2.1 Penacony Spoilers!
I know the scene after Ratio's "betrayal" can be read a lot of ways but I am shocked I haven't seen more people interpret it as Ratio being so worried about Aventurine that he couldn't stay away even though he was supposed to.
We know:
1) Ratio absolutely knew Aventurine's plan from start to finish, both his gamble to create "death" in the dream and with the three cornerstones. (Wish people would stop underselling Ratio in their analyses; "Three chips are enough" is a direct enough clue that, genius as he is, Ratio would never miss.)
2) In his own words, Ratio was acting according to Aventurine's instructions while in Dewlight Pavilion and with Sunday and felt that he did a good job not giving them away.
I think most people are on the same page up to there, but then I've seen a lot of people interpreting this scene after Aventurine leaves Sunday's mansion as Aventurine being genuinely angry at Ratio (possibly after having gaslit himself into thinking Ratio was actually betraying him).
But this doesn't make much sense to me because:
1) Ratio actually has nothing to gain by selling Aventurine out to Sunday. They're on the same side in this mission. Information about a Stelleron on Penacony wouldn't be news anyone with a brain like Ratio's and why would he need someone else's research on Stellerons when he already has ties to the Genius Society through Screwllum and Herta, as well as the Astral Express where the Trailblazer is actively housing a Stelleron?
2) One of Aventurine's most notable lines of dialogue is how it's perfectly fine and expected for "friends" to use each other and backstab. This is his default understanding of partners--why would he suddenly be mad about something he expected from the start?
3) If the betrayal wasn't already planned and was just a possibility based on Aventurine's understanding of Ratio, why would he ever have revealed there were "three chips" (aka three cornerstones) in play? If even the betrayal over Topaz's stone wasn't planned, just assumed, why would Aventurine reveal the existence of the third stone? He would gain nothing from doing so.
Instead, I think it makes a lot more sense to interpret Aventurine's frustration with Ratio in this later scene as annoyance over Ratio taking an "unnecessary" risk:
1) As far as Sunday knows, Ratio had just very seriously betrayed Aventurine, completely selling him out and essentially sending him to his execution.
2) In the scene afterward, Aventurine is out in public in the middle of Penacony where The Family's eyes are always watching, yet Ratio walks right up to him to check on him. Why would someone who just sold you out come up to you immediately afterward to check on your health?!
3) It's only natural that Aventurine would pump the brakes and go "Wow, didn't think you'd show yourself after you just betrayed me, remember?" Because that's the act they are supposed to be keeping up! They're still being monitored; it's not safe to break character!
But Ratio is a genius, right, so why would he break character here? From the standpoint of the ploy itself, revealing to the Family that he and Aventurine were still on the same side would only jeopardize the plan, not help it.
The logical explanation, then, is that Ratio went to Aventurine here because he felt like he had to.
He had to check in and make sure the situation was still under Aventurine's control.
(In fact, the entire exchange through the middle of this scene is Aventurine and Ratio confirming the rest of their plot in a veiled manner: Ratio brings up the plan and mentions what's concealed in the gift money bag, Aventurine confirms the cornerstone is good to go; Ratio asks what his next step will be; Aventurine says he's going to do the insane thing of handing out cash while looking pathetic [aka fishing for Sparkle]. Ratio essentially asks if he's crazy enough to take the final gamble with his own life, which Aventurine confirms, and then Ratio sets them up for the finale by gifting him the doctor's note.)
Ratio was willing to risk ruining their entire plan--something Aventurine does seem to be frustrated about at first--just to ensure Aventurine still felt all right about the situation.
He needed to deliver his note demanding Aventurine stay alive.
He needed to tell Aventurine to come to him if the situation got too painful to bear.
In short, Ratio was worried enough that he could not stay away even though, for the sake of their plot, it would have made significantly more sense for him not to appear. The gain of breaking character was worth more to him than the risk of being caught.
You honestly don't even have to take this in a shipping context. The real point here is that Ratio is an incredibly good person who wasn't okay with Aventurine's self-sacrificial plan and who felt morally compelled to check on a person in pain. He's a healer through and through, and ignoring Aventurine in this condition--ignoring someone who was taking so much risk on themselves--simply wasn't possible for him, no matter the danger it posed to the plan.
But for those who do ship Ratio and Aventurine... I hope more people will come to see this scene as another example of Ratio's genuine concern for his mission partner! He did not have to appear here at all; it would have made much more sense for him to leave Aventurine to his own devices to uphold the illusion of their "betrayal." He showed up in this scene--very likely against Aventurine's expectations--because he was concerned for Aventurine's situation and wanted to ensure Aventurine knew he could fall back on Ratio's support at any time if the plan went awry.
tl;dr: I wish people would stop interpreting this scene as the aftermath of a betrayal. Aventurine wasn't ticked off with Ratio in this scene because he felt like he'd genuinely been backstabbed; he was ticked off because Ratio was literally breaking their pre-established "betrayer" character just to be fussy over Aventurine's safety and well-being. (Okay, and to double check on the plan, but let's be real, the first part was definitely more important. 👌)
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Charlie: (folded up and hunched over with chin in hands) (brooding)
Vaggie: "Someone's got a lovely long face today."
Charlie: (sighs) "Sorry..."
Vaggie: "Don't be, sweetie." (sits and hunches over too, hands clasped) "What's got you down?"
Charlie: "You, kinda."
Vaggie: "Me?" (terrified) "What did-"
Charlie: "And all this." (waves at vaggie next to her) "Specifically."
Vaggie: (edges away) "Is it the 'sweetie' thing? 'Cause I'll stop-"
Charlie: "No. No, I like it." (sighs again) "Vaggie, in the wonderful, amazing, dream-like over a YEAR we've known each other now, have you ever, like..."
Vaggie: (edging closer again) "...have I ever...?"
Charlie: "Killed anyone?"
Vaggie: "Wh- No!"
Charlie: "Not even a little?"
Vaggie: "What would 'killed them a little' even look like..? I mean, sure I've thought about maiming people, and probably would've a few times if you hadn't been there, but-"
Charlie: "What about when I wasn't looking? No... sneaking out for some midnight murder sprees?"
Vaggie: "Charlie- I can't even get up to use the bathroom without you tearing up half the bed with your claws looking for me. We've had to get new sheets three times this month. And last time I took a midnight shower, I found you curled up on the floor just outside the door afterwards. I almost STEPPED on you!"
Charlie: (pouting) "You were gone when I woke up."
Vaggie: "I was gone maybe ten minutes."
Charlie: "And I was missing you."
Vaggie: "Yeah. I figured." (smiles) "So how the fuck am I supposed to be sneaking out to kill people, when I'm best friends with the biggest cuddle bug in all creation?"
Charlie: "I don't know!" (frustrated) "NONE of this makes any SENSE!"
Vaggie: ".... now I feel like I'm missing something."
Charlie: "You're not though! That's why-" (GROWLS) (yanks at hair)
Vaggie: "Okay, hey- Charlie?" (takes her hand) "Talk to me?"
Charlie: "....."
Charlie: "...why're you still here?"
Vaggie: "Do you... want me to move out?"
Charlie: "NO! Never! I, you- I don't even know how I'd-"
Vaggie: "So that's not the problem here. What is?"
Charlie: "The PROBLEM is- I want you here, but you shouldn't BE here! You're not a bad person! Whatever you did or used to do- you haven't been for a whole YEAR, and I'm just- just being stupid and selfish wanting you to stay, but you-"
Vaggie: "You're not-"
Charlie: "-aren’t doing anything bad! So WHY-"
Vaggie: "Charlie, hold on- no- you're not stupid or selfish. You've been alone, and that's not something you did anything to deserve, okay?"
Charlie: "...."
Vaggie: "You can be sad without apologizing for it too, you know."
Charlie: (slumping) "Why are you still in hell, Vaggie?"
Vaggie: (wryly) "Not like I've got wings to flutter off with."
Charlie: "You deserve them."
Vaggie: "..... thanks for saying so, sweetie."
Charlie: "It's true."
Vaggie: “Pretty sure it’s not, since I don’t have them.”
Charlie: “You should. You should have them.”
Vaggie: “I’d rather have this.”
Vaggie: (lifts their hands)
Vaggie: “Who needs wings, when you’ve got the best cuddle bug ever. Right?”
Charlie: (holds tight) “…heaven’s probably better. Full of people you wouldn’t want to even maim. That’s where you belong, not down here in hell…”
Vaggie: “…with you?”
Charlie: “Oh I’d be fine!”
Vaggie: (lifts brow)
Charlie: “Really!” (looks away) “It’d be good. Knowing you’re up there in heaven, and, happy.”
Vaggie: “I wouldn’t be happy.”
Charlie: “Sure you would.” (miserable) “It’s heaven.”
Vaggie: “Hell’s better. It’s where you are.”
Charlie: “Vaggie…”
Vaggie: “Charlie.”
Charlie: “Be serious? Please?”
Vaggie: “I am. But it's not gonna work if you don’t listen to it.”
Charlie: “Fine.”
Charlie: (deep breath) (looks vaggie in the eye)
Charlie: “Vaggie. Do you want me to try getting you into heaven?”
Vaggie: “No.”
Charlie: (voice crack) “Are you SURE?”
Vaggie: “I’m not going anywhere. I’d miss you too much.”
Charlie: “...okay.”
Charlie: (laughs wetly) “Okay. I’d. Same.”
Vaggie: “Yeah.”
Vaggie: (dabs away charlie’s tears)
Vaggie: “You’ve been feeling extra lonely haven' you, thinking about all that on your own.”
Charlie: “Maybe. A little.”
Vaggie: “…sorry I didn’t, you know. Make sure you knew sooner. ”
Charile: (laughs for real) “Don’t be. Not like I asked.”
Vaggie: (smiles) “Sorry for making you feel like you even had to ask.”
Charlie: “Um. Uh.” (clears throat) “You’re forgiven?”
Vaggie: (chuckles)
Charlie: “…and, you’ll tell me, if you change your mind? About the whole heaven thing?”
Vaggie: “I won’t change my mind, Charlie.”
Charlie: “But if you do, you’ll say so?”
Vaggie: “Mmm, kinda feels like you’re saying it like you think I will.”
Charlie: “No. I mean you can, I just… don’t wanna worry about it like this again.”
Vaggie: “Oh. Then I promise-”
Charlie: “Thank you.”
Vaggie: “-if you promise me you’ll let me know what’s going on in that brilliant head of yours.”
Charlie: “Pfft- More silly than brilliant. Didn’t wanna bother you.”
Vaggie: “Bother me? Now you're really sounding silly. You’re not the only one who’s been lonely.”
Charlie: “Huh? You? Why were you- Ohhh…”
Vaggie: “You’ve been a million miles away lately. Welcome back.”
Charlie: “Aww Vaggie! Were you missing me, even when I was right in front of you???”
Vaggie: “Don’t even.”
Charlie: “That’s so cuuuute~”
Vaggie: “Don't. You've been worse. You were impersonating a rug- You clung on so hard after I picked you up I couldn’t even get the blankets over us again.”
Charlie: “Lucky I make a good blanket!”
Vaggie: “The best. But you still gotta stop sleeping in front of the bathroom door.”
Charlie: “I can, try?”
Vaggie: “Is it really that hard to stay in a warm soft bed?”
Charlie: “It is when you’re not there!”
Vaggie: “Sweetie, please. I’ll be coming right back.”
Charlie: “…then I can wait.”
Vaggie: “Good.”
Charlie: "...."
Charlie: “Probably. I think I can probably wait.”
Vaggie: “Ugghh...”
Vaggie: (playfully bumps shoulders) (leans in as charlie hugs her instead)
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what is the theory that ivan manipulated the event where till and mizi met the wagyein?
It's not a theory, actually! It's confirmed that Ivan orchestrated the whole event. The true reason as to why however is still unknown. The information provides more context to this scene, though:
During the earlier times of ALNST the most rational explanation for this scene was that Till ran after a flower crown (presumably Mizi's) and Ivan followed him in out of curiosity. Now we know that Ivan was conveniently just standing there because he was waiting.
Side note, I find it heartbreaking (and maybe a little funny, sorry) that Till most likely didn't notice Ivan in this scene. That's just like him, isn't it. Always too busy running after Mizi while Ivan trails behind, an ever-present shadow.
I'm not sure how Ivan manipulated the circumstances for both of them to end up there, but it is confirmed that everything was intentional. What strikes me most is how they describe this particular scene:
I can't copy down what they said word-for-word (Patreon info), but they described Ivan watching "creepily" as Till and Mizi are faced with danger. We know that Ivan was familiar with the Cerberus wagyein beforehand, enough to touch its teeth and even to rest himself inside its maw. To Ivan, the wagyein is not dangerous, but to Till and Mizi, it could be. Ivan prepared the wagyein, led them there, and watched "creepily" from afar as Till fell on his knees, seemingly injured.
The closest I can get to making sense of Ivan's "scheme" is that he wanted to see how other children would react in a dangerous situation. Ivan's always been an observer, after all, and he's learned to survive by copying the more "normal" behaviors of his peers. This situation occured when Ivan was still young and had not yet developed his more charming mask, so perhaps he staged this encounter to study a situational response, to learn and mimic the emotion of fear. And what better subjects for the experiment than two of the most expressive and reactive humans of their batch? It helps that he was already fixated on Till beforehand, too. I think Ivan became irreversibly obssessed after this incident, especially since it's framed as a turning point in Ivan's life, comparing Till to the stars.
This is just my attempt at an interpretation, though. It could very well be for another reason. He most likely chose Till and Mizi specifically for personal reasons, not just for reaction. I'm still not sure on the purpose behind the whole thing.
The team wanted to capture Ivan's "dark emotions" through the shot of his stalking, which could relate to his more sinister intentions. His gaze can be read in a few different ways, though. Curiosity, interest, fear, etc. Maybe that's why they decided to redraw the shot in ROUND 6.
I think this better sells the feeling they were trying to convey.
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