#lads lore

[linkons-most-wanted]

YOU GUYS. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but... look at this.

Magnum Opus:

MC: It's a work of art. Whoever created this must be a true master of their craft. Sylus: That so? Surely the virtuoso is fond of her magnum opus?

Beyond Cloudfall Ch 4:

MC: You have no intention of disguising yourself? Sylus: No need. No one would believe a fiend would wander around a market. Besides, everyone sees a fiend differently--some see ugliness, others see horror, cruelty… What they see isn't me. They only see their own hearts. I hold up a mirror from a stall. It reflects the face of the dragon. MC: Can you guess what I see when I look at you? He lowers the mirror as if he heard a childish joke. He leans closer. Sylus: At the very least, I'm a lot more handsome than I was depicted in that Fiend-Slaying God mural.

Sylus may be implying that MC is literally responsible for him looking the way that he does. In the main story timeline, Sylus seems to have a stable appearance as we see him through multiple POVs in main story content and World Underneath stories.

It doesn't seem like a stretch that when MC curses him to live on, this curse "locks in" his appearance as... the way she sees him. 🥹

Even if it's not literally true, he knows on a deep level that if she sees him as beautiful, it's a reflection of her own heart. Seeing him how she does? That's her own creation.

I WILL NOT RECOVER.

[m00nchildwrites]

Perhaps, the whole "Lemuria needs the heart" thing is not what we or Rafayel or the Lemurians think it is. Perhaps, it is something different- like the "sacrifice" knowing everything and still choosing to give her heart to Rafayel. Perhaps, it is giving her "heart", her love, to him knowing all that he is, his role, his duty, and still accepting and loving him. Perhaps, it is not a literal removal of her heart that accomplishes the requirements and no one got that, and that's why there were several "God's of the Sea" before Rafayel, because their way of doing the sacrifice was wrong and only lasted a short while. Perhaps, Rafayel and MC will get his happy ending after all. MAYBE.

Do I have a basis for this idea, you ask? Why, yes. I do, actually.

In the latest story update with Rafayel there is a scene where he needs "the blood of the one who holds a bond with the God of the Sea" to activate the Tome of the Sea God and awaken the powers. That could certainly be interpreted as something truly awful, but Rafayel being who he is and loving MC, he merely cuts her finger enough to spill the smallest of blood.

And it works.

The Tome of the Sea God activates, Rafayel gets a power boost (implied), and MC has memories unlocked, breaking her curse to always forget just a tad.

This is interesting because if she, as the sacrifice, is cursed to never remember him, and yet, the act of them willingly and openly trusting each other and working together caused for him to gain some of the power of the Sea God back AND forth MC to get back some of her lost memories then clearly that is the answer. That is the difference this time.

Rafayel was honest with her, and she chose to trust him- with her heart- with her life- she chose to accept him. And it worked.

So, perhaps, that is the key that they will discover in this lifetime. Perhaps Rafayel was right all along, and killing his love was not the way to save Lemuria.

[miffysoo]

super long rant incoming for lads (if you read this i love you to pieces, if not i still love you to pieces): im not always the biggest fan of the reincarnation/past lover trope (which is ironic bc that’s literally the entire foundation of lads lore LMAO) because sometimes it feels like the LI’s are in love with the idea of us seeing as mc in the storyline is the past version of their beloved. i just can’t help but think, like are they actually in love with MC? or are they in love with some other version of her and that’s the only reason they’re drawn to her? it almost feels like they’re projecting who they THINK she is when she’s no longer the same person at all in this current timeline & lifetime.

it almost makes it feel like current mc is “the other woman” in some sense, even though that’s a bit illogical because the past version of her is literally her but so much time has passed, things change, people change, and mc is a completely different person than who she was in their past lives. bc truly, the only one who i feel like truly loves her present day for who she is, is caleb. i would argue zayne to an extent too because he technically doesn’t have any memories whatsoever of his past lives so him and MC falling in love feels like it’s happening for the first time again, it’s a blank slate.

and not to say that the boys can’t grow to love who she is without painting her as her past version, but a part of it feels ingenuine sometimes to me. bc although she shares the same face, the same body, arguably the same soul as her past self, seeing as it’s again, literally her SELF, at the core of it, she’s not actually HER anymore. she’s someone completely different. so sometimes it feels super bittersweet & the lines get blurred. i have a love hate relationship w some of the lads lore for these reasons.

so sorry for the fatass post, but the lore & past life concept in the game always makes me feel hesitant to truly immerse myself into the game (i don’t even actually play the game, everything ik and have seen are from youtube clips that people have uploaded for all the myths, memories, and the overall storyline). this isn’t to say i don’t look forward to new updates and such, i love love lads. but like whenever i indulge in fanfic, especially as a chronic reader of ‘x reader’ fics, i have to separate reader from being MC, which is why i always stray towards non!mc reader bc there’s no tangible lore and past lives/reincarnations attached to a nonmc! reader. at least not to the same extent as the og MC depending on how much the author diverges from canon and just basic background context for reader. but overall imo, non!mc reader just doesn’t carry the same heavy implications of the boys’ true feelings when it’s the actual MC vs a non!mc reader if any of that connected 😔

similarly why i also love iseki/transmigration fics as well; basically any concept where the reader is NOT the mc. bc just like in iseki fics, the boys don’t have the same attachments & feelings towards reader as they do MC. it just feels more sincere imo, idk.

i wonder if im just crazy and have too much time to think & talk to myself about this, or if other players/readers feel the same way. bc ik the whole point of an otome game is that WE are the MC. but ive just never been able to fully immerse myself like that, i see MC as a completely separate character, almost like an OC sometimes. like i just can’t connect or fully enjoy any fanfic with MC being the “reader”. i view MC and reader to be two different people if that makes sense.

and again, im completely aware that as the storyline continues, the boys have obviously shown to care and have deep affectionate feelings (love is a bit too ambiguous imo to truly label that as what they feel for mc) for current mc and its probably only going to strengthen as the story moves forth. but my mind still spirals and thinks about all the “what-ifs” and semantics of reincarnation and past lives. i wish i didn’t think this way, the game and concept of it would probably be more enjoyable all around for me, but i apparently hate myself to think too light heartedly, even for a fictional game/story 😭

truly tho, it’s never that serious, i just had to get that off my chest bc i really don’t know if any other (not sane) person felt this ardent & torn about this as i do, which is a little silly honestly but here we are LMAO 🧍‍♀️ but in the end, there’s something for everyone here in the world of fanfic & delusions! 🫶🏼🫧

[munnmolads]

What did Rafayel receive in the Nest? Part 1 - Analysis and Theory

Rafayel met a mysterious man in the end of Chapter 8 and received something from him. I'll be covering couple options what it could have been based on the information we have so far about the mysterious box. Spoilers for Main story Chapter 8, Long Lost Treasures World Underneath story. Land of Secret Flames and Prologue to Tomorrow.

This one focuses more on the specifics of this meeting and looks at the meeting happening just after Long Lost Treasures.

Summary about the conversation

After Rafayel helps MC with her plan in the Nest to get caught, he leaves her alone to execute the plan. She gets caught, and after that we get a small conversation between Rafayel and someone else. Rafayel asks the man "Did you bring the stuff I requested?" and the man slides a box over Rafayel.

Is Long Lost Treasures related to this meeting?

If you aren't familar with Long Lost Treasures, you should give it a read, but I will summarise a little bit of the Chapter 6 which is the main point for now. Rafayel catches a Raincoat (Ever's hireling) trying to dispose of evidence and director for a Lemuria themed movie. He burns the phone containing the evidence and "coerces" the Raincoat to give him everything relating to MC if she's on Ever's execution list. After consideration, Raincoat tells him someone is waiting for him in the Nest tomorrow and whether or not he can get the list is depends on his negoation skills.

Just to make it clear - I don't think Raincoat is the person Rafayel is meeting in the Nest. He most likely is a middle man who can arrange the meeting, and I'll refer the person in the Nest as the "Nest guy".

At a first hearing, this can totally sound like this conversation is related to the Nest meeting in Chapter 8. I am still debating this in my mind so I will provide both cases why this could be related to the Nest meeting and why not.

The first thing is the obvious - they are agreeing someone will meet Rafayel in the Nest who is related to Ever, and we see him receiving something from the person. Rafayel already agreed to help MC in the Nest, so I wouldn't be surprised that during Hunting Day this kind of information trading is convienent to arrange in the same day.

The reason why I kind of think this might be a small red herring is the semantics in how they speak. Of course I can't tell if this is a translation issue or not, but I will go with the assumption that the translation is accurate enough.

Raincoat talks about that Rafayel will obtain the list if his negoation skills are good enough. This sounds like Rafayel most likely haven't had any contact with these people before hand and need to build up some rapport. But, his words in the Nest give more a feeling that Rafayel and the Nest guy have this rapport already, since Rafayel says "we want" during the conversation - the "Big fish" has been already established between them who they are and them falling for MC's trap is beneficial for both of them. Also Nest guy seems to be a bit informed on MC referring her to a "fresh catch".

Of course this could be just Rafayel handling the negoations and the rapport before this moment, likely moments before meeting up MC in the Nest as they agreed.

I've also mentioned this earlier in another post about how Long Lost Treasures could also be happening before the main story starts. Both Main story Chapter 2 and Long Lost Treasures mentions Rafayel returning to the country recently. If Long Lost Treasures would happen in Chapter 8, it could be it would talk about a different trip than the Main story chapter 2, which happens 6-7 months earlier than Chapter 8.

The reason why I am debating this is because it does change the options what does the box contain - if Long Lost Treasures happened during Chapter 8 before the Hunting Day, then it would be likely that the box contains information about MC's experiments and everything Ever had on her. But if Long Lost Treasures isn't talking about the Nest meeting during Chapter 8, the box most likely contains something else.

Why the black glass?

(I just love the mirroring in these two chapters, it's just so beautiful)

I want to bring this up while talking about the box since it's highlighting how important it is to Rafayel. We see in previous chapter how MC drinks from a black glass to seal the deal for her plan. Rafayel explains it's part of the process and that black glass means you pay a high price if it doesn't go smoothly.

This means that Rafayel also is paying a high price for the box, even willing to be the payment for it himself just like MC. This would make sense for information like Ever's execution list and all the information Ever has on MC. It could also make sense for anything else confidential relating to Ever, such as techology we know was touched upon in Prologue to Tomorrow.

The one thing I'm kind of wondering about the black glass means that Rafayel is also offering something in return for the box. I feel it's quite likely that he offered MC's capture as the price for the box, hence the sentence "Now's not time to celebrate" and the Nest Guy's question about him being comfortable handing MC over, her being precious to Rafayel. I think this tells a lot about Rafayel's trust in MC that she can handle herself well enough to send her into N109 zone by herself and even using it as a bargaining chip.

A small side yap about this mirroring since I'm kind of in the topic and I really love this detail - This highlights perfectly how similar minded MC and Rafayel actually are, especially the line "Being the payment is still better than staying in the same place and doing nothing". They both are willing to make sacrifices to get results in their respective goals and it's really beautiful, recurring theme for them. Am I overthinking this if I say that it's also that they are holding the glass in the hands they hold their couple rings on? Anyway, moving on...

How does Land of Secret Flames relate to this?

Land of Secret Flames have a couple details that I kind of want to talk about relating to this box since it could have solid hints to what this box had inside. The last chapter of it is kind of informative in the sense that I'm probably connecting dots that shouldn't be connecting, but I'm doing that anyway.

If we look back to beginning of Chapter 8 when Rafayel is discussing with MC and alluding her forgetting something, he is VERY bitter about it. If you mention the coral stones, he mentions about MC remembering "trivial things".

However, in Land of Secret Flames he is much more understanding towards MC and kind of hinting he knows more about the memory loss now than he did back in Under Deepspace Chapter 8. He eventually even sincerely asks MC to make him not hold a grudge over it. It could be that the information he received (if he received it) made him realise it wasn't her fault she never came to meet him again and why she forgot about him - but he emotionally can't let it go yet. Maybe it could also be that he senses it with the bond even if he doesn't know the details.

I wanted to point this out since it could explain some of the tone differences between these 2 chapters. Of course their relationship seems to be on a whole different level on Land of Secret Flames as well, which could also be the reason why Rafayel would be more understanding and even feel bad about holding a grudge for MC.

I still have another theory from Land of Secret Flames that I can't get out of my head, which is that the box contains the device that Rafayel sent to Hunter's Association in the end of Land of Secret Flames. Unfortunately I had to piece this post in 2 parts since this is getting lenghty and I wanted to go more in depth with the device than I originally thought. Here's the link for Part 2.

[calebdatabase]

All About MC's Evol and Aether Core Powers

For those curious about the role of MC’s powers and following terms throughout the story, this brief guide is for you! Sprinkled throughout this post, you’ll also find some of my theories on the direction of the story.

Here’s the five terms we go over:

Resonance Evol Aether Core Spatium Core Flux Nexus Flux Stabilizer

I decided to make this post, especially for myself because when I started diving into lore threads, I realized how lost and rusty I was regarding the main story. It was a given since the last time I played through the older chapters was a year ago.

However, I recently replayed the entire main story so here’s a little refresher on MC’s powers and other important terms I didn't understand immediately! It doesn't include everything but will mention examples for terms that helped me follow the story more easily.

The definitions are taken from in-game/the wiki and then are supplemented with quotes/references/trivia I selected to help me grasp them. This also means this post is chockful of spoilers across the board. If there are any discrepancies, feel free to amend them in the comments (I did my best to be accurate but I am human).

I hope this helps to shed some light and invite more people to dive into the lore!

Resonance Evol noun

1 An Evol that allows the owner to change their frequency to match another life form or object, as well as amplify or suppress another’s Evol

2 An Anhausen class Evol with an undetermined power level wielded by MC

Notes:

An Evol that allows MC to change her frequency to match another's by using the waves generated by her brain’s magnetic field

She can produce repulsive waves against certain people/things to avoid resonating with them

Rafayel explained that MC must open her heart to establish a ‘connection’ and share her power by amplifying or suppressing another's Evol at will 

Xavier stated this is the only Evol that can undo a lock on a Flux Nexus pillar and retrieve a protocore/Aether Core from within (how convenient??)

It also allows MC to resonate with evol imbued items such as Rafayel’s coral stone to draw out Wanderers, or his paintings to inspect them

As of Caleb’s Homecoming Wings story, MC’s Evol remains underdeveloped and suppressed likely due to her Aether Core’s powers being incomplete

She can also return Wanderer Protofields to their original state

MC can even resonate with other peoples dreams:

"It's as if she saw through time and space, through his dreams, to realize he's not the doctor." - Dawnbreaker Zayne

“There were times when I noticed him [Xavier] sleeping. I tried using my Evol to resonate with his dreams. But whenever I do, I get too nervous and fail.” – MC in Xavier’s anecdotes

One cannot simply force a resonance with any Evolver, the process is a two-way street:

Rafayel and Sylus were overly-eager and attempted to resonate with MC within a short time of meeting her but failed because she viewed them as strangers

Out of all the LI’s (besides Caleb), Xavier resonated with MC more easily during their initial encounter against the Luminivores, most likely because his light evol and her aether core powers are similar in form which possibly made it easier for her to match his frequency as both are described as ‘warm glowing light’

Examples of resonating successes/attempts:

Xavier

‘I sigh and place my hand over his [Xavier’s] heart. The waves caused by the resonance Evol ripple from my fingers– the fountain bursts into a shower of dazzling light, countless, tiny droplets scattering. The spectacle reminds me of fireworks as vibrant as an oil painting.’

– MC and Xavier create a distraction in Azure Square to escape the robots monitoring him

‘As chaos envelops my vision, only one warm force stays tightly connected with me. It flows steadily from my hand and gradually covers the world in a dazzling light. It overwhelms my senses…”

– MC resonates with Xavier to power the Traceback II starship together

“Weird… It feels like something is suppressing Xavier’s Evol, preventing a complete Resonance…”

– MC’s speculation on Xavier’s Evol suppressing collar preventing them from fully resonating

Zayne

MC: “I’ll help you suppress your Evol first. Tell me the area I should resonate with so you recover faster.”Zayne: “My left shoulder… A little lower…”

– MC helps Zayne recover by suppressing his Evol in his shoulder

Rafayel

“All right, I guess I was wrong. Tapping into the depths of someone’s Evol isn’t easy.”

– Rafayel after trying to resonate with MC by holding her hands and explaining the intricacies of her Evol to her (lmao)

Sylus

MC: “Even if you keep holding on to me like this, I can’t resonate with you. It’s not something I can do just on a whim!”

S: “After all that arrogance, it seems you can’t even control your own Evol.”

MC: “... At the very least it doesn’t want to be activated in front of you!”

– MC to Sylus who was attempting to force her to resonate with him by grabbing onto her 

Caleb

“Resonate with me!” Like a bullet, Caleb leaps after the plummeting Wanderer.

“Caleb!” The roaring hurts my ears as I reach out. I can only catch the wind he stirs. Warmth surges over me like a tidal wave, and I focus my energy on catching Caleb as he’s in freefall. Our resonance creates a large energy shield that manipulates gravity. It halts his descent.

– MC assisting Caleb during battle on Linkon Tower

“The only advantage I have is having part of an Aether Core in my heart. Since I can resonate with the energy… I should be able to sense its location.”

– MC on locating other Aether Cores with her Resonance Evol

Aether Core noun

1 A rare protocore fragment or crystal containing a powerful mysterious energy that can only be wielded by a select few Evolvers

2 A complete Aether Core has a stable aether barrier on its outermost layer, which utilizes the gravitational field to seal and contain all the core's energy, thus ensuring its internal balance and stability

“Their power comes from the very core of the cosmos. If fully awakened, they would spell disaster for the world. I know. You aren’t satisfied with my answer. But there are some truths you have to see and decide for yourself.”

– Xavier explaining Aether Cores to MC

“Rather than what’s already happened, I’m more afraid of what might come in the future. But right now, you terrify me the most. You used the power of the Aether Core this time. I’m worried about what you’ll do next.”

– Xavier to MC after she uses him as a conduit for her powers to feed Starfield Forest

“The Protocore energy in your heart has always been stable. It can form an invisible shield to protect your heart when you’re attacked. You also haven’t become as weak as other patients with Protocore Syndrome. In other words, it’s a power made just for you.”

– Zayne comforting MC about her Aether Core

Notes:

An Aether Core fragment like MC's can appear as a yellow protocore fragment emitting a golden glow

Its power surpasses that of a regular Protocore and attracts anyone aware of their existence

In the present timeline, it was first discovered in MC’s heart by Granny Josephine and the Gaia scientists while experimenting on her as an illegal child experiment

It’s implied that it was not welded to MC’s heart through surgery but rather appeared on its own or chose MC due to her innate strength

MC’s Aether Core power is described as “warm” and appears as a radiant golden light

It has it's own defense mechanism and can create a shield around MC's heart

It especially attracts those affected by Protocore Syndrome who want to devour it's power

When used in combination with the Resonance Evol, MC can sense the location of other Aether Cores within range

At full power, it can power an entire planet for centuries but only temporarily (Philos survived for some time on a past MC’s Aether Core)

According to Xavier, once fully awakened it can also cause mass destruction (hint hint Earth’s downfall and Philos’ 2.0 rise?)

MC can siphon it’s energy, resulting in the crystal vessel breaking after the process of absorption

MC’s aether core provides boundless energy and immortality across time and space

Sylus’ aether core within his eye allows him to see people’s true desires and possibly grants him immortality as well

A modified wanderer wielding a spatium core was able to invade Xavier’s mind and recreate a protofield based on his memories of Starfield Forest (by Soren’s influence)

Human vessels who can control and maintain Aether Core’s power are extremely rare

MC, Sylus, and Kevi are three of them and therefore are sought after by the powers that be (i.e. Ever Group, The Farspace Fleet, Philos Backtrackers, etc)

Other possible vessels:

Xavier who is arguably one of the strongest evolvers was able to act as a conduit for the massive transfer of MC’s aether core power while they were in Starfield Forest

Caleb will soon make this list once Ever fulfills the Fountain of Atei project, since he boasts himself as a better vessel than MC

My personal theory is that only powerful Evolvers who have an indomitable spirit can house and command the ability of an Aether Core

Sylus and MC have strong personalities and are always at the heart of the action

They are known to have endured an unfair amount of suffering throughout their lifetimes that fostered this grit within them

Sylus even considers them to be ‘kindred spirits’ due to all of their similarities and encourages her lust for power regardless of the timeline

Their Aether Core's caused a physical energy link to materialize between both of them, tethering their wrists together like a handcuff

Sylus mentions she’s predestined to commit crimes in the future– my power-hungry villain MC theory is for another time lol 

Kevi, a mere child, was able to withstand the rigorous test Lucius’ forces his experiments to undergo in order to determine if their suitable for 'adoption'

Kevi was also able to easily utilize the spatium core to hide from the fleet

While we don’t know a lot about Kevi, it’s undeniable that he has an intrinsic will to live and promising powers

I don't remember his Evol being mentioned but we'll learn more about him and the experiments in the future

Caleb’s story speaks for itself tbh

Man’s survived how many near death experiences, and endless experiments, lord only knows what tragedy he experienced in his Myth... and will experience in the future

He can literally create black holes and shift the cosmos so I think his powers rival Xavier’s (though I’d like to see Xavi’s powers without his evol suppressing collar on)

A list of places Aether Cores have been found:

The flux nexus in the N109 zone on Ever’s abandoned research facility

The flux nexus in the no-hunt zone at the beginning of the main story

MC’s heart

Sylus’ eye

Tome of the Sea God unlocked by Rafayel using MC’s blood

Inside a mutated Wanderer destroyed by MC and Zayne in Chansia Hospital

Wthin a modified Wanderer destroyed by MC and Xavier outside Starfield Forest

Kevi’s possession given to him by his parents who were fleet personnel

Probably other locations I can't recall

‘I grit my teeth and forge that power into a sharp blade. Slowly but surely, it cuts through the invisible barrier along with the spaceship. Space itself is ripped open, which creates tremendous energy fluctuations and tremors. In the distance, a massive shadow looms.’

– MC and Xavier resonating on Traceback II to force their way through the Spatium Core’s illusion created by a modified Wanderer

Spatium Core noun

1 A rare type of Aether Core capable of influencing space, even creating entirely new spaces

2 Takes on the appearance of a green irregular spherical structure; the core’s shards have partially reassembled, drawn together by some gravitational pull

Notes:

A newly discovered type of Aether Core fragment that emits a faint green glow and grants the owner the power to ‘recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality’, essentially creating an illusion

MC describes the energy emanating from the core as gentle waves brimming with power, and a light, warm glow

Kevi was given a fragment of the Spatium Core by his parents to create a hidden pocket of space near his home to hide in from the Fleet

MC was able to sense the energy trail of this Spatium Core when she first searched the area of Kevi’s home due to owning an Aether Core 

Xavier confirmed the Spatium Core’s ability is familiar to people from Philos, such as the ex-Backtracker Soren who used it to lure Xavier into a protofield illusion to drain his powers

It’s important to note that despite being in a different plane, what happens to the victims trapped inside of this spatium-created dimension is very real

When Xavier attacked Soren its implied that Soren took damage outside of the illusion

Xavier’s energy is actually drained by Starfield Forest and Traceback II when he and MC emerge from the illusion; he’s exhausted to the point where he needs to sit down and sleep

By the end of Homecoming Wings, Caleb and by association, the Farspace Fleet, are now the current owners of the center fragment

Caleb’s mission is still to collect all fragments of a Spatium core, while MC’s mission is to retrieve the last remaining fragment from him

With the combined man power of the Farspace Fleet and the Tuum Fleet, Ever will eventually butt heads with the Hunter’s Association for the remaining fragments (or Caleb will use MC to get to the fragments once he discovers the Association is in possession of the rest)

Flux Nexus noun

1 A stone pillar device that captures Metaflux and as a side-effect can serve as a source of fluctuations that attract Wanderers

Notes:

Protocores and Aether Cores can also be stored and retrieved from within the pillar with the use of MC’s resonance evol

In the early story, Xavier and MC discovered Onychinus stored a modified protocore within a flux nexus in attempts to summon a dangerous Wanderer (this was likely a misdirect to paint Sylus as the big bad when in reality it was Ever)

Can serve as a ‘power source’ for crystal-infested human-wanderer hybrids with ‘Protocore Syndrome’

Destroying a flux nexus can result in severing the connection between it and human-wanderer hybrids, a concept similar to cutting off a power generator (Sylus destroyed one when he was chasing someone down in the N109 zone and it resulted in this effect)

Lucius' experiments (Caleb, Viper, Kevi, a mystery young girl) recycled these flux nexus in Skyhaven as a gig for Ever and the Fleet, during their clean-up of failed experiments with protocore syndrome

Flux Stabilizer 2.0 noun

1 A device the size of a bottle cap that regulates the frequency of surrounding Metaflux fluctuations thereby stabilizing the Protofield and reducing the likelihood of Wanderer materialization

2 Also functions similarly to a Spatium Core allowing the user to recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality (this function is obviously only available to those who are aware of how to use it such as Philosians like Xavier, Jeremiah, Soren and subsequently Ever Group)

X: “Initial tests show it has a radio frequency chip that can resonate with Metaflux fluctuations.”

MC: “So this little thing is the culprit behind the RMFMA’s malfunction and even the tool Soren used to lure in the Wanderer.”

X: “Yes.”

MC: “Can you also use that device to… recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality? You mentioned earlier that this is something only ‘your people’ know about.”

X: “That’s right. But you know I don’t like illusion stuff.”

– MC and Xavier discussing Ever Group’s newest groundbreaking invention

Notes:

The concept of a flux stabilizer first makes an appearance at Akso Hospital early on when MC visited Zayne's office and questions if the device is broken when a Wanderer appears

However, as of the end of Prologue To Tomorrow, a new 2.0 version of the flux stabilizer has been revealed to the public

When Ever broadcasts this new device on television, MC doubts there would be any need for Hunters if they implemented his small device all over the city

MC and her teammates are skeptical of this groundbreaking device that is advertised to help humanity against the Wanderers, of course

Similar to a Flux Nexus, this device can also be used for nefarious means such as to lure Wanderers

I wonder if this device along with the existing flux nexus' are how Ever will summon and revive the moist dangerous Wanderers and cause the fall of Linkon City to push their Philos (2.0?) agenda

[writtenbyshama]

The lore started in Philos, where Xavier was the prince and MC was his friend/confidante. After Xavier left with his spaceship, MC was drafted into The Sanctuary where she was caught with her little dragon, termed as a sorceress and pushed into the abyss to her death. Here she met Sylus the Dragon, with whom she made a deal and lived to terrorise everyone. When they finally caught them and Sylus made her stab his heart, she bound his soul to hers and escaped from the planet—

—right into the arms of a mighty sea god Rafayel, ruling over the vast waters of Lemuria. Zayne was a confidante (or something similar) who betrayed Rafayel, stealing MC for himself during her wedding ceremony with the sea god, only for them to perish in the end.

Xavier is looking for his queen, Zayne does not remember his previous life but MC feels familiar to him, Rafayel has waited eight hundred years for his beloved bride, and Sylus wants his fierce sorceress back.

MC is reborn, only to be an experiment (possibly at the hands of Ever). Caleb is another experiment, whose room is right next to hers at the lab (for Caleb, there is no other version of MC). Their memories are distorted after the Chronorift Catastrophe, and one of the researchers, Josephine, takes them in as her grandkids. She is acquainted with Zayne's parents, and tells him part of what happened to MC and tells him to care for MC after her own demise.

It stands like this: all the men have some version of MC (except Caleb) in their hearts and want her, and during this, another man (the newest coming soon love interest) is going to arrive and try to claim her for himself.

[This is my interpretation of the lore. Personally, I want her to end up with Sylus only. I am biased as hell. I downloaded and am now playing the game for him and him only.]

[lunarclawz]

me trying to figure out sylu's full lore and honestly deepspace lore makes me feel like this

[the-violet-diaries]

Broken Backstories: A Theory on the Past of the Wanderers in Love and Deepspace

Is it just me or has anyone ever thought about the bounty hunt Wanderer Heartbreaker's origin? Like, what would this tear drop-shaped creature have gone through to become what it is today? And what about the other Wanderers?

Maybe this is actually already true and i havent picked up on it yet because im just dumb, but here's my theory so far on the Wanderers in the game: They were once ordinary humans with ordinary lives that were unfortunate enough to come in contact with some type of disease or physical or mental obstacle in their lives that transformed them into these "monsters."

One of the best examples I can think of to compare this scenario with is the kdrama Sweet Home. The drama is set in a completely ordinary human world like ours. Some strange, seemingly transmittable disease causes people to start becoming monsters, turning Seoul into a complete dystopia.

It is later revealed, however, that all these demons were once human beings that reincarnate into the embodiments of their deepest and darkest desires or fears.

For example, the monster that can't see properly but has the sharpest hearing:

SPOILER:

An earlier scene shows Cha Hyun Su (Song Kang) trying to "distinguish the monster inside" before he himself gives in to the transformation.

This pattern or theme of a seemingly dystopian world where the battle is between humans and another species framed as "dangerous" by the humans is reoccurring in many books, shows, and movies. So, my thought process is that the same might apply for some Wanderers in LaDs, if not all.

I was fighting Hearbreaker, the tear drop-shaped Wanderer in Bounty Hunt the other day, and this entire idea just came to me and I literally cannot unthink it now. Like, it makes so much sense!

The battle seems ordinary at first, with a gorgeous amusment park-themed setting and nice bg music. But then the Wanderer up for bounty appears. A droplet of water, shedding tears and following you around with pain in its eyes as it begs for you to accept its love. Sound familiar? Yes, sadly, most of us can relate. The longing to be accepted.

And what is our mission? To get rid of it.

Now, im not trying to hate on the LaDs team or anything. I love bounty hunt and its something i play often. But i just find it sad that a bounty is placed above a harmless creature which clearly seems to be suffering from loneliness and, as the name suggests, heartbreak.

The other Bounty Wanderers each have their own distinct qualities. And the saddest part is that even if they may not have all once been human like MC, they are hunted and killed for their weaknesses, and will likely never recover.

Well, anyway, that was kinda weird i think i took that a bit too deeply that was just a quick idea dump lol. 😅😅 I may be misunderstanding some details but I've played LaDs for quite a long time so I'm not so sure because so far nothing much has been revealed regarding the origins of the Wanderers besides Ever and its affiliations but i may be wrong. there are so many other theories out there we'll just have to wait and see! but anyway I hope you guys enjoyed! lots of luv 4 u i know u need it ❤️❤️❤️

[ellieexoxo]

QUICK LORE DIVE GUIDE 📖

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Rafayel's, Xavier's, and Zayne's story. It is not heavy, but it is necessary to understand.

Due to the requests I've been receiving in Discord for a lore guide, I decided to make a brief post about it. This won't be able to answer all the questions, so feel free to ask me. I'll do my best to respond. Please note that this is simply my personal guide and not an official one. What works for me may not work for others.

A few things to note:

Anecdotes can be read in its natural order, but it's set the way it is for narrative experience. My order is just based on what I noticed came before or after.

There is no prioritization for LIs, but I follow the order of narrative in Sarah Brightman's theme song. This goes by Rafayel, Xavier, and Zayne.

Myths' conjunction to the Linkon timeline is currently and canonically unknown. There are theories and speculations in the community, but this is not that kind of post. This is a focus on making lore more digestible efficiently.

While this may be an efficient guide, I also suggest looking back to the text every once in a while to refresh memory. Not necessary, but it's helpful with understanding the story.

— RAFAYEL 🐟

ㅤ✩ㅤAnecdotes: 3, 2, 1 ㅤ✩ㅤMyth: Forgotten Sea ㅤ✩ㅤMemory: Fragrant Dreams ㅤ✩ㅤMyth: Sea of Golden Sands ㅤ✩ㅤRafayel's Trailer (Fish) ㅤ✩ㅤBond Memory: Nightly Stroll, Ebb and Flow ㅤ✩ㅤWorld Underneath: 5, 3

Due to numerous events in Rafayel's story with time that isn't specified, his story is the most convoluted one to follow. Take time with this one.

— XAVIER ⚔️

ㅤ✩ㅤAnecdotes: 3, 2, 1 ㅤ✩ㅤMyth: Shooting Stars ㅤ✩ㅤXavier's Trailer ㅤ✩ㅤMemories: Secret Garden, Galactic Harmony ㅤ✩ㅤWorld Underneath: 4, 6

Time traveling is involved in Xavier's story, so Anecdote 3 will be easier to understand when reading the Myth. After the Myth is the Linkon story.

— ZAYNE ❄️

ㅤ✩ㅤAnecdotes: 2, 1, 3 ㅤ✩ㅤMyth: Tower of Secrets ㅤ✩ㅤZayne's Trailer (00:17) ㅤ✩ㅤBond Memory: Nostalgic Sweetness. ㅤ✩ㅤWorld Underneath: 1, 2

Zayne's story involves different timelines, so Anecdotes 2 and 3 will be easier to understand after reading it.

I suggest watching the prologue in Chapter 1 and the epilogue in Chapter 8.

Once again, this is just a guideline. What may work for me may not work for others. If more lore is released in the future, I will be adjusting this post to it. As much as I try to, I'm not well-versed in all of the LIs' lores, so feel free to provide suggestions.

[sylusbelovedart]

Fallen Angel/Demon Sylus Theory

Upon searching material for my fic, I came across new hints related to Sylus. I already shared them on Twitter but I wanted to make a long post here so it's easier for me to refer (will post on materlist).

1. Sylus apparence/how he is perceived by others

Lucifer/Satan is often misrepresented as this hideous looking beast with horns and a tail, whereas it has been said multiple times in the Bible that Lucifer (before becoming a fallen angel) was the most beautiful angel (his beauty is often underline in the Bible) and above many. He was a guardian cherub that had the ability to enter Eden (besides, Adam and Eve, no mention of someone else entering the Garden apart from those three). He was a leader and God’s favorite, until he rebelled against him and was chased from heaven.

(Which makes me think about Sylus’s relationship with Ever. Was he some kind of guardian or mentor for the children there ? Maybe he was one of the oldest who has been taken by them.)

But for some reasons, after becoming Satan, this aspect of him completely "disappeared". People kept making false sketches of him (what people did to Sylus too) and painted him only as a hideous beast, when he is first and foremost one of the most beautiful being ever created by God. And this is mostly because humans decided that what was ugly was bad and couldn't possibly be pretty and good (cf pretty privilege).

In Sylus' Myth, MC does point out that how people perceive, describe and present Sylus is not at-all what she sees, telling him he is much more handsome.

Source is from @/Lavender on Youtube since I don't have Sylus's Myth. Check out her channel !!

And because of Sylus’ misrepresentation through centuries, and even though he has a pure heart and soul, no one can really see him for who he is, because he was already pointed and painted as a bad guy and a beast.

No matter how Sylus might look (that man being handsome as fuck) and how gentle and protective he actually is, he will still be perceived as this big, bad beast, no matter how loving and pure his heart might be. Because humans consider that, what is unsightly and cursed can’t be beautiful and pure.

2. The dragon

Lucifer/Satan was descripted as a dragon multiple times in the Bible. At first, when Lucifer entered the garden of Eden to deceive Eve, he was often described as a "snake". But after God found out Adam et Eve’s sin, God cursed the snake to "crawl" which could possibly mean he used to walk (and some say he could even fly from earth to Heaven and into the Garden).

Far later in the Bible (at the end of it basically), it talks about Satan’s first fall refering to him as a dragon (which is also described as the "ancient serpent").

3. The meaning of the eyes

(To me, this is one of the predominant features in Sylus's character)

When Lucifer manipulated Eve into sin, he told her that eating the forbidden fruit would "open her eyes" and help her know what’s good and bad (and to understand and stand by his side Sylus, you have to step beyond what he calls "light" and "shadow").

The "third eye" is also linked to s@t@nic representation (similar to the eye of Aether). Sylus's power is lodged in his eyes and enables him to be see people desires and aren't the eyes "the window of the soul" ? It's one of the rawest and accurate way to know and understand someone. Perceiving peoples desires could really helps someone "know it all" (also the other terms used to call the "third eye") and could also explains how and why Sylus seems to know SO much.

In Sylus’s Myth, on our first encounter he talks about our eyes and what he likes in them : he sees hatred (the first act of hatred was commited by Caleb against his brother Abel), defiance (Eve and Adam defied God by going against his words and associate with the "snake") and greed (often linked with desire, which Eve first thought when she saw the apple)

4. The Dragon's Bind

Sylus was binded for 1677 and I always asked myself why such a specific number and what does it mean ? And it makes so confused because I can't find what this exact number might mean ? So I tried to divide the number and only found something consistent for the 1000 year (I have found other things for the 677 but I am not satisfied).

1000 years

In the Bible, Lucifer/Satan was thrown into the Abyss, bound once for 1000 years then realeased for a final battle and defeated again. Sylus was sealed into the Abyss, bound then released and defeated.

Source is from @/Lavender on Youtube since I don't have Sylus's Myth. Check out her channel !!

Then Lucifer/Satan would be "thrown into the lake of burning sulfur" as punishment. Sulfur is found in volcanic terrains where there’s heat and fire.

Does that ring a bell ?

Philos's state when Sylus went "mad".

Maybe it’s what should have waited Sylus if MC didn’t kill him. The world would have turned into his own punishment to make him remember what he has once done and what he has become. But by killing him and later cursing him, MC saved him from eternal death (living on a scarred earth where she would no longer live) and gave him eternal life (being able to reincarnate or meeting again in another life). Which makes it all the more painful and heartbreakingly beautiful when he kissed her forehead and trusted his soul to her.

5. Infold's official art

When I first made my thread on X, I didn't know this art existed. One of my oomf showed it to me and this is what I have to say on this.

The theme of fallen angel is very fitted for both Sylus and Caleb. Both of them being fallen angel makes sense. But I think the difference is that Sylus could be seen Lucifer that went against God and Caleb as one of the angels that fell after deceiving God. Like Sylus that constantly fights Ever while Caleb decided to join them to be able to protect the one he loves (even if he deceives them at the end, at least he knows he can protect MC). Basically, Sylus is the sin and Caleb the sinner.

Which makes me think about the theory where it was said that MC is not the "same" for every LI (like if you have a main, the others are just "random" guys). Depending on which guy you chose, MC won’t be "the same". Her personality varies from each Lis and kinda suits their own personality (but MC is still MC with her own struggle and personality)

So if for Caleb’s MC is Eve then Sylus’s MC could be Lilith ? Like Lilith was supposed to be Adam’s but she never loved him that way. Which might be why Caleb and MC relationship is complicated.

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

P.s : Thank you for reading this far. I don't think this is finished and I still need to do some research but I have enough material to continue writing. So I might add a few things here and there but yeah... That's mostly what I wanted to say about Sylus. I hope I fed into your fallen angel Sylus as much as I fed myself !!

[thegalaxysedge22]

Evol

This is the first part in my collection of lore from love & deepspace.

important info: anything that is italicized (after the quote) is conjecture based off of what we do know

masterpost

CONTAINS SPOILERS

"A special superpower only possessed by a small portion of the human population. Those who have Evol are called Evolvers. After many studies into the field of Evol, scientists can now extract its power, create new weapons, and use it to improve daily life." - Spacepedia

*Even compiling all traces of Evol lore, it still is not explained that well so this has more conjecture than normal.

Despite nearly every person we meet having an Evol, they are supposed to be rare. There is not really any information on how they evolve. They could have existed before the Catastrophe, which would make sense because everyone we meet is older than it, or be a mutation/effect of some sort from the presence of Metaflux. It is likely the former as Ever, a research company who seems to be older than the Deepspace Tunnel, was at least at some point, and perhaps still is, researching them. We know for certain that Ever has been around for a while researching Evols as there is abandoned equipment on the rooftop of the Solon Hotel, a place in the N109 Zone.

Due to this superpower, Evolvers excel in fighting and combat, which explains why Deepspace Hunters are also Evolvers.* We know that Evols grant their owners an array of different powers. Examples of different Evol powers that are cannon include; fire (Rafayel), light (Xavier), ice (Zanye), telekinesis (Caleb), energy manipulation (Sylus). It is unclear if Evols are unique to each person who has an Evol or if they come in various types (like benders in ATLA).

Evols can also be used to craft powerful weapons or have their power extracted from them, although it is unclear how either of these would happen. Ever, a powerful big name tech/research company, is the leader in Evol research and weapon development. 

On the note of energy extraction, a flux stabilizer (not to be confused with a flux nexus) is a tool that can use “stored Evol Energy to balance out Metaflux,” and is the primary tool for controlling the presence of wanderers. You can often find flux stabilizers in areas open to the public. It is unclear how many exist or how far their reach goes, but it is reasonable to assume that there are multiple, especially in any heavily populated areas. It is also reasonable to assume that there are redundancies too (multiple flux stabilizers with overlapping fields). Evol weapons, like the ones that Hunters use, also appear to utilize the energy of a Protocore, which reportedly strengthens Evols and Evol Energy. The Evol-enhanced weapons that Hunter’s used are designed to eradicate Wanderers without harming humans; how they do this is unclear. Hunter Weapons come in a wide variety (all of the weapons you can choose from are, including the one that Sylus tries to gift to you).

* In the Spacepedia entry for Protofield, it mentions how the Hunter’s Association requires two Evolvers for field work, which implies that only Evolvers are able to be part of the Hunters Association, or at least they are the only ones who are allowed to actually be UNICORNS or doing field work

[linkons-most-wanted]

Sylus, Intimacy, and Desire: An Essay

Inspired by this excellent video essay on Zayne's intimacy and a few comments asking for a similar analysis of Sylus, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts!

I actually think that Sylus and Zayne are great to contrast to each other on this topic because they each make relatively overt bids for physical intimacy but in very different ways.

While Zayne is outwardly restrained, where that restraint causes his hidden internal desires to intensify to the point of no longer being controllable, Sylus is outwardly flirtatious/assertive, but then actually very comfortable managing/controlling his desires.

Sylus's character demonstrates that when desire is embraced and expected, and appropriately indulged, it can be confidently controlled and regulated. It can seem paradoxical at first--that the most "forward" character is also the one most interested in specific, verbal consent--but I'd argue it's spot on in terms of psychology.

Sylus knows and accepts his desires

In Midnight Stealth, he says, "I truly enjoy watching my little prey struggle. Especially when it thinks it can escape from me." There's clearly a sensual/sexual element to this, and it points directly at kink, where power and power exchance are tantamount.

More on power exchange in a second, but what I want to emphasize here is that Sylus is very comfortable with what's considered to be a very "dark" desire. (Dark romance girlies, sound off.)

Contrast this to Zayne, who feels very conflicted about even very normative, expected desires and emotions.

Sylus has a lot of reason to be very comfortable with his desires, regardless of their nature, due to his powers as a dragon. He's able to pull out others' hidden desires, so of course he knows his own. As we see in Beyond Cloudfall, the types of desire he respects are when people are true to their hearts--ie honest with themselves and others about what they truly want, even/especially when others consider those desires to be dark/deviant. MC is the only person he's met who's honest in this way and truly follows her heart.

Power exchange

We get many signs that Sylus is very interested in power exchange, such as the entirety of No Defense Zone where he taunts MC to "tame" him, and the recurring theme of "taming" and "winning his heart" that's made especially clear in Final Farewell (the Abyssal Chaos Commission) dialogue. In Night of Secrecy, when MC indicates she wants control, he says he can't give it to her--"At least, not yet."

He is actively looking the relationship to get to a point where he feels safe giving full control to MC.

Conversely, when it comes to being dominant, he doesn't value dominance for dominance's sake--he's constatly talking about how boring "weak prey" is. What is attractive to him about MC, and when she submits to him, is specifically that she's strong and powerful, specifically that she trusts him with herself. If she didn't have power to give up, power that he respected, he simply wouldn't be interested.

Delightfully, in the AU of Innocent Birdcage, we get a version of Sylus who is similarly comfortable with his desires, so we get an even more overt demonsration of bondage kink. Even when not frenzied, he's tugging that thread of power exchange, reminding MC that he's dangerous while simultaneously smitten with her courage.

Sylus gets off on more than just sex

What is so interesting to me about Sylus's portrayal is that he's very flirtatious, very forward, and very sensual--but with relatively very few on-screen/-page kisses. We get very sexually charged moments with face touching, hands (MY GOD THE HANDS), etc, but the tension is rarely diffused.

We see Sylus's physical sensitivity especially in Lost Oasis, No Defense Zone, and Innocent Birdcage. Part of why we see these sensual moments not devolve abruptly into heavy petting, like we do with Zayne, is that Sylus is not in a hurry. We see this in Night of Secrecy too--MC has to get quite forward for him to finally "give in" (though he never really loses control).

Sylus enjoys the waiting. Unlike Zayne, who sees his restraint as a matter of life and death, to Sylus, it's a game. He enjoys seeing how much teasing he can take (No Defense Zone) and putting MC in situations where he doesn't know how she'll respond ("Sylus and Tartarus are in your hands...").

Given their history in Beyond Cloudfall, things like forehead kisses are just as precious to Sylus as other more overtly sexual types of affection. Sylus is willing to accept affection and sensation in any form MC is willing to provide it, while also enjoying a bit of power play. So, touching her face, grabbing her chin, throwing her around a bit--gestures which become more affectionate and more accepted by MC over time, but still retain their value to him.

He's a young dragon

One of my absolute favorite moments in Beyond Cloudfall is when MC says, "You're a young dragon, aren't you?" It humanizes Sylus in this really profound way, reminding us that he's still figuring certain things out as he goes.

Given that he's a creature very in-touch with his instincts and desires, you're not going to get a typical virginal trope. He's certainly not naive to the mechanics--and you can certainly imagine he'd be aware of all kinds of sexual desires thanks to his draconic powers.

But, MC is still the one to introduce him to the concept of a forehead kiss. We see him be bold and flirtatious in Bloodnight Blaze, confirming that he's well in-touch with those desires, but he seems to value the tender moments equally, if not moreso.

There is this sense in his character of wanting to explore things with MC, of wanting to learn with her, to grow together. There's an openness and receptivity to his character in that way. Unlike Zayne, he may not have all that many specific ideas of what he wants to do to/with MC--he wants to experience that intimacy with her having equal agency and initiative.

He wants to be wanted

I posted recently about the close-up shot of Sylus's eye in Night of Secrecy, where we're shown very clearly that he's not using his power to manipulate desire.

Given that Sylus has always been percieved as a dangerous, violent creature by everyone except a select few, to be seen in a tender way is unfamiliar and vulnerable.

He wants to experience her desire in its raw, un-tampered-with state. He wants to know what she truly wants, and does not want to create a scenario where he's in some way manipulating or coercing her desire, whether using his eye or otherwise. Her genuine desire is more precious and appealing to him than mere sex.

As much as I am begggingggg for more Sylus make-out cards, I think moments like we see in Magnum Opus are far more precious to him.

A very strong piece of supporting evidence here is what he says in Approaching Dusk when MC asks how she can get him to willingly stay in her trap. He tells her that she should ask him for things, show her vulnerable side, and make him feel as though she relies on him. That is much more seductive to Sylus than physical pleasure.

What consent means to Sylus

I think the idea of getting consent can be construed in a "cover your ass" way, as in, "well, you have to do this or you're doing something wrong" so it's a "good guy" thing to do.

But, one of the things to be found within responsible kink is a much more profound appreciation for consent. To pull on the themes above, consent isn't just a box to check; it communicates genuine, vulnerable desire. It also affirms that the power exchange is wanted on both sides.

When Sylus asks for consent, he's saying, "You have power in this scenario. Are you willing to give it to me?"

It's the very fact that she can and would say 'no' that makes her 'yes' so very intoxicating and appealing to him. Even in Long Awaited Revelry, he's giving her options. It's her own greed/desire that makes her agree to his terms--not her lack of alternatives. She doesn't actually have to get the Aether Core, but she wants it enough to take risks.

Night of Secrecy

Let's dig deeper into some key dialogue in Night of Secrecy:

MC: “I told you that a hunter doesn’t like being passive.”  Sylus: “Oh… so you want control… Unfortunately… I can’t give it to you. Not yet, at least.” His warm hands scorch my skin and slide up my back unhindered, settling firmly on my waist. When gripping a gun, they’re cold and unyielding, but when they touch me, they become tender and warm. And now they’re a weapon of their own, teasing and tormenting me. Sylus: “…Don’t run.” MC: “You’re… so annoying…” SYlus: “I won’t deny it. I guess you can say I lied. Tonight, you’re not the only one feeling greedy… And I won’t be leaving until this greed is completely satisfied. Ah, I misspoke. Greed can never be satisfied… But you can temporarily soothe it.” He takes my hand and places it against his chest. His voice is slow and earnest as he asks the question once more… Sylus: “Say it again. Kitten, do you want it?”  My eyes linger on his, and our heart rates sync up.  I lean down over him, running my fingers through his sweat-damp hair.  MC: “This is my answer.”

In "And now they’re a weapon of their own, teasing and tormenting me," we see more of this indulgence in power play and power exchange. You can easily imagine Sylus challenging himself to see how slowly he can go, to focus more on MC. Him saying "Don't run" can be interpreted as MC trying to get out of his grip--not to escape him, but to accelerate the intimacy, to escape the "teasing and tormenting".

Sylus's "greed" includes taking things slowly. It includes build-up and power-play. It includes spurring on MC's own desires.

We get this really lovely back-to-back of "I won’t be leaving until this greed is completely satisfied" to “Say it again. Kitten, do you want it?” 

He is greedy... for her genuine consent. He wants her to want it.

I think "I won’t be leaving until this greed is completely satisfied" is best understood as Sylus being clear to MC that he wants her too. Neither this, nor “I’m hoping ‘yes’ is still your answer because… I just can’t hold back anymore” can be construed as him pushing boundaries because MC has already explicitly invited him into that territory. I interpret the hand that she puts up to stop him as her wanting to be "on top", not as her wanting to stop or slow down, and Sylus's remarks as specifically, verbally affirming his desire for her.

Even him saying "Greed can never be satisfied…" indicates that his everyday baseline is wanting her in this way, and he's very comfortable with those desires and how to keep them in check.

Desire without entitlement

At no point does Sylus ever behave as if he's entitled to MC's affection, physical or otherwise. He always desires her, but does not have specific expectations of her. He's always asking, "so what will you do?" The fact that he doesn't know the answer is what makes the question so compelling to him.

If he wanted sex, he could get it--he's powerful enough and persuasive enough. Which makes that conquest irrelevant and boring to him. What is far, far more interesting is co-discovering MC's true desires with her, just like they did in Beyond Cloudfall.

Repression and regulation

In the way that Zayne's character represents repressed desire, Sylus's character represents regulated desire.

His desires are accepted and known, not rejected and bottled up. Thus, he's able to approach regulation in a playful way, appreciating the challenge that it provides and finding ways to express his affection and sate his desires that don't put pressure on MC.

It is because he is comfortable with his sexuality that it's able to be secondary to his primary desires with MC.

In conclusion

So, as much as I want more kiss cards for them, the writers are cooking. There's a specific point they want to make, and I think they're making it beautifully. I am constantly delighted by the complexity and nuance that the writers bring to Sylus's character.

I'm hopeful that as we see Sylus's and MC's relationship deepen, we'll see MC gain more confidence to initiate, which will then translate to more on-page and on-screen intimate moments.

And until then... there's always fanfic. 😅

[kira-loves0905]

why does this feel.... angsty.. 🤔

[pics below are the poses]

this reminds me of the Frozen Nightfall :<

aaaaa this idea just popped in my mind when i saw mc's pose first

[lavandulawrites]

Hiii my lovelies!🩷

Since I’m only level 47 in Love and Deepspace, I have some questions regarding the lore and world building:

What is the country they live in called? Is it called Linkon, or is that just the city?

What is the deal with the past lives of the MC?That kinda confuses me, though I’m probably a too low level to understand yet🫠

Do we know where the Wanderers come from?

Do we know what the Wanderers are other than aliens?

And what is the deal with the Deepspace tunnel?

Is it a portal to somewhere in the universe?

Do we know why it appeared?

Some of my questions may be obvious, but whatever🤷🏼‍♀️ I do have some more, but these were the ones that troubled me the most🤔

[munnmolads]

What did Rafayel receive in the Nest? Part 2 - Analysis and Theory

This is a second part to my ramblings about the Nest meeting Rafayel had in Chapter 8. I'll be discussing more in the point of view what if that meeting wasn't related to Long Lost Treasures and it would have been critical to Land of Secret Flames? Spoilers for the main story in Under Deepspace and Prologue to Tomorrow, especially Land of Secret Flames.

If you haven't read the first part of this theory, I'm going more thoroughly about the meeting itself and and Long Lost Treasures in it, but it's not entirely necessary to read that if you're curious about the different point of view and are familar with the story.

What if the box had the disk Rafayel sent to Hunters Association?

Another theory I have for the box is that it contained the disk that Rafayel sent to the Hunter's Association with MC's name on the package. Andrew tells about the disk in more detail, telling it had a microchip inserted inside to forcefully induce energy fluctuations and only Ever has the technology to make something like this. It's also mentioned that the device can't be activated remotely.

Rafayel isn't even disputing the fact that he sent the package and only leaves a vague statement behind about maybe that will bring MC closer to the truth she's seeking. I wonder if it's a reference to Chapter 8 to what he said in the Nest as he left MC to be captured?

If we look back to the box, it could hold a "palm sized disk". The box isn't a perfect square, it's flatter height wise which could indicate a disk shape inside. The Nest guy's details - or the lack of them is interesting, his hand is very low-detail compared the usual detail in hands for his game, but the ring is quite detailed. Maybe it's not related, but it's really striking in this context that I am kind of willing to think that it might be the method how the fluctuations are controlled.

I'm just going to put this out here because I am bit unsure about this, but I feel Rafayel might have tried to distract MC's attention to the jewelry to see if she reacts to the fluctuations. He sees that it worked, and then tries to get her mind off it again after that.

After the banguet starts, MC confirms that the jewelry didn't have any fluctuations on it. These tremors aren't explained in another way, not yet atleast. I don't think there would be any reason for the Ever people use it right here and now.

Later when MC and Rafayel eavesdrop the Ever people and end up confronting them by Rafayel's iniative, suddenly there is a huge burst of metaflux and a wanderer appears. But oh how convenient timing this is for Rafayel....

Those Ever people didn't seem to plan to use the device - it sounded more like they wanted to infiltrate in and steal something rather than inject a wanderer in there. I have a feeling that Rafayel's confrontation here was to actually interrupt them not spilling their actual business in Jewel Reef, and give himself an opening to use the device right there so MC suspects they used the device instead.

We hear in the last chapter of Land of Secret Flames that the people from Ever are in the blue hole. This would seem like that the device was accidentally found when the Ever people drowned, and Ever can't really do anything about the device since they weren't on a legimate business in the banguet either. MC also seems to be a bit disappointed by the fact she can't question the people who were involved now.

Why would Rafayel get something like this?

First we have to think about Rafayel's motivations. Ever is the biggest enemy he has, and even how resourceful he is, he can't take them down on his own and he knows this. We also know that Ever is kind of Google of our own time right now, they are bigger and more influental than probably many of Linkon citizens realise. I think Rafayel's motivation is to obviously to protect MC, but also, slowly and surely expose Ever and it's dubiousness steasily so people and groups like Hunter's Asscociation would take more actions against them.

During Land of Secret Flames he demonstrated how the device works to MC and sent it to the Hunter's Association under her name for investigation. He also managed to link Ever to it successfully without making the connection him handling the device. However as we learn in the later chapters of Prologue to Tomorrow, Ever is already trying to launch their products to the market.

Of course we have to remember Rafayel's branch isn't the only one that demonstrated this issue with Ever, but if we assume that Land of Secret Flames could work as it's own story, Rafayel did manage to get the Hunter's Association's attention to Ever.

And why did he send the package under MC's name?

One thing that has been puzzling me over 6 months is that why Rafayel sent the package under MC's name? Why he didn't put his name? Or give the device to MC to hand it over to the Hunter's Association?

This is just speculation from me, but as I mentioned before, I fully believe his aim is to protect MC. He still is ranked at 6th on Ever's execution list, and has a bounty on his head. It's dangerous for MC to be linked to that kind of man and if Ever would know she is snooping into their business, it would put more of a target to her head. Rafayel keeping MC as much as possible in the dark about Ever could be a way to keep her protected from his burdens while he tries to feed the information to her more indirectly from more official sources, like inside her Association.

In addition trying to keep distance between her, him and Ever, I feel maybe he didn't want MC to have the device on her hands for too long so she could investigate it further and realise how the device worked, and how short range it has. Sending the package in behalf of her keep his name off the entire ordeal without her ever seeing the disk and package herself.

Another interesting point is that Rafayel seems to want to keep his distance to the Hunter's Association - he's not really interacting with any of them otherwise or even met (that I remember of) MC's colleagues. It could be just a coincidence and writers staying away from it since he doesn't have that much connections there yet, or it could be that he's not really trusting the Association fully either.

After the conversation about Ever's product launch, Jenna kind of shuts the conversation and the possibility to investigate Ever further, and directd the conversation towards the Aether cores.

It could be that I'm looking too into it at the moment and I don't want to get too into Jenna being bit suspicious during the story, but it could be that Rafayel might have predicted this outcome that the Hunter's Association is not going to investigate Ever further, not yet atleast, so he didn't want to risk his safety by contacting the Association himself.

I know this theory is bit out there, but I like thinking about the story in different perspectives and even if they wouldn't be true, it's fun to think about. I'm really curious if we will get any new story content soon, because I'm dyyyiiinggg to know more about the lore. Maybe soon....

[calebdatabase]

Caleb & MC Bound by DNA

My god first off I was crashing out while watching the trailer I'm so excited for more CALEB LORE! I remember asking for more Sci-Fi content on a survey and they delivered! Soooo many incredible feelings, so I wanted to follow up on my Caleb as Donor 002 post.

Now we know that Caleb and MC were created from the same 'source' as he literally stated in the trailer. Seems it wasn't far-fetched to draw a connection between Eve being created from Adam's rib!

Taking a closer look at the structure of the DNA helix, I interpret 'source' as they are Cyborgs birthed from the same 'energy source'. The helix appears mechanical in nature with rippling energy currents.

It appears, in this new timeline, Caleb and MC are bound by their very DNA; his myth trailer included imagery of a metal double helix and the following text:

"The enigma behind the double metal helix... The promise you had since you were born."

"But the promise we've had since we were born, I kept that one." - Caleb to MC

Again, there is this imagery of being bound at birth, similar to how twins are (I mentioned the symbolism of twins/siblings and how they're often experimentation victims of Ever in the Donor 002 post). In this case, perhaps they are cyborg clones of the same energy core.

And if you're a Potterhead, you'll see that its a concept remniscent of Harry's and Voldemort's twin Phoenix Feather wand cores. One cannot survive without the other, both must die for one to be vanquished.

Twins, clones, whatever you want to call it**—** it's a pattern you can't deny, and now I'm convinced in the present timeline, Caleb and her are linked in more ways than they appear to be.

Also love how Caleb x MC haters got their panties in a twist and Infold was literally like 'LET ME SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU' *drops myth trailer* Kudos to them for sticking with the planned lore and remaining unfazed by the initial controversy. They had to prime everyone before dropping this, and the ones who get it, get it.

"Then it's a promise. In life and in death, we will never be apart."

You can't tell me these aren't their literal wedding vows HAHA I'm sickkk. Caleb basically said: 'Till death do us part? I think not..' The look in his eyes is so intense too like damn ok i'm all yours for eternity my dude.

I think the promise they made when they were born refers to his promise to protect her always. It's a call back to their childhood memories about Caleb protecting her like a ring system protects its planet; they are born together and they die together.

Here's my thoughts on their A-01 and X-02 titles:

Caleb was distinctively labeled Donor 002 while MC was labeled Subject 001 in old experiment documents by Gaia and Ever.

In Caleb's very first intro trailer and his new myth trailer, his title is X-02. Respectively, MC is A-01. They are a pair represented by the concepts of Death and Rebirth, the ideal weapons to destroy one another, as we're all aware.

'A' may represent 'Alpha' in the concept of 'Alpha and Omega' aka the 'Beginning and the End'. MC can miraculously revive after dying via her Aether Core and can only be fully destroyed (and by proxy reborn) by the power Caleb wields.

'X' is associated with 'with death and rebirth, as it is thought to mark the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It is also often seen as a symbol of change or transition, as it represents the crossing of a threshold.'

Pretty straightforward. All I experience is pain with these two, and I. Need. More.

In honor of Caleb's myth dropping, I'm gonna post my embarrassingly long Supernova theory on the pair soon since I gleaned more insight from the myth trailer tidbits. Now I'm not sure if I should wait until reading his myth so I can go back and edit or just release it as is.

Might have to split it up into a few posts with their own section so its digestible lmao. It's been a couple months in the making and while it includes the scientific concepts explained in the Bound by Gravity, United in Resonance video, I also weaved it into the lore and the direction of Caleb's story. I've been a full believer in the Supernova Catalyst theory since Caleb was released and I'm excited to share my thoughts on them so stay tuned (his eyes are literal supernovas)!

My tumblr is Caleb Database and I plan to post more fun things like fics, lore theories, and fanart (I've already got one fic and two lore posts up). I'm also obsessed with Star Wars and Harry Potter, so you're likely to see some AU's of Caleb in these realms...