#race analysis tips | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

buckleybltch · 2 months ago

Text

Facts & Analysis: Hen Begins, Chimney Begins, Bobby Begins.

This analysis will primarily focus on Tommy during these episodes. This will objectively and impartially show facts of what happens during these episodes, and also my personal analysis.

From someone who has watched the show since season 4.

Large recap at the end!

Chimney Begins

Eli is very integrated into this episode. He is friendly with the other guys, but is also a guide for Chimney. He is the reason Chimney becomes a paramedic, but also advises Chimney on how to deal with the other guys.

Tommy: “Hey Eli, you forget to tip the delivery guy?”

Tommy is intentionally a jackass at the beginning of this episode as it’s meant to highlight the current workplace culture of the 118 under Captain Gerrard. Gerrard perpetuates and approves this kind of behaviour, and it’s how you get in his good books. Gerrard has very clearly made the 118 a white boys club.

Chimney: “You just don’t like me very much do you?”

Tommy: “If I thought about you at all, I probably wouldn’t.”

At this moment, Chimney is going through the hazing and comments from the others. No one is standing up for him, but Eli gives him some advice and explains why they’re acting the way they do. With regard to the other firefighters, we don’t see Sal at all, so the focus is on Tommy and Gerrard, and obviously Eli.

Eli: “it’s not personal you know. Look in this job, friends die, and funerals are held. They’re not going to just give you their friendship until you earn their respect. They’re not just protecting you, they’re protecting themselves.”

Here, Eli has witnessed the previous interaction with Chimney and Tommy, and explains it isn’t personal, but the other guys won’t just give Chimney their friendship. There’s nothing overt here that suggests Tommy has no interest in being friends with Chim due to his race, as Eli explains it is a trust issue with Chim being the new guy who has yet to prove himself.

Although Tommy “joking” that Chimney is an untipped delivery guy has some racist undertones, Eli states the hazing and comments comes from a place of no trust as he is the new guy. Tommy also only makes these comments in the presence of Gerrard, likely looking for his approval and appraisal; just trying to fit in. He is conforming socially and professionally, even in the negative ways. This will be explained more in the Hen Begins section, but this is likely because he is scared of losing his job if he openly goes against Gerrard and also, knowing what we know now, trying to remain safely in the closet. This doesn’t excuse his behaviour, and I’m not trying to, but it does begin to explain it. Anyone openly going against Gerrard would face severe consequences. When Tommy is not an instigator, he is a bystander and does let this behaviour continue (for now….).

Here, Tommy and the others are the perfect (and intentional) example of the workplace culture Gerrard has created.

On Chim’s first fire call, he’s sat next to Tommy in the engine who is constantly looking over at him. This is also the call where Kevin dies.

Chimney very suddenly understands Eli’s speech about friends dying and trust.

Chim then runs in after Tommy doesn’t respond to the radio and pulls him out of an exploding building, and waits in the hospital afterwards. Whether Chim knows it or not as he does it, this is him trying to prove himself and prove that he can be trusted by the other guys.

Eli visits Tommy in the hospital, evidenced by the visitor badge he wears and the update he gives Chim on his condition, indicating they are friends or friendly.

“Kevin died, Eli.”

“And Tommy didn’t, because of you.”

After Tommy’s stint in the hospital, he builds a bridge with Chimney and apologises.

It’s worth nothing that although he doesn’t explicitly say the words “I’m sorry”, I’ve always interpreted this scene as an apology, as Tommy and Chimney are seen as friendly afterwards. Chimney has proven that he can be trusted, and Tommy is finally extending his friendship (just as Eli told Chimney he would).

Tommy: “Love Actually, monster trucks, craft beer”

Chim: “So you’re back. How’s that head of yours?”

Tommy: “Still fat, but clearer. You saved my life. Thank you”

Tommy then shakes Chimney’s hand and brings him into a hug.

Chim: “Thanks Tommy”

This conversation references an encounter earlier in the episode where Chim asks to build a bridge with Tommy, and says whatever his thing is, he’ll make it his thing too, just so they can get along.

Tommy and Eli then stand with Chim, and then stand behind Chim, when he talks to the woman that Kevin saved. Eli and Tommy can be seen together watching the conversation Chim has, with Gerrard stood by the side of the fire truck.

Tommy: “paramedic, huh?”

Eli: “a damn good one.”

Notes on the framing of scenes:

- Eli is also sat with Tommy and Gerrard during scenes.

- Tommy and Eli walk alongside each other at Kevin’s funeral

- Tommy is behind Chim as he’s ringing the bell at Kevin’s funeral.

Although small framing, at this point I do think it’s intentional to show that Eli and Tommy will be his friends at the 118- they could have shown any other firefighters behind him and next to him. I believe it also shows that Eli is also a bystander, and he is a good friend of Chimney’s by season 5 (when we see the reunite in Boston), however he is also accepted by Gerrard.

We’ve intentionally been introduced to Tommy in this episode as a friend, as one of the episode afterwards has Chim calling Tommy for a favour. In this episode alone, Tommy has been shown to grow as a character and become friends with Chimney, although he does display negative behaviours.

Hen Begins

Tommy smiles and asks “who’s this” when Gerrard introduces them to Hen, and frowns when Gerrard calls her their “diversity hire”. He is no longer necessarily an instigator, but more of a bystander. Objectively, also not great, but no one publicly stands up for her, although we do see Chim stand up for her and give her advice in private.

Tommy, just like with Chimney, does not welcome Hen with open arms. He is still standoffish with her and makes jackass comments, although it is also worth nothing he does not say anything racist to her. Knowing what we know from Chimney Begins, Tommy (and the others) are likely waiting for Hen to prove herself, as Chim had to do, before they extend their friendship. With Gerrard barking in their ears that she won’t be able to as a woman, Hen had more to prove than Chimney and probably took more for the others to accept her.

Chim doesn’t stop to help her when they’re all piling their tools into a pile for cleaning. He too is conforming professionally, not wanting to risk his job and stepping out of line. At this time, Chimney has been at the 118 for some years and knows how to not piss Gerrard off, evidenced by the advice he gives to Hen.

Tommy does say “New york bitchiness is a compliment?” and Chimney calls him out for it. Whether Tommy thought Chimney was insulting her by saying she had an “east coast vibe to her” is debatable. Referring back to Tommy trying to conform to Gerrard and gain his approval, this comment might have also been in the same vein, although this isn’t explicitly said. Knowing that Tommy is aware in the future of how he acted under Gerrard, it wouldn’t be a stretch to also assume he knows it’s wrong at the time, but is more concerned with self preservation than standing up for Hen. Furthermore, knowing that Gerrard is like Tommy’s father, he is probably conditioned to fall in line, even if he knows it is wrong. Not excusing the behaviour, but it might explain why. Hindsight from season 7 can definitely change the way we now interpret some of the interactions in this episode, but absolutely does not take away from Tommy acting like a jackass.

Gerrard explains that he doesn’t like women in his firehouse because she won’t be able to pull the men out if they’re hurt and it puts them in jeopardy. This is a massive exaggeration on Eli’s speech in Chimney Begins where he says that people die, which is why theyre not friends with Chimney yet. Gerrard is the only one who says this, and none of the others are shown to agree with him. However, it did likely have some impact on their hesitancy to be friends with Hen at this time, although we do see this change.

Chimney says to Hen “oh you think they’re inviting the asian guy round to their houses for beers?” When they’re privately talking. Chim is to Hen what Eli was to Chim, a guide to the 118. This shows Chimney is still facing some negativity from the rest of the team, but he is no longer eating at a separate table and is friendly with them. He also faces the racism they suffer from Gerrard. It can be argued here that he doesn’t mean Tommy as those two are seen to be friendly, although this is ambiguous. It could also be argued that Tommy and Chimney are only friendly in private if Tommy is still trying to remain in Gerrard’s good books, although this is pure speculation. We don’t see any interaction between Tommy and Gerrard, so their relationship is up in the air.

Chim does talk to Hen privately but does notably not defend her in public.

After the car collision, Sal and Tommy build a bridge with Hen, saying if they’d had followed Gerrard they wouldn’t have found the patient in time and that Hen is good. This is the first time we hear them go against Gerrard. Furthermore, it shows the positive impact that Hen has had on the 118 and the boys. She has proven herself, and also proven that they don’t have to fit into Gerrard’s mould.

It’s after that collision that Gerrard is removed from the 118 and Hen discovers that people have been making complaints about Gerrard and compliments of Hen.

It is heavily implied that it is Chim, Tommy, and possibly Sal who are making these complaints and compliments as these are the only characters we are explicitly introduced to from the 118. However, Gerrard is still seen harassing her. The fact that the complaints began after Hen joined the 118 highlight the positive impact she had on the firehouse and the team. She fundamentally helped change the 118 for good and also aided in Tommy’s character development. Again, retrospectively, her speech probably had a large impact on him as a closeted gay man.

This happens an indeterminate time after she joins the 118, but it would be safe to assume it has been weeks if not months. Knowing this, it means that Tommy (and Sal) have been okay with her and have liked her for some time, evidenced by the fact they have been submitting complaints about Gerrard’s treatment of her for some time. Although we don’t see them being friends in the open, they are shown to have disagreed with Gerrard’s methods for some time and are on Hen’s side. Even though Hen didn’t know it at the time, they were standing up for her in private and trying to make the 118 a better place by ousting Gerrard, likely inspired by Hen.

It is further implied that, likely due to Gerrard’s constant threats of termination if someone disobeys his orders, Tommy, Sal, and even Chim are falling inline with Gerrard’s regime- they won’t go against him in fear of losing their jobs. This is classic self preservation, with Sal and Tommy falling in line socially as well as professionally. Admittedly, Tommy and Sal fall in line more than Chimney, but after Gerrard leaves, they’re seen being friends, with Tommy seen being close friends with Hen and Chim.

However, while they are seen falling in line professionally and socially at the fire house, in private they are friendly with Chimney and have been submitting complaints about Gerrard and compliments about Hen, indicating they are aware of the bad workplace culture and no longer want to be a part of it. This is a big step in Tommy’s change, and he is no longer a bystander, but actively working on making himself better and standing up for Hen. It took a while, and he could have done it sooner, but that does not distract from the fact he still did it.

Although he physically does not say the words “sorry” to Hen and Chim, in both begins episodes, he is seen building a bridge and apologising to them, and giving them a handshake/hug.

“You saved my life, thank you”

“You’re good”

This is further amplified in Bobby Begins.

As this has been a big topic with the return of Gerrard in season 8, I would like to state that both Eli and Chim advised, essentially, to not cause trouble, keep working, and keep their spirits up, and that is how you survive the 118. None of them, except Hen, explicitly stood up to Gerrard until the end.

Bobby Begins

Hen and Chim are obviously friendly with everyone as Hen is walking around placing bets with everyone. She banters with Tommy, who obviously feels comfortable asking for credit on a bet, and the four of them (Sal, Tommy, Hen, and Chim) end up in a conversation together. In this conversation, they’re all bantering and laughing together.

This is a MASSIVE shift from the beginning of Hen and Chim Begins- it explicitly shows Tommy, Sal, Hen, and Chim being friends now that Gerrard has gone, which further indicates that Gerrard was the source of the problem, not Tommy or Sal. Objectively, their actions and comments did not help and some were in poor taste.

However, there is 10 years between Chimney begins and Bobby begins, meaning Chimney and Tommy have been working together for 10 years, the majority of that without Gerrard. They have had plenty of time to work through any issues. Furthermore, Tommy (and Sal) were shown to acknowledge that Gerrard’s (and by proxy, their own) behaviour was wrong, and took steps to change that workplace culture.

In the fire truck in the montage of calls, Tommy and Chim are seen laughing together at Bobby’s lack of direction.

Sal is also prepped in this episode to show that he isn’t aligning with Bobby’s methods, primarily because he wants to be captain, whereas Tommy is just waiting to see that he can trust him. This is consistent for Tommy with the past two begins episodes; Eli says they wont be friends with Chimney until he’s earned their respect as friends die in this line of work and they need to trust each other. This, if you remember, is ultimately what led Tommy to be friends with Chimney, after Chim saved his life.

Sal is openly defiant against Bobby, stating he’s a “piece of work”. Tommy chastises Sal and Chimney is visibly displeased at Sal. Tommy, Hen, and Chim are all visibly unhappy with Sal and try to stop him when he goes for Bobby.

Tommy not yet trusting Bobby is primarily seen after Bobby transfers Sal. Believing that he fired Sal, Tommy is hesitant to like Bobby as he believes firing Sal was too harsh, with the same sentiment echoed by Chimney and Hen, until the truth is revealed.

Hen then invites Bobby out, saying “some of us are going out for drinks… join us”. We then see Chim, Tommy, and Hen out drinking together. This is when Hen reveals that Sal was transferred and Tommy is happy to accept Bobby. The four of them then sit drinking, talking, and laughing. They even show each other all their scars while laughing and getting drunk.

This scene in particular establishes them as friends who now do hang out outside of work, in contrast to Hen begins where Chimney says “you think they’re inviting the Asian guy to their houses to drink beer?”. The three of them are sticking together as friends. All of Tommy’s character development has led up to this point: he is no longer an instigator, no longer a bystander, but a friend. He stood up for them and stood by them, following them into changing the 118 and the horrid culture Gerrard had created. They trust each other and are friends here.

Tommy, Chim, Hen, and Bobby then sit at the top of the dinner table together at the station, once again smiling and talking.

Their friendship is once again showcased when Tommy transfers to the 217, and Hen and Chim surprise him with balloons and a cake.

Recap

Tommy in particular is a symbol of the impact Hen, Chimney, and Bobby had on the 118. He is the personification of the changes the 118 went through. From an oppressive boys club, to a friendly and trusting house. Tommy himself goes through massive change at the 118 thanks to Chim, Hen, and Bobby. Tommy is not the point of the Begins episodes, but he is a symbol of the change the 118 went through and I have always believed that is fully intentional- they show the change through this person.

As stated, we see them become a group of friends after Gerrard leaves. Tommy also becomes aware about how Gerrard influenced him. We see this in his conversation with Buck, where he states that Gerrard was like the father he already had and Gerrard did not make him a better person. He is obviously aware of the type of person he used to be and doesn’t attempt to hide it, evidenced by his conversation with Buck. It also cannot be assumed that any of the other characters dislike him or hold a grudge either due to his friendship with them in season 7.

Chimney even mentions Tommy in 3x16: Buck is troubled by the fact that Red has no friends and lost touch with the other firefighters from the 134. Eddie asks Hen and Chim if they’re still in contact with the other guys they used to work with.

Hen: “um, I don’t know if we’d call some of them friends”

Chim: “Yeah, I spoke with Tommy last year… I was calling to ask for a favour, but…”

Chim is referencing when he calls Tommy in season 2 (shortly after he is stabbed) to inform him of the Doheney Park (?) fire and asks if the still works at the 217… Tommy then flies over and dumps water on the fire, saving Eddie’s life.

Hen acknowledges here that they weren’t friends with all the guys who used to work at the 118, hinting at the poor treatment Hen and Chim faced, but Chim makes is clear with his statement that Tommy does not fall under this category. They might not be friends anymore, but they’re on good terms, good enough for Chim to still have his phone number in 2023, and good enough for Tommy to trust Chimney’s instincts twice and use ‘borrowed’ municipal equipment.

In season 8, we also see the 118 conforming (or in Buck’s case, struggling to conform) to Gerrard’s captaincy. They aren’t falling in line like they did in 2005, but they know not to cause any trouble and just say “yes sir”. They are also not publicly standing up for Buck when Gerrard berates him. To me, this is the biggest sign that they all know the best way to survive Gerrard is to say yes, keep your head down, and not cause trouble. This is likely what Tommy and Sal also had to do in 2005. Although they did take it a step further and make jackass comments, they were falling in line to protect themselves, just like Hen, Chim, and Eddie are doing in season 8, which they state in 8x01. They know now, just like they knew ~20 years ago, that standing up against Gerrard would have severe consequences.

No one is asking you to like how Tommy acts at the beginning of Hen and Chim begins: he is purposefully written as a jackass at the beginning to display the workplace environment Gerrard has created. However, it is objectively ignorant to continue on as if he has had no character development. It is intentionally written and shown that he fundamentally changed as a person thanks to Chimney and Hen, and Gerrard’s departure. By Bobby Begins, Tommy is ingrained with Hen and Chim and they are close friends. It is shown in both Chimney Begins and Hen Begins that he made up with them and became friends with them both. Those are scenes that are in the episode.

You don’t have to forgive him, but you have to acknowledge that the characters have. If we fast forward to season 7 and Tommy’s return, you’ll see:

Bobby saying that Tommy is good people and good for Buck.

Chimney saying that Tommy is so cool.

Hen smiling when Buck and Tommy arrived at Chimney’s hospital wedding.

Those are not the reactions of people disliking Tommy or holding a grudge.

I don’t like how he is written at the beginning of the begins episodes either, but I understand it is intentionally written that way, and that it is also intentionally written to show he has been forgiven and is now friends with everyone. That was half the point of the begins episodes- to show the positive impact that Hen, Chim, and Bobby had on the 118 and the other firefighters working there.

208 notes · View notes

gogogodzilla · 2 years ago

Note

Um I was wondering if you could write smut about connor and about if he can vibrate if yk what i mean cause i feel like im not the only person that thinks that androids can vibrate. please and thank you

Tease || Connor (RK800)

Summary: Connor can't wait until you get home.

Note Pt. 2: This is a spiritual epilogue of my completed Connor fanfic, Criminal Analysis!

Warnings: smut (obviously lol), afab reader, oral (reader receiving), fingering (connor has vibrating fingers), semi-public sex

{Masterlist}

You knew what you were doing— you were wearing those pants Connor liked. Really liked.

Of course, you had another reason to be wearing them other than riling him up. You knew that you’d be called into court eventually, that’s part of being a forensic psychologist, after all.

It all started that morning. You got to sleep in a little due to court and you relished the few extra moments of unconsciousness.

However, those moments lost their sweetness when you felt the cold, empty space beside you in bed. You blindly swatted the other side of the bed, hoping that if you reached just a little bit further you’d find your lover. He’d bring your groggy form into his embrace, and lull you back into a dreamless sleep.

Your grasps came up empty and you rolled onto your back with a huff. The bedroom door opened with a click, and soft footsteps echoed throughout the room. You peeked open an eye and struggled to fight the grin that appeared at the sight of your love.

Connor’s hair was neat as always, but he had exchanged his Cyberlife jacket with a normal suit jacket. It was a refreshing change.

Connor neared your side of the bed, and your grin grew. He bent down and pressed a soft, slow kiss to your temple and ran his fingers through your hair, smoothing out some of the tangles.

He slowly peppered kisses down your face, moving from your forehead, down to the space between your eyebrows, to the tip of your nose, and, finally, your lips.

You didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss, the ache for him already growing. You ran your fingers through his hair and tugged him towards you.

Connor knew better than to fall into your trap, especially when he was running late. He placed a hand beside your head to stop himself from coming any closer. That didn’t stop you from trying, though.

“I have to go,” he whispered as he gently pulled away.

You sighed dreamily as you sat up, “You should’ve woken me up sooner.”

“If we started,” Connor purred as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear, “we wouldn’t be able to stop.”

You hummed in response as you slowly trailed your fingers up his thigh. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, but you just grinned.

You settled for resting your hands on his belt buckle, “You can afford to be a few minutes late.”

Your argument was flawed, you knew that. Connor would rather cut off his own foot than be late. But, you also knew that you could be very persuasive.

Connor pried your hand from his belt buckle and gave you a placating smile, “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

You let out a huff as you threw yourself back on the bed with a groan. You’re lucky you didn’t crack your head on the headboard, but you didn’t really care at the moment.

Connor bent over and gave you a final kiss, whispering an ‘I love you’ against your lips. It was almost like you were Snow White, and he was your prince charming. Although, the only thing he’d awoken was a deep need throbbing between your legs. And then he was out the door.

You set your plan into motion almost immediately. You felt a bit giddy at the thought of Connor getting all hot and bothered just by the sight of you. Especially, if he wouldn’t get to touch you until later that night.

Your heart raced as you pushed open the glass door to the precinct. Your shoes clicked across the tile floor as you made your way through the turnstile and to your desk.

You ignored Connor’s eyes searing a hole in your back as you bent down slightly and slowly put the files you came for in your bag.

A low whistle sounded behind you, “Damn, sweetheart, what’re you all dressed up for?” Gavin called as he made his way to his desk, steaming mug clutched in his hand.

You rolled your eyes and fought off a grin. Gavin’s shameless flirting was playing right into your plan.

“If you must know,” you straightened and placed your hands on your hips, “some of us actually have to do our jobs.”

Gavin sat down and leaned back in his chair, “Very funny.”

You went back to your task, pretending to look in one of the drawers for something, making sure to give Connor a very good view.

“I think your plastic boy toy is malfunctioning,” Gavin snickered, and you stopped your fake search and looked up at Gavin. “He just practically ran to the bathroom.”

“I’ll go check on him,” you muttered as you closed the drawer to your desk.

Gavin put his feet up on his desk and sent you one of his blinks that’s meant to be a wink, “Yeah, you go ahead and check on him.”

You flushed as you turned away, your hurried steps echoing as you made your way to the bathroom. Gavin wasn’t stupid. Hell, you’d done the same thing when he’d pissed you off when you were dating.

Old habits died hard.

The door to the men’s bathroom silently shut behind you, and luckily only one stall was occupied. You locked the bathroom door with a click and sauntered over to the stall which contained the object of your desires. Well, more like the person of your desires.

“Connor,” you called out as you came to a stop in front of the stall door. A slight grin graced your features as you waited for him to answer.

The door opened in a flash, and you were pulled inside. Quicker than you could process, Connor had you pressed up against the door and had both of your hands caged in his and held above your head.

“You just couldn’t wait,” Connor taunted as he tilted his head to the side, letting his breath fan across your cheek. He slid his knee between your legs, allowing himself to get even closer.

You raised your head to look at him. “I dunno, seems like you’re the one who couldn’t wait.” He let out a sigh as he released your hands and raked them down your body. You had to be quick, Connor knew that. Although, that didn’t stop him from teasing you.

He gripped your thighs as he looked down at you and pressed a sloppy kiss to your lips. It was mostly tongue, but you were quick to wrap your arms around him and pull him impossibly closer to you.

Connor made quick work of undoing the buttons on your dress shirt as he pressed open-mouthed kisses down the column of your throat and gripped your hips tightly. He was searching for that spot that made you make those noises he liked. You ground your core against his thigh, attempting to get some sort of relief.

Once he successfully got your shirt all the way unbuttoned, he was quick to attack the newly exposed skin, licking and sucking to his heart’s desire. You ran your fingers through his hair and tugged at the pieces at the nape of his neck eliciting a groan from him.

Connor gripped your waist as he moved his sloppy kisses down your abdomen and slowly got to his knees. You gazed down at him through your heavy lids. He moved to unbutton your pants, eager to finally touch you. His movements were practiced and precise as he pulled your pants down to your ankles. He let out a shaky breath when he realized you weren’t wearing any underwear.

You’d almost forgotten about that part of your plan.

He slotted himself neatly between your legs. He always fit so well there.

“So needy for me,” he breathed against your core as he caressed your inner thighs. You clenched them together but his grip held you in place. He pressed a kiss on the inside of your knee before slowly moving upward, avoiding where you needed him most.

You let out a groan, and Connor looked up at you.

“Use your words, Doctor,” he gently reminded before latching his lips onto your core. Your breath is promptly knocked out of you, and any retort you had died in your throat.

His grip tightened on your thighs as he desperately pulled you closer to him. His tongue expertly circled your clit as he found a rhythm that had your eyes rolling back. You gripped the hair at the nape of his neck, eliciting a moan that sent heavenly vibrations up your body.

You groaned at the sight of him— your slick had begun to coat his face and he showed no sign of slowing.

Connor slowly and sinfully pressed one finger inside you, which was quickly joined by another. You thrusted your hips forward, desperate to have even more of him. He pumped his fingers achingly slow, but a stream of vibrations caused you to jolt.

That was new.

A sly grin had curved into Connor’s face and he looked up at you, taking in the confusion mixed with arousal that graced your features. He pulled away from you for a moment, “I was saving that for later.”

“Fuck, Connor,” you whimpered.

“Be quiet,” Connor grunted into your core as he jutted his fingers deeper into you. You pressed a hand over your mouth to silence the breathy moans that were escaping you.

You trusted yourself for only a moment to whimper out, “Need you.”

Connor was more than happy to oblige you as he rose to his feet and pushed his fingers past your lips, making you taste yourself. You busied yourself with undoing his belt buckle, fingers clumsy as you revealed what you ached for.

Connor let out a shaky breath as you stroked him, and he met your strokes halfway. He gripped your thighs and in one swift motion lifted you up. He was practically bending you in half, but you didn’t mind.

He angled his cock up to your entrance, and agonizingly, slowly pushed inside you. The way he stretched you was delicious, and you let out a high-pitched mewl at the feeling.

He covered your mouth with one of his hands as he rutted inside of you and bottomed out. After a few moments, you started moving your hips, begging him to move. Mercifully, he obliged you and snapped his hips against yours. You let out a breathy moan against his hand, and he pressed sloppy kisses against your neck.

“You’re perfect,” he slurred into your shoulder, “couldn’t wait until tonight to have you.” He moved his hand from your mouth to resting on your neck, and he looked you in the eyes as he pounded into you. Connor brought his hand down to where you were joined and the vibrations continued once again.

You grip onto his bicep, that familiar coil beginning to tighten, and you panted heavily. “I’m close,” you whined.

“Come for me.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. You groaned and you felt your eyes roll back as you reached your high. You came hard as you involuntarily pushed your hips into Connor’s.

He came with your name gracing his lips along with a few other words. You attempted to catch your breath as Connor stilled within you.

“You’re going to be late,” he said matter-of-factly as he pressed a kiss to your temple. You huffed out a laugh, and Connor gently set you back down. You grabbed onto his shoulders while you waited for your legs to stop feeling like jelly.

Connor helped clean you up and make you look presentable. His hands were a lot steadier than yours at the moment.

You pressed a kiss to his cheek and grinned, “I should tease you more often."

#detroit become human #dbh connor #connor x reader #rk800 x reader #dbh rk800 #connor x reader smut #rk800 x reader smut #dbhsmut #dbh x reader #no y/n #rk800 x you #reader insert #zilla answers

2K notes · View notes

delicatebarness · 6 months ago

Text

the manuscript | prologue

Summary: The first encounter.

Warnings: Age Gap. (Dr Barnes: late 40s & Reader: 18 in this part)

Word Count: 837

Spotify Playlist | Pinterest Board | Tips

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

A/N: Oh, hello Dr. Barnes. - Please feel free to leave feedback or let me know where and how you want the story to continue, this is just as much yours as it is mine. - B

Tags: Let me know if you would like to be added to the tag list!

The university loomed before you, the ivy-clad walls and gothic spires stood as testaments to the centuries of academic excellence. Renowned for its rigorous standards, the prestigious institution drew in the brightest minds from across the globe. You stepped through the grand archway, the air humming with the energy of countless scholarly pursuits, each echoing through the hallowed halls.

You haven’t long turned 18, now a freshman, driven by a passion for creative writing. Your nights were spent hunched over notebooks, pouring your heart into stories and poems. Determined to make the most of this opportunity, you reflected on your talent that earned you a place here. With the best and brightest. It was a new chapter of your academic journey, and it started today.

Dr. James B. Barnes is a brilliant literature professor yet, reserved. His reputation preceded him– known for his profound insights and standards, he was feared and revered by his students. As you approached his office, your heart began to race.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the library, stood a heavy oak door with a brass nameplate glinting in the dim light. You took a deep breath and knocked firmly. Creaking open the door, you revealed Dr. Barnes. Sat behind a cluttered desk, his gaze lifted from a pile of papers, meeting yours. Piercing yet thoughtful, there was a moment of silent assessment.

You felt the weight of his scrutiny as you stepped inside. The room smelled of leather with a faint trace of whiskey.

“Good afternoon,” you begin, trying to steady your voice despite the nerves. “I’m going to be joining your advanced English literature class.”

“Ah, yes,” he responded, his tone measured. “You must be the freshman. Please, have a seat.”

You took a seat in the heavy leather chair opposite his desk. The two of you exchange a few professional courtesies, keeping the conversation brief but charged with mutual respect. You could sense that he had recognized your passion, and you were determined to prove yourself.

A week later, you found yourself attending his class, surrounded by fellow students. His presence was commanding as he stood at the front of the room. A masterful blend of critical analysis and profound insight, his lectures were delivered with authority.

Your hand raised after a particularly challenging lecture, Dr. Barnes acknowledged you with a nod.

“Yes?”

“I have to disagree with your interpretation of his work,” you say, your voice clear and confident. A stark contrast from your first meeting with him. “I believe his use of fragmented narrative serves as a challenge to the notion of a singular, authoritative voice, rather than to obscure meaning.”

The room fell silent, all eyes turned to you. Dr. Barnes regards you with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

“Interesting perspective,” he replied, keeping his tone cool. “However, I would argue that the fragmentation serves more to reflect the chaotic nature of postmodern existence.”

You don’t back down. “Isn’t that chaos a direct challenge to traditional narrative structures? He seems to be inviting readers to find their own meaning within the disarray.”

Your heated debate ensues, intellectual electricity cranking the air. Your classmates watched, their gazes swapping between you and Dr. Barnes like they were at Wimbledon as you exchanged arguments.

Initially, he was annoyed by your boldness, yet you caught a flicker of intrigue in his eyes. You thrived on pushing boundaries and testing limits, in particular, with those you found intellectually stimulating and authoritative. Leaving everyone, including Dr. James B. Barnes, captivated.

“Your argument is well-crafted,” he concedes, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “I look forward to more discussions like this.”

As the weeks passed, Dr. Barnes’ class quickly became the highlight of your week. A battlefield of ideas in each session, a place where you could push your intellectual prowess. Dr. Barnes, though initially reserved, seemed to relish the debates as much as you did.

One chilly autumn afternoon, you lingered after another stimulating class as the other students left. The room fell quiet, as though itself was in thought and reflection. Dr. Barnes noticed and approached you.

“Good work today,” he said, his tone less sharper than usual. “You’ve brought a new energy to these discussions.”

“Thank you,” you smile, a rush of pride coursed through you. “Your classes challenge me in ways I never expected.”

He nodded, “To challenge and to inspire, that’s the point of academia. Keep questioning, you could go far.”

You smiled again, your cheeks becoming flushed. “I’m glad you’re not tired of my questions yet.”

“On the contrary,” he said as he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that caused your heart to race. “I find them… refreshing.”

The flicker of something unspoken passed between you, a deeper connection yet to be explored. His words echoed as you left the lecture hall, the promise in his eyes lingered.

What were the boundaries between student and teacher? And, could they transform into something more profound?

- - -

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

199 notes · View notes

moonsaver · 9 months ago

Text

Veritas Ratio is so illiterate when it comes to love languages.

And as such, he makes it a mission to understand it, through a bit of loosely held experiments and documentation for his private analysis.

1. Acts of service.

It is said a person may showcase their affection or romantic interest in a person by offering services, or by doing menial tasks that may help the object of their affections.

It is not a surprise when Dr. Ratio "helps" you lug back an entire shelf's worth of books, after he offers to pick out a few based on the current topic you've decided to study. The pile behind him grew larger as his fingers tipped and pulled every book off of the shelf effortlessly, as you stood, mouth agape, helplessly observing the pile grow immensely large to your dismay.

He clicks his tongue, and sighs when you stand there, confused and unsure of how to carry these books all at once. He picks the pile up, his arm muscles slightly pulling and tensing with the weight, as he continues walking forward, droning on about the books he's picked out for you, the authors, their contributions, etc.. as you trail behind him, bewildered.

[End of experiment #01. Success.]

[Dr. Ratio, for once, has made the effort to.. listen to you, and repaired a fountain ink pen you'd previously complained about having broken. He had to scold you on your lack of awareness of things, and then decided to take matters into his own hands. The cracked fountain pen has been repaired well, and the ink runs smoothly. He scoffs and asks if you'll do better on the upcoming test he has for you,now that he's repaired it and given it back. You return a reponse with a smile. Dr. Ratio crosses out the paragraph with one strike after the last sentence describing the upward curve of your mouth.]

2. Physical contact.

A person may, with consent from the other party, display their affections through physical contact with one another.

Dr. Ratio seems a bit stumped, his mind simmering at the ways he could initiate such contact with you. Perhaps the pressing of his shoulder into yours as he explains a problem at hand counts? Or the continuous touching of the sides of your knees with his? This is unfamiliar territory.

[End of experiment #02. Failure. Next Experiment shall begin shortly.]

[Dr. Ratio seems particularly troubled. A pat on your head is too childish. A good shoulder squeeze is too professional – goodness, he's not that uptight. Perhaps holding your hand shall suffice as he guides you through a 3d simulation? His alabastor head is on as he contemplates on the idea.]

3. Quality time

A person may offer their affections through the time they share with their romantic interest. This is a branched term, as other languages such as Parallel play fall under this category, as Dr. Ratio presumes.

For once, Dr. Ratio stays put, choosing to stay for longer, sometimes hours, helping you understand and learn a topic from start to finish. He explains a book in great detail, going paragraph to paragraph, and teaches you in any way you want to be taught. For once, his racing mind comes to an abrupt slowdown, as he's forced to sit down with you and help you with.. what he considers are problems so easy a toddler could do it with their eyes closed. But.. do ask him, if you have doubts. He's willing to offer up his free time if he must, as long as it's you he has to begrudgingly explain a concept to. And for someone like him, time is valuable.

He considers time spent with you more valuable.

[End of experiment #03. Progressive success.]

[He stays quiet, deep in his thoughts as you sigh, taking a well-needed break. You chirp up with a question, and he answers without breaking his daze. Back and forth exchanges turn into pleasant conversation, and a laugh soon spills gracefully from your chest. Dr. Ratio's face seems to be still, however, his heart beat may have sputtered for a moment to the exact rhythm of your laughter.]

4. Receiving and Giving gifts.

A person may either receive or lend trinkets, assortments, and items of various degrees of sentimentality to another individual in order to display affection.

Tricky. But nothing in Dr. Ratio's eyes.

He has you analyze curios thoroughly, study them under his supervision with all necessary safety protocols and procedures, as you awe at the glow of it. A part of him wonders if it'll make a significant academic gift..? He shakes his head, and the thought is banished immediately. He will not entertain the idea of even giving you something like that. Studying it from a distance should suffice for you.

As for the gift.. it's hard to say. At the end, he decides to ask you directly if you've been saving up for a specific item that you haven't been able to get your hands on.

[End of Experiment #04. Partial failure.]

[Dr. Ratio sighs, thinking over the exact words he would use to address the issue at hand. However.. he should be able to solve this problem quite quickly if he simply scanned your daily wardrobe. If he wasn't so distracted by the curl of your mouth, that dumb joke you kept interrupting with your own laughter, and the stupid questions you'd always distract him with.. goodness. Shall he just get you a hair-piece that matches his?]

5. Words of Affirmation.

An individual may express their intimate feelings through a plethora of words that appropriately convey their depth towards their interested person.

Perhaps this one was the hardest, or easiest for Dr. Ratio. He hadn't realised he'd done it in the first place, having to delay his documentation for the purpose of suspending such activities in order to help you push past a few particularly difficult tests. He may need to continue it's suspension, as unfortunate it is.

[Experiment #05 – in suspension. Yet to conclude.]

[Dr. Ratio scans through your answers, a culmination of your hard work and brain-wracking that seems to have polished your wits throughout the span of his rigorous course. He sighs, and sets down the paper on the desk, looking at you directly with a smile on his face. You look at him expectantly. Well done – 10 points. Your tense face relaxes and breaks into a bright smile. So does his.]

255 notes · View notes

sunshinesmebdy · 10 months ago

Text

Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Embracing the Power of the Moon in Aries

The vibrant energy of the Moon in Aries brings a dynamic shift to the world of business and finance. It’s a period characterized by bold initiatives, decisive action, and a surge of entrepreneurial spirit. As an astrologer and business consultant, I’m here to guide you through this potent transit and maximize its potential for your success.

Understanding the Moon in Aries Influence:

Fiery Leadership: This transit amplifies leadership qualities, encouraging assertiveness, initiative, and a willingness to take calculated risks. It’s an ideal time to step up, present your ideas confidently, and lead projects with courage and conviction.

The Moon in Aries ignites the inner CEO within! This fiery transit throws open the curtains on your leadership potential, boosting your assertiveness, initiative, and appetite for calculated risks. It’s prime time to shed self-doubt, step onto center stage, and confidently pitch your ideas. Lead projects with the conviction of a lion, unafraid to break new ground. But remember, true leadership isn’t a solo act — leverage your team’s strengths, delegate wisely, and inspire others with your fiery vision. Now go forth and conquer, leader!

Innovation & Creativity: The fiery energy sparks creative thinking and encourages out-of-the-box solutions. Businesses can leverage this time to brainstorm new products, explore niche markets, and implement innovative marketing strategies.

The Moon in Aries is creativity’s jet fuel! Unleash your inner inventor and ignite a brainstorming inferno. Dive deep into niche markets, explore unconventional possibilities, and let your ideas dance outside the lines. This is the perfect time to launch new products that disrupt the status quo, experiment with bold marketing campaigns, and implement innovative solutions that leave your competitors gasping for air. Remember, innovation thrives on a healthy dose of risk, so don’t be afraid to color outside the lines and ignite the spark of change!

Competitive Drive: Aries thrives on friendly competition. Utilize this energy to engage in healthy market competition, negotiate favorable deals, and strive for excellence in your industry. However, remember to stay ethical and respectful, avoiding aggressive tactics that could damage your reputation.

The Moon in Aries throws down the gauntlet, igniting a healthy competitive spirit within! Channel this fire to excel in your market, but remember, it’s a friendly duel, not a scorched-earth battle. Leverage this energy to secure favorable deals, negotiate with confidence, and push your industry boundaries. Remember, sportsmanship matters — compete fiercely, but ethically and respectfully. Think of it as a collaborative climb to the top, not a ruthless push to the bottom. By striking the right balance between ambition and integrity, you’ll emerge victorious, reputation intact and fire still burning bright. So, ready, set, go (with grace)!

Impulsive Decisions: The downside of Aries’ impulsive nature is the potential for hasty decisions and reckless investments. Before making significant financial moves, ensure thorough research, careful analysis, and a balanced perspective.

While the Moon in Aries fuels your fire, remember, impulse control is your armor! This transit can tempt you to dive headfirst into risky investments or hastily close deals. Don’t let the flames cloud your judgment. Before venturing into financial territory, douse the inferno with thorough research, careful analysis, and a healthy dose of skepticism. Seek diverse perspectives, consult trusted advisors, and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term thrills. Remember, calculated risks are one thing, but reckless gambles can leave you singed. So, channel your fiery spirit wisely, and remember, slow and steady wins the financial race under this potent transit.

Tips for Harnessing the Moon in Aries Power:

Initiate New Ventures: This period favors launching new businesses, products, or marketing campaigns. Channel your creative spirit and develop strategies that stand out from the crowd.

With the Moon in Aries’ spotlight shining bright, it’s go time for bold initiatives! This is the astrological green light to launch that business you’ve been dreaming of, unveil that innovative product you’ve been tinkering with, or unleash a marketing campaign that blazes a trail unlike any other. Tap into your boundless creativity, ignite the spark of differentiation, and develop strategies that make your brand stand out like a supernova in a crowded galaxy. Don’t be afraid to break the mold — remember, Aries thrives on trailblazing and the world awaits your unique brand of brilliance. So, unleash your inner entrepreneur, channel your fiery spirit, and get ready to launch into the stratosphere of success!

Negotiate with Confidence: Don’t be afraid to express your value and negotiate assertively, ensuring you secure fair deals and partnerships. Remember, confidence is key, but stay respectful and collaborative in your approach.

Under the Moon in Aries, your negotiation game levels up! Don’t shy away from expressing your worth and confidently advocating for your goals. It’s okay to bring the fire, but remember, it’s a negotiation, not a battle. Assert your value with respect, collaborate to find win-win solutions, and remember, confidence is key to securing fair deals and partnerships. Think of it as a dance, not a duel — move with grace, power, and a clear understanding of your worth, and you’ll emerge victorious, leaving behind a trail of satisfied collaborators, not scorched earth. So, channel your inner diplomat warrior, and go forth and negotiate with confidence!

Invest Strategically: The Moon in Aries can be a good time for calculated investments, especially in innovative sectors or emerging markets. However, conduct thorough research, avoid impulsive decisions, and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gains.

While the Moon in Aries ignites the fire of investment fervor, remember — it’s a calculated burn, not a reckless inferno! This transit can offer fertile ground for strategic investments, especially in groundbreaking sectors or burgeoning markets. However, don’t let the fiery energy cloud your judgment. Conduct meticulous research, analyze trends with a cool head, and prioritize long-term stability over fleeting gains. Think of it as planting a financial seed — nurture it with knowledge, patience, and a sprinkle of calculated risk, and watch it blossom into a sustainable garden of success. Remember, impulsive bets might bring quick thrills, but informed decisions fueled by Aries’ fire will be the true key to unlocking long-term financial prosperity. So, invest wisely, fellow warriors, and let the Moon in Aries guide you towards a future as bright as your ambition!

Delegate Tasks Wisely: Delegate tasks wisely to capitalize on the team’s diverse strengths and prevent burnout. Encourage initiative and creativity within your team, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

Under the Moon in Aries, delegation becomes your secret weapon! Instead of trying to be a one-person whirlwind, tap into the diverse strengths of your team. Delegate tasks strategically, matching talents with workloads, and watch the collective fire ignite. Don’t micromanage, instead, encourage initiative and creative solutions. Foster a collaborative spirit where ideas flow freely, fueled by the shared energy of the transit. Remember, a united team with individual flames burning bright is a force to be reckoned with! By delegating wisely, you’ll not only empower your team but also avoid burnout and ignite a dynamic engine of productivity that propels everyone towards shared success. So, step back, empower your warriors, and let the collective fire of Aries work its magic!

Maintain Balance: While embracing the impulsive drive is important, remember to maintain a healthy balance. Take time for reflection, consult with trusted advisors, and avoid letting your enthusiasm cloud your judgment.

The Moon in Aries is a potent brew of impulsiveness and drive, but remember, even the fiercest warrior needs moments of calm! Don’t get swept away by the whirlwind of action. Breathe, reflect, and consult trusted advisors to ground your ideas and avoid rash decisions fueled by pure enthusiasm. Think of it as adding water to the Aries fire — it tempers the flames, allowing them to burn brighter, stronger, and for longer. Prioritize sleep, healthy habits, and moments of introspection to maintain balance. Remember, true success under this transit demands not just fiery drive, but also the wisdom to channel it strategically. So, embrace the passion, but fuel it with balance, and watch your Aries-fueled endeavors burn a path to lasting success!

Remember, the Moon in Aries transit is a fleeting opportunity to inject your business with dynamic energy and entrepreneurial spirit. By understanding its influence, employing strategic planning, and maintaining a balanced approach, you can turn this fiery transit into a catalyst for success and propel your business to new heights.

#business astrology #business horoscopes #astrology updates #astro #astrology facts #astro notes #astrology community #astro posts #astrology #astro girlies #astrology observations #astropost #astro observations #astro community #moon in aries #aries moon

45 notes · View notes

petricorah · 9 months ago

Note

i wanna start making comics but like. i dont really know how??? are there any tips that you could give me perhaps?

hi!

i've been working on trying to compile a list of resources for people (@aangsfrogs--i didn't forget!) who want to make comics for a long time. It would consist of some of my personal tips and a lot of links to other people's PDFs and youtubes. But that's...a hefty project, so if you had any specific questions for the meantime, my askbox is open!

But, for just beginning, here would be my tips:

Read comics. Read manga and webcomics and cartoons and medical comics. There is so much out there, and reading is such a big way to learn. If you see something you like, take a moment to think about why you like it. Are the expressions or colors appealing? Did it make you feel a certain emotion? Analyze what the artist may have done to get across what they did. (Is it the camera angle? the style they chose to draw in? the paneling? the pacing? the color? etc.) Doing this over time will help you recognize the tools available for telling stories through this medium, and you'll be able to put them in your own work.

Try to think about what you want to make comics about. What moves you? What topics interest you? What ideas or tropes do you love in media or think about often? What do you hate and wish was done better? What characters are you drawn to, or what characters do you want to create? (What about them compels you?) I find it's hard to create an idea out of thin air, but if you start writing down random ideas you have, you'll start thinking about them, and over time, you'll have a bank of things to pull from when you want to create.

Lastly, anatomical skill or knowledge of color does not a comic make! You don't have to know much to begin, and there aren't rules. Just start drawing what is meaningful to you!

This is just cursory and doesn't get into super specifics like paneling or scripts or plotting or colors or thumbnailing or....etc, but I'll try to expand my list of resources and get that out! And, hmu if you have any specific questions on topics!

happy drawing~

Book list under readmore:

Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and his Making Comics. These books are taught in like, every comic class ever. While not my complete favorite, they do a good job of showing some history and fundamentals, and how easy it is to make comics even if you don't have a lot of drawing experience.

99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style by Matt Madden: Really good if you don't know how to start analyzing comics. (Also it's just a fun visual exercise.) It shows the same short story done in 99 different styles with different emphasis on different moods and points of view.

The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson and The Calvin and Hobbes: Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson: Two great books with work from my two favorite cartoonists. They both have writings from the author about getting ideas, developing stories, and being a comic artist.

Uncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability, edited by Scott T. Smith and José Alaniz and Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation, edited by Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II: These two aren't really about making comics, but they are great collections of analysis about old and new comics alike.

By no means a complete list, but some good ones that I can think of off the top of my head.

There's also the book Webtoon School: Everything you need to know about webtoon creation and story writing. To be honest, I didn't read this completely through because it was a bit more fundamental than I was expecting, but it gives a good cursory look of how to write comics if you're just starting out! It covers some history, how to write stories and arcs, etc.

Also, look to your favorite writers! A lot of webtoon/webcomic artists do tutorials or youtube videos. for instance, velnxi has this great tutorial up I really suggest looking at here.

#how to make comics #mytutorials #comics tutorials #asks #i also want to do a post on how to analyze comics #because analysis is often talked about in english or writing classes #but most dont talk about how to analyze a comic which i think can be a bit different #if people would be interested in that lmk #can yall tell i almost went to school to teach comics lmao. i love talking about this stuff

45 notes · View notes

haowenyang · 1 month ago

Text

I Don’t Know You Anymore analysis

I HOPE I'M NOT RIGHT

I HOPE YOU WON'T THINK ME INSANE

BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH JÓZEF

In the scene prior to the song, Hao gains sentience after Joey ‘possesses’ Józef’s body and enters the past. He gains sentience after Joey reads the draft of his dissertation to Anthony the morning after an argument. Hao commonly refers to Józef as his, (shown later on in the song where he says “how dare you wrong my Józef”), but he knows this is not his Józef, or Józef at all. Hao gains sentience because Joey, in his book, makes Hao say things he doesn’t say and because Joey’s mannerisms are worlds away from Józef’s.

I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT

BUT THE THOUGHTS I HAVE REMAIN

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH JÓZEF

Again, Hao doesn’t refer to Józef as his. He knows that this isn’t his Józef.

HE COMES HOME TOO EARLY

COMES HOME TOO LATE

COMES HOME TOO DRUNK

WANTS FOOD ON HIS PLATE

Joey is enforcing heteronormative standards to Hao and Józef’s relationship. Joey’s reason for ‘killing’ Józef and entering the past is Anthony’s obsession with Garret due to his OCD and his insecurities around his race. Joey, being a stealth trans man (Anthony presumably doesn’t know he’s trans), is hurt by Anthony’s focus as he feels he is unable to compete with Anthony’s cisgender ex’s. Joey enforces the heteronormative standards by feminising Hao, another trans man. In his book, he makes Hao somewhat submissive, which is also likely racially motivated due to the stereotypes of Chinese men as submissive and easy targets for violence which were especially present in the 19th century. This is what tips Hao off that none of this is real. He never says those things, nor does his Józef. The feminisation of Hao is also Joey projecting his own thoughts of being fetishised as a trans man, ironically fetishising Hao. In modern society, trans men are commonly considered submissive.

A DIFFERENT STEP

A DIFFERENT SMELL

FORGETS A SONG

HE SHOULD KNOW WELL

FORGETS A SONG

HE SHOULD KNOW WELL

Joey doesn’t know much about Hao or Józef. All he knows about them is Józef’s recounted life after marrying his great-grandmother after he and Hao were arrested for ‘sodomy’ and a newspaper fragment of said arrest. Joey, according to Hao, forgets how the key turns in the lock and smells like “the city, or the trains, or incense, but more sour”. The “song he should know well” most likely refers to the song from the bar in the phonograph Józef had bought. Joey, having “extrapolated from the newspaper fragment”, does not know of the dance Józef and Hao attended, the song or the phonograph.

SOMETHING HIDES INSIDE YOUR SKIN

I DON’T KNOW WHEN I LET IT IN

WATER DROPLETS ON THE DOOR

Hao compares Joey to a Chinese folkloric creature, a water ghost, 水鬼 (shuǐ guǐ). In the legend, if someone takes their own life in a body of water, the spirit will haunt the water until it can drag another person into the water and kill them. Hao understands Joey as a water ghost. Joey metaphorically drowns himself and drags Józef down with his fixation on his dissertation.

I DON'T KNOW YOU ANYMORE

Joey’s mannerisms, speech and behaviour — especially as Józef — are vastly different to the actual Józef. Due to the stereotypes around Polish men in the 19th century as them being violent or brutish, Józef “widens [his] smiles so [he] looks a bit less like a threat” and, in as well in Sheep In Wolf Country, he’s practising phrases in English out of a book (“I am sorry, I am useful, I mean no harm”). Joey, on the other hand, forces himself to be stereotypically masculine — bordering on toxic masculinity —, which means he’s somewhat aggressive, pitches his voice down and seems to code switch (seen in his overlapping verse in Sheep In Wolf Country). His toxic masculine/internalised transphobic ideals are amplified when he takes over Józef’s body, as he is now in the body of a cisgender man.

ONLY BREATHING WHEN YOU’RE GONE

In Ghost Story, the timelines overlap via the well outside the house. Whenever Joey leaves the past, Hao is able to regain his control, as, shown in the scene before this song, in Joey’s book, his speech and mannerisms are controlled.

SEEK THE HORSE I’M SITTING ON

This is an allusion to a Chinese saying that means to look for a donkey while you are on its back — to ignore the obvious.

WATER PUDDLES ON THE FLOOR

I DON'T KNOW YOU ANYMORE

Another reference to Hao understanding Joey as a water ghost. He doesn’t know Joey, feeling as if “Józef” has changed.

HIS SKIN TOO LOOSE

HIS VOICE TOO LOW

HIS EYES TOO SCARED

Hao notices the physical changes in “Józef”. Joey forces his voice down to pass better, Józef, being a cisgender man, does not do that. Hao notices every small detail that shows this is not Józef.

I STOP, HE'LL GO

The timelines in Ghost Story are overlapping. Joey leaves the past whenever Hao looks away and “stops”. After gaining sentience, Hao is seemingly able to cross over the timelines, shown by his interactions with Anthony before I Breathe In, You Breathe out.

HE WORKS TOO HARD

HE PLAYS TOO ROUGH

Hao notices the behavioural changes due to Joey’s aforementioned toxic ideals. He overworks himself and argues more.

HE CALLS ME 'LOVE'

BUT NOT ENOUGH

HE CALLS ME 'LOVE'

BUT NOT ENOUGH

One of the first things that makes Hao gain sentience is Joey’s vocabulary. According to Hao, the first English word Józef learned was “please” and Joey does not say please as much. Józef shown to be polite (most likely a part of his fear of being perceived as the stereotypes of Polish men), Joey is the opposite due to toxic masculine ideals. (“He does not say “please” as much. He said it was the first English word he ever learned […]”) Hao also notices the way Joey pronounces his name. Józef pronounces his name with the Polish o, Joey pronounces it without the Polish o, as he has no insight into Józef’s mannerisms, speech pattern, behaviour or relationship with Hao (Józef presumably died before Joey was born, or when he was young). The repetition shows that the realisation is finally set in stone — this is not Józef.

SOMETHING HIDES BEHIND YOUR EYES

SOMETHING FEEDS ON MY SURPRISE

Hao understands Joey as a malicious spirit, the aforementioned water ghost. Joey is possessing Józef’s body and “hiding behind his eyes”. Joey “feeds on his surprise” for his dissertation.

SOMETHING THAT I CAN’T IGNORE

I DON'T KNOW YOU ANYMORE

By now, Hao is fully certain and confident that this is not Józef. He can’t ignore it, he doesn’t know Joey, Joey doesn’t know him or Józef.

YOU FORGET THE WAY WE WALKED

Once again referring to Joey’s only insight into Józef being recounted tales from his life and the newspaper fragment of his arrest. Joey knows nothing about Józef and even less about Hao.

ONLY SHOUT THE WAY WE TALKED

Another reference to Józef’s unthreatening nature. Józef possesses communication skills Joey does not due to his insecurities. Joey cannot communicate without shouting, Józef can.

ASKING WHAT I’M FRIGHTENED FOR

I DON'T KNOW YOU ANYMORE

Hao is, rightfully, frightened by the fact that Joey is nothing like Józef.

MY GRANDFATHER SAID NOT TO PLAY NEAR THE SHORE

IF SOMEONE HAD DROWNED THEMSELVES THERE BEFORE

THEIR GHOST GRABS YOUR ANKLE AND SWITCHES YOUR PLACES

A GHOST WITH A THOUSAND FAMILIAR FACES

Once again, another mention of water ghosts as Hao believes Joey to be one.

WHEN DID YOU CHANGE?

WHY WASN’T I THERE?

WHY DID YOU DROWN?

WHY COME UP FOR AIR?

Another showcasing of Hao’s belief of Joey being a water ghost. Joey, in the script, ‘kills’ Józef by choking him after an argument with Anthony and takes his place at the other side of the well, which is where the two timelines cross over. That was when Józef changed. Hao wasn’t there due to the way the timelines function on top of each other.

I WILL CAST OUT A ROPE

TO THE AFTERLIFE’S SEA

In I Breathe In, You Breathe Out, Hao does exactly this. He makes a makeshift shrine with incense, candies, apples and honey from Józef’s bees and, after his encounter with Anthony, he attempts to use memories to summon Józef, which is successful.

YOU WILL NOT HAVE HIM

YOU WILL NOT HAVE ME

Again, Hao perceives and thinks of Joey as a malicious spirit who wants to take Hao and Józef.

I HOPE I’M RIGHT

I HOPE YOU DON’T GET WHAT YOU WANTED

Joey is doing this for selfish reasons, as pointed out by Anthony (“So you can profit off of their memories…”) as well as his own insecurities due to his communication issues, as he cannot communicate with Anthony what is wrong. To escape this, he inserts himself into the past. Hao is, incredibly justifiably, angry and wants revenge.

HOW DARE YOU WRONG MY JÓZEF?

Hao is back to calling Józef his, as now, he knows that the Józef he is seeing is not Józef, but rather Joey, who is feeding off of the possession.

I HOPE I’M RIGHT

Hao is also doubting if this is Józef being possessed, or him starting to conform to heteronormativity within their relationship. This is definitely something distressing to Hao, as a trans man, as relationships with cisgender and transgender people are perceived as straight relationships in some spaces due to transphobia and/or heteronormativity.

I DON’T KNOW WHY THIS HOUSE IS HAUNTED

The house where the two timelines cross over in Ghost Story is a metaphor for the perfect, heteronormative gay relationship. It’s destroyed when, later in the musical, Hao burns the house down to get rid of Joey.

HOW DARE YOU WRONG MY JÓZEF?

Hao repeats himself as a way of showing his anger — Joey has wronged his Józef in one of the worst ways. He’s taken over his autonomy, he’s fooled Hao. He’s wronged his Józef — the “Józef” Joey presented as was not his Józef, just a man who looked like Józef.

#robin rambles #melliot #ghost story #ghost story musical #joey pulaski #anthony tian #józef pulaski #hao wen yang #haowen yang

10 notes · View notes

charles-leclerc-official · 8 months ago

Note

Hi!! I hope you’re having a good day, just wanted to let you know I really love your race analysis!! I was wondering if you have any tips for newbies for analyzing races? I’m just getting into f1 but I really want to be able to understand the races and you always have such great insights! 🫶

Ah thank you so much! It means so much to hear that <3

So here are some easy first steps(I have listed all links and resources at the bottom)

Re-watch races/take notes: It can be very easy to get caught up in the emotion of a race if you are watching live. Re-watching after you've had your emotional reaction helps you see what actually happened from a less clouded lens. This may sound silly but seriously it makes a big difference(and you can tell so many analysts do not do this)

Watch free practice and qualifying: Not everyone does and as we've seen a lot about a race can be determined in free practice. Especially take note of what the drivers are telling their team as feedback on the feel of the car over the radio. This is really valuable information.

Play around on F1 Tempo - this is one of my favorite websites, lets you see the telemetry from races and also qualifying and free practice. Just mess around comparing laps and understanding how the site works. It may look scary but you get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's really fun!

Don't expect to be an expert on everything: I'm obviously way more dialed into everything going on at Ferrari with their car development and drivers than say Haas. So focus on the teams and drivers you care about, don't think you need to do it all at once.

I know this doesn't sound like much but it seriously will get you started, most people(who claim to be analysts) don't even do this much, they watch the race and call it good(and that is totally valid by the way, this post is if you really want to dig into analysis).

These next few tips are if you want to get even more involved ↓

5. Learn some of the basic parts of an F1 car: You don't need to learn all 20,000 that Williams has on their spreadsheet, but familiarize yourself with the major components of an F1 car and their general function.

6. Research track characteristics: Every track is different and that always plays a role in analysis. The Formula 1 website has a tab on the race schedule where you can learn about a track, it's a good overview of what a track is like and gives some helpful stats.

7. Learn tyres: knowing tyre compounds, their functions, and how track conditions affect them makes a big difference. When I started watching F1 at first I was always confused by why cars were behaving a certain way, then I learned about tyres and a lot of things started to make sense. It's a really important part of in depth race analysis in my opinion.

8. F1 race visualizer: helps you look at positioning so you can see lap by lap replay for the ordering of the track. This is really helpful to see overall track shifts, and also to see who was behind or ahead of who and for how long.

9. Watch onboards: obviously during the broadcast we are only ever shown a fraction of what happens in any given race. I always watch Charles' onboards. And if there is a moment I really want to see I can go check onboards. So if for example I want to see what happened with Logan's race, they don't show most of that, but I can see everything through his onboards if I need.

10. Follow sources reporting on current developments in your team of interest: these will keep you up to date with what is going on with the car on the technical side. You can see what the team is saying about the development direction etc. What to follow really depends on your team.

I'd say these are good first steps to take to feel more informed about a race and what's going on at a particular team. This is probably "beginner" and "intermediate" tips, and I advise starting slow if you are brand new. Practice forming your own opinions and making your own observations. It can take a little bit to get the hang of so remember to be kind to yourself and don't expect everything to make sense overnight.

If anyone wants I can also make advanced analysis tips for those interested.

The important thing is that you are learning what you want and having fun with it!

Also obviously I am here if anyone has any questions <3

Resources F1 tempo - for race telemetry data Formula 1 race visualizer - for field placement lap by lap Formula 1 track info - Info and data on any given track in the F1 calendar (Monaco for example)

#luci answers #race analysis educational post #I need to come up with a tag for educational posts like this #sorry it took me so long to answer anon <3

26 notes · View notes

internationalhorseracingnews · 11 months ago

Text

HorseNews-Kauto Star Novices' Chase Gr. I He is French and magnificent

#best horse racing prediction #best horse racing prediction website #free horse racing prediction software #horse racing computer predictions #horse racing expert predictions #horse racing forecast #horse racing forecast tips #horse racing forecasts daily #aqueduct horse racing analysis #expect horse races and events #expect horse races and results #expect horse races at the moment #expect horse races for today #expect horse races for tomorrow #expect horse races world #expect horse races worldwide #Horse racing articles #aqueduct horse racing #best binoculars for horse racing #fast horse racing results #horse racing photos #horse racing podcast #horse racing quotes #horse racing radio #replays of horse racing #top speed horse racing #american horse racing news #australia horse racing news today #breaking horse racing news #current horse racing news

1 note · View note

techhiz · 1 month ago

Text

Headcanons: Terrans & Bumblebee React to Reader’s First Alt Mode!

Bumblebee

Impressed Mentor Mode: Bee would be over the moon! He’s always felt responsible for helping you develop and gain confidence, so seeing you with your first Alt mode would make him feel like a proud teacher.

Encouraging but Playful: “Nice wheels! I knew you’d nail it! Wanna take ‘em for a spin?” He’d likely challenge you to a little friendly race or something to help you break it in and get comfortable.

Protective Big Brother Vibe: Bee would also look out for any trouble, making sure you know some moves to handle yourself while driving. “Remember to watch your six, and stay cool. You’ve got this, [Y/N]!”

Twitch

In Awe and Enthusiastic: Twitch would be thrilled and might even do a happy hover or spin around you. She’d be fascinated by every detail, asking tons of questions about how it feels, what inspired your choice, and wanting to know every little feature.

Cheering You On: “You look amazing! I can’t believe you’re just like us now with an Alt mode! Can we go exploring together?”

Heartwarming Support: Twitch would also be super supportive, cheering you on and making sure you’re comfortable with your new form, almost like a younger sibling looking up to you.

Thrash

Instant Bonding Mode: Thrash would probably be the one to jump on the excitement right away. He’d rev his own engine to match yours, treating it like a new adventure for both of you.

Playful Teasing: “Finally! We’re ride buddies now! But good luck keeping up!” Thrash would be the first to initiate a playful race, revving and taking off without a second thought.

Encouraging Fun: He’d probably suggest some crazy off-road trails or stunts to break your Alt mode in and see how much fun it can really be.

Nightshade

Curious Analysis: Nightshade would be immediately interested in the technical aspects, wanting to study your transformation and see how your Alt mode works in detail.

Thoughtful Compliments: “Your Alt mode is truly unique. The aesthetic suits you, and I imagine it’s quite functional. Tell me—how does it handle?”

Sharing Knowledge: Nightshade would also offer tips on adapting to your new form, helping you become fully comfortable and in sync with it. They’d probably suggest some maneuvers and strategies for using your Alt mode effectively.

Hashtag

Ultimate Fangirl Mode: Hashtag would be all over the excitement, whipping out her phone to capture every moment. She’d take a hundred photos, videos, and would probably be trying to get a selfie with you in both your bot and Alt forms.

Excited Bragging: “OMG, you look EPIC! This is so going on the Grid! Everyone’s gonna know how awesome you look in your new Alt mode.”

Supportive Friend: She’d hype you up like no one else, giving you tons of confidence in your new look. “I mean, seriously, you’re like an action star! This is major! We’ve got to show off how incredible you look!”

Jawbreaker

Admiring and Proud: Jawbreaker would be a little quieter about it but incredibly proud. He’d take a minute to let it all sink in, giving you a soft smile and a thumbs up.

Genuine Encouragement: “Looks great, [Y/N]. I always knew you’d make an awesome Alt mode.” He’d keep it sincere, making sure you knew how happy he is for you.

Calm and Helpful: Jawbreaker might even suggest a scenic drive or something relaxing to help you ease into it. He’d be there to support you at your own pace, keeping things fun but chill.

have a goodnight/day ^^

#tf earthspark #tfe bumblebee #tfe twitch #tfe thrash #tf es

15 notes · View notes

umgeorge · 8 months ago

Text

What Does an F1 Driver Do Between Races?

A racetrack might be the natural habitat of a Formula 1 driver, but making the most of the time away from the asphalt is also crucial when it comes to maximising performance. From debriefs and data digging, partner days and downtime, there's no time to take your foot off the pedal. We spoke to George to find out everything he gets up to between Grand Prix weekends. "The racetrack is the tip of the iceberg. The work that goes on at the factory is so vitally important. That's where everyone is aware of the car's performance," he explains. There's no gentle ease into the week. Drivers will often head straight back into the simulator, not to look ahead to the next race, but to go back over the previous weekend and see what did and didn't correlate between the virtual and real world. It's a schedule that doesn't always agree with a driver's sleeping pattern, either. "Take Australia as an example," says George. "I landed back in London at midnight. But I'll stay on a more Eastern time schedule, rather than shift back to GMT and then do nine hours to Japan in a couple of weeks." Win or lose, the best time to debrief will always be as soon after the event as possible. Sitting down with the team and talking about what could have gone better and how to ensure things will be different at future races is the priority. It's not all about screens, numbers, and data. It's a chance to come together and bounce thoughts and ideas off of a wide range of team members, be that the latest developments in the wind tunnel or an honest discussion with an engineer. "We'll always sit down and have breakfast and lunch together," George adds. Data analysis can take a few days to be completed. When it has, usually around Wednesday or Thursday, post-race weekend, there's a deep dive to be done. This is a full-blown catch up that allows a driver to truly digest the numerical facts and figures behind race performance. Formula 1 is a constant development. Dwelling too long on the past isn't an option and it's important to know as soon as possible what you're looking to try at the next event, but building a picture of what to try at the next race often starts during the race before. Drivers are so in tune with being on a racetrack that they may notice a performance trend at one circuit that will work well at another. "You may have just completed a quali lap somewhere, and you realise that what you have learned might be good to try at a race later in the year," reveals George. "In the world we live in, eyes are always forward." In between, the physical exertion doesn't relent. A driver will mix between gym sessions at home or at the factory. And it's not light work. "I'll usually do a double session every day when I get home, right up until the Monday of the next race week. From that point of view the week goes by pretty quickly," says George. More often than not, there may be some time on set behind a camera, carrying out important filming or marketing days with our partners. And what about downtime? Switching off while the engines are off is so important. Disconnecting from the world is a crucial part of a high profile athlete's itinerary. Whether it's a walk or just a catch up with friends or family, the importance of stepping outside that motorsport bubble for just a few moments cannot be underestimated. By now we're back into a race week. Prep done, the adrenaline and anticipation of racing is slowly building. A return to the racetrack beckons, and a Formula 1 driver can feel truly at home once more.

#george russell #f1 #formula 1 #fic ref #fic ref 2024 #not a race #2024 not a race #between australia and japan 2024

18 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 2 months ago

Text

A great deal has been written about the gender gap ever since it appeared in presidential elections in the 1980s. Since then, many elections have seen a clear difference in the way men and women vote—in general, women tend to vote more frequently for Democratic candidates and men for Republican candidates.

This year’s election puts the gender gap front and center for three reasons—one of the candidates could be the first woman president of the United States; the abortion issue has especially high salience for women and could increase their already high turnout; and the election in swing states is incredibly close.

The closeness of the election has created a daily torrent of speculation about which subgroups are leaning to which candidate. Often, as has been pointed out in these pages by my colleague Gabriel Sanchez, the subgroups in national polls are simply too small to have any statistical significance, making headlines swing wildly. One day, young people are deserting the Democrats; another day, Latinos are flocking to Republicans, and another day, Harris is losing Black men. It’s enough to make your head spin. The subgroup, however, that is large enough to avoid that problem is based on gender since nearly 100% of responders are cisgender, which means there are usually enough men and women in a standard poll to decrease the margin of error.1

What is rarely done, however, is to pair polling trends with what we know about turnout. Of course, we can’t predict turnout for 2024, but we can look at the most recent turnout by gender in presidential elections. If men and women turned out to vote in equal numbers, then we would expect that, for instance, if men preferred Trump by the same margins as women preferred Harris, their votes would cancel each other out, and, bottom line, the gender gap would not matter. But in fact, in recent elections, women have turned out more than men, thus affecting the gender gap. In the last presidential election, women accounted for 54.7% of the electorate and men accounted for 44%. And of course, there are simply more adult women than men in the population, especially among the elderly.2 In the seven swing states we looked at for this analysis, women composed a larger share of the electorate in 2020 than men, with one exception, Wisconsin, where, according to exit polls, 50% were men and 50% were women.

To better understand how the preference gender gap and the turnout gender gap interact, we apply the latest 2024 gender gap polling on presidential preference to the gender gap in 2020 turnout. Of course, as with everything based on polls and history, this could change. Presidential preferences among men and women might shift, and the composition of the 2024 electorate might look very different than the composition of the 2020 electorate. But this exercise illustrates the interactions between the two gender gaps—the one for presidential preference and the one for turnout.

Let’s start with the must-win state of Pennsylvania. In a recent Marist poll, women supported Harris by 55% to 43% for Trump, while men supported Harris by 44% and Trump by 54%. In the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania, women accounted for more votes than men—they were 53% of the electorate, and men were 47%. There were a total of 6,915,283 ballots cast in Pennsylvania in 2020, most of which were cast by women, amounting to 3,665,100 votes. If the 2024 gender gap in turnout remains close to what it was in 2020, and the preference polls for 2024 remain the same, that would be 2,015,805 votes for Harris versus 1,575,993 votes for Trump. Given that nearly everyone in the electorate is a man or a woman, if the gender gap in presidential preference in 2024 was applied to 2020 turnout numbers, Harris should win Pennsylvania by 114,794 votes or 1.69%. In fact, in 2020, Biden won the state by 1.2% or 81,660 votes.

In North Carolina, we see a powerful example of the impact of the presidential preference gender gap combined with the turnout gender gap. There, according to a Marist poll, Harris is currently getting 54% of the women’s vote, and Trump is getting the exact same percentage (54%) of the men’s vote. If men and women voted in the same numbers, these votes would cancel each other out. But in 2020, women accounted for 56% of all voters. If the gender gap in presidential preference in 2024 was applied to the 2020 gender gap in turnout, Harris would win narrowly by 35,358 votes or 0.65%, putting the state into the blue column. In 2020, Trump won the state by 1.3% or 74,483 votes.

In states like Michigan, where the presidential gender gap and the turnout gender gap is large, the results can be impressive. In Michigan, a Marist poll finds 56% of the women currently favor Harris and 52% of men currently favor Trump. In 2020, the Michigan electorate was 54% women and 46% men. Applying the 2024 presidential preference to 2020 turnout results in a Harris win of 321,280 or 5.92%. In 2020, Biden won the state by three percent or 154,188 votes.

In Wisconsin, (according to a Marist poll) women currently favor Harris by 56%, and men favor Trump by 53%. Wisconsin is the rare swing state where men and women voted in equal numbers in 2020—turnout was 50% for men and the same for women. Thus, if both the 2024 gender gap in presidential preference and the 2020 gender gap in turnout remain the same, Harris should win the state by 2.54% or 82,720 votes. In 2020, Biden won Wisconsin by 0.63% or 20,682 votes.

In Nevada, 53% of women currently favor Harris and 52% of men currently favor Trump, according to a poll by Emerson. In 2020, 52% of the electorate was composed of women, and 48% of men. Applying the 2024 presidential preference numbers to the 2020 turnout results in a win of 18,551 for Harris, or 1.36%. In 2020, Biden won the state by two percent with 33,596 votes.

Georgia and Arizona are the only swing states where the 2024 gender gap in presidential preference favors Trump, and in both states, the gender gap in turnout is not large enough to help Harris. In Georgia, a CBS poll found there seem to be more men planning to vote for Trump (56%) than women voting for Harris (53%). In Georgia, in 2020, women cast a large number of votes—2,799,150, or 56% of the total vote. Applying the 2024 gender gap numbers to the 2020 turnout numbers, Trump would win the state by 117,964 votes or 2.37%. In 2020, Biden had a very narrow victory in Georgia, winning it by 0.24% or 11,779 votes.

In Arizona, the current gender gap appears to favor Trump as well. Slightly more men favor Trump (53%) than women favor Harris (52%), according to a Marist poll. In 2020, women were 52% of voters and men were 48%. If these numbers hold in November, Trump would win the state by 25,996 or 0.77% of the vote. In Arizona, Biden had his narrowest win, winning the state by 0.31% with only 10,457 votes.

This exercise shows that if the composition of the electorate between men and women remains the same as it was in 2020, Harris could win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada—all states Biden won in 2020. She could also win North Carolina (which Biden lost in 2020) but by a very narrow margin. Trump would win Arizona and Georgia, two states Biden won in 2020. This would result in a Harris win in the Electoral College.

Of course, the assumptions in this analysis could easily change next month. The abortion referendum in Arizona, for instance, has the potential to boost the women’s vote past what it was in 2020, and that could be good for Harris. What will not change is that the importance of the gender gap in presidential preference is highly dependent on the existence of a gender gap in turnout. The reality of both gender gaps has hit the Republican Party hard; candidates across the board are scrambling to soften or even repeal their former statements on abortion. And the release of a very strong pro-choice stance by former First Lady Melania Trump means that from the very top of the ticket down, the Republican Party understands that this is their biggest threat.

The bottom line is this—if the gender gap in presidential preference remains the same but men’s turnout increases dramatically relative to 2020, it will be good for Trump; if women’s turnout stays the same as in 2020, it could be a good year for Harris; if it increases, it could be a very good year for her.

6 notes · View notes

sirenjose · 1 year ago

Text

Season 12 Essence 2 (Checkmate) Analysis

Skins: Analysis

Checkmate

What seems most important from this description is the term “castling”.

Castling is a special move in chess to protect your king and activate one of your rooks. This is the only time in chess where you can move 2 pieces in one move.

During this move, you can either perform “Kingside Castle” or “Queenside Castle”. This basically refers to which direction the King moves and which rook is involved. “Kingside” means the King moves to the right, while “Queenside” means the King moves to the left side, the side the Queen on. No matter which direction the King goes, he will King move 2 spaces to the right or left and the rook on that side will move directly to the other side of the king. Essentially establishing a “castle”, as this move is usually done with pawns on one side (facing the opposite side of the board where the opponents’ pieces are) and the Rook blocking the 1 space entrance to the King. As a result, the King is now defended from attacks from your opponent.

There are several conditions to this move. First, you can only perform castling if neither the rook (the one being used) nor the King have moved up until this point. Second, there can be no pieces in the way (between the king and the rook). The last condition has to do with being in check. You cannot perform this move when in check, into check (aka, the spot the king would move to is in the line of attack of an enemy piece, and going there would put you in check), or through check (meaning if 1 of the spaces the King has to move through is in the line of attack of one of your opponent’s pieces, even if the King isn’t going to stop in that spot).

Lastly, it is uncommon, but it is actually possible (in a game of chess) to perform castling and put your opponent in checkmate as a result.

Re-Swim

A “re-swim” is something offered to any swimmer (in competitions) who cannot compete in a race due to weather, or if the actions of an official, spectator, or another swimmer affects a swimmer’s performance. One example is in the case of a different swimmer being charged with a false start (aka, beginning before the starting signal goes off), or if the power/lights at the pool where the competition is at shut off.

En Ligne

The name “En Ligne” means “In Line”. Combined with one of the official twitter posts (https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1288777604355330048), I believe this name is referring to a fencing term called “Point-in-line”. Before we explain that, we need to establish some of the basics of fencing.

Fencing is the 2nd fastest sport at the Olympics behind rifle/marksman shooting.

The term “line” is used to describe the direction of the attack (as in high vs. low, inside vs outside, etc…).

In fencing, there are 3 styles with 3 different weapons: the foil, the épée, and the sabre. As Joseph appears to be using a sabre, I will focus on that one. Each style is slightly different from each other, for reasons such as some styles use the “Right of Way” rule, or another reason such as what counts as the “target area”.

With the sabre, the target area is anything above the waist, including arms and head. In comparison, the foil’s target area is the back and front, while the épée is the whole body. Unlike the other 2 styles, where the only allowed method of getting points is by hitting your opponent with the tip of your weapon, the sabre style is allowed to acquire points by slashing/cutting as well as thrusting. This means the edge as well as the tip of your weapon can be used.

As a result, the sabre ends up being the fastest and most aggressive of the 3 styles (and requires the quickest reactions and ability to make split-second decisions).

The sabre style is one of the 2 styles that are governed by the “Right of Way” rule (the épée is the style that doesn’t). This rule is used to decide who gets a point in fencing. Priority is given to the person who attacks first. This means that the other person has to parry or evade the attacker first, causing their attacker to lose “priority”, before they themselves can be given “priority” (and thus allowed to acquire points themselves). Any attack made when a person doesn’t have priority has their “touch” annulled by the referee (aka, it won’t count).

“Point-in-line” is an action/stance in which the fencer, generally out of attacking range, points their weapon at their opponent (at their “target area”) with their arm fully extended as straight as possible (before their opponent can establish an attack). In this stance, the fencer’s weapon continually threatens the opponent’s target area.

It is a static threat. The fencer is essentially threatening their opponent with the potential for them (the opponent) to impale themselves on the fencer’s blade if they attempt to go in for an attack or move towards the fencer. It is like a spear sticking out of the ground. If you throw yourself upon it, you only have yourself to blame.

The fencer’s arm must be straight and “in line” with his weapon, usually pointed at the opponent’s chest. This gives the fencer executing “Point in Line” the Right of Way, and they can move forward, backward, and even lunge with the line as long as they don’t twist or bend their arm. If the arm is no longer in a straight line, or if the fencer moved to parry or dodge, they are declared to no longer be in/have Point in Line (and thus no longer have priority aka Right of Way).

In this situation, the opponent must cause the fencer with Point in Line to break line (by deflecting or making the fencer move their hand out of line), causing them to break the attack (giving the opponent the chance to attack).

As an added note, I happened to notice the card/picture Joseph holds in his En Ligne skin has a 5 on one side and a 15 on the other. You only seem to get a clear shot of the 15 during his idle animation or in a game when Joseph activates the camera world (you can see it upside down while in the waiting room as well). These have to do with fencing as well and are also brought up in the Season 12 Essence 2 Design & Planning notes by the developers.

In fencing, bouts can go to 5 points or 15 points. 5 point bouts last 3 minutes, while 15 point bouts go for 9 minutes with 1 minute breaks for every 3 minute intervals. For both, if neither fencer reaches 5 or 15 points after the time limit, the fencer with the most points wins. If there’s a tie, an official will randomly determine who gets priority, and the fencers will go for 1 minute. If neither fencer gets a point in that time, then the fencer with priority (at the end I think) wins. With competitive fencing, preliminary rounds will be 5-point bouts. Direct Elimination rounds, which consists of a bracket of fencers competing against each other, will be 15-point bouts (3 periods of 3 minutes each). The 5 and 15 on Joseph’s card means that he won both his preliminary match and likely main part of the games as well.

The Final

The name is obviously referring to the last day of the competition, when the winner will be decided and victory will be awarded.

As a side note, Lucky has the numbers 6 and 8 on him, both of which are considered lucky in China (which goes along with this being “Lucky Guy” and him relating to the Finals, aka the winners of the games).

I’ll discuss the part about the “goddess of victory later”.

Critical Move

Not much to say here. The “invisible” hand is obviously related to the story, and I’ll talk about it later.

Straight Punch

The “straight punch” (also called a “cross”) is a term in boxing referring to a punch thrown in a straight line with the dominant hand (which “crosses” from the back of your body to the front). It is the 2nd most used punch after the jab, which is a good set up/lead up to the straight punch (ever heard of the classic “one-two” combo? One refers to a jab, while two refers to a straight punch). After executing the punch, the hand is retracted quickly, and the guard position is resumed.

It is one of the basic punches in boxing. It is also a power punch (the uppercut and hook are power punches too) and is best used for mid to long range. A straight punch is a quick way to reach your opponent with a power punch when you’re not on the inside. It’s easy to throw and set up, or can be thrown independently just as easily, and leaves you in a good position to follow up with other punches.

The jab, in comparison, is a shorter, quicker punch delivered from medium range. The straight punch on the other hand is a slower punch.

Colorful Lights

The game here is a Japanese one called Hanafuda, which translates to “flower cards”. It is played with a deck of 48 cards divided into 12 suits of 4 cards in each suit (they display a panorama when put together). Each suit is named after a month of the year. Each card had a picture of a seasonal Japanese flower or plant on it (that matched with month/suit that card belonged to).

The 12 suits were:

January – Matsu (pine)

February – Ume (plum blossom)

March – Sakura (cherry blossom)

April – Fuji (wisteria)

May – Ayame (iris)

June – Botan (peony)

July – Hagi (bush clover)

August – Susuki (Susuki grass) (this is the “Zebra grass” from the description)

September – Kiku (chrysanthemum)

October – Momiji (maple)

November – Yanagi (willow)

December – Kiri (paulownia)

Each suit contains a combination of regular cards and special cards, which vary from suit to suit. Special cards are assigned different point values, but this was mainly irrelevant, as what mattered were specific card combinations (and these combinations gave you points depending on what it was).

The goal of the game was to earn points by making sets as fast as you could and ending the round before your opponent. Long games consist of 12 rounds, while short games are 6 rounds. Whoever had the most points after all the rounds were over was the winner.

In most suits, the first 2 cards only showed a plain representation of the identifying flower, which were worth 1 point. The next rank in the suit added a ribbon to the card (which was a picture of a sheet of paper for poetry writing) and was worth 5 points. After that were the animal cards (which had the picture of an animal, like a bird, on it). The last rank was worth the most points, but only 5 suits had this type of rank (January/Pine, March/Cherry Blossom, August/Sasuki or Zebra grass, November/Willow, and December/Paulownia), which meant there were only 5 of this type of card.

For simplicity, the 4 types of cards found in the deck are:

Brights/Lights (20 points)

Animals (10 points)

Ribbons (5 points)

Normals/Junk (1 point)

When it came to scoring, combinations made with the 20 point cards were worth the most. These specific combinations were:

Gokō – Five Brights – 10 points

Shikō – “Dry” Four Brights – 8 points

Ame-Shikō – Rainy Four Brights – 7 points

Sankō – “Dry” Three Brights – 6 points

From the description for this skin, we know that this is the sort of combination that Michiko had. I believe it is more specifically said in the Chinese version of the name for this skin, which may be Five Lights, but Michiko seems to have gotten all 5 of the 20 point cards.

Wild Pitch

The official definition of a wild pitch in baseball is: “A pitcher is charged with a wild pitch when his pitch is so errant that the catcher is unable to control it and, as a result, baserunner(s) advance.”

For a bit more detail, here’s another entry in the official rulebook:

10.13 Wild Pitches And Passed Balls (a) The official scorer shall charge a pitcher with a wild pitch when a legally delivered ball is so high, so wide or so low that the catcher does not stop and control the ball by ordinary effort, thereby permitting a runner or runners to advance. The official scorer shall charge a pitcher with a wild pitch when a legally delivered ball touches the ground or home plate before reaching the catcher and is not handled by the catcher, thereby permitting a runner or runners to advance. When the third strike is a wild pitch, permitting the batter to reach first base, the official scorer shall score a strikeout and a wild pitch.

Wild pitches are considered to be the fault of the pitcher, and a pitcher is only charged with one if a runner moves up a base. They cannot be charged with one if no one is on a base, unless it allows the batter to reach 1st base on a 3rd strike.

That latter bit has to do with a rule called the Uncaught Third Strike Rule. In MLB (Major League Baseball), if a catcher drops or misses the third pitched strike, the batter becomes a runner and can attempt to reach first base before tagged out or forced out at first.

6.09 The batter becomes a runner when -- (a) He hits a fair ball; (b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied, or (2) first base is occupied with two outs

This basically means a batter can make a run for 1st base if the catcher fails to catch the ball that would’ve been the batter’s 3rd strike, and only if 1st base is unoccupied or if there are 2 outs.

In baseball, when a batter gets 3 strikes (by failing to hit 3 balls), they are out. When the batting team gets 3 outs from 3 of its members each getting 3 strikes, then that half of the inning is over and the teams switch, at which point the opposite team gets to bat.

Relating this back to a wild pitch, according to the official rules again:

“When the third strike is a wild pitch, permitting the batter to reach first base, the official scorer shall score a strikeout and a wild pitch.”

This means that a pitcher can technically “strikeout” more than 3 people in an inning (when normally that shouldn’t be possible) due to the Uncaught Third Strike Rule.

Now I’d like to point out that, just because a pitcher threw a wild pitch during the 9th inning, that doesn’t mean that they (their team) necessarily lost the game.

It is possible to get a wild pitch and a (real) strikeout at the same time (as in, the other team gets 3 outs, rather than the batter being safe and so on).

First off, a batter could have gotten a 3rd strike after trying to swing at a horrible pitch (a pitch that was out of the zone, aka a wild pitch), missed, and gotten himself out. Or maybe the batter attempted to make a run for 1st base due to the Uncaught Third Strike Rule but failed when the other team managed to tag him out before he was safe.

Secondly, it’s also possible a wild pitch could hit a batter’s bat (maybe the batter tried to dodge a wild pitch but forgot to move the bat out of the way when he did so, resulting in it getting hit). At this point, if the ball falls in the foul area, it’s a strike, but if it falls in the fair area, then it’s a live ball and the batter had better run to first base fast or else he’ll get tagged out quickly (since the ball will be fairly close to him after it fell to the ground).

Looking at a different possibility regarding wild pitches (regarding possibilities of what could have happened in the game in the essence), it’s also possible a batter or someone could get injured by a wild pitch.

Point being, it is possible to win even if he threw a wild pitch.

Moving on, next is the description, which mentions “Bottom of the ninth”. These same words can also be found on one side of Norton’s hat.

Typically, baseball games (in the MLB at least) have 9 innings, with each inning split into the “top” half and the “bottom” half. If the home team is leading after the top of the ninth, the game is over and the home team wins (and the 2nd half of the inning isn’t played). If the road team is leading at the end of the ninth, the game is over and the road team wins. If the home team gains the lead during the bottom of the ninth, the game ends immediately and the home team wins. If the game is tied at the end of the ninth, the game goes into extra innings. A game in extra innings ends when the road team leads at the end of an inning, or when the home team takes the lead.

Basically, the 9th inning is really important (and decides the game). It is possible in this inning for a losing team to get lucky and turn things around for a comeback and a surprising win.

Bottom of the Ninth can also have meaning outside of baseball, as it can mean “last chance”, “final opportunity” or “there isn’t much time left to turn things around”.

Quickstep

Jose is obviously participating in Equestrian sport events. Regarding what specifically, I’m going to look at the Olympics for an idea. The 3 equestrian events that take place at the Olympics are: Dressage, Eventing, and Show jumping. Based on the name Quickstep, which sounds like a trot, I’m assuming he’s at least part of the Dressage event, but I’ll describe all 3 anyways.

Dressage tests the horse’s obedience and ability to carry its rider with ease and grace. It is often compared to ballet on horseback. During the test, you will see the horse ridden at different paces and different speeds within those paces. These speeds include the walk, trot, and canter. The horses will be asked to fluidly move in straight lines and circles. The horses will also be asked to move smoothly and obediently sideways, diagonally, and in place. You will see horses in "collection" where the horse is moving with a higher elevation of back and legs, and "extension" where the horse is reaching further with its legs while still carrying its neck and back in an elevated frame. Performance is judged on a point system from 0 to 6 points for each required gait. “General impression” is also judged, and points are deducted for performing the movements in the wrong order.

Eventing is a test of the skill, versatility, courage, and endurance of horse and rider, as well as tests the trust between horse and rider as well as their adaptability in different situations. Eventing is a 3 day competition that consists of: cross country jumping, dressage and showjumping. The cross-country phase takes place over a course of natural and man-made objects. There can be up to 40 obstacles that horses must jump or go through. The course is up to four miles long. Scores are based on refusals, coming in under or over a set time, and falls of the rider.

Show Jumping tests the agility and reaction of a horse by having them jump over a series of obstacles inside a riding ring. Courses are designed with many tricky turns and colorful obstacles challenging both the mental and physical agility of horse and rider. The horse/rider teams must finish within a set time and penalties are given for knocking down rails and other faults. Scores are based on the number of jumps knocked down, falls, touches, refusals to jump and time penalties. The rider with the fewest penalties wins. Ties are broken by jump-offs with penalties and the fastest times used to break the tie.

Gymnast

This skin seems to involve Rhythmic gymnastics, which was a women-only event where gymnasts perform on a floor with a rope, hoop, ball, clubs, or ribbon accompanied by music, in individual or group events.

Rhythmic gymnastics is different from normal gymnastics. There were no flips or tumbles, no bars or balance beams. In this type of gymnastics, the gymnast leaps, turns, contorts, and dances, all while manipulating and tossing different apparatuses to the beat of the music. A great amount of flexibility and grace was required here.

As Gymnast appears to have a ribbon at her hip, that’s what I’m going to go with.

The ribbon in these competitions must constantly be in motion. Compulsory elements for the ribbon include flicks, circles, snakes and spirals, and throws. A high degree of coordination was required to form the spirals and circles, as any knots which may accidentally form in the ribbon are penalized against the gymnast.

ACE

The mention of “tiebreaker”, combined with the skin name and relation to tennis, is a tennis term with a specific set of rules.

In tennis, you have games, sets, and matches.

To win a game, you must score four points and have a two-point lead.

To win a set, you must win six or more games and have a two-game lead.

To win the match, you must win the best of three sets or the best of five sets depending on where you’re playing.

Another thing about tennis is that there are no ties. When both sides are tied at 6 games apiece, a tiebreaker game takes place to decide the winner of a set. To win a tiebreaker, you had to be the first to score 7 points, as well as have a 2-point lead over your opponent. When one side reached 6 points, the other side had one last chance to even the score and tie the game. If both sides managed to get 6 points, this is when the 2nd rule comes in. A game won’t end when someone reaches 7 points if the other side has 6. The game would continue until one player could gain a 2-point lead over the other.

Pawn

This skin potentially brings up pawn promotion. This is another chess term for something that could happen in chess when a pawn manages to reach the other side of the board (aka, the side where your opponent started out on). If a pawn was successful in reaching the other side, that player could choose to turn that piece into a bishop, knight, rook, or queen (you can’t replace the pawn with another pawn or a king).

Normally with pawn promotion, most people promote a pawn to a queen as the queen is the most powerful piece with the highest movement ability. Promoting to any other piece than a queen is called an underpromotion. Reasons for underpromoting include when promoting to a queen would still leave your opponent in the lead, in cases of defense for something like preventing a checkmate, or sometimes to avoid situations where promoting to a queen would cause a stalemate (aka, no one wins).

The most common type of underpromotion is underpromotion to a knight, as a knight moves in a way that the queen cannot.

Story: News Articles

Also important for the story are the news articles that came with the relay race pre-event.

Story: Analysis

I’ll begin by bringing up the design notes (https://weibo.com/6140485374/JgFfWDqSv?from=page_1006066140485374_profile&wvr=6&mod=weibotime&type=comment#_rnd1597979158845).

They state how they wanted to include more than just happiness, sunshine, and people playing a sport. They wanted the pain, losses, and injuries that can occur as well. To show this, they gave clues to what each character “regrets” in/from their sports career. They also specifically state exactly what happened to some people in their pasts.

For Galatea, they first comment on her inability to move freely (as she is stuck in a wheelchair). This could relate to the Chinese version of the description for Galatea’s Pawn skin.

“The next move... Will I become a knight? Or a sacrificial pawn?”

It mentioned possibly becoming a knight, which could relate to Galatea dreaming of once again having that freedom of movement. This dream relates to a knight due to its ability to move well is represented in how a knight piece has the image of a horse, from the idea of a medieval knight on a horse or simply someone in the calvary, as well as the knight piece’s ability to jump around unlike all the other pieces. Due to her wheelchair, that is something she’s never going to be able to do.

A quick note about this, oddly enough the English version does not bring up knights in its description. Instead, it says:

"To checkmate or to be sacrificed? That is the question."

That may be a play off of the quote “To be, or not to be, that is the question”, which comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I am not quite sure if Hamlet relates at all to this, as chess is never mentioned in the play to my knowledge (but I only did a bit of quick research, so I could be wrong. I think the play The Tempest is the only one that directly mentions chess).

This comes from when Hamlet is thinking about life and death, pondering a state of being versus a state of not being. He’s reflecting on whether it’s better to be alive or dead (not necessarily contemplating suicide). Life was burdensome and devoid of power, and in the rest of the speech he lists off several things that annoy him about life. He also goes into how even though he’s frustrated over how bad life is, no matter how bad it is we’re prevented from doing anything about it due to fear of the unknown. Dying is like crossing the border between the known and unknown, the idea is that there may be unimaginable horrors in this new land. Even if life is unfair, the alternative might be worse. Fear of the unknown after death. This is not just about killing himself, but also about his mission to avenge his father’s death. Before now, he’s made excuses for not killing his father’s murderer. Convention demands he kill him, but murder is a sin, so that’s the conflict at the core of the play. He ends by pulling himself out of this reflection, as too much thinking is what will prevent the action he has to rise to.

Back to Galatea, they describe her as a former genius chess player that became pathologically paranoid after a career-related loss. This part shows that Galatea, like the others in the games, also suffered a loss in the past that she’s trying to amend with the help of these games. Continuing on, they discuss how she had hoped to turn everyone into (chess) pieces that she could use at will to complete the game she could not in the past, which is likely why she is described as becoming a control freak.

As another bonus, her desire to turn everyone into pieces and control them can go back to her skin description. Remember how I said castling involves a king and a rook? Well rooks can possibly be derived from the word “rookie” (and vice versa). This is because rooks, like rookies, only come into play later, and they are (one of) the last to see action in a game compared to the other pieces on the board. Rooks aka “rookies” in this way could be referring to any and/or all of the participants in the games. Another interesting note about the word “rook” is that it can also be used as a verb that means “to defraud by cheating or swindling”. This sounds a bit to me like what Galatea might be doing as the “invisible hand” controlling the entirety of the games.

Her wanting to control everyone and basically turn them into pieces relates to her being a sculptor and even turning someone into a sculpture. Checkmate being someone who wants to manipulate everyone relates to what she does in her story to those around her, namely Helena in her game (as we see via the letters), and potentially Lily as well based on Lily’s backstory video.

This aspect about her being a “control freak” may also imply she is the “invisible hand” supposedly controlling the entire competition based on both the relay race news articles and the hints given from Freddy’s and Lucky’s descriptions. As to her exact goals, it says she wanted to essentially finish the game she had been unable to complete, though the specifics about what that means are unclear.

One thought regarding the specific accident mentioned in one of the chess articles, about someone being injured after one of the preliminaries even though nothing nearby could’ve caused the injury, this could relate to Galatea recreating her past. Maybe after she beat one of her opponents in a preliminary match (in a different competition, not the Sports Fest), the loser was unhappy at their loss, and as a result injured Galatea or got her involved in some accident. This could be why she is stuck in a wheelchair in this Essence’s story. This may also be a way of her getting revenge on the culprit (by her injuring someone after the preliminaries of the Sports Fest).

There’s also how many of the participants are in tough positions or hurt.

For example, Michiko has at least 4 cards, but the question is if she manages to get the 5th, as well as even if she can get a good hand in 1 round, it still depends on how well the other rounds go for her (Hanafuda does comprise of more than 1 round).

To go into the others, Re-Swim is injured, the swimming arena was “closed”, her name may indicate she had to swim twice even though she’s injured, or as swimming is like a race, there’s no guarantee she’s got a comfortable lead in front of the other swimmers.

En Ligne and Straight Punch both involve fighting (meaning not every opponent will be a pushover), and En Ligne’s broken sword and Fighting’s broken belt could indicate they were hurt or having trouble.

Quickstep, just like Re-Swim, is already mentioned to be injured (from the news articles).

Wild Pitch and Ace are both mentioned to be at a point near the end of the game where they are fighting to get in the lead over their opponents.

Galatea in the design notes is mentioned to be obsessive, paranoid, not quite in control of her emotions, and is unable to face the fact she lost or face her own regret of losing. She is also said to get energy from her fantasies (likely fantasies of her winning that one game she lost in the past) all the time. To go along with this, it’s been stated that she was the one who made the golden badge necklace thing around her neck, which is a way to show the character’s confidence and paranoia over winning. She also dressed herself up like a Queen and is sitting in a wheelchair that looks like a throne to further show this. The bird cage on her chair is another representation of her obsession, as the cage symbolizes (is made of) her obsession while Galatea would be the bird trapped inside it. Also, apparently her paranoia makes her aggressive (as proof of her at least somewhat lack of control of her emotions), so that’s another interesting note.

Then there’s how I’m pretty sure the design notes on Galatea herself by the developers mentions she’s a perfectionist. This could explain why she gets aggressive, why she’s so upset at her loss, and why she refuses to acknowledge her loss and her regret over it.

Galatea right now may not be a participant, as neither Checkmate nor Pawn have the green ribbon everyone else is wearing. This ribbon shows up in the trailer, and as Freddy and Lucky (who are more like staff for the competitions than actual participants) are wearing them too, it’s likely not a ribbon strictly for winners.

There’s also how her skin mentions castling. Maybe she is doing this as a defense against whatever caused her to lose in the past and in general against others.

If Galatea can’t accept her loss or even her own regret over it, to the point she makes a golden badge for herself to wear, dresses up like a queen, and sits on a throne, not to mention her name is Checkmate, I think that more likely means she already sees herself as being a winner. I think competing as a participant would mean accepting the fact she lost, her regret over it, and the fact she would be there to win the prize of having your regrets erased. Wanting them erased means you know you feel regret, and she is already mentioned to be unable to face that reality. All she wants is to complete the game she lost before, and she seems to be going about that by controlling the entirety of the games and thus seeing everyone as pieces on a chessboard. She’s trying to deal with her loss and regret over losing without having to acknowledge it and say she wants her regret erased. It’s like when a person needs help, but they refuse to ask for help, and try to go about doing whatever they need to do without anyone else’s aid.

It's possible, rather than her participating and trying to win herself, she’s trying to manipulate the others, have them in a position like the one she was in, but ensure they manage to win anyways, to represent her winning as well. That could match with how her b-tier is called “Pawn”.

Next I’ll bring up Joseph. The beginning of the design notes mentions that his dominant hand was damaged. There was an accident that resulted in his hand either breaking or him getting wounded with the opponent’s sword, and as a result this caused him to lose. Regarding his dominant hand, we see that Joseph is left-handed, as that’s the hand he uses his sword with even when not using his En Ligne skin. Looking at his En Ligne skin, his left side has a bit extra to it compared to his right side, specifically what looks kind of like an armlet around his wrist. This might be there after it received a bad hit, one that was strong enough to break the sword he was using, as well as injure his hand, arm, and/or wrist as a result, thus causing his loss. He may have the extra bit around his left hand/wrist because he is protecting it and keeping it from being hurt a second time.

As a random note, I think the injury to his dominant hand could possibly be why his animation in the appearance area has him holding his weapon in his right hand. Basically, he might be ambidextrous. After the injury to his left hand caused him to lose that match in the past, he sought to prevent that from happening again. One way is with the extra guard on his left hand. The other way might be that he taught himself to use his other hand almost as well as his left. That way, if his left or even his right hand were ever injured in a match again, he could easily switch to the other (possibly during an interlude or one of the breaks) and still have a chance of winning.

The design notes also mention you can see where the sword broke and where it was repaired, which is that mark in the middle of the blade (not the viney parts near the handle). This also means he’s using the sword that broke in the past, the one he referred to as a memento, so that’s interesting.

I think that the news articles from the relay race pre-event were written during the preliminary/beginner rounds of the games. This is based on the one article that mentioned the chess person getting injured after a preliminary match, from the article about Jose that mentions the horses had only just arrived, from the article about Norton which mentions gatherings and interviews (which would likely occur during breaks or at least sometime before the finals), from the article about Naib since the boxing match is stated to not have even started yet, while Joseph’s article also seems to mention the fencing match is about to start but hasn’t happened yet, and then there’s Tracy’s which sounds like it’s at least still ongoing as it mentions a “next” match.

After that, I think the skin descriptions more refer to the finals or deciding rounds for each sports competition, or at least other hints such as Joseph’s 15 refers to the score he got in the finals of the fencing competition rather than just a random match before this point (that would be kind of disappointing and would kill the suspense and/or meaning behind it, since if it’s not the finals, he could still lose in the next match up).

Finally, I’m going to assume either each separate sports competition of the games can have a winner, or there’s some large team encompassing each of the different sports (maybe like a Team Oletus, as Oletus is what the front of Norton’s baseball shirt says) and the winner is decided in a fashion similar to what people do during the Olympics when they compare who has the most medals or specifically who has the most gold medals.

There isn’t a whole lot for Tracy and Re-Swim, despite being an A-tier, though the beginning part does mention muscle strain, which is a common injury with swimming. All the arm movement involved in most swimming techniques can cause significant strain on the arm and shoulder muscles. Neck strain is primarily due to the act of having to keep the head above water or rotating it to breath (such as during the freestyle stroke). The lower part of the body can become strained as well, like the knees for example from a lot of kicking motions (such as during the breaststroke).

There isn’t a lot on the others. Michiko’s regret and thus loss seems to come from her possibly attempting to acquire the 5 20-point cards in Hanafuda but failing.

There’s nothing on Jose, but from how everyone else is, I assume he fell off his horse during a past competition which impacted his score and caused him to lose.

Naib also has nothing about what exactly caused him to lose. He is mentioned to be wearing a “broken belt” with a “hidden past”. This could be a champion’s belt, showing how he may have lost in the past and thus lost the belt. (Another wild theory is that someone attempted to injure Naib as well, but the belt protected him somehow, causing it to become “broken” as a way to show more possible foul play.)

Gymnast and Ace, like Naib, don’t really have anything. Maybe Ace ended up in a tiebreaker in the past and ended up losing it, that way his current predicament based on his skin description would parallel with his past. Gymnast may have done a leap or something bad, and hurt herself, or she got her ribbon tangled, which resulted in a loss. At least for Ace, we do see his hat has the word “Champion” on it, which could mean he was like Naib in being a former champion who lost his title at some point (after losing in the tiebreaker I mentioned, since his description does say “this time” he might win, which means “last time” he had lost).

Lastly is Norton. Just like the other participants in this essence, where they were in tough situations but managed to win in the end anyways, I think the same is true for Norton as Wild Pitch. (Maybe 5-9 is a score for a past game he lost, but he manages to win this time and reverse it.)

Based on the less than 1 sentence of him we got in the beginning section of the notes, I think we can assume Norton, in the past and now, is a pitcher, at least during the crucial moment of the game that decides his victory or loss. I’m specifically referring to the 2nd half of the ninth inning, which is mentioned in his skin description and the design notes. The notes basically mention “starting pitcher” in the 2nd half of the ninth inning.

So, what does it mean?

Let’s start with what a “starting pitcher” is. Here’s a section from the official MLB glossary:

“Starting pitchers, as the position name indicates, are the pitchers that begin each game on the mound for a team. Starters were long asked to pitch as deep into games as possible, although many clubs in modern baseball employ pitch counts and will not let starting pitchers throw many more than 100 pitches in a start. This is done in an effort to preserve pitchers' health.” “Teams in today's game typically rotate between five starting pitchers, meaning starters usually have four to five days off between trips to the mound.”

So, starting pitchers are a type of pitcher that is expected to pitch for the 1st 6 innings of the game, and will throw close to 100 pitches before wearing down and being taken out of a game. Afterwards, they get a break for about 4 or 5 days. That’s how harsh the job is on their bodies. It’s even worse if they have to wait those 4 or 5 days after a bad outing or game is stuck in their mind.

To compare, other types of pitchers other than Starters include Middle Relievers, who take over for a starting pitcher when they need to be substituted before the 8th inning, and Closers, who come in to “close out” a game in the 9th inning when their team is ahead. Also, once a pitcher has been replaced, he cannot then return to the game.

Starters and Closers are very different. Starters need to know probably at least 3 or 4 different types of pitches (such as a fastball, curveball, sinker, and cutter), while the Relievers and Closers only really need maybe a good fastball and a 2nd pitch for a change of pace and keep the hitters guessing. Then there’s how the Starting Pitcher needs far more stamina/endurance than the other types, as Starters go at least for about 5-6 (or even 5-8) innings and about 100 pitches or somewhere in the range of 90-120 pitches before his manager removes him from a game. Closers on the other hand pretty much go all-out for 1 inning, and thus Starters need more arm strength as well. As an added note, as they go mostly all out in 1 inning, they also work more often than a Starter does, possibly 3 or 4 times a week, and it’s unlikely they’ll go more than 3 straight days without work. It’s also unlikely they’ll work more than 3 days in a row. Another comparison, where a Starter is stuck thinking over a bad game for 4 or 5 days, Closers need to be able to bounce back and return tomorrow even if they did bad.

So one of the points I’m trying to make is that it’s noteworthy and rare nowadays for a pitcher to do a complete game. To further make my point about why exactly that is, here’s another detail I found:

“…nine-plus-inning starts have taken a nosedive. In fact, since the start of the Wild Card Era in 1995, MLB has seen a pitcher get an out in the 10th inning or later just 13 times (by 12 different hurlers). On Aug. 23, 2017, former Dodgers lefty Rich Hill showed just how hard it can be to get outs past the ninth. Hill carried a no-hitter into the 10th that night, only to watch the Pirates' Josh Harrison hit a walk-off homer in the first at-bat of the inning.”

Again, this is going back to how harsh it is and how much of a toll being a starter puts on the pitcher’s body, which only increases the deeper a starter goes into a game and the more innings they play in.

What am I trying to say?

I believe that the design notes are trying to say that Norton was overworked and the reason he lost in the past is because he was too worn out by the time the 2nd half of the ninth inning rolled around. I think the “5-9” on his hat is referring to the score he received in the game he lost in the past (as a result of being overworked). If this is what the 5-9 means, that would make the “bottom of the 9th” on the other side of his hat make sense. Both things on his hat serve as reminders of (to never forget) his loss as well as motivate himself to do better from now on.

It may have been in part because Norton is a workaholic, but it’s also partially the fault of whoever his manager was. There’s no way Norton hasn’t pitched 100 or 120 balls yet if it’s the 2nd half of the ninth inning, and then by the eighth his manager definitely should have taken him out already. So that basically means the loss wasn’t entirely his fault, as his manager should’ve cared more or paid more attention to how he was doing.

So, if he was overworked and worn out, that results in him not pitching as well, and thus could be where his name Wild Pitch comes from, as he could’ve thrown a bad pitch as a result of the strain on his body from pitching for so long, and thus why he could’ve thrown a wild pitch that resulted in his team losing. That might be paralleled in the current games, as he is likely the pitcher for the 2nd half of the ninth inning to match the game he lost in the past. I don’t know if he’s still a Starting pitcher, as maybe this time he could just be a Closer, but he also could be starting again as a way of recreating the past (like the other players seem to also be experiencing I think). He may throw another wild pitch, but I think this time his luck would kick in (or from Galatea’s manipulation) I think it doesn’t cause him and his team to lose, and instead they manage to win in the end (I already mentioned possible scenarios where a wild pitch could still result in a win, so I’m not going to repeat myself).

As an added note about how Wild Pitch’s manager should’ve cared more about Norton and paid more attention to him (and how he was overworking himself to way past exhaustion), relates back to Norton’s story again. Norton was a miner, and miners back in that day were pretty much treated like slaves by their employers, who didn’t care about the health and safety of their workers. All they wanted was to profit and wanted as cheap of a workforce to earn profit as was possible. That was why conditions were so unsafe and hazardous for miners, as mine owners/managers didn’t want to have to pay extra to make the mine and everything else safer.

Wild Pitch’s manager’s treatment of Norton might also relate to how Norton worked so hard to change his fate and escape poverty that it actually intimidated people, as well as later how people didn’t care or comfort him when he was in the hospital after the accident and even specifically avoided him.

Finally, Norton’s “regrets” that he might be trying to erase likely has to do with his regrets over getting the other miners killed, and all his other actions while at Golden Cave, or maybe his “regrets” might just be Norton going to Golden Cave at all, and maybe Norton wishes he had never gone there. It’s also possible that one of his regrets might be Norton not being able to get the gold in Golden Cave, but based on Norton’s backstory, and the context of “regrets” regarding this competition, I personally think the former idea (about regretting his actions and getting the other miners killed) makes more sense, especially when you think about how Norton’s S-Tier skin, Soul Catcher, which has a similar theme/meaning to it.

Before I get to the end, I’ll briefly bring up Freddy and Lucky. Even if Galatea isn’t their boss, they could still be on her side. Galatea already mentioned she’s controlling everyone, so there’s that. But to go a bit more into it, Freddy still seems to be aware of the “invisible hand”. Him simply being aware, as well as factoring it into what could affect the outcome of a match, seems to me that he knows someone’s manipulating the games but doesn’t do anything about it. I think being aware of the hand’s existence, especially when the hand is obviously involved in fishy business, is enough to call him an accomplice in a way possibly.

If this were true, I think part of the reason could be due to Freddy’s background. In his deductions, Freddy gets jealous at Leo since even though Leo was a lower class than Freddy initially, Leo managed to move up as well as have better luck and a happier life than Freddy. This could relate to how Freddy may be jealous in the same way at the other sports competitors for their ability to do everything they do in the games and might let the hand manipulate the games the same way he manipulated Leo in his deductions.

With Lucky, the way I think of why he might be helping out Galatea again relates to how he is in the game. In the game, he is just a deduction substitute. He is someone Orpheus creates and uses to figure out/imagine how the manor games work. This could parallel the essence story as Galatea may be using him for her goals just like how Orpheus uses Lucky for his own purposes. Just a thought.

Now that I’ve gone over each of the participants at least briefly, I want to bring up another curious bit in the character design notes. It specifically mentions that Joseph was “framed”. The term used for Joseph also possibly could mean backstabbed, aka he was betrayed, or just fell into a trap or was part of someone’s plan. It may also say later that his hand was injured accidently, which is likely related to when his sword broke. As a result, he ended up losing as a result.

His hand was likely injured due to the blow that broke his sword. It was likely strong enough to impact his hand as well, or maybe whatever the hit was maybe twisted it or something in a way that hurt it.

Regarding being framed, the only option that makes sense is that something happened to Joseph’s opponent and he was blamed for it. Maybe his opponent was injured and/or taken out of the match in some way for some reason. Or maybe Joseph was accused of cheating. Either way, from the wording, it sounds like he was framed during the finals of whatever competition this was for and this act of him being framed appears to happen before Joseph’s hand is injured and his sword breaks.

One issue with this is that if he were framed for something, possibly either injuring his opponent or accused of cheating, normally I’d think that’d be enough grounds to have him dropped from the competition right then. But the wording seems to say he lost as a result of his hand being injured and his sword breaking. If the “accident” refers to whatever hurt his hand and broke his sword, maybe this “accident” also happens at the same time as or is the cause of whatever Joseph is getting framed for.

The fact he was “framed” (and various other reasons) shows Joseph wasn’t actually guilty of whatever he’s being accused of. Being “framed” means someone else (other than Joseph) is the guilty party, which hints towards manipulation (of Joseph and the match itself). Whatever this person did caused Joseph’s sword to possibly hurt his opponent as well as resulted in his sword breaking and his hand being injured. Maybe this person messed with the fencing weapons or the equipment they wore (or something else about the competition such as maybe the area the match was taking place in).

Finally, there’s the part about backstabbing. This seems to imply that whoever backstabbed him was someone he trusted. The betrayal came from someone Joseph thought was on his side. The question is who exactly was this? I doubt it’s whoever Joseph’s opponent was, as it doesn’t make sense that someone would “trust” the person they’re competing against. Maybe it was whoever Joseph’s coach or manager was. I had a thought that maybe the coach possibly trained whoever the opponent was, and maybe he wanted Joseph to lose so the other person could win because maybe he cared or liked the other person better, but this doesn’t quite make sense. Joseph being “framed” implies that something likely happened to Joseph’s opponent, and I doubt the coach/manager would hurt the person he wants to win against Joseph. I mean, maybe getting Joseph disqualified would automatically give the other guy the win, but I don’t know.

To me, it sounds like whoever framed Joseph was specifically targeted, as in the goal was to get Joseph to lose, rather than the goal being to get someone else to win.

The only other idea I had, that still doesn’t quite make sense, is that Galatea was involved. Galatea was mentioned wanting to control everyone like chess pieces, as well as wanted to complete the game she couldn’t finish. So maybe this included going around to other sports competitions, got people to lose and/or get hurt, and then had them come to the games so she could manipulate things so all of them, and thus herself by extension, could win.

If Galatea got these people to lose during some competition, she’d have had to screw with them before the games started, as people only participate in these specific games to have their “regrets erased”. But it never did make a whole lot of sense why Galatea would go and manipulate everyone if she just wants to complete the (chess) game she lost as that would only have to do with chess. Maybe if it’s everyone, she might essentially be trying to recreate her own situation many times over. By “completing” each one of their games and getting them to win, this may be a way of showing both her obsession and paranoia over winning, a way of showing her denial of her own loss in an excessive way that fits her paranoia and madness (it’s kind of like saying “See? Look at me winning! Look at how many times and ways I can win! I’m a winner! I never lost! That’s not possible!”), and also a way to show her dominance and prove she can win, to fit with her whole Queen and winner theme she has going on.

Also, maybe the reward and/or the games could still have been set up by her.

Maybe she messed with and manipulated each of the participants we see in this essence. As a possible example, maybe she screwed with Michiko by messing with the deck and/or cards. Maybe with Norton she somehow either messed with his manager (get him not to pull Norton out of the game when he should have) and/or influenced Norton himself by getting or convincing him to pitch longer than he should despite his exhaustion. For Quickstep, Gymnast, and Re-Swim, maybe she either got them to perform in a certain way or use certain techniques that caused them to get hurt, or possibly she messed with their equipment (at least for Jose it could be the equipment he needs when riding the horse or the obstacles on the field, and for Margaretha it could be her ribbon, her clothes, or the area she’s dancing around in). For Ace, maybe he was manipulated and messed with in a way similar to Joseph. Maybe his racket or the ball were tampered with, or somehow she got another accident to happen.

After possibly manipulating all these people, she’s going to ensure they’re left with “regrets” (as she’s trying to essentially recreate her own game and pretend each of these people are her when she lost her chess competition). My point is that what if the “reward” of having the winner’s regrets erased is basically referring to how she hopes to erase her own regrets of losing in the chess competition? The fact she’s not an actual participant in the games is a way to erase her regrets without actually acknowledging them. To put it another way, erasing everyone else’s regrets translates to Galatea erasing her own (since she’s essentially pretending she is each of the participants and recreating her own game via their games, and getting herself to win by having each of them win).

In summary: Galatea may be the cause for each of the participants losses in the past, as well as manipulated them to show up at the games to have their regrets erased as a way of dealing with her own without admitting them.

Regarding whether or not she succeeded or what happens to her at the end, I want to bring up one last crack theory.

It involves the Chinese version of Pawn’s description which mentions a knight. I find it interesting that the official twitter also refers to Joseph as a “white knight”. We can also see on Galatea’s board in her Checkmate skin that there is a white knight on it (and one of the other pieces on the board is a black king, and I’ve already said Galatea could be and is similar to a king, even though the design notes refer to her as a Queen). From Joseph’s description, he mentions “piercing the illusion”, which could refer to the games themselves, the reward, or to Galatea as she is controlling things from the background trying not to let anyone know what she’s doing. If Galatea is the reason for Joseph’s (and everyone else’s) losses, maybe Joseph finds out somehow and gets revenge by dealing with her. Joseph describes his broken sword as a “memento”, which is something that serves to remind someone of a person, past event, etc… But it can also serve as a reminder or “warning” (one of the earliest definitions of memento was “something that serves to warn”). This “warning” could, going back to my discussion of Joseph’s past, refer to how he was framed and maybe help remind him he wants to find the person who framed him and thus caused his loss. By extension, the warning would also refer to Galatea herself, as the person who is the actual guilty party, or to the games and the reward, as erasing regrets could have been something set up by Galatea for herself as well as all their own regrets were all caused by Galatea in the first place anyways. Joseph is described as being “determined” in the articles. Maybe this could extend to his determination to find out who framed him and get revenge? Galatea might be dealt with or revealed by Joseph. Maybe the “sacrifice” mentioned by the Pawn skin is referring to this and/or her “loss”. Her loss could also be caused by her paranoia, as she is unable to accept the fact she lost in the past or accept her regret over it. Joseph may not like the idea of being manipulated (not to mention being mad someone screwed with him to cause him to lose in the past) and thus deals with her somehow.

37 notes · View notes