#i have some thoughts on this specific thing but i’ve seen quite a number of people hold a differing idea and i’m just wondering if

[vinocean22]

20 Things Spanking Fetishists Have in Common

Sweet Tea

Spankos are soulmates. The fetish hardwires our hearts and minds in remarkably consistent ways that aren’t usually apparent to others, so it’s always a bit magical when we chat. “Holy shit, you get me.” I still find it shocking how much we have in common. Can you relate to this list?

1. We’ve been like this for a very long time.

“I’m a lifelong spanko.” This is common in our community and not all that surprising, as most fetishes are formed during childhood. The vast majority of spankos I’ve met have either been this way for as long as they can remember, or can pinpoint a specific age in childhood when they became preoccupied with thoughts of the act. I can’t personally remember any point in my life when spanking didn’t fascinate me and captivate my attention.

2. It’s not a choice.

For many people, spanking is a kink. They enjoy it and find it sexy, but don’t necessarily consider it a requirement for a good time. For those with the fetish, however, spanking is a need rather than an option. Some of us can appreciate and enjoy other BDSM-related activities like bondage or wax play or needles, but spanking is central to our sexuality. This thing lies at the core of our soul and we couldn’t get rid of it if we tried.

We looked up the word ‘spanking’ in the dictionary as kids, not once but multiple times. This also applied to related words like ‘paddle’, ‘switch’, ‘flog’, ‘discipline’, or ‘punish’. We knew their meanings, of course, but the act of reading the definitions was exciting—arousing, even—though we may have been too young to conceptualize the feeling as sexual. If we studied a foreign language, we sat in class and wondered in the back of our minds, “But what’s the word for ‘spanking’?”

(Is this common with other fetishes? Did foot fetishists look up the words ‘foot’, ‘high heel’, ‘stocking’, etc. at the library, bashfully looking around to make sure no one else would notice? I wonder…)

4. We have, uhhh, ‘issues’ with being around it.

Non-spankos can talk about spanking like it’s nothing, but that’s not the case for people with a fetish for it. We may turn bright red when the topic comes up in conversation or feel the need to leave the room when spankings happen in movies or TV shows. For some, this is because the idea triggers intense arousal, even more so than if straight-up intercourse were playing onscreen. For others, it’s simply too intimate and embarrassing to think about unless we’re by ourselves or discussing it in the context of a sexual encounter. When I was a kid and friends publicly proclaimed, “My mom spanked me yesterday!” I felt absolutely mortified. “How can anyone talk about THAT so casually?”

5. We think about it a looooooot.

Some researcher folks have claimed we all think about sex an average of 18-35 times a day. The fetishists I know think about spanking at least this often if not more, frequently daydreaming about the smacking of butts. A fetish is, by definition, a meticulous obsession. We live and breathe it, and never run out of things to say when chatting with other spankos. We want to meet people like us and TALK about it in detail, even if we never end up playing together. It’s our favorite means of connection.

6. Our fetish has caused us hardship.

“Do you feel like your fetish is a curse?” I’ve seen this asked quite a bit on spanko forums. Most of us had to navigate a number of challenges while growing up with this thing. We felt shame, embarrassment, and isolation after realizing how different we were, and may have worried we were crazy. Our relationships with non-spankos have likely been riddled with intimacy problems because we can’t relate to each other sexually. No matter how kinky or open-minded our partners are, they’re unlikely to understand us unless they have the fetish too. As a result, many spankos become pickier over time, ultimately refusing to date those outside of their orientation. “I’d rather be single than with someone I can’t share this with.” Until we find our people, it’s a lonely world.

7. Spanking takes priority over sex.

Every spanko I’ve ever met has put spanking at the forefront of the itinerary. It’s satisfying in its own right for a lot of folks, whether or not other sexy stuff occurs before or afterward. Some spankos identify as asexual, eschewing intercourse entirely because it doesn’t interest them in the same way discipline does. Others are extremely sexual people who focus on spanking as the main course or frequently indulge as an extended form of foreplay. This is an example of why we might experience difficulty finding balance with non-spanko partners. By the time they’re ready to move onto something else, we’re just getting in the zone.

8. It’s on our mind when we orgasm.

One of the first times I had sex with another spanko, I was blown away by the level of telepathy between us. I closed my eyes and fantasized as he licked my clit. He suddenly paused and smiled. “You’re thinking about having your pants pulled down, aren’t you?” I mean fuck, of course I was, but how did he know?! With a bit more experience in the community, I realized many if not all spankos think about it while they’re getting off. The moment thoughts of discipline enter my mind I’m aroused, but I cool off just as quickly if my focus is drawn elsewhere. If I didn’t think about spanking, I’m not sure I’d ever climax.

9. Most of us have tried switching at least once.

Some spankos like to give and receive in equal share, but many have a preference toward being spanker or spankee. I’ve noticed, though, that even the most stubborn of us who proclaim, “I don’t switch!” have tried a taste of the other side out of curiosity at some point. It makes sense to want to learn all angles of the equation. I’m in favor of the idea that everyone benefits from switching. Understanding what our partners experience makes us all better lovers.

10. We want spankings to feel as ‘real’ as possible.

Often, spankees want to cry. We want to be held down and ‘made’ to take it until our spanker is done, no matter what we say or do. This makes the experience feel more real, as if we’re truly being punished by an authority figure and have no choice in the matter. Once trust has been established, some spankees will afford their partners blanket consent and opt not to use safewords. (I don’t recommend this route with anyone you wouldn’t trust with your life. There are oodles of legitimately fucked up people out there masking their abusive tendencies as BDSM. Vet your spankers well, ladies and gents.) This all exists to enhance the pleasure of the fantasy, but isn’t an invitation to violate limits. We want our spankers to be perceptive, taking us just far enough to inspire tears and provide release, but not so far as to genuinely break or traumatize us. Finding this balance is an art form that requires empathy, intelligence, communication, and skill.

11. We all have our preferences.

What implements do you like? What are your favorite positions? What kinds of spankings are your favorite to give? Bruises or no bruises? How long do you like to go for? What kinds of behavior would earn a spanking from you? These are the sexy deets we discuss when we chat, and our answers say a lot about our personalities. It’s rare for a spanko not to have feelings about such things. More often than not, we have specific reasons for liking what we like.

12. We enjoy associated activities.

To state the obvious: spankos love butts. LOOOOOOOOVE them. Naturally, we tend to enjoy other ass-focused activities in conjunction with spanking, like anal play, doggy-style sex, enemas, thermometers, and between-the-cheeks ‘inspections’. Many of us also dig other punishment-related activities traditionally associated with spanking, like corner time or writing lines. “I will not behave like such a sassy little brat. I will not behave like such a sassy little brat…”

13. For us, spanking is its own category.

I’ve noticed a desire in the spanko community to distinguish what we like from the greater umbrella of BDSM. Clearly, spanking incorporates elements of discipline, D/s, and sadomasochism. However, what most of us mean when we mention our fetish is far more specific. We’re not talking whips, dungeons, or shibari. We’re talking traditional, domestic bare-bottom OTK punishment with hands, paddles, belts, wooden spoons, bath brushes, and other goodies found in the home. It’s a comforting, parental, for-your-own-good type of vibe wherein we call our partners Mommy, Daddy, or other titles that convey nurturing familiarity. Very different than, say, having a cold ‘master-slave’ dynamic in a relationship, which tends to be a bit too much for our taste.

14. We love every stage of the process.

A non-spanko might solely imagine the physical slapping of cheeks when we refer to our love of spanking, but that's not the long and short of the matter. Spankos adore the entire arc of the narrative. The misbehavior that led to the spanking. The threats and anticipation. Getting into position. The warm-up and removal of each layer of clothing, all the way until the spankee’s bottom is bared. The swats, first with hands, then a variety of implements. The communication surrounding lecturing and admonishment. The catharsis of tears. The slow tenderness and beauty of aftercare. The closeness the ritual inspires. The intimate drama of this entire process is deeply satisfying.

15. We distinguish between different kinds of spankings.

What is the purpose of the spanking being given? Punishment? Maintenance? Stress relief? Eroticism? This detail is important to us, for it influences the style in which the spanker spanks. Sexual spankings often involve caressing of nether-regions and start off somewhat softly, building in strength at a comfortable pace throughout a drawn-out warm-up period. Punishment spankings embody an entirely different space. They are meant to be intense, painful, and challenging to endure.

16. We watch a lot of the same porn.

My closest spanko friends and I send each other links to videos every so often. “Have you seen this one?” A lot of the time the answer is yes, for we’re drawn to the same spankers, spankees, and couples who create our favorite content. Spanking vids with a glitzier, more porny atmosphere tend to be lower on the ladder than amateur, traditionally domestic ones. Again, we want it all to feel as real as possible. The “we shot this at home while punishing actual misbehavior” setup provides more satisfaction.

17. We don’t usually watch our porn with non-spankos.

Back when I used to date vanilla and guys would ask, “What kind of porn do you watch?” I would lie and pretend porn wasn’t my thing. This is because I knew that what I watch would likely bore them. A clip with fifteen straight minutes of nothing but spanking, sans sex, would likely make a lot of people’s eyes roll back into their sockets. “So monotonous!” Once I started dating spankos, however, I found much joy in sharing, knowing we could relish each and every moment together.

18. We all want a house out in the boonies.

Ask a spanko about their goals for the future and many will answer, “I want to buy land.” This is because our activity of choice is LOUD and has the potential to disturb nearby neighbors. Nothing ruins a good time like a visit from the fuzz. The begging, screaming, and crying… they are cleansing to our souls and we wish to do them freely. It’s countryside living for us, boy howdy.

19. We’re very romantic people.

It comes as no surprise that many spankos are traditionalists. We often relish old-timey acts of devotion like marriage, opening doors, buying flowers, and cooking for our partners. Many are monogamous and like to wait to have sex until deep bonds of commitment are set in stone. Spanking is an extension of this attitude toward intimacy. We’re so deeply devoted to our partners that we refuse to turn our backs on their misbehavior, laziness, procrastination, or feelings of guilt. Instead we stay, face them, and do what must be done to help them deal with their problems, following up with plenty of aftercare involving sweetness and reassurance. Squeeee.

20. We speak the same love language.

For partners with a consensual domestic discipline dynamic, spanking is an act of love. It’s an intimate ritual centering on a potent giving and receiving of attention. A means of setting aside time to converse and communicate about the challenges of relationships and everyday affairs. A tool for strengthening the bond and balancing the energy between spanker and spankee. A way of helping one another feel “right” and “natural” in a world that so often feels like it’s tumbling off its axis. In nonconsensual or manipulative contexts, spanking is abuse. Between those of us who crave it from one other, it’s the highest form of affection.

Granted, these are solely my thoughts based on my own observations and experiences.

Anything to add, spankos?

Reach out, I'd love to hear you : https://www.the-rose-moon.com/post/20-things-spanking-fetishists-have-in-common

[sunbunnyyy]

hey mdzs friends i have a question for you

if you believe he DID capture them, and are able to, could you please point me to any supporting information from the novel, specifically?

a reblog for sample size would be appreciated!

[cameronspecial]

https://www.tumblr.com/cameronspecial/730937552404627456/let-me-protect-you-angel

can you tell use more about rafe’s rules for the reader, pls and thank you lol 👀

— @cantstoptheimagines

Let Me Save You, Angel

Pairing: Frat!Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings:  Swearing, Uncomfortable Because of A Pervy Misogynist

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 1.2K

A/N: This is a continuation of Let Me Protect You, Angel.

Masterlist

Some of Y/N’s favourite rules for being Rafe’s girlfriend are the ones that show her that he cares. She didn’t need to look at the napkin anymore to remember which rule was which number because she had them all memorized since they wrote them down on that napkin during their first date. Numbers Five and Six often happen in tandem and show Rafe’s caring side. She hasn’t seen Rafe in almost five days, which is quite obvious to the whole campus as Rafe always gets more on edge when he doesn’t see her. However, she finally gets to see him again and follows Rule Number Six. The door to Rafe’s room has a code, which beeps its little song as she punches in her birthday. 

Her thoughts are focused on taking her stuff out of her backpack, so she is genuinely surprised by Rafe’s arms wrapping around her waist. “I’m so glad you could come over tonight, Angel. I was scared we were going to break our streak,” he declares, pressing his nose against the skin of her neck. She brings her hands up to wrap them around his neck and looks up at him, “It would be a shame. I’ve slept over at least once a week since we started dating. That’s a hundred and four-week streak.” Rule Number Six: Sleepover in Rafe’s room once per week whenever possible. 

He moves them over to lie down on his bed with his head resting on her breasts. She can feel his soft breath on her skin as he talks. “Rule Number Five, Angel.” She draws patterns on his back, letting out a big sigh, “It was stressful. I had a lab and I couldn’t find my notebook with all my notes for this week’s experiment. And then I got caught up in the cafeteria line at lunch so I was late for my meeting with my academic advisor. This whole week has been so busy.” She feels his fingers start to trace tiny hearts on her bicep. “I’m sorry things have been so hard and I couldn’t be there for you, Angel. I hate that I had to go away for my football game,” he grumbles. The fact that his mouth is pressed against her skin turns his words into raspberries and it makes them both laugh.

“It’s okay, I’ve been pretty busy, so I probably wouldn’t have been able to come over anyway. How was your day, Rafe?”

“It was okay. Same as always. The only eventful thing that happened was that Topper accidentally wore my underwear. That was weird. But it got so much better when you walked through the door though, Angel.”

“My day got better when I walked through the door too.”

He lifts his head and gives her a sweet kiss on the lips. Rule Number Five: Always tell each other how your day went, no lying. Even if it has to be over the phone, through a text, in an email or in a written letter. 

——

Y/N remembers how ridiculous she thought Rule Number One was when Rafe wrote it down on the napkin. “Come on, that’s never going to happen,” she proclaimed, tilting her head upright after reading the words. Rafe shook his head, underlining a specific word of the rule, “You don’t know that. And, god forbid if it does, then I want you to let me save you, Angel.” She could see he was serious and concerned about the possibility of something happening, so all she could give him was a nod as a promise.

Right now, she could not be more glad that her boyfriend is always thinking ahead on how to protect her. She didn’t know how she got into this situation. One minute, she was by herself in the lab looking over the work she did for this week's experiment and the next, Terrick was in the room with her. He has every right to be in the room; he is also in her class and pays for tuition. However, she always feels a little unsettled by him. The way he looks at her makes it obvious he is objectifying her. The way he speaks makes it clear that he was not taught to respect women. The way he stands too close to her makes her stomach drop. She wants to walk out of the lab right now so she isn’t alone with him, but he is blocking the doorway. “And the bitch got my name wrong too. Like sure, get my order and my name wrong,” he starts ranting. “I don’t understand how a girl can screw up my drink order. Aren’t you guys made to do that type of stuff?”

Y/N doesn’t know what to say. His frustration at something so trivial causes fear to flash through her and she is scared of what might happen if she tries to leave the room. Thankfully, as if Rafe had spider senses, she gets a call from him. She gently lifts a finger up to tell Terrick to give her a second, “Hi, Rafe. What’s wrong?” “Nothing, I was just wondering what you wanted me to bring over tonight. I’m at the store, right now,” Rafe asks, placing his pre-workout into his cart while his phone is wedged between his shoulder and ear. Y/N flashes Terrick a tight-lipped smile as he impatiently waits for her to get off the phone, “I’m actually craving some pie. Could you get me a coconut pie?” Rafe immediately stops what he is doing and moves his phone to his other ear. “Are you sure you want coconut?” he presses, already returning the stuff he was going to get onto the shelf. 

“Yes.”

—— 

They stayed on the phone for the whole time it took Rafe to get back on campus, pretending that he needed a detailed account of every single item Y/N needed from the store. When he walks through the door, Y/N feels her heart rate start to slow down. “What are you doing here?” Terrick snides through his teeth, looking at her boyfriend in annoyance. Rafe immediately puts himself between Y/N and the other man, “I realized that I am so clueless that I need Y/N to come to the store with me, so I came to pick her up. Are you ready to go, Angel?” The last part is obviously directed toward her and she is quick to get her backpack so she can weasel her way under Rafe’s protective arm. “Yep. Bye, Terrick. Great talk.” 

The couple makes their exit in each other’s hold with Rafe keeping an eye on Terrick. Once they are out of his earshot, Y/N lets out a sigh of relief. “Are you okay?” Rafe worries, looking her over for any indications that Terrick touched her. She gives a small nod, “Yeah, he didn’t hurt me. I don’t think he was going to. I’m sorry I used the code word, I probably shouldn’t have if I didn’t think he was going to do anything.” He stops their journey towards the exit and swings himself so he is facing her. His hands find weight on her shoulders and he lifts her chin up to look him in the eyes. “I don’t care if you use the code word for me to come kill a spider. If you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or scared, you tell me coconut pie and you let me save you, Angel. Do you understand?” he brings her into a hug and kisses her temple. “You have to trust your instinct. Your safety is my number one priority.”

Rule Number One: Say coconut pie if she needs Rafe to save her.

[sunderingstars]

.✦ ── ✦.

mr. cold feet’s pop-up shop

.✦ ── ✦.

what the stars reveal: interpretative analysis, theory crafting, elation!sampo, sampo!sampo (??), lil bit of emanator!sampo & doll!sampo sprinkled in, list format turned waxing poetic, (as always), general befuddlement, op literally trying to think their way out of a paper bag, hijacked by mundanite assembly halfway through, yap class is now in session

word count: 13.5k 😀

overview: (as of 2.6) summarizing my thoughts on all seven days of sampo’s new shop event! i know i said i was “done” with sampo analysis but… i must…… talk about shiny new event………

sampo analysis masterlist

.✦ ── ✦.

My Main Takeaways

.✦ ── ✦.

— Each Curio exchange is potentially a chronology of his existence, beginning as a conceptual something floating out in the ether, then being “created,” caught, or tethered to a specific form, all the way through his experiences with Aha and the Elation.

— Otherwise, I feel these “Curios” may be stand-ins for things he has created himself or been in the vicinity of at some point. In some way, they likely say something specific about his identity and backstory.

— Mentions of both “Diogenes” and “Icarus” link him to other forms of mythology.

— Sampo does not make money from this event; instead, we the player and Trailblazer do (similar to his mythological function).

— Mentions of the Tavern and several specifically Elation-aligned factions or beings.

— Doubling down on the function of the mythological Sampo and its narrative, including lines from the Kalevala itself!

— These different Curios, if not chronological, may instead be alluding to Aha’s “collection” of masks and items seen in Their splash art. this would place Sampo closer in proximity to Aha Themself, if not being Them, since he would be in the position of the one “collecting” or marketing these items. There is also a chance that Sampo, as per his function, was used by Aha to create the equivalent of these Curios, putting him in that strange “creator but also created” purgatory!

— (The name of the event also emphasizes the “Mr. Cold Feet” moniker, which I’ve talked about in my “Notable Topics” post as being synonymous with his uncanny ability to back out and rethink things he doesn’t want to be a part of. The “pop-up shop” itself is also temporary, which may be hinting at the fact that his identity as Sampo on Belobog may, itself, be a kind of temporary “pop-up event” in the grand scheme of his life.)

— Most confusing conversations and backtracking could be explained by Aha’s “secret” and the idea Sampo can’t say certain things about his identity. Thus, he may have to abruptly distance himself from the Curios in conversation if he feels he’s getting too close to “revealing the truth.”

— The event itself might also be a cry for help to us, the player; maybe he knows there are some things we understand that the Trailblazer doesn’t, such as the names of the achievements on the processing screen. He is trying his best to reach somebody :((

— Every day has two phrases repeated in the flavor text for each Curio: “One-of-a-Kind Curio” and “Collectible and Value-Preserving.” I have a feeling these lines not only refer to the literal objects involved, but Sampo himself. This falls in line with Doll Theory quite well (as Sampo being yet another doll would place him as “collectible” but his potential Emanator or favored status within the Elation could market him as being “one-of-a-kind,” likely due to his Sampo-like nature of being “value-preserving”), but it could also mean any number of things, from a purely Emanator!Sampo to Sampo who was created by a being other than Aha — anything that positions him as “valuable” or akin to an object himself is viable for this interpretation.

— Additionally, I’m not sure how his mask factors into all this — it’s a bit unclear if he even has it back yet, and I can’t find anything in the event that might allude to it. Masks don’t seem to be explicitly mentioned in any way; it must be important to him, so it’s a bit of a head scratcher as to why he doesn’t seem to be talking about it (aside from the whole “secret” thing). If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to let me know, I’d love to hear them!

— Despite the length of this analysis, it’s by no means meant to cover every single possibility; so much of Sampo’s character is up to interpretation, so the theory scene is wide open. I’d love to hear any alternate interpretations you guys have in the comments/reblogs!

Update: Due to new information gleaned from Mundanite Assembly (Unknowable Domain), I believe the pop-up event can have an extra chronological interpretation — Sampo as an elemental force drifting through the ether before being captured and harnessed into a singular form (likely mechanical in nature), then used for increasingly dangerous experiments before, through a series of honestly exhaustive events, finding himself puppeted around for a joke at the Tavern.

I do believe this only leads up to day four or five of the pop-up shop, with days six and seven being interpretative of the time after. (And what Sampo is doing now in the present day, trying to figure out the key to his existence and his past.) This is a tentative theory, but I still wanted to include it. I’ll link my Mundanite Assembly analysis here when I post it!

Another Update: While some of this pop-up event may be referencing events in Mundanite Assembly like day three and its themes of being “stolen from the heavens,” I also think some of it, like the references to toys and especially the last day of trying to understand “past and present lives,” are meant to symbolize recent events, such as his experiences with Elation and his current situation. There’s the possibility that Doll theories and Emanator theories would work in this “gap” — or the time between the end of “Windup World” (around day four) and the “present” (day seven).

When talking about Mundanite Assembly, I will be operating under the assumption that the “you” perspective is Sampo, and addressing him accordingly.

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 1

.✦ ── ✦.

— He “missed us dearly,” which is really sweet! :,)

— He immediately addresses himself as “Old Sampo,” bringing both his name and its associations to the forefront before specifically introducing us to something that “won’t make money” — aka something that we will profit off of and he “won’t,” turning our basic items into rewards like his mythological counterpart.

— He also links this venture to the idea of “fun,” putting his pursuits in the orbit of Elation. I’m inclined to take his word on it, which brings up the question: How does he feel about his “function”? It’s something he seems to be aware of, but is it something he enjoys? Did he give himself the name “Sampo” simply because of what he likes to do, or was it always an immutable part of him, some unavoidable truth he attempts to claim as his own — to exercise his own kind of “Elation” alongside it — so that it wears on him less? Basically, what came first: the name or the action? Is he Sampo because he produces wealth, or does he produce wealth because he is Sampo? Interesting stuff to think about!

— He was lonely… :(((((((((((

— This does put his trip to Penacony in perspective, though: if we assume he’s telling the truth (or at least part of it) here, then his run-ins with certain characters make more sense. He may have used getting his mask back as both a way to accomplish a goal (helping Belobog) and to speak to someone he maybe hadn’t spoken to in a while. Although Sampo does seem to be exasperated by Sparkle and the rest of the Fools quite often, he also seems to harbor a sort of fondness for them. There’s also the possibility he knows other people on Penacony that he wanted to talk to.

— Boothill’s Emanator run-in is also looking more viable here, as a genuinely “lonely” Sampo feels like more of a recipe for a drunken confession of identity! In fact, with some of my interpretations from this event, I could see Sampo and Boothill having quite a bit in common, especially in the vein of just wanting someone to have a good drink with and genuinely talk to.

— Sampo & Boothill underrated friendship for the win! 💪

— I feel like his talk of the meme crate is twofold: one, it is a very real item, and two, it may also be something he uses as a way to talk about himself in a roundabout way, much like the Curios during the rest of the event.

— The timeframe of “eight years” gives us a good benchmark; we now know he’s been on Belobog for at least eight years, and the way he references the crate as being “hidden right here in the Belobogian snow fields!” (coincidentally right where we first meet him in the game) can also be interpreted as a reference to himself. Both he and the crate have been here for at least eight years, with Sampo likely being here longer and simply finding the crate eight years ago. Both he and the crate are implied to have been “hiding in plain sight,” so to speak, and the way he backtracks to ask “so how many years would it be now?” makes me think he really is referring to himself. To me, it very much reads as a genuine attempt to remember how long he’s been on Belobog exactly.

— It also almost implies that for much of that time, Sampo wasn’t near civilization, or at least a part of it. There’s a lonely quality to the crate being left out in those fields all alone for so long, and if it’s meant to mirror Sampo’s journey there’s a chance he was out there all alone for some time as well. :((

— Also, the “meme crate” is specific, and may be alluding to Sampo himself as a creation or otherwise “memetic” entity (which honestly, branches off into a lot of different possibilities).

— Additionally, when he says “after Jarilo-VI returned to the silver rail, I got to know several friends beyond the sky” it seems to have a… weird quality to it. It might just be me, but I feel like this is one of his signature “technically true but not quite” lines — the implication for the Trailblazer is that, just like everyone else on Jarilo-VI, Sampo did not have access at all beyond the planet, and so once that access was gained he began connecting with the rest of the universe like everyone else. However, Sampo doesn’t specify this. He doesn’t say he made his first friends beyond the sky, he doesn’t say he rejoined the universe like everyone else. He words it in a way that isn’t technically dishonest, but that carefully leaves out key details — Jarilo-VI returned to the silver rail, not him; he made several friends beyond the sky, but he doesn’t mention whether he already had other friends out there, or if he was simply reconnecting with former acquaintances. It feels very intentional, and man do I find it interesting! 

— Again, we get some pretty heavy references to the mythological Sampo, with him detailing how he won’t make any money from the event but it will be a “golden money-making opportunity” for us. Here, he doesn’t seem discontented with what he’s doing — in fact, he proposes the idea to us. Aside from the fact he may have to carry out these kinds of transactions to survive or stay alive, it really does come across as something he wants to do — or at least is okay with doing — than something he dislikes. (Or maybe we’re just special and he likes us!)

— Lastly, when he mentions “the tiring, dirty work will be outsourced to robots” I’m not super sure how to feel. On one hand, he could be speaking as a creation himself, ironically going further down the ladder to use those below him as a means to accomplish what he accomplishes for whoever is above him; this would fit with the “dual” nature of many of his remarks, as I do think many of them don’t just refer to what he’s talking about, but also himself. On the other hand, he could simply be speaking from the perspective of a creator, of someone who doesn’t necessarily have a similar function to the robots but just… wants them to take care of things for him. 

— It could even be both if we’re talking about Emanator!Sampo, stuck in this purgatory between using others and being used. Perhaps he is in the “creator” role overseeing these robots while also being in the “created” role under an Aeon at the same time.

— I also feel like this might be a reference to Aha Stuffed Toys — I’ve made a few connections before between the idea of “mass-produced” dolls or playthings from the Aha Stuffed Toy occurrence and the “intact masks” from the Ship of Fools occurrence. If these dolls and masks are one and the same, then the robots Sampo mentions here fill a similar role to the stuffed toys: doing the work Aha doesn’t want to do, taking the brunt of pain and effort so another doesn’t have to.

— We start off with wind, Sampo’s signature element (very fitting!).

— “The Fluid, the Myth, the Legend” is a fun twist on “the man, the myth, the legend” that takes a specific approach to setting Sampo apart from the idea of “man” or any other solidly definable means of mortality. It also gives him a somewhat mysterious, godlike quality, as “myths” and “legends” often have to do with those who are powerful or divine. Also, it’s a nice reference to the mythological Sampo!

— If we take this to have a double meaning for his identity, then the name may be alluding to either his “core” or “base trait” — like the fluidity of a higher being, his element of wind, or even the intangible concept of Elation — or a more literal time in chronology where he was not yet made into form.

— “Give yourself the chance to experience the wonders of controlling an ideal fluid” may point towards his backstory, with something or someone potentially trying to “control” him in his more fluid or conceptual state. Since it’s followed up by a “(Just kidding!)” it seems this attempt at control may not have been successful, or it may just be another way for Sampo to get his Elation in through the event!

— On the Aha side of things, this “fluid” could be a reference to someone or something that is part of Aha’s collection. For this, either Sampo would have to be Aha or part of them somehow, or simply used by Them to create these things!

— I also like how Sampo tries to talk Silver Wolf down from leaving a negative review — although it does seem a bit desperate at the end? If Sampo’s function is being a businessman in a specifically mythologically-relevant niche, then perhaps negative reviews have some kind of deeper effect on him, anywhere from mild discomfort or unease to even pain. Or not, and he just wants his stuff to sell!

— He also gives us a joke afterwards, and even though he says “it’s just a joke,” I feel like it might mean something more. As much as Sampo aligns himself with the Elation, he also has nuanced opinions about it, the kind that go far beyond making simple Masked-Fools-type jokes.

— Even if the “joke” itself is absurd, I still feel like it points towards something about him as a character. “The world brims with narcissistic wisdom. Only a fool knows that they’re all a joke.”

— We can take this two ways: one, Sampo is recounting a joke he’s heard (likely from the Masked Fools) but doesn’t agree with, and two, Sampo is telling a joke he does agree with.

— If he doesn’t agree, he may be trying to put a sort of ironic twist on the way the Fools view things; he recounts the joke to us and says “it’s just a joke” when we express confusion to highlight how contradictory the Fools are — it’s not just that they like telling jokes, but (as Sampo mentions later in the event), they only seem to care about themselves and their own laughter, not the enjoyment or understanding of others.

— If he does agree with the joke, he’s at least expressing a deeper sense of absurdism, something picked up from his time with the Elation that likely offsets despair or pure Nihility when it threatens to consume him. It also reminds me of how close the Elation and Nihility are in concept; the main distinguishing factor is their presentation. (Perhaps Sampo, as someone aligned with both Paths, is trying to express this as well.)

— Or, it’s like he says, and it really is all just a joke. You never can tell with this man!

— Also, his little box is really cute! It’s color-coordinated with a signature rose and even a sticker of Gepard’s drawing! I’m just very emotional about this. He made it his own. ♡

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 2

.✦ ── ✦.

— Specific mention of “meme catalysis” — yet another reference to memes and intangible or created beings.

— “A fire that provokes profundity” is a very specific phrase as well; I’ve already made some speculation as to his relationship with Erudition, since it seems to pop up quite a bit in his related Simulated Universe occurrences (and to be honest, this new Unknowable Domain content has made me do a double take with how much experimentation and creation is going on in the search for knowledge). I feel like, if this is meant to say something about his identity, this phrase would put Sampo in orbit with the Erudition, since it directly contains a reference to gaining knowledge.

— (Note: “Liquid Flame” reminds me of “Dousing Flames” from Mundanite Assembly!)

— “Liquid Flame in Void” carries across similar ideas as the last day — immateriality and pure substance — although this time it is beginning to occupy a more specific niche. Instead of a mythological “fluid,” we have now stepped into “liquid flame,” something more specific in both name and place. No longer is it vaguely floating in the ether, but it directly resides in the “void.” Overall, it’s a more vivid picture than the last.

— Chronologically, I would interpret this as Sampo’s more “ethereal” and original form (whether Aeonic, elemental, or conceptual in nature) growing more distinct, leaving behind his formless existence to become something… more.

— Additionally, despite the reference to knowledge (and by extension, Erudition) earlier, this feels much more Nihility-aligned to me. “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you” feels like a direct reference to the abyss of IX, although i’m not sure if IX is the type to “gaze” at all.

— (It also links to “Dousing Flames (II),” where the imagery surrounding the Perpetual Motion Project very much reminds me of IX’s Nihility “boundary” (as seen in Acheron’s burst).)

— This could mean several things to me: one, it could simply be alluding to Sampo’s affiliation with Nihility since that is his playable Path; two, it could be indicative of a chronological time where he was alone, abandoned, or hopeless, simply left to stare into a void until he gained some sort of enlightenment (Path-related or otherwise) — for Doll!Sampo or other creation theories, this would likely be when he was physically abandoned on Belobog for a long time; three, it could be another reference to one of Aha’s “collectibles” They or Sampo made; or four, it could be link to some sort of “origin” for Sampo within space, where his slowly-forming self had nothing but the void for company. Or, hell, it could even be some combination of all four!

— “(There is no such function!)” feels contradictory, but that seems to be a running theme so far. All of the parenthesis are Elation-aligned jokes, which may or may not be true. In fact, they may only even be there to mess with us!

— Sampo also seems to refer to something specific in his comment — “there are all kinds of Curios out there,” mirroring both the variety of event items and Aha’s own collection, and “even a bag of trash can have its own unique shine,” which feels like it’s about him specifically. While Belobog itself surely qualifies for these statements as well, it seems that Sampo may be referring to himself from two steps and a third-person point of view away (as he so often loves to do). In this case, “all kinds of Curios” could be a reference to Aha’s splash art collection (and the “collection” of potential dolls in Ship of Fools) and the “bag of trash” could be a reference to Sampo’s specific position within that collection.

— Generally, I take this to mean Sampo is speaking about how he, despite being abandoned or otherwise considered “trash,” has found himself in a collection where he has his own “unique value.” In this case, him being in the proximity of Aha may have a silver lining or even wholesome implication — despite looking into the void, despite being discarded or seen as waste, there was at least one being in the universe who looked upon him and, devoid of shallow pity, saw the value at the core of his being. While it’s possible there may still be a twisted, cruel sort of irony going on, there’s also just as much of a chance that Aha or the Fools have nurtured Sampo in a way he never has been before.

A Note:

— As you may have noticed, I’ve already started to amend my timeline a bit — for those who have read my other posts, especially Doll Theory, I posited Sampo as having a “creation to abandonment to hatred” timeline, but after this event I feel there are some additions and changes to be made.

— If the items in this event are to be taken chronologically, then it’s likely Sampo had a period of “manifestation” or formless existence, then isolation or abandonment, then being stolen or trapped, then created and used before eventually endeavoring to find out, put simply, what the hell is going on.

— It’s possible that I’m misreading the items in the event and they aren’t meant to symbolize Sampo at all, but a few things like being “stolen” line up neatly with Sampo’s mythological counterpart, so I’m willing to consider it an option.

— Moving forward, Sampo says a few key phrases, namely “red and fiery” and “a lucky portent” — the red matches with his jacket color, fiery may allude to his temperament (as mentioned through his “hot-blooded past” later in the event) or even a specific state of being (fire, elemental, combustible, etc.), and “a lucky portent” relates to his function as the Sampo, bestowing wealth and, in a way, “luck” onto others.

— Additionally, if we are considering that Aha may be the one “stealing” Sampo (it certainly lines up with Their personality), this may reference the Aeon Themself scoping out candidates for a pet project or joke, where they are then intrigued by Sampo. “Portent” also ties in to the kind of “butterfly effect” way Aha operates, and they may have seen something greater within Sampo that he himself hadn’t seen. Either way, yoink!

— Next, Sampo directly mentions the Tavern — a shorthand way of referring to the World’s End Tavern operated by the Masked Fools — and surprisingly enough, links it specifically to the idea of storytelling. We get some good tidbits, like the fact he isn’t “all-knowing,” and that there are many stories that would be inconvenient to share.

— On one hand, this implies that whoever Sampo may be (whether he is an Aeon, an Emanator, or some non-mortal third option), he has blind spots. Depending on who exactly he is, this has different implications — for example, an Aeonic Sampo would basically be admitting Aeons (in general, since Nous is probably an exception) don’t know everything despite being at the top of the food chain, meaning they are still fallible; outsmarting them is near impossible but not entirely. Meanwhile, other Sampos may be trying to convey that although they are old and experienced and powerful, they aren’t the answer to everything; there are some things we still need to figure out ourselves.

— Additionally, the aspect of “convenience” could go several ways for me. Either he is genuinely so powerful that he can’t be bothered to tell us everything, he has knowledge of future events and doesn’t want to mess them up, or there is some sort of power above or within him that creates limitations — i.e. “inconveniences” — if he says certain things. Going back to some doll speculation and the idea of a “secret only Aha knows,” there’s a possibility that Sampo mentioning convenience is just a light way of alluding to the fact he can’t say or do certain things, either out of pure inability or the fear of what will happen to him if he does.

— Also, there’s the possibility he did some really fucked up stuff in his past and he doesn’t want to ruin his reputation with us, LOL.

— He mentions how the Tavern has a penchant for stories as well — especially how they “actively” seek those people out and how, apparently, the Trailblazer would be a prime candidate for the Elation in this regard. Beyond the fact this is another little hint at how the Elation (and Aha) tends to take a liking to the Trailblaze (and the Trailblazer), it also may say a little bit about how Sampo came to be there. Setting aside any kind of “stealing” or affiliation with Aha Themself, the Masked Fools tend to actively send invitations to those whose lives they find “interesting” — it’s possible that Sampo found himself the recipient of one of these invitations even if he was already with the Elation, as whatever his backstory is, I’m sure it’s going to be damn interesting!

— The last little bit of Sampo’s dialogue on day two focuses on the idea of “place,” namely the transporting and selling of goods from one place to another. Similarly to the “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” idea going on in the liquid flame comments, there’s the implication here that items, goods, and potentially Sampo himself are all victims of circumstance — just because an item (or Sampo himself) may be considered useless or “trash” in one place, there are many other places that would consider it valuable.

— It also places Sampo as a “go-between,” neither created nor creator but simply a middleman ferrying all these things between places. It lines up a bit with the idea that Sampo, although potentially being stolen or taken by Aha, eventually found himself in a space where he had the freedom to move things from place to place rather than being the one being moved.

— Again with the reference to a “meme”… Sampo what are you trying to tell us…….

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 3

.✦ ── ✦.

— This seems as good a place as any to talk about the phrases that show up when you submit items!

— One: Cute little emoticons, kinda tech-aligned like Curio Hacker. All in all, a nice little touch!

— Two: “Cool Guys.” May be a simple indication of how Sampo tries to come across as a “cool guy” in most of our interactions, but could also be a reference to the achievement “Cool Guys Don’t Look At Explosions,” when you clear Simulated Universe with ten or more Blessings of Destruction. Since the text is cut off so early, I’m not sure if the achievement is actually meant to be referenced here, and admittedly the Destruction doesn’t quite fit in with everything Sampo-aligned so far. However, it could be a link to Sampo’s red, fiery, “hot-blooded” past, or to his “breaking” or destruction in mythology. Additionally, maybe the “hate” behind the “love” could also lead to Destruction. (Plus, the Clown’s Item “Cloud of Doubt” does have a door on fire….)

— Three: “Take It Easy, Icarus” is especially notable because it appears repeatedly in the flash of words. For one, it references an achievement of the same name where you fly a cycrane to “test the limits of its remote control range”. This seems directly Doll!Sampo-related — or at least Creation!Sampo-related — since the entire idea of the achievement is taking an automated object and setting it loose to see “just how far it can go”. Additionally, the “remote control range” sounds very similar to the idea of Aha “not being involved in the quality control process” when it comes to stuffed toys. It’s possible that Aha, either creating Sampo Themself or stealing him from another creator, set him loose upon the universe to see just how far he could go, just how far he could advance his awareness beyond what he was created to be. However, much like the cycrane, there is always an invisible wall to hit. (The achievement is also in the “Fathom the Unfathomable” category, which feels Erudition-aligned.)

— Additionally, the mention of “Icarus” himself creates a link to Greek mythology, with the implication being that Sampo may fill similar themes to this figure, like “over-ambition,” “alienation,” “impulsivity,” and “the consequences of breaking boundaries”. It’s also possible that Sampo, in his attempt to reveal the “truth” or manage the “hate” inside himself, may be flying too close to the sun when it comes to enemies — or “prey” — he sets his sights on. (i.e. if he is angry at a specific Aeon, even Aha Themself, he may be biting off a bit more than he can chew by setting them in his sights.)

— The mention of Icarus could be a kind of warning as well; an indication of someone, perhaps Sparkle or Boothill or a different person, trying to remind Sampo of how dangerous impulsivity and setting his sights too high can be. I can just see Boothill saying something like “take it easy, Icarus” to Sampo over drinks after Sampo explains what he’s planning.

— Four: “This must be a trap crea…” — my best guess is that this is meant to say something like “This must be a trap created by…” or something along those lines. I feel like this might also be a reference to something else in-game, but after searching through the wiki I just couldn’t find anything matching this specific wording. While it does link to Sampo’s “Trap” ability — something both relevant and pertinent to the discussion — I’m afraid the text for this phrase is too cut off to meaningfully find any reference (at least for me). :(

— However, the general idea of “this must be a trap” seems like it could be a part of Sampo’s inner monologue or general feelings about his situation. Perhaps he has misgivings about his affiliation with the Fools, Aha, or the Elation in general, or he could be referring to some other event in his backstory. Maybe it has something to do with “betrayal” or “abandonment,” or perhaps it’s simply what others think of him when they see him. Either way, the idea of a “trap” is very much at the center of this wall of text.

— Five: “Diogenes’ Utopia.” This is the achievement you get for going through all of Belobog’s trash cans, and yep, the relevancy to Sampo seems pretty obvious here. Not only is it in the Moment of Joy (Elation-aligned) category, but it directly connects to the idea of Belobog and Sampo himself being associated with trash and trashcans — in fact, one could even say Sampo views himself as the “trash” in the greater “trashcan” of Belobog! Because of this link, it seems to imply some kind of importance to getting to know Sampo, to looking beyond his exterior or the parts others see as “valueless” and finding the worth inside of him. To be loved is to be known, and all that. 

— Additionally, the mention of yet another Greek figure — Diogenes — is important as well. Not only was Diogenes known for founding cynicism (a lifestyle emphasizing self-sufficiency and, perhaps most notably, intentional rejection of luxury), he also rejected “manners” as a whole, often impressing the idea that “truth” and honesty was a virtue. 

— As for Sampo, I find this link quite interesting. It really makes me think about how, despite Sampo’s penchant for being a businessman, he willingly chooses to stay in Belobog, a place far-removed from the luxuries of the wider universe. Not just that, but although he often obscures or leaves out important details of the truth, he never seems to outright lie. With how Tatalov shook out on Penacony, “truth” and the revealing of it seems important to him as well. (He also mentions that he has nothing to hide later in this same event.)

— It also many be referring to Belobog as a “utopia” for someone like Diogenes, since so much of the planet has returned to the “simplicity of nature” through being cut off from the wider universe.

— Overall, there’s quite a bit of references to Greek figures, and well as implications of both conceptual and material themes. All together, it seems to paint a picture of Sampo as someone who, on a personal level (and despite the way he comes across on the outside), prioritizes truth, ambition, and finding value in unlikely places. It also implies that, on an identity level, he may be someone who isn’t entirely human — a creation, perhaps even technological or otherwise — who has been tossed aside from one place only to be found valuable in another, and additionally who may have been “set loose” to explore the limits of his existence.

— These could have slight alterations, of course, like Sampo not being “set loose” by any one party but rather trying to find his limitations on his own, or being found “valuable” in Belobog’s Undercity as opposed to the Elation itself, but I think the core ideas still stand.

— “High Voltage Stolen From Heavens” is very interesting to me because of one word: stolen. (Well, it also occurs to me that “high voltage” implies the fluid-turned-flame eventually snapped into existence, and was likely taken from that “electrical” form, and that “heavens” implies either space itself or another Aeon, but I digress.) “Stolen” sticks out to me so much because the mythological Sampo has quite a bit of conflict surrounding it, including being “stolen” (several times, if I remember correctly). 

— This fits neatly into a mythological interpretation of Sampo’s character, implying that from whatever form (material or otherwise) he originated in, he was then stolen by another party in-universe. My tendency is to say Aha was the one doing the stealing, as Sampo is currently affiliated with the Elation and it just seems like something Aha would do. The main question now is: From who? Again, Sampo’s identity itself is the main question. (Looking real convenient for that “secret” only Aha knows.) Aha’s motivations seem to have been either experimental, joke, or purely interest-based in nature, so we at least have some leads there. Additionally, it seems that Sampo may have been “shoved,” for lack of a better word, into a smaller or more compact form when he was stolen, so that’s another idea. However, i’m still not sure from who.

— Aha is doing the stealing, Sampo is the thing being stolen, so who else is part of the equation? I’m tempted to say it’s another Aeon, or at least an important Path faction, but for the life of me that’s something I just can’t figure out. Again, this is likely intentional if Aha is trying to keep Sampo’s identity a “secret,” but it still frustrates me to no end. Who is it Mx. Aha?? I need to know!!

— (“Stolen” could also refer to “Those Remembered (I)” from Mundanite Assembly, as Xiaoya and her teacher taking Sampo out of the darkness — likely his home or place he lived — and into the light, or outer world, could be a case of “stealing”.)

— “On stormy days, the unyielding kite will face the wrath of the gods head-on” once again feels like Sampo is referring to himself, this time as the “unyielding kite”. I wonder if “wrath of the gods” is meant to simulate some kind of battle fought over him (which would line up with some mythology-related stuff) or if it’s simply meant to talk about how Sampo might stand up to an Aeon (or multiple Aeons) in the future — hell, maybe he already did! It’s possible that Aha or someone else fucked around too much and found out.

— “(Do not attempt!)” also feels like a warning.

— “Nameless” saying “best luck to kites everywhere” is surprisingly wholesome as well, like we’re giving him well-wishes for his journey. Additionally, “kites everywhere” implies multiplicity, which I of course associate with Aha’s collection and/or stuffed toys because of their many individuals.

— (There’s a chance that, because of this, we may be dealing with a collection item/Doll!Sampo that, out of so many others, was the one to finally stand up and say “Hey! You treat us badly! Fuck you!”)

— As far as I’m aware, this seems like a pretty factual “true story” Sampo’s talking about — coming across a Knight of Beauty who tells a story that outlines and references Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, then being a bit taken aback by the Knight’s sheer devotion. 

— While this seems to be a true story in-universe, it also seems to mirror the idea that Sampo may have been “bottled” himself, potentially stolen from a different, more fluid and combustible form and forced into a smaller one through some kind of experiment or, as mentioned earlier, “trap.” If Aha was indeed the one doing the stealing, this lends a more sinister motive to the whole thing. While it’s true Sampo may have found new value with the Elation, he may have only found that through a series of traumatic events, like being stolen, trapped, or otherwise “sealed” (like the evil god in the Shining Trapezohedron Die from Ship of Fools — haha, see how I made that connection! >:3) for the purpose of a “joke” or other experiment. 

— (This experimentation could also be connected to Mundanite Assembly’s “Resleeved,” especially with its use of transplantation and Organic Heart specifically.)

— In this case, Sampo very much comes across as a force of nature — no wonder Aha wants to be hush-hush about his identity! If anyone were to find out, or heaven forbid, break that “seal” (likely Sampo’s human form itself) all hell could break loose. 

— I also just find it nice to see Sampo’s interaction with and outlook on someone outside of Belobog or the Masked Fools! It seems he has some complicated feelings when it comes to the Knights of Beauty — on one hand, he seems taken aback by their pure devotion and unabashed, streamlined fervor, but on the other hand there’s this sort of amused admiration that comes from seeing their antics. If I had to sum Sampo’s conversation up in this regard, it’d most likely be the phrase “backhanded compliment.”

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 4

.✦ ── ✦.

— This is arguably the biggest day in terms of Doll!Sampo theories, and for good reason. Sampo himself says “we’re cooking up some toys today,” and the interesting part is that it’s plural — not just one, but multiple, much like Aha’s stuffed toys.

— The name of the Curio is “The Ice That Never Laughs,” which sticks out to me for two reasons: one, the presence of “ice,” a distinct element you wouldn’t consider to be such a large part of a toy, and two, the phrase “never laughs,” a condition of existence that seems to be the complete opposite of the Elation’s — and Aha’s — goal of laughter.

— “This is a block of ice that never laughs.” It’s an interesting line, from the ice itself seeming to straddle a line between non-sentient and sentient (and in a way being personified despite giving no indication of, well, personhood) to the absolutism of “never.” Not only does it “not” laugh, but it “never” laughs. I’m tempted to say this ice not only represents the stuffed toys in general, but is supposed to clue us in to a very specific toy — perhaps one as contradictory as Sampo — that goes against the Elation’s idea of “laughter.”

— This sentiment is made all the more ominous by the interjection: “(Incorrect! Squeezing it from different angles will make it produce different sounds of laughter!)”. This implies that the toy does not want to laugh, but is rather made to through some cruel idea of a joke. It’s very similar to the Aha Stuffed Toy occurrence, where the toys have to be physically beaten and even broken to grant rewards.

— The main catch is: Who is Sampo in all of this? (Another identity question, who could’ve seen it coming?) If we’re looking at these Curios as intentionally-placed-and-named objects meant to give us insight into who Sampo is, what he believes, and what his role is in the wider universe, then I would say this ice is meant to represent him — or at least a time he was considered a toy like this. However, the comment section where someone compliments the “mental state of this toy designer” is answered directly by Sampo, who responds to it by saying “People here all say Mr. Cold Feet is disturbed!”.

— I feel like this implies Sampo to be not a toy, but rather the creator or designer themself. This, of course, would lead to Aha-centric theories, since Aha is the one who made the Aha Stuffed Toys. If Sampo used to be or is a part of Aha (if not the full Aeon Themself), then it makes sense that he would be the one answering questions about the toy designer. When he mentions being “disturbed,” it also makes me aware that he’s aware of the implications of such toys, yet decided to design them anyways. It fits with the way I’ve described Aha as a toy creator before, if not eerily so.

— There’s also the chance that Sampo, once again, fits in some kind of Emanator purgatory — perhaps he, as a being whose function is concerned with transmutation and even creation to an extent, was used by Aha to make the toys, and as such had some kind of say in the process. This could account for his disturbed designer mentality while also making it clear he’s not an Aeon himself.

— Unfortunately, this doesn’t fully account for a chronological understanding of Sampo’s identity; if he is trying to communicate something about his identity or situation to us through this event, I find it more likely that the inclusion of the ice would be a cry for help than any kind of “hey, I created these fucked up things this one time.” … And we’re back at square one!

— There are a few alternate theories, like if Sampo was captured or “stolen” to then be turned into a toy, or even if he designed the toys themselves only to be betrayed by Aha forcing him to be just the same as them — a prison of his own making, if you will — but it’s all speculation.

— I really want to believe he’s in this predator-prey, creator-created grey area so we can get the best of both worlds, but there’s just not enough concrete evidence to say for sure.

— (The repeated phrase “Collectible and Value-Preserving” also means more here, since the toys themselves would be made to be collectible, as seen in several Simulated Universe occurrences like The *Perfect* Grand Challenge and Ship of Fools!)

— Some of this dialogue also supports the idea that Sampo is more of a creator than a toy himself. “They’re a surefire hit” is very marketing-coded, meaning Sampo’s role here would be more to market and sell these toys than anything else. However, as we’ve mentioned before, it could also be his way of talking around the subject, using other items to, essentially, refer to himself.

— Additionally, he mentions gaining “inspiration,” which leads back to him being a designer, even just on a surface level.

— The inspiration itself, though, is interesting. A “toy bird” with its “expression stuck in horror, emitting a shrill screech whenever you squeeze on it.” If this isn’t the bird from Everlasting Hatred, I don’t know what is. The art for Everlasting Hatred, a Clown’s Item retrieved by Sampo in the Penacony Trailblaze quest, has a direct link to Sampo’s character theme of “hate,” and features a dead bird speared through the chest with an amalgamation of hardened, blackened thorns in the shape of a heart.

— I always assumed this bird was meant to symbolize Sampo, since it’s his “Clown’s Item” (and falls neatly in sequence with the other two), but the way he says “I really loved it” here makes me confused. It seems to imply this bird isn’t him, but is rather someone or something he used to know, some outside object he felt affection for. But if that’s the case, then why is he so specific about it? Why does it still feel like it has the quality of him trying to tell us something?

— If not for that last part, I would want to say Sampo is referring to himself again, referencing a period of time (likely as a toy or another part of Aha’s “collection”) where he was trapped in a horrible situation, likely being used by Aha for something so intensely that his demeanor and sense of self was completely warped.

— (This could also apply to the “Resleeved” experiments in Mundanite Assembly.)

— But, of course, that last line still implies that it was something else?

— Actually, now that I think about it, it’s possible that Sampo finds comfort in this “toy bird” because he relates to it, or because he’s been in a similar situation. I suppose that could explain not only why it is a physical Clown’s Item for him to retrieve, but also why he seems to love a separate object while also trying to convey something about himself. Perhaps him and the bird share similar feelings of distress, pain, and hopelessness, causing him to feel a kinship with it much like he does Belobog. After all, only the disturbed find comfort in the disturbing — and he said it himself, he is disturbed. Perhaps instead of coming up with random ideas, he’s trying to process or vent some part of his own life through these Curios.

— The next paragraph definitely reads like a directly-Sampo conversation, though — “an ice cube can only keep laughing to prevent itself from melting into a puddle of waste water in such a capricious age, haha.” Again, like the bird, this is so specific that I’m not sure who Sampo would be talking about other than himself. The inclusion of “waste water” and “haha” specifically tie things together for him, as “waste” is similar to the trash he is associated with, and “haha” is literally him laughing right after he describes how the ice has to keep laughing to survive. It’s like saying “I have this friend who has to say yippee otherwise they get struck down by a bolt of lightning” and then immediately saying “Yippee!” in a panicked voice while looking nervously at the sky. Despite the way he throws his perspective away from the toy cube at times, I’m still inclined to say it represents him.

— If we go with this interpretation, here’s what I think the ice cube is trying to say: Sampo is or has previously been in a situation where he was considered to be a toy (or at least treated in a similar way), complete with the pain, hopelessness, and dehumanization such a position would impose upon him. As such, his presentation of himself warped, much like the “shrieking” bird and the ice that is “forced” to laugh. Then, continuing forward, he must laugh or be a part of the Elation in order to survive.

— Other ideas may include: Sampo being a “middleman” for these toys, designing them and becoming attached to them in some sort of “disturbed” way. Sampo may also feel a sort of kinship with these toys despite not being one, perhaps because Aha “uses” him for his function in a similar way. (There’s a chance Aha “using” Sampo so much may lead to him breaking, or even being “broken” before, just to tie in to some occurrences and mythology!)

— (Mundanite Assembly also shows “Sampo” breaking and dying in numerous different ways, especially if all the stories are meant to be a chronological look at rebirth / reincarnation.)

— Then, at the very end, Sampo mentions how the toys are getting popular. He even justifies it a little, saying “… the world’s full of turmoil that makes it hard to laugh.” This could be indicative of a general sentiment — “outside looking in” — where he sees the toys as an understandable need in the world, but I have more of a feeling it says something about Sampo himself. To me, it sounds a lot like he’s trying to justify his own pain or suffering, to find some sort of silver lining so that he can understand why this is happening. He makes it sound casual — just enough to throw us off in wondering if he’s really talking about himself or not — but it’s clear he wouldn’t say something like this for no reason.

— (There’s also the chance Sampo is Aha, or at least a manifestation of Them, and is trying to convey something similar to the Primum Mobile: a set of rules where he must laugh, because the Elation may cease to exist if he doesn’t.)

— Overall, I’m more inclined to say Sampo wasn’t originally created as a toy, but rather stolen by Aha and forced to become one (or at least be used as one). And honestly? That’s more horrifying than the original theory!

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 5

.✦ ── ✦.

— “Salutations”… He’s so cute……

— “Full-Auto AetherTurbo Bookmark.” The main thing that sticks out to me here is “Full-Auto,” since it goes back to the idea of something automated, like a toy. I’m not quite sure what “bookmark” is supposed to mean, though? “AetherTurbo” could imply higher existence, such as being or becoming an Emanator, since “aether” is more outside the bounds of traditional elements and “turbo” implies “more” power or speed. A bookmark, however?

— The closest answer I can come to is that since Sampo has been talking about stories quite a bit in this event, it’s something to do with that. Perhaps he was created or has the ability to inhabit a specific “story” or “moment” in time, occupying the niche of a “bookmark” in a greater story. Beyond that, I’m not sure, at least through name alone.

— I’m guessing this Curio though, in a general sense, may be meant to represent the “hot-blooded past” he mentions later, since the art is of a feather on fire (and, well, fire is hot!). It’s possible that this, potentially being his time as an Emanator, could symbolize a jump in power as well as whatever “niche” he occupied during that time — maybe it had something to do with stories or something similar.

— The imagery of a phoenix is not lost on me, either, as that carries a very specific theme of being “reborn” that may also point towards his departure from “toy” or otherwise “powerless” status to something more self-sustaining. Becoming a new self, and all that.

— “Apply the principles of etheric wave dynamics to help you finish books you don’t have time to read!” If anything, I feel like this may support the relation between Sampo and Aha even more. To me, “etheric wave dynamics” fall in line with Sampo’s… everything, so far, from his original fluid state to even his traits as a playable character. Then, “to help you finish books you don’t have time to read” speaks very much to a condition or use, or a very specific purpose. We are moving away from the plain, marketable, cookie-cutter idea of a toy that is forced to laugh, and towards a higher, more specific form of existence. I interpret this niche to be something like a right-hand man, or at least an assistant — Sampo, in this case, would be the one finishing those unread books, while whoever his creator is is sending him out to do it.

Note: I have just finished reading through Mundanite Assembly, and will be attempting to make tentative connections / interpretations more often from here on out. (I will be assuming the “you” in these stories is Sampo, and addressing him accordingly.) In terms of this new information, the “bookmark” could also represent Sampo attempting to understand his past lives or experiments, which could be the “books” he doesn’t have time to read. 

— “(Just like the famous storyteller!)” may also apply to Aha, since the Elation and Masked Fools seem to be focused on the impact of stories and storytelling — just take the Ship of Fools occurrence, where the entire Aha-coded event is basically a train of stories framed as “jokes”. 

— Sampo also specifies that the product makes you feel like you’ve read a certain book, not the act of actually learning and understanding.

— This may be a shorthand way for him to try and experience his past lives, or it could be a way of conveying how Aha sends Their Emanators or dolls out to accomplish tasks They don’t want to / don’t feel like doing Themselves (a la “venting extreme emotions”). 

— (The phoenix may also be indicative of Sampo’s many “lives,” especially the “Resleeved” story in Mundane Assembly where he is taken through many experimental lives in short succession.)

— Similar to what he says in his “first meeting” line about being a “businessman, chaperone, and problem-solving conversationalist” rolled into one; the idea of the stall selling multiple (sometimes unexpected or uncommon) Curios and the idea of he himself taking on multiple professions can also lead to the idea that he, from an identity standpoint, occupies multiple functions or niches. In this way, the stall selling stationery could also be a means to convey how Sampo operates in “multiplicity” as well.

— This is a good piece of interpretation for theory combination, as themes of multiplicity are very much present throughout his character. In this way, Mundanite Assembly could function as a way to convey points of his life associated with the Erudition — he is a machine, a source of knowledge, an organic-inorganic experiment of wonder — while things like his Eidolons could convey his time with the Elation as a Doll, Emanator, or otherwise. Basically, these things may not be in conflict with one another narratively; it is entirely possible Sampo is all of this at once. 

— As for his pop-up event? I’m still tempted to say it is somewhat chronological, if only because it follows a line from non-sentient to advanced consciousness. However, the meanings of each timeline could be twofold: both his backstory with the Erudition and his place within the Elation currently.

— “If people get too obsessed with the outcome, they’ll be driven mad.” This seems to line up with “Resleeved” and several other points of Mundanite Assembly, as the scholar performing experiments on him was clearly unhinged. 

— However, Sampo also treats the bookmark as a dangerous object with an amount of “influence” and danger. It’s possible he is referring to himself as something that can easily drive knowledge-seekers into madness, or even the general idea of “knowledge” being enough to move someone to insanity.

— “To become more open-minded, one must first learn to be self-deprecating.” This feels like a reference to “Windup World (III)” where the Tavern expresses clearly that it is “open-minded” before… well… playing quite a horrible “joke” on Sampo. 

— The next part is one I’m torn in two directions on. The “mental torment without hope of escape” he mentions and the mustering “courage” to complain could be a reference to the clear mental torment of “Resleeved (II)”s experiments, and complaining about dinner could also link to “Printed Truths (II)” where he eats the Curio apple. However, this seems a bit… off from those stories. The experiments eventually break him instead of offering him any genuine escape, and the “apple” he eats doesn’t lead to any escape either. In both cases, he meets horrible ends; the only way it could be an “escape” is if he was aware he would die and be reborn free of his situation, but… he never seems to self-aware of that in these stories, at least not explicitly.

— Which leads me to the other option: this line of thinking may be him attempting to apply vague “knowledge” of past experiences to a current situation he faces. If he finds himself in an unsavory situation within the Elation, especially one focused around the “interest” or “amusement” of another party, then perhaps this line of thinking is prudent; after all, the act of complaining can often spoil the mood, and being a “let-down” may be a good way of diverting unwanted attention or amusement. A toy is meant to be fun, after all, and what use is it if it isn’t?

— He also specifies that he’s not a “comedic actor,” and when following that up with talking about those who “disregard the comedy of their routines” in favor of “doing their utmost to let others hear their own laughter,” it seems like a pretty big reference to “Windup World (III)” where the Masked Fool uses him in an “opening act” by making him, essentially, kill himself in front of a live audience. Obviously, this would be extremely traumatic for Sampo, while the “comedian” fits the description of someone who doesn’t care about the pain or distress of others as long as it makes them laugh. 

— Sampo’s resulting worry — “Heavens, that’s so scary. Please don’t become someone like that.” — makes sense as well, as that traumatic event would cause him to be pretty shaken up when discussing the topic. The idea of us, a “friend,” becoming associated with the fear and adrenaline of that night is simply too much for him to consider.

— It’s also possible that Aha could also be referenced here, since the point of the Laughter is to… well, laugh. Despite Aha being a conceptual being, Sampo may view some of Their jokes as being cruel or unfair, especially if we’re taking a Doll!Sampo leaning. Aha may view it as funny, as a way to prioritize Their Laughter that rings throughout the universe, but from Sampo’s perspective it wouldn’t be comedic at all, just cruel.

— Overall, I do feel like this day heavily references not just “Windup World (III),” but phoenix-like rebirth and hints towards a current “trapped” situation. 

— From an Emanator or Elation standpoint, rebirth may also be symbolic of a transformation we simply don’t see in Mundanite Assembly, something occupying the gap between that night at the tavern and the Sampo we see today.

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 6

.✦ ── ✦.

— “Synesthesia Omnihelper” could refer to his position within the Elation, either as an Emanator or a Masked Fool. The “omnihelper” in this catches my eye, as it implies a job as both an assistant and someone of a flexible position. “Synesthesia” could apply to Sampo’s ability to travel many places and talk to many people, as well as be a link to several points in Mundanite Assembly where synthetic Curios and the general themes of technological / space-time knowledge are present.

— “Resolve workplace troubles” sounds like it might have a link to the times where Sampo was working with other scholars or researchers in an attempt to, generally, gain different types of knowledge. The “dynamically provided solutions” also sound like part of his position in “Dousing Flames (II)” and “Printed Truths (III)”; essentially, when he was in the vicinity of others he could express his opinions to. Qingque’s comment of “It keeps praising me and asking me to work harder” also lines up with “Dousing Flames (II)” where the only real dialogue options you can pick are expressing optimism or pessimism (not exactly any useful solutions). 

— Another interpretation is that this could be his current situation: perhaps he functions as a sort of “helper” within the Masked Fools or even to Aha Themself, doing the dirty work or solving certain issues that come with being as meticulous yet chaotic as the Elation.

— It’s possible that it doesn’t even have anything to do with the Elation at all, but rather Sampo’s general attempts to help Belobog and the Trailblazer, “guiding” us in a way using his wealth of experience and knowledge. 

— However, I am fairly sure this state of being an “omnihelper” may be the job he’s expressed burnout with before; constantly being an assistant to someone else in their (or Their) pursuit of certain goals must become tiring after a time, and maybe he finally just wants to prioritize himself for once. 

— Also, “(This one’s for real!)” is backed up by a commenter saying it’s a “legitimate product,” which could add to the idea that Sampo really is trying to help, or at least tell us the truth.

— I do think there are certain things that are still difficult or even functionally impossible for him to say, but lord knows he’s trying his best!

— Lil easter egg! It is very cute!

— I like how much he likes us — for the first time, we really get an explicit confirmation he cares about us. Despite the casualness of his facade, there’s a surprising amount of love in there. 

— We also feel like we “need to accept these dividends first,” which is yet another tie to his mythological function. Whatever his past lives may have been, whatever differences his backstory may hold, the Sampo we know is the Sampo he is now. He’s still a businessman at heart, and he still wants to help us. And, maybe, for now at least, that’s all that really matters. :)

— Again, it feels like he’s referring to himself here, like he’s surprised at just how many people need his help. Especially when thinking in terms of Belobog and the Trailblazer, there sure seems to be a lot of people who could use the help of someone like him. He also seems to have quite a bit of empathy, asking “How much hardship must people be suffering from…” in a way that seems like he’s… sad? Wistful? Either way, it feels like he understands the need for the “omnihelper” as well as what it symbolizes.

— He comes back to the World’s End Tavern as well, this time detailing how the Tavern only closes its doors to one type of person: someone who is so robot-like that they do the same mundane things over and over.

— At first, I was tempted to say this may be a reference to mass-produced stuffed toys that only exist to be beaten and play the same jingle over and over, but even the stuffed toys have an element of chaos in whether they grant you rewards or not, not even taking into account the spontaneous combustions that can happen. (Plus, “robotic” doesn’t exactly seem like something Aha would be too fond of.) 

— Although Sampo quantifies this as a fable, I also feel like he mentions it for a reason — there must be some truth to it, otherwise why would he bring it up? My best guess is, if not the toys, it may be Sampo’s way of speculating over his own existence. If Mundanite Assembly is to be interpreted as Sampo-related, he would have quite literally been a robotic device at some point. Whether he knows the full extent of these past lives or not, he may be wryly (even ironically) noting how the Masked Fools shun the exact type of person he used to be. 

— The “Who wouldn’t have an ounce of hectic excitement in their lives? I’d love to meet such a person, haha.” line could be a source of dramatic irony within the story, as we the viewer may be more aware of how his past fits with this than he does himself. It could be him reminiscing on how far he’s come and how much his view of the world has changed, or it could simply be a way for Star Rail to convey a more simple idea: that he simply likes having fun.

— I do feel like it could point towards that “gap” in time we don’t know much about. It’s possible that, for whatever reason, there was a time he was shunned from the Tavern for acting this way, and that’s how he knows so much about it. This could have been incited by them finding out about his past identities, him changing when he gained power or even became an Emanator, or whatever clownfuckery Aha might have going on with him. It could even be indicative of burnout or “Cloud of Doubt.” 

— As he said before, if he had been in some sort of unending, mental torment within the Masked Fools (perhaps being used as a plaything or puppet by Aha Themself), then perhaps he had to act like this, had to act like a simple robot unable to do anything but complain over and over and over again until They set him free. He might not even be free, but simply acting in a small reprieve of time granted by trying to deflect the gaze of something or someone determined to find him “interesting.” After all, there’s a chance the people attending that comedy show in “Windup World (III)” liked his opening act a little too much.

— In his last little bit of dialogue, he talks about farces. I’m not sure if this is meant to be about the Masked Fools or Aha directly, as I feel like it could be both. On one hand, his description of a farce’s departure from a regular comedy lines up with he chaos of the Fools, especially the part about the script having no rhythm and the actors stepping on each other’s toes. It definitely seems like each Fool does think they are the center of the world. 

— However, the chaos of Aha’s splash art and their “collection” of masks / items could mean this is about Them too — a cynical take from Sampo that turns the concept of “comedic Elation” on its head. “Twisting around together” really reminds me of Aha’s splash art with just how many items are present. Aha as an entity seems to be a very complicated, twisting thing, so even if They aren’t referred to directly in these lines, They may at least be implicated. After all, action and inaction may be the same in Sampo’s eyes. If Aha doesn’t intercede in the Fools’ affairs — simply allowing them to carry on with their farce because it’s amusing to watch — then that may be just as bad as being part of the farce itself. The question becomes: What’s worse — an Aeon making a cruel joke Themself, or an Aeon simply watching in amusement as that cruel joke plays out?

— Either way, we know Sampo has personal experience with this, since he says it sounds “eerily similar to real life” and expresses his explicit distaste. Whether it was the Masked Fools, Aha, or a specific Fool (like the one in “Windup World (III)”), it’s likely Sampo has been deeply annoyed or even hurt by those that carry out the “farce.”

.✦ ── ✦.

Day 7

.✦ ── ✦.

— “Unlocking the secrets of the universe” seems like something pretty big — potentially a goal Sampo is currently trying to reach in the present. (“Just kidding” is, of course, present, but it feels like something tacked on as a half-hearted assurance, perhaps trying to circumvent any speech limitations.)

— “The Manifest Life of Eternally Homing.” To be honest, I didn’t fully understand this one until I read through Mundanite Assembly. I could potentially see it as a wandering Doll!Sampo who surpassed the limitations of his function and is attempting to find who he wants to be, or a Curio Hacker-related want to find answers for a difficult situation. Now, though, especially with the mention of gaining “detailed insights into your past and present lives,” I believe it is referencing the fact Sampo may have lived numerous lives before this one.

— Mundanite Assembly’s stories are a bit unclear to me on if Sampo has ever been aware of his eternally looping forms of existence, but either way I can understand if he wants more information on who he is, who he has been, and honestly, just what the hell is going on. He may even be as confused as we are, attempting to understand anything about his own existence and why he is the way that he is. There’s a chance he may even be breaking the fourth wall in an attempt to subvert the bounds of the game and find information like that hidden in the Unknowable Domain.

— This makes me think that he’s found some sort of higher way, bargain, or deal to use these “big data algorithms” to his advantage; he may be a wonder of nature and engineering, but there are certain things only Emanators or Aeons may be able to help him understand. I’m inclined to say Aha or Nous is involved here, heavy on the Aha. Nous may be willing to help based on how linked Sampo is to all sorts of information (and the fact he is on one big long quest for knowledge), but the mention of “Take It Easy, Icarus” from earlier makes me think Aha is amused at seeing just how far Sampo will be able to go in his search.

— “Guaranteed answers” here makes me go right back to Nous, though, since knowledge is definitely Their domain. Plus, They might help Sampo just because of how significant his existence is in the first place. Hell, maybe both Aha and Nous are in on it at the same time. I can see both sides: Aha interested in seeing how Sampo’s honestly crazy bonkers story continues (if Mundanite Assembly is anything to go by), or Nous directly inspiring him on his quest to find more knowledge about the universe and the nature of his miraculous existence. (IX might even be here, too, due to Sampo’s playable Path.)

— “You will make the same choice as you do now” is an interesting thing for March to mention in her comment; assuming this Curio works, it may say something about her future story or identity. Perhaps there have been other times in her past where she has made similar choices, and no amount of amnesia can change who she is at her core, nor what decisions she will continue to make. (Sampo even confirms a bit of this when he says “your spirit will always stay the same”.)

— It could also point to a loop in Sampo’s existence — most of his lives to tend to meet similar, violent ends (being “broken,” burned alive, shot through the head and the chest, etc.) — which may mean he makes some kind of “butterfly effect” choice over and over and over again to warrant these gruesome demises. (Hey, throwback to the mundane, repeating “robot” from Day 6!) Similarly to March, it’s possible that even if he makes different “choices” in each of his lives, his spirit — the nature of the “Sampo,” the nature of breaking — will always stay the same. It’s an enormous burden to try and escape, that’s for sure.

— (Also, the art of the Curio shows code in the background, perhaps alluding to his self-awareness and awareness of the game itself, as well as his attempts to break free of what is confining him. Additionally, the Curio itself is surrounded by a sort of barrier or seal, which supports the idea he is bound by his current situation — maybe even unable to speak about certain things.)

— Either way, this man has a lot of conditions on his existence, and I wish him all the luck in finding out whatever is going on.

— Even with all this talk of Mundanite Assembly, Sampo still circles back around to the express idea of selling, monetizing, and money-making at the end. While some of the stories in Mundanite Assembly do emphasize research funds and money, I really think it has more to do with who Sampo is now than who he used to be. Perhaps this is part of a “deal” he made, or perhaps this is a core part of his existence finally coming to the forefront. 

— In a way, maybe the Elation is helping him reconcile positive emotions with business. “Fun and money-making,” he says, perhaps for the first time. For the first time, he might be able to see himself as more than just a tool, more than just an experiment, more than just a puppet on a string. He has a function, of course, but he’s realized he can fulfill it in a way that’s fun for him. A way that acknowledges his personhood and his value. And honestly, I’m happy for him! So much of his life (even lives) has sucked so incredibly much at so many different points that I just want him to be happy for once, goddamnit!

— “I have nothing to hide anyway” feels true, in a sense. I really do think, given the way he details having drinks with friends at the tavern and exchanging stories, he is telling us as much as he’s possibly able to. He’s honest about his interest in “funny tales” and self-creating stories, and even says the meme was “gifted by a friend” of his. However, there are obvious gaps, clear instances of vague wording where there should be detail. For example, who are the friends he had drinks with? Who was the friend who gifted him the meme? Any amount of detail would suffice. It’s strange that he specifies run-ins with Knights of Beauty and Masked Fools during this event, but can’t provide any tiny hint as to who these friends are now.

— It goes back to my theory that he is bound by certain limitations, that he can only say or do certain things — when it seems he is approaching too close to a topic, he becomes this vague, cryptic mess. I feel like this “friend” might be whoever he’s made a deal with, or whoever is responsible for his limitations. Perhaps that’s why he can’t specify who they are — because he literally can’t. Of course I want to believe this is Aha, but it could also be literally anyone else of higher power. 

— Sampo also mentions he’s had adventurous run-ins, much like the Nameless. It makes sense, then, why he would feel a sort of kinship with us; especially if his “past lives” are as varied as those mentioned in Mundanite Assembly, he may feel a sort of connection with how often the Nameless change stories and locations. Constantly traveling, constantly fighting, constantly being thrust into new and unexplored situations — that seems very much like something that would be related to Sampo.

— (Also, “hot-blooded” past is specific and interesting wording. I remember his blood literally boiling in “Resleeved (III)” so it could be a more literal take on events, or it could be indicative of a time, likely with the Masked Fools, where he was, to put it simply, probably batshit crazy. At the very least, he might’ve been impulsive, arrogant, or combative, really anything that would match with the connotations of “hot-blooded”. It could also reference events like his revenge in “Windup World (I)”.)

— “It’s pointless to talk about my past adventures” also feels like he’s trying to avoid a topic where he may have limitations on what he can say. “Pointless” may be that he doesn’t think we need to know, or it may be that it simply wouldn’t be worth the effort of fighting against some limitation he can’t surpass in the first place.

— The, he leaves to “go have a drink,” which, besides having links to the Elation’s goblet-filled imagery, establishes that Sampo is a man who likes to have a drink. And just what did Boothill find that Elation Emanator doing? Exactly.

— I also love the idea of a full circle here, as “Printed Truths (II)” deals explicitly with the lack of the ability to synthesize Curios, and here we are… synthesizing Curios. You go get ‘em, Sampo!

— And, obviously, we have the first explicit depiction of Sampo’s mythology in canon: dialogue lines taken straight from the Kalevala. I’m not too clear on how this fits into specific theories, only that it directly plays into his theme of “producing wealth,” as well as being trapped in a situation where he must carry out his function. The “function” itself could be Elation-related, laughter-related (as mentioned on Day Four), money/wealth-related (as supported by Aha Stuffed Toy and his mythology itself), or even all three! 

— One thing’s for sure, he is one enigma of a man. He’s at least aware enough of the poem to sing it, although it’s unclear if it exists in-universe or if this is yet another crazy fourth wall-break.

— Anyways, I’ve yapped long enough, it’s time for me to summarize my thoughts!

— Here it is: the event summarized in all its glory. Let’s get into the breakdown!

— General: Clearly, Sampo is trying to tell us something with all of this. It’s just too… detailed, chronological, as if taken from his own experiences. I feel like there are certain things he can’t or won’t say, and as such has to rely on this “pop-up shop” as a means of talking his way around the subject, hoping we’ll pick up what he’s trying to put down. At the very least, he just wants to have a little fun. At face value, we’re simply synthesizing random Curios. But nothing’s ever so simple with Sampo, so there’s something here. The only issue is getting down to what it is; and, well, if you’ve read this far, you’ve probably realized there’s a lot of options. The event is specific yet vague, general yet complicated, shallow yet incredibly deep. And honestly? I still don’t know what it all means. I can only do my best to speculate. So speculate I shall!

— Mundanite Assembly: Day One and Two would be his original form, floating in the ether and untouched by man (likely mechanical in nature); Day Three would be this original form being harnessed by the woman in “Those Remembered (I)”, being “stolen” from wherever he was waiting; Day Four and Five, generally, may deal with events surrounding the experimentation in “Resleeved” and subsequent research in “Dousing Flames” (I am more inclined to put “Dousing Flames” with Day Four due to the running theme of fire, although the phoenix imagery may fit with experimentation more); Day Six would be “Printed Truths” and the Path research that went on there; Day Seven would be the present, with Sampo attempting to understand his “past lives,” either through revealing what they were in the first place, or gaining some sort of key insight based on memories he already has. He is likely trying to convey his existence in a way that won’t overwhelm us, and also in a way that works with whatever “limitations” he has. His talk of the Fools would place “Windup World (III)” as the beginning of the time gap, where we just have his word to go off of. In this time, he likely experienced that cruel puppet joke, joined the Fools, and potentially gained power or some sort of “deal” to accomplish his goals going forward.

— Doll!Sampo: Simply put, chronologically, an element being drawn into form — created — by the act of “stealing” something from the heavens, then turned into an Aha Stuffed Toy that must laugh to survive (even through external force). This would be Days One through Three. Day Four would be a “phoenix-like” rebirth into an Emanator or Fool of higher status, which Day Five would then turn into a specific niche for him to occupy in Aha’s “collection” — that of a helper or assistant. Day Six is once again indicative of the present, with him trying to subvert the conditions of his own existence as a creation of Elation. It’s also possible that Mundanite Assembly happened long ago and, after being messed with by the Fools, Sampo was “stolen” and reforged into a toy by Aha or even the Fools themselves. (Basically, Mundanite Assembly and Doll!Sampo don’t have to conflict with one another; they can still fit chronologically. It’s possible the Sampo we know now has all the past backstory Mundanite Assembly has to offer, but the event simply starts at the act of Aha plucking him out and “stealing” him.)

— Aha!Sampo: Days One and Two would indicate a “conceptual” or Aeonic existence, while Day Three and Four would be Aha potentially finding a way to have a mortal form or siphon some part of Themself into a “vessel.” Day Five would be the “rebirth” of either a new Aha taking the old one’s place, or Aha’s consciousness being reborn into this new form. Day Five would be this new persona — that of a helper — which would then lead to Day Six, where They attempt to find Their true purpose beyond the restrictions of the Primum Mobile (or even circumvent those restrictions in the first place).

— Emanator!Sampo: No matter what theory we’re dealing with, I’m inclined to say Day Four or Day Six are the best indicators of a shift to Emanatorhood. Day Four has its imagery of phoenix rebirth, which could symbolize a shift in power or a rebirth into a higher form of existence, while Day Six could be his present status breaking through the fourth wall and attempting to accomplish whatever it is his current goal is. This can work with Mundanite Assembly and Doll Theory, as in those I’ve already mentioned how I feel Emanator status could work.

— Non-Chronological: This could, generally, not even be about a specific order of events in Sampo’s life, but rather different parts of his worldview, identity, or interests. It’s possible that all of these conditions exist at the same time — he may be conceptual, and organic, and a toy, and a jumble of code, and a phoenix in the process of rebirth. This would allow for a more experimental look at things, with all structure set aside to look at the core of who he is. He’s not just something stolen, but a helper, too. He’s not just a lost soul looking to circumvent the lines of code that bind him, he’s a man in a constant state of rebirth, inventing and re-inventing himself until he’s satisfied. He’s burning his wings while being trapped in the confines of ice, laughing because he has to and sparking because he doesn’t. He’s everything, all at once.

— Non-Identity: If not Sampo’s identity, these Curios could be symbolic of people he knows, or simply just Curios he finds interesting. My most viable thought here is that each Curio symbolizes a part of Aha’s “collection” — or Their Emanators who all have different purposes and personalities. I want to say Sampo is symbolized by Day Six because of the Curio Hacker occurrence, with other Curios being Emanators who range from pure elemental energy to machine devices to stuffed toys. Although, it is possible Sampo can be shuffled around here, as Doll!Sampo is more likely to be the ice cube and his current “helper” role lines up with “Synesthesia Omnihelper.” Sampo can actually fit with all of these, which is why I really feel like it is identity-related, but I still wanted to cover all the bases I could.

Overall, wow, that’s a lot! If I’m being completely honest, I’m still confused (as I feel most of us are). The more I think about this event, the more it seems like a giant puzzle box to me, turning and turning and turning again every time I get close to an answer. Perhaps that’s how Sampo feels about his own existence, and why he’s trying so hard to figure himself out. I really hope this analysis didn’t come across as a scattered mess, because that’s definitely what I felt like writing it. I wanted to get my thoughts out, but there are so many alternative options and theories that I could barely get my head straight! It felt nice to get it out, though, and whatever happens, I’m happy we got to talk to Sampo again. He’s just so interesting! Anyways, I’m going to go take a nice, long nap now. I’ll leave you with some key questions to consider — bye!

.✦ ── ✦.

Key Questions

.✦ ── ✦.

— Did Aha “steal” Sampo from another creator, such as an Aeon or organization? If so, how and for what purpose? (If not Aha, then who may have “stolen” him?)

— What is Sampo’s true identity? We know certain things about his mythological function, but how does that translate into the HSR universe?

— What is the timeline of his “abandonment”? When was he left on Belobog, and by who? Was Belobog even the place he was left, or was it somewhere else?

— Was he originally elemental energy, electricity, or something conceptual? Was he organic or inorganic? And, if Aha did “steal” him, what changes were made to his form?

— How does Sampo feel about Aha? Is Aha a cruel, thieving presence in his life? Are They an accepting, freeing one? Are They a distant, unreachable god? Are They a mix of all three?

— What is Sampo’s relationship with the Aha Stuffed Toys? Was he created as one himself? Was he turned into one when he was stolen? Did he “create” them at the behest of Aha? Does he simply act as a middleman to get them from one place to another?

— What is Sampo's connection to Mundanite Assembly, if any? How might the days of this event fit in with each "chapter" of the Unknown Domain chronology?

— And, for heaven's sake, who the hell is this man?

— thanks for reading to the end! :)

— here's links (one | two) to posts with the memes i wanted to include because i literally hit the image limit on this LOL!

© analysis by sunderingstars. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[other-floret-friend]

I’ve seen a couple bronze statues of women that were all tarnished except for their chests and groins, which had been burnished by generations of passersby copping a feel. I think we could use some Class-M and turn you into a statue like that. :3

Oh, gosh, I've seen a couple of statues like that too! But... wow, that's such a unique concept... I'm kind of trembling at the thought...

Trying to take on a decent pose, given you don't know how long you're going to be like this - but your Affini's got other ideas, teasing at you while you're still made of entirely organic matter, making your body writhe and squirm as the bronze overtakes you... and you realise she's essentially keeping you on the edge as it spreads, your body locking in place in such a pathetically worked-up, needy state, feeling like you could cum any minute...

...and then the bronze spreads just a little further, the class-M's making you seize up, and it hits you. You're still throbbing. You're still right on the edge. And yet there's nothing you can do about it. That stupidly horny expression of bewilderment and arousal gets locked on your face as you're looked at with a smile, clothes being lifted off your form, your mind locked in this unimaginably torturous state.

And oh, it gets so much worse when you're put on display. It's bad enough that everyone can see you, staring at you, their eyes racing up and down your form as they comment on how beautiful you are, how detailed all of your... details are, how it almost feels like there's the hint of a blush below your metallic features.

But they start touching. Maybe it's for good luck, maybe it's for their own sick kicks, but there's so many people who'll come up behind you and grip at your firm nipples, some who'll trace their fingers across your neck, feel the details of your collarbones, your ears, your fingers... and that's not even to comment on the sheer number of people who keep touching between your legs, fascinated by how realistic it is, almost as though it could have a little bead of pre oozing from the tip as they rub you, knead you, squeeze you.

You're just an object to them, but god, it makes your mind melt every single time. So close to the precipice of orgasm, you can feel the sensations of them touching you, of them treating you like the beautiful thing you are... but it just teases you more, never quite able to get over that hill. This goes on for so long, your mind starting to fade into stupidly aroused bliss as the sheen of bronze between your legs and at the tips of your breasts starts to fade, becoming darker, more and more obvious.

It starts to occur to you that it's obvious to literally anyone who glances at you what you are. You're an object to be touched, touched in specifically those stupidly sensitive spots that make your mind pop. Not that they know. You're such a pretty object. Maybe your Affini will let off her regular regiment, at some point... or maybe not. Who knows how you'd respond to all of that pleasure, the touching of hundreds of hands, all at once? Would your silly little brain be able to take it? That's not a risk that can be taken, for now. You'll just have to wait, for days, weeks, months, years, decades...

...you can keep being a good little ornament until then, though. You're so good at it, after all. And, well, who could be callous enough to take away everyone's good-luck charm? <3

[mossymandibles]

What's gender affirming care like on hallowed carrion?

Good question, it can be a little wild west out there, even just with regular hospice/holistic care, depending on where you’re at and which species or community you belong to. I’d say on Mors Astra (name of the planet), sexuality and gender expression can be as eclectic and varied as most animals/humans irl….Um, I guess I’m going to info dump about my individual trans characters and their experiences as well as how some of the main species would view it over all and hope that it answers your question. I’ll also be creating other sophont species that could have different views on things so there’s that too.

Also content warning ahead for forms of transphobia and gender dysmorphia topics.

For the Myce I’d say for the most part getting something like a cosmetic change is no biggie to them, as they don’t tend to have strict guidelines for gender expression. It probably wouldn’t go as in depth as it does with mammalians, surgically and medication wise. Their nerves and vessels grow back easier and such. Even their genitalia is strictly geared towards pleasure, like a miniature sexual mycorrhizal network of nerve endings. There’s no sperm or eggs involved. Their genitals may go by human guild lines in terms of appearance, but they can get pretty wild looking. I haven’t quite thought it through entirely just yet but I guess they might have their own form of T and E, if they cosmetically wanted breasts or a more phallic attachment, etc. I feel like they’d go more along the route of genetic expression rather than hormones though. There isn’t really a huge societal rift between who expresses themselves as feminine, masculine, etc. (although there could always be some strange cults and eccentrics out there!) I’d say to them it’s more important that you look conventionally humanoid. If you’re a bloom face (like Heidi), or have a tail/ horns or look more ‘animalistic’ and ‘othered’ for that matter, you’re more likely to face some stigma in certain regions populated by Myce. This derives from early on when the Myce were first coming into being. They were called changelings, ‘faefolk’, fairies, etc, and caused a lot of widespread fear and misconceptions. They associate such terms with being considered monstrous, diseased, etc.

They don’t reproduce like mammals, as they technically aren’t mammals, so luckily for them natal affairs and giving birth aren’t tied to any specific gender and are entirely up to the individuals who want to go that route.

*takes another deep breath*

In the case of Vveashuls, I think they’re a little more ‘traditional’ so to speak. (Tbh I think I’ve ended up expressing some deep seated frustrations with what I’m surrounded by everyday in them, oops! No fault of the Vveashuls ofc.)

With Vveashuls, many pockets of them tend to put a lot of value in procreation, having several kids, being able to breastfeed them on your own, etc. One should always put the family first.

In the past, while they lived on Zenith as one species, having litters and as many healthy kits as possible meant their survival. Often times their young would be culled by the Furies in order to keep their numbers down and keep them under control. Mind, not ALL Furies kept Vveashuls in servitude, just certain rooks.

Where they’re out from under the Furies control now, they hold pride in keeping big families, staying together, the next generation raised by the previous, etc.. A lone Vveashul is seen as strange, or that something is wrong with them. In the modern day, this creates a lot of pressures.

In Jago’s case, he grew up in a town of very traditional views; the idea of a Vveashul that can get pregnant getting rid of their breasts or their ability to give birth/ taking hormones was unheard of or seen as a selfish act of self mutilation. Males transitioning to females were seen as ‘useless’ or strange pretenders. Even just starting out, his family was very small, just him and his father.

Jago didn’t even really know what felt ‘off’ about himself until he met Kraw, Titus, Mayv and her crew. Puberty only made it more painfully obvious. Once he was old enough and sure of himself (this was after he and Kraw had parted ways the first time) It was very difficult for him to get any kind of treatment for such things geared towards his kind, even in Ladder occupied cities. He had to go under the table for most of his surgeries and medications, which put him in many dangerous situations. With his primary breasts still intact, he still feels like he’s not where he wants to be. The fact that the last surgeon to remove his secondary ones left him with obvious scars is frustrating as well. The whole process had just exhausted him overall. So he focused more on work.

On top of taking hormones, he would often have to take suppressors (yeah, those.) otherwise he’d go into heat and get all swollen and sensitive (it’s also fairly normal for female Vveashuls to take suppressors lest they deal with going into heat in day to day life, which can be very inconvenient in the modern day.)

He absolutely hates how he gets without the suppressors, as it only adds to his dysmorphia.

He’d occasionally have to deal with his old work mates making fun of him about it. They referred to him as a male, sure, but he still felt like they saw him as playing pretend. They would make comments like “oohh you’re grumpy today, are you off your meds?” Where they were mostly Myce, they didn’t deal with the average hang ups of mammalian sophonts and usually found it strange or funny.

Jago wants to be completely severed from the idea of having and mothering kids, the expectations of female Vveashuls, etc. I’d go as far as to say he’s had legitimate tokophobia his entire life. But he’s feels somewhat apprehensive of further surgeries for the time being, at least until he finds someone trustworthy and experienced. Who knows! He might find one in Marrowtide.

*deep breath*

THANKFULLY, where he lives now with Kraw and the others in Marrowtide, he’s in a MUCH more accepting/progressive environment, so I’d say that definitely helps him with the dysmorphia and anxieties of how his body looks. Despite being intimidated by Sylvaine, he gladly take his hormones and suppressors from her, where she also supplies them for Kraw in order to temporarily stave off his occasional ‘rut’ aggression (they’re almost like a birth control). Even other Vveashuls in Marrowtide wouldn’t care that Jago’s gotten surgery. Most of them probably escaped to Marrowtide in order to get away from stifling environments as well.

Disclaimer ofc: I don’t see having kids/ a big family etc as inherently stifling or negative by any means, I’m only referring to harmful beliefs and pressures that may come from growing up in a family with very controlling traditional viewpoints.

In Durja’s case, pockets of Fury cultures vary from rook to rook (‘rook’ being similar to a clan). Most are matriarchal. Durja herself was a sentry and the occasional personal concubine for the ‘Crowned Matron’ at the time (matriarchal leader of the rook). They don’t really perceive being trans, only caring that you are strong and tactical. Though, I’d say if you were looking to transition to female it would be very dangerous, as most of the females would take that as a challenge. In that same way a female transitioning to a male might be seen as weak. Within the Furies species, most of the time the females are bigger, stronger and tend to be more aggressive, even possessing pseudo-penises. They’re also polygamous.

I’d say she’s gotten most of her ideas of what she wants for herself by having watched Sylvaine in relationships for a while, thus deciding she wanted to be loved romantically in such a manner rather than the usual domineering way she had been used to. Taking in the strengths she’d see among the female Furies and she’s got her own image she’s made for how she presents herself.

She hasn’t personally dealt with any type of body dysmorphia and wasn’t interested in taking hormones from Sylvaine despite her offering, deciding she was fine with herself. (In fact, having a noticeable bulge as a female would be seen as desirable among Furies and Sylvaine definitely doesn’t complain).

Anyway, I hope that gives some insight for how it may be in some regions of Mors Astra. I think I just like to imagine animal hierarchies applied to creatures with human intelligence is all idk lol.

[dewcrow]

MORE ANTONBLAST SPOILERS AHEAD

Annie:

- Is only in it for the chaos, like Jevil and possibly The Noise

- Has a bad cough (but it only seems to affect her when she’s resting or talking)

- Kind of reminds me of Niffty for some reason (Okay, I do know the reason; it’s the hair and the gremlin energy)

Nina:

- Is married to Danton (which, now that I mention it, makes it weird that I ended the last post with the “pick your man-crush” joke)

- Has the same line when dying in Antonball that Birdo has when defeated in Super Mario Advance (“How could you?!”)

- Could probably stab you with her nose

Brawlbuster:

- Is basically Rawk Hawk as a mole in terms of personality, but Tiny Tiger as a mole in terms of his boss fight.

- Has an attack where he charges across the screen an increasing number of times, like Shake King from Wario Land: Shake It! (the fact that he’s only vulnerable at the end of it makes it similar to Red-Brief J’s dash from Wario World, too)

- COMES IN WITH THE CHAIR (but only when he’s pissed)

Tallbuster:

- Is longer than Longcat and Tacgnol (but not longer than Lesser Dog’s neck at maximum stretch)

- Has a face like Fake Crash

- Goes to sleep if you don’t burn him at the start of his fight (maybe you know that, maybe you don’t, but I bring it up because it’s cute)

- Probably represents Sloth because his long body lets him be in two places at once, minimizing movement (now that I think about it, it’s weird this doesn’t affect how you fight him, although to be fair, the sleeping thing is already on brand for Sloth, as it means he can’t be bothered to start an attack pattern unless it’s in defense)

Smallbuster:

- Is tiny and possibly a child, you dingbat. (You’re lucky that I’ve dropped the whole “crush” aspect from the last post!)

- Does machines, including one that has missiles. Missiles!

- The way she gives up at the end of her fight and just ineffectually charges at you like Ado in Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (or Adeleine in K64) is so cute

Maulbuster:

- Is the opposite of the dude in that one Aerosmith song (seriously, I thought she was a guy until I saw the name of the achievement for beating her, although I suppose I should have guessed it since she’s quite clearly a Brunhilda)

- Is the most foul-mouthed Brunhilda I’ve ever seen (seriously, she makes you dodge swears in her fight more than your visiting relatives when they bring their kids)

- Shakes the stage when she lands right before you finish her (which is easy to forget, since she’s the only Bossbuster this applies to)

Jewel Ghoul:

- Uses the player’s transformations against them like a Wario Land boss (his card-squishing move that puts Anton/Annie in an extended Tornado state)

- Is clearly inspired by various Cuphead bosses, especially King Dice and Glumstone the Giant

- Has a Dingodile-tier badass boss theme

- Will probably need a seeing-eye dog for several months because of the head cast

Freako Dragon:

- Has a Ripper Roo-tier wacky boss theme (the stock flute sound commonly used to represent Asian dragons is a cute touch)

- Also has a cue from Meat Circus in his boss theme (any “Psychonauts mentioned” comments?)

- Apparently vacationed in Brazil sometime ago (if you enter the casino’s hidden Brazil room and find the secret photograph, he’ll be in it even if you haven’t beaten him yet; you’d better believe me on this because I started a separate save specifically to test it!)

- Has a Raphael the Raven-ass final phase (although comparisons can also be drawn to the final level from Battletoads, the tower from Mickey Mania, and basically every level from Nebulus/Castelian/Tower Toppler/whatever name that game goes by in your region)

Ring-a-Ding:

- Is basically the Fake Peppino of the game (a boss that surprised players because he wasn’t shown in trailers, a boss with a monstrous final form, a pretty strong mindfuck the first time you see him, etc.)

- Is a BAB (Biblically-accurate bell) whose boss theme reminds me of the bells from the Futurama theme even though they’re not really that similar

- Cost me three hours of my life trying to get CRACKED in his fight just because of the slam attack in his final phase (the one laser ambush right at the end of the “flying” phase - immediately before the freefall - certainly didn’t help, either, and it wasn’t until after I got CRACKED that the patch nerfing that section went live)

[gaybananabread]

Hii!! I'm so glad that you're gonna participate in the augtickletober! Please consider writing number 25 with lee todoroki, where he gets gang tickled by the boys from class 1A hehehe (I feel like I've seen many gang tickles for Bakugou/Midoriya, but rarely seen it for Todoroki, and I feel like Todoroki somehow deserves it). (Please no foot tickles) If you need plot recommendation (but feel free to use your own hehe): - The boys of 1A decided to help Todoroki practice since basically he's the one that hasn't received his provisional license. - Class 1A is having a field trip, and the boys have deep talks at their sleeping hall before sleeps and the topic of "Todoroki rarely laughs" pops up I hope this idea works well! Thank you so much for participating in this event, looking forward to it!!

TickleTober Day 25 - Gang Tickles

THIS! Thank you for the kind words and awesome ideas Anon! Definitely got my creative juices flowing! Sorry this is so late, I’ve had quite the week (O~O) And the candy-cane could definitely go with some gang tickling. Mans needs to laugh more! Did a handful of the 1A boys, just because more than 5 lers on one person gets a little iffy. Anywhosit, thank you for requesting, and I hope you Enjoy!

Lee: Todoroki

Lers: Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, Midoriya, Bakugou

Summary: On a class field trip, the boys of 1A get to talking about their multi-quirked peer. After discovering that they all rarely hear his laugh, the goobers make it their mission to get him to crack a smile. Some fun, ticklish methods are utilized.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

It was a rare, yet heavily anticipated day for Class 1A; Fieldrip Day was finally upon them. They were out at one of the pro’s training facilities. One of All Might’s favorites, to be specific. The facility had a few sports fields, a training hall, and some nice barracks. If anything, it was better than a day of doing schoolwork at UA. Nothing against Aizawa; the teens just liked the change in pace. Plus, no math for a day.

Every student enjoyed the day; even Bakugou cracked a few genuine smiles. Ready to rest and recover, the boys hit the showers and got ready to sleep. Tokoyami was out the moment he arrived, not caring for small talk. A few conversations floated around the room as the male students entered the barracks, one in particular sticking out.

“Hey, Todoroki never really laughs, does he?” Sero had been the first to bring it up, but at that point, every student had their own little thought to add. “You’re right, I’ve really only heard him laugh once or twice. He smiles, but those are rare too!” Denki had seemed particularly surprised at the revelation.

“Why do you extras care? That half-and-half stiff is just taking after his father. Pros like him don’t act all happy,” Bakugou tossed his hair towel to the side, almost hitting Aoyama with the soggy thing. Kirishima, ever the apologist, tried to redeem anything the blonde had just said. “Th-that might be part of it, but he could just be a stoic dude. I wouldn’t call him a stiff, Bakubro. He’s just…a little serious.”

The tape hero jumped back in, trying to keep his conversation on topic. “Only time I’ve seen him even giggle was when Mr. Smiley attacked. Still, the guy pretty much held it in! Bakugou even laughed when he got hit, man!” That got a growl from said blonde, Sero nervously chuckling at the murderous glare he received.

Midoriya was fidgeting with his sleeve, looking down as they argued. He knew something they all didn’t, and saw a much different side of Todoroki. Iida noticed his antsy demeanor, outing him to his peers. “You seem rather tense, Midoriya. Care to share what’s on your mind?”

He squeaked at the sudden attention, feeling their eager eyes on him. “U-uhm, I dunno. It’s not really my place to share it…” Denki, bored and ever the trouble maker, pressed the matter. “Aww, c’mon Midoriya! You can’t just not tell us! We gotta know!”

The angel and devil on his shoulder fought for a few seconds, coming to the ultimate conclusion that a little laughter could do his friend some good. “W-well, I’ve seen Todoroki laugh quite a few times. You kinda gotta…m-make him, though.” The interested students hung on his every word, soaking in the new information. Make him? “What’dya mean by that, Midobro?

Izuku sighed, knowing they would want to hear more. At least Kirishima was nice about it. “He’s…he’s ticklish. Like, pretty badly ticklish. I’ve managed to get him really laughing a few times; it isn’t all that hard.”

Every teen that was paying attention seemed shocked. The serious, stoic, hardly-cracked-a-smile guy Todoroki was ticklish? It seemed hard to believe; the image of their emotionally distant peer a giggly, blushing, mess was just too obscure to imagine. Denki made sure to point it out. “No way! I’ve poked him before, and got nothing! I’d know if Todoroki was ticklish.”

Bakugou stared down his childhood friend before interrupting. He knew the greenette well enough to tell when he was lying. “Nah, the nerd’s telling the truth. Icy-hot is fucking ticklish.”

Kaminari looked like he’d just won the lottery. A goofy smirk formed on his face as he made a joke. “Wow, Todoroki is actually ticklish. I’m gonna go visit Hell for a bit, now that it’s frozen over.” Ojiro, rolling his eyes at the line, tased the goofy blonde’s side.

Iida regretted asking, feeling a bit guilty for indirectly exposing his classmate’s secret.. “Can you all be mature about anything? Our classmate would not appreciate us gossiping about this personal aspect!” Bakugou rolled his eyes, flopping on his mattress. “Pull the stick out your ass, four eyes. It’s just stupid shit, not like we’re talkin’ bout his dirty secrets or anything.”

The class president squawked at his argument, but didn’t get a chance to yell at him before Kirishima cut back in. “HEY! Why don’t we all put this info to use and, I dunno, make the guy laugh. I think we can all agree that he needs it.”

Nobody argued with him there. Not every student was up for it, some fearing retribution, others not wanting to be crispy-fried or frozen solid. In the end, the team consisted of Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, Midoriya, and surprisingly Bakugou. They got a plan together; all they needed was the dual-quirked teen.

-

Todorki had always enjoyed longer showers; it felt nice to just stand under the water and think. He was expecting a few of his peers to question how long he took, though he wasn’t prepared to have five of them eagerly eyeing him as he left the showers. The boy tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice as he spoke to them. “Do you all need something from me?”

The electric blonde smirked, stepping forwards. “Actually, yeah.” With that, the group went into action. Catching him by surprise, Sero came up behind him and shot tape around his hands, hoisting them above his head. Kirishima held the shocked teen in place as Sero got a few more layers of tape on his hands and forearms, thoroughly restraining him.

Normally, Todo would’ve just burned throughout the tape and left. With his peers so close, however, he was hesitant; he couldn’t risk hurting them. The teen tugged at his arms, shooting a glare at his classmates. “What’re you all doing?”

They answered his question pretty quickly. Kaminari squeezed his sides, while Sero poked along his spine. He snapped his mouth shut, eyes growing wide. Oh, they didn’t. He forced out an order, managing to contain his giggles. “G-get off of me!”

This only encouraged his “attackers.” Sero used both hands, dragging his nails down Todoroki’s spine. The candy-cane arched his back, flinching right into Kirishima’s wiggling fingers on his belly. That got a snort out of him, the serious teen’s cheeks dusted with red.

“Oooh, someone’s ticklish!” It was already a struggle to hold in his giggling; Kaminiari’s stupid teases were an unfair challenge. “Sh-shut uhup!” The electric student gasped, eyes lighting up with playful mischief. “Was that a giggle?! C’mon, gimme a few more!”

Who knew Kaminari would be so good at teasing? The student definitely didn’t, that’s for sure. Thankfully, he moved his fingers to the boy’s armpits, trying to find his worst spot; he didn’t realize he had already found it. “How about here, huh? Does this tickle?” That damn word… He wished he could delete it from the blonde’s vocabulary.

Midoriya tried to conceal a smile, watching his peer move farther away from the jackpot he was looking for. He was conflicted; on one hand, it was wonderful to see Todoroki like this around other people. On the other hand, he would probably be more than a little betrayed if the greenette revealed his worst spot. Decisions, decisions… Eh, what’s the worst that could happen?

“You know you’re getting colder, right?” All four of the perpetrators turned to him, Todoroki’s eyes narrowed in a “don’t you dare” expression. Ignoring it and the inevitable revenge, he continued. “You actually already found it. It’s right around here…”

Denki parted the waters for him, letting the freckled teen do his thing. With an apologetic smile, he clawed at Todoroki’s navel, not flinching at the howl of laughter the action received. The other students’ eyes lit up, though Bakugou tried to conceal his. Izuku stepped back, leaving his friends the chaotic seed he’d planted.

Ten fingers immediately latched onto Todo’s stomach, Kaminari wasting no time. Loud, surprisingly bubbly laughter burst from him, a wide smile growing on the face of the typically-earnest teen. “N-NOHOHO! MIHIDORIYAHA! TRAHAHAITOR!”

That started a little competition; an unspoken game of “Who Can Get Todoroki to Laugh the Loudest” beginning between the four teens. Denki was in the lead, scribbling in and around his navel and teasing his lower belly. Kirishima was in a semi-close second, drilling his fingertips into the multi-quirked boy’s hollows. Sero, deciding to be a menace, toyed near his spine, tracing teasy little shapes up and down his back. Bakugou and Izuku hung back, though the explosive blonde seemed ready to jump in.

Todoroki was burning; not literally, but he could feel the heat on his cheeks. He trusted his classmates not to go too far, but damn, that shit tickled. He was mainly nervous of Bakugou; they had already found his worst spot, but he knows one more that would make the goofiness much more unbearable. A spot that Baku knew.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, the fiery teen cracked his knuckles, approaching the group. He crouched down, going for Todo’s outer thigh. He clawed at the outer edges, making sure to keep things as comfortable as they could be.

Todoroki shrieked at the addition of the spot, four people now trying their best to wreck him. It was almost maddening; all he could think about was “tickles, tickles shIT THAT TICKLES!” over and over again. His entire face was a bright red, almost matching the left side of his hair. “NAHAHAHA! GUHU- PLEHEHEASE! NOHO MOHOHORE!”

Denki saw how wild all the tickling was driving his classmate. Deciding to show some mercy, he went for one more scribble on the boy’s navel before backing away. Kirishima also took the hint, ending the underarm tickles. Bakugou reluctantly pulled away, not wanting to seem silly compared to the other two. Sero continued out of pure spite, wanting to hear the giggles a little longer.

The hot-and-cold student was wiped; five of his classmates “tormenting” him was exhausting. He practically hung from the tape restraints, giggling softly as Sero continued to softly tickle his back. It honestly just made him more tired, but in a good way. He still wanted it to end, but they were relaxing in the silliest way.

Midoriya checked the time, seeing how late it was getting. He had always been a bit of a mother-hen when it came to his close friends, even though he got injured far worse and much more often than they did. “Come on, Sero. He’s had enough.” The tape hero-in-training backed away, a smug smile on his face. “Fine. You know he was enjoying it, though.”

Kirishima hardened his hand, cutting the tape around the giggly, exhausted teen’s arms. It quickly unraveled, Todo swaying into Midoriya’s waiting arms. He carried his classmate over to the half-and-half student’s bed for the night, laying him down and pulling the blankets over him. He was out in seconds.

The rest of their classmates snickered quietly, each going either back to sleep or to their devices. The goof troop that wrecked him fist-bumped, silently cheering a job well-done. Sero, still proud of himself for bringing it up and starting it all, chuckled. “I’ll admit, that was pretty fun. Nice to see him laugh like that.”

His friends agreed, even Bakugou huffing a quiet “I guess” before heading to his bed. The teen had a strict sleep schedule, and while the tickling was fun, it did delay that. The rest snickered before dispersing, each heading to their own sleeping spots.

Todoroki found himself smiling and laughing a lot more after that day, be it from cheesy jokes or the occasional side poke. And honestly? He didn’t really mind. Turns out even the most serious of teenagers can enjoy a good laugh with friends every once in a while.

[math-imagines]

Black Doom Shows You How to Do Integration by Substitution

Gender Neutral Reader, Black Doom & Reader or Black Doom/Reader, up to interpretation

Being in space, you would have assumed that you wouldn’t have to worry about things like math and calculus. It wasn’t like you assumed it wouldn’t be involved in space travel, but you assumed that you wouldn’t have to deal with it with this exact space trip, considering you were abducted by aliens and all. You’d assumed that you were going to be eaten, like everyone else who’d been captured. Yet you and a very small number of others hadn’t yet and were instead being put through a number of tests. A few were physical in some way, but most had tested your intelligence. You couldn’t help but feel like a rat in a maze, being tested on how fast we could change our behavior after being electrocuted. Were these aliens, the Black Arms as you now knew they were called, studying you? If they were, then what for?

This specific test was a test of your ability to do calculations. Vaguely you thought back on that comic that was rather popular a while ago, about someone being forced to do algebraic equations to get into heaven, and couldn’t help but feel that this was something like that. The first few questions weren’t too hard for you, you’d never been bad at math. But when you got into the calculus section, you started to get nervous. You’d only learned so much calculus before you’d been, well, abducted by aliens. And one part in particular always go to you. Integrals in general just hadn’t clicked with you yet. You knew how to do it, but you couldn’t always do it right. It didn’t help that the massive ruler of the Black Arms, Black Doom, was watching everyone testing. You were sure it couldn’t be, but it was almost like he was watching you more than the others.

The next question was about just one of these. Of course it was. It asked what the indefinite integral was of the cube root of seven minus tangent t, all multiplied by secant squared of t. Nothing seemed to be going your way. Why did they even to know if you could do integrals anyway? Surely, they were just going to eat you in the end anyway! Why did they need you to work alone too? Wouldn’t this test be just as effective if you could all work together? You tried to solve the problem anyway, if you only could get a little help…

The floating Black Doom started to move through the space, and to your horror, he came towards you! Had you displeased him in some way? You were quite certain this was when you would be eaten, when he said in his low voice, “You struggle. Why do you persist?”

You glanced around, hoping there would be someone else nearby to respond, but no one did, so you answered nervously, “I don’t know how to do this bit. I hadn’t learned it in class yet. I think I can get it though, if someone…” You paused for a moment, considering whether or not this was a test too. Should you say it? Was that against the rules? No one else spoke, and some others clearly struggled too.

He seemed to read your mind as he let out a low laugh. “It is no shame to require assistance,” he said, “The Black Arms are a hive mind, there is a constant cooperation and collaboration between us. I’ve not seen one of your kind request assistance, not in a non-life threating situation. It takes intelligence to be capable of learning and wisdom to be willing to ask questions. Certainly, you are a promising candidate. Come with me, I will show you how to solve problems such as these.”

…what? Black Doom, ruler of the Black Arms, probably a demi-god, destroyer of worlds, was offering to teach you how to do calculus? Called you intelligent and wise? This couldn’t be real. Shakely, you stood and followed the towering alien out of the room. You still weren’t sure you weren’t going to be eaten, but you followed obediently. And how did he know what you were going to ask for help? Could he read your mind?

“Yes,” he said, though you hadn’t spoken a word. You walked with him down a long corridor now. “We’ve partially attuned you and your fellows to the hive mind. You cannot connect to it, but we can examine your thought processes through it. We use it to determine how well you complete the tests to reveal which of you are most suitable.”

“How are you able to do that?” you asked, knowing there’s no point in leaving it unsaid now. You tried not to think about what “suitable” referred to.

“It’s in your food. A psychokinetically active additive makes your small minds more open to us. We need you all alive for now, so you must eat to live.”

“So, it’s like the radioactive compounds in PET scans, but to see our thoughts instead of our brains?”

He glanced at you, giving a judgmental gaze. “They do not have those in the rest of the civilized universe. Most do not put radioactive compounds in their bodies willingly.”

“Oh.” You walked in silence down the long corridor, until you followed him into an antechamber with a giant tablelike structure in the center.

“I will show you how to complete problems like these,” he declared, moving to one side of the table and indicating that you should join him by scaling a massive seat that seemed more like a monolith than a chair. You managed, with a reasonable amount of effort to climb on top of it. “Good,” he said as you gazed up at him, “You struggled with this.” You nodded as he indicated the problem in question.

“It simply a matter of substitution,” he said, using a massive claw to etch the problem on the table.

“You must simply replace one part of the integral with a separate variable, making it easier to integrate.”You weren’t quite sure you knew what he meant, but you nodded along as he etched a separate variable, u, into the table.

He continued. “It would be more difficult to integrate the cube root of 7 tangent t than of a single variable, such as u. To integrate with respect to u, you must also transform dt to du.” He then wrote a derivative equation:

“Why would we take the derivative of u?”, you asked, confused at the seemingly irrelevant step.

“Have patience,” Black Doom snapped, then continued, “If you’d not interrupted, I would have been able to inform you that the derivative of u is taken to isolate du and dt, and their equivalent portions of the equations.” As he took the derivative of 7 minus 7 tangent t, it made more sense; the majority of the derivative was the factor outside of the radical.

“Multiplying both sides by dt isolates du and dt, making it possible to replace secant squared t and dt with an equivalent expression in that makes the integral possible to integrate in terms of u rather than t.”

When he lay it out before you, it seemed far simpler than you thought it would be. “So, you can take a simpler integral rather than a more complicated one by replacing parts of it with equivalent and simpler variables?”

“Correct,” If Black Doom had a mouth, you could have sworn smiled at you. “Your species’ capacity to learn so rapidly is something we valued in you. If I were to name a positive characteristic in your inferior species, it would be that.”

You gave a weak smile in response, somewhat concerned by his phrasing. You watched him write the edited integral.

This integral was far more reasonable to deal with, a simple matter really. You etched the integrated solution on the table in your smaller hand writing with your writing utensil, something between a pencil and marker.

Black Doom nodded approvingly. “There is but one more step,” he said, “to replace u with what it was originally substituted for.”

“That’s the solution then?” you confirmed.

“Indeed,” he replied. “You are certainly a most suitable candidate. Very adaptable and obedient. I shall keep you in mind for later. Now return to your fellows. Do not bother with completing more of this test, your progress has been deemed satisfactory.”

You nodded and rushed towards the exit, then paused for a moment. “Thank you,” you said, trying not to make your voice shake.

Black Doom looked at you curiously for a moment, after which he said, “As you should. Now begone!”

As you turned and returned to the first chamber you were in, you gave the test you’d completed in a pile of other completed tests and returned to a group of your fellow abductees.

“Oh my chaos!” one gasped as you returned, “You’re alive! We thought for sure you got eaten!”

You shook your head. “No,” you said, “Actually, Black Doom explained calculus to me.”

“You’re clowning? You’re not clowning? I sense clowns.”

“No, I’m serious.” You turned away. “I think there’s something more going on here, though,” you whispered, “I’ve told you before I think they’re studying us, right?”

The others nodded, and some of the Black Arms nearby almost imperceptibly tensed, shifting.

You glanced around, “I think these tests are for more than just study,” you said softly, “I think there’s a bigger goal here. We’re candidates for something. These are just the preliminary tests to determine which of us is best for the real experiment.”

The rest of the group recoiled. “Surely not?” one chuckled nervously. “I mean, the aliens wouldn’t have told you their real plan, right?”

You opened your mouth to double down, but one of the Black Arms jerked their head and reached for a phaser at the edge of your vision. “You’re probably right,” you said, keeping your eye on the alien, “just a theory.”

The group visibly relaxed and so did the surrounding Black Arms. You didn’t though. What had happened still didn’t feel real to you. But as much as you knew something else was going on, you pushed it to the back of your mind, in a place you hoped the Black Arms couldn’t find.

***

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed and/or learned some calculus from this! Again, if you have any character requests for any fandom or any math topic, just ask. I feel completely deranged for writing this, but I sure did review that topic! I think the plot's not terrible either. Until next time!

[5ivebyfive]

Hiii i found u on ao3 originally when i found intoxicate me gently and im literally so in love with your writing, i just wanted to say that !!! I fully get enraptured everytime i read please dont stop writing

Thank you so very much for this ask! I’m glad you like img. I’m fairly in love with it as well.

I definitely don’t mean I’ll stop writing. I couldn’t stop writing these two idiots falling in love in an infinity numbers of ways if I tried. We’ll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the film and I’ll be on my next idea and still be type-type-typing. (Or I’ll still be hacking away at Kim in shut up and drive, who knows.)

I just miss how fandom used to feel. When I felt like a contributor to a fun group and not a “content creator” who is nothing but a screen name making words for whoever, and “whoever” doesn’t care about me as a writer or themselves a fandom participant.

It’s funny. I used to have this trimberly discord server for writers, artists, graphics editors, etc and it was called Trimberly’s Creators Circle.

Back then, being a content creator felt like a good thing. Because content was more seen as a positive and an offering, almost. Now when I hear “content creator” I just feel like a robot with a ticking clock over my shoulder. And that’s because of the lack of actual fandom anymore. Not just this movie and ship, but all fandoms. Fandom wasn’t just consuming content. It was engaging with each other, making friends, taking turns to share things about the Thing you love, and encouraging each other on. And then for some people, it was about being the cheerleader, the admirer. The person to listen to an unhinged writer, ranting about one specific fic and their motivations and spoilers. Legit everyone had a role in fandom.

I’ve gone off on a rant, sorry. I just mean that….

I know I can be slow at replying to comments. I just communicate better, back and forth, on here or discord. And my memory is shit. But I still love hearing peoples thoughts. I want to talk to you about what I write, because I’m passionate about it. It’s in my brain bouncing around at all times, yearning to be free. Wanting to talk about it, for people to tell me their thoughts, to wanting you to ask me stuff about my works, isn’t me looking for an ego boost. It’s just me looking for fandom.

Idk. I’m honestly a little high right now and have completely forgotten where I was going with all of this or even what the ask was.

So.

Return Trimberly fandom. Return “fandom”. I miss you.

And no, I’m not quitting writing ever. Please keep reading img and thank you for loving something my brain made up.✌🏼

[pommunist]

feeling iffy on the egg merch because on the one hand lumi said that she hasn't been contacted about getting paid with the proceeds from the merch but on the other hand it does make sense to an extent. if they say you will get x% of the proceeds, and then that specific egg doesn't sell as well, which would suck. or for the eggs that have had multiple admins getting an exact percent would be difficult, so i understand them not getting an exact number for their likliness. but also would it be that hard to confirm a portion of the merch revenue (general) would be? i'd like to assume it is but im not confident

unfortunate because i did want to buy one if it was confirmed to be going to them.

My thoughts on egg merch are :

-First it’s important to remember that it was in the works way before the admins situation was revealed (this was confirmed by the artist and also it’s easy to guess simply because of the time it takes to design/produce merch).

This means 3 things : That it wasn’t a direct response to the « how do we pay admins » question, that for this very reason we don’t know if revenue will go towards their salary, and also that the merch release is most likely not some PR move to make people forget about what’s happening with a shiny new thing (I’ve seen people have that theory and while I agree timing is horrible you just can come up with merch that quickly).

-Second, IF the revenue from the merch goes towards the admins who stayed (and I hope it does), I agree that it shouldn’t be on a system like you get X% of the revenue of YOUR egg. Not only because pay would then be very popularity reliant but also bc as you said, how does that work when a character was played by multiple admins or by an admin that left the studio

-Imo, the way to go is to just use all the revenue, regardless of which figure generated more, and put it in a fund that can be used to help pay ALL admins, regardless of who they played, and that’d include also builders, writers, community managers, devs, translators….

One sad thing that most likely will stay true no matter what they end up doing is that the money generated by the likability of some eggs will never go towards the people who made said character likeable in the first place because they quit/were fired. That’s why I personally won’t buy any of the merch (that and 35$ a piece ? I don’t have that kind of cash 🥲).

However I don’t think anyone should judge or be unkind to people who buy the merch, there is no point to do so, especially if it’s later revealed that the funds will help pay remaining admins fairly.

Finally reminding you all once more that the figures were designed by the wonderful french artist @/Foxie_Fern on Twitter and I encourage everyone to check her work !

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 36

Somewhere along the way with the fragments I started to get filled with a small sense of dread that the story will at some point, more or less just slam on the brakes and drag it to a crawl. I also started to become apprehensive that there will be some unanswered questions on my part. Maybe not necessarily large ones, but ones that I personally would’ve been more intrigued by a potential answer. Not for the first time the thought occurred that I just might have to look at the console arcs to see if I might get some of the answers I desire. Whether you view the console arcs as canonical or not.

A red capsule

I’m starting to think that the intro to the fragments section might have been full of it gang. Except for the first fragment the explanatory meeting, none of these seem to be from Hanyuu’s perspective at all. Perhaps it was said to act as a sort of framing device for jumping around from narrator to narrator?

For a small amount of time I thought this was a Tatarigoroshi ending era Keiichi. I have no good justification for why I didn’t immediately figure this was Rena.

I know this is meant to be residual amounts of Hinamizawa Syndrome talking, but I do think Rena is being too hard on herself for not immediately picking up on her mother’s infidelity, and Akihito’s duplicity as a small child. I know I mentioned it quite a few times before in Tsumihoroboshi, but I cannot for the life of me remember what they had diagnosed her condition as in Onikakushi. I sort of want to go back and find that out because I think it’s an interesting notion that her already pre-existing mental disorder is also remarkably similar to Hinamizawa Syndrome. What are the odds? Do you think that if Irie or Takano had access to Rena’s medical records from the time she smashed up her classmates they would’ve gotten any sort of boost to their research? Is that how Takano was able to so efficiently manipulate Rena in Tsumihoroboshi?

Eh? EHHHHH? Think about it.

I guess it’s only because Rena’s the one character we really see at these heightened levels, but it’s interesting to me how different her symptoms of the syndrome seem to be. You never see any of the other infected people exhibit this penchant for self-harm/mutilation. Well except for the most fatal stages of the syndrome I suppose, then you see them just tear into themselves. I guess this means that Rena is already at L5?

Initially when I read this it didn’t really affect me that much, but reading it again it grossed me out pretty severely and made me physically recoil while reading about her pulling the blood vessels open. Narrative narrative, I just wonder how Hanyuu became aware of Rena’s suffering to the point that she was able to sense she was going to kill herself because of the syndrome? It’s established later on that there is fundamentally an infinite number of fragments and permutations of events through the series that exist. So it stands to reason that in at least a few of these Rena did die from the syndrome. In the very first version of all the timelines that all the fragments sprung from did Rena just so happen to resist the symptoms long enough to get back to Hinamizawa? Or is it more likely that by some random fluke of fate she survived, became friends with Rika and the rest, and then Hanyuu realized she was a pivotal character to Rika’s survival? With the earlier revelation that there’s nigh infinite amounts of fragments Higurashi really is rather friendly to fanfiction isn’t it?

Once more I’m just sort of letting my mind get temporarily bogged down in hyper specific details that don’t really matter. How long, for lack of a better term, is Hanyuu’s range? I’ve seen/read too many things that has a gods’ divinity or powers tied to the people who believe in them, so I think I’m trying in vain to tie that idea and Hanyuu together. Not that it particularly matters, but it’s just something I’m curious about. I doubt that Hanyuu has been keeping an eye on Rena the entire time she’s been away from Hinamizawa, but I don’t doubt she showed up in the vision that stopped Rena from killing herself. Whether or not that was actually her or just a figment of Rena’s mind I don’t know. It is entirely possible that Hanyuu never even really knew that Rena existed until 1982. It is possible that I am giving Hanyuu far too much credit.

Without wishing to get into an argument about antidepressants I admit that I find it interesting that for all of Irie and Takano’s research you can apparently completely suppress the symptoms of Hinamizawa Syndrome with prescription medicine like that. I assume this is a form of antidepressant she’s on, I’m not exactly well-versed in psychiatric medicine. To be fair, I don’t think Ryukishi07 is either.

There was the implication that Tsumihoroboshi was the result of Rena not taking her medication. At least before the parasite/alien invasion ideas got thrown around, so this kind of makes me wonder if she’s on her meds for this chapter? For whatever it’s worth when she shows up she doesn’t act particularly more aggressive than she does in any of the other chapters she shows up in as a non-antagonistic entity. Not that this particularly matters in the grand scheme of things. Just a random stray thought.

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Number 19

Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ll be counting my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “Everyone has thought about killing someone, one way or another.”

Number 19 is…Will Graham, from Hannibal.

Before I get into the sort of nitty-gritty things with this character, I need to clarify something: I’m referring here SPECIFICALLY to the version from the TV series “Hannibal," played by Hugh Dancy. This, of course, is not the only version. Will Graham, of course, started off in the book “Red Dragon” by Thomas Harris…but I have read none of Harris’ novels, so I can’t really comment on his literary origins. In films, there have been two versions of Will, both taken from screen adaptations of the same book. The first was “Manhunter,” which starred William Petersen (a.k.a. Gil Grissom from CSI, who appeared earlier in the countdown). The second was “Red Dragon,” a sequel to the much-lauded “Silence of the Lambs,” which had Edward Norton as the character.

I have nothing against Norton or Petersen as actors, and neither of their portrayals of Will Graham are really all that bad. However, in both cases, they feel a bit too similar to other characters I’ve seen in other movies. They’re not invalid approaches, but they don’t feel like they stand out a lot when compared to various other detective figures, at least in my opinion. Dancy’s Graham is a whole different story. Not only does Dancy benefit from the series being able to do more than either film could accomplish, on account of being longer, but I feel it does a great job expanding on concepts present in those earlier versions (and, I presume, in the book), and creates a much more unique and fascinating character overall.

In “Hannibal,” Will starts off as a forensics instructor at the FBI academy. He has abandoned field work due to depression and stress, both of which are caused by his signature ability as a detective: Graham has what is termed as “pure empathy,” which allows him to almost literally see a crime through a killer’s eyes. He’s able to not only put the pieces together, as any great detective does, but he can actually FEEL the way the killer felt during the course of any crime. He can understand their motives and their emotional standpoints in a way nobody else seemingly can. While this ability does allow Will an advantage in solving cases, it’s just as much a curse as a blessing: some crimes you can understand on a basic, sympathetic level, sure, but Will has the strange ability to empathize with even the most depraved and disgusting human beings. Somewhere deep down, he feels he’s just as rotten as any murderer, and so his skills are also something he struggles to contain.

In the show, Graham befriends the titular character and villain protagonist of the series, Hannibal Lecter (played by Mads Mikkelsen). Lecter is a twisted psychiatrist who is secretly a criminal mastermind, as well as a serial killer: a cannibalistic psychopath who enjoys turning his victims into gourmet meals. Lecter forms a strange bond with Graham, and tries to push him into embracing his dark side and becoming a villain himself. The series focuses on the unusual ups and downs of the pair’s warped and highly peculiar relationship, as they alternate from hating each other as much as any person can hate anyone, to having ties so close to each other it borders on the romantic. This is somewhat like our previous pick, L from Death Note; Graham has the advantage of getting to stay through the entire story.

I love seeing the journey Will goes on in the show, and I feel this version tapped into something different that earlier screen versions didn’t quite recognize. The relationship between the two main characters is what really makes this show work, beyond anything else. Ultimately, the main reason Will from “Hannibal” doesn’t rank higher is also the same as our previous pick: he’s the main detective, and a major part of the story, but he’s not actually the protagonist. The rest of our options to come are.

Tomorrow, the countdown reaches the halfway point, with Number 18!

CLUE: "You don't have to trust me, as long as you can persuade me to trust you."

[stormblessed95]

I have a big problem with ot7 army’s who act very very weird towards jimin and jungkook specifically when it’s both of them involved in something and I think it’s quite a problem too. Ot7 army’s insinuate anything to do with Jikook as shipping and it’s lowkey an insulting way to think because can’t you see their friendship outside of a sexual and romantic relationship, yk the funny thing about that is they ‘hate’ shipping the boys but they can’t see jimin and jungkook as just friends. It’s always about a ship with them and they can never let anyone enjoy the moment.

What triggered this thought was the response to this tweet where the interviewer asked a question where he mentions jimin and the response was so wholly negative and I get that he didn’t ask the best questions but if it was namjoon mentioned for example or maybe even taehyung I know and believe the response probably would’ve been entirely different. And adding onto that when the GMA host asked about jimin they were mad again? But like what do you honestly expect jimin was also in the country with jungkook so they’re gonna ask about the member he’s with. What really annoyed me was that I and the rest of the fandom were mad for different reasons I was annoyed because she outed that jimin was there and it wasn’t common knowledge but the rest were mad just simply because of the mentioning of his name….

I’ve seen it’s such a widespread thing amont majority of the fandom to diminish or ignore jimin and jungkooks bond or what they obviously have. I saw a popular tweet saying jimin could pull namjoon and I honestly believe that and the comments agreed and mentioned yoongi and taehyung a lot but not once jungkook… i questioned whether we’re seeing the same content because not one mention of jungkook THAT MAN IS WHIPPED for jimin😭it’s not even that big of a deal but it is since it’s such a popular thing. And also jimin went to nyc to support jungkook no army talked about it only jkkrs.

Sorry I’m just gonna have a rant about some other thing’s because this feels like a safe space.

I also wanted to talk about the lack of action against tkkrs especially by ot7 army’s. And I have watched this from once again a neutral point of view as someone who doesn’t indulge in shipping. Tkkrs legitimately run the fandom they make up at most 50% of it too. So wherever you go you will see atleast one taekooker and by now I would’ve thought they would decrease in numbers but they haven’t and they’re running wild. The YouTube videos they made of jimin, the tiktoks spreading mistranslations, the SA tweets they make about him and just all the verbal harassment as well as defamation. And when I see these things happen it’s a big big deal but it’s never talked about and the one time they did which was that one twitter space where this old lady was talking none of the accounts got banned 💀 and I had reported them each 20 times. They also had posts accusing jimin of harassing jungkook which are reportable but the account managed to stay up even after it got more than 1mil views on their hate tweet?. I don’t how the account still being up can be explained other than by the fact that barely anybody didn’t anything. And the grouping they do is outrageous

I get that some/quite a big of jikookers are bad but they have never done what tkkrs do and continue to do. They use it as deflection they say “all shippers” and never explicitly mention that literal cult.

And I used to follow this one army who had been exposed for being a jimin anti and friends with vile taekookers mind you they had 20k followers. This person liked tweets by vile jimin anti (not the anti ones themselves) and was in a gc with taekookers who while she was in there shat on Jimins name and hated him. And yet no ot7 army called them out only pjms and jikookers. They still have an extremely large following. As well people jumped to their defence even when they themselves had none??? But then I saw them giving hate too a jimin bias army who by the way had never been an anti but just didn’t post about other members as much. The energy is always directed in the wrong directions and I think it’s purposeful.

1. I'm an OT7 army and while there are quite a few of us doing what we can about tkkrs. The point is valid

2. I also saw that minimoni tweet and saw the lack of Jungkook mentioned 🤣 sigh

3. Rant posted

[torschlusspanikattack]

Hey Torschluss -- when you reblogged that zionism discourse post and called the comments "a work of art", were you saying you agreed with the final poster (dancinbutterfly), or that you thought they were wrong in an interesting way?

I ask because I get quite frustrated with the sort of hugboxy-pseudointellectualism a lot of Tumblr Leftists engage in, and I feel the problems with dancinbutterfly's responses are severe and obvious:

1) while making an argument that calling people "retarded" is wrong, DB _perfectly_ and transparently recreates the underlying logic behind calling a person retarded -- they list a number of factors outside of their interlocutor's (Mephorash's) immediate control that would limit that person's capacity to engage critically with an idea, then insinuates that this lack of engagement is responsible for Meph's opinions. Maintaining a tone of condescension intended to demarcate Meph as mentally and morally inferior in a "nice" way WITHOUT directly engaging with their arguments;

2) they behave in exactly the way the OP (evilsoup) stated: conflating Zionism with Judeism, and therefore antizionism with antisemitism, by ignoring the existence of non-zionist jews and non-jewish zionists. Reacting with hostility to the statement that antisemitism will increase as zionists do bad things _and conflate antizionism with antisemetism_, then imply that being Jewish clears zionists of moral culpability for their support of Israel's genocide against the Palestinians.

I see a lot of Leftists on this site reinvent racism in a "woke" way, stating that a person's minority status matters more for the legitimacy of their opinions than the ability of those opinions to withstand external scrutiny, or excusing when a minority activist group is on some "blood-and-soil" shit (Black Seperatists come to mind). I understand why -- enough people are bad-faith bigots that reflexively giving minorities the benefit of the doubt or extra room to be platformed seems a good way to start fixing the issue of them being under-represented in society as a whole -- but I would hate to think you were supporting that line of logic in the case of Dancinbutterfly's obvious Zionism. You seem smarter than that, from what I can tell.

I don’t think the parts that make their comments and tags so funny have anything to do with their rightness or wrongness (although I do think they are very wrong).

Basically everything you say is true, but I think the especially notable element to me is the degree of condescension combined with the veneer of compassion. I’ve never seen it be so extremely blatant and comprehensive.

Plus, the specificity and breadth of the condescension really elevates the strength of the attack:

Probably because you didn't pay attention in English Language Arts Class from Ages 10-17.

Doubling down on the idea that people disagree with you (in bigoted ways according to the speaker) bc of lack of a very specific kind of education. The specificity really helps bc it manages to not just centre humanities courses but (presumably American) primary and secondary school basic courses as the source of rightly moral thinking.

It makes me wonder: was your educational development negatively effected by Covid 19? Because if that's the case, I'm sorry.

This one combines the implication of being very young with the specificity of education disruptions caused by a specific world event.

It's not you fault if your ability to understand written language was delayed because of the pandemic.

This one is just very brazen about couching calling someone illiterate (and by implication developmentally delayed/impaired ‘compassionately”.

Also, having 4 or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can greatly increase people's difficulty in school and vulnerability to radicalization and group think, so maybe you've just had a very hard life and that's why you're being like this.

As noted, this one is my favourite; it combines psychology-adjacent jargon (ACEs) with totally dismissal of other perspectives as a ‘vulnerability to radicalisation and groupthink’. The elevation of claims about psychology and claims about the correct viewpoint to objective fact, made even more funny by the specificity of ‘4 or more’. Not only is disagreement the result of objective psychological impairment, this is quantifiable and the quantity is exactly 4 or more ACEs (taken as completely reified and measurable discrete things).

Ending on ‘being like this’ also clearly implies that the form of disagreement (and disagreement broadly) is a specific and defective way of being—this one is harder to explain. Disagreement is transformed into a consequence of being a certain way, not anything else, and the cause and effect relationship to being that way is rendered ironclad. There’s more to it, but I don’t know how I would convey the remaining impact of rhetoric phrase: being like this.

Which really makes your response much more antisemitic. And ableist actually. Cuz of the R word.

Because lashing out antisemitically and ableistically like that at a stranger seems like a sign of really intense distress to me.

There is just something to the craft and arrangement of these sentences. The way antisemitism and ableism are referenced. The way ableism is added, with the actually. The way the sentences are paced. The use of R word. The construction of the words ‘antisemitically and ableistically’.

[link to some form of psychological or social treatment]

The link (which doesn’t work but that’s irrelevant) has all the specificity and condescension of sending someone a link to a suicide hotline with the novelty of not just being that—also implies mental or social deficiency towards target.

#just wishing them healing and peace and the ability to remember that other people on the internet are human beings

The tags are littered with lines like this one that just manage to convey such a total disregard for the person being responded to while apparently promoting self-evident positivity.

The total effect of the post is to, purposefully or not (intent is basically irrelevant), relentlessly attack both the specific poster disagreeing with them and anyone who shares the same views in a particularly dismissive and condescending way, while maintaining the outward trappings of soft compassion.

The ironic pose endemic to online arguments puts an emphasis on boldness and excess that gives the post value as an extreme execution of various postures common in online arguments.

[lunanoc]

are you surprised that I'm asking you to do Wu Xie for the blorbo bingo ?

(alternative offers if you want to do them: Li Cu, since you're finishing sha hai and/or Huo Xiuxiu)

i’m very late in replying to this sorryyy

absolutely not surprised but i appreciate the window of opportunity to let me *unintelligible noises* about wu xie <3

(for disclaimer purposes as always these are all just my personal opinions and aren’t pretending to be objective facts)

i’m totally normal about wu xie my beloved (who absolutely has pretty boy privilege that he definitely uses to his advantage whether he fully realizes he does or not, also this man is vain af in the most human way possible), he’s the ultimate blorbo and i’d be writing essays about him if i actually fully got into why i love him. wu xie is incredibly complex and goes through one of the most realistic and in-depth developments i’ve seen in a fictional character honestly. it says something that usually first person narration isn’t really my thing, but wu xie’s pov is so enjoyable and compelling you can’t put the books down. because of that unique perspective, we get wu xie in all that he is as he changes (though not quite as much as he himself thinks he does) throughout his experiences, the good and the ugly both, and while he’s deeply flawed, it’s because he’s deeply flawed and contradictory and so painfully human as a result that he’s as interesting and endearing as he is, i love him a very normal amount :))

the one maybe controversial opinion i have is that while not most because that would be exaggerating, i still find a number of popular fandom takes on wu xie, on the western side of the fandom specifically, are off just enough they bother me. it’s hard to narrow it down to a single reason because it’s a mix of different things that aren’t always objective (as in some things are just my preference vs someone else’s), but i would say one of the bigger ones is the sometimes gross misunderstanding of cultural backdrop and framework that have made him into who he is. you can easily extend this to pretty much all the characters, it’s just more noticeable in the portrayals of the main ones, but dmbj is a story deeply informed by its cultural framework, both in terms of narrative and in terms of the characters, how they act, their thought processes, and how all this impacts their interactions with others. so it’s not hard to understand that disregarding that would skew the characters on a fundamental level, which is something i find happens to wu xie more than it should. but that’s just me

next! li cu

i don’t have anything crazy to say about li cu really outside the fact i find him a little more compelling in the book than in the drama, mostly because you get his thought process a little more in-depth in the book, and he’s interesting as a contrast to how wu xie works. he’s clearly way in over his head and trying his best to cope with increasing trauma that just keeps heaping itself on top of itself without letting him really process it so yes he needs to stop being in situations (even if arguably being in situations is what ultimately saves his life). he’s also a teenage boy which just makes me want to fix him. just a little bit. i swear he can be better it’s not his fault teenage boys are a little dumb in the head! he does show up more in later canon post-ten years later, so it’s not like he completely disappears, but him and the desert triangle squad aren’t uninteresting characters so it’s interesting enough to keep up with them even if his strained relationship with wu xie hurts me for both of them (li cu using wu xie as a convenient party to pin the blame on for all his misfortunes vs wu xie perceiving li cu as the consequences of his necessary evils made flesh ouchouchouch)

aaaand huo xiuxiu

huo xiuxiu my beloved, best girl hands down, none can compare <3

when i say the writers dropped the ball on her, i mostly mean the dramas, although tbh more specifically lost tomb 2 and 2.5 that. yeah that’s not xiuxiu that’s all i’ll say. i find the closest to book version of her is in ultimate note, that still for introducing characters earlier than they should have been reasons couldn’t give her some of her coolest scenes. she’s intelligent, she’s skilled and cunning and pretty, yet in the beginning she also has that gap of practical inexperience that make her human. she’s the whole deal really. interestingly enough when they meet in the books, wu xie often finds he and xiuxiu are similar in terms of the way they think and react, which i find is interesting and pretty accurate. she’s also not in the story enough, so i’m happy that in current canon she’s been upgraded to one of the main squad and is down in dangerous tombs with the iron triangle and heihua. she’s also as unhinged as they all are i love her <3