey deep trust, friendship, thoughtfulness and sometimes purity.

And then the line hits. You know the one.

This moment in the song is an outburst of love, both platonic and romantic. This is the moment where Sol can't hide that he's still Frederick. He's still human. And damn it, he still loves that woman-- as Aria or Jack-O.

"Here I am" is a resignation. He tried ignoring the emotions building up inside of him for so long, neglected his humanity, acted as nothing but a weapon for so long, and he is tired. The mask falls off. He is finally allowing himself to be vulnerable and honest with the world.

Sol isn't proud of it.

He shouldn't have isolated himself for so long.

He shouldn't have lied about his emotions.

He shouldn't have pushed so many kind people away.

If he had done those things, maybe there would be less blood on his hands. Maybe he would have lived a more normal life.

But he knows that's not true. Aria meant too much to him. Sol would still miss her as desperately, even if he continued down a different path.

Yes, he had reasons to feel the things he felt. But at the same time, there were also so many people willing to help him start again. and he sees it now, as clear as day. Aria had been his world for so long. But he was missing so many beautiful things because of it. Frederick had spent so much time trying to save Aria that he became single minded in his endeavor. It led him to become isolated. It kept him from living his own life and that's what Aria wanted for him so badly. She didn't want to weigh on his mind, she wanted the happy memories of them to help Frederick continue living.

So the apologies tumble out again for the last time.

Frederick was surrounded by, and floating through galaxies. Worlds of people surrounded him and yet everything was touch and go. A passing greeting. A quick handshake. Knowing glances. He had recognition, respect, power, and yet, when the fight was over? Sol would leave it all behind again and move back to Aria. But that isn't what she would have wanted.

Reading through the lyrics, I initially thought Frederick was saying that he couldn't protect or save Aria, and that was what the final line meant. But I believe that's not the whole message. Frederick wasn't able to prove himself to Aria: Sol didn't keep living on like she wanted him to. He forgot her final wishes in his grief, and for the first time, he sees that. Now, finally, Frederick is ready to fulfill them.

• ○ ● Thanks for reading! ● ○ ●

[bungouchronicles]

Soukoku and their views on humanity

I said I'd make this post so here it is!

This post will include spoilers for the stormbringer lightnovel ‼️‼️(and also fifteen)

So the way Dazai and Chuuya view humanity is inherently different.

Dazai views it as a state of mind. If you act human you're human. To be human has to do with compassion and empathy. It's about what we call 'human nature'. And for someone like he, who (atleast as a teenager) did not feel and think in the way he deemed right he couldn't view himself as human.

Chuuyas view on what makes someone human is much more literal. "If you're a human then you're human." So in stormbringer, when he finds out he might not be an organic human to begin with it causes him to question and struggle with his own humanity.

In a way they are what the other wishes they could be.

Dazai wants to feel human, he wants to find that reason to live that comes so naturally for everyone around him, that's why he joined the mafia. Then comes chuuya, who is in whatever way you look at it so incredibly human. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he's so expressionate and most importantly, he feels deeply and at all times. Chuuya too came from that life Dazais had searched for and he had it all. They were the same type of people and still, chuuya was so different, so bright. And Chuuya might not even be human, but Dazai couldn't care less, because to him, even this made-made string of code was more human than he could ever wish to be. I think one of the reason Dazai loved to annoy Chuuyas from day one were to see that emotion on his face, as even more proof of his humanity.

This idea is even backed up by that scene in fifteen was Dazai continues to shoot that man even after he's already died. Dazai's almost like in a trance, mumbling about how "this is more than you deserve". Then Chuuya kicks the gun out of Dazais hand and says "Quit shooting dead bodies". Dazai responds with "You're right. You're absolutely right. What you say is probably correct." Because that's the correct way to think, what Chuuya had told him only further proved what Dazai had feared to be true.

I'll probably talk about their view on death as a whole some other day because Al find it really interesting and this is one of my favorite scenes when it comes to analysis.

To Chuuya, Dazai is everything but bright. Dazai is in anyway you see it entirely human. Born to a mother and raised among humankind. Still, he can't appreciate that. He doesn't understand what Chuuyas would give to have that. He's too stuck up about how he'll never be human, how the world Chuuya fought so hard to survive in is so very terrible. Dazai has "everything" and he still isn't happy with it. Weirdly enough, he seems so sure that Chuuya is infact human, without any proof of it either.

Chuuya had a reason to hate Dazai from the beginning (the whole thing with the sheep only further tainted Chuuyas view on Dazai), and I think he did, until the events if Stormbringer that is. That was when he won his unconditional trust. Dazai never fully hated Chuuya, but in a way Chuuya did question everything Dazai believed in. He was something unpredictable and exciting in his otherwise dull life. That was how he convinced Dazai to keep living after the Rimbaud fight.

That wasn't all good though. You're not usually extraordinary happy when someone comes along and changes everything.

I saw someone talk about how Chuuya always got up and continued on even after all the misfortune he has gone through while Dazai was afraid to try, knowing everything he would never want to lose is always lost the moment he obtains it. That was a brilliant way to see it. Chuuya challenged Dazai and from the beginning, and he wanted to hate him for it.

But time goes on, as it always does and suddenly Chuuya knows that he's most probably human after all. Does this make this 'analysis' all for nought? I don't think so, because I adore the themes of humanity in BSD and this is more an analysis from the perspective of teenage soukoku. Chuuya no longer struggles as much with his humanity and Dazai feels more than he ever has before, even if it's not "the correct way" to feel and think.

Conclusion:

Dazai views humanity as a state of mind and Chuuya views it as a state of body. They both are what the other one wished they could be and that's one of the reasons they had a lot of actual conflict as teenagers.

[sailorplutoirl]

I think there's a difference between Sunset and the Dazzlings

I remember in that The Mane Event chapter book based on Rainbow Rocks at a bookstore which I never bought.It had like a spot at the end where you could write your feelings sort of like a diary. It said something like "Do you ever feel like doing the same thing over and over again?" Like in reference to the Dazzlings, and if you look at the Dazzlings vs. Sunset, you can see a big difference.

Sunset Shimmer changed. The Dazzlings didn't.

Throughout Rainbow Rocks, and in between, Sunset had to change and work towards being a better person. It was hard and messy and people didn't forgive her right away all of the time, but it was what ultimately defeated the Dazzlings in the End.

The Dazzlings on the other hand? They simply used basically the same tactic they used for like 1,000 years. Yes they were immediately liked, and it yielded results and they got scarily far, they were ultimately defeated because they underestimated Sunset's ability and want change.

They recognized that Sunset did something bad, and was ostracized for it and for good reason. They used it against her to shut her down and make her feel insecure. It was Sunset who had to take the long messy road of change and commit to it, and and as stated before, she was the one that asserted herself when it was needed, and was the one that carried The Rainbooms in that final battle. (The only one who didn't have one of those bum-ass outfits might I add. She at least looked the least terrible out of The Rainbooms.)

Maybe they knew Sunset was a threat, but underestimated that she was a threat that could get back up.

Even in like their powered up forms. Sunset's form is one that came with her redemption and solidifies her as a Rainboom. The Dazzlings were using projections of their original forms from 1,000 years ago. Maybe they were stuck in the past.

While the Dazzlings were immediately adored, it was fake and evaporated after the spell was lifted, while when people start to warm up to Sunset, although it takes a while, it's real.

Whether or not it was intentional, I may never know, but I like this.

But not this wtf

When I figure out how to redesign these it’s over for y’all these girls deserve so much better than the outfits they got BECAUSE

[my-little-pony-theories]

Im legit curious if this has been confirmed yet, but are the Dazzlings actually siblings or are they just childhood friends? Didn't stop many to hc both ideas and ship them with each other; However, i personally think they are sisters. Is there any confirmation?

That's a good question. I went on the wiki, and it says that they are sisters.

But I'm not sure where it was said though.

[illusivesoulgaming]

I did extensive research and put much thought into this and now I have to share the results of my study.

Galactic crime boss and lesbian space pirate queen Aria T'Loak

Mexican drug baroness and Cartel mommy leader Valeria Garza aka El Sin Nombre

Look how Valeria is sitting. Coincidence? I think not.

[incarnateangelique]

Honestly,thank god webtoons like my in laws are obsessed with me,not sew wicked stepmother,duchess mecklen elegant revolt,lady to knigh,I abdicated my title as empress and other goo d webtoons. Because we have materials that cover sensitive subject correctly and female characters that done vile stuff that readers actually hate like dodolea,diane poitier(the readers just hates her because she let her anger out on the wrong person) and so on. And also the fact we have main leads who have flaws and the story acknowledges them in a good way.

(Thanks for the list of recommended)

Yes. Honestly, historical manwha has an issue of falling into the trappings of feudal western Europe and the obscene wealth and class divide of the nobility and the peasants.

Rereading a lot of manwha is like 'oh our protagonist is exploiting the working class' and brushes over it. Ironically, one of the most class conscious manwha's I read was the villainess reverse the hourglass, and it is barely there.

[dogshit-enchantment]

Harvestella character analysis playlist:

‼️MAJOR GAME SPOILERS‼️

Ein - Out of Mana (Brand New) "I'm a ghost | I can't say I know that I'm even here | Or is this some eternal test | Hold me close | I'll never know if it's more or less | No reset"

Ein, but also, "you": The One Who Whispers To Them. Ein is a vessel, but also their own being. They are forced to confront impossible decision after impossible decision and decide how to create a future from it. No chance to redo, they only get one true shot to get things right.

-

Aria - Personal Jesus (Mindless Self Indulgence cover) "Feeling unknown | And you're all alone | Flesh and bone | By the telephone | Pick up the receiver | Make you a believer"

Aria is what I would consider the self-imposed martyr of the group. She takes on every responsibility as if it's her own and backs herself into a corner over it. Wants nothing more than to be able to rely on others but feels she can't. Ends up putting her faith in Ein to make the decision that she ultimately can't follow through with. She has no faith, but must.

-

Asyl - Two Letters (Bayside) "And it takes a lot to shake me and my body breaks to figure out |How to leave the past behind when it's around all of the time | And I don't know what I should call you"

The phrase "how to leave the past behind" sums up Asyl's entire character arc. He can't leave Otella alone, he loves her so much even if she scares and saddens him. He wants to do what he can for her, and if he can't then he wants her to leave the town alone. He doesn't believe her, but can't find it in himself to distrust her. The love he has for her blinds his judgement, but it's his best quality. He is loyal beyond all else, and it is his vice and virtue.

-

Istina - Only If For A Night (Florence and the Machine) "And the only solution was to stand and fight | And my body was bruised and I was set alight | But you came over me like some holy rite"

Istina's character arc follows her growth from rejecting her past to accepting it as a part of herself. The strive she was forced to live with, forced to fight for. A lifetime of pain inflicted to and by her, and she must somehow figure out how to not only look past but accept it. The only way to find redemption is to make it.

-

Heine - Ship in a Bottle (Fin) "You set sail alone, there is no crew | No one on the deck who can help you | This is all your own battle to win | This is your ship and you are the captain"

Heine is genuinely Grief Incarnate. He lets his mourning of Fiasola overtake his entire being. He can't let himself live without taking on those qualities of hers that she left behind. He changes from being the pushback of their dynamic duo to being the push and the pull. He feels himself to be alone, but in the sense of being dishonest with himself and incapable of forming true connections until meeting Ein. "Oh Captain let's make a deal, where we both say the things that we both really feel." He can't be honest with his grieving until he is forced to be, when there is no option but to be honest.

-

Emo - You Are The Moon (The Hush Sound) "Darkness, darkness everywhere, do you feel all alone? | The subtle grace of gravity, the heavy weight of stone"

An endless chasm of death, a desolation so profound it cannot be described. To have her home destroyed, her family reduced to nothing but memory, she is the only pillar left to save Lorelei from itself. She is alone, and yet she is kind, she is understanding. Someone with nothing, still willing to give everything for those around her.

-

Brakka - What Doesn't Kill You Will Make You A Killer (Rabbit Junk) "What doesn't kill you will make you a killer | Your eyes are screaming that you're high on rage | Nails, splinters, glowing embers | How you arrived, you don't remember | And you're never going back in that cage"

Brakka will do anything for revenge, at any cost, and when it's taken from him he becomes completely despondent. To him, it's his everything, his reason for being, the only reason to exist. Having it taken from his, it's worse than any withdrawal, it's a fate worse than death. But he must continue, there is no other option.

-

Shrika - Church (Fall Out Boy) "Trust me, that's what I will be | Oh, the things that you do in the name of what you love | You were doomed but just enough"

Thersites - Church (Fall Out Boy) "And if death is the last appointment | Then we're all just sitting in the waiting room | I am just a human trying to avoid my certain doom"

Two sides of the same coin. The love/loath that organized religion creates. Shrika, the caring missionary, and Thersites, the cynic forced to conform. Thersites wouldn't be compelling without Shrika's compassion, and Shrika wouldn't be compelling without Thersites' pessimistic realism.

-

Dianthus - Jitter Doll (Judyphonic Cover) "Its so loud | Through my head, came all this static noise around | What's the word again? They call it love, oh yes| That a human feels so deep"

Desperate to feel love, desperate to understand love, Dianthus is so close to the edge of corruption at any time. Her consciousness is at risk of ending up like Geist the more she interacts with the Abels, but she loves them. Even though she pretends to not understand, she does. There is a noise so loud in her wiring, and she knows it's love.

-

Geist - Starkiller (Bear Ghost) "Don't resist, just give in | Save us some time | Well, I'd ask for your soul | But it's already mine"

Song chosen more for the vibe and literal name of it, but it still fits the theme of Corrupted Geist not considering any alternatives. He has a hypercritical mindset and refuses to take no for an answer. He believes there is a correct answer to an impossible question, and as a result corrupts both literally and figuratively.

-

Unicorn - The Vampyre of Time and Memory (Queens of the Stone Age) "I want God to come and take me home | 'Cause I'm all alone in this crowd | Who are you to me? Who am I supposed to be? | Not exactly sure anymore"

If you had to chose between living in knowledge that you were created as a construct, everything you've ever known was falsified... Could you? Your love isn't real. Your identity isnt real. You are nothing more than an experiment created by God with artificial memories. Could you persist?

[deep-space-atomic-clock]

hello i hope this isnt weird but i recall you saying it's fine to message you and ive been thinking about it lately so for your consideration i think on fire by takamachi walk is a very asuka song thank you

not weird at all! thanks for the recommendation, yeah! boy those are some asuka lyrics if I've ever seen some. Could be used to provide an interesting perspective on his own feelings of his role in the world... just maybe.

If you'd like an askcore recommendation back, it's a rather different feel but All Love by Francis of Delirium does make me think of him...

[ariapmdeol]

I just wanted to point out something relating to the three characters from the game on the genloss store

These are the quotes and colors of each character in the game (translated the binary)

Stranger (red): The Savior Friend (blue): The Taken Friend (green): The Villain

are these not just the roles that Sneeg and Charlie played in this episode?

Sneeg as the Blue friend, the "Taken" in which we first meet him after he's been kidnapped from elsewhere. He's LITERALLY taken prisoner, taken 'mentally' through the goop mind control

Charlie Slimecicle as the Green, the "Villain" of this episode along with its host. Defeated at the end.

The Stranger... Is the person on the Tapes, i assume? The "Savior" helping align things so that GL!Ranboo can break free from Showfall's (and our) control.

Also, this may not be relevant but... Am i supposed to recognize who plays the Tape person (Stranger)? Because I didn't, while I did recognize Sneeg and Charlie (Friends). This is more tangential evidence though, so we'll see if this thought bears merit.

[the-great-gullon-incident]

Thoughts on what is going on with Tam and Linh in Stellarlune?

Personally it is driving me up the wall how they are mad at each other. I just want the twins back but it is nice to see some Linh angst. Still kinda what the old Linh back though.

I personally really enjoyed it and find it a really cool direction to take Linh’s character.

These twins have probably never had any friends outside of each other until the keeper gang showed up and they’ve probably hardly been apart from each other for more than maybe a day at max while they were splitting up to search for resources while they were in exile. And now they’ve been separated for over a month. They’ve changed and developed in that month and they don’t know how to interact with each other any more.

Which means they get to face their co-dependency issues! They both think that the other can’t live a healthy, normal life without themelves. Linh doesn’t hunk Tam could form a social life or stay in a good mental space without her and Tam doesn’t think that Linh could stay safe and keep control without him. But now after a month of freaking out about how the others doing now that they’re separated they see that the other would be fine on their own.

Tam made a friend in Rayni and Linh’s perfectly fine and has arguably gained more control over her power while he was gone(the growth in power has nothing to do with tam missing besides maybe Linh trying to be stronger to save her brother but the circumstances line up). Linh doesn’t know what to think of Rayni.

One) her brother doesn’t need her to have a normal life, he has friends that’s she didn’t help him make, does he not need her anymore? Two) Rayni used to be apart of the neverseen and the last time they trusted a former neverseen member everything went to shit, she shouldn’t be trusted. Three) she see’s Rayni as stealing Tam away from her, Linh already didn’t like her and with Tam defending her it builds a rift in their bond so she gets more angry and tam defends her more and the rift grows bigger and rinse and repeat for the rest of the book

[aria-greenhoodie]

Yknow I was mentioning “A World Without Wordgirl” earlier to my boyfriend and it’s honestly such a fucked up episode if you think about its implications for more than like, 2 seconds.

Like, Becky Botsford aka Wordgirl is 10 YEARS OLD and she has to CONSTANTLY leave behind her friends and family and miss out on fun, normal kid activities to take care of some mess a (usually grown-ass) villain made. We see this happen in plenty of other episodes, but “A World Without Wordgirl” makes it even more obvious.

It’s this kid’s BIRTHDAY, and her parents decided to go all out for her. They brought her best friends, got her a bouncy castle, got her ponies to ride, did all these really sweet and amazing things for their daughter, but she didn’t get to enjoy ANY of it because she kept having to zoom off and fight crime as Wordgirl. She’s just a KID! She is a 5th grader for goodness sake, she shouldn’t be sacrificing her BIRTHDAY, the single most exciting and highly-anticipated day of the year for a kid, to clean up after criminals that the local law enforcement couldn’t handle. And she isn’t forced to interrupt her party once, no, she’s forced to interrupt her own fun SEVERAL TIMES to the point that every single nice thing her parents did for her she misses, doesn’t get to enjoy any of it. So of course, she’s so fed-up by the end of the day, so tired of having to pick up after everyone, she makes the wish that she wasn’t Wordgirl, and that Wordgirl never existed… just like ANY EXASPERATED 10 YEAR OLD MAY DO IF THEY WERE IN HER SITUATION!

And what is she given in response to her extremely understandable angst? SHE IS IMMEDIATELY SCARED STRAIGHT BY EVERYTHING AROUND HER FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING DUE TO WORDGIRL BEING ERASED FROM EXISTENCE (courtesy of electrified magic birthday cake).

In the universe without her, CHUCK of all villains is running the city, allowing the other villains to run amok as well, under his rule (sans Twobrains). Becky is shown that if she DOESN’T continue to sacrifice every single nice thing that happens to her in order to clean up messes that ADULT LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE HANDLING, the city will fall to villainous hands. She’s shown that she HAS to be a savior, a protector, a hero above anything else. She’s not allowed to be a kid, she’s not allowed to have a carefree childhood and leave larger issues to the adults, she’s not allowed to enjoy herself without the anxiety of another crime taking place that she has to stop.

And you know, this would be bad enough if this was the only episode that touched on this, but it ISN’T. This type of shit has happened to her SO MANY TIMES. The people of Fair City are absolutely HELPLESS without her, a 10 YEAR OLD GIRL. she’s not allowed to be a kid for more than 5 seconds without hearing some alarm in the distance! Sure, she chose to be a super hero, but she made that choice when she was still VERY YOUNG, and even if it was her choice, it’s still completely unfair that her entire childhood is marred by constant interruptions from villains and constant anxiety in anticipation of the next crime, not to mention the physical danger she’s put in nearly every day by (again, usually GROWN-ASS) villains who hold no care for her well-being!

She doesn’t even have a trusted adult figure to really confide in, either. The only adult who knows her secret identity (as far as I’ve gotten in the show) is her grandfather, but he doesn’t live with the Botsfords and seems to be perfectly ok with his granddaughter throwing herself into dangerous situations for the sake of others. Sure, later in the show Scoops figures out her identity, and I’m pretty sure Violet does too (Haven’t gotten that far yet though), and while it’s great that she has peers to confide in after all this time, she still really needs an adult in her life who can shield her from some of the sacrifices she feels forced to make.

I know this is a kids show and her being frustrated with villain interruptions is usually played up for laughs, but as an adult watching the show I can’t help but feel kinda angry on her behalf at the adults around her if I think about it too hard. Yes, she’s capable and strong, but that doesn’t mean that the adults in her life shouldn’t be protecting her anyway. Has no adult in Fair City worried about Wordgirl, the 10-year-old heroine? Has none of the local law enforcement questioned why they keep letting a 5th grader do their jobs for them?? I guess it’s in-character of cops to be incompetent and selfish, that’s definitely realistic, but what about the other adults who know Wordgirl? Hell, Sally Botsford, Becky’s own MOM, has said she sees Wordgirl almost like a daughter, but she still has little to no problem with her constantly being the city’s only defense against crime both big and small. Sure, Kid Math is now able to help out, BUT HE’S JUST A KID TOO! And Becky/Wordgirl is still doing a LOT of the work! She’s never even had a proper mentor who knew of her superheroism. Her LAST hero-mentor was fucking MISS POWER, and we all know how that turned out.

This is why I’ve been writing a fic about Becky (and Tobey because I’m a sucker for Tobecky) 15 years after canon dealing with her mixed-up feelings about her childhood and her superheroism. It must be such an angering, terrifying feeling to grow up thinking that you can’t be allowed to be a KID, to have FUN for too long, because a villain might rob a bank, or steal an artifact, or turn the city into cheese, or WHATEVER. Imagine Becky as an adult, imagine the anger she must feel, and the guilt because of that anger. Someone give this kid a hug and a proper mentor figure. And some THERAPY.

[aria0fgold]

got distracted again orz... ended up typing out the english translation of i’ve never forgotten lyrics and then proceeded to go on a rant about how each lyric matches pab siblings and im just in pain

[bungouchronicles]

Chuuya's mersault jacket will always be green to me </3