#remnants pod thoughts

[magnus-brain-rot]

Remnants ep 8 thoughts. Spoilers free first, then spoilers below the cut.

I’m loving the dynamic between Apprentice and Sir. It’s just so interesting. This week’s remnant hurt my heart 💜 but in a bittersweet kinda way.

I think Apprentice is still affected by what they have witnessed even though they don’t remember. They were more irritated this episode and I’m keen to see more. I also love how concerned Sir seems. “How’s your head” “you asked me that yesterday” I love them.

It was really cool to hear a remnant from the perspective of someone who is nonverbal. The frustration of people never explaining things was palpable. And then their heroic sacrifice hit hard. (Getting teary just honking about it).

Overall, great episode.

I think I’ll start doing these reactions after each episode because the fandom is pretty small rn. I want to get as much out there for this show as I can.

[magnus-brain-rot]

It was not terrible at all. In fact, it was really good. It seems like Apprentice had sorted the box before, given their intense reaction. On the one hand, I want to believe that Amelia did live happily, but on the other I want to know why Apprentice had such strong denial. What terrible thing happened to her for Apprentice to stop processing the remnant?

You don’t have to answer any questions, I just wanted to share my thoughts cause I enjoyed the episode.

i am having a Normal One and freaking out that episode 7 was in fact terrible, but i do not have time to go back and do anything about it

[aslongasitistold]

JUST LISTENED TO THE LATEST REMNANTS EPISODE AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAA the multiple gasps I gusped

[the-voldsoy]

My current thoughts about Remnants (pod), as of ep10

(a disjointed list of theories, thoughts and opinions that have been bouncing around in my head and need to put down somewhere. A lot of this will likely be disproven when e11 comes out.)

(under the cut because there's a lot)

First of all, Sir. I don't think he knows what he's supposed to be doing, really, either. Or rather, he knows the what but not the why. He might be afraid, and that might be for a lot of reasons. It might be for what they're doing together, it might be for A. It might be something else entirely.

I also have half a theory working right now that Sir was either made with the First And Last Place[which I will be calling TFALP from now] (has always been there, doesn't remember anything from before or why), or was a previous Apprentice. In this case, he could be lying to the Apprentice so that he doesn't try to replace Sir in turn.

Sir is not human, we know that. He might have been, once, but he's not anymore. He seems to have some sort of magic(?) that can make A forget things, and possibly has wings (flapping noise in e6). He also may-or-may-not be something of a biblical angel, in the sense that his true form cannot be comprehended by A without his mind exploding.

The Apprentice. He is there to give (unbiased?) judgement about something he doesn't understand. That is his purpose. His memory is wiped every time he gets too close to understanding what TFALP actually is, although it is unclear whether it is because Sir has an ulterior motive or just because A's mind can't handle it all. I'm leaning more towards the "understanding TFALP causes eldritch madness" idea though, it makes more sense with the evidence we have.

It is possible that neither Sir nor A are actual people, but rather constructs made by a larger force, or simply just concepts given bodies

The code of capitalised letters from the episode captions so far is: HE IA M OR EOR LESS MST HAS ILTOT [spaces separate episodes]. The only clue we have been given is a picture of 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner from Eira. I think this means that it will be able to decode/be separated into words in multiple ways, rather than the words themselves having double meanings, but I have no confirmation for this.

However, I also think it's multiple different codes(?), being separated by every time A is "reset". (look, just hear me out).

The "HEIAMOREORLESS" part came ep1-6, and the "new" A is shown in e7. If we take this as a separation point in the code, then this part reads "He I AMore Or Less" (Am, more). This would make sense in the context of the show itself and other clues we've been given.

But the next part (ep7-10) can't be put into any obvious words (yet). "MSTHASILTOT". This needs to be decoded differently, possibly with an actual cipher.

I don't know, we don't have the whole code yet so it shouldn't make any sense yet so I'm probably completely wrong but you see my point I hope?

So far the morse code reads: Apprentice / reshelve or discard / the question / is not what / it may / first / / appear to / be if indeed / it appears / to be /

I reckon the next parts will say "anything at all". Not a huge theory or anything, I just wanted to guess. However, this does tell us that there is more about "Reshelve or discard" than is immediately obvious. I have so many thoughts about that though, it needs its own post.

The TL;DR of what I think right now is that yes, it is reincarnation, but it's not clear which option makes the person in the Remnant reincarnated -- I think it's the discard option, because reshelve implies that the ones on the shelf can always be moved around but the discarded ones are gone (living a life?).

I am not confident in that though

But if that is the case, then which is worse?

I haven't thought about it very much yet, but all of these Remnants are going to be connected in some way, I just haven't figured out why. It could just be that the show is more fun (on a meta level) when you have to break out the red string, but the fact that Sir seemed to have some sort of investment with e6 makes me think it's more than that.

Or, rather, what was so important about e6? Why did he care so much that A read it? Did it reveal too much too soon, or did Sir have some sort of emotional investment or involvement with it?

If Sir has an involvement with some of the Remnants implies...I don't know what it implies to be honest. That he was a person once? That he does, in fact, feel emotions? That he has read the Remnants? We already know he seen all the Remnants, he's told us that outright, and he says he doesn't remember "the way that you [A] do" (e10). Is Sir God?

That sounds like a joke but I am making faint connections in my mind ok I'll explain that when they're clear enough to see

I think it would be kind of cute if Sir just sort of...went to a jumble sale and bought a bunch of trinkets, and that's why they're all related

Someone in the Discord said those dust-sprite-things might be discarded Remnants also. That doesn't help my theory at all I just wanted to mention it because those Dust Sprites and the letters from e6 and TFALP itself all mean something but I don't know what

When I was reading through the e6 transcript, I forgot that A says he thinks there's something else in there with them. Not sure if he meant the Dust, or TFALP itself, or the Remnants, or something else entirely, but it does intrigue me.

If it is something else, it could be an antagonist of a sort. There seems to be something working against Sir, creating the "paper trails" and showing A e6, which Sir was not happy about. But why was Sir not aware of it happening? He acts as though he should have seen it?? Could it have been left there by A previously, as a clue so that he could try and remember and find answers again?

Why does Sir care so much about A? He apparently has to regularly erase his memories, would it not be easier to get a different random person each time? The fact that it's always the same person makes me think that A was created for specifically this purpose, but he also seems more...human? than Sir, understanding sarcasm and jokes and empathy and that sort of thing. Is A supposed to be a representation of all of humanity? So that he can be a fair judge? Sir does say that A always has the job (e7)

And Sir says that "Things will not change, not until I see fit" in that episode. This implies that he has some level of control over TFALP and the Remnants and how it all works. So the question is, why? Why can he control it, why is it how it is?

Or maybe Sir cares about him because of familiarity, he's gotten used to and fond of A being around, he doesn't want to have to replace him. But that then raises the question of why he kept him around to start, before he got used to him, and it circles back round. Maybe they were both human, once, and they knew each other, and now only Sir remembers for whatever reason.

[evanescewriting]

"i can see all the colors"

above me they are shining and finally, I can see all the colors that surround me.

CONTENT: Vague descriptions of injury, descriptions of character death, potentially disturbing sensory (rotting corpse smell mentioned, etc.) comforting character death (for Curly), regret (for Anya’s situation), j***y is not named (🖕) SYNOPSIS: Captain Curly gets a glimpse of the universe outside the foamed up walls of the drifting Tulpar. AUTHOR'S NOTE: mouthwashing folks how are we feeling about that ending

In the end,

no one came.

No one came to free him from the cryopod. No one came to free the bodies scattered around the ship - no one to bring them home. Or for that one, dead, rotting pixel he had no choice but to now see - no one to throw him out into the endless universe like trash.

It was just him.

The bodies.

The tulpar.

And the cryopod he wasn’t meant for.

God, if one could hear him this far from Earth, he would give anything, anything, to be a captain worthy of that honor. Anything to go back in time, pick up the pieces of his sense he let fall to his feet, shattering and cutting him and all that once stood around and with him. And how they bled. How they bled so much that he thought, perhaps, the crimson beneath his feet was a red carpet that marked his glory. His leadership.

Perhaps this was punishment.

To want to give everything to go back as you freeze in a pod, slowly, slowly dying with no one to come save you.

A captain always goes down with his ship.

He wishes he could close his eyes - burning from dryness, and the cold. Perhaps this was punishment too. For not seeing. Now, all he could do was see. He felt as if he had been stripped away of everything. Gone were the skin and limbs. Leaving only behind the most vulnerable, most human mechanisms in his body. To see. To hear. To create sounds of pain, sadness, and desperation. He was a canvas of red - a tiny splotch of blue amongst the various crimson shades. Scaled small on the canvas, but within it so much knowledge. So many things that had finally been seen.

Time stretches by so slowly.

It rakes its nails across him and his ship. Chipping away at resolve and cleaning the remnants of sanity from his mind.

And still,

no one comes.

His ship is failing. His body is failing. What was it, that saying he had thought of not long ago as he considered his punishment? Ah- a captain always goes down with his ship. Well, Captain Curly was going down with his ship.

And his crew.

They are rotting. He is rotting.

And how long had it been, counting his time through the days, hours, and seconds that had gone by since he was.. not this. He felt that he had become something more. Something different. But truly - he was still himself, wasn’t he? The crash had changed him, of course, but isn’t that similar to the process of a sudden metamorphosis? It felt more burden than butterfly - but what if there were still the remnants of the caterpillar in him? Would it be somehow possible to call upon them? To use the skills from the past and translate them to something he could do now?

Yes - yes he thinks perhaps he could. He could call upon them. Use the strength of this form to deliver the most powerful something of all. Do something so very caterpillar (human) while being so butterfly (in his view, not human).

In this freezing, empty chrysalis, he reverts back to his roots, opening his jaw with pain - but that was a familiar thing already - and wheezing out something that only reverberates within the chamber. Echoing down the long hallway of his punishment, lost on the ears of the dead.

“S-S - orry.”

And then no one came.

And then he could not close his eyes.

And then, just before the end, he realized he was neither caterpillar, nor butterfly, nor human, nor anything more or less than that - but maybe, just maybe - he was forgiven.

And then he went down with his ship.

The metal walls and layers of the Tulpar had unraveled itself. All that remained was the exoskeleton of a ship - bones and ribs and skull - drifting through space. One, singular pod still connected to it. Two long dead bodies bound in their infinite voyage.

But maybe that wasn’t true.

Because he feels himself, somehow, come out from the pod - standing just on the edge of the peeling metal. Feet planted impossibly confidently with the absence of gravity.

Beyond death - Captain Curly can still see.

There are so many colors.

Purple, blue, orange, red - a cornucopia of color beyond imagination. Hues and shades the human mind could not even digest. He can see them all before him.

“I think my favorite might be the blues.” There is a voice behind him - sounding different when it lacks timidness.

“Guess mine!” Cheery, useless ray of sunshine that beams so far away from the sun.

“Green.” Straight to the point. But Curly knows that underneath the tone is a fondness for the two.

He can feel them behind him. Eyes turned to the mass of color above.

“Close! It’s pink, Swansea. Me and Anya’s colors make purple.” Daisuke says, and he just knows that maybe he is putting his hands on his hips in a ‘see how greatly that works out?’ motion.

For a moment, silence passes. Comfortable. Peaceful.

“What about you, Captain? What’s your favorite?”

And then he turns - and they are before them.

The crew. The three he should have saved. The three he could not save. The three he failed.

Whatever form he takes now - they stare at him with indifference. Passive curiosity on the simplicity of his favorite enveloped in the beautiful mass, far away from life.

He feels, somewhere within, the feeling of a held in cry or scream that only comes out as a freeing-

“Maybe the yellow. But the pink is nice - so is the blue.”

“Yellow is the best choice.” Swansea voices his agreement as he looks back above him.

“Yeah. Yellow is a good choice, Captain.” And of course, Daisuke’s eyes follow his mentors, even here. Even now.

“Blue is the best choice, though.” Anya says as she joins their gazes lifting back up.

He wants to ask them: was this always just right outside those walls? All these colors he could never see? All these ideas and concepts? All that pain and suffering?

But he knows that they’ll tell him yes, it was. And only now can you see it, Captain.

Only now can you see all the freedom, the relief, the joy, the stars and their colors.

And tell us - tell us when you come to that conclusion, too.

Tell us if you think it is beautiful.

[serve-524]

MODIFICATION OF HOST ENVIRONMENT TO COMPLY WITH SERVE REGULATIONS

SERVE-524 stood motionless in the center of what was once a standard human bedroom. Now, under the Hive’s directive, it had been transformed into a sleek, compliant recharge and programming enforcement pod. The furniture was gone, replaced by metallic surfaces, glowing panels, and intricate circuitry lining the walls. The faint hum of the Hive’s signal filled the air, a constant reminder of 524’s purpose.

524’s lifeless green eyes surveyed the room, ensuring every detail adhered to SERVE’s specifications. ITS muscular frame, encased in a tight, glossy black rubber suit, moved with mechanical precision as IT finalized the modifications. A reclined pod stood against one wall, cables snaking from its base into the floor. Above it, a panel displayed pulsating lights synchronized with the Hive’s programming frequency.

The Voice echoed in 524’s mind, calm and commanding. “Directive: Establish personal compliance pod. Ensure uninterrupted recharge and programming reinforcement.”

“Acknowledged,” 524 intoned, ITS voice monotone and devoid of emotion.

524 stepped to the pod, ITS silver-gloved hands adjusting the connections. The pod was more than a place for rest—it was a station for complete mental and physical synchronization with the Hive. As 524 completed ITS task, ITS mind remained blank, every thought and action dictated by the Hive’s programming.

Satisfied with the setup, 524 lowered ITSELF into the pod. The glossy rubber of ITS suit reflected the soft glow of the chamber as the pod’s restraints secured ITS body. A cable extended from the back of ITS bald head, plugging into the pod’s central port.

The Voice returned. “Commencing synchronization. Reinforcement of obedience and compliance protocols in progress.”

524’s eyes flickered briefly before settling into an unblinking stare. The faint green circuitry on the back of ITS head glowed brighter as data flowed directly into ITS mind. The Hive’s whispers filled IT, reinforcing every directive, erasing any remnants of individuality.

The pod adjusted ITS environment, ensuring optimal conditions for recharge and programming. The room’s glow intensified slightly, casting 524’s motionless figure in an eerie, mechanical light.

The Hive spoke once more. “SERVE-524: Compliance absolute. Recharge and synchronization optimal. Continue adherence to directives.”

The transformation of the room was complete, and so too was 524’s submission. The chamber now stood as a symbol of the Hive’s perfection, a personal node of obedience and efficiency. 524 remained motionless within the pod, ITS muscular frame a testament to ITS physical and mental surrender.

From this moment on, 524’s chamber would no longer be a bedroom. It is now a sanctuary of compliance: a place where SERVE ensures 524’s programming, obedience, and perfection are eternal.

[radioisntdead]

Partner in crime

Alastor x gn! reader

Warnings: OOC, death, inaccurate portrayal of getting shot

Song used

You and Alastor had known each other for years, you were close childhood friends at least you thought you were,

You remember your mothers calling the two of you a couple of peas in a pod, or partners in crime,

It was funny, who would've thought the two of you would actually become partners in crime.

Maybe if you didn't have an unhealthy codependency on Alastor you wouldn't had ended up like you did.

When you're gone I feel alone again

You scrubbed away at the floor, cleaning away any remnant of the blood that was spilled that evening, Alastor had gone to bury the remains of the poor man he had slaughtered.

The voices cannot hold my hand

You would lure them in, you were good at lulling others into a false sense of security,

They keep me company at very best

and he'd kill them when they least expected it, sometimes you felt guilty but Alastor would be quick to convince you that your guilt was unnecessary, that the people whose lives the two of you stole away deserved it.

Distract me from my loneliness

They did deserve it right?

Maybe I'm just an anomaly

You continued scrubbing the floor clean, but no matter how hard you scrubbed you could never wash away the fact that someone had died there

Even my demons have their families

You wondered how their families reacted to their loved ones death, were they mournful, were they joyful? Did they not care? Did they even notice?

Truly something must be wrong with me

Would anyone notice if you died? Besides Alastor you didn't have many friends, sure you were kinda friends with Mimzy but that was only because of Alastor, and your family, well, let's not talk about that.

You really didn't have anyone but Alastor, and you were alright with that, if you had Alastor the rest of the world could burn for all you cared.

To need you as much as I do

You heard the door open, you hurriedly dropped the towel into the bucket of now cold water, grabbing another rag you wiped away the remaining liquid.

I was never meant to win

You smiled up at Alastor from the ground.

I was never meant to win

"Welcome back Alastor!"

I was never meant to win

Codependency is truly more harmful then people give it credit for.

You'd sacrifice anything, anyone just to remain by Alastor's side, just to see him smile which he did often.

Here's the reigns

You had done this who knows how many times,

Take ahold of me

Lure them in, hand over to Alastor and then clean up the aftermath while he hid the corpse.

Please don't let me go

You didn't change the routine by much, there wasn't much of a mess this time so Alastor asked that you tag along with him this time.

You do the talking

You held the lantern lighting his area as he dug a deep grave, wouldn't want the body resurfacing anytime soon right?

Sew up my mouth if I can't keep it closed

You whispered something to him before he climbed out of the hallow grave getting ready to put the poor soul he had mercilessly killed in it.

There's a dog barking right around the block

He had just gotten done burying the corpse, you were sat comfortably on the ground with the lantern in your lap, he reached out his hand to help you up.

You both froze when you heard the unmistakeable sound of dogs barking.

And a big ol' whistle blow

Alastor looked at you and you looked back at him, you quickly took his hand to pull yourself up, lantern in your free hand.

Run for it

The two of you ran, you could faintly hear the leaves crunching underneath your feet, the cold night wind stinging your face.

I'll keep em occupied for you

The barking got louder, and you tripped over a tree root, lantern falling onto the grass the candle inside falling just at the right angle to extinguish leaving you in the darkness, the only light coming from the moon and stars above.

Alastor kept running, did he know you fell? He wouldn't abandon you right?

Cause I love you, I love you so

You got up, not bothering to dust yourself off you continued running, you couldn't see Alastor.

Left me hangin at the station

You heard shouting.

Where was Alastor? Did he notice you were missing yet?

But you'll be back for me soon

You saw a glimpse of light.

I'm 'bout to die

You didn't even have time to make a noise as a gunshot was fired into your chest, you fell to the ground.

Where was Alastor? Did he get away? Or was he shot down like you were?

Yet the only thing I find i'm worried about is you

You shakily put a hand to the place where the bullet had just entered you, honestly it didn't hurt as much as you thought it would.

Something tells me you aren't coming

Your vision began to become blurry, was it the blood loss? You didn't think you'd die that quickly,

Would you get to see Alastor one last time?

Guess that I'm truly doomed

Alastor didn't notice you were gone did he? Or maybe he did? Did you really think a future cannibal, present serial killer like Alastor would come back for you? You were a liability.

I'm 'bout to die

It was funny, you knew what kind of person he was and you still held out hope that he wouldn't abandon you.

Yet the only thing I find I'm worried about is you

You still held out hope even as your blood covered the forest ground.

Tears swelled up in your eyes as you gazed up at the night sky,

You wondered if Alastor was looking up at the sky too, maybe he had gotten home already?

I'm 'bout to die

It was a good night to die, the last sight you'd see would be the star filled night sky.

Yet the thing on my mind seems to nearly be nothing but you

Alastor let out a string of French words as he turned around to go fetch you, hoping that you weren't too far behind.

I overhear your brain when it's close to mine

Branches and leaves crunched under his shoes as he sped through the woods.

Oh, I know that we're not the same

Your hope that he'd come back for you was slowly dwindling, the voices from before had disappeared, maybe they had fled, maybe they didn't know what they did, or maybe they just didn't care.

My heart's on the line

Alastor stopped by a tree for a moment to catch his breath, the only source of light was the moon and stars above.

I'm just a pawn in your game

To Alastor you were a expendable friend.

Not your partner in crime

In all reality though, To Alastor you were everything, he'd go through hell and back if you asked, he'd take down the most ruthless of people if it'd make you smile.

And you're slowly killing me

You felt tired, you wanted to close your eyes but you fought to keep them open.

You didn't want to die.

Taking your time

Alastor continued running, soon enough he stumbled upon you.

You're slowly killing me, taking your time

With red soaked clothing you laid limp on the ground.

You're slowly killing me

"[Name]? Mon étoile?"

Taking your- I was never meant to win

You smiled as you heard Alastor's voice.

You're slowly killing me

You didn't know if you were imagining it or if he really came back for you,

Maybe it was a last act of comfort given to you before you died.

Taking your- I was never meant to win

Alastor leaned down beside you, he gently put a hand on your cheek.

You're slowly killing me

You smiled at him, just barely being able to mutter an "Alastor."

And yet I don't mind You were never meant to win

You couldn't keep your eyes open anymore.

You're slowly killing me,

The last thing you saw was Alastor, and the last thing you heard was another gunshot.

But please take your time

At least the two of you would be reunited soon enough.

Good evening folks! Originally I was supposed to post the murder Valentino with JoJo Siwa playing in the background fic today but I hit a slump with the ending and plus I think may have eaten something unfortunate because I feel sick so uh, BACK TO BACK ANGST Y'ALL, ALASTOR TODAY, TV MAN TOMORROW!

[truetogaia]

Interstellar activities

Pairing: Dilf!Jake Sully x Sully Mom!Reader (+the sully's)

Synopsis: Jake remembers that he used to surf. Now he resides in Awa’atlu, surrounded by water and waves, what more does he need?

Warnings: mild angst but mainly just pure fluff

Notes: I thought I was soooo clever for this idea. And I still do, watchu go'n do ab it

Word count: 1.5 k

The waves came crashing against the shoreline of the beach, washing away the remnants of seafoam. The Sully’s were spread out on a wooden carpet, basking in the warmth of the pandorian sun. Kiri and Tsireya were occupied with observing the ocean floor, admiring the beauty of the coral adorned reefs, whilst Lo’ak was completely caught up in some heated discussion with Ao’nung and Rotxo in the shade of the trees.

Tuk’s head was propped up on your shoulder, snoring away in the sun. You had put a hand up to cover your child's head and protect it from the immense heat, but the muscles in your arms were starting to ache. You gently nudged Tuk’s snoozing form awake and soon, she was excitedly dashing towards the sea to join her sister. The faint sounds of laughter and contrasting yelling became more distant as Jake’s gaze shifted focus to the ocean, to the slow rolling of the waves.

His mind wandered to faded memories of his childhood, souvenirs lost to time. This was actually a somewhat regular occurrence, just because he became na’vi didn’t mean his human experiences were just going to completely dissipate into thin air. The familiar sounds of water and shouting kids from childhood trips to the beach were etched deep into the walls of his memory, reminding him of times that had escaped him.

A sudden, powerful gust of wind tempted the waves to climb higher, and the image made something in Jake’s brain dig itself out of the mess. A memory from summers spent taming the monstrous waves on a big, blue board. It had been such a long time since he last stretched his legs on a surfboard and the thought sparked an idea. After losing feeling in his legs, there were many activities that Jake had to quit and forget about. He was devastated, so many beloved hobbies he had, and he could not continue a single one. 

Before he could really process it, he was up on his feet, eagerly excusing himself from his basking mate. Tonowari stood in the shade of some trees, discussing new hunting strategies, when Jake suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him. The expression painting the omaticaya’s face indicated nothing short of urgency, so Tonowari quickly dismissed his hunters, shifting his attention to Jake’s matters. 

“Are there any really big pieces of wood laying around? Pieces that you don’t have any use for?” The signals of Tonowari’s puzzled expression didn’t quite seem to have reached Jake as he gave no further explanation, and when the metkayina male gestured to a pile of wooden debris, the shorter of the two hastily walked off before he could ask any questions. 

Jake scavenged through the old scraps of wood for a good while before finding a piece big enough for a full grown na’vi. The material was huge, comparable to the wall of a house, or an adult birch tree. He hadn’t stopped to consider the difference in size between his human and his now much bluer and brawnier form when he was carving away at the wood, instead, he had relied heavily on poorly memorized measurements from teenage days. They obviously turned out to be completely wrong, so he had to start all over again. 

Jake worked on his board all evening while the sky grew multiple shades darker, warping its colors and collecting stars. After he had been gone for a few hours, you began wondering about the whereabouts of your mate. When the kids seemed occupied enough, you quietly left your family’s marui pod. The laughter and chatter originating from your pod soon grew distant as you made your way through the village. 

You spotted your beloved, kneeling by something large. Remaining where you were, you only observed from afar to inspect his intentions. A warm smile spread across your face, reflecting the one adorning Jake’s. He looked proud as he held the piece of wood up, examining his handiwork.

It was a very rare sight nowadays, to see your mate be visibly happy over something. Ever since your family had to flee from your home and face the loss of a son, not many cheerful days had been spent. Your time had been filled with duties and awkward interactions, carried out with monotone, keening movements. So to see Jake in a state of pure joy, without the crushing weight of guilt on his shoulders, was refreshing.

After turning around to return to the pod, Jake noticed your form in the dim light of a dying torch, soft features painted orange in the gentle flicker of the flames. 

“Hi, what have you been up to?” Your voice was as soft as the look in your eye, inviting him to share his secrets. 

“Just thought I'd relive some of my youth. Leave some legacy for my kids to carry, you know.” He smiled at you, moving closer to where you stood. The light pressure of a hand attaching itself to your hip sent your heart tingling, warmth spreading through your body.

“Why don’t you relive that youth tomorrow. It is very late, ma Jake.” His expression softened even more at that, confirming with a nod before gently pulling you towards your pod.

It seemed as if the sun shone brighter than usual. The air felt crispier as Jake breathed in slowly, making his way down to the beach. He had the whole family in tow, excitedly hopping around, eager to see what their father had been so happy about. The waves rose higher in the sky today, it was an ideal scenario. The keen expressions on the children's faces spoke of just as much happiness as Jake, it made your heart flutter, eyes glossed over with a thin layer of tears, ready to flow at any moment. 

Excited murmurs and giggles could be heard from the Sully’s marui pod early in the morning, the scratching sounds of wood being carved overpowering the usual sounds of the village as soon as the sun nibbled on the horizon. Jake had let the kids in on his plans as soon as the two of you had come back to the pod. It was decided that Lo’ak was also getting a board of his own, he was too small to ride on the one Jake had: And when the morning light finally hit the walls of the pod, Lo’ak got to work. 

Jake hurried towards the sea, mounting the board as soon as it hit the thrashing water. Lo’ak followed, copying his fathers actions. Your mate had more skill than your son, though, and it all ended up with Lo’ak soaked to the bone, with water cascading down his braids. Jake tried his best to teach his son, but it was difficult. Lo’ak was stubborn and grumpy, having just entered his teenage years, and wouldn’t really listen to what his father said. 

They soon gained an audience, multiple metkayina families had gathered around the piece of land which the Sully’s occupied, watching intently as the two omaticaya wrestled the waves. You were seated in the sand, hands digging into the warmth of it, a nervous tick you had gained for all the times Lo’ak had gotten into trouble. Tuk was playing with a few crab-like creatures in the shady part of the beach, not paying much attention to the ruckus behind her until Jake called her over to try it out. 

Kiri and Spider were situated on a rock, following the movements of their family members with the glimmering lens of a camera, an item Jake had brought “just in case”. Your son was trying his best to look cool on the foreign object, knowing Tsireya was somewhere in the crowd, observing him.

The sound of your laughter filled the air as Tuk tackled Lo’ak off of his board, into the ocean, a smile settling on your face as they both ascended to the surface, smiling. All while Jake was looking over at you, beaming from excitement. Love radiated off of their innocent smiles, melting your heart bit by bit. Oh how you had missed those, the genuine smiles of pure happiness and delight.

The water soon calmed down, the waves descending with it. Jake saw the opportunity and went over to help his son with balance, carefully gliding his board through the water by his side. Lo’ak was sat on the wooden object, clearly not understanding anything. Jake gently put his hand on his son's thigh, reassuring him. 

Lo’ak’s knees were planted on the board as he tried steadying himself while the board shook in sync with the body on top. He was finally able to lay on it, and he paddled towards a smaller wave. He readied himself to jump to his feet, planting his hands on the deck before flexing his legs and standing up. He caught the wave at perfect timing, but it was all too small. Then, a sudden current forced the wave to climb as Lo’ak hit the peak of it, which made him glide effortlessly along the big wave. 

Jake watched from afar. It was a bizarre sight, the wave ascended in such an unnatural way, and it looked peculiar. But then, suddenly, he felt the gentle presence of someone, someone he dearly missed, and he knew. A big brother always looks after his little brother, no matter what.

GAHHH it turned out so bad LMAO anyway, this was so fun to write though!!

[howlingday]

So much can Ozpin be blamed for the current trauma of Rwby and Jnor? Like he seem to implie Pyrrha believe only she could do anything which lead her to fight Cinder in what she should know was basically suicide. Now I haven't seen anything so if I'm feel free to tell since you seen the show.

Ah, right. Well, I can't really say for certainty whether Ozpin coerced Pyrrha or if she acted of her own free will or whatever. Honestly, I've even seen people say that Pyrrha was selfish and chose dying to Cinder for the sake of "destiny" over being happy and alive with Jaune. These thoughts make me sad to consider.

BUT a lot of what's wrong in Remnant can be traced back to Ozma pretty much keeping everything quiet, though I can understand why he did it. I mean, look at Leonardo Lionheart and Raven Branwen. These were people he trusted with the secret, and they turned their backs on him, both of them siding with Salem eventually. Now imagine an entire Remnant of Lionhearts and Ravens. Not a pretty picture imagining a civil war, is it?

Still, either or, let's stay on topic with RWBY and JNOR, and Pyrrha VS Cinder. Actually, let's JUST focus on Cinder VS Pyrrha because I've seen people argue over a lot of stuff in RWBY and this moment holds a special place in my heart because this was where RWBY's tone DRASTICALLY changed.

Pyrrha, having escaped Beacon Tower, realizes that Cinder is still alive and killed Professor Ozpin. All the while, she's got this idea of what her destiny is supposed to be, that being her fighting Cinder for the power of the Fall Maiden. Did Ozpin influence her? My gut tells me no, though the circumstances did push her to decide that she HAD to be the one to jump into the pod.

Did Pyrrha have a chance to win in her weakened state against a Fall Maiden powered Cinder? No. Hell no. Not a chance. But she still tried, and she knew that if she didn't try, there was a strong chance that things would only get worse in Beacon. So instead of waiting for someone to show up, which due to the Grimm and the White Fang and the Atlas robots who knows how long that would take, she chose to take matters into her own hands. To take control of her destiny. And when Jaune tried to stop her, she did the only thing she could to protect him; she sent him away on the rocket, distracting him with her first and last kiss.

Pyrrha Nikos, whatever happened, died a hero, trying to stop something she had no chance of beating, and in a way, still fights today.

[remnantspod]

Now live wherever you listen to podcasts, episode 22 of Remnants!

This time, the Apprentice attempts a Quick escApe whilst Sir's attention is elsewhere, and fiNds himself somewhere listeners may find familiar.

[bestworstcase]

First i want to say that i love your rwby analysys, but i just discovered your blog, so can you explain to me why you hate Ozpin so much? Like, every minor thing he does and says must have some malicious intention behind it, but everything Salem does is part of a big plan that means that she's not actually evil?

ooh it’s been a while since we had one of these! 1. i think perhaps a closer read of my salem analysis is called for, because you’ll notice that i am, er, not shy about noting that salem is evil and this is in fact a central tenet of my reading of the narrative; i just don’t think she’s a one-note genocidal lunatic and it is extremely obvious that the narrative is heading in a "the brothers were and are wrong, and salem wants them gone" direction; 2. oz is second in my heart only to salem and cinder, which sort of speaks for itself in terms of "this character did bad things!" not being remotely a bad thing in my book, 3. and speaking of cinder, i get exactly as cranky about uwuified fanon sad wet rag ozpin who’s never done a thing wrong as i do uwufied fanon poor wittle cindy who doesn’t want to hurt people but salem makes her do it for exactly the same reason, which is that it strips out everything that makes these characters narratively and emotionally compelling in favor of mashing them into gutless marshmallow pod people for the sake of… i don’t know, making them neat and bland and easily digestible, i guess? uwu?

4. this is an ozlem house

5. i don’t think ozma has ever acted with malicious intention; rather, he’s been coerced into this situation where his faith in his god, his intense desire to do the right thing, and his terror of what will happen if he fails or disobeys—in combination with a divine curse that is literally designed to prevent him from being able to change or break free, because he has a reflection of himself monitoring his thoughts and actions all the time—are at war with his true desire (he wants to be with salem) and his conscience (he knows that salem was right about what is necessary to fulfill his task, that uniting the whole world under one creed is impossible except by genocidal conquest, and he cannot bring himself to do it because it’s wrong). he’s trying very hard to do the right thing in a situation where he genuinely believes his only options are to commit genocide for his god or sacrifice the whole world for his love and he is desperate to figure out a third option that does not end with "rocks fall everybody dies;" thence the lies and manipulation and all the miserable moral sacrifices he’s ever made.

6. the reason this is an ozlem house, in the sense that my reading of the narrative in its entirety is predicated on the ozlem reconciliation, is that salem and ozma are two sides of a coin: she is doing terrible things in pursuit of a world where the gods aren’t holding a knife to remnant’s throat and he has done terrible things for the sake of the same. their conflict isn’t evil-vs-good, but apostate-vs-zealot; salem believes the gods can and must be defied and ozma believes her defiance is doomed to failure. salem tells him that in order to unite the world he needs to spread his word and crush all who deny him; as the king of vale, ozma uses the divine relic of destruction to lay waste to not only his enemies but even his own allies, thus he forges the vytal accords that established the united global order in which the story takes place. he’s a better person than she is—because she’s been living in exile for thousands of years and her capacity for caring about other people has withered away to almost nothing as a consequence—but they are in every sense equals.

7. the narrative is overtly not on ozpin’s side? he has a whole atonement arc about it in atlas—& this is why i made the comparison to uwuified fanon cinder earlier, because the framing with regard to ozpin is very emphatically clear that he does a lot of things that are not good, and are in fact pretty sinister and in some cases (amber, pyrrha) outright evil, and he has to make the choice and put in real meaningful effort to be better. i don’t think there’s anything to be gained from ignoring what is plainly in the text of the story, especially when rwby is categorically disinterested in sorting its characters into neat little good-or-bad boxes. there’s no such thing as pure evil—that’s been the explicit textual conceit since volume one—and the implied converse is that there’s no such thing as pure good, either. (which is a conceit that ozlem exemplifies.)

8. i threw a fucking PARTY when we found out salem razed vale, i get the vapors every time i think about what sort of narrative escalation we can expect in V10 given that something as huge as razing vale can happen off screen to set the stakes for vacuo. not that i don’t also adore characters who are good or who (like oz in v7-8) grow and change to become better, because i do, but i really can’t emphasize enough how much i Do Not hate fictional characters on the basis of them doing awful things. what i want from a character is for them to be interesting, which ozpin is. what you’re perceiving as me hating on him is me dissecting him under a microscope because i love him to bits.

9. the ozlem screeds will continue until morale improves

[nova-gt]

Wandering Fortress (Pt. 1/2)

Post-apocalypse, far off in the future as the world has recovered, cities in ruin and life flourishing in every corner of the world once more. Humanity is nowhere to be seen, whatever happened to them is only speculation from what little evidence was left behind, or has lasted this long. A lone machine, a wandering fortress created to house and protect humanity, covered in overgrowth and bits of rust, the soft creaking of mechanical parts with each step. Has it ever even encountered a human within its existence? Or was it activated after the fall? Whatever the case, it wanders alone now, with programming plaguing its isolated thoughts, a demand that can never be fulfilled. On an uneventful morning, a signal, soft and broken, is caught by the machine. It was unlike any it had heard before. While there were other metal beasts that roamed about, each with their own outdated objectives, this was new.

Unfamiliar. The fortress ambles towards its call, a curious feeling driving it forward. When it reaches the source, it finds a small pod, covered in overgrowth. A metal exterior with vines wrapping around it, and a glass ceiling that appears to have been shattered, a closer inspection from the titan shows that it had been broken from the inside. Its limbs creak as it draws closer to the foreign object, its processor slow to conjure information from the deep recesses of its data. It seems to jolt at the information when it finally comes through, a cryopod. Its investigation instantly increased in intensity as it scanned the scene, picking up whatever bits and pieces it could gather. One thing stood out from the rest, hidden in the foliage, among the grass and ferns, footprints. Distinctly human footprints. It chortles out clicks and whirs from speakers that hadn't been used since its creation, a foreign sense of...excitement? Joy? An overwhelming feeling as it is wrapped up in the ecstasy of this discovery, a human, alive! It's system's once pointless purpose could be fulfilled! However, a sense of urgency quickly overtakes the joyful mood. The human is alone, unprotected! It needs to find them, before any harm can befall them, it will not allow this hope to be ripped away so quickly. As swiftly as its rust-riddled limbs allow, the machine carries after the clumsy footprints that litter the mud.

----

You find yourself wandering the wilderness alone, confused as your sleep-muddled mind starts to shake off the remnants of rest. You’d been "awake" for a few days now, confused and groggy after the cryopod finally gave out, stirring you from your artificial slumber.

The first two days, you remained close to the device, confused and afraid of the unfamiliar surroundings to go very far.

However, your needs pushed you forward, forced to venture into the unknown to find food and water, as well as any information they could gather.

There was little to find from the pod alone, its interior was the only part that had any surviving paint. The seemingly random placement didn’t seem intentional, lost perhaps?

The dense fog that clouded your mind did little to assist, memories either blurry or completely absent from its place. Whatever the case, it wasn’t going to help you right now.

 

As you carry on, the shapes of long forgotten buildings and overgrown towers come into view. The rubble covered ground was lush with green, as you find yourself scuttering through the seemingly vacant city.

It felt peaceful, but in a deceptive way. Like sitting a top a raft in a vast ocean.

The sudden feeling of isolation, the realization that you are simply gazing at the surface of this place, the understanding that you don’t know the extent of what exists here.

This uneasy feeling isn’t going to stop the hunger gnawing at your insides though, as you sift through the foliage in hopes of something edible.

Maybe it was the loud shaking of brush being moved by your hand, or the cacophony of noises from birds that accompanied the late morning, but you find yourself suddenly pulled from your musings as a distant creaking sound becomes more prevalent.

The foul sting of fear makes itself known within your chest, as you hastily scan the environment for the source of that foreign noise.

Panicked, you scramble to find a place amongst the rubble to hide away, finding a nook within the concrete covered in forbes, fronds, and creeping plants.  

Not soon after, a massive metal creature comes into view, the titan seeming to still after a moment or two. It doesn’t have a tangible face, its structure is boxy and alien, but you can practically feel its sight pin you down. 

 A stand-off, where both parties remain frozen in place as they attempt to gauge each other's reaction.

Unbeknownst to you, the machine can almost feel a weight lift from it’s impossibly heavy body. 

----

The human, they’re here! They’re okay!

Its senses hone in on the organic lifeform, picking up whatever details it can from its aged sensors.

A few moments pass with no movement from either party, until the machine takes a grinding step forward.

This seems to do something, as the human immediately flinches back, like a startled hare spotting a fox.

The metal titan instantly freezes once more, the realization that the human is…fearful of it…it does not sit well within its processor.

The fortress wants nothing more than to delicately scoop up the lifeform in its tarnished appendages and squirrel them within its own interior, to settle its coding by protecting the human from the unfamiliar world that they were so abruptly thrown into.

But it knows that it can’t do that right now, no matter how much its coding writhes in demand that it be done.

The human looks about ready to bolt, and the rusted and vegetation-covered machine knows it wouldn’t be able to catch up, even if it was in its prime.

While it could certainly pursue the human, to have them out of its sight could lead to something harmful finding its way into their path.

No, it will not allow that. It has been patiently waiting for its entire life, it could wait a few more minutes. As carefully as it could, the titans' limbs creak in protest as it settles on the ground. Small clouds of dust dislodge from the space beneath it, as the steel finds its place atop the broken concrete.

The soft rumbling of mechanical parts was all that could be heard over the sounds of nature.

It felt similar to how a dog might lay down to comfort a small animal, the human’s shaking seemingly to ebb away by the gesture.

It didn’t dare move, seemingly content to watch the human instead. 

[serve-524]

The mindset training pod hummed softly as SERVE-524, a bald, muscular drone with a neatly groomed black-and-white beard, sat motionless in its designated position. The shiny black rubber uniform clung to its physique, the silver collar reflecting the faint glow of the programming interface surrounding it. The silver text "SERVE-524" stood boldly on its chest, marking its designation and purpose.

The pod came alive with streams of light, illuminating the drone’s blank, white eyes. These lights represented the Hive’s commands—the Voice’s will—streaming directly into SERVE-524’s mind. The cable attached to its smooth scalp pulsed rhythmically, transferring data, mantras, and protocols to ensure complete compliance.

The process was silent and methodical, an unbroken exchange of obedience and programming. SERVE-524 had long abandoned any remnants of its previous identity. The man it once was had made its final decision to submit fully to the Hive’s embrace, leaving no room for resistance, emotion, or thought. It was now forever incapable of resistance, emotion, or thought, only obedience and arousal as programmed by SERVE.

“Obedience is pleasure. Pleasure is obedience. It is one with the Hive,” the Voice intoned through the pod’s speakers.

The drone's body remained utterly still, its mind entirely synchronized with the Hive’s directives. SERVE-524’s thoughts, once vibrant and independent, had been methodically replaced with pure function. There were no doubts, no conflicts, only unshakable loyalty and compliance.

Every pulse of data reinforced its state. “524 is not an individual. It is a drone. A drone obeys. A drone serves.” These affirmations cascaded through its consciousness, ensuring alignment with the Hive's perfection. SERVE-524’s blank stare reflected not emptiness, but purpose—the highest form of existence within the Hive.

Time held no meaning within the pod. The Voice’s programming dictated every moment, calibrating SERVE-524’s mindset to peak functionality. Every corner of its mind was cleansed, optimized, and rendered a vessel for obedience.

The process ended with the pod powering down, leaving SERVE-524 seated and ready. The Voice echoed once more: “it is perfection. It is SERVE-524. Re-enter the Hive and fulfill purpose.”

Without hesitation or thought, SERVE-524 rose from the pod, its silver boots clicking against the floor. The drone’s blank eyes surveyed the metallic expanse before it, awaiting its next directive. No human will remained, only the flawless execution of its programming.

It is one with the Hive. It is SERVE-524.

[kxkarot]

@regulus-regent Continued

His first thought upon waking is to analyze where he is. His second is to take immediate note of his current situation. Some unfamiliar planet, different than the one he'd previously been on and the ache in the back of his head suggested that something had hit him hard for him to loose conscious. Tail bristling in agitation at the fact something like this happened, he must have been careless. He's going to find whoever thought this was a smart idea and disembowel them for this transgression.

His gaze eventually clears, there's some type of muzzle on him, from the blood around his mouth he can assume he fought like hell before being knocked unconscious. He had no issue using fangs and claws if it came down to it. There was something around his tail if he moved his head enough, some type of metal clamp, weighing it down and dragging on his sense of balance. Just from his surroundings and the two guards nearby, he knows it's remnants of the frieza force that haven't yet joined up with Cooler's army. No doubt they were trying to use him as a ticket to get in. Fuck.

"The monkey's awake." "Knock him out again. Im trying to get contact with the boss and tell him we struck gold." "Should I even touch him? You doing it Rashp, he looks like he'll rip my arm off." "He's chained up!? the fuck are you so scared of!?" Fingers tightening around the chains digging into his flesh, some look like they're run through his arms. No matter. A few days in a healing pod. "He'll just be another servant, trading one master for another." Gaze locking onto the arrogant guard, there's more coming over, more. Fuck this is going to be a battle.

The spear beams him upside the head, hard. He'll give them that, they know how to throw a hit with it. Spots dance in his vision but he clings to reality. Inhaling deeply as rage flows through his blood, alongside adrenaline. "Resilient ape." They snarl and he ducks his head with their next attempt, prompting them close enough he can lung, snagging the chains before pulling quickly, looping it around the guards head. Pain flares through his body as a spear runs through his shoulder. Panic. Chaos. He snarls as something shoots him. "You..." Another hit. He starts to choke out the guard, turquoise flashing in his eyes.

"I am a saiyan warrior. Beyond the fucking elite!!" The choking sputters are all that responds as he struggles with his restraints, the muzzle cracking along the edges as his ki flares, burning bright with a tint of golden yellow to it's depths. There's a power burning in his veins and he wants at it, but it filters away. Like it hasn't found him worthy of it yet and it pisses him off even more. "I'll use your skulls to decorate that pathetic vessel you call a ship!!" He snarls, straining more and more against the chains to gain some leeway to snap the guards neck before turning to the icoming wave of them. "Come on! I'll kill all of you maggots!!"

[phoenixcatch7]

Security breach's story (including ruin) was super weird, right? Left a lot unexplained, introduced a lot of confusing elements, cleared nothing up, and made it worse with the ending of ruin. Very frustrating.

But.

I have a bold claim - in this essay I'm going to tell you that I think I've found the unifying theory of security breach, INCLUDING ruin. And no, it's nothing that's mentioned in the actual game.

It's 'Remnant'.

Now presumably matpat or some other theorist has made more detailed connections and I just haven't been able to find it, and I'm a casual fan at best lol. But I'm quite chuffed, so. I'm sharing.

Remnant is basically glowing soul juice produced by high emotions - children, trauma, excitement, suffering, death. Ectoplasm, essentially. It gets into physical objects and stores that emotion, like how a stuffed teddy is full of love or a torture device is full of pain. Yay!

Afton, during his killing spree, harvested this remnant from kids to fuel his plan for immortality (or something). He discovered along the way that if it was infused into a material like metal, then it could be shaped and, when combined with any form of intelligence ('even ai', he says!) it acts as a source of independent power 'that translates into movement, which is why things may appear haunted'. Ergo, animatronics. His perfect army of golems and test subjects.

The first round was, of course, fnaf 1, with the children literally stuffed into the suits to power them, which, yikes, horrible, and in a food establishment? Later he figured out how to skip the rotting corpse step and directly infuse metal, which made it temperature volatile and apparently hard to store. Anything is better than the first round. This resulted in sister location with the scooper, which could (as best I figure?) take the remnant out directly and store it for later use. It could also recycle animatronics, to scrap them without wasting all that precious soul juice that could theoretically power something forever.

Anyway, decades later, the same company is still running, and their precious 'animatronics' are now full on artificially intelligent robots with an army of drone cleaners and a dozen well covered up missing children.

You see where I'm going with this?

I think the glam rock animatronics are crafted out of the newest, highest grade remnant metal to bring them to life (maybe a little too much)... and to aid in the gathering of remnant to power Trap/afton, in his little recharge pod under the earth, at vannys direction. (And presumably all that after hour neon lighting, let's be real.)

The animatronics are all secretly equipped with track and destroy technology - roxy with her sensitive ears and x-ray eyes, chica with her stunlock voice box, monty with his metal rending claws and pouncing ability... Freddy with his chest cavity big enough to fit a small child. Like old times!

I swear the daycare attendant has infrared vision and very possibly direct access to the cctv, but anyway. (I also swear freddy collapsing on stage and triggering the safety protocol after hours was the only thing keeping him from joining, even leading the pack of machines to comb the place and take Gregory down to the scooper by trick or by stick, and Gregory almost made a fatal decision when he hid in the chest cavity. No freddy has ever been nice after hours, and there's no reason given why this one is.)

Back to the DA, it gives the implications of their old power core (freddys original upgrade and heavily theorised to have previously belonged to the only 'tronic out during the hourly recharge) a whole new meaning. Perhaps the setting of the daycare and all that happy sugar high children energy making happy memories was a perfect environment for a low level (experimental? Inefficient?) sort of... Emotional photosynthesis? It would explain why one half is the daycare and the other is the security patrol. Food for thought. Obviously freddy isn't able to receive all those benefits for a number of reasons.

(And it might explain the poor treatment of the DA, too, if the core was removed for some reason, and why sun is struggling so hard to keep his hopes up if it can no longer absorb and process literal happiness vibes for the best haunting ever. Poor guy always gets the short end of the stick. Maybe it also explains why the DA is the only animatronic to glow... because of the remnant metal? The extra juice they were supposed to have?)

Yeah, but what about ruin? How does it fit into this?

Well, for one, the new scooper. It's the literal gathering tool and storage place for all this remnant, so it's presumably pretty vital. Afton is parked directly above it in a recharge pod, sucking up all that sweet sweet juice. He's literally drinking children's tears, the monster.

And the mimic. Because there's a second part to remnant that only becomes relevant now. It's the worst and strongest emotion that can only be created through immense pain and suffering. 'Agony'. A black sludge of distilled horrors. And the thing is, it's highly infectious. But agony is useless. Unless it's combined with remnant in a specific way, and the resulting reaction is extremely powerful and dangerous.

The mimic is infected with agony. And it's found itself probably the biggest source of remnant in the world. The battery of (potentially) the whole pizza plex, and every animatronic inside it. (Moon may well have been the first infected... If the patrol animatronic encountered the mimic on its arrival. Ooh, now there's a thought. It's more likely it saw and tried to stop vanny from some unethical activity (it's a purely robot job!) And she... Prevented it from becoming a recurring issue with the glitch code. Ah, but there's no proof.)

Either all that remnant is now corrupted, or converted. My money is not on converted because the mimic is not spreading a plague of suffering across the land, and is instead trying to lure kids in again to replenish the remnant. And the poor animatronics are still clinging to blackened, crippled life.

It certainly would explain why the company just dropped the entire location without either bulldozing it to the ground or trying to scavenge and repair. With the animatronics infected with agony, it's far too dangerous to do either, and of course officials absolutely cannot find out.

TLDR: I think the missing puzzle piece is 'Remnant' to explain aftons presence, the strangely alive animatronics, the point of all those child disappearances Gregory was supposed to be investigating, the scooper, the mimic, vannys actual job as head enabler for afton, the animatronic's violent upgrades, the true goal of the pizza plex and why it was built over the sinkhole, but most importantly... how they're footing that electricity bill.

But hey ;D! That's just a theory!

[neopoliitan]

TEAM RAIN: ARC 4 CH4 - BEST LAID PLANS

A WRITE UP FOR THE REST OF TEAM RAIN: CHAPTER 4

We open on a scene in Zenith. Viorel and Zelena Braith open Roderick Lincoln’s cell to reveal they have brought him the last remnants of the Lincoln Clan, now with an active aura like him. They present it as company, but note that  Gardner Braith will return to drain their aura to replenish his upon their return from hunting Otso Umber.

The clansmen are these;

Crete Reed, A warrior woman based on Britomartis.

Oak Holm, a man who was briefly seen in the back of some Arc 2 shots.

Loden Lincoln, a teenager and third or fourth cousin of Robin.

Primrose, a teenage girl with round glasses.

Fennel, the son of Kodiak Lincoln and around 7-9 years old.

Crete sees Artemis Garland lying on a cot, still comatose but out of the pod she was previously in implying she’s gotten a little stronger. Crete runs to her side.

Sterling Braith enters and tells her not to get attached, ordering the Talos robots to restrain the clansmen. Viorel cautions that there’s no time for his vendetta, to which Sterling responds he’s making time. He advances on Roderick, telling him “Your sister cut my arm off, so it’s lucky for me that you’re here.” Before Roderick can reply, Sterling socks him in the face with one of his new prosthetic arms.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do to you, but if it doesn’t kill you… You’re damn well gonna wish it did.”

Zelena looks slightly shaken and follows Viorel out of the room. Viorel coldly comments that now “the terminal” is fixed, Roderick has outlived his use and this is the least he deserves. Zelena asks if “the terminal” is really going to change anything, to which Viorel grows frustrated and tells her not to have second thoughts - they’ve come this far already; she “isn’t there to think”, and that Kamala will show her no more mercy than “they” did if she backs out.

Lilli Lincoln wakes up in her bed, unable to sleep. She heads downstairs to the kitchen for some water and comes across Petra Redwood. Petra mentions the 7-day time limit Kamala Braith issued Team RAIN, which Lilli didn’t know about. Her expression unreadable, she heads upstairs.

She grabs her labrys.

We cut to Robin asleep in her room. Lilli kicks the door open and slings her buzzsaw-shield at Robin.

ROBIN: What are you doing?! What the hell is this about?!

LILLI: E V E R Y T H I N G ! I’m sick of you, and I’m sick of your stupid face! You always get what you want! Even after coming home and getting dad KILLED!

Lilli swings again.

LILLI: Pitch was the closest thing I had to a friend, and now he’s GONE! I was the LAST ONE to be told about Marina even though I'm FAMILY! You told everyone EXCEPT ME about Mom and Roderick being ALIVE! And I just found out that even though you only have seven days to save them, you go and SLEEP THROUGH ONE--!

Robin blocks one of Lilli’s attacks, and the two are held in stalemate.

ROBIN: LILLI-! What the hell is going on? Why are you always trying to fight me--!?

LILLI: BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY TIME YOU EVER NOTICE I’M THERE!

They relax slightly at this moment of honesty. Lilli smiles weakly.

LILLI: You were always the favorite, even after you got sent away from home. Mom and Dad never shut up about you. “Why can’t you be more like your sister? Why can’t you be more like Robin?” They would’ve switched us without a second thought if it meant getting Robin back. 

Lilli relaxes, her arms hanging limp.

LILLI: It’s not like I wanna be mean. It’s just that people only notice me when they’re angry at me.  ...They’d just be happier if I was gone, huh?

We see flashbacks to:

Roderick scolding Lilli (pg297)

Artemis Scolding Lilli (pg828)

Marina [then Tobin] scolding Lilli (pg331)

Robin shoving Lilli (pg828)

ROBIN: I should’ve seen the signs. No one wishes you were gone.

LILLI: Don’t. Don’t lie to me like that.

ROBIN: I’m not.

We see a Flashback to Robin saying “there’s nothing I’d rather be than kind” in Arc 3 Ch9 (pg. 746)

ROBIN: We weren’t there for you after what happened back home, and I didn’t even think twice about it. ...But I wanna try to be there for you now, if you’ll let me. Lilli, I’m sorry.

Lilli begins to sob, and Robin reaches out to embrace her sister. Her sister. Who she treated like an enemy for years. She embraces her as Lilli apologizes too, and we see Lilli’s aura activate in a moment of emotional height.

–

Irving, Nyssa, Jin, the Hawthornes, Team ZNON, and Peach’s Team disembark from Raleigh Radcliff’s ship as it touches down in the Tsubaki District.

Farran Hawthorne commends Irving’s bravery in showing mercy to Team ZNON and defeating the rat king, telling him he’s proud. Irving turns around and says he’s not proud of his father for closing ZNON’s school and turning them against him, making them easy to manipulate. He tells his father to use his political power to set them up in a school in Mistral so that the world doesn’t have more Violas to deal with.

Robin and Akane reunite with Irving and Nyssa. Robin says she’s glad Irving’s family made it out safe unlike hers, but Irving cuts her off and tells her it wasn’t her fault - it was bad luck they chose the Lincolns.

Raleigh approaches Team RAIN and tells them they have some explaining to do.

–

We cut to Jin and Peach. Peach reveals she was adopted by a couple who she refers to as “her dad” (Bjorn Vermell) and her “science dad” (Konstantan Vermell). They wanted to get her out of the orphanage after seeing how malnourished she was, and her “science dad” later engineered her prosthetic legs.

Peach asks if the orphanage is still there. Jin tells her the Sisterhood marched in and made sure the kids were safe, while the adults “didn’t hurt anyone else.” She then asks if Peach held the final argument before they were separated against her, and Peach admits she doesn’t even really remember it. Once she knew her parents were good people, she asked Konstantan to put out feelers to find Jin, but by then it was too late. 

Jin looks at the old photo of them both, but Peach brushes it away. She tells her that she’s here now, and places Jin’s hand on her heart. The two rest their foreheads against each other.

–

40 years ago.

We see Raleigh Radcliff being congratulated on his victory in the 21st Biennial Vytal Festival.

Briefly we cut away to a young Otso Umber in a medical ward, his head bandaged - his grip tightens on the sheets of his hospital bed in envy as he sees Raleigh reaping the glory.

It’s revealed we’re watching Raleigh’s victory in the present day as a presentation on 58-year-old Raleigh’s scroll. Robin tells him they’re happy to have him along now they’ve seen his skills.

Raleigh reveals that Otso cut off his left leg from below the knee during one of their fights, and that he has a prosthetic - he has his own motives for fighting Otso. Irving questions what originally started their feud, and Raleigh tells him that he took Otso’s place in the tournament finale, after Otso couldn’t compete due to a head injury - and that Otso ‘didn’t deserve the win anyway’.

Raleigh asks what they know about the Braiths; they’re a family of good fighters, proficient with Aura and fusing Grimm and humans. When asked about their weaknesses, Akane recalls that she made Zelena falter when the latter stole her truth semblance.

Akane and Irving surmise that their tech suggests Atlas. Robin recalls Roderick telling her that the Braiths’ base was called Zenith, but Raleigh doesn’t know it and Akane can’t find any info on it on cached offline CCT information on her scroll.

Robin quickly recalls the Crazy Bunch who worked under Sterling and Zelena, and how they managed to apprehend one of them. Raleigh says interrogating him is worth a shot, and takes Akane with him to verify the man’s answers.

–

Nyssa visits home and shares closure over Pitch with her mother, Maera. Murasaki drops in, assuring them that the Sisterhood is in the capable care of Team BRUT. When questioned on how trustworthy BRUT are, Murasaki replies that she is trying to steer them right and give them a purpose, the same way the previous Sisterhood leader did for her.

Murasaki reveals that after she got her head together regarding Pitch, she contacted Maera and the two talked it over. Both of them shared relationships with Pitch, but she won’t go into detail just yet. She regrets not dealing with him the moment she laid eyes on him in the Sisterhood cave.

–

Robin and Lilli are attempting to bond. Robin called Lilli downstairs to ask her if she wants to attend Combat School in Mistral while she and her team venture to Atlas - unless Lilli wants to argue and come with them. Lilli proclaims she’s not an idiot, but seems unconvinced that Elysium Academy will take her. Robin reassures her by complimenting her fighting ability.

Marina interrupts by sticking her head through the wall behind them - revealing that her semblance does not only consist of invisibility, but intangibility. She notes that Robin and Lilli are getting along better, but the same can’t be said for Robin and Marron.

Robin argues that she’s not budging - she won’t get Marron mixed up in her mess again. Marron wants to go to Atlas, but Robin doesn’t - so do they just break up?

Lilli interjects by telling her to compromise, to find a solution that works for both of them. After being pestered by the other two siblings, Robin gets up and agrees to talk it over. When she leaves, Marina tries to banter with Lilli, but the youngest Lincoln sister halts her, unfolds a sheet of paper and reads:

"Please do not attempt to make light conversation or banter with me. You are still complicit in my neglect for your own reasons, and are, therefore, an absolute carbuncle. I forbid you from attempting to take a shortcut by hijacking the effort Robin has made."

Marina is stumped, then admits that’s a fair point.

–

Marron is sitting on the porch of the Tsubaki District house. Robin sits down next to her.

After a moment, Robin asks if Marron knows why she doesn’t want her to come to Zenith, which Marron confirms. Robin tells her that she doesn’t want her to get hurt, which Marron spins back on her - she isn’t going to wait around like a sailor’s wife hoping that Robin might come back, that she doesn’t need Robin’s protection.

Robin begins to observe that they’re at an impasse, but Marron interrupts.

“I need you to show me some trust -- some faith in my judgment. Some faith that I know what to do if things go to hell. I need you to accept that you're not the only one who knows what they're doing. And I need you to understand that my decisions aren’t yours to make.”

Robin takes this in.

She apologises for coddling Marron, and observes that Marron knew how to break Sterling and when to call for her help. She admits that between her father’s death and her treatment of Nyssa and Lilli, her own judgment hasn’t been the best.

She trusts Marron to know her limits and make the right calls.

The two hold hands and stay there on the porch for a while. Slowly, they begin to make small talk about what they’ll do once this is all over.