#obviously she cares about care bc of the door dialogue but its just so off putting at the party

[fiendishartist2]

//And I can't recall that special way, she told me each and every day, her name. I can't recall the fact that I always said I loved her back, the same way, every time the same//

[takahero]

in honour of finishing inkspell, here are some basta observations I picked up along the way. also, inkspell spoilers warning! i also have MANY MANY thoughts so i’d love to hear what you guys think to some of the questions raised

“He hadn’t changed: the same thin face, the same way of narrowing his eyes, and there was an amulet dangling around his neck to ward off the bad luck that Basta thought lurked under every ladder, behind every bush.” — pg.138

“Basta’s left hand was bandaged, Elinor noticed when he took his fingers away from her mouth.” — pg.139

“‘I’d have been here much sooner, believe you me, but they put me in jail for a while on account of something that happened years ago. No sooner was Capricorn gone than all the people who’d been too scared to open their mouths suddenly felt very brave.’” — pg.140 (see they never tell us WHY he was in prison, do they? the possibilities are endless. we know he committed atrocious things, like arson, but imagine if he got put in jail for something completely different…LOL)

“‘You wouldn’t believe how often I’ve told him there’s nothing to be ashamed of in going to jail, particularly when your prisons here are so much more comfortable than our dungeons at home.’” — pg.140 (OHHHTMGOD MEME IDEA)

“Basta flung his arm so roughly round Orpheus’ neck that his glasses slipped down his nose.” — pg.141

“‘Hold your tongue, Basta!’ Mortola interrupted him abruptly. ‘You’ve always liked the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.141

“‘Well, Silvertongue, I’m sorry it’s taken some time,’ he said in his soft, cat-like voice.” — pg.180

“‘My son always said revenge was a dish best eaten cold,’ observed Mortola.” — pg.181 (question. did basta find out about mortola’s true identity between inkheart & inkspell? do u think he realised it when mortola cried when capricorn died?)

“Basta passed a finger over his throat and winked at him.” — pg.186 (wink 2 LMAO)

“Basta bent down and picked up a rusty helmet lying at his feet. ‘What do you expect me to say?’ he growled, throwing the helmet back into the grass with a gloomy expression, and giving it a kick that sent it clattering against the wall. ‘Of course it’s our castle. Didn’t you see the figure of the goat on the wall there? Even the carved devils are still standing, though they wear ivy crowns now — and look, there’s one of the eyes that Slasher liked to paint on the stones.’” — pg.190

“‘So Basta was right after all. He’s dead, here and in the other world too.’” — pg.191 (interesting….so Basta knew Mortola’s plan wouldn’t work? he just wanted a ride home?)

“‘I’d really like to know what happened!’ he muttered. ‘I always said Capricorn wasn’t here, but what about the others?…What are we going to do if they’re all gone?’ Basta sounded like a boy afraid of the dark. ‘Do you want us to live in a cave like brownies until the wolves find us? Have you forgotten the wolves? And the Night-Mares, the fire-elves, all the other creatures crawling around the place…I for one haven’t forgotten them, but you would come back to this accursed spot where there are ghosts lurking behind every tree!’ He reached for the amulet dangling around his neck, but Mortola did not deign to look at him.

“‘Oh, be quiet!’ she said, so sharply that Basta flinched.” — pg.192

“‘You’re going to leave them here?’ That was Basta’s voice.” — pg.193 (at first I was like oh so he has a heart….but then he was mean to resa straight after this 🙄)

“‘Sorry, but he must have overlooked me, shut up in that cage as I was,’ purred Basta in his catlike voice.” — pg.377

“‘Wasn’t it Mortola who had you put in the cage to be fed to the Shadow?’ Basta just shrugged his shoulders and flung back his silver-grey cloak. Of course, he had his knife. A brand new one, it seemed, finer than any he’d ever had in the other world, and undoubtedly just as sharp.

“‘Yes, not very nice of her,’ he said as his fingers caressed the handle of the knife. ‘But she’s really sorry.’” — pg.377 (okay so it SOUNDS like he threatened/made some kind of bargain with his knife, but I strongly doubt that considering how afraid he seems of her?? i know he’s technically working for the adderhead but even by the end of the book, it seems he is far closer to mortola than adderhead. what is their relationship? or does he sincerely think she’s sorry/has deluded himself into believing such? UGH SO MANY QUESTIONS)

“Basta had always liked describing his own and other people’s abominable deeds in detail.” — pg.378

“‘But we’re not going to shoot you.’ Basta came a little closer to Fenoglio, his face as intent as that of a stalking cat.” — pg.378 …. living for all the cat references tbh

“‘He wants you to crawl on your belly to him, that’s what our noble lord and master likes. But never mind, he pays well!’” — pg.378 (yes basta all abt getting that bread LMAOOOO)

“He slowly drew the knife from his belt. Its blade was long and slightly curved.” — pg.379

“‘Hey Basta, I know you like the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.379 (AHAHAHAHA HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED OUT BASTA ON THIS NOW? IVE LOST TRACK)

“With a regretful sigh, Basta put the knife back in his belt. ‘Yes, very well, you’re right,’ he said in surly tones. ‘I need to take my time with this sort of thing. Questioning people is an art, a real art.’” — pg.380 (LMAOOOOOOO HE IS SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN)

“Basta. The same thin face, the same twisted smile. Only the clothes were different. Basta was no longer wearing his white shirt and black suit with the flower in his buttonhole. No, Basta now wore the Adderhead’s silvery grey, and he had a sword at his side. With a knife in his belt too, of course. But he was holding a dead chicken in his left hand.” — pg. 455

“‘Yes, they are!’ purred Basta. ‘The little witch, and the fire-eater into the bargain. It was well worth the wait. Even though I’ll probably never get that damned flour out of my lungs again.’” — pg.455 (ok….so who’s gonna draw basta sitting amongst the flour AAHHAHA)

“‘Servant? Who’s a servant here? Just listen to him. As bold as if he’d never felt my knife! Have you forgotten how you screamed when it cut your face?’” — pg.457 … don’t call basta a servant…..noted

“‘Oh, don’t look so disbelieving, little witch, I still can’t read and I don’t intend to learn, but there are enough fools around the place who can, even in this world.’” —pg. 457 (i wonder how much capricorn influenced basta’s views on reading. because capricorn said that he learnt how to read from a maid, right? so basta certainly wouldn’t have trash-talked reading in front of him. and even after living in OUR world for nine years, I’m still surprised that he never attempted to learn, given how dependent we are on it. anyway my headcanon is that he secretly wants to, but doesn’t want to give others the satisfaction of knowing they have something he doesn’t. also nobody he knows would be willing to teach him (unless he threatened them) bc of his obviously violent and short-tempered nature…and learning requires so much patience. still, though, would love a fic of basta being taught how to read in secret and having some kind of positive interaction)

“‘You’re even more talkative than you used to be, Basta.’ Dustfinger’s voice sounded as if he found this tedious.” — pg.458 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH IM DYING. honestly the animosity between them was just. A+++

“Basta was in an even worse state. He was sitting close to Mortola, his face so red and swollen that Meggie almost failed to recognise him. But he had escaped death once again. Perhaps the good-luck charms he always wore worked after all.” — pg.526

“The sunlight falling into the room made Basta’s face look like a boiled lobster.” — pg.575 

“Basta put his hand to the amulet hanging around his neck. It was not a rabbit’s paw, as he had worn in Capricorn’s service, but something that looked suspiciously like a human finger-bone.” — pg.581 (THIS STILL IRKS ME SO MUCH)

“The Piper straightened his back, as ready to attack as the viper on his master’s coat of arms…He was a good head taller than Basta.” — pg.582 WHY DO I KEEP FORGETTING HES NOT TALL LMFAO

“The two men were standing so close that the blade of Basta’s knife wouldn’t have fitted between them.” — pg.582 HAHAHAJAHAAJAHAHHAAHAHAHAH PKESJENE I LOVE THIS SO MUCH … IMAGINE BASTA SQUARING UP W HIS NOSE JUST SMACK BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF PIPER’S CHEST OR SOMETHING

“The Piper struck Basta in the face so hard that his head hit the door frame. Blood ran down his burned cheek in a trail of red. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. ‘Take care to avoid dark corridors, Piper!’ he whispered. ‘You don’t have a nose any more, but one can always find something else to cut off.’” — pg.582-583 THIS SCENE WAS SIMPLY……CHEF’S KISS

are you serious is he dead??? WHAT. okay I knew dustfinger’s love for farid would be the end of him and basta being the instrument to rip that away from him was totally heartrending. i WISH it had been more climactic? like dustfinger unleashing his fury and fighting basta, blind with anger and grief. THE DIALOGUE POTENTIAL BETWEEN THEM AS THEY FINALLY TALK ONE-ON-ONE, and then some revisiting of the scene where dustfinger has the opportunity to kill basta but AGAIN withholds because killing is not in his nature….THEN MO IN SHINING ARMOUR SWOOPS IN TO DO THE JOB

now, off to inkdeath!

[zombieratt]

Alright so forewarning this is LONG as FUCK specifically because i came up with this idea in early high school and was just today POSESSEd By the Spirit Of Musical Theatre to put it to paper— er Tumblr.

So without further ado:

DEAR EVAN HANSEN BUT EVAN ISNT A TERRIBLE PERSON AND CONNOR LIVES.

the beginning is the same, canon diverges just after waving through a window.

*this ended up getting written is script format? i also just sorta ignore alana’s whole exsistance bc in this version of the play she’s unnecessary*

In the moments before he talks to Connor evan decides to omit Zoe from his letter, having resolved himself to move on from her. (instead of being a hella creep.)

Connor: “dear Evan Hansen,” what are you writing letters to yourself? *he laughs*

Evan: its, uh, its for my therapist. its just a stupid little assignment that she says is supposed to help me process my feelings or— uh or something

Connor: hm. here. * hands Evan the letter*

Connor: your cast. no one’s signed it.

Evan: uh no. no one has.

Connor: gotta sharpie?

Evan: huh?

Connor: gotta sharpie? im gonna sign it.

Evan: *handing the sharpie to Connor* w- whuh uh why?

Connor: *shrugs* feels right.

Evan: i wish i could do that

Connor: what?

Evan: UH, IMEAN—

Connor: no wait- dude.

Evan: i mean uh, i meant that i wish i could just be, y’know impulsive like that.

Connor: Why Cant you be?

Evan: i uh, my heads pretty messed up, and stuff like that just, makes it worse i guess.

Connor: well theres some thing we have in common— were both fucked up in the head.

*the bell rings*

Evan: oh shoot! i missed the bus—

Connor: i’ll give you a ride.

Evan: are you sure i mean i can walk its not far-

Connor: all the more reason, i probably have to pass it on my way home anyway, cmon.

——

they meet Zoe in the parking lot

Zoe: I have Late practice today

Connor: whatever, gotta passenger.

Zoe: who the fuck would be crazy enough to trust your ability to drive?

Evan *being Brave*: Me Apparently?

Zoe: Uh, Evan Right?

Evan: yeah, uh, yeah.

Zoe *holding her hand out to be shaken*: i’m Zoe, we’ve met though right?

Evan wipes his hand on his shirt and shakes it: yeah, uh, nice to formally meet you, Zoe.

Zoe: i’m off, don’t kill him stoner.

Connor: i wont Princess

Evan breathing heavy: that was,, an eventful ten minutes.

Connor: oh fuck— you cool? or—

Evan: Panic Attack.

Connor: Right, uh

Connor: can you get in the car?

Evan: yeah

*car nonsense*

Connor: Can i start driving or do you want me to wait

Evan: Distractions are good,, Can Uh, Can you Talk about Stuff?

Connor: What stuff!??

Evan: any Stuff!

Connor: Is Zoe okay??

Evan: Sure?!

Connor: Uhh we don’t get along as well as we used to?

we were really close as kids, shes a huge asshole now but *fully venting now*

i kind of miss it you know? having someone to talk to and care about— and i still care about her— but its scary and i always fuck it up! not to mention the fact that our parents hate me— make her see me as some alien and not just a fucked up kid who wants to talk and — (more ranting that i dont feel like writing, but its a whole monologue bro)

Evan: Connor

Connor snaps his mouf shut: yeah

Evan: thanks

Connor: oh that, uh actually helped?

Evan: yeah focusing on your voice and whats real and stuff— it makes a difference.

Neither of them noticed that Connor was just sort of Driving. they end up at the park where in canon Connor commits Sewer-slide.

Evan: i didn’t know there was a park here.

Connor: huh, oh, yeah i guess i just sorta auto piloted, i come here to think.

Evan: About stuff?

Connor: Yeah, Stuff.

*the convo lulls*

Connor: do you have a laptop?

Evan: no, i uh, i left it at home? why?

Connor: give me a second

Connor walks to the car and grabs his back pack out of the back seat

Evan watches Quizzically from the swing-set

Connor pulls out a Sketch Pad and Pen, flipping to a clean page.

Connor: So tell me how to write one of those letters of yours.

Evan: uh, well you start like any other letter- just addressing it to yourself

Connor writing: Dear Connor Murphy,

Evan: and uh, my first one was supposed to be about my ideal summer vacation? since i started in middle school- but you don’t have to—

Connor: thats perfect.

Connor starts to sing for forever,

eventually Evan joins in there is a minor gay moment where they’re holding hands face to face.

the song ends with Connor hugging Evan.

Evan: its- its pretty late.

Connor obviously crying: just— just a couple more minutes.

Evan lets go and grabs Connors sketch book of the ground, closing it and handing it off to him: then how about this, labor day weekend- we actually go.

Connor: what are you talking about?

Evan: being spontaneous?

Connor: o-okay.

and it cuts to black.

theres a small montage here, as the set changes to Connor and Evans bedrooms

sincerely, me is a lament in this context, Connor and Evan are duetting from their respective rooms, writing to themselves.

(the lyrics are completely different and i will not be writing them here because thats too much fucking effort.

but they’re duetting from their bedrooms about making a connection to another person, feeling seen, for the first time. what it felt like and how they really want to keep it up but are afraid of making a mistake and ruining it.

its got some themes of waving thru a window, and a little bit of for forever, but its still largely the same notes just in a different key.)

after wards, Zoe knocks on Connors door to tell him dinner is ready to find him peacefully asleep.

requiem is the same, Zoe sees Connor as Dead to Her instead of actually dead, so some of the wording changes, so and so about how a monster doesn’t deserve peaceful rest etcetera.

school day happens, Connor doesn’t die, but the hot goss is that everyone saw Connor and Evan go home together after school, jared makes a shitty homophobic joke to Evan and Evan kind of tells him off about it. they argue and it culminates in Evan saying “well god forbid I’m friends with someone who isn’t YOU!” or smth like tht and it hits jared right the fuck at home man.

Connor says from the side lines: damn that was pretty hard core dude.

Evan: you have, no idea how long i’ve wanted to do that.

Connor honest to god l a u g h s, theres a number of people who hear it and lose their shit, Zoe being one of them: i have a pretty good idea, wanna get some lunch?

Evan: yeah, sure.

this general routine continues until labor day weekend, when they plan to go on their little escape. theres a short scene of Connor leaving the house with his keys and a backpack.

Connors mom confronts Zoe about his oddly upbeat attitude and hows he’s seemed differently lately Zoe Shrugs but decides to investigate his room.

she finds the letters. the first one is for forever, the theme plays as she reads it frantically, and is signed “Sincerely me (connor murphy)” so she knows its him, i f i could tell her begins but its a real duet between Connor and Zoe and at the end she resolves to try harder to connect to him.

Evan sings disappear to Connor after breaking into a formerly public park, in this context its him confessing that he broke his arm attempting su!c!de. Connor records it, for personal reference.

jared hacks Connors phone and steals the video, posting it to yt, in an effort to ruin their friendship.

Evan and Connor get in a little fight about it, and in the meantime Evan is called to the school to give an assembly because hes a phenomenal speaker and Disappear got like 1000000 views over night.

Zoe and Connor bond a little bit in a short scene before the assembly

Zoe: wheres Evan what happened?

Connor: Kleinman Did!

Zoe: what?

Connor: Why Do you care?

Zoe: because! you look happy around him!

Connor: i, i do?

Zoe: yeah? he could tell the worst joke ever written and you’d crack up. i haven’t heard you laugh like that in years Connor, maybe ever.

Connor: oh.

Zoe: Come back inside?

Connor: y, Yeah.

they all perform You Will Be Found together.

end act 1.

(no more dialogue from here i got tired)

to break in a glove is Connor’s dad trying to reconnect with him, it goes mediocrely, but Connor feels like hes being seen by his dad for the first time in years. its said in metaphors, but this is Connors dads way of saying that if Connor is willing to put in the work, so is he. they hug at the end, things are looking up. some talk of therapy is sprinkiled in the dialogue as they walk of stage together.

Only Us is Evan and Connor saying that they saved each other. its loosely romantic, as its a love song, but they don’t out right say that they’re in love or anything, they don’t know if theyre ready for that. its a promise. the song ends with Connor finally apologizing for pushing Evan over at the beginning of the show.

good for you is sung by jared only, as a power ballad, about losing people you didn’t treasure. its his attempt at an apology, but it ultimately fails, since jared is unable to take responsibility for his own actions. this is where jared and Evan go their separate ways.

Evan’s mom comforts him, as he sings words fail, which is about specifically jared, and how their rocky friendship is ruined and Evan pegs himself as the cause, instead of parents or perfect girl he uses metaphors that apply to best friends— maybe more. and talks about how he didn’t try, he was happy so he ignored that jared was hurting, and how that was really shitty of him. but instead of it being a generally somber song the end is lighter, because Connor is there— waving through his front window.

Evans mom sings So Big/So Small as Evan steps out the front door to embrace Connor and they mime talking about jared, hug and take hands. the house moves off stage in preparation for the finale.

Connor and Evan open the finale saying each others names, and sing it together as the test of the cast (minus jared) joins in, Evans mom taking his hand and Zoe Taking Connors, Evans mom the Murphys and Zoe break off to the back where Evan and Connor finish the final “all i see is sky for forever” while looking into each others eyes, and finish the musical by embracing (maybe kissing if thats ur jam).

[heartlyre]

META NOTES: The Answer

      all notes compiled during various playthroughs of The Answer, for those curious and for my own personal reference in the future. bc i can’t be assed to turn it into an actual meta post lmao. 

      as always, this is an extension of Hamuko’s main verse wherein she is the male protag’s sister and he fulfills the requirements to create the Great Seal. 

      i doubt anyone following me cares, but just in case: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER FREE ANALYSIS. THIS POST VERY SOLIDLY SPOILS THE ENDGAME OF P.ERSONA 3 AS WELL AS ITS EPILOGUE. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED BOTH PARTS.

it’s doubtful that Hamu would have remained at the dorm after her brother’s death — too many memories. either moved to the standard female dorm or chose to spend spring break living with Yukari or Mitsuru

Aigis DOES still keep Minato’s Evoker. Hamuko was not the one who picked it up during the final battle versus Nyx and afterwards couldn’t bear to see Aigis parted from it in the name of her own selfishness.

it’s been less than a month since the loss of her brother. she’s still horribly shell-shocked, and it shows —— she’s still pleasant and is obviously trying to keep up her former appearance of cheer, but she is incapable of not being sad and will ( silently ) bristle should anyone tell her to ‘ lighten up, ‘ no matter how well-intentioned it may be.

she is not at the dorm until after the first battle with Metis, and instead arrives with Yukari. she doesn’t seem entirely pleased to be back. 

Hamuko spent the entire night of March 5th by her brother’s side, watching him for signs of difference, though she knew from the moment they arrived at the dorm that something was wrong. by the time he was gone, she’d already been weeping for hours.

The Answer marks the beginning of Hamuko’s Arcana Change, wherein she still retains her original arcana of The Fool, but if she were inspected by Mitsuru or Fuuka, she would seem… distorted?  Her own version of Orpheus remains unchanged physically — still keeping his golden hair and heart-shaped lyre — but he seems tarnished, almost. Something akin to rust has begun to appear on his joints, and his hair looks to be thinner…

is all but silent through Metis’ initial explanation wrt the Abyss of Time, choosing to watch quietly rather than speak. all it takes is Metis saying that she’s trying to lead them through the Abyss of Time to save Aigis — to save her sister — for Hamuko to believe her and be on board with going in.

Mitsuru does not choose her to step up as the field leader, both out of respect for her recent loss, and because there is tactical strategy in having Aigis, the new holder of power of the Wild Card, as their leader rather than Hamuko. she accepts this with grace ( despite clearly being somewhat disappointed ) and instead settles back into her former role of ‘co-leader’

essentially Hamuko acts as a more quiet version of Yukari during the beginning sequences. she vocally agrees that she just wants to get through the Abyss of Time as soon as possible — leaving unexplained that this is mostly because she doesn’t want to be thrown back into battle, when every move she made was once intended to protect her now deceased brother — and expresses wary curiosity similar to Yukari’s when asking Aigis why she can now change Personas as Minato could. she is… unreadable to the others, but at heart, is both hurt and somewhat offended that she, as Minato’s sister, wasn’t chosen to step forward in his place.

she joins the party as a permanent member and is irremovable as soon as dungeon crawling begins, at least for the first few bosses. for all her unspoken wishes not to go back into battle, she says simply that she’d prefer to go into the Abyss and fight rather than stand around. in truth, she’s drawn a connection between the Abyss’ sudden appearance and Aigis’ inheriting of her brother’s Persona —— she suspects from that moment forward that it has something to do with Minato, and she actively wants to get to the bottom of it.

her Orpheus’ skillset reverts back to ‘Agi’ / ‘Matarunda’ / ‘Diarama’ and proceeds to re-learn the same skills he’d had during their Journey.  intended to act as the ‘mage’ to Aigis’ brute force.

she is mildly upset by the flashback of Ken’s memories in the police station, but says little, only coming over to stand by him and rest her hand on his shoulder in a show of solidarity.

seems to be upset by the talk of her teammates chasing the thrill of battle, but again, says nothing besides quietly agreeing with Yukari’s sentiment of ‘If we don’t keep our eyes forward, it’s all a waste of time.’

smiles a bit at watching Akihiko’s flashback, commenting on how ‘handsome’ Akihiko was when he was younger. her mirth quickly fades.

stiffens when Metis mentions feeling a ‘presence’ outside the last room on the second floor. no reaction but for a ‘!’ above her head before running out of the lobby to go see for herself. will comment on how strange this is should she be approached by Aigis before going into the next dungeon.

here, Hamuko is no longer a permanent party member. though she’ll make it known to Aigis that she’d prefer to go down into the Abyss and that her place as co-leader means she keeps a good eye on healing everyone, she’ll also say that she feels it would be best if someone stayed up on the second floor of the dorm for the time being. she smiles. it’s fake.

physically stiffens during Junpei’s flashback and looks… almost angered by the revealed breach in her and her brother’s privacy. ( “someone took a peek into [ his ] file when one of the teachers left it lying around. both of [ his ] parents are dead.” / “it’s just a rumour!” ) both siblings had wondered how the gossip about their parents and living situation had spread so early into the year (Junpei himself places his memory flashback as ‘the night that Akihiko-senpai found me,’ which is less than two weeks after the Protagonist arrives in Iwatodai. the siblings were at Gekkoukan for 12 DAYS until the rumour got out — ) and now that Hamuko has her answer, she’s visibly dismayed.

she swallows it back for the most part and doesn’t mention it past a quiet, near emotionless “… so i guess now i know how the gossip got started,” but she’s still clearly bristling at flashback!Junpei’s “that stuff only happens in soap operas!” remark.

Junpei will comment when approached by Aigis about how ‘Hamu-tan’ seems to be acting a bit colder towards him ( though he brushes it off as her merely being on edge in general because ‘the past few weeks have been hard on her, ya know?’ ) in addition to standard dialogue about how his father is, at least, still alive, and therefore he has it easier than most of the other dorm residence . Hamuko, in turn, will wonder aloud if the Arisato’s file would have been looked into had they grown up here like everyone else, and acknowledges that perhaps she’s being a bit harsh thanks to her lack of perspective on abusive parents.

not much to comment on with Mitsuru’s door, only a look of worry for Mitsuru when she says how strange it was to have seen her father again as if he were alive. talking to Hamuko in the dorm brings about a soft mention of how she thinks she’s beginning to figure out the connections between everyone’s flashbacks, but that because Aigis is the leader now, Hamuko is going to keep it to herself until she has more evidence.

Yukari’s flashback also leaves little to comment on from Hamuko besides a murmur of her friends name once the flashback is over, though she does add a quiet “me too” when Yukari mentions wanting a sign she was moving in the right direction equal to the same blessing Aigis received in the power of the Wild Card.

when Yukari reveals the connection between everyone’s doors and points out that it was the awakening to everyone’s Personas, and Mitsuru mentions that Fuuka, Aigis, and Metis’ memories all have no need to be revisited, Hamuko also adds that as her Persona was awakened in defense of him the same night he awoke his, it’s likely that her memories were also unnecessary. speaking to Hamuko in the dorm afterward shows her mulling over the idea that the Abyss of Time is connected to all of them, musing out loud about the shadowy black figure they’ve been seeing and wondering if it’s connected to the presence outside her brother’s now vacant room.

she does not come into the dungeon for the final door, stating that she feels like she really needs to be up on the second floor in the dorms and that she hopes Aigis understands

Upon finding the last door in the Abyss’ furthest level: > Junpei: ‘what did we do to deserve this?’ > Hamuko, softly, but with contained anger: ‘nothing. we’ve done nothing to deserve this.’

Hamuko comes out of Aigis’ flashback in stunned tears at the sight of her brother’s retreating form. once Fuuka says, ‘I didn’t expect to see him again, even if he had his back turned,’ Hamuko reacts with a ‘!’ over her head, stumbling where she stands to the point where Akihiko has to steady her. a party member asks if she’s okay, and she nods, attempting to stand on her own again, but she’s clearly shaken. “… it was really him, then? the rest of you saw that too?’

the cutscene continues until Aigis says that she’s done nothing but chase him in her dreams, and Hamuko murmurs, “I’ve had dreams like that too… he doesn’t turn in mine either, if it makes you feel any better.”

the Shadow version of Minato and Metis’ comment of “this is the reason why everything is happening. this was born from all of you.” draws a pained, whimpered “no” from her. she is left unable to move, and takes the Shadow’s first strike — from her own Orpheus —- to initiate combat. she spends the rest of the battle awake but incapacitated.

she’s standing for the Shadow’s rather gruesome disappearance, but immediately sinks back to her knees after Akihiko’s comment of “we did it.”  besides her soft whisper of ‘brother…’ the cutscene continues as normal

… until Metis’ comment of ‘you were unwilling to let go of something precious to you,’ Hamuko, swiping at her eyes and shouting, angrily, shakily: ‘AND WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM?? WHY IS ANY OF THIS A PROBLEM?? WE DIDN’T DESERVE THIS! NONE OF US DESERVED THIS!! WE JUST WANTED TO LIVE,  TO GO TO SCHOOL LIKE TWO NORMAL KIDS, AND INSTEAD I WAS FORCED TO WATCH AS HE —” Hamuko: … Hamuko, standing and turning to Metis, sadly, but firmly: ‘I lost someone who was just as important to me as Aigis is to you. I lost my only family left, someone who I loved more than my own life, less than a month ago. he was my everything. and you just… you expect me to just let go?’

falls silent once more as a party member quietly says her name. the cutscene proceeds as Metis explains that defeating the Shadow may mean that SEES can once again leave the Abyss of Time.

Junpei: “No one is seriously thinking about going back to the past, right?” Hamuko, glancing away guiltily: “…” … Akihiko: “Even if it hurts, we have to deal with it and accept the present.” Hamuko, as though coming to a realization: “Akihiko-senpai…

Hamuko, softly after Yukari’s outburst against Ken and Akihiko’s supposed ‘selfishness’ for not wanting to return to the past: “… I agree with them, too. Junpei-kun is right —— there’s no guarantee that even if we did go back, everything wouldn’t just happen exactly the same way it did. And I… I can’t watch him die in front of us again. I can’t… I can’t lose him. Not again. It isn’t worth the chance.”

despite Hamuko’s agreement with Ken and Akihiko, she ultimately takes a stand with Metis and Aigis, stating that her stance as the secondary leader means her allegiance goes to the leader proper. To Aigis: “I lead with my brother. I will continue to lead with the person who inherited his powers, regardless of your decisions or how I feel about them. It’s my job to have your back, after all...”

speaking to her in the dorms only ends in her saying: “I still think it’s wrong of us to go back and undo the sacrifice he made for us… but if you agree to go to the past… then I guess I’ll just get one more chance to see my brother again, won’t I?”

Metis, while standing in front of the arena preparing for battle: “This is a real battle, and there will be consequences if they lose.” Hamuko: “Consequences?? What kind of consequences???”

Akihiko, while facing the team in the ring: “Let’s get this over with.” Hamuko: “… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, to both of you...”

speaking to Hamuko in the dorms after Akihiko and Ken have been sealed leads to a single comment of “Make sure you’re ready. I won’t be losing anyone else. Not you… and not them.”

Junpei: “I dunno, do you really see us being able to go back and pull off another miracle, better than he could? I think this is something we’ve got to figure out on our own. You agree, don’t you, Hamu-tan?” Hamuko: “… Yeah. I’m not going to like facing Yukari-chan… but this is how it has to be.” and, while smiling, “Try not to hurt me too bad, okay? I won’t want to have to kick your butt again for payback later.”

the end of Junpei and Koromaru’s fight has Hamuko shaken, but she says nothing but a quiet ‘we’ll get you guys out of there soon’ once they’re sealed.

the scene between Metis and Aigis in which Metis offers Aigis her life should she die so that Metis wouldn’t be alone weighs heavily on Hamuko, and it’s clear that she understands when she says, simply “… that’s the pain of being a sister.”

Yukari: “It’s strange. I kinda want to say ‘long time no see’ to you guys.” Hamuko: “Yukari-chan… please, please don’t do this. You’re making a mistake.”

Mitsuru, in the ring: “Show me your resolve!” Hamuko: “Senpai… Yukari-chan… I’m sorry, but you’re both wrong.”

As Yukari breaks, Hamuko sinks to her knees next to her friend, opposite where Mitsuru would sit. Yukari’s cries of “I want to see him!” are only met with a hushed, “don’t you think I do too? I want him back… I want him back more than anything i can think of. but not like this. not this way… not to take what he gave us and throw it back in his face…”

speaking to her before the final battle will reveal that she’s nervous, and she outright states that there’s something almost familiar beyond that door… like she’s been there before. she warns Aigis to be careful, but states that she believes Aigis can bring them out to the other side safely.

Fuuka, upon seeing Minato’s essence forming the Great Seal: “What… what is this?” Hamuko, tearily: “…Brother… that isn’t… is it?”

Yukari, after watching Erebus attempt to attack Aigis: “I won’t let myself run this time.. He’s watching us, and I won’t let him down!” Hamuko, with barely contained fury: “You leave my family alone, you freak! If you want a fight, you come at me!”

Yukari: “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. He did this, made the seal, because there was no other choice. If there was an easier way, he would have taken it. It’s still sad, but… If I think of him as protecting us, forever… it helps a lot. ” Hamuko: “…He was always a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. He did what he did because he had to… because he cared about you guys… because I care about you guys. And it’s as simple as that.”

Hamuko recognizes the Velvet Room from descriptions her brother had given her, and offers a smile and a quiet ‘it’s nice to finally meet you’ to Igor and Elizabeth.

as Aigis fades after coming to her answer: “No!!! Not you too, Aigis! I’m not losing you too!!!”

as the final cutscene plays, Hamuko can be seen touching a pair of silver headphones where they rest around her neck. tears roll down her face, but she smiles. 

[canonstitute]

a pup named scooby-doo, ep. 1 (rambling/meta)

(look yes I know I made a blog to talk about cartoons because I can talk about them so much just shut up and let me memorize another 40+ years’ worth of a new canon because KND didn’t ruin me enough)

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo [S01E01] – A Bicycle Built for Boo!

Canon misc.

Coolsville, USA

The Daily Babbler (building parodying Clark Kent’s office Daily Planet)

Scooby Doo Detective Agency - small treehouse/clubhouse with a sign out front with the name next to a white fence. tree is impossibly tall and the actual clubhouse is small and nested at the very top

Some resemblance to Kids Next Door treehouses

not specified (yet?) whose yard the tree’s in if anybody’s (no houses in shot, clear on multiple sides with grass)

Clubhouse has crude rooftop “observatory” in the back with a huge makeshift telescope - trash can base + mounted pipes with lens

COMIX (title)

(“Haunted”) Ferguson estate

Gang gets picture in Daily Babbler

Fatty’s - Malts, Fries, and Burgers

Weirdo Woods - purple and swampy but mostly clear at ground-level (no plants) with some sinister trees; area completely out of view from neighborhood

Plot / Episode misc. [under cut for length]

the first episode is like the day after christmas or maybe the week after bc there’s a wreath on the door and there are christmas lights on Shaggy’s house - but only Shaggy’s house

could be before Christmas instead of after if his family celebrates early, but seems to be implying the Rogers don’t care enough to take the lights down after the holiday in a timely fashion

shaggy is too familiar with Scooby, his “personal alarm clock” when talking about his daily routine (waking up / paper route) for Scooby to have been a recent Christmas present. but if Norville’s had Scooby since they were both babies (toddlers?) as implied in a flashback from the sequel shows’ birthday special, Scooby should be well grown to size even if Shaggy’s only eight or nine here and he’s probably older

Shaggy’s room has monster posters

Dog door much too small for Scooby (probably growth spurt)

Cherry 1959 Star Fire (?) Special

Characters and episode roles established rather immediately, Daphne’s gig > Freddie’s > plot hinges on silent Velma to notice something for progress

Shaggy has a paper route, not much indication in this episode of how old he is. Scooby is older than his later nephew Scrappy was in his appearances but not fully grown yet

Red Herring does seem antagonistic of group and isn’t a tired running gag yet so Daphne does go off on him

Freddie aggressively threatens Red after being taunted

Velma pulling tools out of nowhere. Power sander, metal detector. stays quietly in background and finds bike w/o dialogue and helps others when asked

Fred gets beaten by the bully (run over on bike) only after losing a huge bravado - stood up to Red and sanded Red’s bike but was sheepish finding no evidence it’s stolen

Shaggy reading comic book and not helping afterward; contrast nurses Daphne (dabbing alcohol) and Scooby w/dress and doctor Velma - yes they all have the outfits

Kids are on break from school; plot starts early morning and continues remainder of that day

Weirdo Woods. Purple and swampy but mostly clear foliage-wise with some sinister trees here and there Red Herring’s “Secret Hideout” in Weirdo Woods is, uh, surprisingly close and easy to lose the neighborhood from

Velma speaking is the cue for a clue,random physics / data “genius” gibberish on screen as she types, somehow produces image of bicycle on portable computer

VELMA’S OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS REVEAL TIRE TRACKS ON PREVIOUSLY UNMARKED SIDEWALK

background track (just people singing “Scooby-Doo” and its variants over and over to a specific tune)

hee hee hee Daphne is holding Fred’s shoulders in this scene Velma has a motor skateboard, fast /reckless driver

Shaggy’s so light Scooby-Doo can drag him around by his own leash

Daphne dispenses the Scooby snack

Split-up is lampshaded, Velma goes with ShaggyDoo

………omg Velma and Scooby both dive into Shaggy’s t-shirt (with their heads peeking out the top) to hide from the ghost

Meeting the medium: Shaggy again becomes Scooby/Velma’s hiding place, Daphne is completely dismissive and Fred’s just mildly puzzled as always

“Alien agent from Mars that’s come here to steal bicycles in a plot to take over the world” -- it is absurdly weird for Shaggy to be giving Fred a reality/get-it-together check, i don’t care how young they are

Among Fred’s mentions: martians, spies, Fort Knox, costume, plot to take over the universe

Shaggy is the member of the gang most excited (ecstatic, even) to find all the cash. WNSD I believe had him coming from money if not to the degree of the Blakes, but he’s not unphased by it at all (Daphne is)

Shaggy gets overexcited and says he’s going to buy a million bikes. All kids can be like that but maybe his parents don’t buy him much in the way of toys / indulgences.

One time characters - undercover U.S. treasury department agent (?) Shirly Mcloone, Mr. Conrad - Daily Babbler

Daphne seems to cotton on second (after Velma) & delivers the explanation for the boys so Velma doesn’t have to talk too much. Daph knows money and she’s sharp, that’s for sure

Shaggy watches his friends eat ice cream in broke desolation and actually states he needs a new job now, because apparently his parents aren’t inclined to give their kid a dime for ice cream after solving a federal criminal investigation

The ghost was obviously the only guy besides a last-minute insert so I don’t have much to say about the ending, but can I just say these chase sequences where the characters do Peanuts dances randomly between shots set to episode-specific songs about the monster of the week? They’re fucking bizarre.