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faith-forgxtten-land · 7 months ago

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Come to Bed | Donatello

this started with the idea of seducing donnie into healthy sleeping patterns and then just. spiralled from there. i didn't really have a specific iteration in mind but reading it back, it definitely fits bayverse most, i think, so that's what i'll categorise it under!

warnings: NSFW, swearing, general filthiness? gender neutral reader, everyone is 18+!!

summary: there is only one way to get donnie to come to bed (two if you count blackmail)

word count: 2411

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It’s nearly 3am and your eyelids feel heavy, eyes glassy and beginning to ache just a little, and Donnie is still not in bed. You look at the empty space beside you, cold and untouched, and kick the covers off your bare legs. The air is cool, goosebumps raising the moment you abandon the comfort of bed, and you almost regret getting up as your feet hit the freezing floor.

Donnie is so lucky you love him and care for his health.

He's exactly where you'd left him hours before, sitting hunched over a desk in his lab, and you wonder briefly if turtles with their shells can suffer the same complications as humans with poor posture. Perhaps you'll force him to join you and Mikey for your bi-weekly yoga sessions. “Donnie?”

The terrapin doesn't so much as flinch, instead burying his face further into a screen that is already way too close to his face. Oh, his prescription is definitely going to need updating soon, you think amusedly. You clear your throat, attempting your best grumpy Raph impersonation. “Oi, four-eyes.”

Now Donnie does flinch, beak nearly crashing into his monitor, glasses slipping as he salvages his precious technology from being assaulted by his face and spinning in his seat to glower at whoever dared disturb him. He relaxes when he realises it's just you, shooting you a scowl that's devoid of any real heat. “You need to stop doing that voice, it's creepy.”

You grin at him, noting the exact moment he registers what you're wearing – or, rather, what you're not wearing. His eyes go wide and his lips part, scowl melting like ice doused in salt. He swallows thickly. “You're meant to be a ninja,” you tease, stepping slowly into his space and letting his hands fall to your waist before they curl around your back as he pulls you close, palms flattening against your spine. “You can't hear when one measly human is behind you?”

“You are so mean to me,” Donnie says instead of answering.

“We both know you like it. Besides,” you look down at your naked skin, his own eyes following your pointed gaze eagerly. “I think I'm being pretty kind, actually. Someone was meant to come to bed three hours ago and ravish me, but apparently, I'm not more interesting than,” you peer over his shoulder as best you can, squinting at the tiny squiggles. Lips pursed, you look at your boyfriend flatly, not bothering to finish your sentence.

“I can explain.”

“World of Warcraft? Really, Donatello?”

He winces at the full name. “I wasn’t playing for long,” he defends himself. “I’ve been looking over some things Leo asked for since this morning, I was just taking a break.”

“Taking a break means coming to bed and not staring at a screen for even longer.” Softer, you add, “I’ve been waiting for you for hours.”

You run your hands up the bumpy skin of his muscled arms, over scars and rough tissue that you’ve pressed kisses to countless times, to rest upon his shoulders. A small part of you is resentful, but the larger, kinder part of you is concerned; his eyes are bloodshot to the extreme, and exhaustion is etched deep into the lines of his face. You dig your nails in and massage a little roughly, feeling those worried knots and doing your best to soothe them with gentle palms.

It hits him then, just exactly what he’d missed out on by getting caught up, and his shoulders sag under the tender weight of your caress, twitchy energy that can keep him up for days deserting him instantly. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs quietly.

You smile at him, fond and warm, one hand trailing upwards to cup his jaw. “It’s okay.” His skin is something you’ll never get tired of touching, you think, as you rub your thumb over the swell of his cheek. You pinch him a little, coy and mean the way you know he loves, before soothing it with a whisper of a kiss when he hisses playfully. “Although, you’ll have to make it up to me.”

“And what is my punishment?” he asks dryly, guilt pushed aside to indulge in your teasing as you lean closer to hide your smirk in the crook of his neck.

“You’ll be in bed by 11 p.m. sharp every night for the next week.” You can tell an objection is on the tip of his tongue, and you fix your teeth along his throat in warning. “I’ve already cleared everything with Splinter and Leo.”

Donnie sighs both in pleasure and in resignation. “Are you trying to seduce me into having healthy sleeping patterns?”

You start to kiss his neck, soft grazes of your lips against his scaled skin. “Maybe. Is it working?”

“Well—”

“If the answer isn’t yes, I’ll be very offended and I’ll be forced to dump you,” you add airily, tongue flicking leisurely over his rapid pulse. “You're incredibly lucky I haven't already for ditching me for World of fucking Warcraft.”

“Oh, blackmail too. Lucky me,” Donnie mutters, but it’s full of mirth and he doesn't push his luck any further.

You grin against his skin, and you grin even wider when he starts as your teeth scrape along the column of his throat. His hands have a bruising grip on your hips, and you bite down harder just to feel his grip tighten.

“You’re such a tease,” he whines, unable to stop himself bucking up into you. His breathing has turned to panting, short and desperate gasps that make heat curl in your stomach, and you trail your nails down the keratin of his plastron slowly.

“You love it,” you murmur coyly, fingers brushing against the elastic of his waistband mischievously. “And you deserve it.”

Donnie curses loudly, head falling back as you pull on that elastic just to let it snap back against him. His pants are soaking, and you feel that familiar rush of smug satisfaction as you slot your knee between his thighs. It does terrible things to your ego seeing him like this; it makes you drunk and dizzy seeing him drenched and needy for you, and you groan under your breath as he grinds against you.

“Please,” he whimpers.

You hum as casually as you can. “Please what?”

“Fuck, please, I need you—” He cuts himself off with a loud cry of your name as you slide two fingers past his waistband and into his dripping cloaca.

“Keep going.”

He’s quick to turn into a blubbering mess, drool running down his chin and words slurring as he babbles and begs you to continue finger-fucking him. “Don’t stop, please—yes, yes, right there, there, fuck—”

Your fingers pump in and out, scissoring inside him at a harsh pace you know he likes. He’s sopping wet but that doesn’t stop the tiny spikes of pain mixing deliriously with pleasure as you stretch him wide without warning. You can feel his slick coating your hand, running down your skin and over your knuckles, and he only gushes more when you add a third digit.

“Faster, faster,” he chants shakily, almost sobbing when you slow instead.

“You’re so tight, baby,” you purr. “I wouldn’t wanna hurt you.”

He’s definitely sobbing now. “I can take it, please, please.”

“Oh?” You curl your fingers and fuck him harder and faster, just the way he wants. His cock is there, thick and heavy and ready to drop, and he shudders as you brush softly against it.

His voice is choked as he calls your name again. "Gonna drop, please–”

Your laugh is light and a little cruel and it makes him wail, the sound overflowing with need and desperation. “Don’t you dare.”

“Oh god,” Donnie gasps as your fingers rub along his length still tucked inside, a fresh wave of slick trickling down to your wrist.

“I would’ve been kind,” you tell him nonchalantly, kissing his temple and huffing another laugh when he can’t stop his hips from grinding into you, body begging you to bury your fingers deeper inside him. “But you’ve been such a bad boy.”

He drops with a guttural groan followed by a pathetic whimper, gasping apologies feebly.

You sigh and pull your hand back, your resolve faltering just a little when Donnie whines and cries louder at the action. “You’re being very bad tonight, baby.”

He’s still wearing his pants and you roll your lips to hide a smile as he tugs them down frantically, his cock finally free in the air. His hands grip the arms of his chair so hard that you swear you hear them creak, desperate to touch himself but not wanting to disobey you any further. It’s a bit late to play innocent and good now, and you shoot him an unimpressed look that makes his jaw clench. “Please,” Donnie breathes.

Your hand is still soaked, and you watch him watch you as you raise your fingers to your lips, sticky tendrils trembling as you rub your fingertips together before parting them slowly. Eyes fixed on his, you glide your tongue over his slick, sucking gently and exhaling quietly at the flavour that blooms over your tastebuds. The arms of the chair are definitely creaking now, and you smile coyly as his cock twitches.

“Please.”

As much as you love teasing him into a pathetic frenzy, you remember his weary eyes and decide to put him out of his misery. There’ll be plenty of time to punish Donnie the way he deserves later – lots of edging and whining and begging and very little relief. For now, you’ll give him what he wants.

You kneel between his legs, coquettish as you glance up at him through your lashes; he’s working his jaw, teeth clenched and eyes darting wildly as he barely holds himself together. Grasping his hard cock in your hand, slick and heavy, you begin to pump slowly.

The chirps and churrs that escape him are whining and full of ecstasy, his eyes fluttering as you squeeze your palms around his thick length, hands twisting with an obscene squelch at every stroke. The lab is quiet apart from the wet pumping and his throaty groans, and you wonder if his moaning will be loud enough to wake the others. It wouldn’t surprise you, and the thought makes your hand move faster as you rub your thumb over the sensitive head of his cock.

Donnie can’t stop the stutter of his hips, head falling back. “Fuck.” He swears louder as your lips suckle his tip, your name a rasping prayer spilling from his mouth. You flick your tongue, tasting the slightly bitter flavour of his precum and just how soaked he is, evidence of what you do to him coating your face, and he cries noisily when you suddenly take another few inches into your mouth and swallow around him. He’s hitting the back of your throat, and he feels like he’s about to faint from how tight and warm you feel.

A wave of embarrassment hits him as you pull back and smirk, his head still pressed against your flirtatious smile while you continue to work him with your hands. “Please,” he begs for what feels like the hundredth time that night.

“You’re so good at begging,” you praise, eyes sparkling when it makes him moan lewdly. Oh, that definitely woke someone up. He’s back to bucking his hips and because you’re so kind, you let him dictate the pace as you continue pumping.

“So close,” he breathes shakily. “I’m so close, please.”

“Please, what?”

His eyes roll back, and the arms of his chair finally give way, crumbling under his crushing grip as impressions of his hands mould into the metal. Donnie doesn’t stop rocking and whimpering. “Please let me come.”

You kiss the head of his cock once more, delighting in the way he tremors at the whisper of touch. “Be a good boy and come for me, Donatello.”

There’s nothing Donnie loves more than being good for you and he shows this by coming undone the second his name leaves your lips, body jolting and convulsing like he's been struck by lightning as you continue to milk his cock while his orgasm wracks through him. Your face is completely covered, ropes of his come painting your skin as he groans pitifully, the sound agonised and mewling.

It’s almost silent for a few moments, the only noises are Donnie’s wheezing pants and whimpers of oversensitivity, and you watch him quietly. He’s so beautiful like this, blissed out, stress a stranger rather than a constant companion, and you wish you could both stay like this.

The moment is over too soon as the terrapin manages to open his eyes blearily, although they nearly shut again in dizzying satisfaction when he catches sight of your come-smeared cheeks. It’s dripping down your chin, threatening to spill down your neck and to your chest, and a part of you wants to leave it, relishing in the way Donnie is entirely transfixed, but you scoop what you can on your fingers and bring the sticky threads to your mouth instead.

Donnie’s lips part and his breath hitches and it’s your turn to shut your eyes in pleasure, eyes rolling and unable to stop a soft groan as you lick and swallow what he’s given you. “Mean,” he accuses again when you finally open your eyes, and you grin at how faint he sounds.

“Just for you,” you agree and he churrs instinctively, flushing as you snicker. He’s so cute, you think fondly, letting him reach out and grasp you closer, seeking comfort. And so easy.

“I think I need that nap now,” Donnie tells you weakly, and you huff another laugh against his sweaty skin, tasting salt and nuzzling further into him.

You press a loving kiss to his shoulder and reluctantly pull back. “Shower then bed, come on.” His legs are shaky, and you purse your lips to stop from chuckling as he stumbles like a newborn lamb, begrudgingly relenting to leaning against you. “Poor Bambi,” you tease, brushing your lips against his plastron in a loving caress when he grumbles playfully.

Hopefully, no one has been awoken by your night-time activities and, if they have, you hope they’re not up and roaming because you’d really rather not have to bump into any of Donnie’s family with his come still coating your face.

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countingdots-tc · 9 months ago

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TEACHER/STUDENT BOOK RECS

*if you want me to add a forbidden romance list, let me know*

𓃠 This is a list with links to books that have teacher/student, age gap, and experienced/less experienced themes that I have read! These are in order from most recommended to least recommended based on my opinion.

𓃠 This will be updated as I read more! Think something should be added to the list, then let me know!

𓃠 To find the Age Gap/TeacherxStudent Movie list, click on the link on my pinned post!

⭐️= highly recommend/changed my life

😇= no smut

🌶️=contains smut

💦=read to really get your rocks off

highlighted=warning

PROFESSOR/COACH BOOK LIST

The Unrequited by Saffron A. Kent-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent & mental health themes

Cute little poet embarrassingly falls for her grumpy professor. Beautiful slow burn and perfectly describes what it feels like to want someone and not feel enough for them. She is such a realistic female lead and reminds me a lot of y’all 😂. This is THE teacher crush community book. If you don’t read anything read this!!

The Professor by Invi Wright-⭐️🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Cute romance by young, new, and self published author. Very relatable female lead. If you enjoyed The Unrequited, you will like this book for all of the same reasons. Quick and easy read, only 240. She isn’t perfect, she clumsy, and I wouldn’t even say she’s socially awkward, she just a normal college student in her early 20s. She’s a fun narrator. This author has a lot of potential and her writing will only get better.

Gabriel’s Inferno by Slyvain Reynard-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent

Such a good dark academia book. Beautifully written and actually has a movie adaptation. I would definitely recommend this if you want a realistic couple but a bit more serious. Characters have so much depth

Off Balance Series by Lucia Franco- 💦

CoachxStudent

Warning: female lead is age of consent NOT legal age.

If you want something really forbidden and fucked up, read this. If you want the MOST insane sex scenes, read this (MINORS STOP). I really don’t even want to add this series to this list but for the girls who wanna go there, have fun. I started this when I was still in high school, read the 3rd one as an adult, it’s not as easy to read now. Take that info as you please

Lessons In Sin by Pam Goodwin-🌶️

TeacherxStudent with 18 Y.O female lead

Troubled rich girl gets sent off to a catholic boarding school and falls for the asshole Dean of the school. Smut is pretty good, plot works. I’m not going to say it’s bad, I think whether or not it’s enjoyable depends on the person. It wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t obsessed. If you’re just trying to live vicariously through her (aren’t we all), then it works!

Teach Me by L. L. Ash-🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Really good start, and I do mean GREAT start… I just feel like the sex scene came too soon (Ch. 9/32) and it threw me off but I also like SUPER slow burns. It’s still a good book. I enjoyed the male love interest, Professor Harlo. They’re cute together. Grump and Sunshine.

Dark Notes by Pam Goodwin-

TeacherxStudent & themes of abuse

Probably DNF-ing

AGE GAP BOOK LIST

Something In The Way Series by Jessica Hawkins-⭐️😇

Sister’s Boyfriend/Husband & “I saw him first”

Most beautiful romance series I’ve ever read, best written books by Jessica Hawkins. I recommend all of her other books. Lake is 16 when she first meets Manning but nothing sexual happens between them for another 3 books until she’s in her 20s. Beautiful slow burn with characters full of depth.

Sinner by Sierra Simone- ⭐️💦

Brother’s Best Friend & religious themes

Amazing character creation and mapping. These characters feel real! This book is about “teaching” a girl about sex before she becomes a nun. It’s not just a bang bang, hump hump book. It has heart and it really good. If you enjoy religious themed romance, you may enjoy Priest by Sierra Simone too. I didn’t 💀

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas- 💦

Ex’s Dad

Most popular forbidden romance so whatever you’ve heard about it, dump it. This might be the most tame book on this list. Pacing is good, well written main character. Insane amounts of smut but it doesn’t drive the story forward so feel free to skip it if you get tired.

Love Unexpected by Q. B. Tyler- 💦

Ex Stepdad & parent death

This book is HOT! However after the first few scenes, I got a bit tired of the smut. Well written enough female lead with a rushed ending. However if you just need something to read and not despise it, it’s good enough.

Strictly Off Limits by Jessica Hawkins-🌶️

Dad’s Best Friend

Jessica is my favorite author so I’m a bit biased but she definitely isn’t a smut writer. This novella would’ve been better without smut however it isn’t super present and doesn’t really drive the story forward so don’t feel like you’re missing anything if you skip the smut!

The Doctor by Nikki Sloane- 💦

Ex’s Dad

personally didn’t care for this book, smut starts off way too quick and I’m more of a slow burn girl. It is a novella however, it was still too quick. However! You may love it <3

𓃠 If I’m not reading fast enough for you and you want to see what I will be reading in the future here is my Amazon TBR, have at it!

𓃠 If you want to see a more organized bookshelf of what I’ve read, here is my Goodreads!

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weirdmageddon · 5 months ago

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the shift in lore literacy in homestuck’s fandom

i was thinking about how the people who got into homestuck after it ended—whose interactions with the comic are in a static, archived state, not an ongoing thing—missed out on information that was more common knowledge in the fandom at that time. i don’t know if this is true since i’m not on tiktok, but i wouldn’t be surprised if it was. the fandom certainly isn’t the same as it was before.

ive found that many people reading homestuck now simply do not understand things in homestuck that were common knowledge back in the day, with calls for “homestuck literacy classes to become mandatory” in response to baffling takes because so many people just now seem to have glazed over the comic without absorbing important plot points, and i think i know why this may be. i ended up writing a post reflecting on my time with the comic, my perspective and how ive seen this change. i still think and write about homestuck because it still fascinates me. earlier i quote retweeted that call in my thread talking about the temporal relativity of dave and rose’s god tier ascension in the green sun, saying “my homestuck literacy is 100% so guess im doing my part as a teacher by pointing out whatever i think is really cool about it”. this post im writing now started out as a reply to this tweet i got in response.

i joined the fandom in 2013. i was 11. i had been aware of it since at least late 2011, early 2012 when my friend ryan in fifth grade told me to read it but i couldn’t get past the first few pages. i remember writing a journal on deviantart around this time (late 2011-early 2012) that was mocking people who typed like gamzee, which ironically was very karkat of me. and i remember someone on flipnote hatena i was following was making flipnotes with the alpha kids.

i dont know what caused me to flip the switch into reading it but 2013. i got into it somewhere between april (i think closer to april—i remember it being quite a span of time between the last update before HOMOSUCK dropped.) this was the most recent page the comic, meaning there was no > [S] ACT 6 ACT 6 at the bottom.

i got into it during a pause in updates, which looking into it, was the year 4 megapause. i wasn’t sure of the month until seeing the news post detailing the reason for the hiatus and the status report of the comic’s development at that time. pretty cool i could narrow it down by referencing the dates of those updates and the news post to correspond with the pause!

according to readmspa, the year 4 megapause was a 59 day hiatus from Apr 14, 2013 ==> (EOA6A5) running to 12 Jun 2013, [S] ACT 6 ACT 6. then for a few months there were the first updates that i was apart of the fandom for.

and what an exciting time during the story get into the webcomic! when the updates resumed in june, part 4 of homestuck had begun. here was a glimpse of the updates in that span of time before the next hiatus began in october.

that hiatus was none other than the gigapause, the longest hiatus in the comic, which started october 2013 and lasted for a YEAR, and i already posted about what happened on the date of return.

but here were the main events happening in the story at the time i first actually got interested in it. i wasn’t aware of the full context of them then like i am now, but i was looking at the most recent updates anyway with interest:

the alpha kids just emerged as god tiers from their slabs in derse and prospit, blown up by the condesce and caliborn / lil cal-possessed b2 jack noir.

the journey to the new session started 24 hours after jack called an early reckoning in descend—for context that was about when dave entered around midnight central time and before jade even entered. it’s pretty easy to forget that side 1 of homestuck basically happens within the span of a single day—and at this point in the story, the 3 year journey (which was also 3 real life years) had just ended. john and jade emerged from the other side of the yellow yard through the fenestrated plane on LOMAX. john’s real body was asleep upon arrival in the new session, while his dreaming projection out in the dream bubbles came across vriska’s ghost ship to learn lord english lore with vriska and aranea, and go on the treasure hunt where they found the ultimate weapon at the X mark out in in the furthest ring. in the dream john stuck his hand in the juju, started warping all over canon which removed his real body from the ship on LOMAX. he zapped around for a while but eventually zapped back to LOMAX, now awake, completely out of the loop of what everyone else is up to, and bored as fuck. what was everyone else getting up to while john was asleep?

jade was now once again within the domain of the green sun. im pretty sure her space god doggy essence comes with the power to sense what was anywhere within the domain of the session since her face looks like she arrived at that spot with intent (and she literally has jack noir’s exact powers from bec’s prototyping. also this panel). she immediately dispatched b2 jack to the edge of the incinisphere, defending the newly god-tiered jane and jake. i think even if they weren’t in any danger, she would have warped to them instantly anyway because she COULD now, and i can imagine she wouldve been sooooo eager to meet everyone. even davesprite comments about her rapid departure.

the pre-scratch refugees arrived during the only time serious shit ever went down in the nobles’ months-long inert void session. the condesce used her freak psychic bronze-cerulean powers to commune with jade’s bestial side and mind controlled her, which is super dangerous as someone with the powers of a first guardian. she then used jade’s powers to corrupt jane with the tiaratop. no funtime meetup allowed!

the trolls’ meteor with rose, dave, and the remaining trolls was pulling up into the new session with no way to slow it down. grimbark jade warped there once it was in the incinisphere and took active control. she warped everyone off the trolls’ meteor and sent them to LOMAX.

as john was losing his mind on LOMAX waiting for everyone, the meteor crew warped in. after 3 years he finally reunited with rose and dave, and at least saw the trolls in person. close curtains, end of A6A5. this was the newest [S] flash page at the time, one of my first impressions of this comic, and still one of my favorite flashes. knowing the context of the flash in the story only enhances the retrospective joy i have at getting into the comic at the time i did because it’s such an anticipated moment in the story for everyone, while for someone with no context of the story it was still enjoyable.

so that’s what was going on plotwise when i joined the fandom.

from this time, through those few months of updates and through the gigapause, i was familarizing myself with the characters in the story and overseeing the state of fanbase, getting myself acquainted with the story and wrapping my head around everything.

at that time i found that a new-ish group called colab HQ who were producing a let’s read homestuck series on youtube. hearing the voices and the pacing of it like that really, really eased me into it (maybe it was my adhd that gave me trouble actually starting it?). i caught up to a certain point using lets read homestuck and from that point was able to continue with the comic on my own, and by the time the gigapause came to a close i was fully caught up. i remember the rebranding of colab hq into voxus about a year and a half after i discovered them.

but.. back to the main point of my post. even these posts from hussie’s tumblr exist in archived states. how many new fans know about hussie’s old tumblr? i don’t know, unless theyre a new fan that must scour the internet for more deep more dives on homestuck and its fandom as a whole. but since hussie deleted his tumblr (it exists archived now on homestuck.net which, alongside from the unofficial homestuck collection, has nearly singlehandedly kept the most important relics of the fandom and lore archived), that page is not an active part of the fandom now, because it’s gone. it’s a pile of bones. it’s not living and breathing. it’s in an archived state. the whole thing is already there. homestuck and its fandom history is something you now binge instead of slowly consume and meld with as it comes out. it’s now this rapid information intake that you might forget about if you read it now instead of engaged alongside it. you’re not surrounded by people actively talking and theorizing about developments anymore. the ability to have those sorts of conversations during the ongoing development of the story reinforced concepts, ideas, and lore over and over as we tried to make sense of it.

being in a fandom when the author is still delivering the story is like nothing else. it allows you grow alongside the characters and engage meaningfully with the media and people in the fandom space around you. it feels like you’re participating IN the media itself, especially if you’re interfacing with the creator. it’s in always having something to theorize or talk about and speculate. and people become very aware of these sorts of forgotten story facts because they were applying the logic of the newest official post from hussie into making their sburb ocs or something and share resources and discussion posts about “what just happened in this update?? recap????” it was this cultural osmosis thing. i think this is why homestuck literacy is now at an all time low, at least from what i can see on twitter.

reading homestuck then vs now is like the difference between serialized shows with spaces between episodes to discuss stuff and time to reflect and learn and become attached to the story, narrative, worldbuilding and its characters, vs the netflix model where it’s all dropped all at once and people forget about it after binging.

at this point in time im getting the sense that “homestuck elders” now are no longer just people who were there since 2009-2010, but now also people who were there while it was still updating, probably stretching into 2014-2015. there are many sources of lore that were common knowledge in the fandom at the time that, since becoming susceptible to the deletion of content and link rot, and with the thanosing of mspaforums, are no longer accessible at the source. and a lot of people moved on after it ended, especially following the epilogues, the kate drama, and the whatpumpkin-sarah z drama, leaving a void of information behind if not for archivists and people such as me who continue to keep old facts relevant in discussions. my friend has called me a fandom scholar before and seeing this post i think i get what they mean.

EDIT: there is a series of video essays ive watched multiple times (because theyre that good) and they are exactly what modern fans need to see more of. they really help contextualize the comic and the themes present in it help you appreciate the basic fabric of homestuck a hell of a lot more. i highly recommend them and encourage any fan of homestuck to watch them, or someone considering getting into homestuck to watch the first one.

i think this is arguably as close to the “mandatory literacy class for homestuck” that person was talking about as you can get, especially the first video.

additionally, there is also the website https://rafe.name/homestuck which is essentially a sparknotes for homestuck and can help you follow developments in the comic itself.

#homestuck #homestuck meta #homestuck fandom #mine

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edelfie · 2 months ago

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#𝓣𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘! haikyuu smau.

being the former girlfriend of a beloved olympic athlete, a famous internet personality, and a hot-shot musician, among others, is not for the weak. being the most hated girlfriend of all the above makes it all the more painful. truthfully, you couldn’t care less about those losers and their degenerate fanbases. but in an effort to cause drama, it seems all your exes are coming out of the woodworks to take a bite! what a pain…

or, scorned rising singer (y/n) (l/n) scorches the scene with her passionate tell-all album, leaving all seven (yes, seven) of her exes pondering: who is it about? read below to find out!

#pairings. various x fem!reader (she/her/hers pronouns)

— miya atsumu, oikawa tooru, kozume kenma, sugawara koushi, haiba alisa, akaashi keiji, semi eita, and more!

#tags. smau, longfic, timeskip au, singer!reader, coming of age, (bc life doesn’t stop in your late 20s), revenge fic, explicit content, unlikeable protagonist, unlikeable love interests too, (don’t say i didn’t warn you), possibly ooc, endgame, (can you guess who?), reader is working late (bc she’s a singer), and so am i bc this is gonna be like 50+ parts jesus christ, romance is not the plot in this book, but it does influence most of it

#content warnings. explicit content, sexism, misogyny, cheating, reader is pretty hated, and prob for good reason bc she’s lowkey a villain LMAO, it’s ok bc she’s so real guys (lies), she will be getting worse before she gets better however

#notes. it’s here,, baby’s first smau (and first post in years LOL)! very excited to share this as it actually motivated me to write for once. also! the most important thing, y/n is her own character with (fairly obvious & bad) flaws! if you can’t love her at her worst (genuinely toxic, self-centered girlflop) then you don’t deserve her at her best (the hopefully decent person she becomes by the end of this)!

#taglist. send an ask to be added (18+), full list down below !

#status. ongoing w/ updates mon/wed/fri

bumpin’ that? & seven evil exes

act one. benching the playboy

miya atsumu is a pain in your side—even more-so when his now fiancée can’t seem to keep your name out of her mouth. that’s fine, you’ll just have to teach her a lesson: the consequences of sharing your toys.

0. who’s that girl?

i. wannabe chart topper / in her lowest era ✩

ii. petty queen

iii. this means war / mine for a day ✩

iv. keep your man

v. slide up

vi. get in the studio!

vii. a night in tokyo / cut the cameras ✩ ✶

viii. lock in

ix. let’s film a video

x. —

…

MASTERLIST + NAVIGATION + TAGLIST (BELOW)

@osaammuu @rory-cakes @jaynawayna @sunnywaf @theauthorunicorn @rmiyuki @viscoolreal @walllflowerrrsss @meguemii @giocriedpower @3lectraheart @s777athv @sentifua @dontmindtheevie @tyanag @luv4dino @emotiandon @mysteriousballer1na @ihatetakumi @nymphsdomain @hhoneyhan & more to come ೃ⁀➷

[accounts under 18 and/or with no age clearly visible in profile will not be tagged in nsfw chapters]

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mellxncollie · 5 months ago

Text

Part 1 of looking into some of the technical cinematography aspects of the show

(or, why does Dead Boy Detectives look Like That?)

(update 6/30/24: there's now a part 2! check it out here)

Dead Boy Detectives has some interesting things going on with the cameras. You probably noticed it at some point while watching the show. Whether it was the weird blurs or the sort-of-fisheye, there’s something about many of the shots that doesn’t look the way many people expect TV shows to look.

The main reason why is because it uses an anamorphic lens instead of a spherical lens. These lenses are pretty different from spherical lenses, and the recent rise of anamorphic lenses in TV has not been without some pushback, as viewers unaccustomed to them may find the look weird, distorted, or that it pulls their focus away from the content. Whether you enjoy how Dead Boy Detectives looks or find the cinematography distracting, this post is designed to explain the different effects that the lens has on the show.

This post is very long and very graphics heavy (I made lots of gifs to illustrate my points) so the rest is under a read more.

What is an anamorphic lens and what is it used for?

To begin with, a bit of history and technical info. Say you’re making a movie at most any point before the mid-'90s and you want it to be widescreen. However, the 35mm film you’re shooting on has a smaller aspect ratio (closer to a square than widescreen). You could use letterboxing (black bars on top and bottom) but then you waste the top and bottom parts of the film, and it ends up being slightly lower in ‘resolution.’ The solution: use a lens that records the full height onto the film, but squishes the picture horizontally so that it fills up the whole film frame without any letterboxing. Then, a projector (or a computer) can stretch it out again to display the whole thing in widescreen. The kind of lens that can do that is an anamorphic lens. They've technically been around since before the 1920s but were mostly used between the 1950s and the 1990s.

Up until sort of recently, television networks broadcasted using a smaller aspect ratio that they required shows to be in, and TV shows were not given the kind of cinematography budgets that movies were afforded. Anamorphic lenses are expensive and for widescreen, so they really just weren’t used for TV shows. Instead, a spherical lens was used, which is just the standard lens you think of when you picture a camera lens.

In the 90s, new flat/spherical film formats came out that allowed for widescreen (one of the popular ones being Super 35) caused anamorphic lenses to drastically drop in popularity. However, there has been a recent resurgence, one that you’ve probably subconsciously noticed in both film and television.

In the last 10-15 years, TV has been given larger and larger budgets. Additionally, the rise of streaming services and the use of phones and computers to watch shows rather than actual televisions has meant that networks have started allowing wider aspect ratios, paving the way for anamorphic lenses to begin to be used for series.

The history of these lens’ usage means they’re associated with a ‘cinematic’ look. They have a lot of characteristic effects that are not really ‘natural’ and depending on the viewer, this either enhances the experience or detracts from it.

Lots of recent series have been embracing these lenses (to varying degrees of success), including The Witcher, Sandman, Shōgun, Narcos: Mexico, The Mandalorian, Andor and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Doctor Who also started using anamorphic lenses at the switch to the 13th Doctor, so that may be a good reference point. For some of these, it’s a very subtle look, for others, the lens choice is glaringly obvious and overdone (I’m looking at you Sabrina), and sometimes, as is the case with Dead Boy Detectives, it’s really obvious but it remains an effective and compelling choice.

Why use an anamorphic lens in the 21st century when you could just use a spherical lens?

Anamorphic lenses create a look that some filmmakers desire, whether for their associations with a more cinematic look or their sometimes unusual quirks. In a film and tv world filled with spherical lenses that are nice, clean, and precise, anamorphic lenses introduce some irregularity and character. Making an informed decision on what kind of lens to use can enhance different themes of the work.

I want to briefly bring up Moonlight to illustrate this point. Go watch the trailer if you haven’t seen it, and you’ll probably see some parallels with the cinematography of Dead Boy Detectives. There’s less of the ‘radial’ look, but otherwise, there’s a lot of the same kinds of things. Moonlight uses an anamorphic lens and it makes the whole thing look dream-like, nostalgic, and a bit like we’re getting into the character’s heads. To me, it indicates that the story is being filtered through people. We’re not detached from the characters, observing them. The story we are watching is personal, emotional, and necessitates intimacy.

Dead Boy Detectives really benefits from the same visual effects. This is not because it enhances a dream-like or nostalgic quality, but because in the context of the show, it makes it look a bit otherworldly, magical, or otherwise supernatural. Additionally, the constraints of the lens means we get lots of focusing in on individual characters, with nice long looks at their faces allowing for more reflection on their dialogue and reactions.

So, here’s 5 different effects of anamorphic lenses to point out to you all. Starting with the one that allows us to easily identify that anamorphic lenses are being used in the first place.

You’ve probably heard of bokeh before. It's the way the lens renders the direct sources of light that are in the background but out-of-focus. You can see in this shot of Jenny how all the string lights are not circular, but elongated. On a spherical lens, these would be round.

In this next shot of the Cat King, the candles around the floor are all those elliptical shapes. Additionally, lots of other details in the background that aren’t from direct light sources also have an elongated shape. This is sometimes called waterfall bokeh.

Finally, check out this shot of one of the cats. Not only are the lights in the background irregular and elongated, but if you look to the left where the ‘horizon’ line is, there's a series of elliptical shapes where the light hits the edge of the docks.

The bokeh effect is one of those things that just happens because of the lens, and makes it pretty easy to identify that an anamorphic lens is being used. Unlike some of the other effects I’ll mention, I don’t have much to say about how this does or doesn’t add to the visuals.

Breathing is how the field of view changes when you refocus to a subject closer or farther from the lens. While spherical lenses also breathe, there’s a much more distorted look to the breathing that occurs with an anamorphic lens.

Lets start with this shot:

You can see how much the frame widens when the focus shifts from the jar of coins to Jenny. It affects the edges much more than the middle of the frame. Here’s the same shot, but with some of the features outlined (forgive my messy outlining, I used my laptop trackpad) so you can see the movement.

The frame widens when the focus goes from the foreground to the background. It appears like the whole shot is being stretched apart horizontally and compressed vertically.

However, it also does the reverse, narrowing as the focus moves from the background to the foreground.

(also in that last shot of hell, notice how the two points of light in the background elongate into those oval bokeh once they are no longer in focus)

Breathing is a very dramatic way of refocusing, and it forces us to pay attention to different things. In the shot of the Night Nurse, we have a light but the important thing after it turns on is not the light but the reaction that the people have to the cause of the light. In that shot of Niko and Edwin, it’s telling us: listen to Niko. In the shot of hell, it’s not letting us forget what the characters are running from.

The next effect is the lens flare. You can get a lens flare from a spherical lens too, but anamorphic lenses typically generate strong, horizontal flares. A spherical lens would typically create a more radial flare, with multiple lines shooting out in different directions from the light source like rays from the sun.

We see these all over the show, sometimes they’re very prominent, such as in these shots with obvious light sources:

And sometimes they're a bit more subtle. Take this shot of Edwin, Charles, and Crystal on the dock:

While the lens flare at the top of the frame has a clear source, there’s a bunch of other horizontal lines cutting across near the middle and bottom half of the frame. These likely come from light sources outside of the frame.

Some directors, cinematographers, and other creators really like anamorphic flares. Others don’t. For a show with so many dark scenes that have colorful and dramatic lighting, the lens flares seem to enhance this. They are also a constant reminder of the interaction between the lights and the camera, kind of a fingerprint of the production. Sure, they make it seem more ‘cinematic,’ but I think they also ground us in the physicality of the production. (Kind of ironic given the lack of physicality of the main characters, and also you could consider the flares themselves to be the ghosts of the lights and the camera!)

Barrel distortion is where we start getting into why exactly the show looks the way it does. This is basically a subtle fisheye effect. Because of the squishing and stretching of the footage, anamorphic lenses have more distortion than spherical lenses, and it is strongest around the edges.

You can see it most clearly in shots that have lots of vertical lines. They are relatively straight in the middle of the frame, but the closer to the edges, the more they are warped.

Looking at that shame shot of Niko in the bathroom, I have set it to stop at 3 different spots. Pay attention to the shape of the edge of the door.

At the start, it’s curved outward, like an open parentheses: (

Then, in the middle, it’s a vertical line: |

Finally, as the door passes all the way across the frame to the opposite side, it curves inward, like a closed parentheses: )

Again, notice how the lines in this shot of the Lost & Found Department change as they move from the outside towards the center. The door has an outward bulge at the beginning but becomes more 'normal’ shaped as it gets further away.

Anamorphic lenses can also have a pretty shallow depth of field and it’s used a lot in this show which is why we get a lot of those centered close-ups, and why we get that ‘radial blur.’

The center of the frame is where the actors are least likely to be distorted, meaning its easiest to have just one character in the dead center (pun intended). With a shallow depth of field, the background is out of focus, and since the actor is in the center, the background gets the most affected by the barrel distortion, leading to the sense that the background has been radially blurred.

This blurred background with a strong, centered foreground really makes objects in the foreground pop. We are then able to really focus in on different objects and characters. It brings immediacy and intimacy. Here, we have nothing to do but consider Charles. He isn’t speaking so we must consider his reaction to what’s being said.

Also, the further a character is from the center of a shot, the more they are distorted, such as Edwin and Charles in this still:

This kind of distortion definitely lends a more unnatural look to the shots, which definitely supports a show about ghosts and the supernatural. If the subjects are able to see things in our world in a way the viewers cannot, then why display the physical world the way we see it?

Finally, we have focus falloff. This is (like some of the other effects) a distortion that occurs around the edges. Here, the focus decreases the further from the center of the frame even if they’re all about the same distance from the camera.

In this shot of the Tongue & Tail, the sign 'Butcher Shop’ is clear and legible. But imagine if that sign was up in the top left or right corners, where things start to get blurry. We probably wouldn’t be able to read it.

It's also visible in this shot of Edwin. Not only does the floor get blurrier the further you get from the center, but you can see how the rope is less in focus in very top and very bottom of the frame.

The falloff (combined with the barrel distortion) is how we get the really unique dream-like look of the Edwin and Niko scene on the roof in Episode 8. (If you’re having a hard time spotting the falloff here, look at their legs)

When you start looking for falloff in this show, you start to see it everywhere. It’s easiest to spot in the corners of shots, but you can usually see all the way around the edges.

Look at the corners of this still of Edwin, or the way the top and bottom of Niko’s rent envelope aren’t as clear as the middle of it.

Or in this still, look at Charles’ jacket. The arm closest to the center has a much more defined line between it and the background compared to the arm closest to the edge.

This blur definitely is one of the more noticeable effects in the show, and it’s good at focusing our attention on the center of the frame. It guides the viewer exactly to what we should be looking at. We get tons of centered shots in this show because of this and the barrel distortion.

The falloff makes the show look softer and artistic, sometimes painterly or impressionistic. More than any other effect, the falloff is what makes me feel like I’m watching a dream or a vision. It puts us into the sensation of being fully immersed in a story.

I would argue that all of these effects (but especially the last two) not only enhace the supernatural aspect of the show, but they help us fall in love with the characters. They focus us on their faces, and encourage us to reflect on their motivations, reactions, and thoughts. The lens is telling us that we are not to take things at face value. It’s not letting us forget that there are multiple people and multiple stories involved, that things are blurry around the edges, and that things are not perfect and clean-cut.

-----------

Sometime in the next week or so I’ll be working on part 2, where we’ll take a closer look at the cinematography of Edwin’s flashback to 1916 in Episode 1. It's posted! Read it here.

I really wanted to highlight the work of the cinematographers, Marc Laliberté, Craig Powell, and Pierre Gill because it’s clear that there was so much care and intention put into every aspect of this show.

I’m so glad fans of this show are really embracing the work of different crew members, like the work of costume designer Kelli Dunsmore (and if you somehow haven’t seen @captainfantasticalright's posts about the costumes and other aspects of the show, please go check them out right now. My roommates and I have a kind of 'stop everything, new costume analysis dropped' attitude towards their posts, and their approach to show analysis was definiteily an inspiration for this)

If you want to read more about anamorphic lenses, the article Why ‘Shogun’ (and the Rest of TV) Is Slightly Out of Focus in The Ringer is about Shōgun and the rise of anamorphic lenses in TV (Marc Laliberté also worked on a few episodes of Shōgun) and it's a great place to start.

Finally, I want to first thank @skyvoice for these tags on one of my gifsets for semi-inspiring this post (I was already considering making this but these made it into a reality).

#dead boy detectives #charles rowland #edwin payne #niko sasaki #crystal palace #cinematography #cinematography analysis #dbda #mygifs #dbda meta #dead boy detectives analysis #dbdagifs

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calmariah · 9 days ago

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Using Canto VII to Predict Dante's Identity (Continued)

I love a good sequel.

This post is the second half of a whole! Please view the first half of my theory here!

Even before the release of Part 3, my mind has been racing with evidence and possibilities I didn't list in my first post on this topic.

I'm excited to say that Part 3 has not deconfirmed any part of my theory-- and in fact has only strengthened it!

Hark, for my resolve is truer than any theorist before me! Adventure with me, if thou darest...

(Full story spoilers for Canto VII Part 3 below the cut.)

(EXTREMELY long post ahead.)

(You have been warned.)

SECTION 0: HERE WE GO AGAIN

The following post will assume you have both read my original theory and have played or otherwise experienced Canto VII's story content to its completion. If you haven't, you will be lost-- and worse, horrifically spoiled!

The Dream Ending is a brilliant canto that deserves your undivided, unspoiled attention.

That said, we're actually going to put Part 3 out of mind for a moment.

There's some aspects of the previous post I'd like to expand on first, as there are things I missed within Part 1 and 2 itself.

It's good to establish a solid base of information before we dive into the tasty new stuff Part 3 has shown us. If you need to refresh yourself on my thoughts regarding Part 1 and 2, this would be a good time to do so.

SECTION 1: WHAT DID I MISS?

You're finally awake! That Neutral clash looked pretty rough.

Huh?

Sancho boss fight? Binah Sapling of Light ability!? What are you talking about?

It's the 17th of October! Come on, Part 2 just released. Let's go fight Dulcinea!

SECTION 1.1: PRONOUNS

In my original post, I stated-- with no small amount of unearned authority-- that Bari was only ever referred to with they/them pronouns. This was incorrect, as I edited my post to add later.

At the time, it was fairly easy to miss... The 7-35 cutscene changed in the October 24th update. Before then, the only mention of Bari's gender in 7-35 was in this brief bit of dialogue by Sancho.

SANCHO: Will she be coming today? Again?

SANCHO: It is high time you put an end to this rivalry, isn't it? Or, hm. I fear that time is already long past.

...I must've replayed that cutscene no less than eight times while writing that post. I cannot BELIEVE this slipped through the cracks.

Well! I hope that doesn't strain my credulity going forward too much.

I do not believe this disproves that Bari could be Dante, though it does kneecap what I perceived as a shared trait of obscured gender identity.

Onwards and out, though.

Here's some things I simply didn't think to mention.

SECTION 1.2: RED, WHITE, BLACK, PALE

This is a weak bit of 'evidence,' but something I felt the need to point out regardless.

My assertion that Bari was seeking the river of human consciousness was pretty much just conjecture when I made my previous post. There admittedly wasn't very much linking her to the Seed of Light project that I could see.

For your consideration, though...

In Part 2's paper fight, we've given the opportunity to observe Bari's fighting style and capabilities though in a stylized medium.

We can see many of her Skills and their names, such as Dragon of the Spring, Lotus in Autumn, and Faint Trace.

What really interests me however, are these two.

Red Arwe and Blak Arwe.

The only place we have ever seen Red and Black damage in use are in Lobotomy Corporation.

Note I don't say the game, though. Black damage has appeared in Limbus Company, through the Fourth Walpurgisnacht's combat event. Let me show you.

The Violet Ordeal foes encountered past Mephistopheles' Backdoor also use Envy skills that inflict Mental Fracture.

During this event, the Sinners are somehow someway inside of Lobotomy Corporation HQ. So, it counts.

In Lobotomy Corporation-- the game this time-- Violet Ordeal related entities were one of many sources of Black damage, and it was in fact the only damage type Violet Dawn entities were capable of directly inflicting.

It's safe to say, yes, Blak Arwe is supposed to remind us of Black damage. Thus, Red Arwe is also Red damage.

According to Faust in this same Walpurgisnacht event, Red White Black and Pale damage are terms invented by Lobotomy Corporation itself.

Bari's skills including the terminology is, forgive the term, an abnormality.

I'm not necessarily suggesting that... her bow is somehow extracted E.G.O equipment, or something. It looks more like a fancy workshop weapon. I truthfully don't know how or why she can deal Red and Black damage, but it constructs a solid thematic link between Bari and the Seed of Light project-- and thus the river of human consciousness.

I just felt that particular assertion needed a bit more solid evidence.

Red, White, Black and Pale damage were actually intended to be in Library of Ruina, but this was scrapped. Presumably, guests from outside the Library would also be able to inflict RWBP damage, thus nullifying it as a concept solely associated with Lobotomy Corporation.

...But, you know. It was scrapped, so I don't need to care?

SECTION 1.3: LIBRARY OF RUINA BETA IMAGES

Hey, speaking of things that got scrapped from Library of Ruina! Didn't I just say cut content wasn't going to be considered?

I did, to be fair. But this is more of a meta comment on Bari's role in the Project Moon universe.

I'm not very comfortable showing too many images from the Library of Ruina artbook, because it is a paid product-- and a very good one at that.

The thought of maybe being right on the internet is about to override my moral code for a moment though, so check it out.

Originally, Library of Ruina was going to have a much different combat system. It involved little paper doll looking characters running at each other simultaneously to clash blades.

In motion, it might've looked quite similar to Limbus Company's unfocused encounters, actually.

The artstyle was a lot more simple back in the day, too. Check out these early combat sprites.

We have Myo and Kali, two important characters who were in Lobotomy Corporation. Makes perfect sense their sprites would get made first.

But bizarrely, we also have Bari.

(And... Esther from the Index for some reason? Don't worry about him)

Bari's final presence in Library of Ruina is fairly miniscule. She only appears for a brief cutscene during the optional Librarian of Death ending. And yet, Project Moon had plans for her so far in advance that, seemingly, her sprites for this battle system were made before ROLAND'S.

In other early screenshots, we can see that her sprite saw use as a placeholder asset for certain UI elements. I can't read Korean, so I don't know what this menu is saying, but I imagine she might've been a default Assistant Librarian.

Not an honour to be taken lightly, I assure you. The original dummy sprite, predating even the legendary Zwei fixer herself...

(And you'll get that joke if you buy the artbook!)

I'm not suggesting that there's some kind of deeplore with Bari and the Library by the way. I mean, beyond the existing deeplore with Bari and the Library. I'm not THAT far off the deep end this early into the post.

What I am suggesting is that Bari has heavy significance to the developers. The kind of significance the protagonist of their third game might share. I just don't think it's 'punching above her weight' so to speak to say she could be Dante.

Or, you know, perhaps plans changed. But no matter what, Bari was asserted as a very important character in this canto. It's good to track her development history when considering theories like this.

SECTION 1.4: SOMETHING OF A BIGWIG

We've talked about Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina so far. I GUESS we can talk about Limbus Company now. If you twist my arm.

We know very little about Dante's pre-clock life, but not nothing.

During 0-2, Introductions, Rodion says this after introducing herself to Dante.

RODION: I think there's a... well, good reason you became our manager.

RODION: I'm sure. You used to be a big deal back in the Nest, right? When your old habits start coming back, we'll be that much closer to rolling in the dough...

During 3-7, Siegfried, Vergilius says this while Siegfried is massacring the Sinners.

VERGILIUS: About time they learned what happens if they kick up a ruckus in a Nest thinking they can get away with it.

VERGILIUS: ...Dante, you may not remember it at the moment, but at one point you used to be something of a bigwig... so to speak.

DANTE: I... I was?

DANTE (NARRATION): I just couldn't picture it.

To be honest, it's difficult to imagine Bari being some kind of money-making high roller. She seems like a more self-effacing person than that.

But then, the Sinners don't know a lot about Dante's past either. It's possible Rodion heard that her new manager used to be a high grade Fixer in some nebulous Nest and got her hopes up.

Bari seemed to have incredibly impressive equipment, so she would've needed money to procure and maintain it somehow. If a requirement for being a Dante candidate is "being rich" I think Bari clears the bar.

I'm not yet comfortable saying she could've been a Colour, but from what we've seen she certainly could've been a Grade 2 or 1 Fixer. That's bigwig material.

SECTION 1.5: FAMILY

If you asked me to identify a singular theme that unites the Sinners, I would tell you one word.

Family.

Almost all of them have family related troubles in their past.

Don Quixote's familial strife with the Bloodfiends of La Manchaland.

Ryōshū's constant grumbling whenever someone so much as says the word family in earshot.

Meursault's mother, who according to his character promo he murdered.

Hong Lu, just like, as a concept.

Heathcliff, abandoned by his birth parents and hated by his adoptive family in Wuthering Heights.

Sinclair, whose family was butchered by Kromer.

Outis, presumably trying to get home to a Penelope and/or Telemachus left behind.

And Gregor's mother is the closest thing we currently have to a primary antagonist.

The only four Sinners who I cannot find this theme of family within are Yi Sang, Faust, Ishmael, and Rodion.

But even three of those I can explain readily enough.

Yi Sang's League of Nine was much like a family. As was Sonya's Yurodiviye and Ahab's Pequod crew, dysfunctional as they all ended up being.

Every Sinner has some kind of unit-- usually familial, but not always-- that they were either violently removed from, or left intentionally.

...Faust remains the exception, but then, that is much like her. Even then, her literary counterpart's strife with Gretchen's brother and the death of Faust and Gretchen's child may qualify her in the future.

I don't see why it would stop at just twelve of the thirteen Sinners. I assert that, to continue this theme, familial issues are required in a pre-amnesia Dante candidate.

Lucky for me, Bari fits that mould perfectly.

Nothing in Canto 7 outwardly suggests that Bari has any strife with her family, but her mythological counterpart absolutely does.

Princess Bari's exile from her family and her commitment to saving them regardless is the crux of her story. Her abandonment is so important to her character that she's named for it. Bari-degi. Abandoned child.

As of recently, the Sinners of LCB have felt a lot more comfortable travelling alongside each other.

When entering the Haunted: Bloody Mary attraction in La Manchaland, they make the family comparison for me.

SINCLAIR: It's been so long since I visited one of these haunted mansions...

SINCLAIR: The last time I was at a place like this, I thought when the next time came I'd be here with my family again. Not... all on my own like this.

RODION: All on your own? C'mon, kiddo. You're here with your coworkers~

HEATHCLIFF: Ahm. Coworkers who are... kinda like family, innit?

RYŌSHŪ: ...

Even Vergilius is starting to feel the love.

And speaking of Vergilius, he and Charon also have a busload of familial problems to contribute to the theme.

Anyone who's read Leviathan knows about the Tomerry incident. Lapis was a child in the care of Vergilius' old orphanage.

I can't prove logically why Bari would be Dante.

But I think what I can do is suggest that Bari being Dante would be narratively and emotionally fulfilling. And this is one of the ways it would be. It would continue the theme of lost family on Mephistopheles, which makes the growing found family among them all the sweeter.

SECTION 2: OCTOBER 24TH

Oh hey, Part 3 just released. From now on, we're knee-deep in spoiler territory. Last call.

So, my absolute most primeval fear going into Part 3 was that Bari was going to physically appear in person. Because if anything was going to obliterate my theory in one fell blow, it would be her having a conversation with Dante.

Good news for me, though. Bari only appeared in flashbacks, and never in the present moment.

But it honestly, truly begs the question, why NOT? Part 3 has only hammered down harder how much Bari has written herself into Sancho's soul. (Just look at her attack animations, seriously.)

The scene after Sancho's boss fight where we find out Sancho post-Lethe has been unknowingly swapping letters with Bari proves that their bond was mutual.

So, why is it that when La Manchaland screams open in P Corp, Bari doesn't investigate at all?

(And, no, this isn't her. Bari is not mentioned to be physically present after this. This is just a vision of Bari made through Sancho, since Dante and co. just proved a second ago that they're able to manipulate Quixote's Fathoms of Ego.)

Bari is alive. Bari didn't show up for La Manchaland. Even if you don't think she's Dante, that's weird! She must be somehow predisposed or unaware that La Manchaland had opened.

And if you don't think she's Dante, I'm glad that you're still entertaining my thoughts. Come with me just a little further. Now that we're in Part 3, we're going to address one last glaring omission from my first post.

SECTION 3: TEAM DEMIAN

"I'll now wait for the sun to set into the gloaming before nightfall."

We're dealing with a character clad completely in blue with mysterious sparkly blue powers.

...It's a miracle this is the first time I've mentioned Demian's name.

Indeed, even in Parts 1 and 2 there was evidence that Demian and Bari had some kind of association.

Sansón's dialogue icon has this bisexual gradient background that thus far had only been used for Demian and Rim.

Combine that with his blue colour scheme, immense power and general freakery, and yeah we're dealing with a member of Demian's weird little tea party.

Thus forth, I'll be referring to Demian's group as "Team Demian."

Sansón says this when giving Sinclair Bari's role in his stageplay.

SANSÓN: Well, then. We have another actor present here to play this character. A little green, a little incomplete, but still with the sign of great potential.

SANSÓN: I give this role of the Knight of the White Moon to you.

SINCLAIR: ...?

SINCLAIR: M-me?

DANTE (NARRATION): Sinclair held his forehead for a moment, then looked at his changed appearance in confusion.

Suggesting that the Sign made Sinclair a good fit for the Knight of the White Moon's role strongly implies that it was an attribute they shared.

That Sansón knew this-- and otherwise knew Bari well enough to write her into his stageplay-- indicates a connection between Bari and Sansón, and thus Bari and Team Demian.

Regarding Bari and the Sign...

(I had to fight Sancho five separate times in the making of this post. Project Moon, PLEASE make mid-battle cutscenes viewable in the Theater.)

Part 3 confirmed she had it.

It's my understanding that to see the Sign on others, you need to be a bearer of it yourself.

That Dante has seen Sinclair's Sign now and in the past, as well as Demian's, it means that they themself must be a Signbearer.

This is nothing new. But combined with the confirmation that Bari too was a Signbearer, it's yet another attribute they share.

In 2-19...

SONYA: Rodya, this will probably elude you, but you don't have the mark.

SONYA: I came here hoping you'd possess it, but I'm seeing it on some of your friends instead.

Being a Signbearer is apparently common enough that Sinners other than Sinclair and Dante also have it (assuming Sonya's definition of 'some' is more than two), but it's absolutely something to consider.

I had originally assumed that Demian appearing before Dante so often was solely because they both had the Sign. But then, why single out Dante?

There are other Sinners in LCB who have the Sign. But Demian has taken such a firm interest in Dante specifically.

In the Canto IV post-credits scene...

DEMIAN: Countless stars are in the sky. But they aren't all the same. If someone else saw them, they might have been nothing more than dim lumps of light.

DEMIAN: But someone who found the twinkle staggeringly charming took one of the stars...

DEMIAN: And hung it on a high enough place for everyone to see, expelling the dark.

DEMIAN: All the people would rejoice.

DEMIAN: Now, here's a question.

DEMIAN: What will become of me who has been robbed by me, and the star that's now forced to illuminate the dark forevermore?

DANTE: I...

DEMIAN: The mirror your friends use isn't any different. That is such a cruel piece of technology.

DEMIAN: Take your time with the answer. Just draw me a sheep later.

DEMIAN: You may not remember it right now... but you promised to.

Overall, it's actually extremely possible that Bari used to be a member of Team Demian.

She has the Sign, Sansón knew her, she's dressed in all blue, and she has some kind of mysterious blue gate power.

I would be shocked if she didn't have at least something to do with Demian. It might explain why Demian can understand what Dante says, if they have a past like this.

I'll admit upfront that she doesn't have the bisexual gradient background, though. Maybe in all the instances we see her talk, she hadn't yet joined Team Demian?

Or maybe the background just isn't as important as I've been thinking it is.

That kind of flippant speculation is going to serve us well going forward!! Because it's time for...

SECTION 4: THE LIGHTNING ROUND

What!? We've barely gotten started!

Don't worry, and don't go anywhere! The lightning round is NOT the end this time!

I've saving my juiciest evidence for last! For now, let's take a quick jog around the minor stuff Part 3 has yielded us!

It's my hope that these little pieces of evidence, while alone uncompelling, will paint a strong picture of the ties between Dante and Bari yada yada I've said this before let's go play Canto VI!

SECTION 4.1: FLOWERS

That's not a typo, I did mean VI. In the post-credits scene of Canto VI, Demian appears yet again. Because we're not done with that little weirdo.

(I'm not including this in the Demian section above because the purpose of that was to establish a logical connection between Dante, Bari and Demian. The lightning round's about tiny little themes!)

DEMIAN: Do you like flowers too, Dante?

DANTE: Um...

DANTE: I think I've come to like them.

DEMIAN: Imagine that there was a single rose you've cared for a long time.

DEMIAN: Your room was always brimming from the sweet aroma of that flower.

DEMIAN: But one day, you leave the rose behind to go on a long, long journey.

DEMIAN: In your journey, you come across a large garden... and there, you see thousands of the very same rose you once you [sic] cared for. That sight... brings you to tears, and you drop to your knees.

DEMIAN: ...Why do you suppose that is?

DANTE: ......

DANTE (NARRATION): Demian... he's appeared before me in the past. He would always leave me with these cryptic riddles.

DANTE (NARRATION): But I'm starting to understand what his riddles are supposed to represent.

DANTE: Because I've finally come to understand.

DANTE: That the one I truly loved was the rose I'd left behind.

DEMIAN: Correct.

Demian's cryptic icebreaker about Dante going on a journey that ends in finding a garden full of flowers reminds me of Bari quite a lot.

He isn't talking about Bari's journey specifically-- much more likely this, like the stars before, refers to an individual and all of their Mirror World Identities.

Still, Bari is a self-described flower hunter. I feel it'd be reckless to not at least note this down. That's what the lightning round is for!

SECTION 4.2 JIA XICHUN WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN PLEASE COME BACK AND EXPLAIN

Honestly just read this exactly as it happened

OUTIS: Don Quixote... Executive Manager... Amnesia has certainly made things difficult for many of us, hasn't it?

HONG LU: There are so many ways to erase people's memories in the City, after all.

JIA XICHUN: ...Yeah. There are plenty of ways to remove people's memories, and that's just counting what's public.

JIA XICHUN: The most common method is moving someone's memory into a different object, or a person. Some parts of the City even sell them as local products.

JIA XICHUN: Another is to completely destroy the memories. It's cheap, but because it comes with the risk of affecting other memories, only desperate Backstreets dwellers use this method.

JIA XICHUN: And... now we know the final method, which has so far been unknown, and remains inaccessible even now.

JIA XICHUN: The River of Oblivion... also known as Lethe.

JIA XICHUN: Drinking the waters of this River allows one to bury their memories beyond the veil of their consciousness, to the point where they become uncertain, hazy and dim like the memories of a dream.

HONG LU: So that's what you've been looking for... Xichun.

JIA XICHUN: Not exactly. It's a different stream, somewhere near the River of Oblivion.

JIA XICHUN: I suspect that the River I'm searching for has something to do with the immortality of the mind that our elders have been seeking so desperately.

HONG LU: Ah. To be free from aging and death, right?

(If you've been wondering why I'm speaking of a 200+ year old woman as though she could be alive today, there's your answer.)

JIA XICHUN: Yeah, that old, tiresome thing.

DANTE (NARRATION): Maybe... that's how my memories were removed.

DANTE (NARRATION): I don't even have a dreamy recollection of my memories; it's like they were uprooted straight from my head.

DANTE (NARRATION): So it's either been transferred to a different person or object...

DANTE (NARRATION): ...or it's been totally destroyed, forever unsalvageable.

DANTE (NARRATION): Still, I have no clue as to who, how or why anyone would do such a thing.

JIA XICHUN: ......

DANTE (NARRATION): Jia Xichun briefly glanced at me as my clock ticked on before turning her attention back to Hong Lu.

JIA XICHUN: That's why these scant traces of this 'Bari' are so important to me.

JIA XICHUN: I can't tell you in any greater detail, but I see them. I can see her ancient traces here.

HUH

Jia Xichun what does that MEAN. She goes on a long monologue about how extremely possible it is to erase someone's memories, takes a sideways glance at the Most Important Amnesiac and says "I can see the ancient traces of Bari here."

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

WHAT DO YOU KNOW

DO YOU ALSO THINK DANTE IS BARI???

DO YOU ALSO HAVE A TWO PART EXTREMELY LONG TUMBLR POST???

PLEASE COME BACK HERE

I NEED TO KNOW

DO NOT LEAVE ME IN THIS VOID

WHERE I CANNOT FIND YOU

SECTION 4.3: JUST KIND OF THE WAY THEY ARE THEMSELVES

Pwfaaah. Sorry, that was unprofessional.

Let's pull ourselves together here. I'm getting slightly lost in the theory sauce.

I need to fall back on something objective before I further lose my mind. This update gave us a talk sprite for Bari finally, so obviously the very first thing I did was put it next to Dante's.

(Thank you Lunartique07 for the ripped assets! The Project Moon Google Drive has been an incredible boon.)

Plus some other Sinners for scale.

I chose Yi Sang and Heathcliff because they actually both just so happen to be standing in the exact same pose as Dante and Bari respectively.

Don Quixote isn't very helpful in that regard, but she heard some of the other Sinners were taking a group photo and really really wanted to be included.

Please understand.

The very tip of everyone's closest shoe is touching the green pixel at the exact same point, so this is even as I can get them.

I'm sure you've noticed that Bari and Dante don't appear to be the same height, but please consider the difference in posing. Dante and Yi Sang's shoes are mostly level, while Bari and Heathcliff both have their right foot a decent bit above their left.

They're at an angle, like so. Very slightly standing on the air.

This is going to skew perspective a little.

Even with that in mind however, Bari and Dante are extremely similar in both height and width. Bari is wearing a much thicker coat than Dante is. I'm willing to bet that if they both took their coats off, they would have pretty identical frames.

Thankfully, technology hasn't advanced far enough for us to see for ourselves.

The fact that there's a discrepancy in height at all means this little factoid got lightning round'ed. I can't really in good conscious consider this hard and fast evidence. Pretty Cool Though!

SECTION 4.5: MOST UNFAIR

I'm sure you remember this scene from the very beginning of Canto VII.

[Complete darkness. Yellow text appears in the middle of the void.]

The night approacheth with great haste;

Yet thou shalt hew open a path, cleaving the shadows in twain,

With the blessings and approval of they family of which there is no equal,

Challenge and vanquish all things perilous,

And at last--reach true happiness;

Thus how indubitable,

The magnificence with which mine ingenious adventures of to-day shall shine.

Which is... our adventure, as well.

You remember the words, right? A Fixer must maintain a head clear of corruption, speech free of deceit, and conduct guided by clemency.

Show courage in adventure, and bear pain in suffering.

And pray, forget not the mercy for the downtrodden...

...and last but not least...

...Pursue your dream, even if it means wagering your life in the chase.

Should you ever fail to stand by even one of these tenets...

I'll smack you guys upside the head myself.

Steel yourself and always, always keesp moving forward.

Is that not...

...a threat most unfair?

[We fade back into the P Corp WARP train platform. Present moment.]

DON QUIXOTE: Manager Esquire... how unfair of thee...!

DANTE: ......

DON QUIXOTE: Most unfair, I say...!!!

DANTE: What is it this time...?

Something I need to note is that the white text above is delivered through the narration box in a manner identical to Dante's internal monologue.

This is far from the only time this happens in the game. Even later this canto, Sancho borrows Dante's narration box for a while. Just keep that in mind, still.

In a lovely bit of circular narrative storytelling, during the Don Quixote boss fight, we see this cutscene again.

Only this time, we can see who is talking.

The scene plays out like before. We see that the yellow voice was Don Quixote, and the white voice in the narration box was Bari all along.

It's not exactly the same scene, but it's undeniably Bari both times. It's the same voice actor.

So what would this suggest, I ask you?

When Bari, in the style of Dante's inner monologue, says she'll 'smack you guys upside the head'?

When Don Quixote says that's a threat most unfair?

And when we fade back in, Don Quixote is telling Dante that they've been most unfair?

...This proves nothing. Listen, I want to make one thing crystal clear.

I'm not stupid. I know that this is an incredibly simple narrative convention. It does NOT prove that Dante is Bari.

Just because the two scenes spliced together-- just because Bari was called unfair one moment and Dante the next, it doesn't mean ANYTHING.

Because it could just be a fun little moment of storytelling. One character being called unfair in one scene and another in the next does not necessarily mean they're the same person.

But the fact that it is Bari and Dante feels intentional, doesn't it?

When put next to every other bit of evidence we have so far, are you able to say in full honesty that I'm seeing things? Jumping at shadows where there aren't any? Tilting at windmills?

If you still think that, then I'm glad you've stayed with me anyway.

So please stay with me a little longer,

and allow me to cut through your reservations once and for all.

SECTION 5: FOUNDING LCB AND THE PROMISE:

"Dear the most valorous Fixer of the Zwei, How farest thee? 'Tis my hundred-and-thirty-first letter. Prithee, excuse my persistence. 'Tis merely that my passion cannot well be doused. I am soon to be a Fixer myself. And with thy teachings, I shall become a Fixer most just as persistent who doth not know surrender."

VERGILIUS: I believe I've afforded you sufficient restraint.

A red hot gladius rends the seal on her cradle in two.

...

VERGILIUS: My old... friend has told me that you are a Second Kindred.

...

VERGILIUS: The Fixers on these posters... They're all from at least several decades ago. It is as my fellow has told me. So much of her slumbers... even her instinctive craving for blood.

...

VERGILIUS: I am the guide who will bring you all to the right path.

VERGILIUS: You must come with me, for this journey demands your company. In return...

VERGILIUS: ...when the time is right, the promised timepiece shall come to be by your side.

SANCHO: Promised...?

VERGILIUS: Yes. You are bound to a promise, just as I am.

VERGILIUS: So...

SANCHO: Gasp...

VERGILIUS: Remember these eyes.

VERGILIUS: Remind yourself time and again every time you look into these eyes that hold the blood of a generation higher than your own.

SANCHO: I... have nary a clue as to whatever it is that--

VERGILIUS: I speak of the promise that will one day return to you when the time is right.

VERGILIUS: Remember it, so that the unforgettable promise will one day return to you, so that you may keep it when the time comes. Even as it eludes you now.

This scene is seen at the beginning of Part 3, as LCB enter the Fathoms of Ego.

Isn't it weird?

The conversation doesn't flow naturally. Vergilius talks about his eyes, and then cuts Sancho off and continues talking about the promise out of nowhere.

A long, long time later, following Sancho's boss fight, we see this scene again.

But something has changed.

Something that was intentionally omitted from Sansón's telling of this scene.

VERGILIUS: You must come with me, for this journey demands your company. In return...

VERGILUS: ...when the time is right, the promised timepiece you once heard shall come to be by your side.

(Note the addition. "timepiece you once heard' was not in Sansón's telling.)

VERGILIUS: Even when you feel like giving up on yourself.

VERGILIUS: So I promise you this.

VERGILIUS: That one day, you will return to the beginning of all things...

VERGILIUS: ...and tell them all about the adventures you've had.

This was the moment I knew I had it.

This was the moment I chambered my silver bullet.

When the time is right, the timepiece will come to be by your side. And you can tell them all about the adventures you've had.

Could he have been talking about both Bari and Don Quixote?

Sure, maybe. Sancho does tell Don Quixote about her adventures as he lays dying.

But that's only one way to read this sentence.

I think 'them' refers to the promised timepiece. To Dante.

This part of his speech was important enough to be omitted from the first version of the scene we saw.

Important enough to save for the very end of the canto.

In P Corp's backstreets, Vergilius said something to Dante that confused them.

VERGILIUS: ...Your hands have stopped trembling. I'll take that as a sign that we have an understanding.

VERGILIUS: Should you ever find yourself growing anxious in La Manchaland, when things start to go awry...

VERGILIUS: Remember these words.

VERGILIUS: Henceforth, whatever happens...

[Vergilius smiles.]

VERGILIUS: ...Don Quixote will remember the promise, Dante.

DANTE (NARRATION): The promise.

DANTE (NARRATION): I have no idea how that word is supposed to assuage any of my fears.

DANTE (NARRATION): Vergilius isn't the type to waffle on meaninglessly, so...

DANTE (NARRATION): ...I suppose there isn't anything else I can gather from him at the moment.

Dante is right. Vergilius is a man of few words-- he says what he needs to say, and that's it.

But Vergilius is also a deeply sentimental person.

If he gave advice to Dante that meant nothing to them, it must've meant something to HIM.

I assert that the promise Vergilius is referring to is this one.

BARI: Remember? We promised to meet again once each of our adventures are complete...

SANCHO: ...and tell one another all about our adventures.

Dante's number one fear throughout the La Manchaland mission was that the reveal of Sancho's true nature would irreparably tear the Sinners' bond apart.

That is what Vergilius is reassuring them against.

That Sancho promised to always be their friend. To meet with them when all was said and done.

She'll remember that promise. She won't drift away from you.

This would require Vergilius to not only be aware of Bari, but familiar enough with her to understand the promise she made with Sancho and Don Quixote.

And I can prove that he was.

VERGILIUS: The build of this place is quite durable, my lady.

VERGILIUS: It should be able to withstand assaults from any pursuing Bloodfiends... no, even Bloodfiend Hunters.

VERGILIUS: It is an entirely different question if they can make it this far down to this Ruin, of course.

VERGILIUS: My old... friend has told me that you are a Second Kindred.

...

VERGILIUS: The Fixers on these posters... They're all from at least several decades ago. It is as my fellow has told me. So much of her slumbers... even her instinctive craving for blood.

...

VERGILIUS: Your adventures with them are unimportant. And you won't have to listen to these Fixers anymore. Because...

VERGILIUS: ...doesn't an adventure guided by me, a Fixer bestowed with the title of a Colour... sound much better than any of that?

In Sansón's stageplay...

BARI (SINCLAIR): "Once we find the river..."

BARI (SINCLAIR): "I will guide you to the place that will be your residence henceforth."

BARI (SINCLAIR): "An abandoned lighthouse where no one visits."

BARI (SINCLAIR): "Please, make that place your home."

Only Bari should've known where Sancho's cradle was.

Only Bari could've told Vergilius where to find her, that she was a Second Kindred who erased her own past, that her craving for blood was suppressed by Rocinante, and exactly how to get her to join LCB.

Because Vergilius pulls rank as a Colour Fixer, and it immediately entices Sancho.

This gives us three things simultaneously.

One. Vergilius and Bari were 'old friends.'

Two. Vergilius could've known about the promise Sancho and Bari made.

And, three, it gives us reason to believe that Bari was willingly contributing to the formation of LCB.

Because she told Vergilius where to find Sancho. Because Vergilius knew what to say to recruit her.

We know for a fact that pre-amnesia Dante was cooperating with Limbus Company, because they were already wearing the uniform when they lost their memories in the dark forest.

We're so close. We have so much.

Katabasis.

Resurrection.

Visions of the past and visions of the future.

Stories of future cantos.

Association with literature.

Pre-amnesia power.

The river of human consciousness.

Family.

Similarities in sprites.

The Sign.

Team Demian.

Cooperation with the formation of LCB.

The promise.

I have just one more thing to share. One last section.

One last narrative commonality between Bari and Dante before I bid you goodbye.

SECTION 6: ANTICIPATION

DON QUIXOTE: Tomorrow is a promise that does not hinge on your blessing.

BARI: No, no. That's not the tomorrow I'm talking about. I'm talking about the 'tomorrow' you seek.

BARI: You've been living out your days mired in meaninglessness, quietly wasting away inside.

BARI: Drinking human blood, compelled not by your own will but by your sickness. In your countless years of existence...

BARI: ...you've never had any reason to exist, have you?

BARI: But your illness... and this applies to all of your kind... is loneliness.

BARI: It's the kind of suffering you can't weather through by huddling together with your Family in the dark.

BARI: So I offer you this.

BARI: Anticipation for what tomorrow holds.

BARI: In other words... a dream.

BARI: I can make you dream.

SANCHO: The adventure... has ended.

SANCHO: And thus, so did my dream.

SINCLAIR: It's not over yet.

SINCLAIR: We're pretty major characters in your adventures too, you know?

SINCLAIR: You can't just... end this story without even asking its cast.

SANCHO: So stupid...

DANTE (NARRATION): Her words of denial are tinged with something new, something we hadn't heard in what felt like forever.

DANTE (NARRATION): Anticipation.

Twice over, they reach for a Bloodfiend who has no reason to be.

Gifting them the anticipation to see what comes tomorrow. To adventure, and to dream.

It isn't just Dante, the second time. All of the Sinners come together to find that anticipation for Sancho.

But who is it that drives it home?

Who is it that lights her way?

Who is it that thinks to inspire Sancho by telling her a story?

DANTE (NARRATION): I know what to do. The flow I must find, the flow I must hitch myself to.

DANTE: However...

DANTE: Don Quixote, who despaired that this moment was to be the end of her tale...

DANTE: Still refused to give up.

[Faust smiles.]

FAUST: ......

History repeats and Bari's role is reprised, and by Dante. By the rest of the Sinners too, but especially by Dante.

Because at the end of the long battle against him, Don Quixote says this. Completely unaware of the dramatic irony in his words.

DON QUIXOTE: Alas, it appears that we are not availed the benevolent, mediating force of Bari to quell our quarrels. Then I suppose we are at an impasse, want of a better mediation...

DON QUIXOTE: ...than one wrought by force.

I assert that he is wrong.

I assert that the narrative completed itself. A perfect circular structure, like so many aspects of this canto.

Atop La Manchaland, all but two Sinners are dead. Only three were alive to witness what happened next.

Exactly as it began.

Only Sancho, her father Don Quixote, and the White Moon beside them.

It's the same scene.

Bari and Don Quixote called out their names, and clashed in a brilliant shining light.

Sancho and Don Quixote called out their names, and clashed in a brilliant shining light.

It was Bari that made him dream.

And it was Dante that made her dream.

Anticipation. The final, ultimate theme that they share.

And after all was said and done, after La Manchaland was reduced to a pouring torrent of blood, the Sinners boarded Mephistopheles once again.

Ready to gallop onto the next canto of their story.

But first, Don Quixote said something to Dante.

DON QUIXOTE: Prithee, regard me not with such an expression.

DANTE: I... don't have an expression, let alone a face.

DON QUIXOTE: All of existence, from the swaying flowers in the meadows to the rolling pebbles in a stream... has emotions.

DANTE (NARRATION): What expression did she read from me, I wonder.

DON QUIXOTE: I beseech thee, smile.

DON QUIXOTE: For all of this is but a merry dream.

DANTE (NARRATION): No one thinks about what awaits them at the end of the journey when embarking on an adventure.

DANTE (NARRATION): But that unknown future, twinkling so tantalizingly...

DANTE (NARRATION): ...is what inevitably draws us to venture toward them.

DANTE (NARRATION): So...

DANTE (NARRATION): ...I guess I'll smile, like Don Quixote asked me to.

DANTE (NARRATION): Smile with anticipation for what tomorrow holds.

I hope I've given you a lot to think about.

No matter what, I think Dante and Bari are both immensely interesting characters, and I believe whatever Project Moon does with both of them will be more satisfying than whatever little old me can think of.

I cannot prove that Bari is Dante. But I can maybe convey that, if she turned out to be, It would be a well foreshadowed and thematically consistent reveal, more so than any other existing candidate.

This is a long pair of posts. And you read all of it. If you have any feedback to add to my theory, please include it in a reply!

I would love nothing more than to hear from you.

#project moon #limbus company #canto 7 spoilers #canto vii spoilers #dante lcb #theoryposting #long post #canto 7 #canto vii #limbus company spoilers

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yooglefics · 25 days ago

Text

The casual type: 05 . The art of paying attention

Pairing: Min Yoongi x fem!reader Wordcount: 3,354 words Genre ( for the whole series ): AU. College!verse. Strangers to friends with benefits to ???. Eventual smut. Hurt / comfort at times. Fluff for cute friends. Summary: ( Series ) • Hobi and his girlfriend set you up with a friend of hers to help with whatever happened months back. However, no one really expected things to end the way they did. ( Ep. 05 ) • Sometime the little details mean more than people think. More info under read more.

Includes ( this chapter ): The squad<3. Subin my love. And other new characters. A kind of out of nowhere jump in time ( just a few weeks ) because the writing just flowed like that, I don't know what to tell you. A mini-drama ( this is the spoiler I posted on ko-fi the other week ) and a bigger drama. Author's note: so… I'm sorry this took so long to be updated Y_Y As you may know, inspiration hasn't been too good these days, but after some lovely comments and knowing people are interested in this story, I finally finished this chapter, so thank you! Also, let me know if you figured out what the drama was before the end, or if you had a theory about it, etc. Hopefully you like this one, and remember to leave a comment, reblog, send an ask, follow or what not, to help my motivation. Thank you for reading <3

“Kang Subin, queer and honorable member of the divorced parents club.” Is how your roommate introduces herself friday night, pointing to the latter as the reason she is only now, a month after classes started, arriving to campus and the city in general.

She says her dad insisted on doing a year abroad as he did, assisting to his Alma Mater and hopefully fall in love with the city to move full time with him. And she did love it… a little too much. She admits the change of scenery was liberating, she could be a totally different Subin from the one in Seoul, and sadly that meant neglecting her notes and putting at risk her art history degree.

You're glad to note she will be joining you ( and some of your friends on occasion ) for classes, since she managed to keep her notes high enough to not lose her first semester. And then you spend the weekend getting to know each other, practically becoming friends overnight. Subin says it must be a you thing, and shaking your head no, you confess essentially begging the administration for a roommate because you're stuck with silly boys and all girls hate you because you aren't cool like them. She laughs, asks if that means the plan is making everyone hate her too and be stuck with you. And you freak out a little, but her laugh keeps flowing across the dormroom and you know she is joking; you know that things would be fine.

Monday arrives and between classes, you continue to give Subin small tours of the campus, mostly the art building and where all the vending machines are.

“There's more than I thought, could you make me a map?” She jokingly asks.

“I'll ask Jungkook for the one we made last semester,” you know he has it because it was offered to Yoongi before.

“Hey, y/n!” calls Taehyung, appearing at the other end of the hall with Yoongi, and when he asks “you got some gum?”, you know they were just on a smoke break.

“Oh, hi, Tae. Nice to see you.” Sarcastic tone all over it, “are you having a nice morning?”

He rolls his eyes and Yoongi laughs at his side.

“Sorry, I'm actually not. And I'm running late,” still you give him a look and as a little kid he repends. “Hi, you guys look pretty today, as alway.” He adds before you can argue anything, and only then Subin chuckles, understanding this must be part of your dynamic. “Do you happen to have some gum for us, your lovely friends?”

“Yes, actually.” Taking one strap off, you move your backpack to your front, looking for the little package they keep stealing from. “Here,” you hand one wrapper to Tae, who starts running in the other direction immediately, screaming how much he loves you. And a “nice to meet you!” to Subin.

Everyone laughs, Yoongi turning back in your direction after Taehyung disappears down the hallway.

“You want one?” You ask and before being able to stop yourself, you add, “Is cherry, though”

“Of course it is,” he smiles and you look away, pretending it's only to search for another one to offer Subin. Memories of friday’s night invading your psyche and shyness your whole body.

Well, that's your own fault.

“Thank you,” she says, looking at the two of you while unwrapping it. “I'm Subin, by the way, the new roommate.”

“Oh, she actually found one!”

“Just hoping she doesn't abandon me too,” you pout and Subin wraps one arm around yours.

“Never.”

“Yoongi,” He introduces, thumb pointing to himself and then behind, “And that was Taehyung, but I guess you'd meet the whole squad later.”

“Ah, yeah. I've been told she collects cute guys.”

“Did someone actually say that?” Yoongi asks when you're not even surprised.

“Yeah and when I asked about girls she looked relieved,” subin goes on, “I actually wanted to know, you know.”

Yoongi and you laugh, “someone doesn't like competition,” both say in unison.

“I told you, they lied.”

“Well, I can't really say that yet. I've to look first,” Subin insists, walking through the cafeteria's door. And it doesn't bother you because it comes from a place of curiosity and not horniness. No shame to anyone, your friends are hot, but you've known them for so long and know they have other great attributes that sometimes it feels superficial and it bothers you.

Besides, as a friend, you need to keep their egos just high enough to be healthy for everyone involved.

“Listen, kids,” calling for the table's attention, you stand in front of them, “this is Subin, my—”

“New roommate?” Asks Jungkook, remembering the text you sent, and you nod excitedly.

“That's Jungkook, he is in music and sports.”

“Which ones?”

“All. Some. We don't have time for that,” you joke, but only continue with the rest of his introduction after the youngest clarifies is soccer and box this year. “Oh, he also takes an art class with Taehyung and I, and now you, this semester. You know Tae from earlier, the one who keeps stealing my gum.”

“You're the one that tells me to not show up to class with cigarette breath!” He pushes back against accusations.

“I think she wants you to buy your own,” Jimin suggests.

“Or quit,” adds Hobi and the table laughs even more.

“That’s Hobi, the group's mom.” Tae offers after.

“Does that make Mai the dad?” Jungkook asks, with a serious expression on his face.

“I'm telling her so,” Yoongi says, already phone in hand and texting his best friend.

“You'll have to meet Mai later, she is great,” you continue, “but Tae is in arts. And Hobi and Jimin, are both dancers,” index finger pointing at their direction as you say each name, “and well, you already know that's Yoongi, he is in music too.”

“And the last new guy, right?” Subin remembers from your talk earlier after she met him for the first time, “I guess I took your title.”

“Are we enemies now?” He jokes, “I was about to offer you my chair, but now I don't know.”

Again, laughs all around and before anyone can think about the sitting arrangement too seriously, Jungkook is standing up, saying he needs to go back to the house before his next class.

“Oh, you are the biker from friday!” Subin exclaims as Jungkook’s helmet comes into view, everyone turning to look at her, “can't believe I forgot to ask you.”

And then five pairs of eyes are on you, all but Yoongi's, since he doesn't need an explanation.

“...What?” Asks Tae, finally.

“Had to call her to my rescue because I lost my key and from the hallway's window I saw someone drop her off on a motorcycle,” she explains, “that's when the girl told me about you collecting cute guys.”

“But that wasn't me,” says Jungkook.

“Yeah, you weren't with us that night. We were all at the house, so who was it?” Ask Jimin, and the curiosity in his voice makes you nervous. You have never lied to them, and starting right now without preparation is terrifying.

However nothing compares to the feeling on your stomach when Yoongi answers, “it was me, actually.” And without a beat, your friends are looking at him now, “What?”

“You what now?” Mister interrogation Tae goes on, “Why were you together? What time was it? Was it late?”

“You were alone? Why?” Asks Hobi.

“We can't hang out now?” You ask back, wasn't he who set you up in the first place? And yes, it didn't turn out the way they planned it, but wasn't the whole premise to get to know Yoongi?

“Not what I meant,” he corrects, “Just… you didn't say anything.”

“Well, you guys canceled, what were we supposed to do? Not do anything just because you weren't with us?” Yoongi answers before you.

“And we just hang out, you know, eat junk food and chat. Nothing to write home about.”

“Aww,” coos Jungkook, sliding his arm over your shoulders, “does that mean you missed us? You really love us, uh?” you pull back, sticking your tongue at him and pushing him towards the exit, telling him to hurry because if he is late to class you aren't covering for him again.

Thankfully, that's enough to get them off your back and Subin’s arrival provides better entertainment through the lunch hour, as your friends don't hold back on their questions to get to know her. And you're glad they seem to like her as much as you do.

“So… should I've not mentioned the bike thing?” worries Subin later, when everyone has left and is only her and Yoongi at the table.

“Don't worry about it.” He reassures her, offering a tangerine slice when she doesn't return the smile. “Seriously.”

Is not her fault, he thinks. He can't blame the guys either for wondering and going into big brother mode as soon as they hear you're hanging out with someone, since the prevalence of that is not the best right now. And although he does feels bad about keeping things a secret from them, mostly Hoseok, who Yoongi himself give the “you better be careful with what you do with my best friend” talk, it consoles him a bit to know that the both of you are on the same page with what you have.

Maybe if they knew it wouldn't be a big deal, he thinks. Better him than anyone else, right?

Putting away your phone and with the excuse of going to the bathroom before class, Subin and Tae follow their journey to the second floor without you and without suspecting anything. As you walk in front of one of the classrooms, a hand wraps around your forearm and pulls you in.

“What th—!” scream is interrupted when you recognize Yoongi. “You almost gave me a heart attack! I could've punched you.” And with adrenaline still running through your body, you actually push his shoulder with less force than you first intended.

“Ouch.” He rubs the place you hit, dramatically, as he explains, “Sorry, I panicked. There were people around and I didn't want to scream your name”

“Yeah, we should be careful after what happened at the cafeteria. Good save, by the way.”

“You own me,” he quickly returns.

“I do not,” you deny, crossing your arms, “You were the one insisting on going into the parking lot, I told you to leave me at the gate.”

“Well, forgive me for being a gentleman.”

You laugh, “and modest.”

Yoongi smiles, relaxing his body against the wall beside the door, “are you telling Subin about us?” he asks before you can question him about why he asked to meet.

Uncrossing your arms, you fiddle with your nails instead, scratching the acrylic paint off of them. “What is your opinion on that?”

“You can't answer a question with a question, miss.”

“Well… I don't know.” Is your final answer after a few seconds of silence. “She is cool and I really think we’re going to be friends and maybe I can gossip to her about you.”

He chuckles at that.

“And also she said sorry and asked if it was supposed to be a secret.”

“Really?” Yoongi sounds surprised, “She asked me that too earlier and I told her to not worry.”

“I feel bad about it because it seems like she is actually worried she messed up,” you share, “maybe I should just come clean. Only to her, at least. But of course not, if you don't want to.”

“No, it's okay. I think is good you have someone to talk to. And she seems nice.”

You nod in agreement, relieved you don't have to start hiding things from Subin as soon as you two met.

“Also,” Yoongi goes on, holding your hips and bringing you closer to him. You allow him to without much thinking. “It was nothing to write home about?”

“What?”

“Friday night, you said that earlier.”

“Did your ego get hurt?” You tease.

“No. But I didn't know you were a liar.” he throws back and you laugh. “I'm going to call you Pinocchio now.”

At that, you gasp, “stop giving me nicknames!”

And your attempt to pull away is just that, an attempt, because between laughs he holds you closer. “But is funny. And all of them are true.”

“They aren't.”

“Are so.”

“I don't like you.”

“That's not what I got from friday.”

“Yoongiii—.” you gasp again, his laugh louder this time.

Wanting a clarification stops him from dumping his phone back into the duffle bag and so, throwing the strap over his shoulder, he makes his way over to Chris and other teammates.

“Are you ready to go?” His roommate asks, and Yoongi nods, “good, I'm just waiting for Ha-ri.”

“Hey!” As they turn around, it is not difficult to recognize her as one of the cheerleaders since she is carrying her pom-poms and all, but is only as they continue talking that Yoongi realizes who she is, “sorry, I was saying goodbye to the girls and planning for next practice.”

“Don't worry, babe.”

“You must be Yoongi, hi,” she waves her free hand enthusiastically enough the pendant on her bracelet makes a jiggly sound, catching his attention “welcome to the university. And the team. Go, Bears!”

She seems nice, Yoongi thinks, “Go, bears!” first in the air, he chuckles in response before they all make their way to the parking lot and to Chris’s car.

The drive home is short and filled with questions about his last school and the reason he transferred, which Yoongi manages to give simple and vague answers that satisfy Ha-ri’s curiosity. It definitely helps that he has been questioned about it more than once the last few weeks, giving him more than one chance to practice before today.

The more weeks pass, the less people ask. And soon the mystery of his arrival is pushed to the side as people decide to talk about his accomplishments in the basketball games.

Every now and then someone recognizes him as an ex Tiger's player, and asks why he changed teams, but before anything can get to deep, a “well, now you are on the right team,” or something alike is thrown his way and he couldn't be more glad for the rivalry between the universities.

For what is worth, the change has proven to have been a good decision. Of course he is nostalgic for the past and he misses hanging out with Mai more often, but he has friends, basketball and music. He has even been planning to perform at school events with Jungkook as he did with Jay back then.

It feels like he is starting to build a new life, and it wasn't as difficult as his brain told him it could be.

With chuseok around the corner the university starts to plan the events for the weekend and some professors feel generous enough to give extra credits for participation. Others just used it as an excuse to make the assignments related to it, that's his and Jungkook’s case.

Yours is the first one, because getting a good grade for hanging out with your friends sounds too good to pass out. That's why for the last few days you have been following them around taking pictures and notes, preparing your article about their performance Saturday night.

“Are you done?” Yoongi asks from his spot at the end of the bed when you take the headphones off, the ones he made you wear so he wouldn't have to listen to himself on the interview recording.

“Yep. I only need Kook's side and I'm done,” end of the sentence elongates a bit, arms in the air as you stretch your back.

“How long for him to be here? I need him to go over something before he eats and gets a food coma.”

“I'm glad you're already prepared for that,” you giggle, “Because he is not even seeing my texts.”

“He is still busy?”

“Yeah, kissing someone for sure. Does he think I don't have things to do too?”

“Like making out with someone too?” he jokes, putting his guitar down on the bed, deciding to take a break too.

“Why? Are you jealous?” you tease, trying not to laugh and is surprising when you're met with a serious expression as you spin around on his desk chair.

“I thought the rule was to tell if there were other people.”

“I'm just kidding,”

“Wow, a comedian.” he rolls his eyes, and you know he is only pretending to be annoyed.

So, you push. “I'm funnier than you, don't get mad.”

“Cocky.”

“What, you don't find confidence attractive?”

“Oh, I find a lot of things about you attractive.”

Touche; you think as a smirk appears proudly on his face and makes you turn around, shy reaction at the security of this voice.

And he laughs. Of course.

“Shut up, Yoongi.”

“If you want to kiss me, just do it,” he only has to stretch a bit to pull on the chair, making you turn to him again and bringing you close.

And you do kiss him.

Not only to erase his stupid and attractive gummy smile, but also because you've missed it.

With projects and exams, with Yoongi not only being in a different major but also in his third year, hanging out only the two of you hasn't happened as much.

You don't mind. You understand that is not a priority and there is something relaxing about it being an unspoken agreement, something that you truthly appreciate.

But you would be lying if you said that you didn't miss Yoongi's lips against yours and the way his hand cups your cheek, still gentle as he tries to lead the kiss.

Looking for closeness, your hand finds balance on his tight, making you contemplate ditching the comfiness of the desk chair for a sit on his lap.

“Is pizza night, baby!” breaks through the house before you can make another move, making you jump and pull away on instinct. Moving out of Yoongi's reach, even hitting the desk with the back of the chair as you stand up in record time.

“Careful,” he murmurs and you don't understand why he isn't freaking out. Even dears to chuckle.

“Min, come out!” another voice calls out.

“That's not Jungkook,” you say as a matter of fact, your brain still in shock.

“I'm starting to think he stood us up.” He stands up, looking at his phone still without texts from the younger guy, “Wanna meet my roommates? They have pizza, apparently.”

And your empty stomach makes the executive decision to hide your shame, and disappointment, in exchange for some food.

You're introduced to Jin first, who introduces Namjoon while taking the knife out of his hand with a “let hyung do it.”

“I swear he never lets me hold a knife for more than five seconds,” he says and you find it adorable, but Namjoon seems genuinely confused and maybe a bit hurt by it.

You wonder what more there's to that. But before you can ask anything, a third roommate comes out of the kitchen, “Is for your own good and the wellbeing of everyone involved,” he says, making your whole body tense as the familiar voice rings through your ears.

“That's Chris.” Jin says, and you almost answer that you know, but for a second it is even hard to breathe.

Nevertheless, you don't need to say anything, because your silence is everything Yoongi needed to confirm that an introduction isn't necessary and in fact, you'd probably rather forget about him.

Because is him.

The guy who hurt you.

A/N: I missed writing this! again thank you to anyone who has show interest one way or another, you're the reason this chapter was actually finished uwu♡. A/N 2: I'm working on the intros for the characters that aren't part of the squad, and sometimes I ask for your help with fc's suggestions or names, so... that's something to know if you're interested. Send a tip on ko-fi and get some rewards!!

♡ Tag list: @n33mesis , @mggv97 , @wobblewobble822 , @bbou-doir , @m00njinnie , @nariee02 , @sexytholland , @itsmina29 , @ktownshizzle , @take-u-2-an0ther-w0r1d , @kimtaehussy .

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 7 months ago

Note

The Current event makes me smile since it kind of confirms a headcanon I had that the Great Seven have animated movies based on them. Makes me wonder about the plot of the movies

Disney should get on the Twisted Wonderland AU Animated Remakes. What is Ursula was a good witch, what if Scar was right to take the throne and did he take it from Mufasa? (Or whoever is the stand in for him)

The Evil/Beautiful Queen...actually GOOD?

Yeah, it makes sense! Since the Great Seven are historical figures and the stuff of legends, surely there would be popular media made in their image. It’s like how the Disney fairy tales borrow from stories in the public domain or how there are historical retellings and reinventions (Hamilton, anyone?).

I believe TWST has mentioned films based on their own stories and history before too, but purely in the animated sense rather than live action. In book 3, Ace and one of the Atlantica Museum guards talk about an animated movie based on the tale of the mermaid princess and her prince; this movie is said to have come out ~30 years ago, which corresponds with Disney’s animated The Little Mermaid. Ace compliments the movie’s soundtrack too way to stroke your own ego, Disney/j.

Later on in Tapis Rouge, the characters discuss other films based on the Great Seven, including one Queen of Hearts movie. A Sea Witch movie is also mentioned; in it, she “goes gigantic” and also sings as she brews potions. The Octatrio quite enjoy this particular film.

(Side note: Another anon once suggested to me that people probably also write fanfics of Neige and Vil since they’re celebrities… Think like “My mom sold me to One Direction?!” Wattpad kinds of fics, but replace One Direction with Vil or something. You can read those post here!)

It’s… interesting this event specifically has Vil promoting a live action adaption of an in-universe animated film about the Beautiful Queen—an animated film which was the first full-color animated movie AND it originally released close to 90 years ago. They also reference the funding issues that Disney suffered while producing Snow White + inviting bank employees in to preview the movie to acquire more investments, stating that the studio that made the animated Beautiful Queen experienced the same. The in-game live action is even slated to come out “NEXT YEAR”. They’re not being subtle here with TWST’s references to their own version of the irl Disney Snow White (the live action is coming out in 2025, the OG is also almost 90 years old, etc.). I wonder if the EN server will actually get Tapis Rouge around the time of the irl release of Disney’s live action Snow White as part of a promotional campaign? 😂

UPDATE: There are even more not-so-subtle references to Disney animations in part 4 of the event, including discussion of cel animation, rotoscoping, adding blush to the characters, and how Disney brought in real animals/observed the “real thing” to help with animating similar scenes or subjects. They also cheekily say that most animation nowadays is CG 💀

I know some books under Disney publishing try to show alternate tellings or show the villains in a more sympathetic light, but I don’t know that they would ever commit to fully animating a film like that. It definitely would not happen in the style of traditional animation, Disney no longer seems well-equipped to handle that task 😔 I feel like it would also be pretty niche or might not get overwhelming positive reception with recent audience calls for “true bad guys” instead of twist or sympathetic villains (though I’m not sure what percentage of people watching Disney actually have this opinion).

I do wonder how those “AU” films would work though…? It wouldn’t be as simple as suddenly turning the G7 into “good guys”. The scenario and other characters would also have to drastically change. TWST doesn’t necessarily make the original “good guys” “bad” in a world where the villains are historical figures; we still hear plenty of positive or neutral stories about the achievements of the mermaid princess and other Disney heroes.

There are also times when the same story diverges into multiple separate stories that seemingly have no connection to one another. For example, there is a story where a princess marries a street rat (clearly referencing Aladdin) and they live happily ever after in spite of the difference in their social statuses. However, there simultaneously exists a story in which the Sorcerer of the Sands saves a princess from being deceived by a fake prince (also referencing Aladdin). The same goes for the mermaid princess (Ariel)—there is both a story referring to a “mermaid princess” who married a human prince and also a different story (clearly still pulled from the same film) about a mermaid who made a deal with the Sea Witch to find true love but broke her contract in the end.

Very cool idea, just not sure where it would lead or it it’s feasible or worth it monetarily for Disney.

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anim-ttrpgs · 2 months ago

Text

The Eureka September Patreon update is live!

This might be another one of our biggest updates yet, with a pretty big changelog below! You can get this update right now by subscribing to our patreon, but itchio beta fans may have to wait a few more weeks or a month. The itchio beta won’t be updating until I finish the complete monster overhaul which could take a while.

Also a reminder for those who are a fan of our TTRPG Book Club, once we reach our patreon milestone of $310/month, we will be upgrading and expanding the book club to cover more types of RPGs, including one-page RPGs and GMless RPGs! At the time of writing this, we are at $298/310! Almost there!

For those of you who don’t want to read the whole changelog just yet, some highlights include:

THE GORGON IS NOW COMPLETE AND FULLY PLAYABLE!

Complete overhaul of the vampire

Complete overhaul of the wolfman

Overhaul and improvement of injury mechanics

Overhaul and improvement of almost every Trait in the game

TONS OF NEW ART!

Full changelog below

CHANGE LOG

Copy-editing Progress: Thoroughly copy-edited up to p. 194.

WHOLE BOOK

Stuck most of the $42+ kickstarter backer submission info into the very back of the book just to get it out of our email inbox and to allow the whole team to be able to more easily see it and work with it. Going to be doing more to integrate this stuff into the actual rulebook soon.

CHAPTER 1

Changed the limitations on how Comfort is used to restore investigator Composure.

Fixed a typo in the investigation example of play.

Made it so that Composure rolls for fears in the “Ridiculous” category don’t even always need to be rolled when these things are encountered.

Moved Character Health and Status, Grievous Wounds, Healing, and Healing Example sections to Chapter 1.

Changed Partial Incapacitation to give -2 modifiers instead of -1.

Overhauled the rules for injuries, incapacitation, and grievous wounds completely. A ton of it is changed.

Added codified rules for medical facilities and what to do in the case of investigator death.

Added “The Creeps” optional rule.

Tweak to When is the Party “Split” section regarding how long to go before jumping between groups.

Lots of new art has been added.

Tweaks to Be Prepared to Lose section.

CHAPTER 2

Changed the CQC skill to Close Combat, as this is more clear and obvious what that means at a glance

Made lots of copy-editing progress. Many paragraphs are shorter and convey the rules more clearly.

Changed the way the Burnout Trait works. It now causes the investigator to lose flat Composure each day rather than affecting their Composure rolls.

Changed the Death Wish Trait to not suck.

Changed the Elementary! Trait to use Visual Calculus instead of Social Cues.

Changed Go With Your Gut Trait to not suck.

Added that wallets and like basic clothing and stuff have a WP cost of 0

Added glasses to item list

Added rope to item list

Added hand warmers to item list

Changed Arithmomania trait to where it only gives a +1 base bonus to Paperwork, and the bonus for having a lower Ignorance of Quantity Tiers of Fear rating is more investigation points.

Changed Femme Fatale to add a +1 Seduce bonus instead of +2.

Totally redid the Hardy Trait.

Added -1 modifier to I’m Okay You’re Okay Trait

Redid the Just Built Different Trait. Now it allows a character “no sell” an incoming Superficial Damage attack once per Scene, reducing the damage to 0, among a few other things.

Added Renaissance Man Trait.

Removed Love Me Trait. Might try to reword it another time, but it was too similar to too many other traits and wasn't very interesting.

Completely reworked Lover Trait.

Many new snoops have been added.

Changed the Mad Genius trait to be called Lovecraft Protagonist and changed what it does.

Removed the investigation point cap on Man of Action Trait. Also changed the name to Ask Questions Later.

Changed My Glasses Trait to only provide bonuses to Knowledge Skill Investigative Rolls.

Changed Nightstalker Trait so that it provides a bonus to all Interpersonal Rolls while trespassing

Changed None of My Business Trait to suck less.

Changed Not Finished Yet Trait to suck less.

Changed Showboater Trait to suck less.

Changed Skeptic Trait to suck less.

Smalls is now a real Trait instead of just a joke Trait.

Removed the +1 Bonus from the Unpredictable Trait.

Changed Wicked Trait to not suck.

Changed Wizened Trait to suck less.

Woo-Woo Trait no-longer based on Blacked Out Skill.

Moved “Deadly Combat, Permanent Consequences” here and changed the title to “Disabilities are Disabling”

Changed Basic Physical Therapy on the Wealth Point Item List from 3WP to 2WP.

Added new section “People Change”

Made Blissfully Ignorant trait immune to “The Creeps.”

Made the Technically… Trait have a +2 bonus instead of +1.

Updated the Hard Boiled Trait to work with the new way that injuries and incapacitation works.

Moved the Hardened Hearts snoop to be the Wicked snoop instead.

Changed “Empath” Trait to be “Empathetic” instead.

Made “Did You Know…” a better and more usable Trait

Made Hard Under Pressure a better and more usable Trait.

Changed how the WP cost of an item affects the modifier for rolling for it in-adventure. The modifier is now half the WP cost rounded down.

CHAPTER 3

Moved the section “Deadly Combat, Permanent Consequences” into chapter 2.

More art has been added.

Moved Character Health and Status, Grievous Wounds, Healing, and Healing Example sections to Chapter 1.

CHAPTER 4

More art added

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

The Blacked Out Skill has been changed in two major ways. First we made it more obvious that the Blacked Out Skill applies even to knowledge of the supernatural that is not necessarily true. And also rather than working the way that every other Knowledge skill works, the Blacked Out Skill now gives leads to where answers might be found rather than immediate concrete answers.

THE GORGON IS FINISHED AND FULLY PLAYABLE!

Added that Alt. Witches have to make their supernatural ability composure rolls at +0 instead of +3. The +3 was a typo.

Started work on the complete monster overhaul.

Vampires have been completely rewritten. Most of their abilities and themes are the same, but the way the abilities work has been overhauled and improved in many cases, as well as now being formatted and structured in a sane and easily-referenceable way.

More art has been added.

Changed the +2 Contextual Close Combat bonus for the Werewolf Trait to a +1 Base Bonus

Wolfmen have been completely rewritten. Most of their abilities and themes are the same, but the way the abilities work has been overhauled and improved in many cases, as well as now being formatted and structured in a sane and easily-referenceable way.

Fairytale Witch is currently being rewritten/overhauled.

Changed Incredible Strength Mage Trait to have a +2 Close Combat bonus instead of +3.

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but you can still check out the public beta on itch.io to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, etc.!

You can also follow updates on our Kickstarter page where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more, you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy earlier, plus extra content such as adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

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