#i'm just curious which route they'll actually go with it

[bugsbenefit]

hellfire in s5, and how it's Really not looking good for the members

the hellfire club is, in my opinion, one of the most obvious set ups for s5 and i never see enough people acknowledge how blatant the show actually is with it. because it's a directly addressed ongoing issue that slowly worsens over time and directly threatens three main characters (Dustin, Lucas, and Mike), at Least

there's a clear structured progression of the threat getting worse, with a major part of the s4 Hawkins plot being only Jason and his team chasing Eddie down, and by the last episodes of the show the rest of the town sides with them and joins the objective. however, we never get any consequence of the town agreeing with Jason, aside form the kids parents getting reaction shots looking insanely worried. the only thing even resembling partisan participation is a dogwalker (the same man that agreed with Jason first and then caused every other member in the town hall to also agree) informing Jason and co about there being someone in the Creel house. a single character ratting someone out is not pay off for a scene that rallies the entire town with anger and fear. especially because he was the First one to agree with Jason, arguably the next reaction, in parallel to the town house scene, will have everyone else also involve themselves

and everything Jason actually said in the town hall looks INFINITELY worse by the end of the season because he not only died the same day (how odd that must look), the town was also hit by a severe earthquake. (and hell-gates open in town but we don't know how people will react to that yet, or if it will even be immediately obvious to them)

like. it's a Terrible look. and with Eddie being dead now, the main target that represented the hellfire club in s4 and got the primary share of blame is now officially un-prosecutable

s4 also goes out of it's way to associate Lucas, Dustin and Mike explicitly with the hunt on Hellfire, ages before the whole town gets involved

Lucas is put on edge by the basketball's team hostility towards his friends constantly and has to actively lie his way out of the line of fire multiple times. the basketball team is also looking for Dustin to question him about Eddie's whereabouts, even going to his house where a confrontation only doesn't happen because he's not home. and they even manage to go out of their way to drag Mike into it despite him being out of town, when Jason starts a conversation with Nancy specifically to threaten her and then asks about Mike right after

which leads to the other thing; not only are all the kids already on Jason's radar, he's also getting more and more direct with the fact that he doesn't just want to have a nice chat with them (culminating in actually physically attacking Lucas by the last episode)

and if them setting all of the kid members of hellfire up for a bad time wasn't obvious enough, it's also fascinating to see the posters of hellfire we get over the season also show a clear shift in focus

when we see the hellfire club year book photo for the first time the focus is on Eddie. he's who Jason sees as the main culprit and when we get a close up of the burning poster we see Eddie

but when we see the hellfire club photo again 4 episodes later the focus isn't on Eddie anymore. not in dialogue and not visually

the shot is from the Wheeler's pov (Karen's specifically), and the only part of the picture that's in focus is the far right corner, with Mike and Lucas. (makes sense that's her son that's currently being implicated in satanic murders). Eddie never gets unblurred, he's not who the audience is supposed to look at in this shot. verbally Jason is also explicitly blaming the whole club now. it's not just Eddie who's "crazy" and killed Chrissy, it's the whole club who's responsible (it's also very notable that he's handing out yearbook photos of the whole club, not just Eddie. a really distinct prop choice. everyone in town now not only thinks hellfire is directly responsible for multiple ritualistic murders, they also know Exactly who's in the club)

and looking back at the season in hindsight, there's actually more than enough instances that would make the members of Hellfire look kind of guilty, or shady at best, even if someone were to do some research. there's multiple instances of hellfire members lying to the basketball team about hellfire member's whereabouts which definitely doesn't make them look more innocent in the team's eyes. not only do Eddie's band members try to brush them off, Nancy pretends to not even know about Hellfire when Jason asks about Mike, and Lucas goes out of his way to keep Dustin and Eddie's locations from them by deliberately lying and sending them to wrong locations

and that's on top of the entire montage of Dustin and Mike trying to find a substitute player for a single game on the same day a student with no previous affiliation to Eddie Munson dies at his trailer? that looks Horrible in hindsight. especially with them asking pretty much every other student, from almost every club, while both prominently wearing hellfire shirts. if anyone actually remembers them and thinks about the events post Chrissy's death they could definitely make some assumptions

it's just bad looks all around. and that's not even mentioning how they have the potential to look even worse in s5. if it got out Lucas was with Max when she somehow died and broke all her bones? would look horrible. or Dustin now associating with Eddie's dad? and we don't even know how he'll fulfill Eddie's wish to "look after the little sheep"

and even Mike, who didn't even have the chance to attract suspicion post e1 due to being out of town has a whole thing going on with his image paralleling Eddie, with being the other DM and having his s4 style be directly in reference to Eddie's looks

while there's building hostility towards the hellfire members, and the focus (both visually and vocally) switches more to the members Other than Eddie, by the end of the season there just hasn't been a chance for the townsfolk to respond to Jason's speech yet. they all agreed with him, but everything immediately went to shit the same night. however, even the last few minutes of the show, that always have the most direct foreshadowing for the next season, include a shot focusing on the rise of religion and the fearmongering that started with Jason's speech

which serves as a great reminder that the entire town hall just agreed with Hellfire being a satanist cult they need to stop

s4 ends with the hellfire set up being one of the most explicitly obvious plot threads that are about to be a problem for multiple main characters in s5. like the few other obvious established about-to-be struggles: the gates opening, Vecna still being alive, Max being "gone"; we've gotten a full set up there but no payoff yet

and then there's obviously the question of what the people would even DO in s5? they all agreed that Hellfire needed to be stopped, so... what now?

on one hand there's the interesting concept of the town refusing to help the protagonists but they could also be acting as a hostile force against them

say anyone tried to warn the town about the upside down or it's creatures, the chances of people listening to them talk about actual "demons" and reacting in any positive way is probably near 0. even if you saw a Demogorgon nibble on your neighbour an hour ealier, would you really listen to someone you think intentionally opened the Hellgate that let the creatures through in the first place?

but then there's of course the active antagonistic angle they could also take. Jason was calling for Hellfire to be actively opposed and stopped, not passively. and the show Does go out of it's way to show the overcrowded weapons store in multiple shots post Jason-speech

we're supposed to know these people are armed going forward. whether they're buying them to go hunting, or wanting to go shoot Eddie Munson, the weapons are there now... also ignore the 7 separate hellfire wanted posters in the opening shot of the store alone 💀(it's actually 9, i didn't circle the two that are cut off in the bottom corner. that whole board is just plastered with that one photo)

(the implication of what the guns are for couldn't be more obvious if they tried. again, also the scene where Jason tries to intimidate Nancy and directly asks about where Mike is. also the scene where Erica and co try to hide from the basketball team members in the store. the scene features, guns, hellfire posters everywhere, and characters specifically asking about the whereabouts of a member while other people are actively hiding)

and the weapons could play out in a positive way in s5 too, say the lady from next door gets hands on involved and takes shots at the Demobats in her front yard

but the reactionary, scared, and angry town that blames a specific small group of people for everything that's happening could also lead to MCs having to actively worry about getting shot by someone they've seen at the supermarket for 10+ years on top of the supernatural threat

TLDR: re Hellfire, none of these members will have a good time in s5

Edit (because i forgot to include these images and am silly)

Hellfire even makes it on the local news by the end of the season

and in line with the focus shifting from Eddie to the other hellfire members, the news anchor then goes to say that Eddie Munson is presumed dead after the earthquake but that that isn't enough for the town. the news even mentions the conspiracy theory that the hellfire murders CAUSED the earthquake. so anyone who hasn't heard Jason's speech, now they're getting it from a "reputable" source too. call that high quality journalism, let's throw the local highschoolers under the bus

we're supposed to remember the fear of the "satanic cult killing children" that Jason spread to the town. it's still there. and it's not just in the local town hall anymore, its being broadcast on live television. so just in case you didn't catch wind of who caused a "gate to hell" to open in your suburban neighbourhood the first time, the news anchor thankfully tells you who everybody Says is responsible, it's the 14-18 year old satanist serial killers duh

[are-you-fucking-with-me-rn]

okay so I always wanted to work on a show soundtrack so here's some songs I would put in s2 because since its probably maybe not gonna happen these can be canon in my head

Stupid Cupid by Connie Francis - okay so imagine if you will. The episode starts out jarring, maybe some payneland smooching out of nowhere, makes you go back to the last episode thinking you missed a scene. But then Edwin opens his eyes, he's lying on the ground or something, and is immediately thrust into the middle of a fight scene(this is where the song starts playing). He had just been temporarily knocked out and had some dream sequence or something idk. The fight scene is in a fancy restaurant or smth and it's close to Valentine's day and it's all decorated with hearts and stuff. This song is diegetic, playing in the restaurant.

Flaws by Bastille - I'd probably put it during end credits/end of the episode. It feels very transitional to me. It's a song on the Charles playlist so of course it's gonna play after a scene with Charles heavy lore or something. Maybe Charles's dad dies, and the song starts at the beginning of the funeral scenes. Then, long after everyone's already left, Charles goes and stands in front of the gravestone and his mom is just there kneeling in the grass in front of him and doesn't know he's there and yeah. It's like, the start of Charles's Actually-finding-peace-and-confronting-trauma arc or smth.

Girls on Film by Duran Duran - good for a montage of like Crystal adjusting to having rich, showy parents. She thinks maybe if she helps them out with their big projects, which she assumes the old her didn't do, maybe they'll start seeing her and caring about her like parents should. Going to grand openings and being photographed/interviewed, being in the public sphere all the sudden. Crystal's overcompensating for being a major jerk in her past life and is now bending over backwards to be nice to everyone (which, from experience, isn't exactly healthy either)(aka she's gone the "obsess-over-being-good-enough" route that Charles's gone down)(yikes).

The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen - I honestly have no vivid images for this one. I just like the song, I think it matches the mood of the show. Maybe something about Crystal and David? A final confrontation? Cus I saw someone (I'm sorry I forgot who) say they thought it would be interesting if Crystal's powers get "contaminated" by David cus he's still buried by the tree. So like a final standoff.

Swan Upon Leda by Hozier OR Eurydice by Eugénie - I think s2 would be more about Charles' journey the way s1 was more about Edwin BUT i'm also curious about Edwin's life. Something happens where Edwin maybe ends up at his old house, or relives his memories and it's all in slow motions and more calm than Charles's in ep4. They're not all bad, but Edwin was different and outcasted and the likes. George Rexstrew said himself that he thought Swan Upon Leda described Edwin really well, but also Eurydice gives off a sort of melancholy floatiness that fits with a boy 100+ years dead reliving an upbringing that now seems to foreign to him, and yet is ingrained in every part of himself.

Since listening to music is my #1 hobby, I will probably find more songs down the line and add on, but this is what I got for now.

[amoransia]

Really late, but here's my ekuoto chapter 70 commentary. Nothing special, just me freaking out. You know. The usual.

Watch out for spoilers!

Dante got a very special dialogue balloon with "..." in it. Which is curious to me. I'm sure it means some sort of reflection or surprise happening within him; I really want to what he's thinking. How do you feel? Knowing that the that child you were entrusted can't even bear to be awake anymore? That he runs to escapism? Must suck. Anyway.

On the other hand, dearest Daniel is real composed. Good job on getting info out of Belphegor. That's not really a high bar, though lmao... I mean, how are you a demon and can't LIE? Embarrassing... Go back to demon high school or something. Fall from grace again! The whole premise of your existence is being a lying thing that leads people to sin, and you're here having communication issues??? Dude. That's so moe.

Everyone thinking Belph's got something up his sleeve is fucking hilarious. No. Sorry. He's not Kira or anything like that. It's not all according to his "keikaku". He's just kinda dumb and suffers from Villain Monologue Syndrome...

Him saying "my witch", though... ough! (takes critical hit)

Really funny how he showed him off sleeping and everything. Why are you bragging? Is this something to show off? I guess it is for you... I'd be embarrassed if all my coworkers suddenly saw me sleeping on a plasma 100" inch TV, though. Maybe have a little consideration! Also, I don't think anyone's mentioned this before, but I think it's a cool detail that Priest's in a fetal position. Not only does this position bring one comfort, but it can also represent how he's about to be "reborn" as a witch of Sloth. The sphere he's sleeping in can kinda be a uterus, right?

Belphegor and Mikhail replying to each other while Leah was suffering out of confusion was funny. She got the straight man role forced onto her. Miha's "I see!" was cute. Very casual, as if he wasn't talking to a Demon Lord lol. To be fair, Bel is not really intimidating.

Meanwhile, Vir is busy trying to lead his shounen manga team to victory... (or not really.) They'll definitely get some piece of Belphegor though. I wonder what it'll be... he doesn't have anything like Asmodeus' eyes sticking out, so this is a mystery to me.

Me when I get excited about an interest of mine and end up yapping too much

Dante and Vergilius are heading to the same place, so they'll meet up again... I'm looking forward to the mess that comes out of that 👀.

Imuri needs to step up her game, or I'll be taking matters into my own hands because this is ridiculous. Femme Fatale? Wtf are you talking about. Fraudmuri. The Demon Lord of Fraud. Her true title.

Her biggest crime so far is being more in love with the idea of being in love with Priest than actually caring for him. Does that make sense? So far, she hasn't done any effort in actually coming to know him. She needs to KNOW!!!! At least I can respect that she also takes male rivals seriously... and her aggressiveness towards them. Lole.

She doesn't call Priest "sleepyhead" in the JP raws. I don't really mind the addition, but I thought it was worth noting here anyway. Makes it cute.

"It'll be over soon" Naw bro Imuri is coming at you with a fucking sledgehammer. Watch out.

Tiny Imuri is so fawking cute. I've been craving these Imuri flashbacks for forever because we know virtually nothing about her. What moves her. Why does she long to love!! We'll know in due time, I guess. But please show me a bit of it, Aruma-sensei...

Asmodeus being considerate enough to make sexual things vague to Imuri is nice, but it confuses me a bit. Well. I shan't dwell on it, lest my head blows up.

Imuri seems to have some complex about being a demon with no demon power, because she keeps asserting that she is a demon? Am I explaining this properly? Like in this chapter (ch.70) and chapter 3.

Anywho.

Imuri imagining the BL route... save me... my fucking sides... I burst out laughing the first time my eyes laid on that panel. True to her succubus nature, she didn't even consider the possibility of them using blood or whatever else instead of straight-up KISSING. Those are still bodily fluids, right?? Calm down, girl! Stay put!!!

"I'm not letting his first kiss go to some guy that just appeared!!" HE'S BEEN THERE FOR A DECADE! YOU ARE THE NEWCOMER!!! IMURI, GIRL!! You absolute buffoon! Clown, even!

Whew. Lmao.

This arc also feels like a callback to that one "sleeping beauty" comment from chapter 3.

...except their roles have switched.

This time, Imuri will be the one kissing Father on the cheek to wake him up, and it'll be so, so cute. Trust. Trust me. This will happen. (Going insane).

Go and make him your witch, Imuri... Dew it... Make a move... (screaming and crying)

[summeroflove-if]

Oh hey, the recent asks had me wondering about something. I mean, all the stuff related to expressing initial interest towards various people and exploring possibilities and all!

You said all the ROs will do so which is perfectly normal and expected in these circumstances, but I was curious about MC here. We can decide if MC shows interest in a single person or more and what not, and I was wondering if MC truly being interested in a single person from start would be frowned upon or seen as weird or something? And i don't mean being rude / not getting to know others at all - just clearly showing romantic interest only to a single person. I'm genuinely love the idea of a sort of "love at first sight" situation (well, obviously it's not exactly that, but basically a strong feeling of "that's the one!" from the start). Of course, I'm not planning on having my MC be overbearing about it or anything because that would be out of place in such a show (or in general too, but yeah), but still strictly interested in one person.

On a side note, I think it would sort of be interesting for the public too now that I think of it. Like, to know if the show / relationships will pan out the way such a contestant would want or not.

I've been trying to figure out how to respond to this because it's difficult.

The other ROs are going to judge you hard if you insist on chasing someone who doesn't appear to want you without even considering anyone else—e.g., Amber. Her route is finicky, but it's not impossible to do while romancing other people, and even she's going to judge you if she catches wind of that. She would be flattered and a bit turned on, but she'd also judge you the moment she thinks about it with her actual brain.

If you're romancing a singular character who expresses an ounce of interest in you (think Theo level or more), then none of the ROs are going to judge you.

As for the public? They won't judge you for that, they'll judge you for how you go about it. If you sleep with Theo before coupling up with him and keep it secret (just an example), you're going to be judged hard for that, but they won't have an issue with you getting to know him alone.

[smokingpotatostuff]

Hello! I saw your addition to the post on not going into job fields because you think the people there will retire, which mentioned you know a lot of biologists. I'm a young plant biologist with a BS who just graduated and didn't, in fact, look up salaries before senior year.

Would you mind terribly discussing your own experiences and what you've seen of the lives of the biologists in your sphere? I'm curious to know more about what the lived experience of being a biologist is like.

I mean, it's a lot of people who are overworked and underpaid, especially early career. Obviously, anything academic dials that up to 11 (but is sort of outside my area of experience, honestly), but even if you go industry or government work, that will tend to hold true, albeit to a lesser degree. If you want to do wildlife biology, that is actually like getting in the field and doing ecology type work (I would be inclined to include working for Gov research groups in this sector, as well as things like being a park ranger), you can expect to spend a few years chasing seasonal jobs where you'll have to move states every six months to a year (and getting paid suuuuper shitty. Like maybe 40k/yr if you're lucky, though many of these positions provide housing. Really shitty rundown housing) until you have ~3-8 years of experience and can qualify for a permanent position, which will pay better (though still shit, imagine something like 50-80k/yr. If you want to crack 100k in this sector, you pretty much need a PhD and to be heading up a research department somewhere.) but will be less fieldwork and more data analysis, which is not why most people enter the field, but so it goes.

You can also do more of like a permitting/environmental consulting route where you basically either work with local gov to figure out what areas are okay for what kind of work, or work with businesses to make sure they're meeting EPA guidelines, and that pays better and tends to be a lot more stable, BUT is also not really what people get into biology thinking they'll be doing, and can be SUPER disheartening to see 99% of companies basically trying to do everything they possibly can to avoid or just barely comply with regulations at every possible turn, and still doesn't pay, like, great (maaaaaaaaybe 100k at end of career, if you're lucky).

Im told that micro-bio stuff can pay better if you go industry RnD or medical testing, but that too is well outside my wheelhouse.

[radley-writes]

Thank you! That incident was several years ago, and thankfully hasn't been repeated.

As for animal facts - I'm no expert. I just grew up surrounded by farms with a lot of livestock! I only know the Animal Handling Basics, which amount to:

a) never get into an enclosed space with an animal unless you have a planned escape route.

b) try not to split the herd

c) treat livestock with respect, give them space, and - for the most part - they'll return the favour

d) but always be aware that they can be unpredictable and don't get complacent.

For cows in particular, the sum of my knowledge is taken from my mum & dad, who worked with cows for a long time, and personal experience. It might be wrong! I'm open to correction! But here goes...

Meat bulls are big hefty sweeties. Like, obviously, don't approach them, don't piss them off, don't glare at them or make direct eye contact - they'll take that as a challenge. But they're probably not gonna fuck with you so long as you give them space and don't fuck with them. They're chonkers and lazy with it. I'd happily walk through a field with a meat bull that I knew the temperament of so long as we could give each other space.

Dairy bulls.... bastards. They're more temperamental, more lean and more mean. I would steer clear of these altogether unless you know how to handle them.

Heffers will fuck with you, but only out of LOVE. They are so soft and friendly and curious! They want to sneef you. They want to lick you. They want to cuddle and step on your feet (ow). They don't tend to be dangerous, but the usual laws of 'give them space and respect' apply. If there are a lot of them, it can be scary! If there are a lot of them surrounding you and they spook, or you run, it can be nasty. But if a group of them do approach, they're probably not being aggressive - presuming they're not showing obvious signs like.... bellowing or whatever. Just pet them and assuage their curiosity and slowly keep walking. Don't make any sudden movements and you'll be fine.

Even if a bunch of heffers are in your way and you have to 'split the herd' to go through... this is obviously anecdotal based on one person's experience, but I've done this a million times and survived. Just go slow and talk real soft to let them know you're there and just passing through, and they'll usually budge outta your way or let you go around, no problem. But do try to avoid this situation if you can!

Cows with calves - NOPE NOPE NOPE. I try to never ever go in fields with calves now, even if they're far away. Unfortunately, sometimes the farmers stick 'em in fields where the only footpath goes, so I don't get a choice - it's that or a five mile return trudge, and ain't nobody got time for that.

If you're facing aggressive cows, it sounds counterintuitive but.... stay calm and don't run.

They can run faster than you. They outweigh you. If it comes to a fight OR a race, they will win - so you want to disengage without giving them chance to attack.

This means...

Don't turn your back on them - they'll take that opportunity to attack.

Don't look them directly in the eye - they'll take that as an invitation to attack.

Walk slowly backwards towards your escape route, keeping your movements calm and non-jerky.

Generally speaking, it's best not to shout or be aggressive back (see the above point: if you get into a fight, they will win). Talking quietly - to try and keep yourself and them calm - is a good idea.

But if they're right up in your face and trying to get you on the floor to trample, it's time to put your coat out like fucking batwings, make yourself big as possible, scream in their face, and punch them on the nose (which is what my mum did to make one cow in particular back off during The Incident! She didn't actually make contact, but holy fuck she was gonna beat that cow up if she had to. Suffice to say, I'm very glad she didn't have to, because she would've lost. But as a last resort..... nose and eyes.)

And always always always shut gates after yourself. No one wants cows on the road!

[swordswoman97]

Okay it took a while to get some of my thoughts together after finishing the vod but I'm really interested to see where this "Saving Gabriel" plotline is gonna go and what it's affects might be on the server's trajectory as a whole.

Over the course of the questline we learn Gabriel, with the help of the Monsterslayer, is looking for some sort of treasure, though they're not the only ones looking.

Which brings us to the thing I think has the most potential to affect the server longterm. These aren't just random rough pirates, or at least they probably aren't. Their (seemingly) main base of operations is under the Kestrel base. With the main entrance being in the well. The well sitting smack dab in the middle of the Kestrel base. This leads me to believe that whoever these people are, they're Kestrels. It's gonna be hard to consistently access the well if their very presence in the Kestrel base is gonna arouse suspicion. Which, as I said, suggests that whoever they are, they are at the very least affiliated with the Kestrels.

This is gonna have a ripple effect. A group of Kestrels attack a well respected Heron while he's out at sea, capture him, and lock him up under the Kestrel base. Now attacking Gabriel out at sea, fair game, though I feel like locking him up on the faction isles might be a bit of a gray area. Even if it's not actually against the rules, I can't imagine it's going to do anything to improve relations between the two factions.

Now I will say, I think Martyn was telling the truth when he said he didn't know anything about this. He's a new heron, whatever is going on seems to be a big secret, not letting the new guy in on it makes sense. For similar reasons I will assume Scar's innocence. Sausage, Oli, and Kyle though? Them I'm less certain about. I could see them going the "none of the Kestrel players know" route for simplicity, or I could see them having one or more of them in on whatever it is too just for the drama of it. Only time will tell just how many Kestrels are in on this.

I'm also curious what exactly it is that Gabriel is after. He's a Heron so I'd assume whatever it is is of historical importance, and it's also interesting just how many hoops Gabriel has already been shown to have to jump through to find it, plus there will no doubt be more, and who knows how Gabriel found the first clue he had written down in his journal. Whatever it is, it's something big, and the Kestrels at least think it's valuable.

Another thing that is probably gonna come into play again later is that one crypt. The Slayer warns that if it opens it will doom them all, which seems like a bad thing. I'm just not sure how it'll come into play. Maybe they'll have to stop someone from opening it later? Maybe someone does open it and they have to deal with whatever is inside? What even is inside? Honestly there are so many unknown variables with the crypt I'm just adding it to the growing list of Chekhov's guns in this.

Honestly I'm really interesting, and I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for part 2.

[northern-passage]

Hi! I just played chapter 2 - well, at least what's already published of it - and it was so intense! But I was wondering - what is the "best" and "worst" outcome of it? At the very least on the Blackwater path. In my case for example, the Hunter went to help heal Clem and try to take them to a safer place, but then was hurt and caught by Duncan and well, the battle was rough. It ended up with Lea hurt too because of the Hunter lashing out.

And basically, I'm curious as to if there are "better" or "worse" outcomes in terms of injuries the characters sustain and so on. I know there are no true good or bad choices in this case - I'm not going to change my own choice just for the sake of having a "better" outcome since it's the course of action that felt natural for my character. But that's also why I'm asking!

Thank you and have a great day!

i actually wrote up a guide you can read through here that will give you an idea of the possible outcomes and how to reach them!

the short of it is that Lea will always be injured by the end of the fight, either by you or Duncan, with Duncan's injury being the worse one (at least physically...). Merry and Clem's injuries are potentially avoidable, though. if you trade for Clementine, they'll escape without any injuries, but Merry will be injured once she's shackled. if you don't make the trade, then Clementine gets stabbed instead.

if you get the variation with no trade offer, again Merry will still be injured if you choose not to protect her and let her get shackled. in this route Clementine can also potentially get beaten by Duncan if you lose the initial fight with him and pass some relationship checks with Clem, leading to them trying to intervene.

Merry may also get injured in some cases when fighting her way to Talia and Harper, but that injury isn't as severe.

and as for the hunter, getting shackled will always lead to them getting the worst injuries: either electrocuted, stabbed in the back, or stabbed through the knee (which is the one that makes me shudder the most to think about...) but like Lea, they always end the fight injured in some way, or at the very least drained from their magic use, or drained by the Vel/the entity.

[eldritch-spouse]

Living Meat Anon here! ah Pinnie that wasn't gross at all! Id honestly love to smash the mimic! He wants to blend in so bad maybe he should learn more about what humans do for *fun*, cue his curious little human roommate teaching him about various sexual positions and kinks, which he insists will help him in the process of attacking his lunch when they're at their most vulnerable, which ofc he'd never actually do cuz these acts are reserved for him and his roommate (tho he'd never tell them) (1)

I also like the idea of him having no concept of space or boundaries. No you cant follow me into the bathroom! No you cant watch me shower! Do you even need to- wtf why are half of my clothes missing!? Sometimes having to be dominate, or keep him on a leash so to speak (oop- is that me projecting my tastes??) The closet scene with the regular mimic in the vid i shared tho did have me sweating haha...I could only imagine how his hypothetical heat would be like! Scary stuff...but still so fun! I also love the Host! I imagine him to be a touchy slut you have to be cautious about cause he has the potential to kill you if youre not careful or get him upset. I could see a human making a deal w/ a host in return for their life where theyd agree to bring him some humans he can infect w/ his spores or eat. Considering there are only a few hosts in the world, i can see him curious enough to try mating with his human accomplice to continue his bloodline even if theres a 0 chance itll work. Im surprised you didn't comment on the monoliths tho! Id smash them too, even tho we don't know much about them yet and they don't really move. They're tall asf and I'd worship the ground they stand on! Side note, I'd keep a Trimming as a pet, they're so ugly it's cute XD Anyways, sorry for the word vomit I just got excited to share my thoughts on this with someone! I haven't gone through everything myself either but ive been enjoying things so far! Love ya! - Living Meat Anon, Monsterfucker

I have to agree on the closet scene, that was fucking beautiful, I'm a sucker for chase scenes. And though it saddens me that we don't get to see clearer shots of them, I understand it's a production choice.

I don't know if you're going to have a lot of luck with leashes, or maybe you will, I bet it mostly depends on their temper.

I also like to think, although this has no scientific basis, that the mimics may enter a heat after they transform into an elder mimic (or the alternative route)- Because that might be their peak physical form, aka the state in which they're likely to attract more mates. And if there aren't any other mimics around, then chances might be high that the elder will snatch his little human up, given there's a lot of visual and behavioral compatibility. It's a good concept, in my eyes.

With all those roots, I have to agree that the Host is probably a touchy one. But you can make this scenario a whole lot more horrifying if you consider how clingy these beings may be. Putting hunting practices aside, I can imagine Hosts get lonely. Bored. And they wouldn't want their pretty human away for too long, right? Because what are you up to then? Moving expends quite a bit of energy, so why won't you just stay still next to him and be good? There's definitely always the threat of spores, which they'll probably use to keep their little bait-human compliant.

I didn't mention the monoliths, not from lack of interest, but mostly because we have so little to work with. Plus, they kind of look like stick men with very undefined bodies. I'm not shitting on the author/artist, they're talented, I just don't have a clear idea of what to do with monoliths yet. Imagine one of them was just ripped, like shredded. Lmao.

Trimmings remind me of hairless cats, I would also like to keep one. You could probably train one to alert you to the presence of mimics or other, more nefarious types of carnis. Plus, they're not that hard to feed. Good pets!

[ask-serendipity-sky]

Ok this ask is just totally out there tin foil hat crazy talk so nobody please take this seriously and spread it around!

Alright with that out of the way, I was reading about Namjoon enlisting and there was this unit armys wanted him to join - I forget which - based on his skills but then somebody mentioned that Namjoon who's born in 1994 does not qualify to enter that unit anymore. It reminded me of that link you shared where people can apply to be companions and I remember the condition was that the person applying should be born from Jan 1 1995 onwards while applying. So possibly if Jimin had tried to apply next year, he would not have been able to go for the joint companion route with JK. I've been wondering why the hell the two of them are leaving so early - JK just released his album and Jimin possibly has new music on the way. December is also the worst time to do basic training. I was so sure they'd only leave by March or April because they would still be back by 2025. The they'll be back for Festa thing sounds great and is probably the real reason but still - armys were never promised they'd be back by festa. We were always only told to expect them by 2025.

This is just a brain fart! I just wanted to hear your thoughts about it. I'm someone who's quite disappointed we won't get Jimin actually present during his next song promo so the thought he's enlisting now based on his own personal decision and comfort to make his next 18 months more pleasent would make me happier than imagining he got rushed off so they could make it back for Festa of all things 😮‍💨

But again jkkrs please don't take it too seriously! It's just speculation. Nothings worse than making everything about a ship real or imagined.

Hi anon,

Ah but this is an interesting question. I've been thinking about it all afternoon.

With your ask I also remembered that we don't have Jimin for January Dior things like we did this year and that freakin sucks.

Honestly, I can only think of Festa... Jimin and Jk literally have no reason to go yet. It's obvious they are still working on things.

I imagine Hybe dying to push the ot7 agenda (while also dismantling it on the side) and being able to tell army that BTS will be back together not only for 2025 but also for Festa.

It makes me wonder what either one is getting out of it. There must be some sort of deal?

I'm so curious now.

Thank you for sharing.

[belphegorbillickin]

Hi again! Since you invited me to chat about TWST whenever, I may as well take the opportunity to pick your brain for more fun conversations. This time I want to hear your thoughts on where you think the main story will progress from what we know of ch7 so far. I’m personally quite curious to see what will be done with the battle and monologue from the tutorial.

(Actually, do you know anywhere where the opening monologue for the tutorial is recorded? It’s a real shame it doesn’t appear to be replayable through the game.)

You can watch it here! This person recorded everything.

TWST spoilers below! Sorry in advance for the incoherent rambling, I'm kinda out of it but didn't wanna leave you hanging too long.

Tbh I stopped reading about halfway(?) while I was waiting for translations because I knew I'd enjoy it more all in one go. Also because I was getting a little disappointed and thought it'd be better to hear stuff secondhand first and then go in with lowered expectations if needed tbh.

I highly doubt they'll go the romantic route as I said before, even with Malleus, but now I'm kind of unsure as to how much of a role Yuu will play.

Like, nobody even acknowledges us half the time apart from Malleus, that'd be a big change, and it seems like so far it's mostly focused on Lilia so that's who I would've said is going to snap him out of it before.

But maybe it'll be something where Lilia, Yuu, and Idia all have to talk some sense into him?

Or maybe Idia will come into play after and have a talk with Malleus about grief? Since Idia is someone who's dealt with way too young and Malleus is gone way too long without experiencing it.

Either way, I personally feel like they're saving the Overblot monster, which is almost definitely Grim, for a "surprise" chapter 8. I know Malleus has been given more focus than the others before their episodes, but I feel like it'd be really unlikely for them to skip out on Malleus' "redemption."

Plus Grim is probably going to overblot immediately after eating Malleus' considering the build up, and that would be a bit too much for one book. Besides, it'd make sense for it to happen when Malleus hasn't had a chance to recover yet, because that future looked rough, and Malleus is so insanely OP it wouldn't make much sense otherwise.

But who knows, maybe the time loop theory is way off base and they'll just tack it on at the end as just another boss battle. I really hope they don't though.

After that though? I have no idea, but I kind of doubt it'll just be NRC slice of life. Especially because that'd mean a lot of fan favorites leaving, but maybe they'll bring in new first years just for the gacha aspect?

I think it'd be really lame to lose the characters we've come to know just to get generic slice of life without them though, because it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to start overblotting.

Some people think maybe we'll start solving RSA's problems instead, which would also give them more gacha money I guess.

I don't know what to think, but I hope season 2 is when we try to find out who's causing all of these people start overblotting, something that's supposed to be super rare, and possibly put a stop to it.

We might not even get anything after this, but I feel like disney probably wouldn't kill it's cash cow for no reason like solomare did?

[leam1983]

Tech - FAQ 2

I'm scared of PCs; I'm just an end-user! I want to learn, though!

If you're curious and want a safe and zero-consequence environment to poke around with, consider turning to tools like VirtualBox. This is what we call a VM Manager or a Virtual Machine manager that enables you to emulate computer hardware on, well, actual hardware. It's a great way to create a Windows install you can poke around without damaging your own system, or of trying out other operating systems to familiarize yourself with them.

In fact, I'll always recommend that anyone who's sitting on the fence in regards to Linux try out a distro in a VM, first. There's no pressure involved, you get the same feel as a bare-metal install, and can rest easy in knowing that if none of this works out for you, you can just mash Delete on your VM folder, delete VirtualBox and forget this ever happened.

What tools do you recommend?

I can point you to several. First comes not so much a software tool as a piece of hardware most of us have, which is a USB drive. If you want to store diagnostics tools on it as well as a few OS image files, I'd advise investing in a nice and chonky one, going above 16 GBs in size. See Amazon for help, or any computer or hardware store you can think of. If you go Amazon's route, avoid no-name vendors and buy directly from reputed hardware manufacturers, like Lexar, Seagate or others. They'll be more expensive, yes, but you won't get scammed.

Then comes Balena Etcher and Rufus. Both do the same thing, which is burn an ISO image file to a USB stick, so said stick becomes a bootable drive containing everything you need to install an OS to your main drive. Etcher is more straightforward, while Rufus offers a few customization options, especially if you're trying to burn or flash a Windows image file.

What about Ventoy?

Ventoy is the Big Kahuna in bootable ISO file management, but it's a bit too involved for first-timers. Effectively, it turns your USB thumb drive into its own multiboot system, complete with a GRUB file that allows your PC to boot off it, while letting you choose which operating system you actually want to start. So instead of having one stick for your tools, one for a Windows install and one for a Linux distro, you'd have everything in one place. I'd recommend familiarizing yourself with simpler tools, first.

I don't want to switch to Linux, but I want more ownership of my Windows install. What can I do?

You can refer to tools like NTLite but again, that one is a lot for first-timers. In the interim, I'd recommend starting with a vanilla Windows 11 install and then referring to Chris Titus' Ultimate Windows Tool, to tweak and debloat your OS to your heart's content. Of particular note is the included MicroWin tool, which can strip down a normal Windows 11 ISO and create an unattended, offline install that boots directly into your User account. No giving Microsoft further credentials, no connection required - nothing. Several of the tweaks involved result in a Windows install that phones home a lot less often and that only concerns itself with proved, tested and necessary Windows Update cycles.

What's an Unattended install?

That refers to a software install that requires no input from the user. You start it, off it goes - and the reins of the PC are handed over to you only once the whole process is completed. No more screwing-about with Microsoft Game Pass offers or trying to say no to Microsoft's thirty thousand instances of telemetry. One click, and you're off to the races.

I tried it, and noticed it didn't remove everything from the base install. I still want to remove more stuff.

Then check out Bulk Crap Uninstaller, which allows you to force the removal of components Windows considers as vital, but that aren't, necessarily. If BCI's interface underlines something in green, it's safe to remove. If it's listed in red, you can still remove it. At your own risk. Some things are provably safe to remove, like the Xbox Game Bar if you've never used the Windows Store to buy a game before. Others shouldn't be touched if you know what's good for you, like Windows Explorer...

I've heard bad things about VirtualBox. What else can you recommend?

Microsoft supplies its own Hyper-V virtualization platform as part of Windows' basic tools, although it's not installed by default and is typically a bit more finicky to handle. Please note, Hyper-V isn't included in Windows Home Edition. You may have to upgrade, or go with a software-based solution like VirtualBox. Check your BIOS; your motherboard needs to support virtualization tech, too.

To get it, search for Turn Windows features on or off in the Start Menu's Search bar and tick the box next to Hyper-V. It'll tell you to prep for a reboot, let it do its thing. Once you've rebooted, you'll be able to search for Hyper-V in the Start menu. Follow the first-time tutorial that pops up to get a sense of the process - which requires you to have an ISO on hand.

What's a BIOS?

The Basic Input-Output System, or BIOS, is what initially controls your PC, before handing off most important aspects of it to your actual operating system. The BIOS performs hardware checks, allows you to define boot priority and can allow you to enable more advanced aspects of your motherboard of choice.

So, I figured out this Virtualization thing. What OS do I try out now?

The obvious first answer is Windows. Running Windows within another instance of Windows has the merit of giving you the most compact and secure home lab you could possibly want. You can try out the stupid shit I mentioned in the previous post - such as deleting System32 - in full confidence that you won't torch your actual rig. You can also test out debloaters, aesthetic patches, anything you'd want - with no fear of leaving scars on your actual system.

What about Linux?

Start with Linux Mint. It'll get you everything you need - just don't forget to install its hardware codecs, when it asks you. Get used to the Terminal - and do that in the knowledge that you're just barely touching the surface of the tech that runs most of the Web. Even Microsoft itself runs its business partly on Mint's parent distro, Ubuntu.

When you're ready, check out Arco Linux as a transition point between Mint and Arch Linux. Get used to its own package manager and syntax, while keeping the benefits of an out-of-box GUI experience.

At the end of your journey, hopefully a few years down the line, try out Arch Linux proper. Stick to VM installs, and get used to the command line-based install process. It isn't that complicated, but the absence of anything graphical and the need to grasp certain commands from the get-go can be daunting for some. Be aware that even if your Arch install boots and reaches a desktop, you'll have to provide literally everything else - or at least point it to the right resources. Expect some Terminal editing, a good long while spent poring through config files - and the fact that Arch pays for its modularity with stability. One errant package update can break anything and everything - and that's a small price to pay in the face of total user control - at least, according to some diehards.

So, when do I get to Mister Robot shit?

That's after years of work and several certifications. You can check your local Community College for courses, or just learn as you go online, provided you do sit down to take the CompTIA certifications, eventually. Fair warning - they're gruelling. Comparatively, Microsoft's own database of certs is easier to work through, but are more specific to Windows itself, as you'd expect. Outright hackers, however, tend not to make gains strictly using legitimate training platforms. Hacker or not, your best tool for learning is going to be a home lab.

What's a home lab?

Just your eternally willing victim, to be simplistic. It's a PC you set up as an attack target, or a PC you use as a test bench for new hardware, new tools or distros. Before any stress test I submit to the business' infrastructure, I always test my scripts and practice myself on hardware set aside specifically for that. You don't need anything expensive; mine is still just a refurbished Dell OptiPlex mid-tower PC bought used on eBay. It's currently connected to the office's netwok via VPN so I can attack it realistically. It's packed with dummy files and is designed to sort of feel like the workstation of a modestly-careful member of our Accounting team, and my colleagues in the IT department are instructed to treat any non-standard access to it as seriously as any other potential breach.

It's actually fairly simple: if I can hack into it and copy or steal something, then someone else can. If someone else can, then our entire infrastructure is at risk. This is why even though I work from home, there's days where audits need to happen, and I need to ensure that everyone who's onboard with us has decent security practices. That means going to our small office, going over logs manually and making sure nobody's been using workarounds or unsecure software.

Which tools can I expect to use?

Mostly Kali Linux' set of tools, just packaged into something a little less meme-worthy - like Parrot Security. Metasploit is eventually going to be your bread-and-butter, as once properly configured, it's a one-stop shop for pen-testing everything from computers to smartphones of both the Apple and Android persuasions.

I've done research and people keep telling me not to do bare-metal installs of Kali or Parrot. Why is that?

Because a hacker, ethical or otherwise, leaves no trace. You haven't finished pen-testing something until you've managed to exfil without being fingered as an unexpected connection. You're not there to leave calling cards; that's distinctly unprofessional. If you do choose to leave one, then it means you're after something - usually money, or the approval of some sponsor body or State. And that, well, defeats the purpose of being a hacker. Curiosity should be its own reward. Considering, working off of a dedicated "hacking rig" is the stupidest and easiest way for your pen-testing efforts to lose all relevancy - or for your sponsored hacks to be easily traceable.

Keep a mainline OS that handles Normie stuff - word-processing, normal Sysadmin tasks, writing emails, gaming after hours - and then use a USB stick to create a bootable drive image that contains everything you need for the rest.

Have you hacked anything before?

Only approved company resources - including keypads, IR receivers on TVs mounted in the Old Place's conference room - everything I could conceivably reach within the limits of my mandate. Now, with Walt and Sarah, I maintain the same ethical constraints. If I'm not asked to test something, I don't touch it.

But have you ever... hacked anything?

Illegally? No. I'm a staunch White Hat - with a few tinges of gray here and there. I've trolled particularly noxious Sales Reps using script-based UI barks in Windows, but I wouldn't go further.

[atiny-for-life]

I'm really sorry if I made you feel like you're not free to vent on your own blog - that was really not my intention! If you'd like me to delete my replies here, I'll do it in a heartbeat. I just saw your post in the tag and was hoping to give some perspective since you said you don't go here.

I just read back my response and yeah, I absolutely went off topic - very sorry about that: I have a severe case of ADHD brain.

I agree with you on Work and Ice 100%, by the way - they have been far more plain, though Ice has a more interesting instrumental and more variety. I even made a post about it myself when Work was released because that entire album felt unfinished to me and I assume it's because they were caught up in Coachella prep. Going by how this new album has a much more refined instrumental and more varied B-sides, I think I was right by assuming that.

The grills thing was hotly raged about by a part of the fandom before the album's release. People really didn't want them to wear grills because of cultural appropriation reasons, but they based their claims on nothing but air (primarily Western people who don't know about the history of grills in other parts of the world) - I'm sorry for assuming you'd seen that and were referencing that. Since these replies are public, I wanted to include the actual history for anyone else who may be reading this.

Regarding the topic of the song, Hongjoong briefly talked about it in the comeback live. The "ice on my teeth" line is meant to represent value/riches in general. It feels very NCT-Regular to me tbh - I guess men just go through that phase where they feel the need to flex, but I don't really think they're making it their brand, given the rest of the album and music video are in complete opposite to those themes.

I personally think Ateez are still shining in their B-sides, Japanese releases, solo projects, and collaborations with other artists and I do believe they still show off their skills as well, even with IOMT, especially the members who previously fell to the sidelines quite often (Wooyoung, Yeosang) and other members showed new facets of their voices they never got to play with in prior releases.

I don't quite know why they chose to go this route with the themes of their last two title tracks, but (going by how their producer researches the Top 100 during prep) I assume it's because of what the majority of people have been into these days. It's a lot of repetition - "Sheesh sheesh sheesh", "Smoothie smoothie smoothie smoothie", "Lalalalalala", "APT APT APT", and the hellscape that is corporate plants in the Western music scene - so I would assume they've found inspiration there, but the B-sides are more oriented toward their usual sound (if you haven't checked those out yet).

KQ's other group's last comeback (Xikers) was a lot more explosive and out there and their choreo fit that but their popularity has stagnated regardless so maybe they're worried people just aren't into these types of songs anymore. And I'd assume they also don't want to lose out on Ateez's momentum which has been opening a lot of doors for them (fashion shows, collaborations with bigger artists, etc.), but I more so think they genuinely enjoy their current sound, given how they've been talking about this comeback. Personal tastes vary. They very much like a lot of songs I think are... not great.

Xikers and Ateez also have the exact same production team (Edenary) and choreography team (BBTrippin) who've been with them since Ateez's debut which is why I tried to point how frequently they've historically changed their sound and how deliberate these changes have been and that they'll likely go a completely different route again soon which may contribute to why they moved so far away from the World Series' sound.

(Xikers' Witch has a sick-ass choreo btw if you're curious!).

Again: please let me know if you want me to delete my replies!

I like don't really go here, but this is what pisses me off about Ateez. They are SO talented. Like so uniquely talented even. And yet they waste it on this generic hip-pop production and (frankly) goofy choreography.

You got like five of them on the team with these Evanescence-ass voices. Jongho - unparalled. I hear at least one of them can scream like a motherfucker. And Mingi is not like, my favorite rapper, but I could listen to Hongjoong's flow all day and anyway both of them are at their best at their most theatrical.

WHERE is our metal record? Where is the rock album? Why are they acting like they don't know about Aerosmith/Run DMC? Or Outkast?

This is what we get? Ice On My Teeth? And don't get me wrong, the song is good. But. Anyone could do this. It could be an NCT song. You expect me to believe that after Guerilla and Halazia and whatever, that this is what y'all care about as artists? Grills? That's what your band is about? I simply don't believe you. Be so fucking forreal.

[exilethegame]

Since we've seen in a snippet that Nikke pulls away from the Commander when feelings get involved, I was curious to know how different that would end up being in the poli route with Veth?

This is a long ass response to a very simple question because my brain could not figure out a way to simplify this so... Yeah <3

Sorry!

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

I haven't gotten to the point of writing them together yet, but I'm thinking the only way to get to the poly is going to be through pursuing a relationship with Vethna + engaging with Nikke sexually on the side (I don't entirely know what the asexual variation is going to be, but moral of the story is that MC can't start by being equally serious with both Vethna AND Nikke at the beginning).

This is for a few reasons.

A.) Vygrandian culture. Polyamory is common in Vygrand. However, it's not healthy by any means and is a result of a very complicated and intense political + cultural background. As a result, Vethna would not be in a relationship where Nikke is of equal importance to the Commander as they are at the beginning. This is because their own cultural biases, which they'll need to work through in the beginning part of the relationship arc.

B.) Nikke's Character. Nikke doesn't want to be treated romantically by the Commander at the beginning of his routes. He just wants sex-- and that's why any asexual route takes longer to develop with him. If the Commander were to try and romantically flirt with Nikke where we are currently in-game, he'd just laugh in their face.

Keep in mind this is all very tentative, but I'm thinking in the case of the sexual route, Nikke is sort of invited as  "third party" in Vethna + MC's shenanigans (winky wink), and eventually that relationship begins to flesh itself out more and more until it's clear the feelings involved are deeper than just sex. 

Otherwise, for the asexual route, I'm thinking it would be put on Vethna's shoulders to be the connecting role. It's all very tentative, so I don't really want to delve into just what that means yet, but I think through proximity of Vethna (who in turn is always close to MC), Nikke gets to know both them and the Commander on a deeper level until romantic feelings are able to grow between the three of them!

Either way, the roles here are different than what they are on the solo route.

Let's go into a metaphor here.

Nikke's a snake (both literally + metaphorically in this). On the poly route, Vethna + MC are in a pre-established relationship, right? And sometimes they put out little treats and snacks and the snake slithers in, takes the food, then slithers away. But with time the snake comes more often, and stays for longer periods of time, even though there's no food being offered anymore. In this case, Nikke is forced to take initiative in romantically joining Vethna + MC's relationship. It's a space he's already welcome in, but it's up to him to actually take the final jump and join them both (because there is no way in hell Vethna is going to beg for Nikke, nor are they going to let MC).

Because of this, you're not going to really encounter a scenario where Nikke's trying to push the MC away because the entire way the romance is developing is different.

I don't want to spoil things, but a similar romance development is definitely possible in the solo route as well (that snippet is only one variation of the Nikke/MC romance). However, in general, MC has more personal control over the narrative of solo romance routes than they do of the poly romances because they then have a third person in the relationship to consider.

[ariendiel]

Hi! I like your headcanons! I hope you can still accept any requests.

Imagine if s2 LIs was actually in love with PLAYER, not MC? You know like Doki Doki Literature Club if you know the game.... what will be their reaction or confession?

Hi! I'm always happy to take requests (sometimes it can take a while to answer though, but I'm doing my best 🤍), so thank you for dropping by my inbox

And I LOVE this idea! I remember Doki Doki Literature Club so well, specifically watching let's plays back in the day... literally so many memories just unlocked... Anywho, I've done my best to answer this for you. As per usual, I'm mainly doing the LIs I feel like I "know"

🕹 If the S2 LIs were in love with Player 🕹

Bobby – I can see Bobby starting to ask directly if you find his jokes funny, not MC but YOU. As the games progresses and after a few replays, he'll start to friendzone MC because he's actually in love with Player, and it's such a mess because MC is an extension of Player but Bobby doesn't get that and it slowly becomes more and more unhinged

Carl – Carl being Carl, he'd totally try to hack the game from the inside to get a message to Player, right? He'd slowly corrupt the game from the inside until he controls it and has to fight fusebox trying to "fix" with Players help, and that's the beginning of a great friendship that turns into romance

Elisa – Absolutely would just start to appear in any scene you're in. You were on a date with [insert LI here]? Not anymore. Elisa is curious about Player, and wants their undivided attention. Maybe she'll start asking their opinion on her, or try to ask Player to hack the game and replace Marisol with her? That way, she can romance Player from the start, which she confesses is what she really wants

Gary – It'd take a few replays, but he'd gradually become more and more self-aware, until he starts complaining about some really bad déjà vu and question the other players if they haven't had these conversations before. When Player says 'yes' he'll start to ask them more and more, eventually having a small break down when he realises the person he's fallen in love with is, well, not who he thought

Henrik – Absolutely baffled to realise he's in a game. To the point where he'll "knock" on your screen, and just think the whole thing is super interesting. He'll ask player if they think he can get away with doing weird stuff to try and "break" the game, and together they'll totally cause the weirdest glitches

Ibrahim – Rahim would totally become self-aware by thinking LITG is just part of multiple game universes (not untrue). His confession of love for Player would be so muddled by the game file trying to force him to kiss Jo etc too, and he'd always apologise for what the game makes him do, begging Player to help him escape into a different game

Lucas – I feel like he'd be super suspicious of player the second he becomes self-aware, and just act that out by asking MC weirder and weirder questions until addressing it directly. Then, he'll realise player is key in him staying in the Villa, and on a replay he'll ask for their help in staying. Once he starts working with player however, I think he'll start to fall in love but only admit to it after a few replays where MC aka player gets with someone else

Marisol – Psychoanalyses incoming! She'll definitely start having philosophical conversations with herself at first, and then start to engage MC aka Player in those once she realises they're playing the game she's part of. These conversations become longer and more heartfelt, with Marisol contemplating her route etc, until she admits to having developed feelings for Player

Noah – I feel like he'd start complimenting the Player's in-game choices. Like imagine if Player is romancing him and he just goes "oh, trying my route are you? I'm sorry it won't be easy, but I love that you're willing to do that for me." He'll lament to Player that he wishes he didn't have to go back to Hope after CA, and maybe try to rewrite some of the game code himself, with the help of Player, to mend. it

[novelconcepts]

I'm kind of torn about the potential cure for Mac and wanted to know what you thought of it. For some reason a part of me felt a little disappointed - like it somehow undermined her journey of acceptance for her terminal illness. But I also feel ashamed of how i feel about this since she's one of only two queen characters on the show.

My answer actually involves spoilers for the comics, so I'll just say I'm really curious how closely they'll stick to the original storyline if they get another season. They've changed a lot of details, but the core of it seems to be the same, so...it's hard to say.

Under a cut, my more spoilery answer. Beware if you're looking to avoid those.

Comic!Mac goes on the same journey, thrown well into the future to look for a cure, and ultimately discovers that the root of her disease (in the comics, it's leukemia) is actually from time travel. So it's sort of irreversible, because even in the future, it's just part of the traveler's risk. Which is super upsetting--but the comic really handles it, much like everything else, in a bittersweet way. I could see the show finding a way to save her life, in the same way it's smoothed out some of the more hostile (or just plain bugfuck) elements of the comics, but I suspect they'd be more inclined to keep the original route. If only because, like you say, it really is a huge part of her journey. That, and her relationship with KJ, which is given weight despite the possible expiration sticker situation.

A lot of this story is about how much a person can expect to undermine the inevitable. My read on the very end of the comic is that the girls actually succeed in this way, although it's left a little open-ended, so...could go either way.