#even though that’s not really a theory at this point

[ickbite]

HERE COMES THE SUN !!

pairing: SupermansSon!jake sim x BatmanDaughter!Reader

Synopsis: Ironically deciding that you’re too lonely, your dad — Batman — decides to pair you up with Metrapolis’ favorite rising hero, Solaris (aka Son of Superman)!

note: I LOVEEDDD THE NEW SUPERMAN MOVIEEEE also my feet are asleep rn. — enha masterlist

The Watchtower’s observation deck was silent, save for the low, ever-present hum of energy flowing through its systems. Beyond the thick glass, Earth hung like a jewel against the black, spinning slowly and uncaring beneath your boots. It was beautiful—cold, distant, and impossibly alive. Almost like space was mocking you with how small you were.

You didn’t turn when you heard the footsteps behind you. They were measured, deliberate, softened only slightly by the weight of decades spent moving silently through darker places than this. You didn’t have to see him to know it was your father. You could feel him—like gravity pulling tight.

“I’m not stalling,” you said, arms crossed over your chest, gaze fixed on the curve of the planet below. Your voice was steady, but your jaw was locked tight.

There was a pause, followed by the familiar low tone you’d been raised on. “I never said you were.”

His voice didn’t rise. It never did. That was the worst part—it didn’t have to. He didn’t need to raise it to command attention. Every word landed like a weighted throw.

“You’re trying to avoid the briefing,” he continued. “I understand why.”

You turned your head slightly, just enough to catch the sharp outline of the Bat in your periphery. The pointed cowl. The impenetrable armor. The eyes that had never blinked under pressure. He wasn’t your dad right now. He was Batman. He always was.

“If this is about the Gotham recon,” you started, “I already filed my report. I didn’t compromise anything.”

“It’s not about the mission,” he interrupted. “It’s about you.”

That made you face him fully.

Your arms fell to your sides, though your fingers twitched with the urge to cross them again. You hated when he did this—pulled the conversation deeper, cracked open the door to something you weren’t sure you wanted to feel.

“I’m fine,” you said plainly. “I’ve completed every assignment. I haven’t missed a single target in months. I haven’t made one misstep.”

“You’re technically perfect,” he agreed. “But only technically.”

You blinked, unsure whether to feel insulted or challenged. “What does that mean?”

“You’re still treating every mission like it’s Gotham. Like it’s just you, the shadows, and a countdown to detonation.”

“That’s how you trained me,” you shot back. “That’s how you raised me.”

He didn’t deny it. He only stepped closer, slow and sure, his cape whispering over the floor. “And it worked. You’re sharp. Focused. Fearless.”

“Then what’s the problem?” you asked, more sharply than you meant to. You hated the small twinge of defensiveness in your chest. It didn’t belong there.

Batman looked down at you, and for a rare moment, there was no edge to his voice. Just truth.

“You only know how to trust people who fight like you,” he said. “Me. Your brothers. The ones who’ve been trained under the same conditions, the same code.”

You swallowed hard, already knowing where this was going.

“I’ve worked with League members before,” you argued, even though it was mostly true in theory. “Field-level cooperation. Split-second tactics. You’ve seen the debriefs.”

“You don’t let them in,” he said simply. “Not really.”

You clenched your fists, leather creaking slightly. “Because I don’t need to.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

You didn’t reply. You hated that he was right. You hated it more that he could see it.

He turned away from the window and walked toward the center of the room. The lights of the Watchtower glinted off his gauntlets like steel in moonlight. His voice was lower now—less Batman, more father.

“I didn’t bring you up to be dependent,” he said. “But I also didn’t raise you to be alone.”

“I’m not alone,” you said quickly. “I have Jay. I have Niki.”

“You have your brothers,” he agreed. “But they’re not always going to be standing in the shadows next to you. And one day, someone else will be. Someone you didn’t grow up trusting. Someone who doesn’t think in perfect silence or know your tells by heart.”

You looked away, biting the inside of your cheek. The silence stretched for too long, and he let it.

“You think that because we move in the dark, we don’t need connection,” he said, softer now. “But even the dark needs anchors.”

You hated how much that line stuck.

He tapped the console beside him, and the holoscreen flared to life. A mission file opened. One name blinked at the top of the screen: Solaris.

You raised your eyes to his. “You’re serious.”

“He’s your assignment.”

“Why him?” The words came fast, sharp, defensive. “Out of everyone in the League—why him?”

“He’s not you,” he said. “And that’s exactly why this will matter.”

You scoffed, turning toward the screen. “He’s a public relations poster boy in a cape. The world adores him. You’ve seen the footage—he flies into danger with zero caution. He smiles at reporters mid-flight. He’s—he’s sunshine.”

“And you’re Gotham,” your father said evenly. “You don’t need someone who thinks like you. You need someone who challenges what you believe about the people you work with.”

You shook your head. “Jay never had to do this. Neither did Niki.”

“Jay had me,” he said. “And Niki had you.”

That made you freeze.

“I’m not punishing you,” he added. “I’m giving you a chance to grow. You’re ready for more than Gotham. More than the family. You’re ready to lead—but only if you can learn to lead someone who doesn’t already follow your rhythm.”

You stared at Solaris’s name on the screen. Your jaw tightened. “If he gets in my way, I won’t hesitate.”

Your father’s eyes met yours without flinching. “Then I hope you’ll learn not to see him as a threat.”

You stood in the central command room, fully suited. Your armor was matte-black and reinforced. Every strap was in place. Every motion was silent. You were ready to move. Ready for a mission—not for conversation.

The doors slid open behind you with a soft hydraulic hiss. The air shifted.

He entered like a warm current rolling into a frozen room.

Solaris.

His cape swayed behind him, a blend of gold and deep navy, bright against the sterile grays of the Watchtower. His hair was windswept like he’d flown through a jetstream and liked the way it looked. And of course, he was smiling—boyish and too damn bright.

“You must be Omen,” he said, voice casual, but full of awe. “Wow. You’re… way more intimidating in person. Which is honestly impressive because the files were already terrifying.”

You didn’t blink. “You’re late.”

“Was helping redirect a falling satellite,” he replied with a shrug, like it was just a small side task. “Didn’t want it crashing into Norway. Figured I’d get points for that.”

Batman stood beside you, silent, observing.

Solaris finally glanced at him, a bit more nervous now. “This is the part where you tell me I’m lucky to work with her, right?”

Your father’s voice was dry. “No. This is the part where I tell her not to throw you off the side of the Watchtower.”

You didn’t even look at Solaris when you said, “No promises.”

He laughed nervously. “Okay. Cool. Great start.”

You turned away, cape brushing past his shoulder. Your fingers tapped the holopad as the mission file loaded again.

Coast City was colder than expected. The skyline stretched before you like a gleaming fortress, glass towers reflecting distant streetlights and neon signs. It was the kind of place that never quite slept but also never hid its secrets—unlike Gotham’s suffocating shadows. Here, everything was exposed. You hated it.

Your boots hit the rooftop of LexCorps West Satellite Facility with practiced silence. The matte-black of your suit blended perfectly with the night, absorbing what little light there was. The armor was sleek but reinforced, layered with advanced kevlar composites and nano-fiber mesh that flexed with your every movement. The subtle embossing of your family crest—an abstracted bat symbol—rested over your heart, barely visible unless you were close enough to catch it in the dark.

Your cowl framed your face tightly, with lenses that shifted automatically to thermal or night vision, glowing faintly red when activated. The cape was a lightweight, adaptive fabric—more shadow than cloth—that flowed like liquid darkness behind you, designed to muffle sound and obscure your silhouette. Every detail was optimized for stealth, agility, and intimidation. You were a ghost in the night, a weapon forged in shadow.

Behind you, the sudden whump of landing echoed. Solaris appeared—a stark contrast to your quiet shadow. His suit gleamed even under the sparse rooftop lighting, the deep navy blue accented with bold gold lines tracing the musculature beneath. The fabric shimmered subtly, a cutting-edge Kryptonian weave designed to absorb solar energy. The iconic ‘S’ crest on his chest burned with radiant light, symbolizing hope but also power.

His cape billowed in a slight breeze, almost radiant, catching the light like liquid gold, fluttering with a majesty that was impossible to ignore. His boots and gauntlets were reinforced with advanced alloys, built for both speed and strength, and the suit’s collar rose slightly, framing his face with a subtle glow. His eyes flickered softly with heat energy, a constant reminder of the immense power coiled just beneath his skin.

“Do you always land like a comet?” you muttered, scanning the perimeter through your thermal lens.

Solaris laughed, the sound light. “That was subtle for me.”

“That’s a problem.”

He stepped closer, the warmth of his solar-charged suit brushing against your cold armor. “So, what’s the plan, Omen?”

You didn’t look at him, focused on the darkened windows of the lab below. “I enter through the east vent. You circle the upper level, scan for movement and heat signatures. No engagement unless absolutely necessary.”

He nodded, voice casual but with an edge of teasing. “Got it. Though, just so you know—I’m bulletproof.”

You finally turned to face him, expression unreadable beneath your mask. “Good for you. Try not to get anyone else killed.”

Solaris blinked, his smile faltering for the first time that night. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward—it was heavy, like a pause in a storm, that split-second before lightning strikes. You didn’t apologize. You weren’t trying to wound him. You were just stating facts.

Without waiting for him to speak again, you launched your grappling hook across the rooftop. The cable hissed as it pulled you into the dark, boots slicing through wind as you moved in a wide arc above the alley. The shadows swallowed you whole before Solaris could say another word, leaving only the whisper of your cape behind.

He took a second longer to follow. His descent was quiet by his standards—no sonic boom, no heatwave—but it was still too loud for you. He didn’t crouch low when he landed. He didn’t flatten against the ledge or reduce his glow. He stood like someone who had never needed to hide.

You slipped into the ventilation shaft without a sound, muscles taut, suit adjusting instantly to the cold metal. The walls were narrow, lined with dust and static electricity, but you didn’t flinch. Your breath slowed to a crawl, your heart rate barely a whisper. The mask over your face locked into night mode as your lenses shifted—thermal on the left, motion sensor on the right.

The hum of LexCorp’s underground systems buzzed below your knees. You crawled inch by inch, hands pressed flat, limbs moving like clockwork. You didn’t hesitate. You didn’t allow space for fear. This was your element—tight spaces, low stakes, maximum focus.

In your ear, Solaris’s voice came through the comm with irritating warmth. “Three guards heading toward the main corridor. They’re armored. No open comms. One of them’s carrying something with a green pulse.”

You clicked your tongue once. “Kryptonite mod.”

“Lovely,” he said, quieter this time. “You see an entrance?”

“I’m ten feet from the upper lab. Wait for my mark.”

“Copy,” he answered. For once, he didn’t joke.

The grate below your gloves gave way with a soft metallic sigh. You slid down silently, landing in a crouch behind a tall rack of climate-controlled crates. The lab was white, polished, sterile in the way evil always pretended to be good. Screens glowed softly along the far wall, lines of code and chemical signatures scrolling fast.

You recognized the scent first—Kryptonite vapor, faint and sharp, like cut metal and static. The crates around you hummed with energy, tagged with L-Corp stamps and hazard symbols. You lifted one lid slightly and found what you feared: containment cases, shaped like rifles, glowing green at the seams.

Weapons. Designed for one target only.

You snapped a photo and sent it to the Watchtower’s encrypted server. Then you moved to the far console, fingers flying over keys as you downloaded all available files. A quiet whine filled the room as the drive spun to life, blinking orange as it copied.

Behind you, the door opened with a hiss.

Your body reacted before your mind did—spinning, batarang already drawn.

But it was Solaris.

He stepped through the threshold like a sunbeam in a storm, gold and navy flickering with the light from the glowing crates. His chest rose and fell, not from exertion, but from restraint.

“I told you not to engage,” you said sharply, voice low.

“I didn’t,” he replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “They spotted me. I just… didn’t get shot.”

You narrowed your eyes. “You’re a walking flare. They don’t miss you.”

He grinned faintly. “That’s kind of the point.”

Your comm pulsed. Motion. Five signatures now, converging on the room. You snapped the drive shut and slid it into your utility belt.

“We’re out of time,” you said. “I’ll take the lower vent. You fly back to the Watchtower and deliver this to the League.”

Solaris took a step forward, brow furrowed. “You’re faster. Let me—”

“No,” you cut in. “You’re the distraction. I’m the shadow. You’re glowing. I’m not. That’s not an insult. It’s a plan.”

There was a long beat of silence. Then Solaris nodded. It wasn’t with his usual swagger, either—it was careful. Serious. Respectful.

You handed him the datachip, eyes not leaving his. “Fly low. Don’t draw attention.”

“I can do that,” he said. Then, hesitating: “You gonna be okay on your own?”

You paused. Just for a moment. Just long enough for the flicker of something else—doubt, maybe—to sneak in before you buried it.

“I always am,” you said.

He gave you one last look—something unspoken in his eyes, something not ready to be named. Then he launched, cape sweeping wide, vanishing through the ceiling vent without a sound.

You turned back to the crates.

The hum was louder now. The guards were coming.

You didn’t wait.

The second Solaris vanished through the vent, his golden light fading into the duct like sunlight swallowed by smoke, you turned sharply on your heel and moved. There was no hesitation in your body. No breath held too long, no second thoughts coiled in your gut. This was what you were made for. Missions. Execution. Escape.

The lab was dim, lit only by the faint blue glow of energy panels and the soft pulsing green from the Kryptonite crates stacked around the room like tombstones. You moved like a current between them—low, silent, your silhouette melting into the sterile shadows. The air smelled clinical, but faintly wrong, as if beneath the bleach and coolant, something radioactive was humming just out of sight.

You heard it before you saw it—the hiss of pressurized doors unlocking, metal groaning as it slid into the wall. A team. You counted the sound of boots before you even saw their shadows stretch across the floor: four guards, heavy-footed, synchronized. Military-trained. LexCorp didn’t send amateurs into black labs.

You ducked behind the largest crate, crouching low, cloak drawn around you. The suit adapted, surface darkening a few degrees to match the metal behind you. Your breathing slowed on instinct, chest tightening, lungs moving with silent efficiency. You reached for your belt and slid two batarangs between your gloved fingers, pulse steady, heart low in your throat like a countdown.

“They said the Kryptonian left,” one of the guards muttered. His voice was gruff, distorted behind a helmet. “Sweep the area. Someone else was here.”

Your hand twitched slightly around the batarang, but your grip held. You knew this routine. Flashlights swept the room. The green glow of their rifles flickered against the polished floor. One guard passed two feet from your position, his boot scuffing slightly on a power cable. You waited. Counted his breaths. Noted the way his rifle tilted down for a single, careless second.

That was all you needed.

You struck without warning.

Both batarangs left your hands in perfect sync—one arcing high, the other low. The upper struck the rifle, right on the Kryptonite chamber. It sparked with a choked sizzle, shutting down the weapon in a blink. The lower embedded itself in his chest plate, releasing a compressed shock pulse that sent him crashing into a rack of containment tubes with a thud.

The others reacted instantly, but not fast enough.

You were already moving, vaulting over the crate, cape flaring behind you like a living shadow. Your knee collided with the second guard’s jaw mid-spin, knocking his head sideways with a crunch. He stumbled, and you used that half-second to duck low, sweeping his legs out from under him in one clean motion. He landed hard, groaning, and didn’t get up.

The third opened fire.

You rolled beneath the beam, green light scorching the air above your shoulder. Your cape rose behind you like a wall, blocking his line of sight for one crucial second. He fired again, but your boots struck his chest mid-leap, knocking him back into a table that cracked under the weight of his armor. He groaned, stunned.

You didn’t let him recover.

With two sharp steps, you grabbed the edge of the table and slammed it sideways into his chest. The crash echoed in the lab, glass shattering across the floor like rainfall. You stood above him, chest heaving, but silent.

The fourth turned and ran.

You chased him without pause.

Every step echoed louder now, your boots hammering against the sleek tile as you moved. He darted down a narrow hall, slamming his fist into a panel to open a blast door. It started to slide shut behind him. You didn’t slow.

You ran toward the wall, stepped off one side, then the other, using the corridor’s narrow width to gain height. You flipped over the half-closed door, landing hard on the other side just as he skidded to a stop, startled. He barely lifted his weapon before your hand shot out, grabbing the barrel and twisting it free.

He shouted. You kicked his knee in.

He dropped with a scream, and you grabbed the front of his armor, dragging him upright against the wall. Your voice dropped an octave behind the mask. “Where’s the rest of the Kryptonite?”

The man was shaking. “I—I don’t know! I only guard the shipments they let through. I don’t know where they go after. I swear—”

“Who’s your handler?”

“Vale. Director Vale. From the Metropolis research branch. He doesn’t tell us anything else. He just pays.”

You stared into the slits of his helmet, then struck him clean in the temple. He dropped like dead weight.

You stood slowly, exhaling through your teeth, sweat prickling at the back of your neck inside the cowl. The hallway was quiet now, the only sound the distant thrum of generators and the hum of Kryptonite charging plates somewhere deeper in the compound.

You checked your wrist display. Six minutes since Solaris left.

He should’ve made it to the Watchtower by now. If he’d gone straight up and kept his altitude low, he would’ve avoided satellite scans. He would’ve arrived with the data, the mission technically a success. You told yourself that.

Still, your hand hovered over the communicator embedded in your cowl. You could open the line. Ask if he made it. Confirm that the heat signatures around him had faded, that he wasn’t lying on a rooftop somewhere with Kryptonite burns scorching his ribs.

But you didn’t.

Instead, you turned and walked.

Each step was slow, methodical, your mind looping his last words on repeat—You gonna be okay on your own?

You were.

You had to be.

Because trusting him—even now—was dangerous. And worse than that, caring was weakness. And you’d already survived too many nights to start slipping now.

Still, in the back of your head, his voice lingered like light behind your eyelids.

And you hated how much of you wanted to hear it again.The Watchtower loomed above Earth like a sentinel—silent, cold, and pristine. Its lights pulsed in neat rhythms, elegant and surgical, like the beat of a heart that had never known pain. Solaris broke through the clouds at high speed, but his flight wasn’t as clean as usual.

He was off-center. Listing slightly.

His left arm hung lower than it should’ve. His suit—normally pristine, radiant—was scorched along the shoulder, blackened from concentrated Kryptonite exposure. The light in the crest across his chest had dimmed, flickering faintly like a dying star. It was still there, but its usual glow—the warmth that comforted civilians and intimidated villains—had fractured.

And he felt it.

God, he felt it.

Every heartbeat ached now, dragging like concrete in his chest. The Kryptonite hadn’t hit a vital artery, but it had been close—too close. His body was still burning it off, working overtime to flush it from his system. It was like his cells were screaming beneath his skin, clawing to stay alive.

The moment he crossed into the Watchtower’s atmosphere-sealed bay, he lost altitude.

Hard.

His boots slammed into the hangar deck with a painful clang, knees buckling beneath him as he stumbled forward. His hand caught the wall just before he collapsed. The impact echoed across the steel room, too loud in the silence. His vision pulsed in and out, red at the edges.

“System—" he muttered through clenched teeth, voice hoarse. “Engage medical scan.”

A light flickered on above him, and the Watchtower’s diagnostic program whirred softly to life.

Warning: Cellular destabilization detected. Kryptonite radiation present in bloodstream. Suggest immediate containment and treatment.

“No time,” Solaris breathed. “Get the drive to League Command. Priority Alpha.”

He reached into his utility brace—something Batman had insisted he wear during joint missions—and pulled the small, black datachip Omen had given him. It was slick with blood.

His blood.

He hadn’t even noticed he was bleeding.

The program took the chip, slotting it into the secure terminal beside the hangar bay doors. A blue light blinked: transmission complete. Files encrypted, routed straight to League HQ. The mission was a success.

So why didn’t it feel like it?

He pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the wall and let out a quiet breath.

Her voice echoed in his head—sharp, cold, unforgiving. “Try not to get anyone else killed.”

She didn’t mean it. Or maybe she did. It didn’t matter.

He hated how much it did matter to him.

She’d been right, in a way. He’d drawn attention. He’d made himself a target, made her job harder by simply existing the way he did: bright, loud, impossible to miss. He was the sun, and she was the shadow. There was no way around it.

And yet, even now—on his knees, suit torn, shoulder throbbing—he couldn’t shake the image of her eyes behind the mask. That glare. Controlled, calculating. Alive.

No one looked at him like that.

No one ever dared to.

He pushed himself up with a groan, staggered toward the hallway that would lead to the medbay. His hand smudged blood across the console as he passed it. He didn’t stop. Couldn’t. He just needed to make it to the sterile white walls, to the autopod that would pump him full of UV and flush the poison from his veins.

He just needed to lie down for a minute.

He didn’t notice the small red alert ping that blinked across the Watchtower’s interface—one registered to her frequency.

Because even though Omen hadn’t pressed the comm… she was still listening.

The briefing room was dim and cold, just the way he liked it. Gotham’s skyline glimmered in the monitor behind the main screen, a silent reminder of home, even this far above Earth. The Watchtower may have belonged to the League, but this room belonged to him.

Your father stood in the center of the darkened chamber, arms crossed over the matte black of his suit, cowl still in place. His cape pooled around his boots like liquid shadow, unmoving even in the climate-controlled stillness. He didn’t need to speak. The weight of his presence filled the room like a second gravity.

You entered without ceremony, gloves still off, helmet clipped to your belt. Your knuckles were scuffed—only slightly—but he noticed. Of course he did.

You moved to the console without being asked, fingers flying over the keys as the Coast City data uploaded to the mainframe. The files flickered across the holograms: LexCorp weapon inventories, encrypted comm transcripts, heat signature maps.

You didn’t look at him.

You didn’t have to.

“Report,” he said, voice low and even.

“The intel was accurate. Shipment arrived at the West Satellite Facility three hours before insertion. There were four guards inside—five outside. Kryptonite-based weapons. Solaris ran interference. I went in through the vent.”

He said nothing. Just nodded once. Not approval. Not yet.

“I extracted the data chip. He got it back here,” you added.

Still nothing.

You swallowed, subtly. “They’re moving faster than we expected. I’m guessing they’re prepping for someone bigger than just him.”

Batman’s eyes—hidden behind the cowl’s white lenses—narrowed. “Director Vale?”

You nodded. “Mentioned by name. One of the guards gave him up before I knocked him out.”

Batman turned slightly toward the screen, his silhouette cutting a sharp edge across the room’s glow. “He’s been off the League’s radar for three months. Last ping was in Bialya. If he’s back in Metropolis, this isn’t just arms dealing. It’s staging.”

You didn’t flinch.

You were raised in this.

There were no surprises anymore.

But even as you stood still, every part of your body locked into briefing mode, you knew he was watching you. You felt it like a pressure at the base of your spine.

When you didn’t speak further, he did. Quiet. Controlled.

“You didn’t tell me Solaris was injured.”

Your eyes flicked up at him then, just for a moment. “He handled it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

The words sank deeper than you expected.

You straightened slightly, posture tightening, chin rising a fraction. “He didn’t report it until he got here. I didn’t know how bad it was until after.”

“And once you did?”

You hesitated. Just for half a second.

“He’s recovering.”

Silence.

Not judgment.

Just… silence.

Which was worse.

You stared straight ahead, jaw clenched. “It didn’t compromise the mission.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about.”

You froze.

That was new.

Batman’s head tilted ever so slightly, as if studying a weakness you hadn’t meant to show. “You’ve always worked alone. Or with your brothers. Solaris changes the dynamic.”

“I don’t need him,” you said flatly.

“I didn’t say you did.”

Your pulse kicked hard against your ribs.

He stepped closer, only a foot or so, and spoke lower now—less commander, more father. “You don’t trust easily. That’s not a flaw. It’s how I raised you. But one day, if you’re going to lead the next generation of the League, you’re going to have to learn how to work with people who aren’t built like us.”

You didn’t answer.

Your hands were fists at your sides, nails digging into your palms.

He glanced at the screen, then back at you. “Solaris isn’t your enemy.”

“I know.”

“He’s not your brother.”

“I know that too.”

A long pause stretched between you.

Then—quietly—he added, “You didn’t leave him behind.”

Your jaw flexed. “I completed the mission.”

“You didn’t leave him behind,” he repeated.

And you hated how true it was.

Batman gave one final look at the monitor, then turned back toward the shadows. His cape trailed behind him as he moved, voice fading just slightly as he spoke:

“Get some rest. There’ll be another op within forty-eight hours. And Omen?”

You turned slightly.

He looked back at you.

“I’m proud of how you handled it. Just don’t let what scares you keep you from learning something.”

Then he was gone.

Leaving you in the blue glow of the monitors, alone with your heartbeat, and the uncomfortable weight of what he didn’t say out loud.

You hadn’t expected to see anyone in the auxiliary lounge, let alone him.

You just wanted hot chocolate.

You padded in barefoot, hair still damp from your post-shower rinse, hoodie two sizes too big, Gotham Academy pajama shorts peeking out from underneath. The Watchtower was dead quiet. Dim blue night-cycle lights hummed overhead, and you moved through the lounge on autopilot, eyes already on the drink machine near the corner—

And then you saw him.

Slouched sideways across the window ledge with one leg propped up and the other dangling lazily, wearing a threadbare grey t-shirt and black sweats, Jake looked completely out of place.

Not because he didn’t belong.

Because he wasn’t glowing.

There was no cape. No suit. No solar crest burned into his chest. No blinding aura of heat and power. Just a boy. Tired, probably still bruised, and watching the stars blink against Earth’s atmosphere like he wasn’t really seeing them at all.

You nearly turned around.

But then he looked over, and his mouth curved into a half-smile.

“Didn’t peg you as a midnight cocoa kind of person.”

You blinked. “Didn’t peg you as a person who sits still.” Of course you knew he was Solaris, your father was the Batman, he had tabs on everyone.

He shrugged. “Injury,” he said simply. “That whole ‘getting impaled with Kryptonite’ thing really kills the cardio vibe.”

You hesitated, then made your way to the machine anyway. “You should be in medbay.”

“They kicked me out. Said I was healing too fast and making the rest of the patients feel bad.”

You glanced at him from over your shoulder. He looked perfectly comfortable where he was—one arm behind his head, eyes half-lidded, like this place belonged to him.

It was infuriating.

And weirdly… kind of charming.

You poured your drink in silence, steam curling up in soft tendrils. “Did you follow me?”

He scoffed. “Nah. I’ve been here for like twenty minutes. This is my secret spot. You just have suspicious timing.”

“I don’t have suspicious timing.”

“You absolutely do. You probably know the staff schedule down to the minute.”

You turned toward him, cup in hand. “That’s not—okay, yeah. I do.”

He grinned, and it wasn’t cocky like Solaris usually was on the field. It was boyish. Warm. Like he knew this was the first real conversation the two of you had without gear or protocols or blood in the background.

“Sit,” he said, nudging the ledge with his knee.

You stared at him. “You want me to sit next to you.”

“I’m off-duty, and you’re not scowling for once. I’m trying to make history here.”

You rolled your eyes but moved closer anyway, settling cautiously beside him. The ledge was wide, the glass cool against your back. The stars beyond it felt huge and far away. And for once, it was kind of nice.

Neither of you said anything for a minute.

He took a sip from a bottle of something neon blue. You nursed your hot chocolate.

Then—quietly, without the usual teasing—he said, “You scared me a little. That night.”

You looked down. “Why?”

“I’ve never seen anyone move like that. Clean. Cold. Focused. You didn’t even breathe wrong.” His voice was more awe than accusation. “I’ve fought side by side with the best. But you—you’re something else.”

You didn’t know what to do with that. Praise made your skin itch.

“Thanks,” you muttered.

He bumped your knee gently with his. “You’re allowed to say something back, you know.”

You glanced at him. “You’re not what I expected either.”

Jake raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“I thought you’d be loud. Reckless. Golden boy stuff.”

He smirked. “And?”

“You’re actually kind of…” You trailed off, surprised by your own words. “…quiet. When you’re not trying to impress everyone.”

Jake looked down at his bottle, smiling into the rim. “Don’t tell anyone. I’ve got a reputation.”

You let yourself laugh—a small sound, but real.

It was the first time he heard it.

And somehow, that tiny sound hung in the air like something you couldn’t take back.

Neither of you moved to fill the silence after that. Not because you didn’t know what to say—but because, for once, there was no need.

The rooftop beneath your boots was still warm from the sun, but the wind carried Metropolis’s night chill straight through the seams of your armor. You didn’t shiver—your training wouldn’t allow it—but you were wound tight in your stance, breath held steady, eyes locked on the warehouse three stories below.

You had been there for three minutes. Long enough to map the guard routes, memorize the timing between the drone scans, and feel him coming before he ever made a sound.

His landing was too quiet.

A soft whump of displaced air and heat touched the back of your neck like breath, not wind. You didn’t turn. You didn’t need to. That warmth—simmering, electric—was unmistakable.

Jake.

Solaris.

He stood just behind your right shoulder, close enough that the edge of his cape brushed against yours with the breeze. The soft friction made the hairs on your arm stand at full alert beneath your suit, even as you kept your voice flat.

“You’re late.”

He moved up beside you slowly, with no apology and no rush, like he wanted you to feel the space between you shrink. “Only by seven seconds,” he said, his tone smooth as silk and just as smug. “I figured you’d want the dramatic pause.”

Your eyes flicked toward him, careful and calculated—but the second you met his gaze, it was over. He wasn’t looking at the mission site. He was looking at you.

His eyes traced your jaw, your profile, the faint tension in your stance. He looked like he wanted to say something that had nothing to do with guard patrols or blueprints. He looked like he had said it already, last night, in silence.

You turned back to the edge. “You always this irritating, or just when I’m trying to concentrate?”

His shoulder brushed yours, barely—but enough that the contact felt deliberate. “Only when you’re around,” he said under his breath. “You bring it out of me.”

You felt the words low in your stomach. Heat curled there, unwelcome, annoying.

You ignored it. Or tried to.

The warehouse below was dimly lit, but far from empty. You’d already marked four heat signatures outside, and Jake—without prompting—confirmed your suspicion as he let his gaze slip down through the roof like it was nothing.

“Five inside. Six if you count the one sneaking a smoke near the generator room.”

His voice was calm, measured, but there was something behind it. Something like… interest. Not in the mission. In you.

You didn’t look at him again. Not yet. “I’ll take the scaffolding. You distract the north patrol and disable the alarm node.”

“That wasn’t in the plan,” he said, almost like he was challenging you.

“It is now.”

He smirked—a slow curve of his mouth that was far too confident. “Didn’t realize you wanted to see me show off again.”

You shot him a glare. “I don’t.”

“Sure.” He shifted his weight, cape brushing your arm again. “But you don’t not want to.”

Your jaw flexed. You wanted to shove him off the rooftop, or maybe shove him into a wall. The line between both options was too thin tonight, and the fact that you were even thinking it made your pulse spike.

You moved without warning, launching across the scaffolding like a whisper through steel and shadow. The wind caught your cape as you landed two levels down, knees bent, breath perfectly controlled. Your body knew the motions by instinct—precision, silence, grace.

From above, you heard him laugh quietly. Not mocking. Impressed.

You ignored the sound and dropped lower into the yard, weaving between shadows and shipping crates. Two guards. One step. A twist. A knee to the jaw. They went down before your boots even hit the ground.

He landed on the opposite side of the compound a second later—louder, but no less lethal. A pulse of solar energy disarmed the rifles with expert timing. You caught the edge of his heat vision in your periphery, melting a sensor plate just before it could ping.

When you regrouped at the back door, your breath came a little faster—not from exertion.

He was already there, leaning against the rusted frame with that same damned look in his eyes.

His suit shimmered with leftover heat energy, his collar slightly torn at the edge from the earlier blast. The skin there—just above his heart—was flushed red from the impact. You looked. Just for a second. It was a mistake.

“You’re injured,” you said, sharper than intended.

Jake’s eyes dropped to your mouth, then back to your eyes. “You noticed.”

“You’re glowing hotter than usual. It’s distracting.”

He stepped closer—barely—but it made all the difference. “Everything about you is distracting.”

Your breath caught.

He wasn’t teasing this time.

You hated the way your body responded—alert, alert, aware. Of his warmth. Of his voice. Of how close you were standing and how little you trusted yourself to move away.

You turned toward the steel door to hide it. “We finish the mission.”

“We always do,” he said quietly, right behind you now. “But this doesn’t feel like just a mission anymore, does it?”

You didn’t answer.

Because it didn’t.

Because he was right.

And because the second your gloves brushed the keypad, your hand was shaking just slightly.

You didn’t see the blast coming.

One second, you were inside the control room, decrypting the last of the shipment files. The next, Jake’s voice shouted your name—and then the floor cracked open beneath your boots.

Steel snapped. Concrete split. And then: darkness.

You landed hard, shoulder-first, in what felt like a sublevel maintenance shaft. Air rushed out of your lungs as the dust settled around you in a slow, suffocating cloud.

You blinked. Moved your fingers. Pain bloomed sharp across your ribs—bruised, not broken. You sat up fast, adrenaline overriding everything else.

“Jake?”

No answer.

“Jake!”

“I’m—ugh—here,” he groaned. His voice echoed from a few feet to your left. “Not dead. Just… incredibly uncomfortable.”

You turned toward the sound, cowl lenses adjusting to the dark. The glow from his chest symbol was muted but visible—just enough to guide you through the twisted wreckage of metal and rock.

He was half-buried beneath a collapsed panel, one arm pinned awkwardly, suit scraped and shoulder bleeding just under the golden trim.

You didn’t hesitate.

You dropped to your knees beside him, hands already reaching for leverage. “Hold still.”

“Didn’t plan on going anywhere.”

You braced your feet and pushed—hard—gritting your teeth as the panel gave way with a groan. Jake hissed as his arm came free, the muscle underneath twitching in protest.

You slid your arm behind his back and helped him sit up slowly. He leaned against the wall with a heavy exhale, the heat from his skin pulsing against yours through your armor.

“Okay,” he muttered. “That sucked.”

“You should’ve stayed out of the blast radius.”

“I was trying to keep it off you.”

You froze. “I had it handled.”

“I know,” he said. “I just… didn’t want to watch you get hurt.”

The words were soft. Barely spoken. But you heard them too clearly.

You turned away quickly, activating your comm link—but all you got was static. Jammed. You scanned the walls. Reinforced. No signal. No way up.

“We’re stuck,” you said tightly.

“Yeah.” Jake let his head rest back against the wall, then glanced at you. “I’ve been trapped in worse places.”

“With me?”

He smiled—slow, crooked, and entirely too pretty for someone bleeding out of his shoulder. “Not yet.”

You should’ve said something cutting. You should’ve rolled your eyes and told him to shut up.

But your throat was dry. Too dry.

You shifted to sit beside him, pressed shoulder to shoulder in the narrow space. The air was warm from his proximity, the heat bleeding off him like a second sun. Your skin burned where your arm touched his, even through layers of fabric and reinforced plating.

He glanced sideways, eyes catching yours.

For a long time, neither of you spoke.

Your chest rose and fell, steady but slow. His breathing was deeper—strained, a little uneven. He tilted his head slightly, face inches from yours in the dark.

“I like this,” he said suddenly.

Your eyes snapped to him. “What?”

“This version of you,” he said, voice low and rough. “Not glaring. Not disappearing into shadows. Just… here. With me.”

You swallowed. Your throat was tight.

“I don’t usually let people see me like this.”

“I know,” he murmured. “That’s why I’m trying not to blink.”

You were too aware of how close his mouth was. How soft his voice had gone. How the dim light from his crest outlined the slope of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the dark lashes casting faint shadows over his cheekbones.

You said nothing. You couldn’t.

So he did it for you.

“I think about you, you know,” he said. “When we’re not on missions. When I’m flying. When I’m in the medbay and you don’t show up.”

You turned to him slowly, pulse slamming in your ears. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because you’re not running.”

“I don’t run,” you whispered.

“Exactly.”

You should have said something smart. Something cold. You should’ve pushed away from him and told him to stop being reckless, stop being soft with you.

But instead, you didn’t move.

Instead, your eyes dropped to his mouth.

And his breath caught when he noticed.

You weren’t supposed to feel like this. Not toward someone like him. Not toward the boy with solar energy in his bones and hope in his veins. You were made for the dark. You were trained to be cold.

But he looked at you like you were something warm.

Like you were already burning, and he was the only one who could feel it.

He leaned in—just barely. Close enough to feel, not touch. His voice was a thread between you.

“I want to kiss you right now,” he said. “And I’m not going to unless you tell me to.”

The silence stretched.

Your chest rose slowly. Deliberately.

Then, without breaking eye contact, you said—

“…Don’t wait.”

The air in the vault was thick, heavy with dust and heat and something else — something electric, crackling in the space between you. Your lips barely brushed his, tentative at first, testing boundaries you hadn’t dared cross before. Then, slow and sure, the kiss deepened, a desperate promise in the dark.

His hand cupped your jaw, thumb tracing the tense line of your cheekbone. You felt the steady pulse of his heartbeat under your palm, wild and uneven, matching your own.

For a moment, time fractured — the world outside vanished. No suits, no missions, no expectations. Just two people tangled in shadows and heat.

Then the faintest tremor shook the vault, reminding you that reality wasn’t far behind. You pulled back, breath ragged, eyes searching his.

“We should—”

“Don’t,” he murmured, voice rough. “Not yet.”

You swallowed, the taste of him lingering. “Solaris—”

“Call me Jake.”

The vulnerability in his voice surprised you. The boy beneath Solaris, raw and unguarded.

You nodded, heart hammering. “Okay.”

For a few long seconds, you just sat close, shoulders touching, the silence speaking louder than words.

But eventually, the cold reality seeped back in — the mission, the danger, the walls closing in.

“We need to get out,” you said, steadying your voice. “Before someone comes looking.”

He nodded, strength returning to his posture. “Together.”

You glanced at him, a new warmth in your eyes. “Together.”

As you worked side by side to clear debris and find an exit, the kiss lingered between you — a spark promising this was only the beginning.

The narrow hatch hissed open, spilling cool, stale air into the claustrophobic vault. You and Jake crawled out, blinking against the harsh lights of the Watchtower’s lower deck. Your suits were scuffed, clothes dusted with grime, and your hearts still pounding—not just from the crawl through the wreckage but from what had passed between you.

Jake pulled off his damaged gauntlet, wincing as he flexed his fingers. “We make a hell of a team.”

You gave a tight smile, the ghost of your kiss still burning on your lips. “More than I expected.”

He caught your gaze, his own warm and searching. “You okay?”

You hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Just… processing.”

He stepped closer, voice dropping. “Me too.”

There was a silence pregnant with all the words neither of you dared say. Then, Jake broke it with a crooked grin. “So, about that kiss…”

You rolled your eyes but laughed, tension breaking like a wave. “You started it.”

“Maybe,” he teased. “But I’m not apologizing.”

“Good.”

His hand brushed yours—not quite touching, but close enough to send a spark racing up your arm. You swallowed hard, heart thrumming like a drum. “This changes things.”

Jake nodded slowly, eyes darkening with a mix of something fierce and tender. “Yeah. It does.”

You looked away first, then back again, ready to face whatever came next. “Then we figure it out. Together.”

He smiled, his hand finally closing around yours, fingers curling with a gentle certainty. “Together.”

[datingliterallyeverything]

Hello! So Jean Loo is my favorite and there’s not a ton of content for him, so if you can could you please write some fluffy/ silly relationship headcanons for Jean Loo? 🚽 ✨ 💙

I’m not gonna lie, the toilet is growing on me haha.

Gn reader!

One of the funniest instances in your relationship was when you tried to brush his hair. You just wanted to be cute. Unfortunately, there is a plunger on his head. Long story short, when you tried to pry the plunger off of his head to get at the hair underneath…it didn’t end well. You’re not allowed to touch the plunger anymore. 

You did eventually get to brush his hair though. He has a very strict hair routine, including a surprising amount of gel. He tells it to you plainly, writes down a list and everything. He only wants his hair brushed with a comb, he has an accurate and exact measurement of how much hair gel is to be used, and…he still doesn’t let you touch the plunger. He’s putting that back on himself.

Sometimes when you get ready in the bathroom, you like to play some music as background noise. You notice that he totally vibes with some of it, so you tend to prioritize those songs.

Other times when you’re getting ready, you like to play random beats for him and watch as he adlibs or freestyles to it. It helps him practice and it entertains you endlessly. 

If you have any talent when it comes to rapping, he absolutely *will* make you rap battle with him. In order to get as close with him as you did, you needed to rap anyway, so at this point you’ll probably at least have some base level knowledge for him. One time, you managed to diss him really good. Specifically about the French language and how many silent letters are there. He sulked for a while, but was eventually able to admit that it was sick af.

Show him epic rap battles. Please do it. Like that one Youtube series, epic rap battles of history, those princess rap battles, all of it. Convince Telly (your amazing television) to connect your device to him or something so you can show Jean Loo them on the big screen. It’s very hilarious.

I personally headcanon that the man can’t dance. He has impeccable rhythm, so in theory he should get it…but no. Maybe because he’s made of porcelain and pipes and that makes him stiff? But no, he just can’t do it. The thing is he’ll deny it though. Ask him to dance and he’ll look like a dying donkey and be perfectly convinced he was the best ever.

If you’re a crafter of any kind, he may actually die of appreciation if you design or make merch for him. Maybe a baseball cap with his name, a logo? Crochet a doll of him, knit a hat inspired by him. Things to that effect! He isn’t incredibly open about affection, but he’ll kiss you all over your face if you would do that for him.

Expanding on that, I don’t see him as someone overly affectionate. He has always had more of a standoffish personality, so not a lot of the other objects were jumping at the chance to speak or get to know him. Long story short, he’s not really sure how to react to someone who likes to be around him. For him. 

Just because he’s not overly affectionate, doesn’t mean that he minds if you are. Actually, he enjoys it when you take the lead and initiate things. Praise him, love him, adore him. Yes, he loves all that shit. 

He was cuddling you one day, resting his head on your chest. He heard your heartbeat then, and it made him feel all warm and fluffy on the inside. And, as a musician, of course he had to turn that into a song. I like to think that most of the characters actually don’t have a heartbeat, even in their human form. So that would make yours all the more special to him.

Your heartbeat definitely inspired that actual beat on that track too. He gave the song to you as a gift. Whether that be an anniversary gift, birthday, or maybe a just because gift. Once it was ready, he wanted you to hear it. This was one of his most candid tracks yet. 

You dared him to go without hair gel one day, and it was hilarious. He didn’t want anyone else seeing so he wore a big hat all day so no one could tell. You kinda liked it though. His hair is cut pretty short, but if he grew it out it may have a bit of a wave to it. It was nice, but that’s all you’re gonna get. He loves you, but not enough to do that ever again. 

I like to think he runs a bit cold. Due to the materials he’s made of, he’s kind of cold to the touch. And he’s used to feeling cold. He has never been anything other than cold. It took a bit of getting used to when you would cuddle or hug him, feeling the warmth of a human. Once he does get used to it, he’ll wonder how he ever lived with being so cold for so long.

You kinda take it upon yourself to make him some friends. He’s kind of a loner. He thinks he’s giving the whole “tortured artist” vibe but really, it’s just…not. You managed to pull it off by being more subtle, basically making him think it was his idea to be their friend, not yours. Johnny Splash and him are kinda like bathroom buddies now. It’s actually really funny to witness.

Thank you so much for reading and requesting!

[mage-ical-character-person]

Ough yeah the 4th wall in this show is just. Its own can of worms.

Because SMG4’s channel obviously exists in-universe as just a regular Youtube channel anyone can watch. The merch has also been shown to exist in-universe, so the Puzzlevision and WOTFI 24 websites likely do as well.

But also there’s the whole “Great Beyond” thing where the real world is acknowledged and the whole series canonically takes place on Luke’s computer. And in the Lawsuit Arc we see that deleting the channel from the Great Beyond essentially kills all OC characters in the show.

but obviously the real-real life channel wasn’t deleted for this so we’ve got like three layers of fourth wall going. Either way Lawsuit Arc forever recontextualizes how dedicated Four is to his channel because if the channel goes under he and his friends cease to exist.

Three and Puzzles have both briefly taken over Four’s in-universe channel in their respective arcs. So?? Yeah. I don’t know what layer of fourth wall Puzzles is breaking and I don’t know if he’s aware of his life literally being written by someone beyond his comprehension.

Three and Four both seem aware of this, though. They’ve demonstrated both breaking the fourth wall of Four’s in-universe channel as something Four has control over…

…and breaking the fourth wall to (at least) The Great Beyond, with the show as something SMG4 doesn’t exactly have control over, plus acknowledging the rules and events of their world being controlled by a third party

(Notably, though, only Four found anything about The Great Beyond familiar in the Revelations arc when they actually went there)

and then there’s the whole game theory parody thing where the fourth wall is entirely obliterated and Four just straight up asks “An I even real?!” Which he… immediately sweeps under the rug. But still.

Unlike SMG4, though, I’m not sure Puzzles’ fourth-wall breaking ever goes beyond the in-universe show/channel.

What he does know is that “The Funny” is the source of SMG4’s power (meme energy) and Mario is essentially Four’s muse in that regard, hence mustache episode and his focus on Mario specifically.

Side note: you can obtain “The Funny” by stealing any Mario body part, not just his mustache, as seen in “Mario steals your liver”

As for his focus on SMG4, I genuinely think he just… finds Four relatable, sees himself in Four a bit, even if not consciously. Which is… yeah the parallels there are something I’ve gone on and on about. Not gonna get into all that too much here but they’re both dedicated entertainers that have made their craft their whole lives and often end up disregarding the feelings of others in pursuit of that even in situations where they mean well. here’s this whole thing if you want more on that and other Puzzles parallels

Anyway, while Puzzles claims the SMG4 show is the stupidest he’s ever seen, he calls Four and his friends “the best cast a producer could ask for”, and “the most entertaining folks in town”. That’s high praise coming from him! Puzzles gives Four high marks as an actor and character even if he doesn’t appreciate his resistance all that much.

I really like the way @nonsense-is-everywhere put it in its tags

beloved mutual understands. Thank you. Puzzles thinks Four is the most entertaining and relatable little freak and enjoys watching Four go through hell. The show’s stupid but he likes the “characters”, he loved Four’s performance in IGBP so much he casts him as the villain again in “Once Upon an SMG4” and again with Meme Factory. Probably why Four remained unbrainwashed in Puzzle Park, Puzzles wants method acting for his favorite character. He wants the raw emotion. His brainwashing never really worked on Mario, but leaving SMG4 unbrainwashed was an active choice. AND THE CASTLE RIGHT BEFORE HE STARTS SINGING PUZZLE PARK HE LOVES MESSING WITH FOUR SO MUCH.

Anyway, anyway, Puzzles absolutely is projecting a bit and wants the audience, whichever audience he may be talking to, to find comfort in what he makes. He knows what it’s like to be left out and he knows how comforting escapism has always been for him and he wants to provide that comfort on some level. Partly because he hopes it will earn him love, but he also seems to think he’s helping, somehow. Like you said, “He hopes to become a fixation we cling onto because he KNOWS what it’s like to be on our side of the screen.” Great way to put it.

The scene with Meggy in Puzzles Clubhouse shows that mentality pretty well, and it also shows just how quickly he can switch roles. He does it in Meme Factory, which nonsense-is-everywhere also mentions in the tags

And he does the same thing in reverse here! He tries genuinely to make a bid for connection, playing the role he sees himself in as the misunderstood visionary. A sort of anti-hero. He wants a voluntary “yes,” but can’t afford a “no”, so when it becomes clear he is only seen as the villain, he goes, “Oh, I can definitely work with that” and leans into his assigned role fully. He plays into whatever role he feels he has been assigned in any given moment.

That’s what makes him so interesting, he’s fairly benign when he doesn’t interpret his current role as villainous. That’s what makes the ending of WOTFI 24 so heartbreaking to me. He thought it was time to try his hand at a new role and was ready to play it with his usual cliché theatrics only to be shut down and isolated with no one to perform for.

He was ready for a new role!

The thing is… I get the sense he’s at a loss for what role specifically he should be playing now. It seemed like 2 options for getting out of there with WPNZ and Meggy, but this guy gets attached to anyone who’s even a little nice to him, and WPNZ called him “pal”! So now both his options are weird and at least a little sentimental, even the one that at first felt like stepping back into the familiar role of “manipulative villain”

OH PUZZLES! MY LITTLE FREAK WHO DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO BE GENUINE AND PLAYS INTO THE SHOWMAN PERSONA TO AVOID THINKING ABOUT HIS FEELINGSSS!!

It’s not even just avoidance of being vulnerable with others because he does it when he’s alone.

This is just… the only way he knows how to process strong emotions and I love that for him.

My precious Puzzie Pie… he is so Bad at It. Even when it feels like he wants to be genuine he backs out of it at the last minute.

Like yeah in this case when pressed he doubles back and has a moment of honesty but that was only when at risk of getting lasered. Took pretty extreme circumstances

And I think WPNZ’s reaction to this is interesting, because he’s also someone who avoids vulnerability and struggles to treat people like people. (Where Puzzles treats those around him like actors or fictional characters, WPNZ treats even those he genuinely cares about as tools and… yknow. Weapons)

The way WPNZ responds to this with amusement at Puzzles’ antics with a little smile! I think he knows exactly what Puzzles was doing and finds this method of avoidance… just amusing! Charming, maybe. Either way, he’s happy to be given an out and pretend the emotional moment never happened.

But UGHH Puzzles was absolutely intending to make a genuine attempt at comfort before chickening out. Look at his faces. His body language.

He’s nervous! He has no idea how to handle this and settles on not handling it at all! He wants to connect over this, but he doesn’t know how! The only thing he knows how to do is perform, put on a show.

That and manipulation. Performance and manipulation are how he interacts with anyone. And it’s amazing seeing him so nervous and out of his element when faced with people who are willing to reach out and work with him on their own. So he defaults back to manipulation and/or showboating. (People are starting to see through that, though.)

He craves connection but also it freaks him out!

Also apparently he is currently capable of doing brainwashing. I thought he needed 5 stars for that to work in the real world but okay? Maybe he retained some of the engine room’s power from Puzzle Park??

Augh. Love this guy. Hope he escapes his fate of death by torture cube

I assume like this

either way. Gosh. He’s so scared, especially since last time he let the promise of friendship coax him into letting his guard down is what got him in his current predicament of being on death row. But he’s not giving up.

I’m proud of him. He made a friend or two, even if that scares him. He did it!

[heademptysimirror]

So...Fraud.

The eight layer of Hell, and the second to last level in Ultrakill. Even if we just have the teaser for now, there's already a lot of theories on what Fraud's gonna be like! Personally, I've been giving it a lot of thought lately.

Analysis/Theories under cut!

First off, the OST art for 8-1.

The cover is immediately...off-putting. Ultrakill has INTENTIONALLY avoided eye imagery for most of the game, the only exceptions I can think of being the death screen, the eyes in Gluttony, and the tiny one in the album art for A Heart Of Cold. So an eye that is MEANT to be the central piece is very weird. Not to mention the artstyle change from, say, Infinite Hyperdeath, Imperfect Hatred and even Violence.

They all very clearly show the themes of Ultrakill, using black sharp silhouettes on top of a solid color background. In contrast, the one for Fraud gives off a more "holy" vibe. It has light colors, soft strokes and not even a speck of black to be found. It's almost inviting.

8-1 "HURTBREAK WONDERLAND"

The mission takes place in some kind of manor, and a modern city. It looks normal, to some point. Too normal for a game like Ultrakill. Then again, the layer as a whole is based on deceit.

"TRUST NOT YOUR EYES.

TRUST NOT YOUR EARS.

THIS IS THE EIGHTH LAYER OF HELL.

THIS IS ULTRAKILL.

THIS IS FRAUD."

Watching the teaser, one of my first thoughts was "Hey, this looks a bit like 5-3!" So I played it to get in-game footage.

I know it may just be reused models to save time, BUUUT it's funny to me how people theorized on Fraud to mimick Heaven, and just how similar 8-1 is to the inside of the Ferryman's ship (a character heavily related to Heaven, that intends to show his gratitude towards it). It wouldn't surprise me if the Ferryman decorated his ferry to resemble Paradise on purpose. (We still don't actually know what Heaven looks like in Ultrakill, sooo...)

Then there's also plenty of stone statues shaped like a lion devouring a sun. In alchemy, that can represent the consciousness being overwhelmed by violent, frustrated desires (I'll retake this later). Or, it's used as a metaphor for aqua regia (the lion) dissolving gold (the sun). The sun itself is sometimes linked to the consciousness, the divine, or sulphur, too. Interesting how a screenshot focuses on a red skull, considering those are the ones which have the alchemical symbol for sulphur. With such emphasis on it, it makes me think there might be some parts of Fraud that are just completely corroded or ruined.

8-2

Stanley Parable?

Some sort of office/warehouse/factory. It continues that "urban" theme from the first mission. Not much to comment here for now with the lack of screenshots, sadly :(

(Though, the colors kinda reminded me of that bathroom at what seems to be the end of 8-1. Wonder what the deal with it is??)

Fraud - General

Non-euclidean geometry in a modern-esque, twisted yet beautiful city. In such a deep layer of Hell, you'd expect it to be a lot more grotesque, like its version in Dante's Inferno. And it's deceitfully pretty, clearly going for a liminal feel. We're going to be fighting enemies on top of buildings while the environment bends around us (So metal!!).

I'm really curious as to what the torture here is supposed to be. The normality of its looks could make you think about Limbo, where the torture was psychological.

"WE CAME IN" If that's a reference, then I'm completely oblivious to it. However, I'm assuming it refers to the inside of the TV in the room, which looks like it leads to the start of the level. In 1-4, the book's text tells us how Hank's experience in Limbo tempted him to "plunge deeper into hell". In Fraud, if the punishment is any similar to Limbo's, then there might be a similar situation. By "going in" the TV, you're progressing in the level, and eventually going deeper into the layer.

And again with the 5-3 parallels, there's the level names. "Ship of fools" and "Hurtbreak Wonderland". The ferry is a safe (if you ignore the enemies in the mission??) place amidst the raging sea of souls of Wrath. The city of 8-1 basically intends for you to feel comfortable, at least by its looks. And yet, 5-3's title directly tells you what to expect from the level, while 8-1's goes as far as to call it a wonderland.

Honestly, Fraud's got a lot of potential for a high scare factor. I'm betting it's going to have AT LEAST one moment in a mission, like the Mannequin jumpscare in 7-1.

(If it relies on psychological horror then I'm sold. And horrified. I'd hate the first playthrough and I mean this in the best way possible)

As for 8-S, no clue. I don't really know WHAT to expect since this is the first layer release I've been around for. I doubt we'd guess it, anyways. Unlikely because of how popular the prediction is, but it would be so funny if it was a building simulator. The PC gaming show had a bunch of those before the Ultrakill announcement and after it the views basically HALVED. I feel kinda bad because some of the games were genuinely cool-looking but really most of us were only there for the Fraud reveal.

One thing I don't see people talking about is that this is the last secret mission AND the last Testament if there's none in Treachery. The last of God's lore?? Maybe we'll finally learn just what happened.

Providence

A new enemy introduced in the teaser. As soon as it dropped, a popular theory was created:

Providence is NOT an angel.

It was presented as a new enemy, not as a new ANGEL enemy. And the statement seemed pretty solid, until more Fraud content was published in July 8.

Oh.

Despite confirmation from the official team themselves, I refuse to believe that's actually an angel. At least a regular one. They've told us multiple times not to trust our eyes or our ears, and that might as well be hinting at a lie they're telling!

Not to mention all of the evidence there is for the theory:

1. Providence's attacks use HELL ENERGY.

2. It has whole eye on its face. According to the Terminal entry for Virtues:

"Virtues are normally known to have a multitude of eyes, though for unknown reasons, these eyes are hidden or removed for ones that become wardens in Hell. Some have speculated this may be related to why almost all husks lack eyes, with the only verified exception being the previous Judge of Hell, King Minos."

Eyes in Ultrakill are scarce, and mostly associated with Hell Itself. What is an angel with eyes doing in hell? Unless Providence is not supposed to be there, then it just doesn't much sense. Even Gabriel's (hypothetical) eyes are covered.

3. Providence seems to lack that vibrant blue light Virtues and Gabriel emit in game. Supporting this theory, 6-2 Gabriel doesn't have that Holy Light (This is after the Council removes his Light) that he did in 3-2. Sure, the arena does have a blue light in his second phase, but that's probably just the glow of his wings.

4. If you look at the concept art for Providence, you'll see a lot of insect and flower designs, especially butterflies and moths. Those insects are commonly associated with disguise or change. Following the motif, there's also an idea for Providence to be based on the Tetramorph cherub, and for it to use its different faces.

And lastly, there's plenty of concepts for Providence to be made out of stone (the material a demon's exterior is made out of.

(Though these remained concepts for a reason, it might be helpful to consider them!)

5. There's statues in the image of Providence. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, since there's statues of Gabriel and what seem to be other angels around Hell. The thing is Providence is apparently a Lesser Angel. How important could it be?

(When getting footage, I found out the lion statue is also in Limbo. Funny being how Fraud might be comparable to Limbo, them being the first and second to last layers, respectively.)

With this in mind, there's different possibilities for Providence. The first is that it's really just a freaky angel or something. Second, a demon. Or third, a husk. Regardless of how biased I might have been at first for demon Providence, it being a husk could be even more interesting and more congruent with Ultrakill's themes. Imagine how absolutely horrifying it'd be to be forced to live as a twisted caricature of something you clearly aren't, in a place that pretends to be a utopia.

Perhaps it was Hell, or perhaps someone else, and that brings us to the last part of this post.

P-3 predictions

Important note : We've reached the segment with the least official proof. I should mention that most of this theory is based on the belief that the Act 3 layer that had a king was Fraud, although it might also work with Treachery. Still, this is all very speculative.

I feel like Fraud did go through some kind of change like Lust did when the angels left. However, I wouldn't really call it a renaissance. Minos focused on reforming his kingdom, Sisyphus trained an army, and perhaps this third king chose to do something similar to Minos, but not for the sake of his people. Rather, just to spite Heaven by copying it.

That being said, my candidate for the third Prime Soul is Theseus. Not only is he very associated with the Minotaur (that is associated with Minos), he also checks the boxes for being a Greek king in mythology, having some questionable actions, and being fraudulent/treacherous in some occasions.

As mentioned with the alchemy symbolism earlier, someone may have been frustrated and succumbed to a more brutal lifestyle. The angels' disappearance was the perfect opportunity to taunt the jailors. The Fraud layer transformed into a beautiful place, but only to the eyes of its king. The sinners were morphed into parodies of the gracious inhabitants of Heaven, eternally forced to behold what they could have been. The Council, utterly disgusted, sent Gabriel to get rid of the ruler, imprisoning him, you know the drill.

Since the kings in Hell seem to have known eachother, then that's a check, too. Theseus has a connection to Minos due to slaying the Minotaur in mythology.

(I wonder if the one who gave it to Minos is really the third prime soul. According to its data, was sculpted by "████ ██████" as a gift for the Judge of Hell in an attempt to find some kind of rapport. I tried looking for Greek kings that had six letter names and fit the "criteria" for a possible Prime soul, but no one really convinced me. That person might just be a random Hell resident.)

From what we've been shown of Fraud, it has a lot about change. The perspective changing, the environment shifting, the concept art of Providence alternating faces, and whatever else might come with the full level. And what is Theseus also known for? His paradox. If an object's parts are all replaced over time, is it still the same object, or a completely new one? Not only does it fit with the idea of Fraud being transfigured, but I think it would also be a really cool concept for Ultrakill's finale. After humanity went through so much horrible events, and did such horrific things, could it still have been considered...well, human?

---------------------------------------

Aaaaand we're done! Is this overanalyzing it? Probably. Is it far-fetched? Completely. Albeit, I really really really needed to organize my thoughts, so here you go. I'm going to go bonkers when Layer 8 comes out. The last level with 4 missions is surely going to be pretty lore heavy.

[ikamigami]

Reading your take on Spamtom/Tenna (which I found pretty interesting btw) made me kinda curious: Do you think that Spamtom knew about the prophecy during the bigshot era?

Because, in chapter 3, it's pretty clear that Spamtom at least knows about it RIGHT NOW. But when did he learn of it? I've seen alot of mixed theories on it and I think that this tidbit of information/where it fits in their timeline is probably one of THE big components in understanding their relationship and how it ended.

I just think that this interpretation/theory, where Spamtom, despite his many faults, did alot of things out of genuine care for Tenna (and that his love for Tenna was basically THE tipping point in his downfall) gets even more depressing if you consider that Spamtom moght have known that Tenna was going to die and wether or not that might have influenced some of his decisions. And it genuinely seems more like Toby's usual tone of writing compared to some interpretations I've seen (no hate to them obviously. Also not saying that your theory is the only plausible one or anything)

Thank you for your question and I'm happy that you find my ramblings interesting.

Tbh I think that Spamton knew about the prophecy in Big Shot era. I'm not sure if he knew immediately though. It's hard to say when he found out about it. But tbh I doubt that it was during the last phone call. Cause what would Tenna's death change despite that Spamton would lose his love. Tenna would die and Spamton would still be a Big Shot. He'd still have everything.

And why sponsor would need to punish Spamton for being with Tenna if it wasn't for something Spamton would try to do against sponsor's orders. And if Spamton tried to defy fate and save Tenna I think that this could be something that goes against sponsor's plan.

Cause even if what happened to Spamton might have been a part of plan I just think that helping Tenna to prevent his fate wasn't a part of it.

And I think that both Spamton and Tenna wanted to use each other but they fall in love with each other. I think that they at first thought that they're fooling each other but at some point they didn't even see when it became so real.

I think that Spamton really wanted to help Tenna and prevent his fate. I don't have any proof of that actually. I just can't help but to feel that their love was never a part of anything. Like it wasn't a part of the prophecy and it definitely wasn't the part of whatever that sponsor wanted from Spamton. Their love was never meant to be.

I just think that love is important in this story. I just feel like it might be the answer to how the world can be saved.

You know how they say that love defies odds and how it conquers everything.

I also think that love is what would actually give Spamton his freedom. Like yeah he probably know that he's a part of the game considering that he wants to reach heaven which is more than likely our world (you know irl). I just think that love would allow them to be free. Like idk I just think that love is important. Especially considering that it's even in the prophecy. That part with a girl and that love found her.

Like yeah I get it that if it's a part of prophecy how can it change anything. Idk tbh but I think that love requires being honest with yourself and your own feelings. Which is something both Spamton and Tenna weren't. Hence why I think that it was a part of reason to why their relationship fell apart.

Even if they were torn by fate itself if they were honest with their own feelings and knew that they loved each other it wouldn't stop them. They would do anything to find each other. And yet they ended up hating each other.

But I think that seeing how quickly Spamton forgot about any bad feelings he had towards Tenna when he saw that Tenna still has Pippis which was a proof that Tenna still cares they may have another chance. Because I think that their love is real. It was tested but they now have a chance.

Ofc it solely depends on Toby so I wonder if he has more for these two to come in the future. Cause I feel like their story seems quite important. Maybe it's because it seems that Tenna is one of Toby's favourite characters and Spamton seems to have some knowledge about some things or at least he seems to be important due to how he had that thorn ring in Snowgrave route.

And well Spamton's design has a few things in common with Friend - black elements like hair and shirt just like Friend's body (skin or fur or whatever that is) and pink and yellow glasses just like Friend's eyes.

And I really want to see Spamton and Tenna get back together you know please Toby please.

Also about a part about Toby's writing. I don't know much about his works or anything. I'm new to this fandom. I just love theorizing especially about my favourite characters.

Also I think that circumstances of Spamton's life like who he is - a spam mail - and how he was treated by everyone before he met Tenna - Addisons ditched him and they never bothered to look for him and they didn't want to talk about him and later Swatch also turned on Spamton even if they were friends amd he was angry that Spamton stole his looks but never cared to ask what's wrong - all of this made Spamton to look out only for himself making him selfish.

I also can't help but to think that what Spamton had to do in order to become Big wasn't anything fun if what he said during Sweepstakes we can take as truth. But I think that sponsor never cared about Spamton's well-being. Because it wasn't important to whatever sponsor's plan is.

But I think that Spamton wanted something more in his life. And he believed sponsor while I think that the right answer was love. Hence why I think that Spamton actually did care about Tenna. That he actually tried to do something against sponsor's orders.

Hence why I don't think that Spamton is evil. He did many bad things. But I don't think that he's actually that bad like many people seems to think.

I don't know how much inspiration from anime and manga Toby Fox gets for his stories but in anime and manga there are lots of characters like Spamton who at first glance seem to be only bad and selfish but underneath all of this is hurt and loneliness. And such characters upon recieving kindness or love change for the better.

And like I said in one of my posts Spamton reminds me of Ekubo from Mob Psycho 100 in many aspects. Hence why I can't help but to sympathise with Spamton and I believe that he's not that bad and now that Fun Gang helped him he actually changed.

(Yeah I know. And many interpretations are really interesting. I'd die from happiness if my theory (or guess more than anything) will turn out to be correct. But I'm happy that my ramblings resonate with others.)

[viperify]

hello my hot wife, first another congrats on 1K! will never not be proud of how hard you work! This event is so creative and pretty! ILYSM 🩵🩵🩵

I’d love to request a dating booth please; I’m a hufflepuff, aries, and any sort of activity game such as bowling or pool, where I can banter and have friendly competition probs is a fav date for me. my fav hp subject is care of magical creatures. I feel you know me well by now, but personality is talkative, a little ditzy, overthinker, blunt but friendly and loves music.

1k celebration | ᴍᴀᴛᴛʜᴇᴏ ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ x ꜰ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ★ Bowling Date.

A/N: my wife!!!! thank u thank u thank u!!! I appreciate you so much pizzabear, and I hope you like this. In order to write this I had to exploit wikihow for information about bowling. I am now a bowling professional. In theory.

Bright, colorful LED lights swayed in the otherwise dim bowling alley as you walked inside, Mattheo right by your side.

You did this quite often—a chill evening, just the two of you. Away from the restricting walls of your own home, forgetting your worries for an evening. 

Most of the time it was also just that. Fun, relaxing, with some playful banter between the two of you.

But sometimes… one of you two got competitive—and your usual relaxed attitude turned bitter really quickly.

Because if one thing got you going and putting more effort into aiming your next shot—it was that damn smirk on his plush lips whenever he scored a strike.

Playfully teasing you. Riling you up, slowly, over the course of the evening.

“Great shot, sweetheart. You only almost missed everything.” he said lightheartedly, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he saw the slight pout on your face.

You thought it was perfectly angled—and it did look promising—for around 3 seconds. In the end, you only managed to hit two pins.

“Oh, be quiet, better show me how to do it then,” you replied, walking back with your arms crossed.

Although there wasn’t much to show—the scoreboard told enough. After the sixth frame, you were already 30 points behind.

“Watch and learn, princess.” Mattheo responded, all cocky and confident, striding to the ball rack to line up his next shot.

Taking his final step towards the foul line, he adjusted his stance—just like the “professionals” on TV always recommended: slightly leaned forward, four long steps from the line. Then, with one smooth motion, he stepped forward, bent his knees, and let go of the bowling ball perfectly—or so he hoped.

Mattheo let go too early, the heavy, green ball slipping from his grip—wobbling down the line slowly before it slid off into the gutter.

Zero points.

You couldn’t help but laugh, clapping your hands as you saw the scene unfolding right in front of you. “Great job, really. I would try and aim for the pins next time, Matty.”

“Whatever,” he muttered, fingers swiping through his brown curls as he returned to your side. “I am still leading, though.”

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, you wandered off, getting ready for your turn. “That’s going to change very soon, don’t you worry.”

And you didn’t exactly know how you managed it—but the ball rolled off in a straight line on the polished wood, perfect speed—and you scored your first strike of the evening.

“Look at this!” you exclaimed, joy written all over your face as pin after pin toppled over. “The comeback is on, and you better be afraid.”

The evening ended in a very close win for you—and Mattheo was visibly upset. Yet, your rule was simple—the loser pays for dinner.

And so he took you to your favourite restaurant near the bowling alley, still grumpy, but never once letting go of your hand.

He didn’t even wait for you to open the menu, already grinning.

“Pizza, I assume?”

“Always.”

thank you for reading! feel free to reblog and leave feedback <3 — masterlist. | 1k celebration. <- event masterlist.

©2025 viperify. please do not copy, translate or claim my work as your own.

[cherryo]

how some Mechs react to you carrying inanimate objects like a baby

I thought this would be cute, I've always held things like a baby even if it doesn't fit like a baby would. idk why i do this, ive done it since i was a baby myself, probably just thought my mom was cool for carrying my sisters and me <3

let me know if yall want other characters for this scenario

Pairing: Bumblebee, Vortex, First Aid, Swerve

Word count: ..

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy and intimate moments, so somewhat suggestive

Bumblebee 

-Absolutely spoons over you, honestly if you don't want to be sparked don't do this in front of him 

-Wants to test the theory that humans can get pregnant by bots,,,,,will be all over you

-I lowkey think Bee has a thing for pregnant women, more so you. If he can get you round and happy with his sparkling, dear Primus, you are in for it

-He'd give you as many sparkling as you can handle, Ratchet has to give him a warning about sparking you

-He thinks its adorable though, questions you if there's a reason you do it (ie if its easier to carry things like that, less pressure on your back )

-When you respond that you've always done it, his spark flutters. Adores you and everything about you

First Aid

-Dear lord you'll have this bot on his hands and knees sobbing about how cute it is

-You came into the med bay with coffee for him and carrying a box on your hip, once giving the coffee to him, he expects you to readjust

-You do, just to hold the box more on your hip, he's surprised honestly expected you to move it so you'd be holding it with both hands

-Questions you about it, Ratchet points out that you're holding it like a baby, Primus help yall because he can't stop cooing over you about it

-Ratchet just groans when you shoot him a glare, realizing that's all he'll hear about for a good two weeks

-First Aid wants to cradle YOU like a baby now, alas Ambulon put a no pda sign up

It wasnt your fault Drift and Ratchet cant find a habsuite.

-He decides to wait till you two were alone to show you how he really felt

Vortex

-At first didnt notice and didnt care, he didnt pay much attention to you

-It's only when Swindle points it out, meaning it as a jab towards you, does he notice you carry most things like a sparkling

-He's confused why his spark is thumping so hard and why his blades are jumping every time he see you carry something 

-I don't think Vortex sees a future where he has sparklings, at all, but now he does

-He hopes humans can carry sparklings because he's about to make it happen

-He'll bring it up any time you guys are intimate, cooing how adorable it is that you're preparing to carry his sparkling, how hot it will be to see you all round and showing that you're his

Swerve

-He'd asked you to help him carry some stuff across the bar, it was some of his human media and collectors items

-One thing happened to be a stuff animal, setting it on your hip you traversed the counter top of the bar 

-He watched you as you waddle along, plush on your hip and items dangling in your other hand, his faceplate heated up

-You looked like a mother taking care of your baby, his baby, yalls baby

-That could make the minibot himself just drop to the floor, Primus he loves you so much

-He's another one that brings it up during an intimate moment, gushing about being a father and a parent with you, how he wants to see his sparkling in your arms

-He would do anything to make it happen

[rebeccasteventaylor]

Oh, the hotel and this is one of the very few (and I think possibly the last) times that Ethan snaps at Benji.

Although to be fair, Ethan is so wound up at this point he’d snap at a kitten.

The ‘what?’ at having to access the server room from the outside (Benji has a point - this wouldn’t matter if they still had access to the IMF)

Benji has already anticipated all the questions Ethan will ask and come up with a solution which suggests to me he’s had this kind of conversation with Ethan before. He knows where his mind is going and knows what he needs to tell Ethan. (Throwing the glove at the window is super cool, I wonder if Benji rehearsed that. I wonder if Benji built these)

Also Benji packed the climbing gear and the other stuff. He knew Ethan would be climbing at some point. And he gears Ethan up with a familiarity that suggests he’s done this before. (And knows Ethan needs a easy way to remember)

Although - not familiar enough to give him a pat. Benji wants to give Ethan that reassurance and encouragement but dare not. So although used to working together, that affection hasn’t really grown yet.

Soon though…

(It’s touching how worried Benji is for him. He obviously cares deeply for Ethan at this stage)

Interesting that Ethan doesn’t shout at Benji when the gloves stop working (from the Kremlin he already seems to have that habit ingrained in him to not blame Benji)

(Oh, another thing Benji is going to have to get used to - Ethan just jumping out of the window)

(Hmm this Jane holding onto Brandt holding onto Ethan echoed in DR with Paris holding onto Ethan holding onto Grace)

Oh, that look Ethan shoots Benji when he says ‘what did I miss?’ Be fair Ethan, Benji has no idea (and that’s probably a good thing at this stage)

Anyway - once again, as Benji is briefing Ethan on the tech he’s already well used to the way Ethan interrupts with one word questions, which implies he’s done these briefings with Ethan before.

Now this is interesting. Ethan redesigning the entire plan on the fly against the wishes of Brandt. Not only is Ethan absolutely certain Benji will do what he asks, he constantly reaches out to him.

Suggests some ground work has already been laid here. Not only is Ethan very used to Benji being on his side even when everyone else in the room is against him, he’s already started that habit - which will become the signature shoulder touches - of reaching out to Benji when he needs reassurance. This, for me, is the moment that cements the theory that Ethan and Benji have worked together a lot already - maybe not on the field, but Ethan in the field or preparing to be and Benji in the planning stage. Ethan is already getting absolute trust and reassurance just from Benji’s presence.

Also in leaving the hotel it’s solely benji Ethan is trying to get hold of, relying for directions. It feels like it’s really familiar for Ethan to get directions over comms from benji already. I wonder after Shanghai whether, that having worked so well, Ethan insisted that benji be his guy back in the office, giving him directions?

Next - no one picks on Benji when Ethan is around!

[miraclecereal]

Rating the Holy Quintet’s new designs + Other stuff

So we got a poster that shows the holy quintet’s new designs mostly in full. Yippiee! Also please keep in mind that these are just my opinions. I’d love to hear what other people think even if it doesn’t match my opinion! Like what you like and dislike what you dislike

The poster:

Madoka: It’s very magical girl! It keeps a lot of components from Madoka’s original design, it simply looks like a more upgraded version of her original attire which I think is very fitting since Madoka is Homura’s priority. If she’s the one who made Madoka a magical girl in this world, she could be giving her a more idealistic experience with her in the center.

The only things I don’t like are the buttons and the bow that seems to be connected to her soul gem but in a way it also works. Homura is practical and so it makes sense to me that in Homura’s world, things would be more practical such the clothing having buttons and the soul gem being connected to the clothing rather than just on the skin. I love the symbolism of the lock and I do believe that her hair bows having a longer tail could represent her long hair in her goddess form.

I personally think it’s too busy but it’s very cute and very Madoka. I’d give it an 8/10

Also just talking about how she looks. Her face in the poster isn’t angry but it’s determined. Instead of taking Homura’s hand she’s pointing at her. I don’t think this means Madoka dislikes Homura and is now completely against her, but I’d say she’s condemning her actions.

Homura: The original Holy Quintet designs were almost perfectly symmetrical so seeing them be asymmetrical now does bother me, even if it is intentional 😅. One shoe having a bow on the back and the other not having one does annoy me more than I wish to admit. (So does the red ribbing only being one leg but not as much)

I love Homura’s sleeves and the detail on the back of the dress. The chunky heels also look good on her and do remind me of her original magical girl attire. I miss the socks she had in her original devil form.

I always thought her original devil form had some good components but could have looked better and I feel the same way about her new one. But I can appreciate it for what it is. 6/10

Also I do wanna say that I think the designs being asymmetrical is intentional given the imagery we have seen in Rebellion and the new trailers, mainly the half moon. Honestly, I never knew how much I loved symmetry until now lol.

Kyoko: Her design isn’t too different. In my analysis of the first trailer, my theory for this is that the girls’ outfits are based off of how Homura sees them because it appears that she’s the one making them into magical girls. Kyoko has always been the more reliable one to Homura and who she seems to work with best besides Madoka in some cases. So to me it makes sense that Kyoko’s outfit wouldn’t change if Homura seeks Kyoko for who she is.

I don’t like the slit on the chest but I think its purpose is to draw your eye to her soul gem which it does a good job of. The puffy sleeves are cute and add a fairytale element to Kyoko’s costume, slightly pulling it away from the original design being similar to a priest’s attire.

I love the braids in her hair that go into her ponytail. It’s a cute little addition along with the red stripe on her skirt. It’s small but it also changes the vibe for me. It makes me wonder if she’s going to be less spunky and more sporty in terms of her energetic-ness. Overall: 7.5/10

Mami: I really want to like her design more than I do 😅 She doesn’t have any ribbons in her new form so they had to change the way her shirt and corset look.

I like the top with the over shirt and undershirt. I personally think it looks cute. I’m not a big fan of the new corset though. It’s loose but stiff which makes it look clunky compared to how flowy her outfit is. Mami’s original corset being tighter accented the silhouette created by her shirt and skirt and added a fullness to her skirt.

It looks like she’s wearing high brown boots over her socks and I don’t like how they look just by the color. My biggest problem with Mami’s new outfit is that there are too many different shades of yellow and brown that feel like they’re all competing against each other. The amount of different colors is weird to look at when the original usually followed a pattern of having a main color, one or two accent colors, and then white. Her new outfit kind of follows those guidelines.

I’m glad they kept the way her gloves are, I like those. 4.5/10

Sayaka: Sayaka is my favorite character and I really wanted to like her design but some parts of it do throw me off. 😭

I’ll start with what I like: The bandage around her face looking like it forms the bow on her head is hella cool. I also believe that the sleeves and the gloves are supposed to be similar to a nurse’s scrubs but I could be wrong. Something that I think is interesting is that her stomach is less exposed and only shows a peek of her soulgem. Her belt and skirt are no longer slanted at an angle which I think could represent taking on a more responsible look and presence in the group. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.

I also think the diamonds on her chest plate and as buttons do look cool and could make her tied to Homura in someway since diamonds are a motif on Homura’s costume. 👀

Back at it again with the symmetry, I don’t like how she has a knee high sock on one leg and a bandage on the other. I think it fits the look for Sayaka being somewhat indisposed by Homura but I personally don’t like it. Her cape looks like it’s split into three sections which isn’t bad and can create a cool silhouette but it also looks a little strange to me. A similar problem I had with Mami, the different shades of blue. The blue of her arm sleeves and her gloves don’t compliment each other very much. 6.5/10

Nagisa: I think her design is just okay. It has a lot of cute components but it also feels really bare to me. It’s fancy compared to regular attire but too plain for magical girl attire. I personally don’t like how much of her midsection is shown, it kinda reminds me of winter clothing that isn’t meant for winter at all.

I like how her leggings and boots look, it’s a cute pair and the color of her skirt and shawl compliment the brown really well. The gloves are cute but I’m not a fan of the two puff ball tails it looks like are attached to her skirt. They’re just kind of there. I do like this design a little bit better than her original design. 4/10

Green girl: I’m a big fan of her hair color and style + The contrast it has to the dark green of her outfit. I love her gloves and the yellow ribbons on it. I also like her outerwear but I’m not too sure about the color of her inner shirt. It makes it look like a sweater which would add a clunky look to the layers. I like the look of the skirt and the socks too.

The form of the skirt does get me though. I think having it be a bubble skirt is cute but it looks too bulbous. It’d probably be easy to move around in but also a pain to fight in because it probably bumps into a lot of things. I’d want to see her design more clearly and close up so I’m just going to give it a 5/10 for now.

Patchwork Girl: I’m calling her this because of the sewing needles in her hair, red stitches holding her cloak shut, her skirt having a quilt-like pattern, and the string holders around her ankles.

Honestly her design looks like it would fit Magia Record more than the original series but I still like her design. Her cloak and her skirt have multiple colors but these colors are used more than once in both garments creating a reoccurring theme. The brown shirt or corset underneath her cloak is a nice neutral color along with her stockings. There’s a nice mix of bright and toned down colors so your eyes aren’t too overwhelmed. The red bow and stitches is an interesting choice and I do think there’s other colors that could have worked but the red works too. I’m not a big fan of the thread holders around her ankles.

I think her purple eyes do look a little out of place and could have been a mauve or dark pink color but it doesn’t ruin the look for me. I do think that the large sewing needles hanging off her pigtails are a bit excessive though. Maybe if they were smaller or they could have been replaced with the pincushion as a tiny hat. 7/10

Final thoughts + Mini theory: I’m excited for the next movie! Some of the main five’s designs are a little disappointing to me but I still think there’s a lot of love and creativity in each design so I’m still happy! Seeing the two new girls’ designs is neat too.

At the end of the new trailer we get this scene of Mami eating some sort of treat

It immediately felt very strange to me because it’s not very Mami for her to take a big cutesy bite like this. She’s still a teenager and certainly acts like one but she also acts very proper.

One theory I talked about in another post was that the reason why she doesn’t have ribbons in her new magical form could be that her wish is no longer to be “connected to life” which could mean that her parents are still alive and that her wish is something else. Another reinforcement for that theory is the gif above. If Mami’s parents were still alive there’s a chance she wasn’t rushed to grow up and is having more goofy moments as shown. Because her past was different, Mami could have a whole different demeanor.

But hey, that’s just a theory.

[justdeltarunethings]

Carol's Eleven

(Or, well, Carol's Three to Fiveish.)

Part 4

First | Previous | Next

Firstly, for anyone who's just gotten here, I'd like to direct you to the first post in this series in particular before starting this one. This is where that thought process, and that interpretation of the overall theme of Deltarune, hits its fullest stride.

tl;dr though, the key point is this:

Deltarune is not a game about a prophecy playing out. Deltarune is a game about a prophecy with gaps, about blank pages to be filled, and about the people who are trying to fill those pages with their own words.

Likewise, Part 3 of the theory is all about establishing one major, important point. Carol is not the Knight, but she IS working WITH The Knight, and may in fact be the shot-caller in The Knight's machinations.

So in order to understand what's really going on in Deltarune, we need to know what's going on with The Knight. Because as much as Carol may be head of the pack, The Knight is the most active member of, as one commenter called it, The Roaring Squad.

So first I'd like to lay out some things that I am going to consider Facts about The Knight. These are things that only take a bit of deduction, or things that characters directly say about its actions that, if we choose to ignore, harm our ability to trust any words that appear on screen. And while that can allow a whole lot more diverse theories, it's also (in my opinion) a very boring approach.

Basically, if I want to say that a character is outright lying or wrong, I want to come up with a compelling reason as to why they're lying or wrong. And in most cases, that reason simply either doesn't exist, or is only "Toby Fox is just trying to trick us." And I'll never accept that as a good enough reason.

If you wanna skip this part and hop to where I lay out what I think The Knight is doing, you can scroll down to the next BIG text, or ctrl-f and search the phrase "The Plan". I won't mind!

Bullet point time!

The Knight is a Lightner

Starting off pretty easy, The Knight can operate in both the Light and the Dark worlds. The only kink in this one is a Twitter Theory I saw recently that places The Knight as some reflection of Dess made entirely from the material of the Black Shard. There's really cool art, too.

Frankly this is the first real Dess Knight explanation that seems to have any grounding to me. I still don't buy it, but I REALLY like it and it's REALLY cool and if you're on Twitter you should go check it out and support that artist. He's also on Bluesky. But I couldn't see this theory posted there.

And honestly, even DessKnight theories like this one still place The Knight as a Lightner. Just a REALLY weird one.

The Knight created the Dark Fountains in the Abandoned Classroom and the Library Computer Room.

This is the litmus test for the aforementioned 'Toby Isn't Directly Lying To Us' bit. If we don't accept these two lines as factually accurate, then it makes it hard to know anything at all, since the only reason for either of these people to be referring to anyone other than the Roaring Knight we fight in chapter 3 is if the creators of the game are explicitly lying, on a meta level.

To double down on this, there's another example where a boss character talks about the Knight's actions in regards to their Dark World.

This is the same speech both King and Queen give, but there's a notable difference. Both previous bosses explicitly state that The Knight created their Dark Worlds. Tenna is actively choosing not to say that here, which signals to me that both King (and by extension Jevil) and Queen know the truth and are telling it.

The only other hiccup would be that the thing we see isn't ACTUALLY The Roaring Knight and the battle textbox is lying to us, either Kris purposely lying to protect the true Knight or the text box posting the party's assumption rather than the fact. But as with before, this feels like a dead end. There's room to work that into a different theory, particularly given the next point, but not one of mine.

Kris and The Knight are working together.

This one's not even really contentious from what I've seen. The evidence is overwhelming. Kris created the Dark World in chapter 3 after giving Tenna instructions, probably to buy time and listen to The Knight. Kris and The Knight hold back against each other in their fight, with Kris doing half damage to it until one of their friends goes down and The Knight not swooning Kris and de-prioritizing them (only targeting them when the other two are down) with the sword corridor attack, and then the shelter door opening after Susie leaves.

Then in Chapter 4, if the player manages to reach The Knight at the beginning, Kris just stands still until they get blown back. They hide The Knight's identity when we try to 'Think About The Knight' and The Knight's helmet almost comes off, and they refuse to open a door that it's likely hiding behind after closing the last Dark Fountain.

Not to mention preventing us from getting the shelter code in Dess's room, and calling Carol and the Knight (see Part 3) to rat us out about it.

So that places The Roaring Squad as, at the very least, Carol, The Knight, and Kris.

The Roaring Knight's primary goal is NOT to start The Roaring

Okay this one might be reaching a little bit to be considered a "fact", but multiple people have said this is it's underpinning goal and that just...isn't true. Lookin' at you, Game Theory. The only actual evidence for this is its summoning of a second dark fountain in the church's dark world (which I admit would be convincing if not for other evidence), and Ralsei's 'Talk' action in the Knight fight where he says "If the Roaring happens, then... then..."

Let's be clear about something. The Roaring, as Ralsei describes it to us, is not hard to make happen. If The Knight wanted to start a Roaring, it'd just do it. It wouldn't pose dramatically and wait for us to show up for a reveal. It'd have made the second fountain immediately. Or if you think it needs a cooldown, it woulda made one in Kris's house since it absolutely didn't make the first one. Or it would have just made one in the shelter at any time.

Whatever The Knight's doing, The Roaring is a tool in its kit, not its ultimate end goal.

Whoof that's a lot! I think that's a good enough basis for non-trivial facts for now. Finally, with this stuff established, we can start to figure out...

THE PLAN...

If you read part 1 of this theory, or even the key point I quoted at the beginning of this post, you can probably guess the general shape of this plan. Carol is attempting to mold the direction of the prophecy to her own ends, and she has recruited both Kris and The Knight into this effort.

Carol is organizing the creation of the dark worlds, taking active efforts to keep the prophecy on track. Even some of her stranger actions are guiding people into specific roles.

For example: Asgore. A lot of theories I've seen posit that Asgore is in on this entire plot, and is working with Carol, but I'd like to suggest an alternative. Carol is using Asgore. What do we know about their relationship?

Carol is bankrolling Asgore's flower shop in exchange for him working as her gardener. Asgore does like being a gardener, but he never wanted to sell flowers. It doesn't feel right to him. Asgore has some knowledge of the Dark World, but based on the conspiracy boards he's created he doesn't have a lot. One of those conspiracy boards is literally inside Carol's bedroom. Furthermore, no one believes Asgore about this, and yet Carol is apparently encouraging his obsession.

The end result of all of this is that Asgore can remain here in town, owns a flower shop he doesn't want, and his constant fixation on proving the Dark Worlds are real is keeping him and Toriel apart.

We know that the next part of the prophecy involves a "Flower Man", and that Gerson's adaptation of that part involves a "vast garden" that is "charred in an inferno of jealousy." The aspect of the jealousy in relation to a garden is likely within the prophecy itself.

People have had very strong guesses that the next chapter is likely going to be inside the Flower Shop, and I fully agree. But that's not going to be the case just because the prophecy says so. It says nothing about a flower shop. No, it's going to happen because Carol has set up every bit of the scenario to cast Asgore in her version of the prophecy.

She's likely even encouraging Asgore in his awkward efforts to get back with Toriel without fixing the fundamental issue. And she probably leaked that Black Shard to him recently herself, so that he'll ramp up his efforts at proving himself right...just on cue to take the stage.

And we already know she's cast Kris as The Cage. It's even possible that she set up Ralsei to be The Prince. Or, worse, Ralsei might be aware of Carol's plan, or at least a part of it. And of course, to round out her cast of heroes, she did everything she could to manipulate the scenario to cast The Girl...Noel—

...Wait a second.

...And How It's Going Wrong

Every single aspect of the Dark Worlds we've seen appear hand crafted to push Noelle into the role of The Girl. Not by fate. By Carol.

Chapter 1: Alphys mysteriously runs out of chalk overnight. Who would be the most likely person to volunteer to go get more? Noelle, of course. She did exactly that. And Kris would volunteer to buddy system with her, or just walk out because Alphys is a pushover.

Chapter 2: the Dark Fountain is basically created directly on Noelle's face. She just ends up coming out the other side thinking it was a dream because of Susie's interference.

Chapter 3: at the end of Chapter 1, Noelle was locked out of her house, again. She decides to go to Catti's, and likely does so again in Chapter 2, but if she went on Dark World adventures with Kris, she'd probably go to THEIR house instead...right where the next Dark Fountain was made. And yet, when they make the fountain anyway (Gotta keep the prophecy rolling, and the Lord of Screens was cast to be Tenna) it's Tenna's job to keep the party busy...and out of the way, while keeping Toriel unaware of the Dark Worlds.

Chapter 4: Susie is deeply concerned because the Church's Dark World could have trapped Toriel inside. ...Because Toriel would have been at choir practice. And so would NOELLE.

Chapter 5: That's right, Chapter 5, roll with me on this one we're getting a little meta. The quotes that playable characters have for equipping and using items on them in the overworld include Noelle quotes for pretty much every item from chapters 3 and 4. Originally, chapters 3, 4, and 5 were going to come out in one chunk. This suggests to me that we're getting Noelle back in the party in Chapter 5. But if Chapter 5 is going to be set in the flower shop, what's Noelle doing there? Carol is going to send her there.

Carol and The Knight have been trying their damndest to make sure Noelle becomes The Girl in the prophecy. But two unpredictable events have muddled that effort so far: the rain cancelling choir practice, and Alphys growing a spine out of absolutely nowhere.

The Roaring Squad was attempting to carry out their version of the prophecy, likely in an effort to make Noelle stronger as part of their ultimate goal. And this is why I think Ralsei is at least partially aware of the circumstances surrounding this plan. At least, that the casting call was for Noelle.

We know what it means to "Become Stronger" in the Tobyverse. It means separating yourself from your humanity, at least a little bit. It means caring less for the people around you. And we know for sure that Noelle is very susceptible to suggestion and manipulation.

In Chapters 1 and 2, Ralsei distracts us, the SOUL, by having us think about Susie. If we go along with it, when Susie rejoins the gang, Ralsei is saying something along the lines of "So that's why, Kris..." He was having a conversation with Kris. Explaining why he was doing something.

I would like to put forward the idea that he was explaining why he was propping Susie up as the hero. He knows the plan is for Noelle, but he also sees that plan as cruel towards her. Manipulative. And when Susie enters the Dark World, Ralsei takes the opportunity to save Noelle and play it off like they have no choice in the matter.

He has to justify it again in Chapter 2 because Noelle is literally right there. Across chapters 1 and 2, Kris seems upset at Ralsei. But by Chapter 3, Kris is treating Ralsei like an important friend, and by the end of Chapter 4 Kris is taking the prompt to tell Ralsei that it's okay not to smile as an opportunity to genuinely comfort him. We don't tell them to hug him, they do that themself.

Perhaps Ralsei's explanations stuck, or perhaps Kris is thankful that Ralsei has helped them grow close to Susie. Or maybe they're just moved by someone else who believes they're trapped in a situation they have no control over.

Either way, this is the wrench in Carol's plan. Even if they don't know it, even if Ralsei still thinks Noelle is eventually fated to become The Girl, even if Susie doesn't know all of the rules of the game she's playing, even if Kris is conflicted about what they're supposed to do, The Fun Gang has stumbled into an opposing role.

Carol may be trying to shape the prophecy to her own will, but in doing so she's created a group of people who are going to be doing the exact same thing. They're going to be putting every bit of themselves into changing this prophecy however they can. And THAT is the story of Deltarune.

Kris Hates The Plan

Before we wrap up for this part, we have to talk about Snowgrave.

If Deltarune is the uneven struggle between The Fun Gang and The Roaring Squad, then our two routes are where we get to make our choice. In the normal, Pacifist route, we are siding with Susie and Ralsei. And in the Snowgrave route, we're siding with Carol and The Knight.

If the major rift between the two sides starts with forcing Noelle into a 'strong' role, it's easy to see this distinction. Ralsei may have made a judgement call to try to avoid dragging Noelle into it, but through Snowgrave we, the SOUL, take the opportunity we can to make her "strong".

Noelle is getting truly stronger even in the normal route in a more subtle way, but we can make her stronger in a measurable way, so that she can still fulfill her role in the prophecy the way Carol intends.

Kris may be in on this plan, but it's clear they're divided on it. On the one hand, whatever promise Carol has over Kris is a powerful motivator. It's something they truly want, and so when we act against it they try to stop us. See the closet scene.

On the other, they genuinely and deeply care about Noelle, and following that plan would hurt her. And the Snowgrave route and Kris's reaction to it, and efforts to undo it once it starts, show which way they're truly leaning. But even then, even when they hate everything that they're being forced to do, either by Carol or by the SOUL, or both, they will still do it.

Because the plan does have a goal, and that's what we'll cover next time (After a short aside). The prophecy is a means to an end, and that end is written into the title of what will be one of the most iconic pieces of music in this series.

findher.ogg

Find her.

Find. Dess.

[nabi-unveiled]

Catching Up: Love for Love's Sake (Ep 8)

Other Reacts: Ep 1 Ep 2 Ep 3 Ep 4 Ep 5 Ep 6 Ep 7

(As a reminder, I have the tags blocked to try and prevent spoilers. Not that it matters after today since I'll remove those filters as soon as this post is made.)

I feel like I should use some kind of big announcer voice. "Now is the time. The episode we've been building up to for months. Was the clown car theory correct? Does it go crashing into the ocean instead? Let's find out."

In all seriousness, we left with Myungha falling into the void. Yeowoon hadn't been able to get there in time. And I'm still curious what exactly Myungha wrote with the magic eraser pen.

This episode picks up with Yeowoon yelling Sunbae! and then standing on the rooftop without knowing why he's there. Myungha has been "erased".

Interestingly, Yeowoon is hearing remnants of the past. They're surrounded by static as if the signal isn't there clearly.

That's got to be an unsettling feeling for Yeowoon.

He's definitely unsettled.

Sangwon asks Yeowoon if he's removed his cast already? Cast? That seems a bit extreme for a bloody knee. Either Yeowoon was more seriously injured than I thought, or it doesn't mean a cast of the type I'm thinking.

But the important part is that Yeowoon doesn't know how he got hurt. I really love that they're treating Myungha's deletion seriously. They're not overlooking how strange it would be to have a hole in your memories. If Myungha didn't exist, how did he get these friends? I love that it didn't try to retcon a different explanation into Yeowoon's mind and just left it as gaps.

I am loving this conversation between Yeowoon and Sangwon. It shows that Sangwon has gaps too, but it also shows that the frenemy relationship Yeowoon and Sangwon developed is real and genuine. It's there even if Myungha isn't.

That was an interesting lingering shot on the empty space.

Yeowoon is still hearing the remnants of his memories in his head when he goes to the nurse's office. There's no static this time though. Is it becoming clearer the more he thinks about it? Or is it just that certain memories left a stronger impression?

Because Yeowoon is definitely drowning in light here. I don't know that we can really call this a blinding light of love in this situation, but it certainly feels like it. Bathed in love to the point he's unable to see clearly. Alternatively, you could also say that he isn't existing clearly at this point. Because his love for Myungha was/is a huge part of him. If you remove it, what's left?

Another lingering shot on the room after Yeowoon leaves.

And the confirmation that we will be getting answers. I'm assuming answers to what has happened to Myungha and how he got here to begin with. But it could also be interpreted as "answers" to a problem. Or given the set-up to the game, it could be referencing the answers to the questions that Myungha completed.

I just know that I'm ready to see how this all gets resolved. I'm still counting on Yeowoon being the one to stumble on the solution.

Yeowoon is eating alone, but the static interferes and he sees a glimpse of Myungha telling him to eat up and the meal they had before. That's interesting. This time there's a visual. It's not just audio.

And Yeowoon who had started wearing mostly white and light colors is back in black. The black from when he was unhappy. The black that Myungha tends to wear as the brooder. He's not well.

They keep mentioning this competition.

The company rep asks about Myungha. I'm not sure how that works if Myungha has been deleted. But maybe that has to do with the affection levels and using it as the cost? Like there wasn't a strong affection level between the company rep and Myungha? But wouldn't that mean other people at school could remember him too.

Not going to stress about it. The important part is that this is yet another clue for our stressed out boy that something isn't right.

The memories are flooding back. He drops his groceries. I can't be sure, but I wonder if it's stuff related to Myungha and the meal(s) they had together.

Yeowoon starts desperately calling others to see who else remembers Myungha. It's interesting that Si-a is the first one he calls. I really do love their friendship too. And...he's running.

But none of the scooby doo gang remembers Myungha.

Yeowoon runs to halmeoni. I am loving how all of the other relationships are still there. But halmeoni doesn't remember either. Unlike the scooby doo gang though, she looks like she's struggling to remember. Like it triggers something for her.

Yeowoon asks to go inside. The steady drumbeat of this music reminds me of a heartbeat, but it's also stressing me out.

The magic eraser pen is still there. And although the room has been stripped clean, the globe and Eiffel tower are still there too.

This world is still here. The love is still here. And the magic to change things...is still here. I believe in you Yeowoon. You can fix it.

Yeowoon starts to see the missions and memories. He sees that Myungha has been deleted. Oof. That's got to be a lot to process.

Yeowoon wishes there was something he could do and the pen starts glowing. He sees the same prompt that Myungha did. He can change the characteristics but will be charged with affection.

No butterflies on the paper this time. Considering that this seems like the perfect time to be talking about metamorphosis, migration, new beginnings, etc. -> it is interesting to me that they are not here. But maybe because the butterfly really wasn't part of Yeowoon's story. It's Myungha's.

We can see Myungha's choice. I'm assuming Yeowoon saw it too.

LMAO. The one thing I said it couldn't be. Because deleting him wouldn't make Yeowoon happy.

UNLESS....that's the reason that Yeowoon can still remember Myungha. That's the reason Yeowoon can access the pen. The deletion was necessary to stabilize the server, but the pen allows Yeowoon to do something so that he can reach for happiness. Actually, I kind of like that. It reinforces that theme that we have to choose our own happiness.

a;sldkfj;alsdkfj I finally gave in and did a subtle keysmash. Yeowoon sobbing and trying to figure things out is going to break me I swear.

"Changes have been made"

Did Yeowoon write something?

Oooh...the mission has been changed.

We've cut back to Myungha's original world with everyone wishing on a shooting star. I'm loving the color overlay here even if I'm not 100% sure how I want to interpret it. But yikes. He actually made the wish to disappear. In terms of wording, I'm glad that they added the "from this world". That lends itself to the word choices matter idea.

Music is definitely sad. We see that Grandma is dead in this world and the break up scene again. Hold up...was Myungha dating a parallel version of the company rep?

I'm not confident whether this is the same actress or not. We never get a good clear front shot of her face in Myungha's original world, and I'm not great at distinguishing people by profiles. I'm really still just grasping at straws about why company rep remembered Myungha.

Important part is that girlfriend made the cutting blow of telling Myungha that he didn't know how to love someone. We cut to him holding a cup while wearing a bracelet I don't recognize. Has he wore that all along? I feel like I would remember it.

Gotta be honest. I feel like I'm accumulating more questions than answers at this point.

Myungha had went to see his mom. Only to be met with the brutal reality that not only did his mom really not want him, but also that it was specific to him. She does have another child that she claims. She denies any connection to him.

I really love how this is shot with the mom/younger son in the light. Myungha out in the darkness staring in through the window. Bars in his way, but nothing dividing the mom from hugging her younger son. It really is a great demonstration of how Myungha is seeing his situation. He's in the dark. He can't reach people, and no one wants to hug him. The dude has taken a lot of hits.

I also love this shot. Myungha seems tiny and insignificant. And this isn't a self-sacrifice for someone else. This is him deciding that he's not worth fighting for. As I said in an earlier episode, suicide is a tricky beast. There are so many layers to unfold. In many ways, it's a crisis. One that if you can get through, many people can overcome. It's not always the case. I know that well. But there's reason to hope.

Damn. He really just walked straight into the water. My clown car was correct, but there is no joy in that. Just like there's a beautiful place on my grandparents' property that no longer brings me joy either.

In suicide literature/statistics, this is more common than people often realize.

"I regretted it all." There is multiple ways to take that statement actually. I'll be honest that I'm compartmentalizing though. Otherwise I'd be a sobbing wreck.

The music is beautiful.

We're back in the dark place with reflections, but this time we can clearly see Myungha's feet. He's in his school uniform so this is after the video game world collapsed.

After spending time in the alternate world, he's grounded. He's connected. There are still two versions of him though...the physical and the spiritual perhaps?

Senior thought that this was a chance to learn to love himself. He thought Myungha could be happy. This message is so beautifully crafted. 😭

😭😭😭

Ugly sobbing it is. I do love that we still have the water sound effect.

Yeowoon changed the mission to make Myungha happy! What's the price of that change? Is there accumulated affection if Myungha is no longer in the world? Sorry, getting bogged down by details.

Learning to rely on others has been a consistent message throughout the show that Myungha has had a hard time absorbing. It's now or never.

"This time, you must be happy."

Good question. Doubt we'll get that answer.

Myungha wakes up crying as if it was all a dream. He's back in his room.

"I hope that world brings you hope." It seems the messages were from senior after all.

The error has been fixed. Things are being synced.

Yeowoon says he is at the cinema. I guess our Little Prince quote about waiting is coming into play.

Hmm. Something's still off. I guess things aren't synced completely yet. They can call each other, but they can't see each other. I swear that Yeowoon's voice makes me want to cry again. He's desperate.

Myungha asks "What date is it?".

Yeowoon says it's Aug 12th. The competition is happening on the 14th.

So the clocks in episode 7 were meaningful. They're on different days, and they'll have to sync up at the competition.

Ohhh. Myungha is on the day of the competition already. His side of the movies says Aug 14th. I'm trying not to get lost in the details like the Hello Kitty decoration or Frozen puzzle.

Of note though, Myungha's side has a different movie poster than we've seen before. I technically can't translate the phrases on it, but I know that movie. Astronaut stranded in space and they're trying to bring him back to Earth. That feels very apt that it's on Myungha's side. This has been a rescue mission of sorts to bring Myungha back into this world.

The most important thing is that they are definitely divided by time. This is the Little Prince quote. Knowing they'll see each other in the future and anticipating meeting each other.

Myungha tells Yeowoon to not search in the wrong places. In one of the more direct ways that Myungha has expressed his feelings, he says "I miss you."

And the barrier is now gone, but the screens have all changed. Time remaining: 3 hours, 23 minutes, 14 seconds. Wait? Why are we counting down. Is this the time until they reconnect? Or is this like the more ominous timers we've had before. If the latter, we better hope wherever this race is isn't far away.

Apparently it's at least a bus ride. Oh...it's by the sea isn't it. Was this the same town as their date? I don't remember.

Engine trouble. But Myungha doesn't have time to wait.

He's running. On a bridge. This really feels like he's trying to cross over from one world (where he's dead) to this one.

Yeowoon is running too. This feels like a retry of the roof scene when the world was collapsing. A second chance for Yeowoon to get there in time. You know he will.

But I also love that this feels like a subtle dig at Sangwon. Sangwon asks where are you going, and Yeowoon basically says to find my favorite person who is NOT you.

I love how the running has been a constant thread throughout the show, and we're here again. Basically Yeowoon having trained his whole life for this moment. In episode 1, Myungha was racing to save Yeowoon. Here, they are BOTH racing to saving Myungha. I find the "both" pretty important as it emphasizes again that Myungha is having to actively make the choice to live.

Them slowing down near the end stressed me out ngl. I was yelling. "DON'T SLOW DOWN." Better to plow into each other than miss the window.

We are shown another glimpse of Myungha's original world.

"Someone who would be by my side and worry about me. Someone who would give me a chance even when I am in despair or meet with failure." The beauty of this being that he was that person for Yeowoon. And Yeowoon is now being that person for him. I might keyboard smash again. This is beautiful.

The interface shows again - "What is necessary for a happy life?" The answer still hasn't been filled in.

But then it cuts to...

There's our answer. I love that the light is consuming them. Epic blinding light of love moment.

"I got you." 🥹🥹🥹

OMG. That's a great line in this situation. It conveys so much. Yeowoon made it in time. He's literally got his hand and embrace. But moreover -> Yeowoon is able to support Myungha. Myungha can count on and rely on him. And even just the simple fact that they have each other in their lives. That they belong to/with each other.

"I got you this time." That means Yeowoon remembered not getting to him on the rooftop. 😭Yeowoon leans in for a kiss, but then Myungha leans in himself. This is such a great kiss scene. The smiles are killing me.

In his original world, Myungha had been alone, looking small against a dark sea. But he's now with Yeowoon and bathed in light. I can breathe again.

"Would you like to head to the ending?"

Oooh...bonus scene? Maybe not, but I do love this framing with the way it almost looks like a heart shape between them filled with light.

"Do you want an ending reward?" That's an easy choice. YES.

We see Myungha helping his grandma. He said he's going to the beach. Aww, are they finally going to get their beach date?

We have ICE CREAM! The ice cream is back.

Aww friend date! Everyone playing together. Love it. The whole crew is here. In terms of color symbolism, I love that Yeowoon is blue and Myungha is pink here. Yeowoon dedicated and loyal to Myungha. Myungha utterly smitten by Yeowoon.

"Our days are filled with unquestionable happiness."

💖My heart is full of joy.

[bokettochild]

Opera house au thoughts plsssssssssssssss

Oh boy, I keep forgetting what I have shared and what I haven't! So apologies if this is redundant or repeats things I've stated before!

Warriors is not a social media kinda guy. he hams it up for the camera when it comes to work, but his private life is just that- private. The only social media he has is set so that only his family and close friends can see it (although he does have professional accounts as well, since all actors need to), and he's completely different irl than he is in front of a camera

Time's influence on Legend is subtle, but it's there. Only Twi and and Time know, but Legend is actually in a garage band on the side with his buddies Ballad and Myth (there was a weird naming trend a couple decades ago). Time is exceedingly proud but refuses to let it on to anyone except Twi, who just thinks it's funny that he'd bother

Dusk probably will end up having to face off against her parents eventually, but I think Twilight by that point is just barely holding himself back from going off at them, at least until she gets her chance, because he has words on Legend and his lost twin (Fable) Raven, and Dusk's behalves, but believes Dusk should get first dibs (she's too polite for her own good though and tries to keep it civil, so he does most of the yelling in the end)

Wars lives in a less than ideal part of town, which unfortunately means that if shit is going down and someone needs help, they usually end up crashing at his place. legend has ended up there a few times after going out with Lullaby/Sheik, and while Wars has questions, he never asks. He's the guy who always has an open door and a couch you can crash on, as long as you mind your own business in his home and respect his cousins

Fable and Wild have mutual crushes on each other but have no idea the other likes them, as Fable thinks Wild is sweet on Flora and Wild thinks she might have a thing for Legend or something

Legend reminds Fable of her dad for reasons she can't really name, it bugs her a lot, especially when she could swear she hears him humming songs Raven wrote, only when she listens really close, he's already stopped and there's no way of knowing

Hyrule's pretty good at memorizing stuff, and eventually, he and Legend start learning whole plays together, reciting them back and forth while doing prop prep and such. Sometimes someone will come to them and ask them to run a scene with them, and the two will play every part except the asker's in order to help them prep. This is what convinces everyone they need to get Hyrule on stage.

Legend's got something of a reputation in the acting community, albeit a weird one. Fans of the opera know him by face and sometimes by voice, but his name is unknown. There are theory boards. Hyrule accidentally joined one and spends a lot of time wondering what would happen if he told the others there the truth about their idol, or really anything about him. they don't even know if he's a guy or a girl, and when Hyrule posts anything about his time at the Opera, it tends to make them go crazy (he gets a kick out of messing with them)

Never carpool with Twilight, you think you're getting the sweet country boy, but it turns out he drives Time to work when Malon can't, and that man is scary. It's not worth it, walking is better. (Nevermind that Twi drives like a redneck)

Sun, Sky, Twilight and Legend go out for "family dinners" to a 50s style diner on the edge of town. it showed up in Mother's Day, and also in A Chance to Hold You Again, but I want to confirm that that is Their Spot. Dusk has no clue how much it matters to them, or the significance of Legend asking her to go there with him. He knows this and it's the only reason he had the guts to do it.

First sometimes flies in to check on the Opera, usually once a year, and sometimes Hylia tags along. The kids love them. They are the only people, everyone is convinced, who Time is afraid of. Everyone swears Time freezes on the spot if First is talking to him, and they're not sure if it's hero worship or something else (First doesn't like him, he won't explain why, not even to Hylia)

Hylia likes to play doting rich lady. Think Madame from the Aristocats; she's utterly adoring to all the kids and has a fondness for all the ladies as well. Sky and Time both don't like her, mostly because of the wealth flaunting/power plays they think she's employing.

Twilight spends his days off volunteering at an animal shelter that specializes in cats. If one of the strays/Impa's cats from around his apartment is having issues/has kittens, that's where he takes them.

Four is severely allergic to cats and as such refuses to let Twilight into the sound booth ever, because it doesn't matter how much that man showers, he's always got cat hair on him and Four refuses to deal with a sneezing fit while running sound/lights

That's all I got for now, sorry!

[leilousblog]

Sooo… what do we think about the infamous necklace situation ? 🦇

It will most definitely appears at some point in the next book. My theories :

• Clotho doesn’t give the necklace to Gwyn or anyone. She senses Azriel’s sorrow and hesitation (because let’s be real, he was emotionally disturbed). The necklace sits in the library, untouched. ( I mean… it is never mentionner, even though we see gwyn in scenes set after the bonus chapter. That’s suspicious.) Eventually, Azriel might quietly take it back… probably after a moment he and Elain finally sort it out.

• Gwyn wears the necklace at a gathering or in scene ( maybe a meeting about Koschei or something), and Elain sees it. Gwyn walks in, necklace shining. Elain freezes. She knows that necklace. She probably flees the room, heartbroken. Azriel sees her reaction. He goes after her.

• Nesta finds out. Either Gwyn tells her the necklace must’ve come from Azriel… or Nesta notices it herself. She’s no fool, she’ll instantly link the rose to Elain and how Azriel acts around her ( “his secrets to tell, never hers”)
Nesta will confront him. And she’ll be really straightforward about it.

• Gwyn puts the pieces together. She’ll sense something off : the sudden gift, the fact that there’s no clear link between a rose necklace and her, the vibes between Elain and Azriel. 
Eventually, she’ll ask Azriel directly. And she’ll give it back.

• OR… it’s never addressed again.
(But honestly? That would be so weird. The bonus scene was too intentional.)

Let me know your theory ! I can’t wait for the book to come out to see what it will be.

[randinium]

So Jax is gonna make Ragatha abstract or something, right? Cause Goose said he's gonna do something really bad and that only the strong Jax stans will survive.

More in depth theory below

I've been knocking around possibilities for what he could do that would be bad enough to lose fans over. Killing an NPC wouldn't be anything, even if it's someone we love like Gummi Goo. In fact none of his usual Adventure shenanigans could deter this fan base in any way. It would have to hurt the other humans in the circus. (Just FYI, there's no way he's an NPC, I've never believed that for a second and I wanna go on record by saying that).

The potential victims of abstraction are Ragatha, Gangle, and Caine (if you'll bear with be). Jax could push Ragatha or Gangle to the breaking point and make them go insane, whether on purpose or not. Caine is a little different. I think the one to make Caine snap is Zooble, but Jax could theoretically have a hand in it. Also if Caine goes the whole circus goes with him so it'll really be a big problem.

Personally I don't think Jax's "bad thing" has anything to do with Caine. It's just not thematically appropriate.

So here's my prediction. I think Jax'll push Gangle to the limit, (because let's be real, let's think from a writer's perspective, what else could she possibly do in this story? Go home? Save the day?) Gangle's abstraction will set off a chain reaction, that Jax will continue to instigate, eventually leading to Ragatha's abstraction as well. Gangle's abstraction would also greatly effect Zooble, as they are dating besties. And if Zooble is also starting to lose it and definitely lashing out at Jax for it, Caine may try to intervene (or just exist in the same room), causing Zooble to lash out at him as well.

So now everyone is freaking out and losing it. Caine is pissed at Zooble, Zooble is pissed at Jax and Caine, Jax is trying to defend himself or run away or anything besides helping, Ragatha can't make things better, which she blames Jax for, and that drives her to abstraction as well. Kinger and Pomni are there too.

Idk, I just think Jax would have to kill multiple people to get his fans to actually hate him.

Me though? I've been impartial to the bitch since day one. I found ep5 extremely interesting, and I liked playing with his and Pomni's relationship, but I'm more interested in watching him get worse. (:

[cleolinda]

Weekend links, July 13, 2025

My posts

The sixth video/writeup for Silent Hill 2 is up! FINALLY, YES. It is full of especially ridiculous theories, including one that hinges on plant identification. 

Meanwhile, I am now all the way through 50 episodes of the The Magnus Archives, as part of my Actually Getting Into Things I Always Meant to Get Into initiative. It took me a minute to realize that if an early episode or two seemed to... not stand on its own as a horror story, let's say, it's because we'd be returning to that with some Lore and, indeed, some Overarching Plot. My primary takeaway at this point is that 1) shit is fucked and 2) Martin is in love with Jon. I have zero theories, as a treat. 

Meanwhile-meanwhile, I have not yet started Dragon Age: Inquisition, because I'm so intimidated by what that's... like, even. Remember: this will be only my second video game. I have been watching videos on what the character creator is like, and I texted @tamaro606 "girl help there are NINE SLIDERS for your nose alone." Presumably I will someday understand this post.

Reblogs of interest

Time's 100 most influential creators that Tumblr has never heard of (I've heard of 10 and like 8 of them) 

A deeply fascinating "modern-day Appalachia" production of Romeo & Juliet

Oh hey Krafton's screwing the Subnautica 2 team out of $250 million

"I’m about to save you thousands of dollars in therapy by teaching you what I learned paying thousands of dollars for therapy"

You Feel Like Shit: An Interactive Self-Care Guide

Informally, the “DID I KILL THIS HOUSEPLANT?” guide

Can confirm, Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility shooting diary is amazing 

Also can confirm that The Lion in Winter is one of the movies of all time. You know how there's kind of a genre of "film adaptations of plays that are just wall-to-wall dialogue shenanigans"? Like, imagine The Women, but it's a royal family in 1192, and also it's somehow Anthony Hopkins' and Timothy Dalton's first film roles. It's that kind of movie. 

I will always reblog Calming Cat.

"You are not sad because you do not have a muffin wrapper, my beautiful boy, you are sad because you want the muffin wrapper."

“Is the writing bad or are you just trying to order a milkshake from a Home Depot”

"i am some sort of fey creature and my cat is the human who i have arbitrarily decided is my favorite human."

The furred perfume She Is Cat: "Chewbacca's baby girl: Chewblanca"

"Boney McClyde does the last of the autumn chores, even though he’d rather rest"

Midnight Pals: "john, everyone’s a for real skeleton"

The patron saint of AO3

Yeah, yeah, the time knife

Okay, legitimately though, I keep thinking about watching Revolutionary Girl Utena, and now I learn that it's free on YouTube

"The tortoise and the hare have worked out their differences and are now sharing an apartment"

Video

Manul Monday: Bol and Polly

Another one of those "at no point did I know what would happen next" videos

I love birds and I love little cardinal couples

Chicken

The sacred texts

"She breasted boobily to the stairs, and titted downwards"

Personal tags of the week

Fashion, especially this Robert Wun with the extra arms; as a bonus, pixel art, which I really ought to start looking for.  

[shardofpetrichor]

i have a theory that the man in the wall was not created by Albrecht, like he seems to think (Entrati isn't a very reliable narrator anyways), and that, more in line with what Pallandino told us Rell thought, the Indifference is actually "as old as the stars" and existed in a similar way to how he does now for almost forever. I also have a theory that, at least at one point and based on Warframe's conventions for naming nodes, enemy types, and characters (especially the Sentients' unit types) after ancient mythology, that there has been at least one whole pantheon of other gods/deity-level beings. The chat with Eleanor, i think it's maybe even this one, that has her saying something theorizing that Wally maybe even /is/ on of the ancient gods that Lettie has talked about before just gives me more to confirmation to believe I might be close to right.

But clearly, if there were any gods or pantheons of gods in the Origin System, they aren't anywhere to be found right now. We've only encountered Wally, and his attention has mostly just been on the here because Albrecht stole his finger(s), and because the Zariman crew (particularly us kids) fascinated him. Where did they all go? They would have had to have been there at some point else there wouldn't be any reasons for Eleanor and Lettie to talk about mythology regarding them, though arguably since cultures will probably develop mythology and religious beliefs either way no matter if they find something factual to base it off or not). Is this a Stargate sort of situation? Are there aliens connected to this actually, and Wally is just someone from some other time and place who happened to connect to the Void before anyone else, and has great power over it? Did all these gods just leave at one point after passing through? Thinking about it in the context of this post, with Wally apparently wanting to snuff out other "lights", outside of whatever this "Glory" he himself has; (as the secret lore bits we've found in Isleweaver call it, at least for the Minerva-related one) I am starting to be concerned that Wally might both a) exist in or even be imprisoned within the Void and b) is the only deific being we've encountered like him because at some point, he killed may most or all of the others... Obviously I'm speculating on a lot of this, but since Tau has been something the community has known about and that we've been building towards for a long while, and we know that the writers at least have some level of plan ahead of time (enough that we've been told by DE that The New War was just "the end of the prologue"), Tau isn't going to be the ultimate end of a lot of the plot lines here. And if you line the Operator's and Drifter's stories so far up with any kind of act-based structure, we're really only in Act 1, and still yet to cross the point of entering the wider story-world... not to mention the star chart has always been called the star chart, despite only having Sol on it, if you know what I mean?

So... I was looking up Void Tongue for a completely different reason and I'm getting pulled into some kind of conspiracy theory here

Murum Vull Lyrics (With translation, they're on Bandcamp)

UUBOK! RIS RA KARIS! MAHK RE-UN! (eternal service! Light out of darkness! Behold us!) SHOTARAT? VA-GITH-ULLAH SHOTARAT? (The master? Has the master returned?) GITHLI, MIG. OTH RIS-HU. (Welcome, newcomer. We give freely of our many lights.) SHOTARAT! UUBOK! (The master! eternal service!) VA-GITH-ULLAH SHOTARAT? (Has the master returned?) GITHLI, MIG. MAHK RE-UN (Welcome, newcomer. Behold us!) RIS RA KARIS! SHOTARAT! (Light out of darkness! The master!)

--

---

Chat with Eleanor

It felt my light fading, and I swear, a tiny tremor of satisfaction went through it. As if it was pleased to have crushed me. A flea under its fingernail.

---

---

So

What's up with the lights