#city spies theories

[afunky-jester]

I have given in to the theorizing and decided to actually find some proof of Le Fantôme being related to Mother. It's going to be a kinda long one since I tend to ramble when I talk about my theories

Anyways so

But from what I know from genetics, and the fact that Le Fantôme is described as a man, they could've been fraternal twins and she just ended up with blonde hair. It isn't impossible for two people with black hair to have a blonde haired child (my mom's grandma was ki'che yet she had blonde hair and green eyes from her German ancestors way back in the family tree). As long as the parents carry the gene for it, it is possible.

Le Fantôme and Mother might be related

(key word: might)

First and foremost, the Renoir painting mentioned in the first book. It is mentioned that it reminds Le Fantôme of his late twin sister. Although it is mentioned that Mother is the only child of only children, due to the fact his father left it could be that he never found out much regarding his father's past. Do take this with a grain of salt though, all I'm saying is that they possibly could be related in some way. Not necessarily father-son. What little we do know of Mother's appearance is that 1. He has black hair and 2. He has burn scars. The black hair complicates things as in the Renoir paintings that match the description of the one referenced in the first book, the young girl has blonde hair.

Both Mother and Le Fantôme have some form of interest in art. This is almost entirely coincidental but it also isn't uncommon for people who are related to have similar interests even if they have never met. My sister has a similar, almost identical signature to my maternal grandfather, and I have the same interests in most of the arts he practiced (like writing). Mother mentioned (although probably to make it easier for the mission to go well lol) that he likes Renoir's works, and it has been mentioned before that Le Fantôme specifically chose his main residence because it once belonged to Renoir. They both enjoy similar styles of art, ones put into the same category.

Another thing they share is some form of relation to theatre. Fuck yeah theatre. Mother grew up as a literal theatre kid, plays and musicals and stuff. Literally being cast in multiple main roles (I think, I haven't watched the ones that he mentioned he acted in)

Do you know what is by far one of the most iconic musicals? The one of which has had so many parodies and references about it, even the Thea Stilton books has one? The one where Monster High made a character who was the daughter of the namesake?.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

LE FANTÔME, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA??? PHANTOM IS ANOTHER WORD FOR GHOST!!!! AND THAT IS THE PART MOST CENTERED!!!!

So it's either 1. Le Fantôme is Mother's father 2. Le Fantôme is Mother's long lost sibling, perhaps from his absent father's side or 3. They are otherwise related in a different way.

But that's just a theory... A BOOK THE– *explodes*

I'm SO glad I managed to finally write this omg I rarely ever write down my theories lol

Is this just me comparing them? Maybe.

Is this just another way of sharing my family stuff? Yes

Someone should hire me to write articles /j (unless... 👀)

[city-spies-confessions]

Why did I have a sudden moment that is probably not going to come true.

Very very VERY wild theory moment here (a THEORY!!!!!)

Why did my brain create a theory of Mother potentially being related (even distantly like how I'm distantly related to a telenovela actress through my dad) to le fantôme??????

There is no way bro this is the type of theory I made for another character Oliver Ocean (man I wish there was a fandom for that book series) where it's just the brain processing information about the characters and filling in the gaps and finding subtext where there is any (especially for this theory what 💀 there's no way).

The only reason why I don't denounce half of my theories most of the time is that if my brain insists on it (and my penchant for being right on complete accident sometimes), it ends up true in some form of way 😭

At most the thing they share is like very vague stuff that is mostly coincidences 😭 (also could be on purpose but idk)

TLDR: brain said "what if Mother and le fantôme were related?" I looked back at how my theories worked and how they came to be. Went "😐 tf"

.

[needlesandnilbogs]

Prime

teeny tiny Kat drabble for fun, because the sum of the primes under 25 is exactly 100: every paragraph has a prime number of words in it and the whole thing is exactly 100 words

Kat smiled. Primes were fun. She always enjoyed number theory. Number theory was, ultimately, studying the primes. Kat had loved primes ever since she had discovered their existence. It was the randomness, she supposed. The way they went forever. But still… There were no patterns to the primes. No formula could predict every prime. Not a single one. No formula could predict humans, either. Kat didn't like people. At least primes had things in common. People didn't. Then again, her siblings were people. And Monty and Mother were people. She liked them, even though she couldn't predict any of them.

[n0tamused]

HOLY SHIT FUCK ME SIDEWAYS THAT DRAGON WUWA POST?????? EMUACH

thoughts on dragon calcharo and scar tho??? if u have any,,,, if not, its oki too take ur time😚

A/n: HELLO NOBUUU!!! <3 I'm so happy you liked the first part oml, and I'm more than happy to give a part two to that as well! I didn't expect people to ask about my OC too, but that's really sweet and decided to include her at the end too :,) Hope you enjoy! Lemme know if you guys want anyone else as dragons, HSR, Genshin or Wuwa

Contents: Calcharo, Aalto, Scar x reader, Encore (strictly platonic familial stuff), Jien(oc), fluff, dragons

Wuthering Waves characters as dragons pt.2

Calcharo:

-Another dragon that is a long way from his home and closely related to the dragons of the New Federation. 

-Not the one you see around too often, as he does tend to avoid civilization where he can, even avoiding flying if that would get him too much attention, but honestly he is really pretty to see in flight-

-He is scarily beautiful, and some people managed to catch a picture or two of him in flight from afar, so it’s one of those blurry “is it a unicorn” pictures that people spread around like wildfire

-Due to his lack of contact with others, a lot of ghost tales began to circulate around him, and gossip has it that he wasn’t born as he looks now. People say he was born pure as snow, but somewhere down the line, the gods cursed him, and now he physically bears that curse in the shape of tough black scales that spread over him unevenly, and the golden star on his chest is said to be the only place a blade can pierce him. A few courageous, or rather stupid, individuals did try to test this theory for glory and money that an anonymous bidder has set on Calcharo’s head. But those people were never heard from again.

-The climate around Jinzhou is not his favorite, so he tends to retreat into the mountains a lot where there’s a cooler breeze and colder caves to rest in properly. His mane helps him with regulating body heat, but it is in no way made for summer heat.

-It is said that Calcharo and Jiyan are in amiable talks with one another, with both patrolling the territory of Jinzhou and protecting it in their own ways. Two sides of the same coin, as one would say. Jiyan has also made attempts at bringing Calcharo to meet the others, to get to know the people, and when he did Calcharo was rather reluctant to leave his dragon form, and he walked there in his towering form. But when he was met with wonder, warm welcomes and greetings and with some small pushing from Jiyan, he caved in and showed the people his human form as well. Sure, there was some reluctance in people’s eyes as well, but their General vouched for this newcomer and told them of the feats he accomplished in the name of them or their protection, and they had faith in their General Jiyan.

-From that point on, the ghost tales did lessen, and the children of Jinzhou seemed to find it easier to wander further into the woods, and the adults found it easier to relax with two of the strongest dragons patrolling the territory. 

-However, Calcharo wouldn’t be able to cover all that vast territory alone, and from a long while ago he has pulled a few trusted ones into his fold and under his wing. 

-Be it other dragon folk like him, or regular people, he has many ears and eyes all over the lands, to the point he doesn’t even need to leave his mountain cave to know what goes on in the city at the foot of the mountain. Due to this, even if people began to regard him as an ally, they still do not dare to provoke him in any way, and criminals have begun to walk on their tip toes, afraid to poke one of Calcharo’s spies or men that he was so protective of. 

-Calcharo doesn’t hoard much of anything in his caves. Perhaps some weapons, but for the most part it is all barren. Sometimes moonlight shines into the cave from some hole in the ceiling of the cave, making his mane the color of beaten silver, and making all his markings go pale. He nearly looks covered in snow, pure white again.

-He doesn’t like you traveling so far up the roads just to see him, but if you do, he does keep you around for a few days to make your journey worth it. In that short time you stay with him, you find his cave gets quickly filled with supplies necessary for you to have an enjoyable/comfortable time.

-He doesn’t often nap or sunbathe, he also claims the sun hurts his scales. Due to their uneven thickness and distribution, one part of him could benefit from a bit of the sun, but the other would just start burning. 

-Although he looks like he is constantly scowling and sneering, he does greatly appreciate your presence. The quiet around, and the exploration you two seem to undertake suddenly seems more lively and worth the time to look at.

-Be it that you’re dragonkin or just a human, he does take you for a flight. Sometimes he does this if he is mid patrol or mid mission and he can’t just keep you behind. He knows he has what it takes to defend you, so he doesn’t mind you tagging along.

-His mane is also  free real estate bed, go ahead and bury yourself in it and while you’re at it you can also use another strand of his long mane as a blanket.

-He smells fresh too.

Aalto:

-One of the friendliest dragons, and he certainly looks the part as well with how soft he may look and behave. He is the dragon people see a lot around, and some claim he brings down the morning mists and others say he can wash clouds away with his wings to make way for the sun, but that’s all folktale. He can create mist and make his escape safe and quick, or his attack, but he finds fun in other folktales that surround him.

-Due to his breed, he really doesn’t look fit for battle, and many dragons misjudged him for his lack of limbs that could otherwise serve in a fight. But, naturally, they are wrong about him. 

-While Aalto lacks in mass, size and limbs, he makes up for all of it in agility, speed and intellect, using whatever environment is around him to his advantage, and you’d be surprised how much strength his talons have. 

-He has a lot of power in him for a seemingly “weightless dragon”.

-Aalto is also often seen near or around little Encore. And when she begins to stir trouble, or trouble finds them, he is quick to snatch her up in his talons like an eagle snatches a fish out of a lake, and flies off into the mist to disappear

-Aalto is also not the one to hide in his dragon form. He understands that he is already perceived as “weak” to some extent, driving some to believe he isn’t even worth attacking, and so he sees it as no harm in indulging in human activities as well, which also have their own merits and advantages, especially in his field of work. How else is he supposed to get all that information if he is this one big stumbling beast? Come on! This is Aalto! He knows way better than to let gossip stop him.

-Even if the gossip was the other way around, he would be sure in his skills to take on whoever goes after him. His senses are as sharp as a blade, and he does notice a lot even if he doesn’t let it on, especially since he doesn’t let it on.

-He has quite a characteristic chirp in his dragon form, it is a really sweet and comforting sound and can sometimes mean playtime, and he often uses it when Encore is around or some other kids that he is around with in that moment.

-Although he is very well met with people all around the place, he does his best to not let any of them get under his skin and worm themselves in his heart, as such could mean potential danger in his missions. So while he is surrounded by people, he does sometimes feel left out and alone.

-You seem to melt all that away though, standing at his side and twining your fingers with his before taking him to get food or drinks, saying how much his absence was noted, not just by you but by others as well. The lady that lives next to you that has grown accustomed to seeing Aalto come to your door with gifts and meals has begun to ask if he left you, already preparing a mouthful of scolding words, but upon your reassurance that he was simply working, she quieted down. And the kids in the streets began to wonder where their “sky dragon” had gone off too. They do this every time, no matter how many times he leaves for work.

-His mane isn’t fur, and although in some places his feathers give the illusion of fur, they’re just fine and thin feathers that are also well kept and clean. You can swear the mist has something to do with it. 

-Aalto often does leave behind a feather or two for you to keep before a trip, and slowly this big vase in the back of the house is starting to overflow with giant feathers of your lover

-He brings you other gifts too, some of them big so they only fit in your yard, and others smaller that fit inside your house

-He is quite the cuddly dragon with you, but be warned he does love to snatch you up and take to the skies when you least expect it

Encore:

-Make way for Encore! This sweet little baby brings a lot to the table, even much more than any other dragon ever - Aalto probably 

-She is the sweetest, and she is such a ball of energy, it can be hard for anyone to keep up with her. She loves to play with other children that are around, usually giving them rides on her back since she is still a bit big in comparison to a grown adult, let alone a small child. She dares them all to stay on her back while she jumps and bucks and  rolls around- which, hey, can be dangerous and Aalto makes sure there is no rolling at least unless they want someone to become a human pancake

-Due to her age, her scales have only now begun to grow and form, making them soft and easily damaged. Aalto tends to get Encore to spend more time in human form than dragon form, just for safety sake. But at the moment, due to the exact reason for her scales forming, she has to spend more time as a dragon to give her scales proper space and time to grow and develop.

-Her friends give her all sorts of gifts, bows and sweets and clips, and they help her comb her hair since it is now harder for her to do so..etc

-The two sheep plushies she usually carries in her human form are now like ants in her claws but she still has them following her, like flies compared to her

-She is a restless sleeper, and usually goes to power naps in some warm grass, giving Aalto a heart attack when he just disappears, but she is back quickly enough, hopping like a deer through grass. 

-The creatures of the woods both love her and fear her. Love her since she is a lot more like them and is respectful, but she is just too loud and during playtime can get a bit rough

-Here comes Aalto to snag her up.

Scar:

-Scar is another kind of dragon that hasn’t been seen around before, at all really. He is one of a kind, and quite scary while he’s at it too. Not only is he a giant, but his horns give him such a haunting appearance. If you were to see him in the night, his towering shadow and giant horns paired with four glowing eyes staring into your soul, you wouldn’t feel the best y’know

-He tends to wander, but seems to leave no traces behind him. One day he may be in the south, and the next he is down at the coastline near the northern cities.

-From some angles he looks rather disfigured, but if he allows you to approach him, you can see that all his bones are, in fact, in their place and he isn’t broken - he just hyperflexible-

-One sound he just loves to do is that one that is akin to a laughing hyena + cougar, he mixes the sound to the point you can only just shiver or tense up. On that topic, he is quite able to mimic many sounds and make new ones, and again - this is his favorite activity to do, especially when there’s people around to spook or run off from the territory 

-I mentioned he has four eyes. The bigger pair serves for normal vision, just like you and I, but they are also eyes for a predator, while the smaller pair are more for panoramic views. Although he can hardly be classified as a prey animal, he was a small lamb once too, and had to keep watch out for bigger predators.

-Although he doesn’t breathe fire, he also has a way of manipulating flames and creating them. The ends of his clothes that hang from him sometimes catch fire, giving him an haunting look as he is mid battle and burning himself - but the flames never touch him to hurt him,

-He doesn’t lack in limbs, and he especially is more than useful in both combat and scaling mountains and rocks. He can grab and kick and slash and bite. What more is there?

-Just like with any other dragon that isn’t in much contact with humanity and that looks as scary as him, a lot of people have woven different stories about the goat dragon. It’s mostly parents scaring their children with these tales, saying how the goat dragon will snag them if they stay too late outside or if they wander too far off.

-Some other stories include details of his origin. Some adventurous spirit found old cave paintings that show a black lamb and a big herd, and so they say he was a sacrifice himself. That the form they sometimes glimpse is nothing more but a vengeful spirit that seeks those who harmed him.

-Scar can’t fly, but he can float a bit, but he can also jump really high so watch out for that.

-He also lacks a lot of scales besides for his front claws.  He may be the only dragon that’s fluffed up as he is.

-For practicality sake, he doesn’t often do his things and missions in human form - it’s just way easier to swoop in like this beast, scare off the enemy and take their things, rather than chit chat and try to get through their stubborn heads.

-He does taunt them while he attacks with those sounds he makes, and sometimes, to lure a particular person out, he does imitate the voice of someone they’re close to.

-Sometimes, he is able to morph his skull to represent the skull of a goat, but those are just illusions and not real.

-Honestly, his fut is quite nice to the touch, although the big mane is a bit coarse and really thick 

-Although the woods are the best place for hiding and stalking, his horns often get stuck on branches and plants, so he prefers open fields for this reason

-Picks you up, carries you around, just unprompted. “You’re my friend now” meme,and there’s you dangling from his claws while he goes off who knows where

-Clingy in his sleep, so clingy. You have to be present or else. Else what? No clue, but you prefer not to be chirped at in the middle of the night, even if you know it is him making all that scary noise

Wuwa Jien:

–A dragon that seems to have been slumbering for the last several centuries, or else people simply believe her to be really old. Her slumber has paused her growth, but her scales still grew hard and impenetrable. Her claws are dark gold and leave behind a faint glimmer on things or dragons she slashes with them. 

-She is another dragon that doesn’t often interact with civilization, and just prefers to keep to her woods and fields. People began to claim that leaves grow greener while she is within the woods, and winters never last too long there either. For this, people do respect her and just leave her be. Although she isn’t social, she doesn’t shy away from people if they stumble into each other. Some people have come across her as she is laying down on some big boulder, resting or soaking in some sun, others have been there as she flew overhead, and she didn’t deny giving help to lost or distressed souls that find their way to her territory

-She is still quite formidable, and similarly to Aalto, she makes up for her lack of size with intellect and strategy

-She is another dragon that can breathe fire, like Mortefi. Her flames are really pale, almost golden and burn even hotter than Mortefi’s fire.

-Some people may find trees marked with her teeth, and some say it’s because she is marking her territory, while others say she is growing even more teeth.

-Jien is quite territorial though, and isn’t too happy when many people come and go, and even less when other dragons do so. She is quite tolerable though. She has patience and grits her teeth when someone tresspasses, giving them a chance to leave swiftly, but can sometimes make some noise to give warning to the unwanted visitors - primarily dragons. The only humans she’d give such hard treatment to are those that harm nature and litter or do any other sort of harm or are scheming to do so.

-There is a story that some people like to say that involves the General Jiyan, and it speaks of how the General went to her woods to seek her out for some assistance, but as he did arrive in the middle of the night and sh didn’t recognize him, she nearly clawed his lungs out. But from that encounter and onward, there were no fights between the two, and the army of Jinzhou never lacked in herbs from then either

-Loves to fly, and can often be seen gliding over her woods, and sometimes Jinzhou city and the surrounding mountains. It isn’t often for her to travel too far, but on rare occasions she goes to Mt. Firmament, which is more often in summer, she brings back a huge block of ice with her

-She has this big pool in the rocks of one hill, a big canopy of an oak overhead - it is a natural spring in which she is known to bathe in, and also perfect for her size.

-Doesn’t shy from human form either, and similarly to Mortefi - she prefers to do her paperwork and smaller business with human hands which are more precise, rather than claws. 

Size chart and trivia:

Calcharo is the biggest one in this lineup, having both size, mass and height to him, and can easily be classified as a war dragon as well

Scar is next in line, but he is much more lanky in comparison to Calcharo

Aalto is bigger than Jien but she has him beat in the strength department

Encore, of course is the smallest one here, Aalto can easily grab her in one talon and carry her off

So far, size wise the chart would be Geshu Lin> Jiyan/Calcharo>Scar>Aalto>Jien>Jinhsi>Mortefi>Encore

Tried to base Calcharo on a more wolflike anatomy/patterns since it suits him imo. So he has shorter claws that also look like paws

Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

The Tin Can Bros have launched a kickstarter to celebrate their 10 year anniversary with SEVEN new projects, and they need our help!

Read on to find out how:

This is Brian Rosenthal, Corey Lubowich and Joey Richter

You may know them from Team Starkid, or you may know them from their own group the Tin Can Brothers (creators of projects such as Spies Are Forever and the Solve it Squad), formed in 2014. To celebrate 10 years, they’re raising a goal of $200k in order to stage seven projects

They’re currently a week into their campaign and have raised almost $50k with 675 backers. But they still have a way to go! And to help, we need to spread the word

TINLIGHTENMENT PROMO SCHEDULE:

Saturday 10th - The Great Debate

What is it?

A live comedy game show featuring Joey, Brian, Corey and special guests pitted against each other to win a debate. It gets silly!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows in LA (and potentially other places!) throughout the year, digital tickets, and eventually some ‘episodes’ on youtube!

What can I share?

If you’ve been lucky enough to see past great debates on Patreon, talk about favourite topics and moments!

If you haven’t, share moments and clips from the first public great debate livestream happening on Thursday! (I think - if plans are changed then they’re doing a terrible job letting me help them)

Talk about guests! They talked about a Dropout crossover which I know people have been asking for with Starkid. I don’t know what that is but tell the people that do!

Tuesday 13th - Gross Prophets

What is it?

A brand new comedy musical featuring Joey, Brian and Lauren with music by Ali Gordon and Angela Parrish (shitty broadway! https://youtu.be/AZ-bOPiDqo8?si=F6guq3Pk_lOkCB5B)

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows (some workshop-y) in LA leading up to a run at the Adelaide Fringe, with digital tickets and eventual youtube release

What can I share?

We don’t know a whole lot about this project yet, but we do know it’s got a great cast and creative team - talk about those people!

That it’s going to Adelaide!! Australia is frequently in the top backing countries on kickstarters, and those people finally get a chance to see a TCB show live!

Theories on what the show might involve!

Saturday 17th - SIS at the Fringe

What is it?

An Edinburgh Fringe run of the fucked up Scooby Doo parody, with the original cast!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows throughout the entire Edinburgh Fringe run in August, or a digital ticket!

What can I share?

This is an existing TCB property, so talk about what you love from the original! Share art, gifs, edits, anything!

That it’s going to Edinburgh! As above, UK fans have been desperate for this for ages, now’s our chance! Make sure people know about it!

Tuesday 20th - Spy Another Day LA and London

What is it?

A live concert screening (Hollywood Bowl meets Rocky Horror!) of Spies with most of the original cast for LA and TCB plus Lauren for London!

How will I be able to see it?

A live show in LA in Spring (likely April) with a digital ticket option, and a live show in London in early September following their SIS fringe run

What can I share?

Like with SIS, anything and everything you love about the original show! Angsty fics, art, memes, it’s all good

Joe Walker. To me personally he’s just A Guy, but some people are still shocked to be learning he’s doing a show again! Get those OG fans to support this!

That it’s going to London. I need Joey doing a passable to decent depending on how much he’s practiced English accent in London! And again, an opportunity for one of the highest backing cities to see them LIVE

Saturday 24th - TCBoB at 54 Below

What is it?

The songs from their musical This Could Be on Broadway in concert at 54 Below in New York City, with Joey, Brian, Lauren, Esther, Bryce and Clark, plus more performers to be announced!

How will I be able to see it?

Live in NYC in November, with a digital ticket option

What can I share?

The first workshop only got a digital ticket release but if you caught that, share favourite parts! And the soundtrack is available, so talk about how fucking good the songs are

The fact that it’s an opportunity for people to hear these songs live!

Tuesday 27th - Intelligent Life

What is it?

A reading of TCB’s queer sci-fi comedy TV pilot

How will I be able to see it?

Live in LA in early Summer, or by digital ticket

What can I share?

Like with Gross Prophets, this is a brand new (to us) project so we don’t know a lot! But we do know it’s gays in space! We love space gays

Remember, these are just ideas. Share anything you personally are excited for and think other people might be interested in! The aim is to make sure people are aware of these projects, what they entail and why they need to happen! Any other way you have of getting the word out about the projects and the campaign in general is valuable!!

Join our discord for more ways to help or to ask questions! https://discord.gg/4VNEBzpA

And if you’re hearing about all this for the first time, check out the campaign! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tincanbros/tinlightenment-world-tour

[karniss-bg3]

I figured you’d be the right person to ask this question, why is Kar’niss’ skin super pale when he was originally a drow? 🖤

I had the same question myself and I did some digging a bit ago. All of the official drider concept art I've seen has depicted driders with dark skin, so it stands to reason that the transformation alone wouldn't be enough to alter his appearance. This leaves one interesting theory at play; Kar'niss was a Szarkai.

Szarkai, which translates to "ghost spiders", are albino drow. This is a very rare mutation that affects only 0.1% of the drow population. Their skin tones are so light in fact that they are able to pass as surface elves with little trouble. Some would think that this would make them outcasts but in fact Szarkai were viewed as a blessing of Lolth, hence their namesake.

There are some interesting crossover traits between Kar'niss and Szarkai that lean me more toward this theory, such as: -Szarkai look almost identical to drow outside of the skin tone. However, they have also been known to have minor deformities. The most notable is "gnarled and claw-like hands" which we know Kar'niss to possess. Originally I thought this was due to the transformation, but now I think he may have had it prior to the change.

-They are very adverse toward combat, preferring to let others do the dirty work so to speak. When the player engages Kar'niss in a fight one of the first things he does after his multi-attack is cast sanctuary on himself, protecting himself from harm and forcing his companions to take the hits. I also saw a video where someone cast banish on Kar'niss and when he returned he disengaged, healed himself, and ran from the fight. Now this was likely a bug, but it'd be on brand for Szarkai's desire to escape a fight rather than engage in it.

-They were mostly used as spies and gathering information since they could easily blend into surface societies. While there isn't much evidence that Kar'niss has much training in this field, what stuck out to me was the professions Szarkai favored. One of them is bard, and we have at least some notion that Kar'niss is linked to one musical instrument by way of the spider's lyre. I recall someone commenting asking if the lyre may have belonged to Kar'niss at one point and while I can't say with certainty, if it was and Minthara was merely holding on to it then it'd lend credence to him being a bard formerly. That and he's super pissed if you play it poorly!

-I haven't done a playthrough with Minthara in my party so I am not familiar with all of her dialogue lines. However, she does know Kar'niss in some capacity and the lyre is used to call him. Her last name is Baenre which is one of the most notable drow houses in all of Menzoberranzan, famous for Jarlaxle the leader of Bregan D'aerthe. I say this because Szarkai seemed to be far more common in noble houses, which Baenre would be. This could, even if loosely, establish a link between them.

IF this is true, that puts a very intense spin on Kar'niss' potential history. Szarkai were protected, considered valuable, and their existence kept secret. They were removed from drow life, and even kept in far safer conditions than others. This didn't mean they were shielded from the cruelty drow are known for but it was a different kind of cruelty. Often trained from a very young age to be spies and saboteurs, and subsequently being shipped to human cities to do as ordered. It makes me wonder what Kar'niss could've done to incur Lolth's wrath to the extent she warped him into a drider. Betrayal? Failure? Weakness? Or perhaps Lolth just really wanted an alabaster pet, it's hard to say.

Thanks for the ask!

[elainemg97]

✨The Spies ✨

/ACOTAR SERIES SPOILERS/

Easter Eggs in drawing

Dusk’s Truth: As you can see, there is an old, crumbling temple that is meant to symbolize the fallen dusk court. Elriel has always been followed by the light and dark imagery in-text. Therefore, I think they have a good chance to revive the dusk court, the time of day when day and night meet. There are people stuck in the stone to symbolize those stuck on the prison walls.

Fanged Beast: The theory is that the fanged beasts found in the hewn city will come to life, as that was once part of the dusk court.

Nuala and Cerridwen: Elain’s best friends and part of Azriel’s trusted spy team. He trained them himself, and they are now training Elain (there’s evidence to support this).

Ivy: Elain’s mental shields are wrapped in ivy; therefore, I thought it’d be fun to have their bargain tattoo be ivy. Also, no one would expect Elain to have a massive leg sleeve, but Azriel knows 😈

Rhys’ command: I made Az and Elain’s expressions sad because Rhys commanded Azriel to stay away from Elain. Yet Az feels a connection to Elain, and vice versa, and they can’t stop thinking about each other. This confuses Az because she supposedly has a mate. Why does he feel this connection to her? And so he questions the cauldron because he knows what he feels in his heart.

Elain’s tears: Elain is crying because she thinks the man she wants doesn’t want her. I put tears in her eyes because people call Elain weak because she cries a lot. I say crying is not bad, and some people cry more than others. It’s good to express all types of emotions.

Overall, Elain’s book will hit different. I can feel it.

[arpmemething2]

Batman the Animated Series sentence starters

Send one for my muse’s reaction.  Feel free to change pronouns as needed.

"All right, scum bucket, it's you, me, and thirty stories. You're gonna tell me exactly what I want to know."

"That's one way to remove a splinter."

"I have this natural immunity against poisons, toxins, the pain and suffering of others. Go figure."

"I failed you. I wish there were another way for me to say it. I cannot. I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray you hear me somehow, someplace... someplace where a warm hand waits for mine."

"Last time we met, you tried to throw me off a building."

"If you think I've been bad news before..."

"Old and infirm as you are, I'd trade a thousand of my frozen years for your worst day."

"What kind of a saboteur uses a six-thousand dollar Metronex to set a time bomb?"

"I never counted on being happy."

"A strong mind can fuel a frail body."

"I need a new car."

"There's no way you could have escaped from that explosion! How did you get out?"

"I'm gettin' too old for this."

"I suppose what they say is true: society is to blame. High society."

"Succumb to the fear!"

"Gee, it's amazing the things you find in people's glove compartments."

"Children and guns do not mix. Ever."

"I'm having a BAD DAY! I'm sick of people trying to shoot me, run me over or blow me up!"

"They're not stupid, and it's your party."

"Aren't they just the cutest family you've ever seen?"

"It's midnight darling, time to unmask."

"It's gonna be one of those nights."

"When you look too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back through you."

"If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?"

"You've got to admit there's something between us."

"There's always time to heal."

"I didn't realize you'd taken up listening to rock and roll."

"Choosing a weekend date?"

"I don't believe in fate."

"An entire city screaming in fear. I wonder if we'll be able to hear it."

"Some thought I'd gone mad. Others thought I always had been. And so they put me where they thought I belonged."

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no tales."

"This city would fall apart without you!"

"I love that trick but I can never make it work."

"Taking up video games, are we?"

"I hate it when he does that."

"You are strong... but not strong enough!"

"They don't make straight jackets like they used to. I should know."

"He's not samurai. He's NINJA. They're spies and assassins. Their only code is to get the job done."

"A pixel is worth a thousand words."

"I am vengeance! I am the night!!"

"And who says opera has to be boring?"

"He always knew how to make an exit."

"Hey! Do I hit your kids? Oh, actually I do..."

"Now boys, didn't your mommies teach you that's not the way to get a lady's attention?"

"Not the robot theory again."

"Freeze, maggots! You're all under arrest!"

"You said you'd never let me go home!"

"What was she before she went bonkers?"

"This used to be a beautiful street. Good people lived here once."

"'Tis better to have loved and lost, and made a small profit, than never to have loved at all!"

"Chance is everything. Whether you're born or not, whether you live or die, whether you're good or bad. It's all arbitrary."

"But you've forgotten the first rule of comedy: if you have to explain the joke... THEN IT ISN'T FUNNY!"

"I told you not to speak!"

"Coming through! Hot stuff!"

"The snow is beautiful, don't you think? Clean, uncompromising..."

"When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping."

"What a pleasant surprise. Though I should warn you - breaking and entering is against the law."

"This could cause a stampede to pork."

"You really know how to put the fun in funeral."

"You ought to put your toys away."

"Would not, could not... would not, could not... oh, could not join the dance."

"Home. I never thought that could sound so good."

"Then I'll see you in your nightmares!"

"As the Bard said, "the fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.""

"You know what I'd have given for a death scene like this. Too bad I won't get to read the notices."

"He's a little protective of all this. I think he likes bats better than people."

"All your power and money has bought you an empire of misery."

"Don't try this at home kids!"

"I feel ill."

"Well, that was fun! Now, who's for Chinese?"

"You're about to fall out of orbit."

"Why can't he ever stay dead?"

"They can bury me in the ground, as deep as they like. But I'll grow back. We always grow back. Don't we, baby?"

"All men have something to hide. The brighter the picture, the darker the negative."

"You thought I was just another bubble-headed blond bimbo! Well, the joke's on you, 'cause I'm not even a real blonde."

"When the wage slaves start acting like they own the place, it's time to pull the plug."

"I've been known to be foolish, but ain't nobody calls me a liar and goes to bed happy."

"Since you don't like my side-splitters, how 'bout a skull-splitter?"

"This is kidnapping, mister! Last time I checked, it was highly illegal!"

[m-for-musings]

BG3 meets VTM

So I'm a weirdo and I decided to glue together two of my hyper fixations: Vampire — The Masquerade and Baldur's Gate 3.

I've been playing VTM for 15 years now, and also acting as a Storyteller (GM) to it, but I'm prone to mistakes so if a vampire clan does not fit a character please let me know, let's jump into this weird, totally unhinged, theory together.

P.S.: I know that theoretically any clan can Embrace any individual, this is just a little joke with clan stereotypes and a silly way to imagine who would be Embraced into which clan and why. ALSO low-res clan symbol pics because I'm on my phone.

BG3 characters, but as Vampire Clans

(in alphabetical order)

Astarion: the whole Szarr clan would be a Hecata lineage. Rich, powerful, and full of sassy little bitches that turns into abusive sires that employs weird (and sometimes incestuous) "family" dynamics while also being obcessed with necromancy.

Gale: prodigy wizard doomed with a hunger for knowledge and driven by the promise of unravel the mysteries of the occult, while also being a "yes-ma'am"? Tremere it is.

Halsin: a shape-shifter who sometimes struggles with his bestial side and feels awkward in urban environments, just like a classic Gangrel.

Jaheira: she pretends otherwise, but it is clear that she has a network of spies under her command, and a deep knowledge of her home city's dirtiest little secrets and hideouts. Even her personal life is shrouded by secrecy, secured against (most) prying eyes. She comes and goes in a blink, sometimes disappearing without leaving a trace. A true Nosferatu elder.

Karlach: good old Brujah, with the head as hot as the heart, passionate and strong-willed (and stubbornly resolute) to fight for her goals and ideals.

Lae'zel: nothing screams more "Banu-Haqim" than a fierce and straightforward gith with a strong sense of purpose and justice, a thirst for retribution and loyalty to the elders that she seems worthy.

Minsc: threading a fine line between bold and oblivious, the embodiment of "The Fool" tarot Major Arcana. Completely unpredictable and impulsive, torn between the unhinged and the wise, finding sense where others see pure unbridled chaos, he would become a Malkavian.

Minthara: she has enough poise and status to be a classic high-borne Ventrue, being able to proudly recite her sire's lineage all the way up to the very first of them. Born to rule, with a commanding presence and unwavering will. BUT!!! She is also vicious, ruthless and ambitious enough to get the attention of the clan Lasombra, and their shadow-bending powers also fit the Underdark pretty well, so I'm torn between those two clans for her, although strongly prone to Lasombra.

Shadowheart: either by following Shar's principles or by completely defying the goddess, The Ministry is fit for her, be it for good or for evil, to tempt or to liberate, to expose secrets or hide it, to manipulate or to seek the truth, to be part of a cult or a leader to a sect. She can't fully abandon the spiritual aspect of life, be it for fullfil her desires or to serve her goddess.

Wyll: the Prince of the Gate is the last romantic. He has an innate sensibility, grace, charm, beauty and an unbridled appreciation for arts and love-tale's romance that can be found among the most classy Toreador.

[leportraitducadavre]

Fear and Racism - an analysis of Tobirama’s advocates

During all my years on Tumblr, I’ve found constantly the same argument regarding Tobirama’s views on the Uchiha, and while most (if not all) of his fans tend to justify his behavior over the vastly discussed COH theory that considered them biologically and emotionally unstable and thus, needing the government’s control, many others avid readers tend to defend or understand (at least partially) his views and decisions upon the premise of fear. More specifically, his fear of the Uchiha’s power, a sentiment born and developed during his youth as a member of his clan that lost beloved ones at Uchiha’s hands and was forced to face them in battle.

I will not dwell on the fact that many other (if not all) noble clans composing Konoha also incurred in such duels, and it’s likely that the Senju and other families also fought during the Warring State Era. The Uchiha was the Senju’s primary opposite force, yet not the only one, still, that “fear of insurrection” was solely focused upon a single family instead of a vast group of different people. In that sense, this fact alone disintegrates the argument that Tobirama was “prejudiced” rather than racist, as prejudice refers to a preconceived idea (positive or negative) about a particular person or group not based on prior experience nor knowledge, while racism involves an unequal distribution of power on the basis of ethnicity. The fact that Uchiha was the only clan forced to perform a single job (that limited their political influence and also prevented their complete integration in Konoha), were spied on by ANBU members, and were moved to the outskirts of the city (not by the Nidaime but following the same segregationist policies established by him), are actions performed by two different governments under the guidance of what became a systematized racist political structure.

The policies he made were around his personal racial prejudices as he’s the one and only who created the bureaucratic system of the village (something many of his stans gloat about) that, in itself, makes him racist. Those that state that he was just "prejudiced" conveniently leave aside the segregationist structure he built around his mindset. As someone in a position of power who, as was canonically shown and stated (by Hashirama, Orochimaru, and himself), didn't even bother to check his own prejudices, he's to be held accountable over the simple fact that he was the Hokage in charge of guaranteeing the safety, equity, and equality of those under his command.

Yet, while fear given his prior experiences is a fair claim as the basis for Tobirama’s bias, it’s also factual for the rest, as Madara (and other Uchiha) also lost relatives at Senju’s hands –in fact, Tobirama is likely more powerful than most Sharingan wielders as he killed Izuna, the second in command. Yet unlike Tobirama, neither Madara nor anyone of his kin performed undisclosed autopsies of deceased Senju members in order to study their biology nor wrote discriminatory and limiting policies based upon their nature. Madara even deflected after learning about his clan’s future inside Konoha’s borders.

[I’ll also brush over the fact that Tobirama’s words about how Madara is viewed negatively by other clan heads, while Hashirama isn’t, it’s never canonically shown –which only let us with his word,  which we immediately took as factual.]

What I will comment on more deeply tho, is the notion of fear and its influence on racist mentalities and behaviors, as many believe that Tobirama’s fear of the Uchiha has nothing to do with his discriminatory mindset, as if “fear for what an ethnicity might do and therefore acting by repressing them in advance” it’s somehow different than racism, that implies a “racial [ethnic, as the term racism is far outdated as there’s only one race that exists with multiple ethnicities] prejudice that guides the individual to perform discriminatory and repressive acts.”

Extreme hatred is almost always based on fear. People may feel threatened by people they view as "different" or "foreign." They may fear losing power. To combat this fear, some people may seek social support from others with similar fears, perpetuating the cycle.

Source

Attitudes of extreme hatred are usually based on fear. They come from primitive survival mechanisms—our instinct to avoid danger—to fear anything that appears to be different, which leads to fear of the other.

“When one race of persons unconsciously feels fear in response to a different race group—fears that their own level of security, importance, or control is being threatened—they will develop these defensive thoughts and behaviors,” says psychologist and political advisor Dr. Reneé Carr. “They will create exaggerated and negative beliefs about the other race to justify their actions in [an] attempt to secure their own safety and survival.”

Source

Irrational fear, particularly of people of color, has shaped the American criminal justice system since the nation's colonial beginnings (...) Many of the propagators of this apartheid trafficked in racist fear-mongering to justify discriminatory treatment of African Americans, warning white America about the inherent criminality and violent propensities of black men.

Source

Fear and Racism are deeply intertwined, such as is Hate and Racism (there’s a reason why xenophobia, which is the fear of strangers or foreigners, it’s often used as a synonym for racism) –Tobirama claimed that the Uchiha were a “clan possessed by evil” (x), despite his studies only confirming that emotions were the primary force behind their chakra activating the Sharingan. At no point did he prove that negative emotions were the sole requirement for their kekkei genkai to activate nor was he able to prove that their feelings commanded their actions as he performed autopsies over (hopefully) dead bodies that clearly had no way to feel a single thing and act upon it; in fact, he wrote the book of shinobi’s rules that forbid people (even non-Uchiha) from showing emotions -yet Hiruzen, the student he trusted the most with his will, as he bestowed upon him the Hokage title, happily exploited such connections amongst his forces. 

Tobirama’s need for control pushed him to create Edo-Tensei (a jutsu that came back to bite him in the ass, but regardless), he controlled powerful deceased shinobi at the expense of other people’s lives –you can say that Tobirama’s primarily driven force was fear yet it easily evolved into a clear necessity of absolute control over both living and dead people as to perform what he thought was righteous. In that sense, his characterization is marvelous, as he’s not above cruelty to perform what he claims is “the greater good”, in fact limiting his vicious tendencies is reducing both his depth as a character inside the story and the complexity and duality of the system he created under such perspective –neither he nor Hashirama were above ruthless acts to carry out their wishes.

To state that he wasn’t racist but rather, a person that acted upon his fear by creating and carrying out segregation policies based upon biology (re-read that phrase again and tell me how that isn’t racism, please) it’s limiting the existence of racism to mere “hatred” sentiments that rest upon the notion of one ethnicity’s superiority (morally, physically or both), which, pardon me, is absolutely nonsensical and paradoxical, as Tobirama was well aware of the Sharingan’s supremacy (in that case, the explanation of his racism would be solely based upon the anger awaken by sentiments of jealousy, yet canonically he never displayed such propensity as even having access to Uchiha corpses he never implanted himself a Sharingan).

[Many POC (particularly males) have to, to this day, fight against racist pre-conceptions that paint them as violent, savage, and blood-lusted individuals, created to install fear amongst the “pure” white citizens in order to push them to seek “government protection against the savages” which, in turn, happily and easily installed discriminatory policies against such communities.]

If you wish, you can say Tobirama’s fear was “rational” as he does have a background of conflict with the Uchiha, yet then you can’t blame the Uchiha for distrusting Tobirama and his successors’ policies as they also possess the same history –yet while Tobirama is, somehow, justified in his apprehension for the Uchiha, that courtesy isn’t extended to that family, who should have trusted blindly Konoha’s system, a bureaucracy which basis are built upon Tobirama’s ethnic prejudice.

And it's even by their own laid-out premises that these advocates fail to specify what exactly ARE Tobirama’s segregationist policies: They were targeted to a single clan and a single clan alone, what is that if not ethnic prejudice? They keep saying is not racism yet fail to convey what it is as if “fear” is enough response when speaking of an individual that built Konoha's entire political structure.

Furthermore, many claim that Tobirama couldn’t be racist as he allowed one Uchiha (Kagami) inside his cell, and both Itachi and Shisui were advocates for Konoha’s government yet:

This denial of the significance of race is a tool that allows the dominant racial group to legitimize the effects of racism under the guise of individual merit. Through this lens, people in positions of power can credit their successes to their own hard work while positioning the disadvantages oppressed racial groups face to personal rather than systemic failures.

The praising and/or awarding of one or few individuals inside a group that suffers from systematic prejudice is not proof of such a community not suffering from such segregation policies, rather, it’s a way to disguise such oppression while selling the idea that individual merit it’s both what matters, and the thing that’s stopping most members of such a family from rising inside Konoha’s political’s sphere. That way the blame is placed upon individual actions rather than the systematic flaws of Konoha’s policies (and the same happens with other characters, such as Naruto, Neji, Kakashi, and so on –as their traumatic experiences and subsequent reactions are blamed upon their individual perspective and not on the bureaucratic structure that is both the cause of the specific events that shaped them and the reason why they don’t have a better support system after such occurrences).

At the same time, Madara was the main motive of Tobirama’s “terror” for the Uchiha yet, after Madara’s death, he continued with his discriminatory policies towards those who shared the same ethnicity as the former leader, despite them willingly turning their back on him when he tried to make them abandon Konoha, pledging their loyalty to their village rather than to their strongest member and leader. Tobirama’s prejudice toward this specific ethnic group (as ethnicities in this manga are marked by the different Kekkei Genkai that exists), a consequence of his fear of a “new Madara rising” (whether it’s based on fear or hate doesn’t deny the fact that these notions were constructed with a racial prejudice still, making the system in itself and Tobirama specifically racist), converged in the systematic oppression that, later on, will push the Uchiha to attempt a coup and their subsequent massacre, a point that I touched upon a little more here. 

In short, denying Tobirama acted upon his fear for the Uchiha is reading his character flatly, I agree, however, maintaining that fear is not one of the main bases for the development of racist mentalities and policies is to simplify both the notion itself and to diminish the gravity of the segregationist practices that result from this perspective. 

[techni-kolor]

Meursault’s Origins

Hello everyone! (Or the approx 4 and a half people who will view this!) 

I was wondering recently why Meursault’s appearance in the anime/manga looked so damn familiar and it FINALLY clicked tonight! And I decided to share my likely insane revelation. Hint: It involves someone we already know.

My theory is that Meursault is an experiment that was based on Arthur Rimbaud’s ability “Illuminations” and then later perfected after the war had finished. From what we know about the Great War in the BSD Universe it involved a fair amount of ability users! From spies-- Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, to medics-- Yosano Akiko, Mori Ougai, to soliders-- Fukuchi Ochi, Fukuzawa Yukichi, even experimental life forms designed to turn the tide of a war-- Nakahara Chuuya. Basically the whole war became a clash of abilities so strong and volatile that it nearly tore the whole world apart. And who do we know who is fantastic at containing volatile entities/abilities and served in the war on the side of France? Mr. Randou himself. 

Exhibit A: The location of the prison itself. France is the known origin country of Arthur Rimbaud. He served the DGSS in it’s field operations division for many years there and remained loyal to them until losing his memories. I always found it odd that Meursault was in Western Europe since most of the major conflict arcs take place locally in Japan but this could explain the significance. Meursault itself is also a French word which could be another tie or simply a clue to its precise location. 

Exhibit B + C: We know that Illuminations is capable of containing extremely powerful abilities within its hyperspace AND capable of restraining Dazai when needed. Rimbaud literally retrieved an entity who defies the laws of physics in the form of Arahabaki and was also easily able to work around the possibility of nullification when battling Dazai in the Fifteen Arc by simply encasing him within a sub-sub space of his ability.  

Exhibit D: French researcher Pan and the existence of Black No. AKA Paul Verlaine. We already know that experimentation was happening in France at the hands of a citizen and that when the DGSS became aware they halted it. However, we know that the information gathered by these trials was not destroyed as it falls into the hands of the Japanese Government a short time later leading to ...

(Suribachi City built in the aftermath of Arahabki emerging due to war time experiments.) 

We don’t know exactly why the information was never destroyed. Unless there was reason to keep it under government power rather than riding the world of unethical, immoral instructions on human lab rats. Something like using it in further experiments themselves? 

Exhibit E: This is likely painfully obvious but it just looks similar! The yellow, glowing, floating squares evoke the same imagery. Which I admit could be a coincidence and why the cells are rounded rather than squares in the anime ... but the yellow, shimmering look is interesting. 

Now ... why would such a thing be needed? And why would such a thing exist specifically in times of war? Well I thought about and decided that maybe Meursault has a darker history than we imagined. I wonder if Mersault was designed to house prisoners of war. A prison that could entrap any ability user for an indefinite period of time sounds rather helpful when the enemy has strong Gifteds, right? Imagine Mori’s troops without Yosano Akiko or Japan losing Fukuchi Ochi’s Mirror Lion ability for combat? It could easily turn the tide of the war if enough ability users were removed from the battle field. It’s only once the war is over that it is converted to a maximum security prison 

And maybe all the other sneaky experiments contained within its walls are halted ,,, dense water anyone? It would suck to be waterboarded with as an enemy spy or to surround important locations where you do not want enemy forces marching into. Interesting technology at the very least and quite possibly the result of another gravity manipulator? Someone else we know? Such as Paul Verlaine, another French spy who was involved in experiments himself? It’s all very intriguing, my friends! 

[afunky-jester]

AHHHHHHHH THIS CAN NOT BE HAPPENING I CAN NOT BE GENUINELY THEORIZING ABOUT WHAT IF MOTHER AND LE FANTÔME ARE RELATED THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT WHY MUST THIS HAPPEN TO ME IF THIS IS CANON CALL ME PROFESSOR HIDGENS THE WAY I'LL ACT ABOUT IT

[chrysopoeias]

ough idunno if you take several but looking directly at U with🧡 and 💖(For FMA ofc...)

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

That the women in Madam Christmas’ employment are Roy’s sisters, and he would never date them (or anyone else). I think this started to make those women not a threat to royai’s relationship. But it has become so popular, it is in every fic, it’s assumed canon and real that the spies are Roy’s sisters. It’s so ingrained that even characters who are based on Roy have this ‘many sisters’ and their dynamic copied from fanfics into original work. But they are not his sisters. This is completely made up fanon.

The young women working there when Roy is 30 are not the same young women working there when Roy was a child growing up with Chris. He did not grow up together with the current staff. Also Roy lived in East City for years while his mom’s business and staff are in Central. It’s not as if he hung out with them often anyway.

Like you do not even need the sister excuse for royai’s relationship to be exclusive/committed. Or just go with Roy’s reputation being (somewhat) true, that he is not a virtuous virgin, he sleeps/has slept with others lol.

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series? 

Since last time I’ve browsed there, people on r*ddit are still slapfighting each other daily on weather 03 or brotherhood is superior (seriously, it’s been over a decade, are you not tired of this topic?) my controversial take it that the manga beats them both.

[refigiowen]

Graycloak Office [DRAFT / W.I.P]

"You see, but you do not observe."

Overview

Graycloak is at the top of all offices within Eden, specializing in counterintelligence and tracking down enemies of large corporations. They mainly work for the mega corporations such as Klepto Corp., Asiyah Association, and Briah Corp.

Alongside their jobs of finding spies within large corporations, Graycloak Office takes (partially) direct orders from the Pale Garden by identifying anyone who manages it to unlink themselves from the NeuraNet so that they can be hunted down and eliminated. These individuals are not large in numbers but all wield Singularity Grade technology or powers that appear as a byproduct of the unlinking. Those who unlink themselves often experience rapid changes in terms of appearence and body structure.

(Acording to the theory of the head of Graycloak Office, Miss Yukiko, this is because "the link stuff lowkey has to do with the soul and it like, reflects the soul of that person. Ya understand me?")

The currently known Unlinked:

Aleph "Ahab" Reish

Named after it's inventors daughter this android was given a mission by it's creator that it could never complete: To be just like his daughter. After years of working towards it's goal it started to feel hatred towards it's creator, and not knowing that he had already passed away by the time this hatred was formed, began to hunt him down like a whale for granting it a life that could never be complete.

Aleph was built using modified RiftCorp. technology and is able to create pocket dimension on command.

Gabriel "Erlkönig" Reed

A father who lost his son to a deadly sickness. Unable to get his son to a good enough hospital due to his low rank in his corporation he watched his son pass away in his arms in the middle of street. Now blaming himself for carrying "the soul of the city" within him he actively attacks Asiyah Association buildings and is in a one man war against the corporation.

With his unlinking came the ability to see into other realms and to interact with them. This made him a target of RiftCorp as well.

[REDACTED] "Dying Butterfly" [REDACTED]

A woman who's past has been completely erased at some point in her life.

Rumors speak of a tall woman working for RiftCorp. who's pistols shoot the same butterflies that took thousands of innocent lives years ago. Nothing regarding her unlinking is known.

[The rest are currently W.I.P as i am unsure whether or not i like this idea yet. Part two of Chapter 0.8 will follow soon.]

[jamethinks]

Notes on Westalis

Very curious about the current state of Westalis and the relationship between the two nations. From what I've gathered

There's an ongoing cold war with spies on both sides

The two nations have been in conflict for around 50 years

Cultural differences exist b/w nations (I can't find the godforsaken panel, but at some point, Wheeler commented on how the media in the West was better. Given the absence of socialism on the east, I can credit that to culture and not regulation)

There is a Westalis Embassy in Ostania (more on that later)

So far, I don't recall seeing any canonically and publicly Westalian characters

Only expression of bigotry from with either side would be the Westalian soldiers' response to Martha and RETRACTED statements on the east. However, both of these statements predate the second war, meaning opinions could have changed (granted I'm estimating the start of the previous war at min 17 years ago which isn't much time)

Implied ethnic differences (or possible linguistics)

The story does establish that there is peace between the nations but the peace is superficial and that there is still conflict. It's the spies that are responsible for preventing the conflict to evolve into a full blown war (according to the spy so biased narrative). The lack of Westalians in the story does again raise a lot of questions about the actual peace b/w the countries.

The story implied that there are recognizable physical distinctions b/w the two people. However, Twilight's ability to blend into the east does challenge that idea. This leaves the possibility that there are more Wedtalians, but they hide their identity (less as spies but more as ommision)

A possible westalian is Sylvia given that the works at the embassy (note: sylvia as in the identity and not Handler herself) but it's also confirmed she is being followed and observed by the SSS. As an audience we know why (she's a spy) but there's still the question of what ticked them off

Ie, is if because they have some evidence that she's connected to espionage or is it because she works at the embassy (which is in general under suspicion) or is it because she is Westalian

Furthermore, Loid is implied to be Ostanian, which again raises questions as to why he would choose a false nationality over his own. Again, this prompts the question of what is the experiences and perceptions of Westalians in Ostania. Could Loid Being a Westalian hinder the mission, or was it just out of coconvince.

There are no notable Westalian characters at Eden. The question is, if this is related to class disparity in the East or again some form of discriminatory policy (the interview process does support this theory)

These questions mainly pertain to the experiences of Westalians in the east and if there are any forms of discrimination present. If so, that does challenge the notion of peace and skew the power dynamics between the nation (at least w/ the context of the story).

Side note: The capital of Ostania is Berlint, which is obviously based on Berlin. During the separation period, Berlin was divided into East and West Berlin (possibly due to the strong governmental presence in the city, would have to do more research on that). This does not seem to be the case with Ostania and Westalis. However, there seems to be a nearby transfer point where they would have picked up Wheeler. The story never confirmed the time taken to get from the city to the point, though.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about the embassy because it has a lot of political and diplomatic implications.

Embassies are meant to represent the presence of the country in the host country. They provide protection, support and diplomatic functions to the members of said country in the host state.

The presence of the embassy confirms a sizable Westalian population in the East as well as diplomatic interactions b/w the countries

It could also explain why the SSS would have a hard time arresting Sylvia (Extraterritoriality, long concept, basically provides her with some extent of immunity)

The fact that WISE operates through the embassy puts the stability of the embassy at risk which I find to be an admitted shitty decision but ok

The fact that it's an embassy and not a high commission confirms that at least one of the countries is not in the Commonwealth. Given that Ostania has a prime minister as the head of parliament, that means there is a head of state who may or may not be the queen of England

The embassy does not seem to be a small rental office but a large and established building. However, this is based on East Germany, where large multifunctional buildings were common places. If the entire structure is the Embassy, then that would imply it has been in the country for quite some time, which again leaves a lot of open discussion for the long-term relationship between the nations.

The presence of the embassy does signal positive relations, but the history could tell a different story. Again, none of this is particularly relevant to anything, but it does make me curious.

I do hope future chapters take time to flesh out the relationship between the two countries, and I think it would be interesting to see more publicly Westalian characters to get a better understanding of the interpersonal relationships. Granted, I don't think any of this is actually valuable to the main story.

This was just a long post of me sharing disconnected thoughts on the matter. No pictures and no editing, so have fun fuckers

[needlesandnilbogs]

Topics of my classes this semester, as ranked by the likleyhood I use that information to write fanfic:

0) Portuguese. I write city spies fanfic and I would love to write more Rio fic

1) Number Theory. Applicable to city spies fic about Monty and probably useful in all spy related or mirrorverse fics wherein I use codes and encryption

2) Historical costume and dress. Self explanatory mostly (historical fanfic aus).

3) Analysis. I don’t see writing about functions that much but perhaps another new magic system and therefore a fic to match?

Infinity) Glee club. (sorry irls but there is really no easy way to work that into a fic directly)