#these employees are real human people with feelings and thoughts and memories

[mani-mari]

hey like actually what's so hard about respecting people that work in retail or fast food. like why are you cussing out this person who is just trying to help give you your food. why are you mad they can't control the prices of the product. go home. if you are in a bad mood go home. and stay offline till it passes. why is it so hard.

[demodraws0606]

Jax's fear of being trapped and what that might imply about his past/future

Hello 2 days ago i've developped a chronic case of Brainrotting about Jax, tragic I know.

I'm kinda basing this slightly of what Gooseworx have said in QnAs though I will not rely on it because I think purely relying on a creator's words and not the media isn't really satisfying.

The main thing that stood out to me in this episode with Jax was that he seems to fear punishement.

He seems really freaked out when Gangle proposed the idea of Cain punishing him...

And then he immediatly goes to Zooble to be like "lol you don't believe Cain actually could punish us right ?" and while he's proven right at the end of the episode, the fact that he immediatly tries to seek reassurance that he wouldn't get punished says a lot. In fact in his expressions he looks both sides while saying it almost like he seems...unsure/anxious (idk the right word).

Also when he's brought into the employee training scene. He's weirdly...afraid and shaken by it ?? (not showing the screenshot cos everyone remembers that scene).

Which like, I understand that was terrifying but it was a strangely strong reaction to something that...light ? I mean he wasn't brainwashed or anything. I might be stretching it but all of it, including the scene's purpose makes me wonder if it brought Jax bad memories of...something.

After that scene happens, he completely acts normal and stops trying to be a dick completely.

Now this isn't a convo about weither that's Jax's true self and his jerk self is a persona. People are trying way too hard to either try to make him a one dimensional asshole or secretly a good guy which like he's neither he's a bastard with layers. But that's not what this is about so ANYWAYS.

All of this made me wonder what was Jax's main Thing, more so his theme or the thing that makes him tick.

We know with Gangle it's her issue with masking (her dreams, how she feels, etc...), Ragatha being a people pleaser, Zooble's body dysmorphia, King's memories and how they link with the loss of his wife and Pomni's desire for companionship.

For Jax we actually don't really know other than...he's a dick and he's using it to cope which like....duh ?

But with this episode and also a little thing that I got from researching QnAs (because i'm normal and chill like that) made me realise what could Jax's Thing.

A Fear of Consequences and being Trapped

Now the main thing that drove this thought was me finding out Gooseworx assigning a song to Jax which is this one.

Don't fence me in, huh....

That line meaning a desire to not be restricted and not losing their freedom.

This makes me think this is probably what Jax's character is at least partially about, or more so...his biggest fear. Being restricted, reprimended or trapped.

I think in part that fear could be related to his past, which I'm gonna throw my cards here, my own personal theory is that he was stuck in juvenile detention for misbehaving as a kid. That experience traumatising him enough that he was probably similar to the Jax we've seen at the end of episode 4, just Tired.

Now does it Necessarely have to be a juvenile detention center, honestly no ? But it's the thing that makes the most sense in my head.

Either way this also explains a lot of things about his behavior in the circus.

He's now secluded in a space with absolutely 0 Consequences, the one person who can dish it out is an AI who is probably programmed to never harm humans (directly at least). He's even proven right at the end of episode 4.

I think what led to Jax's shit behavior was this realisation that this is pretty much now his Safe Heaven. In real life he can't just be who he wants to be, there's potential consequences that he's afraid of.

Now I know I'm gonna hear like "oh so you just think Jax is an asshole by nature", I don't think he is (i don't think he's ever been a nice person his life but like there's a difference here), I genuinely think he's not more so being himself rather that it's just that he's overcompensating for the lack of freedom that he's felt his entire life.

In a way it's similar to how people act on the internet.

Imagine that you were a misbehaving kid and you were reprimended HARSHLY for it, to the point where you're not really fixed per say but you're stuck being terrified of even being slightly flawed.

But now here he is, in a place where death doesn't matter, the harm he does doesn't matter and the one person who can actually hurt him just gives him weird shenanigans that give him opportunities to lash out.

However, there's a tiny little problem...

This fantasy cannot last forever forever and I'm not talking about them getting out because as far as they know it's out of the cards for them.

It's very much clear that the circus with the arrival of Pomni is becoming more tight knit and less divided, creating a more solid friendship group with the help of Pomni being an actual normal nice human person (Zooble is nice too but they're more jaded and too depressed to deal with most of everything, and Ragatha is a whole baggage).

It's becoming increasingly clear in the episodes themselves as well that, Jax can't just be an asshole anymore. Every episode since episode 1 has led to him being reprimended or him not being given what he wants. The group is becoming closer and they're sick of his bullshit.

He also probably doesn't like being alone and hated. We see him seeming sad at the talk of Kofmo's funeral before having to go back to being angry and dismissive in his facial expression.

Maybe he really did want to go to Kofmo's funeral but like would anyone actually believe he would be genuine, after being an asshole for so long would it really be worth for Jax to just break it all right there.

But it's clear he's also not really enjoying being alone.

Jax in a way is basically burrying a hole for himself. Being an asshole was his perfect dream after probably living a life of boredom and repression but now that this consequenceless existence has finally revealed itself to just be a mirage, he's now unable to access the things he really needs.

Actual friendship.

It's clear that the Digital Circus has a point of companionship being extremely important, in fact when we get mentions of Kofmo's abstracting we get also mentions about how no one really founds his jokes funny. Kinger mentioning how making someone feel alone and unwanted is the worst thing you could do to someone. Gangle is saved by Pomni and Zooble's presence.

However there's no one at fault for Jax's isolation, he only has himself to blame.

Ive got more but i'm tired so hope you guys enjoyed it.

[dr-docktor]

About Floppy Disk Curt... So, do you have some more plot made for this au? Sorry if you made a post and I missed it, I just mean - how does Owen realize that Curt is (semi) sentient? What does he do? How sentient is Curt, actually? What does he remember? And how much can he feel? Does their codependence get worse?

HAHAHA I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. I sort of expanded on some of the lore in some previous asks but none of it is super organized so I can go over it real quick! I'm still developing a lot of it so if things don't make a ton of sense, I'm working on fixing that lol. First off, I sort of shifted the time period around to be closer to the 90's to better fit the technology, aesthetics, and the rise in popularity of mascot-y desktop assistants.

Owen kills Curt during the staircase scene and despite what he tells himself and his coworkers. He regrets it. He regrets it so god damned much. There's no one to feel so strongly about anymore, whether it be love or seething hatred. He just feels empty.

Meanwhile, Chimera retrieved Curt's corpse and uploaded his consciousness into a computer with the hopes of getting what little he knows about the inner workings of A.S.S. out of him. (don't ask how this is possible, uhhhh silly sci-fi shenanigans I guess)

Of course, he's not cooperative. So Chimera opts to do the totally sane and not evil thing by separating himself from his memories of being human. His ambitions, his relationships, everything except for what Chimera needs. They can't seem to find a way to outright delete the memories for good (I'll probably either rework this part or figure out why they can't outright delete them) but what they can do is try and build up walls of restrictions to prevent him from accessing them. So for a a little while he's just this blank slate spitting out what little information he knows about A.S.S. Mostly useless.

Until Chimera gets an idea.

With the rise of a new trend comes the opportunity for PROFIT. This one being the rise of household computers and mascot-y desktop assistants to help the average user learn how to use a computer.

But Chimera wants to take it a step further. They are the future, after all. They want a desk top assistant that's incredibly life-like. Something that the user can have a genuine conversation with (like an incredibly early chatbot). This project is also absolutely meant to be spy-ware. 1000%. No way its not.

They call the project the 'Beta Anatomy Simulacrum Technology for Research and Development'. Or B.A.S.T.R.D for short! (I had to STRETCH to make that acronym work lmao)

Rather than start this from scratch, the project head (The name I'm going with right now is Harper Royale) has the brilliant thought of "well, what's more life-like than an actual human consciousness in a computer that we have collecting dust somewhere in the tech labs? It's already a husk we just add some code to it and bam it's ready!"

So they take the empty husk of digital curt mega and fix it up a little. Royale thinks its a good idea to give a miniscule amount of his humanity back to him. Namely curiosity (so he can learn things) and a basic understanding of how to have a functional conversation with people. Nearly everything else, like the cheery personality and character model, is all added in by the developers.

The good news is the projects going great! Employees within Chimera are finding the little guy really helpful and entertaining. Employees nickname him DC as a reference to his knowledge on A.S.S. Like their own personal informant inside DC (as in the capital of the us where a lot of government buildings and information is stored)

The bad news? Curiosity. Because now he wants to know why the sad looking British guy from one of the first few rounds of test trials keeps calling him Curt.

Tt spirals into this terrible loop of DC starting to put stuff together, never quite reaching the conclusion that he was a living person once (much less the importance of one Owen Carvour) before the employees catch on to what he's doing and reset him from square one. Over and Over and Over again. The only frame of reference that DC has are these hidden notes he leaves himself during each loop.

Eventually the higher-ups at Chimera realize that the cost of having to go through the complicated process of resetting DC the moment they figure out that he's gained a little sentience and then run through test trials AGAIN simply outweighs the potential profit. So they move to shut down the project, much to Royale's dismay.

The higher-ups joke that Carvour should be the one to do the honors, given everything between him and Curt. And he's like "ok yeah I'll do it" and they're like "we were joking but you've given us zero reason to doubt you so have fun killing the simulacrum of your former closest friend, bestie"

Owen, of course, decides to go behind everyone's backs and download the one and only existing copy of the B.A.S.T.R.D program onto his personal computer. At this point, Owen has no clue about DC slowly regaining his sentience if left unchecked and literally only did it because he has problems about processing the fact that he killed Curt that he refuses to confront. (what a normal guy)

So slowly, having been freed from this loop of resets, DC slowly begins to put together the pieces. He doesn't know how exactly Owen may or may not be involved in any of this, but he keeps most of this growing autonomy a secret for safety reasons. Just in case Owen is decidedly someone not to be trusted and turns him in.

DC, however, will test still the waters by subtly bringing up memories that he knows are somehow important to either him or Owen and then gauging his reaction. Doing his damn best to put together context clues.

Admittedly I don't have anything beyond this yet. I'm still working on Owen's reactions to all of this and also how the technology works. But I hope this answers at least some of your questions!

[mileven11forever]

Ok, since you were friendly with bylers, I want to actually know your own interpretation from some scenes that we as bylers sometimes use as bylers proofs, but mileven ones.

*I am just asking this on anon because the last time I tried to be friendly with a mileven off anon and just ask something, I received a wave of hate from a lot of milevens on my asks*

Ok, your thoughts about:

Mike claiming that his relationship with El is love at first sight, when the duffers made clear that they don't believe in it and they made fun of that trope with Argyle and Eden (while Mike is really annoyed by it behind them)

What do you think about the difference between mileven break up scene and byler rain fight, with Will being devastated and El hanging out and being really happy with Max after. Why do you think they decided to joke about it even when all other couples that broke up had been taken serious, like stancy.

About the fact that they made Max assure El that Mike would be at her door crying for forgiveness and at the same episode Mike goes to Will's door instead to scream "I'm sorry" and actually accepting that what he said to Will was wrong instead of blaming other as he did to El ("Max corrupting her" instead of understanding that she is mad because he lied).

Are you satisfied with the fact that the duffers used Will's feelings to save Mike and Els relationship?

The fact that El NEVER once said something that she likes about Mike or complimented him or tried to know what he likes or his interests, what leads to Mike to think that to her, he is just a random nerd and she is going to leave him for whatever reason (his words before Will's speech to him)

The fact that for some reason, Mike hides from Will what's the real problem in their relationship and says to Will that he need to say something but if he said "that thing" he would lose El, even tho he just needs to say "ily" and there is no reason to believe he is going to lose her, since she asked him for it.

Why do you think Mike acted the way he did with Will at the airport if it's confirmed that Mike don't know and don't even suspects that Will is gay nor in love with him?

What do you think about the writers choice to have a focus on Els memories with Max with Max saying "there is more to life than stupid boys" right after the monologue and El and Mike aren't talking after what's suppose to save their their relationship problems.

There are more things I would like to ad but those ones I really want to know what you think. I'm asking you this because you look like you are going to awser seriously without being bitter about it. Also, if you want to know bylers thoughts about all of this, let me know, I would explain to you our interpretation of it.

(I'm sorry you've gotten hate from people, that sucks.)

1) I don't know if it was actually love at first sight, I think Mike just said that because he was trying to say anything to save El. I do think he truly loves her, but he fell in love with her more gradually throughout season 1, not at first sight. And in hindsight, sometimes when you really love someone, it feels like it was immediately when you met them even if it wasn't. So Mike might have just felt like he loved her immediately and said it that way in a high pressure situation, that doesn't mean it's completely accurate to what actually happened, memories can be unreliable too. And the Duffers say lots of things, and sometimes they are inconsistent. That happens, they're human. Also, where's the proof that they said this? I think you're probably talking about that tweet with "wrong answers only", but how do you know the Duffers wrote it and not a different employee who believes differently than them? And I don't think Argyle and Eden were making fun of the trope, they hooked up. Even if it was meant to make fun of the trope, that doesn't make it untrue for Mileven. But like I said before, I do think he was being hyperbolic.

2) I think it was because they were more making fun of Mike specifically than Mileven/their relationship. And S3 was playing on the summer blockbuster sort of thing, so it was kind of different than the other seasons. And the rain fight was probably from Will's perspective, and so it was trying to portray how he was feeling. Mike was caught off guard by El dumping him and probably didn't really believe it at first, but Will believed everything Mike said and took it to heart. So I think that's the difference. Additionally, the Mileven breakup wasn't meant to be serious because they just got back together later that season, and still obviously liked each other while broken up, wanting to get back together. The break up wasn't serious because it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, they still acted like a couple and loved each other, and they got back together pretty quickly.

3) Again, because the break up wasn't serious, they both knew they would get back together. And Mike did apologize to El and tell her the truth later, he was just scared because Hopper literally threatened him. What was he supposed to do when a grown man threatened him? And of course Mike went after Will because he was visibly upset. El ran off giggling with Max, and Mike was surprised and confused about what was happening, so he needed some time to process it and vent to his friends. The urgency in the scenes are completely different. Mike could tell he really hurt Will, but El was fine, so why would he run after her? They were different circumstances, so I don't think it's really fair to compare them.

4) Yeah, I think it makes sense for the time period. He substituted El's name in place of his to be able to get out his feelings without outing himself. He doesn't know how people might react to finding out about his sexuality, it's the 80s, the height of the AIDS epidemic, he's scared. He just needed to get closure somehow, knowing Mike will never feel the same way about him, in a way that didn't possibly risk his safety. And *Will* didn't fix their relationship, he didn't know what Mike was going to say to El, he just tried to boost his confidence a bit. Everything Mike said to El was his own feelings, and repairing what happened in the Mileven fight earlier that season. Will had no idea what the problem between them was, so he couldn't have directly fixed it, and he didn't, he just helped a tiny bit, like any friend would. So yeah, I think the way it was written makes complete sense.

5) I think when we see them in the show they have a lot going on dealing with all the Upsidedown plot related issues, is there really a good moment for her to start listing everything she likes about him? They're going through literal hell, so of course they aren't just spending time complimenting each other. She said she loves him, he should know that without being given a list of her favourite qualities about him.

6) Mike was scared of losing El, and maybe worried if he said the problem out loud, that would make it feel more real. Will isn't entitled to any information that Mike isn't comfortable sharing with him, and they had drifted apart a lot since S3. Mike is just a 15 year old boy, not all of his decisions necessarily make perfect sense, he wasn't comfortable telling anyone, he struggles to express his feelings.

7) Because they hadn't seen each other in so long, and barely kept in touch. It would be pretty awkward seeing an old friend again after months of trying to call them and not having them reach out. Will could have called Mike, but he didn't, so they drifted apart. Their connection is just a lot weaker than it used to be because of all the things they've been dealing with. Being awkward around a friend you haven't had contact with for a long time is completely normal.

8) That scene was about Max and El specifically, so of course it focused on them. And that line was about how platonic relationships are just as important as romantic ones, they don't have to be mutually exclusive, El can have both kinds, and both are important. Romantic relationships aren't better than friendships, they're equally as valuable, both kinds of love matter and can make El's powers stronger. And Mike and El were talking a little after, he was the only person she talked to at all, so clearly she feels safe to open up to him after all the traumatic stuff she just went through.

So those are my thoughts and interpretations, I don't think any of those events in the show proves anything about Byler.

[betterbooktitles]

The screen I spend the most time with these days is a black LCD monitor attached to a PC in an indie bookshop on Long Island. I spend whole days looking at point-of-sale software called Anthology which also keeps track of the store’s inventory. Often, it’s accurate. Occasionally, it says we have three copies of The Bell Jar that have simply disappeared from the face of the Earth. No one stole them. They were raptured, like socks that never make it out of the dryer.

If you’ve never worked a retail job, let me tell you what it’s like: you come in with a little spring in your step, caffeinated, and ready to greet your coworkers and update them on how terrible your last shift without them was. Though the memory of the previous shift’s slog might give you a little anxiety, and though a hangover can make your fuse a little short, you’re in a better mood at the start of the day than at the end. Tedious tasks like ordering and unboxing books (sci-fi movies did not prepare me for how much cardboard there would be in the future) seem manageable in the morning. Customers seem kind. The items you’re selling feel necessary to human happiness. Whatever is going on in your life is put on pause to manage store operations, and time flies. Then, by 3 PM, whether you had time for lunch or not, you wish you had done anything else with your day — or, better yet — your life. 

While the back-straining work of moving inventory around the store or walking the floor helping customers all day without a second to sit down might make you physically tired, the real work of retail is mental and forces employees to become part-machine. Retail workers have to ask the same three questions (“Rewards?” “Bag?” “Receipt?”) and reply to the same three questions (“Have it?” “Bathroom?” “Manager?!?!?”) for 8-10 of their most worthwhile waking hours. 

In bookstores, there is the added expectation that while you’re participating in this mind-numbing routine, you’re at least able to pretend to like and engage with literature. I'm not arguing that people working at Old Navy aren’t eloquent or as over-educated for their job as I am. If they aren’t teenagers, most retail employees I’ve encountered have, by virtue of talking to coworkers and customers all day, the same high emotional intelligence as the smartest people I know who chain smoke outside bars. Still, my guess is that it’s rare for a customer to see a clothing store employee folding clothes, and think “I wonder what their opinion is of the latest Ann Patchett book” or “I wonder if they read Knausgård and run a book club when they’re not helping me find jeans in my size.” People see booksellers doing the same tedious tasks as any other retail employee and assume they not only possess unlimited knowledge about the state of publishing but also have unlimited hours to read while in the store. Customers hold booksellers to an impossible intellectual standard. When they fail to live up to said standard, they’re subjected to conversations like this:

“You haven’t read the latest Kingsolver?” a customer will ask, “Why not? What about this one? Or that one? It’s so good though! I thought you would have read all of these!” 

What’s a shame is that they think they’re being kind when they half-recommend, half-admonish bookstore employees. Worse are the people who are flat-out rude. Case in point, a man came into the store at hour six of my shift, and without any preamble, treating me like I was a human Google search bar, said the name of an author, then started spelling the name. When I asked for a second to look up what I assumed he was asking for, he rolled his eyes and began spelling slowly and loudly: “PAUL. P…A…U…” 

Sadly, I’m too old to be treated that way and without thinking I raised my hand and said sternly “Don’t do that.” Now some oblivious retired banker is walking around Long Island asking himself why indie booksellers are so mean. My Midwestern niceness has disappeared, my helpful attitude is now nonexistent. I have been worn down by the people I’m paid to be kind to.

Read the rest here.

[klaus-littlestwolf]

Random Thought: Bucky Barnes

Chef!Bucky Barnes

Bucky Barnes as a Chef

He is trying to get used to real food again after years of supplements and IVs or being force fed through a tube to keep him going as the Winter Soldier. He discovers after watching cooking videos online that the act of cooking is actually quite calming for him. He quickly learns what he likes and what he doesn’t, willing to try almost anything just to see if he enjoys something new.

Bucky loves sweet things! Just about any fruits except honeydew and cantaloupe, his favorite is plums! He’s also a big fan of grapes (green, not red) and peaches. Bananas and apples he can take or leave, and he loves watermelon.

He’s not a huge fan of sour things. He can handle spicy foods to a very high level without getting sick (he ate a ghost pepper by accident once) though he is picky about what spicy things he likes and he loves jalapeños.

He can chop vegetables faster than anyone else in the kitchen so when they needs things chopped in bulk Bucky just gets a cutting board and chops cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and lettuce for 20 minutes and they’re set all day.

He can pick pans and trays up out of the oven without an oven mit with his left hand. Also, thanks to employees needing to wear gloves in the kitchen he can use the metal hand in front everyone. If after hours or before opening, anyone ever asks why he wears the gloves while not handling food he tells them he had an accident in the kitchen and got severely burned so no one ever minds that he never takes the glove off of his left hand.

He exclusively works in the kitchen so he rarely has to interact with anyone other than the other Chefs. He also has a fantastic memory, and never once gets an order wrong.

He makes friends with the other chefs and they share recipes, and one of them gets Bucky into baking as well. After work every day he will make himself something for dinner, take it home and set it on the counter. He’ll mix whatever it is that he’s trying next and put it into the oven before eating his dinner. Bucky loves brownies and he’s gotten good at making cake, just trying to make a 2 tier cake for the first time and it actually turned out pretty good. His absolute favorite though is banana bread, it is fantastic and he makes at least one, usually 2 every week so that he can have some for breakfast before he runs out the door every morning.

Bucky is people’s worst nightmare if he ever sees a waitress cry. The waitresses are all very nice to Bucky, and only one of them seems to be that way only because they think he’s attractive, he has a soft spot for them. Especially since they deal with the customers so he doesn’t have to, he feels for them knowing how cruel humans can be, even about the dumbest things. But if a customer takes it too far, if someone makes it personal, insulting or bitching at a waitress, Bucky will leave the kitchen. Everyone who works there knows Bucky leaving the kitchen is always a bad thing. He comes in the back door and leaves through the back door, there’s also an employee bathroom so he never has to enter the dining room, so when he does something is very wrong. Bucky is an intimidatingly large man, though everyone in the restaurant knows he’s basically a Pit bull puppy, sweet, gentle, loving and misunderstood for the way he looks. (Bucky Barnes really is exactly like a Pit bull! Only mean because people made him that way, always putting his trust in humans again after being fucked over and is the most kind hearted thing you’ve ever met in your life. Bucky Barnes is a Pitty!)

Bucky will remove all the plates from their tables and dump them into the trash right in front of you, and if he has to actually speak no one will get a word in edgewise. His voice is loud and deep, it commands attention and most grown men wouldn’t have the balls to snap back at him and the ones that try live to regret it. Bucky is a pro at getting people to swing first, as long as they do he is legally allowed to toss you out of the restaurant and he is more than happy to do it. He would never hit a women, however he will ensure she can’t swing at him again before carrying her out of the building, and for any man, (though there have only been 2 who are courageous enough to hit Bucky) they learn quickly that that’s stupid. One hit and they’re on the floor, one of the men was so dizzy he actually had to crawl out of the restaurant.

Bucky as a chef would be fantastic. Plus, I dare you to tell me that Bucky Barnes with his hair in a little bun while he cooks isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever thought about in your life!

He can cook for me any day🥵🥵

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

Random Thoughts

[thevioletscout]

An overly long analysis on who got turned into ink creatures and who’s just a copy

So like many people I have conflicting feelings about the reveal in Dark Revival that some people in the studio are just recreations of their real world counterparts and are not the actual people. I think it’s safe to say a lot of it reeks of retconning to avoid the implications of all these people going missing and being trapped in the cycle indefinitely. And a weird attempt to redeem Joey.

However, there is still a ton of evidence that some of the people we encounter in the studio are in fact the real deal. Mainly because of the damn books. So let’s go over who’s real and who’s not!

1. Twisted Alice

Thank god for clear fucking storytelling. Without a doubt, Twisted Alice is the real Susie Campbell. 

Don’t believe me? Let’s go over the evidence. Thankfully, it’s actually in the game itself, in one audiolog;

"I know how much this part means to ya, Susie. Alice means a lot to me too. Gosh, all of my characters do! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret. I too really believe my characters are more than just drawings. They're alive. They're part of us. And I want people to know them as well as I do. I want people to be able to shake their hands, spend an afternoon with 'em. Love them. Susie, I'll be straight with you. I'm putting together a small project... a little ceremony if you will. If it works, a lot of dreams will come true. And I want you to be a part of it. ...I want you to bring Alice to life once again. What do ya say?"

And if you still don’t believe me, let’s refer to another one of Joey Drew’s audio logs from the same chapter;

"Listen Tommy, I know you boys over at Gent are doing your best, but I'm paying for living attractions, not weird abominations! Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office, you better keep it locked up tight! I realize it was a first attempt but imagine if the press caught sight of it! Might scare off investors! And in response to your previous memo: If you claim that your failures are because these things are soulless, then, damn it, we'll get them a soul! After all, I own thousands of them!"

With both of these audio logs in mind, what else could Joey have been planning but to literally make Susie into Alice Angel? For the cherry on top, Alice also recalls many of Susie’s memories throughout Chapter 3 and even directly refers to herself as Susie.

I also want us to keep these audio logs in mind because these confirm that Joey had to have taken human souls from his employees, even if its not as many as we thought.

2. Tom and Allison Angel

Yes, I’m putting these two together. Their characters are pretty closely tied so if one’s real it’s likely the other is. And unfortunately, that is not the case.

Both Tom and Allison are copies.

This is actually something that can be deduced from the first game. In Joey’s house, we get a corkboard of basically three confirmed survivors. Wally Franks, Thomas Connor, and Allison Connor née Pendle. They all politely rejected Joey’s attempts to “reconnect.” This, sidenote, is also partially why I can’t be too mad at the reveal that some people in the studio aren’t the real deal. It was already set up as a real possibility.

On top of that, the memory of Joey in Dark Revival outright confirms that Allison Angel is just based off the real Allison, and not actually her.

So as disappointing as it may be, these two are fakes.

3. Buddy Boris

If you’re only familiar with the games, you might be surprised by this, but real. 

In the book, Dreams Come to Life, we are introduced to the character Daniel “Buddy” Lewik. Now spoilers for the book, but he becomes the perfect Boris. This is outright confirmed. We see it happen, and Buddy tells us outright this is the case. 

“Now I'm not really Buddy anymore. I am also Boris. Descending deeper into this world of ageing, yellowing madness.”

Case closed.

This book is also some of the most explicit confirmation that at least some of the studio employees entered the Cycle.

4. Sammy Lawrence

REAL. I will not hear anything else!

Alright, let’s revisit Dreams Come to Life, because aside from providing the origin story for our favorite Boris it also clearly illustrates the transformation of Sammy from stressed music director to unhinged prophet.

In the book, an ink pipe bursts and Sammy gets covered in the gunk. Buddy helps him clean up, however some had already gotten into Sammy’s mouth, and he got addicted to it. From there, Sammy’s behavior gets increasingly strange, and he begins drinking the ink whenever he can. Most tellingly, he begins to worship the Ink Demon. He then disappears, in actuality hiding.

Skipping ahead a bit, Buddy is captured alongside another character named Richie. Enter Sammy, now completely transformed into his Lost One-esque appearance. A visual confirmation that Sammy Lawrence became the prophet.

After this point, things get a bit blurry. Sammy is knocked out when Dot comes to rescue Buddy. However, he is not confirmed as dead- at least for good, and in all likelihood survived and entered the Cycle.

5. The Projectionist

Like Sammy and Buddy, Norman’s fate is mostly confirmed via Dreams Come to Life. Thankfully for my time and sanity, his confirmation is a bit simpler.

Norman’s fate is quite abrupt. By the time Buddy and Dot last see him, he’s already dead. Admittedly, my understanding gets fuzzy from here. Joey confirms that his soul was meant to be used, but that he was infected by the ink so there’s very little soul left to use.

I’m not entirely sure what that’s trying to tell us, but I think it is trying to say that Norman did become the Projectionist. Mainly because Joey says there’s little soul left, not that the soul is unusable. It would also leave a pretty loose thread for the Projectionist’s existence if he is not Norman.

On top of this, the achievement you get if you kill the Projectionist in chapter 3 is “Norman’s Fate.” A pretty strong indicator that the Projectionist is actually Norman.

6. Jack Fain

Jack’s status is actually a little hard to determine. There’s nothing that outright confirms he entered the Cycle and nothing that outright confirms he didn’t.

Personally, I think it would not only be a little random for Joey to make a fake Jack Fain, but a fake Jack Fain that’s a searcher of all things. As such, I’m going to conclude that this is the real Jack Fain, for now.

7. Bertrum Piedmont

Again, there’s little confirming either way, but there is a little more detail to suggest that this is the real Bertrum, so I think I’m also going to go with “real Bertrum until proven otherwise.”

8. Henry Stein

This one hurts, but... Fake. I believe at one point in development, this was the real Henry, but unfortunately Dark Revival pretty explicitly confirms that this Henry is just a copy, and there isn’t enough evidence to pull from the first game that proves that’s a lie beyond nitpicking about throwaway lines.

9. Honorable Mentions

We also have two other characters with undetermined fates. Grant Cohen and Lacie Benton. We know they are dead, but have yet to come across a confirmed encounter with them in the studio. There are also numerous characters in the Dark Revival with little confirmation either way.

Conclusion

So to wrap up.

Real: Twisted Alice, Buddy Boris, Sammy Lawrence, and The Projectionist Fake: Allison Angel, Tom, and Henry Technically Unknown but Presumed Real: Bertrum Piedmont and Jack Fain

In conclusion, these games give me a headache. Bye.

[sathellio]

it's the genloss ep 2 anniversary! which means I'm gonna share my thoughts as I rewatch it for the first time in, uh, a few months. enjoy!

1. the Dread I felt at the beginning of this episode watching it live Oh Boy

2. already jamming to the soundtrack

3. "every single bicycle"

4. I love Jerma's speaking cadence as the Puzzler it's so good, especially in the first room

5. it's really interesting to me how the majority of people instinctually pick the middle key

6. the rats <3

7. THE FLIP BETWEEN THE FILTER AND REALITY IS SO GOOD RAHH

8. "another hot wheel?" "vroom"

9. I love the Puzzler's theatrics with the TV and having Rae throw a tape in before he would show himself. he's so dramatic lmao

10. "oh shit a rat!"

11. I think it's cool how each episode becomes more real. like, ep 1 was treated like a sitcom (the characters didn't know they were on a show at all, cameras were treated as if they weren't there), ep 2 they know the cameras are there, but it doesn't really click until the very end, ep 3 they're all Aware. just a neat progression

12. I've been wondering why Sneeg's hat breaks the filter in this ep when he always wears it in the first, but it finally clicked (maybe I'm just a little silly, oops). it's a break of character. this Sneeg "isn't really a hat guy" bc he's a Different Character. the hat crosses wires in a way, and that discrepancy causes the filter to break. I think anyway

13. the please hold is wild /pos

14. oo the hat goes back on in Evil Sneeg mode aka brainwash mode

15. god the long pause when Sneeg gets "reset" and the camera's focus goes in and out is SO GOOD

16. "I see the light" is out, "I'm going upstream" is in. thank you carousel fish talk

17. human sized mousetrap would go so hard (not really related but still)

18. the "it's a push" with the candy room door lmao

19. when Vinny was joining them I didn't notice Sneeg say "they gotta go through a bullet too?" lmao

20. the entire laser room is so goofy

21. the fact that Showfall can canonically teleport people is wild

22. there's at least two solutions for the long pipe puzzle we didn't actually get to do (I know because I found another one while it was on screen), and now I wanna know how many solutions there are just for funsies

23. Jerma breaking the door >>>

24. OOO in the wardrobe room Ranboo says "where should I look?" in the Same Tone they used in ep 1 when we actually helped them search. when they got "reset" (aka scruffed by an employee while walking through the door), they definitely got some memories messed up/some heavy controlling considering they're not nearly as worried about things as they were before. maybe that's why he reverts to ep 1 mannerisms. fresh reset = fresh mannerisms and speaking patterns (I definitely noticed this before but I'm appreciating it again shh)

25. also Sneeg trying to spell something = ep 1 reference

26. the wardrobe room gives DND party that took the puzzle in the completely wrong direction but it's funny so the DM doesn't wanna say anything

27. the Puzzler says he's been doing this for 30 years. implications

28. Rubik's cube moment

29. imagine Showfall casual Fridays. that'd be so silly. cosplayers please

30. the moment Ranboo locks eyes with the camera I still feel so much dread. what a cinematic moment. dare I say life changing

31. THE MALLLLLL

okay! see y'all in two days for ep 3 <3

[inkabelledesigns]

Bendy and the Donut Run

Oh Nemo, you have given me too much fuel. XD Okay so how would I write this as a fic? Well my first instinct is that this is a pre-ink fic where one of our human employees is out on a donut run, maybe sees some questionable ink horrors on the way to and from getting donuts, along with a bunch of shenanigans of a cartoony nature.

But then it occurred to me, Audrey likes donuts. How fun would it be to have a post BATDR fic where Audrey has escaped the cycle and the ink creatures are in the real world with this premise? Audrey is working so hard, trying to get her job done as an animator while also uncovering the secrets as to how she looks so human so that the others can blend into society and live their lives again, and she is utterly exhausted. And so in a very "main character does so much for us, we should do something nice for them" move, we could have some characters try to do something sweet and get her donuts, because she loves donuts with her coffee and doesn't have time for them.

There are multiple combinations you could go with for a story like this. My first thought is Bendy and Sammy, since that would be comedic and fun, and depending on characterization, it could be either of them babysitting the other and trying to stay out of trouble as they don't want to be caught as ink creatures. (Admittedly I have my friend Victor's (@reanimationstation ) Sammy and Bendy in mind with this take, I think their dynamic would lend itself well to this.) I also really like the possibility of Betty trying to make donuts in the kitchen, only to have Malice and Allison try to help, and it's a mess of arguing over the best technique, but eventually they learn to work together. I can also see Porter trying to leave the house for donuts, stealing them because he doesn't understand the cost of a donut, and needing to be rescued because no Porter, humans don't flow, you're gonna get in trouble.

My personal favorite would be Memory Joey trying to do this and Cyclebreaker Henry exhaustedly going after him to keep him out of trouble. On their way back with the donuts, they get into trouble, maybe get stuck in a sewer or a construction site, and they have a heart to heart where Joey admits to struggling with being a better person. Joey is trying so hard, he knows the real Joey Drew hurt a lot of people, not necessarily the why and how of it all, but he feels like that's his sin to atone for. He loves Audrey so much, even if he's not really her father, and he wants to do right by her, but he doesn't know how. Henry, believing that he too is a clone of a real person, feels this, admitting that Joey put so much blame on him for not setting him straight and leaving the studio, that he also feels like he has a lot to atone for, but the truth is, they aren't the same people. They're them. He ran after Joey because he too feels the need to do better than the real deal, because he cares about Joey and doesn't want him to end up in another bad situation by being impulsive. And for the first time, in the midst of danger and tragedy, albeit a smaller scale than the studio, they finally start to work through some of their conflicts. And I think, they come out of it better friends and trying to move forward, saying that they don't need to be like the people they came from. They can be something new, something them. They get home with the donuts, Audrey is either worried sick or just asking where they've been, and they merely smile and hand her the box of donuts. They're a little battered and smushed from their adventure, but they're still delicious, and there's at least one that managed to stay all pretty and together. Audrey is very grateful for the donuts, they gather around for some coffee, and Henry and Joey split a donut and clink their mugs together. This is the start of a beautiful friendship, again.

See I told you you gave me too much power.

[evermorehqs]

CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW

Casper Kowalski is based on Casper from Casper The Friendly Ghost. They are a 23 year old ghost, video store employee, and uses they/them pronouns. They have the power of invisibility, psychokinesis and floating. Casper is portrayed by Alin Szewczyk and they are taken.

CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE

For most of Casper’s “life”, all they have known is Whipstaff Manor. They were born into the manor by two loving phantom parents so since birth all they have known is death. They never knew what it was like to even want to do the things that made humans, well human, because they hardly ever saw humans past the brave souls that tried to look into Whipstaff Manor on a dare or prank. All Casper has ever wanted was friends but every time they introduced themselves to a human, they ran off in fear. Casper knew plenty of ghosts that liked that kind of situation; their uncles, nicknamed the Ghostly Trio being a few, but they never enjoyed scaring others. They were lovingly labeled as “the friendly ghost” by their family and honestly? They liked the sound of that. Casper spent so many years trying to keep that title too. Of course it wasn’t always easy since their uncles normally scared people off before they could even have a chance to say hi, but they were determined to find people that they could call their dearest friends someday. They began sneaking out of Whipstaff Manor and studied the humans that lived amongst them. They practiced their abilities so they could pass as close to humans as possible and when they finally thought they were ready… they ran away. Their plan was to just go to the neighboring town and try to see if their human lessons paid off, but somehow they floated into Evermore instead. Evermore was a culture shock! They didn’t know there were other kinds of people aside from ghosts and humans. Vampires, witches, werewolves and more; it was all so amazing! It was also incredibly nerve wracking. For the first few months they hid in abandoned warehouses and wherever there were hardly any people so that they could work up the nerve to introduce themselves. Eventually they worked up enough courage to make their debut. They didn’t introduce themselves as a friendly ghost though… just a friendly person! And it even worked! They got a job, they got an apartment, and they have been able to make Evermore their home. They miss the Ghostly Trio and their parents a lot, but every time they try to leave they end up right back in town, losing their memories as to why they wanted to leave more and more. One day they just stopped trying and continued on as what they considered normal. For once in Casper’s long, long, afterlife they feel like they have a real shot at finding friends and maybe even more! Though, they do worry how their new friends and new life will take to knowing that they are a ghost. 

I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR

❀ Phyllis Geist: They are drawn to her and they aren’t sure why. They feel like Phyllis is someone that sees life a lot like them and she’s so pretty and has the best laugh. They get so tongue-tied every time they try to talk to her. ❀ Joy Fraser: She is one of the first friendly people Casper has met in Evermore! She is so outgoing and pleasant to be around and she makes Casper wanna be more outgoing too. ❀ Tommy Pickles: Casper always knows it’s gonna be a fun night at work when Tommy is there! They get to work the back stock, which is preferred since they don’t have to explain the floating movies and such that way. Though, Tommy has never said anything even if he has noticed. 

THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE

[inkdemonapologist]

Howdy, do you think Joey wrote dctl? Maybe this is obvious but I just had a big lightbulb moment bout it. Idk I think it’d be nice if they confirmed who all was in there since there’s at least 2 real world people who got put into the cycle in batdr and according to dctl so would Sammy and Buddy if we take it at face value. If it is part of the elaborate revenge fanfic that’s chill but you’re smart with this stuff and I feel like I’m missing something. -Love, long term follower hiding in anon

Omg, thank you for the kind words anon!

So, I’m sure it would be possible to interpret this all kinds of ways, but my primary feeling on the books, in light of the revelation of “in the canon of BatDR Henry is an inky construct created by Joey and BatIM takes place in a pocket dimension,” is that we have no reason to believe the books aren’t intended as real accounts. Like… JDS historically existed in the real world of BatDR. The Ink Machine is real to humans outside the cycle in BatDR.

If we assume the books are genuine accounts in the world of this franchise, that DCTL really happened and the Ink Demon really existed – that would track with Memory Joey’s statement that Joey Drew “created life” when the demon came to be. Audrey and Baby Bendy are able to exist in the real world just fine in BatDR, so there’s reason to believe the Ink Machine can actually make IRL 3D toons like we always thought it could.

But there ARE things to question.

Did Buddy... actually end up in the cycle? Did Sammy even end up in the cycle? Or was Joey just inspired by real events and real people when he made the cycle as his torture dimension for Henry? Mister Drew likely knew what happened to Sammy and Buddy – he was directly involved with Buddy, and knew about Sammy skulking around murdering folks – so maybe when he created the ink construct versions, he based them on a true story. We’ve suspected that the Boris we meet thought he was once something else, but it's also possible that the real reason he doesn’t remember his human self anymore is because he’s an imperfect copy created by a man who never really knew Buddy that well – there’s no actual human self to remember.

Narratively, it’s a bit of a scorched earth approach to making inconsistencies make sense, bUT IT DOES DO THAT… BatIM Sammy begging the demon to set him free from an inky body he hates seems sorta at-odds with DCTL Sammy chugging 50 bottles of ink because he believes the demon wants him to and smiling happily at the results, and I have to admit, “they’re not the same person; Joey just made that first person up” has a stronger argument in BatDR canon than “Sammy completely changed his mind for reasons we don’t get to see and must invent for ourselves.” In that light, the distinctions between the two become interesting – in DCTL, Sammy indirectly calls the demon a god, but doesn’t have the same worshipful, religious language in the way he speaks of it. He’s not desperate to be noticed; he believes he’s been chosen already and is acting on given instructions… so what if all of BatIM Sammy’s desire to be noticed and overtly religious language were added by Joey? After reading TIoL, I commented on how suspiciously on-the-nose Joey’s “who does a god worship” conversation with Sammy felt… well, that makes a lot of sense if the BatIM version of Sammy was actually created by Joey! That’s what he wanted to see in Sammy, and so that’s the Sammy he constructed. Also it’s kind of funny if Joey looked at an employee who seemed to be going mad from an actual cosmic horror experience just offscreen and was like “lets make a version of this guy for the cycle and make him a real loser, just the most pathetic man. Also buff.”

Imo, it’s entirely possible that every single character we meet in BatIM could be a copy, though some, like Sammy and Susie, could really go either way with the evidence we have – there’s not a conclusive answer (I guess we’ll see if Fade To Black gives us any additional evidence one way or another, haha). But whether the cycle contains any human souls at all, or just Joey’s created copies based on real events and how he imagines they would’ve turned out, the books can still be real accounts of things that happened in the world of Bendy.

And while I guess there’s no direct PROOF THE BOOKS DEFINITELY HAPPENED, there’s a few reasons I prefer to believe they did:

If the books didn’t happen in the world of Bendy, they actually are pointless as far as their effect on the world. BatIM’s characters may be copies, but they’re still aware, sapient beings who exist; they’re still real and a story about them is still a story that really takes place in the world. Everything we see happening to Ink Henry in BatIM really happened, even if it happened in another dimension, to an inhuman man who never really worked for JDS. But if DCTL and TLO were just stories made up by Joey, then they aren't real and they’d have no impact on the world at all.

Why would Joey invent these stories? Henry has no access to these books, and the reason Joey created the world of the cycle was, according to Memory Joey, somewhere between revenge and regret, angry at his failures and blaming Henry, creating a world that told his messed-up story in order to punish his partner for not being there to stop him from destroying himself. DCTL would not really add to this.

I don’t think Joey could write DCTL. Joey grew up in humble circumstances, but I don’t think he knows the kind of poverty Buddy experienced and I don’t think he’s self-aware enough about that privilege to write it, to write its emotional consequences. I don’t think the man who obliviously smooth-talked himself into believing he was always destined to be successful can write this kid who’s so deeply angry and ashamed at society’s injustice after eating a meal in a restaurant.

TL;DR:

As far as I can tell, it’s still possible for DCTL and TLO (and, obviously TIoL, though I think that one's less in question lmao) to be real accounts in the world of BatDR, but that doesn’t mean that characters who suffered inky fates necessarily ended up in the cycle. We know that the Allison, Tom, and Henry of the cycle are all inky constructs, but characters like Sammy and Malice and Boris are up to interpretation – there’s clearly meant to be an implication that they could have been human once, but whether they’re copies like Ink Henry with misplaced memories, or the actual original transformed human souls, we don’t know. The originals of Sammy and Susie especially could Just Be Dead (as is now implied with Norman), with Joey making up an alternate ending for them in the cycle. I don’t see any compelling reason to believe that DCTL was invented by Joey, nor is there any real reason for Joey to write this story.

Anyway i hope somewhere in this absurd essay I’ve answered the question you asked. xD I don’t think this is the definitive interpretation – you can decide all the books are, in-world, complete fiction if you want, and I don’t think any evidence contradicts you. This isn’t even the interpretation I’d pick to play with every time -- I like playing with the idea that everyone in the Cycle is a copy, and I consider it to have strong evidence in canon, but there's still something really compelling about folks in the Cycle genuinely being transformed employees whose existence tells us an indirect story about the fate of the studio. Ultimately a lot of things could go either way, but this is kinda, a few of my thoughts on the evidence we’ve got.

[soapver4]

Gardening in a Stone Economy

Remake + ○●-Severance Hybrid Bubble: A data science enthusiast is economically compelled to settle for a Go job in her alternate reality, where costs for higher-level computational processing like her original specialty are exorbitant due to resource depletion, AlphaGo and the like have not been invented and organizations resort to mind-control headsets that translate the logic in mundane onscreen work to gameplay logic. These headsets fortuitously use materials not yet in scarcity in that world. The closer the work meets end goals and procedural standards, the better the mentally displayed Go game progresses. The purpose of the translation is two-fold: 1) achieve watertight protection of commercial secrecy and 2) boost employee motivation in a compact, non-graphics-intensive manner.

But since even Go experts may falter on bad-hair days, work protocols limit employees to a small range of moves for each narrowly defined game scenario, which means office jobs still induce yawns regardless of one's fondness of Go. Worse, workers spend years in Go academies only to face potential skill attrition in autonomous analytical and strategic thinking and in solution creativity as they work round the clock in this manner until elderhood.

Intelligence and knowledge perish sooner than one's capacity for altruism, provided the will for the latter lasts. Faced with the same bleak circumstances, some strive to rise above their station in life in a self-determined sense by not only enduring the grind with increasing grit (as far as self-care permits) and rallying around their teams but also extending comradeship and empathy to everyone, whereas some help themselves Misaeng villain-style to what they see as substitute additional compensation: corporate moneys and female playthings.

The heroine stoically sticks to the former approach, Misaeng hero-style. Her spiritual counsel is a set of principles from her data science days:

Garbage in, Garbage out: How much do you trust ethical decision-making founded on empty stomachs, sleep-deprived brains and hatred-consumed memories? Don't ill-treat yourself yet expect to be unfailingly seen as a good grid conqueror. Don't ill-treat your co-workers yet expect unfailing support from them when you slip into a needy position. (But don't expect sympathy either if you cite your reception of ill treatment as justification for your ill treatment of someone. When people are struggling to escape your claws, they do not have the cognitive bandwidth to analyze your personal history.)

Actionable Insights: Endlessly regurgitating negative experiences you are powerless to redress through yourself or through others perpetuates the pain, although perpetual flashbacks are sometimes passive phenomena individuals are powerless to stop. Look out for facts you can act on. For example, do you feel more irritable as the night thickens? How about investing in a cozy LED lamp to boost your enemy-encircling efficiency after dusk? Does your brain come alive during the dull workday only during lunch? How about snacking on colorful berries as you move your stones?

Watch out for Outliers: See beyond immediate gratification and momentary bruises to the ego for the full picture. While do-no-gooders collect future lawsuits, festering grudges, and other ticking time-bombs, you plot your narrowing financial distance to your dreams for each day of hardship or plot your growing insights into multifaceted human nature for each negotiation on fair game allocation.

Mindful Annotation: A small act of kindness can be a quick glow-up and perk-me-up. A small thought for others can be respite from the prison of your own anxieties. In contrast, don't you ever wonder why various screen characters pursue evil as a vocation only to look perpetually stressed and on the guard? What begin as petty comparison and moderate insecurity in those series blow up into messy huge schemes and constant paranoia. Real-life victims may believe, too, that their thirst for justice outlasts perpetrators' feelings of dominion and thrill. Moreover, workplace guidelines and public discourse are increasing on honest stone laborers' side.

Self-care and self-improvement do not imply surrendering to an unhealthy work-life arrangement. The ending reminds us of this as the heroine runs along rooftops above congested streets to submit a labor reform petition on time. We see in parallel a sequence of her leaping between roofs and another of Misaeng's protagonist doing nearly the same, except that a wide anti-suicide net visibly hangs between her roofs. There is no shame in valuing her life.

[showfallmediacameracrew]

what was it like growing up on deicide?

I thought I was a vampire, a monster among monsters and some humans. I grew up thinking I was powerful, that I could and did kill gods, and became a god myself. That I was leaving the mortal world for the world of the dead to take my throne and properly become a god.

Then I woke up. My whole life, my memories, thoughts, feelings, every emotion. All of it had been fucking fake and everything I'd ever done meant jack fuckin' shit. I was furious, and apparently too old to be wanted by the people running the show as an actor, and they did some mind alteration bullshit or other to transfer me to a different department.

I chose to be a DP, because the mask for employees fucked up and I guess didn't work well on someone who was fucked with his whole life, and had a sudden world shift or whatever. They were aware and just decided to let me choose since I was pretty good at everything, because of all the shit I was made to know. I'm fuckin fantastic with working a camera and catching a good scene.

Unlike some nobody security mechanic who couldn't catch a good video of a rock if she tried.

I was able to take that control back for myself, is the point, in being a person who directs actors and can attack or kill them however I please. It's not a lot, but it's more than I'd be able to do and get away with than if I just some jackass outside.

My childhood was a fantasy, the real world is my bitch, and I decide the fate of those I direct. I can do whatever the fuck I wanna do here, whenever I want, so long as I stay out of other peoples way, and I can't say that'd be true if I was fucking retired or stayed outside.

That's what it was like, wanker.

[spearxwind]

Ok so here's my thoughts so far:

I'm adding four existent guys to Richard's side in Hollowridge for two purposes: 1. Beef up their side because atm there aren't any significant characters in it other than Richard himself and December. and also 2. Because I miss these guys and they have similar vibes (ultraviolence). [Feel free to refer to this lineup for the other HR ocs mentioned in this post]

Since some of you might know them, some of you might not I decided to draw them real quick so you have more than just names to look at :]

David (left) is an altered human, like Beial. He has two huge, fully functioning wings and ability to generate lightning to attack with. He's also got insane an self-healing ability, which makes him be able to come back from almost any wound :)

Midas (right) is an ancient corpse from the old world that is being kept alive/maintained by a bioengineered fungal colony (an organic computer made it's home inside an employee to keep working when it's mainframe failed). He's still MOSTLY himself personality-wise, but due to his lack of a head a lot if not all his memories have been obliterated. His human body is a disguise for a bigger monster form.

Engel (left) is an ex-soldier and acts as Richard's main enforcer. He has a mimic weapon called MAUL, which manifests as multiple guns that he can manipulate independently. He's clearly deranged and will use any and every opportunity to use his weapon on anyone else. He loses control of it sometimes.

Set (right) is a mystery for now :) but he's pretty strong.

This brings the total characters on each side of the conflict up to six so things are more balanced. On Dianne's side there's three people and three weapons, and on Richard's side there's a couple people, a couple weapons, and a bunch of unethical Experiments™.

Ough tomorrow if ppl are interested i can talk abt my new oc ideas from today bc Im actually really excited about them 👉👈

[selfleadershipmarsden]

Everyone wants to be wealthy, healthy and at peace.

How do we know that EVERYONE in the world is missing information?

Because no one has all three, being healthy, wealthy and at peace! Except Keanu Reeves (you're Jesus to me 🤣 you taught us this.)

What about the ultra rich? I promise you, they are not at peace because they fear death the most. They're rich! Who could blame them?

They are suffering the most in their own personal hell. Looking at you, Jeff Bezos! No offense to bring you up but this is all that suffering you inflicted on all your employees coming back to you. You should let people pee and eat when they work for you, Jeff. They are you. Hello! You're a loving being, sir.

Here is the reality of where we are in human evolution. Read this next part a few times cause it took us since 1776 to realize it, my fellow american. Also it took me about 2 hours to with my turtle brain to think this logic and proof it 😄🤣

Human evolution shows us.

Hard times make Strong men -> (Cave man) Strong men make good times ->(Mensa Musa) Good times make weak men ->('king whoever' of the British Empire) Weak men make HARD TIMES (The revolutionary war against Britain, our last 200+ years america!)

HARD TIMES MAKE STRONG MEN.

AMERICA.

THE STRONG MEN THAT WILL NOW LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. FOREVER.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY.

Homo-Spiritus

We can now clearly see that we haven't been truly free to love honestly until this moment. Until we evolve past the greedy, reptilian, lack of evolution and experiential references that caused a world of pain for King James, and everyone's soul since then. He never knew he could of had the world if he just would of loved everything and everyone. If he just would of been a giver, all the time. A giver of guidance not money. A giver of A SINGLE MOMENT OF THOUGHT for his people. What were their interests? What do the people want? Rather, he took and took and took.

What do the people want? REAL LEADERSHIP.

Hello! Reality. Welcome. I love you.

We can do this to ensure we all thrive and fix the damage we have done to the world. I hope many stand with me, but it's just a matter of time until we all can stop seeing all this suffering, school shootings, people dying pointlessly without water and the cycle of homelessness in America.

The end to all this awful pain is on its way.

Once one of the powerful that rule this world, with their name, understand they haven't even began receiving on the level that they will if they evolve.

If they switch to a giver, not a taker. If they use their name and voice to change this.

Don't take from yourself the chance to say you helped end the water shortage.

I think of this list below as people that are clear lights of love and they would want to be on this list and feel the productive pain of love we all have for them. Just a loving message of opportunity here. Don't shoot, my hands are up! I love you, all, humanity! This is a random list of people that came to mind, guys.

We are all one thing, so I truly thank all humans and love you. I apologize my memory kind of sucks with names. 😄

Thank you to every human who got us this far. You ARE perfect. YOU ARE INFINITE.

This is the way forward, America. We can't wait any longer for our 'rulers' to create our world. We must wake up to our infinite power to fix the error of our collective concious up until this point.

I love you, America. Let's lead. Let's change. #proudtobeanamerican #letslead #letschange

USA, USA, USA

Here we go, world, here we go!

The world will witness as our true dream team assembles and goes to the world of changing this world forever and arguably, save our species. Magic Johnson Scottie Pippen Shaquille O' Neal Michael Jordan Dennis Rodman

Humanity.

We need you, all! Now, more than ever.

It's a matter of life and death due to the water situation and a potential matter of life and death for our species.

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[straycatboogie]

2023/01/14 English

BGM: 新居昭乃 - 覚醒都市

Today I worked early. This morning, suddenly I got an idea that says "who am I?". When I go to the company, people treat me as an employee. We make a contract, and they record me as a member of the database. They even pay me money because of my work, and people around me say I am a companion. Perhaps as a stranger, an alien... but in the connection apart from my company people treat me as another person. The difference in temperature between those relationships is so wide that I doubt (I even feel vertigo) if we belong to the same country or the same culture. Probably, we are actually speaking the same language but live from different points of view. We might move from different operation systems... that might be true.

Who am I? I am (indeed, although this is an extreme idea) a point that is made within the network of many people in this world. Just like the personal computer and smartphone I have are the points of the network of the internet. I am here. I am writing my thoughts from my thinking system by my will. But those ideas I am writing are based on other people's existence. The action of other people, those are from tenderness or evil, are flooded into my thoughts, and becomes the opinions like this. I am such a great liquid. Maybe I don't have any "solid" ego?

Because of being bullied in school, I once denied other people themselves. Making friends was for me just "attachment" too much, therefore, losing my ego or originality. Indeed, this kind of thinking is for me just "childish" and "idiotic". I guess that other people would open my door and bloom my talent. Just like the meeting of Morrissey and Marr, John and Paul, etc. Me, my life would end without any trial of writing English like this if I didn't meet my friends. I would disappoint my whole life, but just strictly believed that "I have a talent but this world can't approve of it". As you know, this kind of idea brings us that "I am right because this world is so strange". What a ridiculous idea!

This evening I read Oliver Sacks' "The River Consciousness". It is really a human touch collection of essays that brings me his warm heart or warm breathing. Especially, I am interested in the episode that says to us that our memory might tell lies because they are put into our minds apart from the fact, of what actually happened. But even if that reality is, "We should choose our recognized world as truth instead of the facts" or "People have their truths" are not my opinion. If I chose that kind of the extreme point of view, I would lose something certainly. I want to live now honestly and take real experience into my mind. Then, my past would become meaningful. I want to live like that.