#this feels so obvious now i'm not sure this post is necessary but we all know i can't shut up

[lizardkingeliot]

Okay so we're all in agreement that it was Lestat who pulled Louis out of the wall in the theatre right? The episode doesn't make it explicitly clear and they only show us Lestat saving Louis during the trial. And in fact they have Louis say he knew the blood he tasted upon being freed was Armand's...

But in the context of everything else that... doesn't actually make much sense? Because here's what actually happened...

First, Louis woke up in the sewer alone...

Why would Armand just leave him there if he suddenly decided to choose Louis over the coven after Lestat saved him from imminent death? After listening to him screaming in agony as he starved in that coffin for... how long? The opportunity that presented itself wasn't Louis being saved from death at the trial on the stage and being locked in a vault. Armand could have taken him out at any time. He chose not to. He chose to listen to him screaming in agony for... days? Weeks????

Armand didn't care. He chose the coven. He discovered Louis was gone and only then did he reach out to him telepathically while he was in the crypt plotting his revenge. Louis asked Armand if he saved him at the trial AND if he pulled him out of the wall. Armand gave the same monotone "yes" as an answer to both. And I think we're meant to understand these are both equal lies in hindsight.

And when Armand told Louis to leave Paris it was clear his only aim was to save the coven. If Armand wanted to be with him he would have been. He only decided to choose Louis after the coven was gone and he had no other choice. Armand was at full strength the whole time. 500 years old. Powerful enough to walk in the sun. He could control the coven with a snap of his fingers.

But you know who wasn't at full strength at the time? Who couldn't have just gone to him right away even though he wanted to save Louis more than anything in the world?

Lestat only let Louis stay in that situation for as long as he did because he was so weakened by doing the mind trick that saved him in the first place. We all saw how rough he looked after Louis had been taken away in 2x07. The way he was standing there swaying on his feet...

He had to regain his strength to go back to the theatre, get Louis out, give him his blood at full strength so that it might heal him. And he only left him there because he believed he needed to let Louis go. Because he was not worthy of Louis' forgiveness etc...

This is probably a conclusion lots of you have already come to but I didn't pick up on it during my first watch because I was so emotionally compromised. I don't know why they had Louis say it was Armand's blood, but maybe we're meant to understand it as another misremembering. Louis trying to reason with himself that it had to have been Armand's blood. Because before Daniel gave him the final pieces of the puzzle, he very much believed Armand had been the one to save him at the trial. The one to pull him out of the wall...

[wakkass]

It's impossible to put into words how much I love designing characters, especially for AU.

Yes, I recently had an avatar AU, and I really wanted to draw Katara from there (and also Zuko). I usually draw a static pose in order to display all the details of the clothes. This is such a kind of character sheet that helps me to better imagine the scenes in my head.

If you're interested in reading about the AU itself, then there will be some information about it.

I apologize in advance for mistakes in the text, English is not my native language. But, I hope, this will not interfere with understanding.

In general, my AU concerns the ending of the series, because at some point it seemed unrealistic to me. There is too much positivity with the obvious problems of the post-military space, as well as little logic in some moments (for example, I don't understand what Zuko was doing in Ba Sing Se. Did he abandon his newfound throne to the mercy of fate with the risk of a palace coup? Did he not feel the effects of a lightning strike? The longer I think about it, the surreal it seems to me).

At some point I thought, "this is all like Aang's dream, in which everything is intentionally good. As if this is the ending he wants, but it's unattainable." And then it dawned on me. But it really looks like his fantasy about the future after defeating the root of evil. This explains why Zuko recovered so easily, why everyone is just relaxing and having fun without a drop of post-trauma. Because Aang wants everything to be so naive and simple after defeating the Fire Lord. Because he's dreaming about it.

I know this is a very hackneyed narrative technique. It's pretty easy to say "this is someone's dream" to deny any events. But I found it curious, especially against the background of the episode "Nightmares and Daydreams", where Aang's dreams already simplified the reality around him. For me, it's like a lead-up to the finale, where he actually sleeps.

You ask, "but why is he sleeping?". I also asked this question, and the answer to it killed me. Because during the battle with Ozai, when the stone hit Aang in the wound, he fell into a coma. His body was paralyzed because his brain perceived it as a repeated lightning strike, again fatal. The avatar's state was the only one that did not allow Aang to die, but only to fall into a coma. And instead of an epic battle, we have a little helpless boy spending a huge amount of energy just to maintain his life.

The second Aang collapsed, he disappeared, leaving Ozai alone with the remnants of his temporary power. And no one else saw the avatar…

I'll leave the intrigue for you about this, but for now I'll tell you about the concepts from the art.

Naturally, everyone searched for Aang, and, naturally, they did not find him. Katara and Zuko were the only ones who did not participate in the search, for several reasons:

Zuko was rehabilitated for a very long time after being struck by lightning, and Katara nursed him (I'm sure there are a lot of fics about this topic. The only difference is that there is no romance here. The focus of my AU is not on it, but on the problems of the consequences of the war). He survived, but he had major problems with his heart, digestive system and spine. Who noticed the cane in his hands? Yes, Zuko couldn't walk without it. From now on and forever. He was physically unable to leave the palace, and Katara maintained at least some of his condition.

Even after Zuko's rehabilitation, it was necessary to keep the power in his hands. Imagine what a shock the Fire Nation experienced when not just the former Fire Lord was overthrown, but the country's policy changed dramatically. Now Zuko needed to keep power in his hands and establish a new regime as soon as possible, before his opponents raised armies and people against him. This boy, who recently sat quietly at a military meeting, needed to show unprecedented strength and power to everyone: both officials sought to turn the situation in their favor, and the people who wanted stability and prosperity. But how to do this if Zuko couldn't even breathe normally, and getting out of bed required tremendous effort? It was impossible… Anyone else would have given up, but not Zuko. He has never given up without a fight and has never turned his back on danger, even if he risks dying.

It hurts me a lot for him, too. Fate has never stopped pushing Zuko against obstacles, but this time he couldn't rely on himself. He almost couldn't bend, his body almost didn't obey. He was an easy target and there was nothing he could do about it. This helplessness irritated him, saddened him, oppressed him. The only thing that wasn't broken yet was his spirit, and Zuko was barely able to maintain it in such conditions. If it wasn't for Katara, I don't know if he would have coped in the end. She was now his only support, his only ally in these cold oppressive walls, the only rational grain in his doubts.

You ask, "Where is Iroh? Where is Mai?"

Iroh, along with the White Lotus, took on a mission to liberate the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Army and establish relations with the kingdom. In fact, Iroh now shared power with Zuko: uncle was engaged in foreign policy so that his nephew could focus on domestic policy.

With Mai, everything was much simpler: after getting out of prison, she was completely disappointed in the guy who always left her. She sent him a letter, where she finally ended their relationship, and left with her family somewhere far away. Perhaps she and Zuko will cross paths again and will be able to establish a relationship. But not now.

Katara remained to help Zuko not only with treatment, but also with his policy. As a resident of an almost disappearing tribe, as well as an able leader, she helped him with projects and plans to improve the quality of life of the population and actively participates in them. She performed those missions that Zuko can only entrust to her. After all, she was a friend he could rely on and to whom he could open his feelings.

In her design, I wanted to reflect the combination of two cultures: Fire and Water. I was based on the designs of the "12 Kingdoms" (if you haven't watched this gorgeous anime or haven't read ranobe, I strongly recommend doing it. This universe is no less interesting than the avatar's world, I'm sure you'll like it), because the palace intrigues and the plot with winning the respect of the court reminds me very much of the story from there.

One day Zuko's legs finally gave up, he could not get up. All the stress he was going through was breaking his body so much that at some point the Katara's treatment stopped working.

It was a very difficult moment for both of them. Zuko has just started to promote his ideas and defend his rights to the throne, and Katara sincerely did not know what to do. If the truth about the true state of the Fire Lord had come out, all the ill-wishers would not leave this opportunity and attack, this couldn't be allowed. They urgently needed to create the appearance that everything is in order, but how?

Zuko came up with a very brazen idea. He asked Katara to use bloodbending on him to simulate walking. It was a very difficult request for her, because this skill represented the worst face of the war, it was created to torture people. And the last thing she wanted was to torment Zuko. She hesitated for a long time, he saw it, but he couldn't wait. He couldn't stop, it wasn't a luxury he could afford. Therefore, he went out, trying not to get up and move much.

Naturally, at some point his weakness was noticed at the most inopportune moment. Naturally, at this moment Katara couldn't let Zuko fall. Imperceptibly under her sleeves, she moved her friend's body like a puppet, causing him as much unbearable pain as most would not stand. But Zuko was not like that. He stood it.

It looked like this to me somehow:

They were both very depressed that day. He was suffering physically because of Katara's bending, and she could not believe that she had caused the suffering of a person dear to her. It broke and scared her, she opened the way to the Hama's madness, and was very afraid to fall into it.

Zuko assured her that it was impossible. Hama didn't have people to guide her, while Katara has friends. Maybe Zuko didn't consider himself the best moral mentor, but he promised to be there in the most difficult moments for Katara, and now he won't leave her.

This encouraged her and opened her eyes to her own cowardice. She was afraid of the darkness of Hama, and instead of curbing it, Katara hid it in herself, ignored it. And that's what it led to: the person who needed her help suffered. But she didn't want to run away anymore. She wasn't going to give up without a fight and turn her back on those who needed her.

At the beginning, Katara trained on herself, experiencing the same pain as the victims of bloodbending. Careless movement of blood through the vessels could cause internal bleeding at any time, it was very dangerous. The Hama's voice in her head pressed on her conscience, saying that innocent people felt all this pain, and only Katara was to blame for this.

Later, she learned to control the flow of water on puppets, like Hama. The point was to pass water through the threads without bursting them. Absolute control was required here, and Zuko taught her the techniques of firebending for self-control. This was necessary for Katara, because the Hama's voice in her head did not subside and did not allow her to correctly distribute her forces. It seemed like Katara was about to stumble, but Zuko wouldn't let her do it.

Gradually, Katara mastered this skill and tried to draw blood on Zuko's legs. The effect was unexpected. Her great willpower and desire to help him resulted in healing. Zuko began to feel his legs, and Katara discovered the reverse side of this bending. No, she didn't heal him completely, it's too early for him to get rid of the cane. But maybe one day she will become so strong that she can do it.

Katara realized that there was no evil magic, there was only evil intent. This was her first step towards learning to look inner demons in the face, and not to hide them in herself when it was possible to hurt others.

But what about the other design?

Katara's father sent her a letter asking her to return. Her family needed her help, because she was the last waterbender, a carrier of culture and skills, as well as a healer of a new level, the daughter of a tribal leader.

At home, everything was not the same as before, moreover, everything taked shape as a Northern Tribe. I really like the idea of the comic "North and South" about the problem of assimilation. Only here has Katara accepted all aspects of its culture, even the most unpleasant ones, and she would not give up so easily when this newfound knowledge was in danger of disappearing.

Actually, I wanted to draw her outfit of this arch. I wanted to redesign the costume for myself, because I like to do it. I kept the front strands of Katara, we don't talk much about them.

I would really like to describe the path of the rest of the team and what they do, of Aang and what happens to him. But I'm already tired of typing, and you probably read.

After all, the post is more about designs, and not about the AU itself, so the goal to reveal some of my ideas has been achieved in principle. Maybe sometime later.

Hope you enjoyed reading this :3

[cursedappendage]

Slay the Princess Vessels in Japanese Pt 1

Part 2(Chapter IIIs)>> Part 3(Narrator, Princess, Voices)>> Part 4(TLQ, TSM, Echo)>>

LONG TEXT POST INCOMING though I guess that's normal for tumblr

Anyway I wanna geek and talk about the Japanese translations for the Chapter/Vessel names in Slay the Princess(could also do one for the voices but thats another post probably)

format will be: OG name JP Name(Romanization) [ENG Translation of JP Name](Japanese has no articles so just assume presence of "the" when you feel necessary)

OK LETS START(StP spoilers obvi)

Chapter I The Hero and the Princess 第一幕。勇��とプリンセス。(Daiichimaku. Yuusha to Purinsesu.) [Act 1. Hero and Princess]

Pretty direct translation, not much to say here(voice of the hero is also referred to as 勇者の声(Yuusha no Koe) but that's for the voices post)

Now, most of the chapters after chapter 1 have the word 乙女(otome) to refer to the Princess. The word means young woman, or maiden. This translation will use "Maiden"

Going in the order of the game's "Memories" Menu, left to right, starting with the ten Chapter 2s

Chapter II The Adversary 第二幕。戦士。(Dainimaku. Senshi.) [Act 2. Warrior.]

Only 7 out of 22 of the vessels don't have 乙女 in their names. 戦士(senshi) means soldier or warrior, referring to someone who fights on the battlefield(not necessarily belonging to an army, in contrast to 兵士heishi also meaning soldier). Pretty straightforward, I guess you could say the JP name is more focused on the fact that she fights rather than her being a rival.

Chapter II The Tower 第二幕。塔の乙女。(Dainimaku. Tou no Otome.) [Act 2. Tower Maiden.]

This can be read as "Maiden of the Tower", but as we know the "tower" part actually refers to the Princess herself(I think). Basically the same as ENG, not much to say. (Any vessels with の乙女(no Otome) can also be read as [Maiden of ___] instead of [___ Maiden])

Chapter II The Spectre 第二幕。亡霊の乙女。(Dainimaku. Bourei no Otome.) [Act 2. Ghost Maiden.]

亡霊(Bourei) means ghost, a dead person's spirit. Another one that's pretty direct. Though, the dialogue in this chapter uses the term somewhat interchangeably with 幽霊(yuurei), meaning spirits in general, and おばけ(obake) a very broad term for spirit/monster(they're a class of youkai).

Chapter II The Nightmare 第二幕。ナイトメア。(Dainimaku. Naitomea.) [Act 2. Nightmare.]

This one is just the straight up english word. Not much commentary besides the fact that i'm not entirely sure why some of them don't have "maiden" in their names.

Chapter II The Razor 第二幕。刃の乙女。(Dainimaku. Yaiba no Otome.) [Act 2. Blade Maiden.]

The JP name is a lot more obvious than "The Razor" but you kinda get the idea with both(sharp stabby stabby woman).

Imma do the Razor III & IV chapters here too cuz they are all considered part of The Razor vessel

Chapter III The Arms Race 第三幕。腕比べ。(Daisanmaku. Udekurabe.) [Act 3. Contest.]

腕比べ(Udekurabe) is contest(usually of strength/skill) and i find it funny cuz this one also has the word arm in it(腕Ude)

Chapter IV Mutually Assured Destruction 第四幕。恐怖の均衡。(Daiyonmaku. Kyoufu no Kinkou.) [Act 4. Terror Equilibrium.]

Or "Balance of Terror" but I like "Terror Equilibrium" more. I think like with the ENG name this refers to how, by the end of the chapter, both the Princess and TLQ are equals in their fight.

Haven't seen any JP streamers not take the blade in The Razor Ch 2 so I don't have the names for "No Way Out" and "The Empty Cup" ;-; I don't have the game myself so if anyone could show me any screenshots or smth of the JP title cards for these chapters i'd appreciate thank you

Chapter II The Beast 第二幕。ビースト。(Dainimaku. Biisuto.) [Act 2. Beast.]

Like the Nightmare, straight up English word

Chapter II The Witch 第二幕。卑劣な乙女。(Dainimaku. Hiretsu na Otome.) [Act 2. Foul Maiden.]

One of only 2 Princesses where an adjective is used instead of a noun. 卑劣(hiretsu) means lowly, mean, base, despicable, etc. This is basically the Witch's attitude(can be seen very clearly in our interaction with her and the fight to the death). This chapter is one of the only ones where the title differs quite a bit from the ENG name, though I also think that's what the English name is supposed to imply, rather than her being magical in some way(though she can call the roots of the wild apparently).

Chapter II The Stranger 第二幕。冷淡な乙女。(Dainimaku. Reitan na Otome.) [Act 2. Cold Maiden.]

Cold as in indifferent or apathetic. The 2nd and final adjective Princess. I'm actually unsure about why this one is named this way, as the Stranger is actually everything at once.

Chapter II The Prisoner 第二幕。囚人。(Dainimaku. Shuujin.) [Act 2. Prisoner.]

Direct translation. Another one where I'm not sure why she doesn't have "maiden" in her name, especially since both her Chapter 3s do

Chapter II The Damsel 第二幕。乙女。(Dainimaku. Otome.) [Act 2. Maiden.]

This one is interesting to me. Like most of the other names, this one has the word "maiden" in it. But here it's just "Maiden". Guess it makes sense though. This chapter we see her as just a damsel, just a maiden locked up in a cabin basement. Anywayyyyy Chapter 3s will be their own post as well as the voices Hope this was interesting for y'all, I wonder what the translations are for the other available languages.

Part 2(Chapter IIIs)>> Part 3(Narrator, Princess, Voices)>> Part 4(TLQ, TSM, Echo)>>

[three--rings]

God that David Jenkins interview collection post I just reblogged...

I hadn't read the Paste interview and my god David I have to just...marvel at some of this.

In particular:

"But I think him becoming a father figure to Ed in the last episode didn't really dawn on us until we were breaking the last episode. Asking what would this man say to Ed at the end because they've been together through everything? He went from a troubled and downtrodden employee to a jilted lover to a discarded employee, to someone that is just trying to find his footing again—no pun intended—to actually becoming this guy's parental figure on some level. And he's one person who kind of raised Ed right, because Blackbeard usually kills his parental figures. So, it felt right and it felt like that's how the mentor dies. The mentor in a story usually dies in the second act and then our hero has to go on and try to do it without them. It felt like the right journey for Izzy and a gratifying one for Con."

Like, okay we, the writers, hadn't considered him a father figure or mentor at all until the very last episode where we killed him. But we came up with it as we were writing it.

And then we didn't put anything about it into the episode at all, and then we talk about it in interviews about how obvious it is as a mentor relationship and like...I'm sorry. Yeah it was surprising to all of us as well, because you may have suddenly thought of it like that when you were DESPERATELY trying to justify this death to yourself as NECESSARY because you'd decided it WAS, but you also

DIDN'T PUT ANY OF THAT ON THE SCREEN.

So no, the audience is not on the same page, cause we weren't a part of those discussions you had. That only came up in the last episode. You can't in like 4 minutes of a 25 minute episode, the very last episode of 18, introduce a character dynamic when one of the characters is dying.

That's not how writing for TV works! Does he really think he put the Izzy is a father figure stuff on screen somehow in that death scene? Cause like, sure Izzy is showing AFFECTION for Ed in that scene, but there's nothing there that is PARENTAL. And family, which Ed says, doesn't mean that either. The ship is family. Queer family is different. IDK IDK.

And like it reminds me of something else he said in another interview, about Jim and Oluwande and how "in the writer's room we always thought of them as a friend relationship that got romantic" and that's why they got other partners. But like, okay, if your intent was they were more friends than romantic (which, I'm not sure that's what you mean, but if you're using it to say that's why they are now into other people, okay?) then did you convey that to THE ACTORS? Because it feels like the actors were definitely playing ROMANCE in S1.

That's what ended up on the screen. Two friends falling in love, sure, but actually falling in love and not just two friends who sleep together, as S2 tries to imply.

IDK but I really want to be like, dude sometimes it's not about writer intent. Sometimes it's about what ends up on the screen and you need to step back and look at what your audience is seeing. Because your actors are doing a lot of things that may take things to different places.

[verdemoun]

number one kieran duffy fan here i need to know more abt mac or i think ill die. not even with kieran just. tell me abt this silly goose

MAAAAAAAAAAAC

silly goose is the perfect descriptive because mac is just a goose. he is bill but with a sense of humor. he just also happens to be a) ready to escalate to violence at any given second b) shares the john marston curse of happening to look like a really, really intimidating guy and not knowing how to switch it off

he's serving guy who does a little too well in a zombie apocalypse. sure mac enjoyed being an outlaw, sure the one thing in life he is really good at is shooting to kill, but also he was raising his brother from such a young age he really didn't have any opportunity to be anything else.

when he gets out of prison and hosea puts his foot down like no robberies no guns no outlawing we are going straight (well-) mac is kind of like a retired hunting dog learning to be a house pet. he doesn't know how to relax or do things not for survival. there was the necessary push back of what the fuck am i meant to do i'm not good for anything else and hosea shouted back to get a damned hobby or a job

but also post-timewarp post-prison was the first time in his life he's just been safe enough to have a moment to breathe and figure out who he is outside of outlawing (gay). who would've guessed mac callander could read? not only that but he enjoys reading now that he actually has time for it. also one of the only members of the gang to get into sports and will shout at the tv in the last quarter

mac and kieran's friendship works so well because they both identify with 'my resting heart rate registers as a panic attack' but in opposite directions. mac will watch kieran look in the pantry for two hours because he has a craving and hasn't figured out for what yet before suddenly asking mac to walk with him to the local mexican food truck because if he doesn't have a taco he will lose all ability to function for the rest of the day. mac doesn't know what a taco is so 'sure is it dangerous should i bring a knife?'

mac also deeply loves horses he's not taming wild horses riding bareback in love with horses like kieran and arthur but he does love horses and just feels warmth and peace at just the sight of them. he doesn't care if it's the 7th showing of war horse that week he will sit down and watch it with kieran. he will also cry while trying to not make it obvious he is crying like still gruff voice 'course i'm sad the horse collapsed and it's not getting up' while frantically wiping tears away when someone else enters the room

mac is also working through gay panic internalized homophobia. he is fine with the gays and is very dismissive of how much more visible the community is in modern era because why would he, a straight man, care - but gets aggressively agitated when people suggest he is gay. because he is absolutely gold star gay. wouldn't ever formally come out but eventually gets to the point of being able to say he lives with bill without looking ready to kill someone

has a job at a wholefoods stacking fruit before joining bill as a farmhand and thus acquires a really bizarre knowledge of all things fruit and veg. can go on a 20 minute tangent about what classifies as organic produce and which apple is superior for apple pie and how to pick the perfect watermelon without slapping it. still doesn't know how to talk without sounding like he's threatening someone but is genuinely excited to know about something other than where to shoot a man to guarantee they'll bleed out.

trust getting an invite to bill and mac's dingy trailer for dinner is going to be the best meat and veg roast of your life

[genericpuff]

Can’t wait for someone to make a copy of RS’s coveted “signature” stamp and just buy a few dozen books, stamp them, and sell them as “autographed” at a huge markup, and goofballs will buy them all.

I mean seriously, that stamp will be incredibly easy to copy if it’s not already been copied, it’s the polar opposite of exclusive or personal. Why anyone would pay $20 for that is beyond me but it proves that RS is a shrewd business person by any means necessary and will be richer than I ever will be. No wonder Hades is her idol.

No joke, there are pictures of Rachel using the stamp at SDCC and-

That stamp is literally just a standard one that you could order through any custom manufacturer. It's not a roller in any way, there's no unique cut they're working off of, it's just a round press stamp.

And it shows because this is the quality of the actual ink when it's on the paper-

Basically low grade printer ink on glossy paper. It's not gonna last at all, and it turned out exactly how I was expecting - there's too much solid color with too thin empty areas so the ink is bleeding into what's supposed to be 'white' (we deal with the same concepts in tattooing so I knew this was gonna happen as soon as I saw the stamp design).

Anyways so that's my long-winded way of saying that I took the stamp that was on Rachel's IG from her promotional posts, desaturated it, added a tone curve layer to adjust the sharpness/clarity, and threw it into VistaPrint. Just for science, and because I'm an asshole trying to prove a point.

Would literally only cost me $20-$30 for the stamp after shipping.

Now for obvious reasons I'm not saying anyone SHOULD do this, like... I'm showing you this for science but really, don't go making counterfeits because of this LOL This is really just to demonstrate how easy it would be for anyone to make a convincing replica, which is the unfortunate drawback to using stamps as your "signature" - and with a very low quality printer shop stamp to boot - because it makes it pretty easy to copy. Not to mention showing off the stamp design beforehand through social media means that people (like me, oop-) can rip it out of your image posts and reverse engineer it into something that can be uploaded and purchased. I get she wanted to make sure that people knew what they were getting, it would have been a HUGE piss off to go see her for a signature just to find out she was doing a stamp, but like... these are the risks that come with stamps.

Don't get me wrong, you can just as easily forge a signature, but it's a little harder to nail someone's personal signature vs. a stamp and you can usually find ways to make it more unique (like what Junji Ito did by giving out little doodles on each signature). It also doesn't help that that stamp is made so cheaply that a poorly done replica would probably be on the same level of quality as the authentic one. And of course she added insult to injury by deciding to sell ACTUAL HAND-SIGNED BOOKS WITH ONLY ONE BOOK THAT HAS ONE CRAPPY DOODLE INSIDE AT ONLY ONE SPECIFIC BOOKSTORE A WEEK AFTER SDCC WAS OVER THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR EVEN IF IT MEANS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN EXTRA COPY OF A BOOK YOU ALREADY OWN-

sigh This isn't an uncommon thing to do, it's not unique to Rachel, but it gives me grifting gacha vibes and it feels like such a fuck you to the people who travelled all the way out to SDCC and paid for the ticket prices just to get a shitty printer ink stamp and then find out a week later after they've undoubtedly gone home that one bookstore in San Diego actually has hand-signed copies. I've seen Youtubers pull this kind of shit with vinyl printings and Youtooz figures and it's equally tacky.

If she had done it either with handwritten signatures or at the VERY least a better quality stamp design and higher quality ink, then yeah, it would be harder to make it seem legit for anyone who's not privy to creating things like lino cuts or using roller ink and thus make it a much more valuable collector's item. But the books at SDCC were literally made with a stamp that anyone can replicate for $20 and then the hand-signed ones were offered at only one bookstore after Rachel had already flown home. It feels so impersonal and cold to the audience that has supported her through all the bullshit she's pulled in the last year.

[moltensmusings]

Time to rant about the Alvarez arc and issues I had with it once more now that I've posted some spriggan redesigns. This might be long.

The largest reason Alvarez and anything following Tartaros fall so flat is because you can almost tell Mashima was checked out by that point. That his excitement for the series had dwindled.

I have this theory that Tartaros was meant to be the last arc of the series but there were still things unanswered meaning that he was forced into adding more on. Now I don't say this as someone who thinks tartaros should've been the end, but because none of the villains after this point have any weight to them when honestly they should. All the reveals feel like they're done to surprise the audience more than flesh out the story.

I'm someone who always hated the Irene as Erza's mom plot because we really didn't need it. It was a trend of "villain is a blood relative" twists mashima kept throwing in and by that point it was honestly more annoying than anything. Erza never had questions about her family. She was never focused on her past so introducing her mother felt so out of left field. Irene literally could've just been the person who was in charge of creating the tower of Heaven, maybe she was even the on who corrupted Jellal, and that would've done far more towards making me invested in a showdown between her and Erza than anything in canon.

In general the Spriggan 12 being set up as characters involved in the various arcs would've been so beneficial because it would've given readers actual reasons to be angry or upset. What if Invel was the one who created Deliora and consistently tried to create new ice demons to impress Zeref. What if Layla's death was originally believed to be an accident but as time goes on Lucy uncovers more deaths and incidents connected to her mother that eventually lead back to Brandish. The tartaros group answering to August, who is still devote to Zeref, giving us a more solid reason to believe him as a Wizard king and actual tangible terror at the thought of facing him if tartaros itself would bend to him.

And this isn't even getting into how all their designs seem so slapped together causing them to look more like mid level/filler villains than actual final arc antagonists. Compare them to any of the tartaros characters and it just instantly becomes so obvious which ones Mashima actually cared about. By that point he knew he just had to make the women scantily clad and his die hard fans would ignore everything else. Jacob Lessio is one of the first Spriggan I think of whenever I get angry over how rushed their designs are.

Even Zeref himself felt so disappointing as a villain because any hype built for him really peaked during the tartaros arc. I was sure he'd be the one to appear instead of Mard Geer. It felt like that's what tartaros was building to. But instead we someone new and Zeref was pushed back. We could talk about him torturing Mavis and how Mashima still wanted to paint things between them as romantic because heaven forbid Mavis actually be a human with emotions who gets mad and vengeful when she's hurt, but we'll move on.

Beyond just this, Alvarez kingdom could've been so very interesting to have in the background, mentioned every now and then off handedly by side characters or guild members when discussing the world around them. This idea of it always existing but just never seeming important to our leads who aren't thinking about the political side of things. Us getting Alvarez hints early on and Alvarez only increasing in importance would've been something for fans to hold onto and engage with.

Mashima really dropped the ball on the series following Tartaros from the gray villain arc that amounted to nothing, a 1 year time skip setting up Natsu and Lucy collecting guild members that ended with everyone miraculously back at the guild with no persuasion necessary, to his final antagonists carrying non of the weight he wanted because titles don't create fear. And it makes me so incredibly furious because all it would've taken was actual care and interest in his own creation.

[bitchy-peachy]

Advice Somewhat and Some Shit to Sensitive Haters Stalking My Posts

My area is getting ready for those wonderful Trump import tariffs.

A cheap deodorant in a local pharmacy that costed $3.45... Now costs $8.45. Saw it just this morning.

Yes, that's how local businesses are preparing for your totally-going-to-lower-prices Cheese Puff Papi's economic plan.

Pretty sure certain people will blame democrats for it but hey, republicans love to break it so democrats can fix it. I don't even know how this shitass party still gets votes but then I see its either rich people that get big tax cuts and brainwashed people that were unfortunately taken advantage of through disguised lies that vote for this crap.

Also including racists and phobes because that's another tier in this dumbfuckery cake of ignorance.

I want my mutuals to be ready for what's coming next year. I've lived long enough to know shit will get bad for everyone that makes under a certain level of money in their finance bracket.

I want you to buy stuff that's necessary before these businesses keep hiking up prices and I want you to be try to only use money for necessities. Even I have cut my budget in wait to see what happens next.

I'm somewhat ok financially (for now. Now I will have to recalculate everything with the potential and percentages of Trump's Tariffs looming over all of us) and unlike the 6 times bankrupted god, I know how to actually use and administer our finances without destroying my whole family and leaving us in the poor house.

I will probably have to write a guide at this point cos I even know survival skills after natural disasters as well as the banking system... A bunch of simple acquired knowledge that I never thought would be so necessary with what's coming up ahead.

This morning was a wakeup call and reminder that we need to take things seriously to prepare ourselves and our families. We'll need to save, stock up, be a little more frugal

I'm frugal af as it is until I have "fun funds" accumulated to finally relax. People think we only got to "survive" rather than actually "live". Don't ever let someone tell you you can't have nice things and good food and a good quality life just cos you are poor. Rich people act like our existence is to do cheap work for them while only eating stale bread and drinking contaminated water. They see everyone that isn't wealthy as part of their serfdom to do their bidding.

You deserve better.

Anyways, I'm rambling but right now... These times up ahead are a challenge even for me who has survived homelessness and natural disasters that lead to darkness for 6 months. I now feel like I'm in school again doing mathematical exercises and sorting to be ready for another terrible event looming up ahead (we never can catch a break, huh?)

I joke around a lot on here about maga getting what they voted for but the reality is that they're not the only ones getting effed up for them being so painfully stupid and completely lacking in basic critical skills when voting.

I want my mutuals that are in vulnerable situations to do everything to be safe. This is the best advice I can give for now because I sincerely want those that can be potentially affected to be mentally and emotionally ready. I'm here for my friends and even though I'm ranty I am still strangely at ease that we will as a community be fine.

On to another subject.

It's obvious to everyone that follows me that I despise maga. Especially with my relative ones that think I'm morally obligated to help them mitigate the consequences of their own actions. They can't even admit when they fuck up and can't handle confrontation with facts so I don't see a point in saving them. Considering how they voted, they really don't give a shit about me or my own family.

The help that was going for them will go for other people that are flying in next week that definitely need more help than my relatives. My relatives can ask Trump for help in their housing, medical bills etc since they spat on my help by endangering my entire family that falls almost into every category Trump wants to fuck up and make "illegal".

If I do this with actual blood relatives... Imagine what I do to strangers trying shit with me as if I owe them friendship, activism or my time.

I've been ranted at and blocked 5 times over the past week by maga that just can't handle shit I had to tell them. They also mostly approached me so they're the ones going around like the biggest Loser Winners on everyone that isn't pro Trump.

Most recent fun times was a loser calling me mentally ill (weird, cos I'm pretty sure the one that studied criminological psychology is me and not some unappealing mediocre male that reblogs naked women that will never fuck him) and after he raged he blocked me.

I'm online for fun and friends so I do act unhinged and unprofessional af. Why am I gonna bore myself online with a professional veneer (and before some useless maga tries get me "fired". I retired ages ago, sweetums. LOL) when I'm supposed to just relax on here?

I like explicit horror and cats, rats and bats. I write weird shit. I don't have to act like I'm at work all the time with proper diction and I'm not the only "shitlib" that is like this online. One of my best friends who plays horror games with me is surgeon and we both cuss like truckers and have slumber parties.

Meh.

Despite all this, I am appreciative of me, a retired old goth witchy lady, being fake diagnosed by someone with impressive 5th grade level knowledge. I gave easy to find facts and it somehow hurts people into calling me "retarded". I'm done being nice to your ilk and will be giving out just as much shit back as you have done to me.

There's nothing worse in an election than an uninformed voter in an echo chamber. You guys got fed your "facts" from echo chamber social medias and outlets. It's not my fault my factual words hurt you. It's your own for not waking up out of that propaganda induced coma. A lot of you don't even know what communism and social democracy actually are before calling everyone you don't like those things.

After these elections, I now know there's no helping you. You're too far gone and our side is truly packing up and leaving you behind. Blocking, avoiding... We are done as we should have been ages ago.

If you go low, I will go lower. Tired of only one side playing nice and getting trampled on and then you hypocritically clutching at your pearls at the slightest pushback.

We will be meaner and you deserve it. You had it coming. And I'm saying it nicely on here but I've called some yall literally fucking country destroying dumbfucks that actually hate everyone, including America. (that "patriot" some of you have on bio along with Christian crosses will never fail to make me laugh. You guys hate America so much you might as well wipe your ass with the flag. Well you already do put it to your genitals with the undies and swimsuit lines with flag print. Yikes)

But what do I know? I'm just a shitty lib (not really. A lot of libs hate me cos I'm pro guns and support answering violence with even more violence meh)

I don't hate to say "I told you so". In fact I love saying it now.

Now that both of these things are outta the way, I will relax and watch some horror movies in my list. Might live post some of them.

PS: To my haters... I have a statcounter on my blog. Stop being stupid.

[blueskittlesart]

i've been occasionally watching critiques of totk just to hear differing opinions and a lot of them feel really nitpicky but the one that stuck out to me the most was the guy who wholeheartedly believed that the stories in these games could be improved by. removing link as the main protagonist. it should be pretty obvious that this take sucks ass but i wanted to see if you'd share your thoughts since you're good at putting your thoughts into words with this kind of stuff ^_^

ok this one is. strange to me. I'm not sure i'm equipped to critique it without getting the full argument from its source, because i assume that if the argument is that link SHOULDN'T be the protagonist, then they're arguing someone else SHOULD be instead, and not knowing who that is makes this a little harder to dissect. for the sake of this post i'm going to assume we're arguing for protag zelda, because she's the character who is the vessel for most of the story in botw/totk so i think she's the only character that makes sense. I'm also curious if they're advocating for removing link as a character from the story entirely or if they're just advocating for a change in framing from one character to another.

in any case, If i'm right about the above assumptions this seems to be another case of someone missing the central themes of the games. Because I concede that, at a glance, link kind of doesn't have that much presence in the story of either game. both games very heavily focus on zelda, with botw's primary story being about her struggle pre-calamity with her agency and her powers, and totk's primary story being about her journey in the past with sonia and rauru. arguably, the protagonist of these games in the traditional sense, i.e. the character who primarily experiences the highs and lows of the story and goes through an arc of growth, is ZELDA. link is, for all intents and purposes, the framing device through which we as players are witnessing ZELDA's story.

(full disclosure this turns into an essay on the way link is used as a character and a plot device bc i have no self control lol)

so why is link necessary, then? what is the point of the player experiencing the plot through a framing character like him instead of through zelda herself, the active protagonist? I think there are several layers to what makes link's presence in these games both necessary and irreplaceable.

the first and one of the most important reasons to have link in the active role is interactivity. I'm incredibly interested in video games as a modern art form and storytelling method, and imo the thing that sets video games apart from other methods of storytelling is their interactivity. In order to tell a story, an rpg drops the player into the middle of it. the player is an active participant in the story as it unfolds, and the player gets to experience and potentially alter the events in real time. from a consumer standpoint this may seem obvious and uncomplicated to execute--just take a prewritten story and put the player in control of one of the characters, right? but from a writing standpoint, it becomes really complicated really fast.

most stories are written linearly in a sort of cause-and-effect model, meaning events and actions will build on each other throughout the progression of the story. e.g: a monster attacks a village > because of the monster attack the villagers lose their homes > because they are now homeless, one of the villagers decides to slay the monster to take their village back > the villager slays the monster and the village is saved. each event builds upon the one before it, and if any of the events in the sequence were altered, the events after it would also be altered as well. if the villager decided to leave the village instead of fighting the monster, the event after that one would be altered and the village wouldn't be saved. What this means for interactive storytelling is that, if you want to have a single set course of events and ending (the standard model for zelda games) you can't allow the player to alter any events in that sequence. whatever character you give the player control of has to be able to experience the story WITHOUT substantially altering it. this becomes a dilemma because you as a writer need to toe the line between giving the player too much choice and altering the story/creating plot holes and giving the player too little choice and limiting the interactivity of your story. this is where the silent protagonist comes in handy.

the silent protagonist is a term for a player character which takes no action outside of what the player specifically orders them to. Link is one of the more famous silent protagonists, but other well-known ones include frisk from undertale and joker from persona 5 (worth noting that SPs don't have to be PHYSICALLY silent to be SPs, they just can't take any story-altering action without player input. joker actually has voice lines & is still considered an SP!) the silent protagonist is a popular model for RPG player characters because it basically solves the interactivity dilemma. A character with no personality is incredibly easy for players to project themselves onto, making them FEEL very in-control and immersed in the story even if they're not REALLY making any story-altering decisions. As long as your protagonist never breaks from player control and makes decisions on their own, the player feels like they ARE that character and will be much more susceptible to being thrown around by the story. A character with no personality or backstory is also conveniently lacking in outside motivations, meaning they're unlikely to need to substantially alter the story in any way that they aren't directly prompted to. for example, if we go back to that monster & villager story, if we turn our heroic villager into a silent protagonist, it puts a layer of distance between the hero and the villagers. the hero CAN choose to save the village, but they likely WON'T if the game doesn't prompt them to. this opens up several possibilities to us as writers--we can prompt the player to save the village, if that's the way we want the story to end, but we could ALSO prompt the player to side with the monster, or to ignore the village altogether, depending on what the story requires. when the hero has a backstory connecting them to the village, it's difficult to rationalize any response other than them attacking the monster, but removing that backstory gives us as writers more control AND keeps the player more engaged with the story at the same time.

so why does this matter for link? as previously mentioned, link is arguably the most famous silent protagonist of all time. this is something that's VERY important to the developers of these games--throughout the entire franchise, you will NEVER hear link say a word, and you'll also never see him take any action without the express confirmation of the player. link isn't a character through which the player is experiencing the story, link IS the player. thus, link is silent and takes no action outside of the player's control. relative to the story of botw/totk, link feels like he lacks presence in the story because HIS story takes somewhat of a backseat to zelda's. link's story in botw/totk is a relatively straightforward one--he wakes up, regains his memories, and saves the princess. that's his arc, and that's the arc that we as players are physically experiencing through him, but it's NOT the primary story arc of the games. the primary arc is ZELDA'S. at a glance, then, it almost would make more sense to make zelda the playable protagonist of the games. why are we required to witness her story as an outside observer in a medium which allows players to experience a story firsthand? why not drop us into HER body instead of link's?

because zelda isn't a silent protagonist.

Nearly all of zelda's story in both botw and totk is driven by her backstory and her internal struggle. she makes the decisions that she makes in botw because of her history having her agency denied by her father and being scorned by the goddess, and because of her passion for ancient technology and science. the plot of totk is similarly driven by choices she makes based on her emotions--most notably, her choice to become a dragon requires her to have complete faith in link and the courage to take a step that means losing herself. Because of the way these choices rely on zelda's internal emotional state and the context and backstory of her character, a player dropped into her body can't be expected to make them. We actually saw it a lot with criticisms of the way she acted in botw--people claiming that if THEY were in her shoes they wouldn't have been so emotional, they would have been nicer to link, etc. And it's true that a player who hasn't experienced the things that zelda as a character has gone through may have been able to have more rational or logical reactions to the situation she was in, but it's crucial to the plot that zelda COULDN'T set aside her emotions or the way that her past colored her perception of events. zelda is essentially the anti-silent-protagonist. she is the VOCAL protagonist, whose backstory and voice and autonomous choices are so crucial to the plot that removing them becomes nearly impossible. in order to tell her story in an interactive medium, she requires another character who CAN be controlled and whose decisions can be altered somewhat without derailing the plot entirely, hence why link becomes the vessel through which we see her story.

no less important a point is the fact that link is thematically important to these games as well. As previously mentioned, zelda's story serves as the primary narrative to both games. Link's story is still present, however, and it serves to reinforce and expand upon the themes present in zelda's.

in botw, zelda's story centers around her lack of agency. she is expected to inherit her familial power from the goddess hylia, a power which is required to stop the calamity. she spends her entire life training for this purpose despite the fact that she resents the pressure and wants no part in the war against the calamity, and when her powers don't manifest she is treated like a failure for it. she ends up believing she is worth nothing if she can't contribute by awakening her power and develops a harsh internal conflict between her desire to be accepted and needed and her desire to break free from the oppressive role she's been forced into. Initially, both she and the player believe link to be the polar opposite to her--the golden child to her black sheep. he's her age, but he's already mastered HIS power and is more than ready to take on any challenge, including the calamity. he's constantly receiving praise, he's well-known and well-liked, he's everything zelda isn't. however, as the story progresses, it's revealed to both the player and zelda that link is actually essentially in the exact same situation as zelda. He finds the role he is playing just as oppressive as zelda finds hers, despite being able to play it so well, to the point where he goes mute due to the pressure to perform. he functions in this story as a foil to zelda, the character who she plays off of. In learning about him we learn about zelda, and vice versa, and both characters undergo growth when they work off each other. much of botw's theming centers around growth, healing, and change, and link serves as a vessel to propel zelda's change by giving both her and the player a different view of their situation. He is confirmation that even if she DID perform correctly, zelda STILL wouldn't find the happiness and validation she's seeking, which in turn forces her to stop seeking validation from her father and hylia.

this same utlization of link is present in totk, though in a slightly different way. in some ways, totk link is more of his own character than a foil to zelda a la botw. Totk has two main central themes: the first being that hope is not lost due to one mistake, and the second being teamwork and community as an essential tool for survival and happiness. rather than playing off each other in totk, since link and zelda spend so much of the story so far removed from each other, they both play off these themes in their own ways, with both of their narratives coming together to reinforce the theming. zelda finds friends and community in the sages in the past, and her trust in her friends and community in the future is what allows her to send the master sword through time via draconification. In the future, link repairs communities that have been fractured by ganondorf and forges bonds with his own sages that will become his greatest assets in the final battle. Zelda works tirelessly to prevent the first rise of ganondorf, and even when she fails, link is there in the future to fix it. zelda loses her humanity in order to bring the master sword to link, but link manages to bring her back in the end. link loses his arm when he fails to save zelda under the castle, but when he DOES save her in the end, he gets his arm back, too. each of their stories play off each other and reinforce each other thematically.

I'm ngl this did get away from me the second i started talking about silent protagonists as a narrative device (i am crazy <3) but anyway. I do sincerely think that link is an irreplaceable part of these stories and I also don't think it's feasible to tell the story from any other angle. I think using him as both a framing character and as a narrative foil to the active protagonist was a really smart way to tell zelda's story while still keeping the player active within it. tldr link is the specialest amazingest most important boy in the world if you don't cheer and clap for him i'll fucking blow this whole building up

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

I’m sorry to see that you took my earlier ask the wrong way! I didn’t quote you in that, but I’ll quote you now so we can both be on the same page as to what I was responding to.

You said “the term actually asexual started as an aphobic or ace spec exclusionary tag/label.” Then you went on to explain the gatekeeping sub-community that used the term a couple years ago.

I’m not disputing that that happened, I am saying that that is not where the term “started”. It started in 2012, inspired by the actuallyautistic tag, as a method to avoid spam in the main tag. At that point it had no exclusionary connotation. Using actually- tags was a trend on tumblr in the early-mid 2010s so that members of marginalized communities could make sure their voices were heard. This use went out of fashion after that era of spam dried up, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know about it, and that you would overestimate your knowledge of history and make such a confident but incorrect statement as you did about the term’s true origin.

I know that emotionally it can be really difficult to deal with a message online correcting a statement you’ve made. It can feel like I’m telling you you’re wrong and you should feel bad for it, so I want to make it clear that this is not anon hate, just somebody who cares about aspec community memory. Nobody is right all the time! I’ve been confidently incorrect plenty of times in my life so I understand how the embarrassment can feel like a slap in the face. That’s ok, and those feelings aren’t always an indication that you’re being put down or judged. It’s necessary that we as people can hold discussions where we’re trying to figure out what’s correct collaboratively and not argumentatively, and that means recognizing when the people you’re speaking with are well-intentioned and responding in kind.

Anyway, yeah, I remember being younger and I remember how mortified I would have felt to read the message I sent, so no judgement at all. The good thing is that as life goes on you get more experience, more desensitization to those extreme feelings, more contextual knowledge to recognize that it’s ok, etc etc.

I’m not asking you to respond to this ask in any way, I just want to make it clear that I wasn’t trying to put you down at all. Have a good night!

lmao bestie, reading this was a wild ride and I wish i kept your past post as you back tracked twice.

Yeah i think this was mostly a misunderstanding on both sides and we were both wrong, however I will say in your OG ask you stated the tag started in 2022. But the reason you gave was the same.

I don't know how active you were on the "actually asexual" tag back in the day, but people were still not being the greatest over the split attraction model. It wasn't suddenly a safe haven for all asexuals (just like the current ace tags).

"Using actually- tags was a trend on tumblr in the early-mid 2010s so that members of marginalized communities could make sure their voices were heard. This use went out of fashion after that era of spam dried up, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know about it, and that you would overestimate your knowledge of history and make such a confident but incorrect statement as you did about the term’s true origin."

Yeah I know actually. I've been here since around 2016/17 and I do deep dives into tumblr and older posts a lot in my free time. I'm not new here actually and to give a rough est. of my age, I was never under the age of 13 on the site. "actually-" tags are still quite popular, actually asexual being the most known in my circle for obvious reasons. "I know that emotionally it can be really difficult to deal with a message online correcting a statement you’ve made. It can feel like I’m telling you you’re wrong and you should feel bad for it, so I want to make it clear that this is not anon hate, just somebody who cares about aspec community memory. Nobody is right all the time!"

You are right here, and I agree. But the way you originally phrased your "correction" was not only incorrect, but spiteful and hateful. It might not of read so to you but saying shit like "clearly you don't care about" and "you're to young to understand" isn't constructive criticism, its in-fact quite annoying and patronising. Statements like that are meant to enrage people, which is why I did not respond to you OG asks as I don't want to spiral a small matter. I would also like to say you final statements, while correct, are also quite sarcastically sweet to almost (very) patronising. Please do not talk to me like you would a small child.

[innerchorus]

Chapter 127 of Arslan is ahead… Forgive me for the cruel thought, but… Will anyone from Arslan’s squad die? This is the denouement. It will be strange if they all survive.

Well, as I mentioned in my initial thoughts on the chapter, I'm not convinced this is the final confrontation against Zahhak (I feel like the purpose here is to establish that 'oh fuck the Snake King is back' and the final fight will happen at a later point).

So in terms of what we might see in Chapter 127, I'm not actually expecting any major character deaths there! Perhaps we might see some of the Zot get eaten? But the snakes are already pretty well-fed, and if as I've theorised Zahhak isn't fully resurrected and conscious yet, the snakes are what's in the driving seat. (Consider the fact that from the views we've had of the snakes alone, it strikes me that Zahhak's body might actually be lying down/underground? Which gives more support to the idea that Zahhak's actions right now are solely the instinctive ones of the shoulder snakes. Hopefully they're full for now, and hopefully they'll sense Rukhnabad and be repelled by it once more. Quick, everyone in Team Arslan group hug Don Ricardo right now!)

But to leave that aside for the moment, do I think anyone will die during the final fight against Zahhak, whenever that happens to be? Honestly, it's possible. Those of us who are familiar with novel spoilers will know that many characters met their end this way, but I do think Arakawa will go about things a little differently.

It could be that, having now had warning that the Snake King is free, Team Arslan manage to disrupt whatever ritual the Master is brewing with those head jars that are probably beneath Ecbatana (my current working theory as that this is something necessary for Zahhak's true resurrection) and they kill Zahhak off at that moment. Or even though I don't think it's likely, because to me a resolution right now would feel rushed, perhaps they really will kill Zahhak now and get to throw that fact in the Master's face whenever they encounter him (because he surely has to die before the end, too). But if there is a dramatic battle against Zahhak at a later point, how will that go down? Who will face him in combat? Who, if anyone, will fall, and who will survive?

I keep wondering whether any of the other characters will be on the scene at that point. If it's post-whatever happens with Andragoras and Hilmes, maybe all of Team Arslan will be united once more. My main hope is that Kubard is around to tell them that the notion of fighting the Snake King one on one in an honourable duel is a really fucking stupid idea.

As should be obvious by now, this post covers some novel spoilers, and these are about to get more graphic because I want to talk about the characters who canonically died against Zahhak in the novels and what I think might happen to them in the manga. As such, I'll place this and some other thoughts about who else might die under a Read More.

Okay, I'll go through these in chronological order.

Don Ricardo (okay, known as Parahuda in the novels whereas in the manga he's not exactly a member of Team Arslan) — it feels a bit mean to kill him off now? He's so traumatised there's no way he'd be able to bring himself to fight against Zahhak in the near future anyway so I feel he's going to live, and maybe he'll go back to Lusitania with Estelle.

Merlaine — I don't think so. If he dies right now then there's more pressure on Alfarid to become Zot chieftain, and actually what I think we might see is a begrudging agreement by Merlaine at the end of the series that he'll shoulder this role, leaving things open for a relationship to develop between Narsus and Alfarid.

Kishward — slightly more likely than the previous two but again I really don't get that feeling like he's going to die? Arakawa's shown us his family, I think he'll get to live to see stability restored to the country where he can have an easier time of things and continue balancing his roles as Marzban and family man.

Daryun — it's hard to imagine him not fighting Zahhak, isn't it? He's Pars's strongest fighter, after all. I want him to do it while wielding a ji like he does in the novels! But I don't want him to die. I think he's more likely to receive a grave injury, and we've all seen how Arslan reacts when he thinks Daryun might die...

Arslan — I just don't think he's going to die. It doesn't seem like a possibility in my mind. As I mentioned I think in many ways Arakawa is steering us towards a brighter future than Tanaka, in terms of Pars becoming stable under Arslan's rule rather than falling into a dark age after his death, plus I really do believe she'll allow Hilmes and Irina to live happily in Maryam. (Maybe Daryun will even be able to visit Serica again!) Arslan dying at this point will not allow for a fitting resolution to the plot or his character arc, in my opinion. So I'm going to say he's safe!

Okay, those are the characters who were killed off in combat against Zahhak in the novels. Now let's look at some of the other casualties of Team Arslan and what I think their fates might be in the manga if they are involved in a fight against the Snake King.

Jaswant — this would be devastating but I could see him giving his life to protect Arslan. If it happens, I'll cry buckets. He's possible the most likely member of Team Arslan to die in Chapter 127 because he doesn't have the innate cultural fear of Zahhak that the Parsians do, so if they are paralysed for an instant he might react faster and do what it takes to save Arslan's life.

Kubard — before Book 16 was released I thought he was likely to die in it, and sure enough he did, but not against Zahhak. But honestly, I could see him dying here in a reversal of his point of view at Atropatene; rather than leaving a chaotic battlefield after an unworthy king has fled, he'll stand and fight alongside Arslan, someone he views as worthy. Kubard is undeniably brave but also not foolish so if someone does choose to fight Zahhak alone maybe he'll give them a helping hand. If he does die it had better be badass. His death in the novels was one that Tanaka got right, in my opinion.

Isfan — I don't think this is going to happen but if it did I'd never get over it, it's too unfair. I do worry about his reaction if he sees those head jars because if Zahhak or the Master happens to be there, he's not going to stop and think, he's just going to attack. (Please keep on looking out for him, Kubard. I say this because the thought of it is something I love, we've seen it in the manga already, and in the novels Kubard does intervene when he's going up against 'demon general' Ilterish in a highly emotional state after one of his wolves was killed). Again it's a situation where it just doesn't feel fair to think of him dying here. His death really fucked me up in the novels.

Hm, thinking about the others who died before Book 16 now.

Tus — not getting any strong feelings but how neat would it be to see him immobilise a shoulder snake with his chains?

Zaravant — honestly, if I had to pick one member of Team Arslan who didn't die fighting Zahhak in the novels but who might in the manga, it's Zaravant. Sorry to say it but I'm pinning the 'most likely to die' sticker on him. Especially because his death in the novels was Team Zahhak-related.

Jimsa — maybe, if he's around for the final fight then he might go for glory/reward, but I don't have a strong feeling that he'll die.

Narsus — now, if any of the 'main/central' members of Team Arslan were to die, I think it'd be Narsus. Yes, this would be devastating, and it would come with the shadow of Pars having lost its best tactician who has made so much possible for Team Arslan, but what final battle is without cost? If Elam were older and more experienced he'd be in a place to become his successor and it would be a pupil replacing teacher moment where the torch is handed to him, but realistically we're not at that point yet. My gut feeling is that Narsus will survive.

Alfarid — just can't see her dying, to be honest. Her and Narsus both get to live, maybe we'll get teased with the possibility of something developing between them when she's older, but I'm not sure it'll be confirmed in the manga.

Estelle — as I said, I think she'll return to Lusitania in the end. I'd love to see her grab a bow and shoot a snake, though. (Her snatching a petrified Parizad's bow to shoot a winged ape despite her horrible leg injury is my favourite Estelle moment in the novels!)

Now for the characters who survived the final battle and died later of unrelated causes.

Farangis — she'll live, I just feel it.

Gieve — yeah I don't think he'll die either.

Elam — also going to survive.

This post is super long but it was actually pretty fun to write! We'll see how wrong I am in the next few months, I guess. And if anyone else has thoughts of their own on whether we'll see any of Team Arslan meet their end in the manga, please share!

[murdermortician]

Jeff the Killer rewrite? My thoughts, if you even care!

The story link! Read before reading this post! Spoilers WILL be in this post!

Well, yet another rewrite of one of the best-known creepypasta stories on the internet. When it comes to rewrites of Jeff The Killer, I can't say if I've seen or read a lot of them. There are more than hundreds floating around the internet, I'm sure, but I've seen the most popular and oldest of the stories. I'm sure it's safe to say, it wasn't the best written and was very non-sensical in the injuries that Jeff withstanded. The 2015 rewrite was a lot more understandable and stayed true to the iconic smile that Jeffery Woods is associated with while also sprinkling some burns into it with the flare gun accident. We all know that in the 2008-2009 version of Jeff the Killer, the main two injuries he went through were burns and the well-known carved smile. Yes, he did burn off his eyelids in the story, but I think that it's not a necessary factor to add to rewrites since most wouldn't even be able to survive without eyelids, let alone a murderer. It is a nice touch to remember if you want to stay true to the OG story, but not entirely a part that is as recognizable as the fires, burns, and the smile. Now that general thoughts on the past few versions are spoken of, let's talk about Pastra's rewrite of Jeff's lore. I think it was executed very thoughtfully when it came to adding the characteristics associated with Jeff. The house fire being the reason for the injuries on Jeff's face was a smart touch and it was definitely a better reason for the bullying that he endured as well. Some truly cruel people will bully and harass people with serious injuries to the face, and it makes more sense as the entire reason Randy began messing around with Jeff. It also gives a deeper reason for the move, which forces you to have some idea of how much it hurt to stay in the previous location. It really makes you sympathize with Jeff in a way, and you can put yourself in Liu's shoes. It's always a good thing when the author can make you put yourself in the character's place and imagine how it feels. I was even fooled by Jeff's characterization, and I thought the story was going for a more tragic killer than the original. I was wrong, of course, because the plot twist near the end really shocked me. I'd spent a hot minute in Liu's shoes, completely clueless to the reality of who Jeff was, and it's completely true to the original character when you read through. The whole story, you know what's coming-- or, you think you do. It was made obvious from the start that Jeff is a murderer, we know he is. So, when it gets to the point that he kills Randy, I wasn't surprised at all because I knew it was coming. What I didn't see coming, was the detail that Jeff had started the fire at their old home. When that detail was brought out, I was just shocked. The writing had made me sympathize with him so much, made me think the same way Liu did, and that just made everything better. Liu was clueless about the kind of person his brother was, even if he'd wanted to believe that Jeff wouldn't hurt anybody, he tried to see the best in his brother. We, as readers, knew that wasn't true, but we were left in the dark about the fire. I think it's amazing that I was so shocked when the reveal came out, it shows that even if you think you know somebody, you don't. The same feeling that Liu felt when Jeff shed light on the fact that HE was the one who tried to kill the entire family from the beginning. Even if we knew Jeff would kill Randy and his gang, we were still just as shocked as Liu was, because we couldn't have suspected that Jeff would've been the one who originally burned the house down- we had no reason to! The characterization of Jeff, in the beginning, hid the fact completely!

Now, I'd like to speak about my opinion on the way that the officers and murder case was written. I've seen some people say that Jeff was made into someone who couldn't kill, or pathetic if you will. First off, I'd like to say that the entire point of the murders was missed if you think so. I'm not saying you can't dislike the rewrite and how it was presented, but you must've missed the whole purpose of it. Realistically, some people will get away from a murderer, but Jeff was not trying to kill random people. He was trying to kill Liu. So therefore, when he used the witnesses and their accounts to his advantage to get Liu, that was what made his entire mission clear. Jeff is not characterized as a killing machine in this story, he is not choosing randomly, he is after Liu.

As for the officers, I disagree with the words expressed about them being badly written. It can be considered that they might've put two and two together a bit quicker, but if Jeff had not been active for two years after his case got cold, then why would he be the first thought for the killer? Yes, many described the big smile and the gasoline, but realistically, anybody could carve their mouth into a smile or smell like cigarettes. Liu hinted that he'd just been forgotten about, so naturally, I'd assume that during the period of a killer running around, most wouldn't immediately assume it was Jeffery Woods- the kid who hasn't shown himself for years and only started killing people after a couple years.

I really do think this is one of the best written versions of this story, and I do have some small things I wish were mentioned more in the story. I think that if Troy and Keith were included more in the rewrite, it could've made things interesting. Yes, Liu was the first person they went to about this, but if they'd questioned the two witnesses as well it could've opened more opportunities. Troy and Keith were the ones closest to Jeff's supposed first victim, Randy, so why not bring them back into the picture? I'd also like to have had some closer to the ending. I hate not knowing which one of them survived, because although it was likely Jeff, it bothers me and irks me to think Liu didn't survive. I was rooting for him, and the idea that it's left for me to assume Jeff survived bothers me. So, I guess I'll let myself believe that Liu was the one who walked away that day for the sake of my feelings.

Phenomenal job to Pastra, and I really enjoyed it!

[chirpsythismorning]

You can't expect people to take you seriously if you're not providing any proof? If Will and El are twins and Joyce and Hopper are their bio parents, why don't any of them know about it and why haven't there been any hints about it? I'm not even trying to be rude here I just haven't seen any evidence. Let alone strong evidence

I've gotten a few confused asks about this theory and how it just doesn't make any sense..?

I'm not saying that I completely understand the ins and outs of how it works, in fact I'm still completely immersed in theorizing and not being certain of anything! Quite frankly, I don't understand it (how time works/the rules of the game), though I think that's necessary because otherwise everyone and their mother would have guessed this surprise by now if it was any more obvious than it already is.

I also just feel kind of bad about spoiling what could possibly be going down, especially bc this would clearly be a series long surprise.

I've been theorizing for months now with @shippingfangirl013 about this. It started with us sharing thoughts about Twelvegate and just sort of piecing together s4 lab scenes and then eventually going back to the beginning to see what we might have missed from this new lens, that being the possibility that Will is Twelve. And that's when we realized A LOT of stuff has been overlooked from the very beginning, which provides not only answers to certain questions we had, but also brings forth even more questions that we wouldn't have come up with, had we not looked back further into the details in the first place.

She has a bunch of posts that are severely underrated in regards to this whole theory, so I urge you all to check those out:

Twelvegate Theory: Drowning in the Quarry and Will & El (Part 1)

Twelve Actor Resemblance to Young Will Byers

Stranger Things S5 Conglomerate Twelvegate Theory (Part 1)

Conglomerate ST S5 Theory Parallels

Also be sure to keep an eye out because she has some really big brain analysis in the works that you dont want to miss. I can honestly say she plays a big role in why I feel fairly confident about this theory, because I myself didn't really believe it at first. But now, after everything I've seen, it's kind of hard not to.

Even if you don't like this the idea of this theory or just simply don't believe the evidence presented that you've seen thus far, at the very least looking at this could expand your ability to look further at other details on the show and even pick up on evidence of your own. I find that more often than not, knowing about the existence of certain overlooked details allows you to find even more overlooked details that others missed.

For the sake of your doubtful ask, and for anyone else who isn't even considering this theory because it seems too far fetched, I'm going to share some of my favorite unhinged evidence for whatever the hell gate we're calling this...

But first, here is some basic context for the chaos that follows.

Something important to note, is that we don't meet Hopper, El or the Byers the night that Will went missing. We only met Will and the party. Instead they saved the rest of the main character's introductions (his family, mind you) for the following day, after Will had gone missing. This also means they saved their introductions for AFTER the big power outage that happened that night right before he disappeared.

I find this interesting because this choice allowed them to make those introductions feel arguably 'starting point'/reset-like (like in a video game).

You'll also note there is a 'Pizza One' box in that first scene when the party is in Mike's basement playing their campaign, moments before that power outage. This could have been a hint that the very start of the pilot episode at the Wheelers may very well be the OG timeline, that we've been straying from ever since. And so let's say hypothetically, if we had met Hopper, El and the Byers BEFORE that power outage, whose to say their lives wouldn't have looked slightly different...?

The first time we are introduced to Hopper is in the scene directly after the opening credits, which was right after the scene of Will disappearing in the shed. Hopper is sleeping on the couch in his trailer, wearing both his daughter's blue bracelet and his watch. We also get 3 references to keys in this scene (a 2 ft long key decal in the literal opening shot). And if that's not enough, what follows is Hopper getting ready for work, putting a yellow pen in his pocket near a painting of an owl, before grabbing his keys and walking out the door.

The first time we are introduced to Joyce (the Byers), follows directly after the scene with Hopper, where Joyce just so happens to be looking everywhere for her keys, Where the hell are they?, followed by finding them on the couch, despite already looking there previously with no luck (interesting Hopper was sleeping on the couch with Willel symbols on his wrists only moments before this hmm). We then get a shot of Joyce showing concern over Will not eating breakfast, followed by scolding Jonathan for forgetting to wake Will up, adding I've told you this a thousand times, before she walks past an owl on the wall in the hallway and opens the door to another owl on the wall in Will's (unoccupied) room...

Let me just say, for the sake of this fictional family, I hope to god they haven't been through this thousands of times. Though I fear they might have. At least more than once...

There are a lot, A LOT of scenes that go down like this. As the show progresses, we get a lot of references to time passing and confusion and impatience and it almost feels like they themselves know deep down this isn't their first rodeo, and yet they're still playing along bc how exactly can one question their reality?.

The problem right now for me, is that I don't understand the rules of the game. How does time work? What even is the goal of the game (to win, I presume?)? Maybe Vecna's having to keep reseting the time loop, to get the results he wants, and over time he's getting closer and closer to the results he wants, but it will ultimately (predictably) lead to him failing once and for all in the final season, when all is inevitably revealed?

Hypothetically, if this is all some game/pocket universe Vecna has thrown our core characters into, essentially surrounding them with 'fakers', then how do we know what is/isn't real? Or I guess whether or not we're in a timeline/loop either closest to, or furthest away from the original timeline? That's why it's hard for me to go further in terms of definitively piecing everything together time wise. Not only that, but we also don't even know for sure what Vecna wants from Will and El, truly.

But I do think that a lot of the answers to the truth are hidden in plain sight.

If you're genuinely curious, I encourage you to rewatch the show for yourself to see if you can pick up on things! Be sure to keep an eye out for keys and owls in particular. Also, El's flashbacks of Mama/the rainbow room might prove to be important... like, literally slowing down and pausing and screenshooting every single frame level important...

Who knows, you might even stumble upon a completely different undiscovered theory in the process!

On that note, here is just a slice of my favorite evidence in regards to this theory, that will hopefully open your mind to the possibility:

When Hopper asks about Lonnie's whereabouts, Joyce insists TRUST ME HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. They made sure to keep the keys on the wall OUT of the frame in those shots referencing Lonnie by name specifically. However, when the conversation circles back to Will, and then follows after with Joyce telling Hopper to find her son, the keys are once again visible in both of their shots.

This scene right here is pretty epic. We all interpret Hopper's investigative skills throughout the series as him just being good at his job. But I would argue this scene in particular gives off very intense deja vu. It's as if Hopper knows where to look, because he's done this before. It's as if he's getting a gut feeling in certain areas that actually could be close to the truth, because this is his thousandth time doing this (Jesus, for their sake, I hope that's not the case).

Still, Hopper showcases a lot of unbelievable detective work throughout the show, and I think it could very well be hinting at him drifting in and out of awareness over the fact that he has done this before, which allows him to make such incredible guesses that lead him to the answer sooner than he would have in any normal situation (and yet, never too close...)

Has this always been here? That's what Hopper asks about a dent in the wall. We interpret it as maybe Hopper trying to figure out if this could be connected to Will's disappearance. But what if it's more than that? What if it hasn't always been there? What if this is a glitch in the matrix of sorts, and he noticed that glitch, bc this isn't his first time doing this? (Also peep the owl that shows up at the very last second in the shot directly below, with Joyce and Hopper in the frame, just as he gets the urge to check the backyard...)

This scene... This fucking scene ya'll. It just doesn't make any sense. This is one of several scenes throughout the show that have so many unanswered questions. I think it's because something else is going on that weren't not supposed to understand yet. That shot with Hopper encased in a rainbow is cool and probably means something... Hopper intensely walking into the frame as he steps towards the shed, with the upside down horseshoe above the door also probably means something...

Hopper literally walks up straight to where Will was in the shed the night previous, bc he's just that good of a detective. Yeah, okay... Suddenly the light overhead is blinking dramatically, only to switch off completely, which leads Hopper's eyes to catch this makeshift fort in the corner of the shed. Before he even gets a good look at what he's seeing, he's interrupted by Callahan, pulling him out of his deja vu state, followed by the light switching back on instantly, as if the occurrence was all in his head.

This also happens a lot, where our main characters are being interrupted by other characters, only seconds before they were close to solving something. And I just find that interesting...

This one is kind of peak comedy because, all it's doing on the surface is implying that Joyce and Hopper have a romantic history, but it also sneakily involves Will in the joke, as evidence that they have been intimate... The Chief and her, they've screwed before huh? ...WILL! That a 'yeah' or did they...

To be honest, I was really doubtful about Joyce and Hopper being El and Will's biological parents at first, even despite believing twelvegate and the possibility of them being twins. And this doubt mostly came from the scenes we get with Terry aka El's 'Mama'.

Initially, I had convinced myself it would be too sad, considering how much backstory we got about Terry. But @shippingfangirl013 made me realize that there is something very off about these scenes with Terry, that I think kind of went over all of our heads.

First of all, Mama is essentially the equivalent to the name Papa, and so we should start by unpacking that. Why didn't the writers have El distance herself from that exact association she links to Brenner, by just having her call Terry 'mom' like most kids call their mother? It doesn't seem that serious on the surface, but again this is a choice the writers made... Maybe it's because they wanted the audience to subconsciously associate those two with each other (Papa/Mama)? Also peep Jim giving Will Byers vibes, all lit up by the sun like Jesus (or I guess... God?) below!

The main thing I want to talk about though, is that despite Terry's vegetative state, she's still managing to give us hints about how she feels and what she thinks, with very subtle micro-expressions.

When she meets Hopper and Joyce in s1, Terry looks completely unsurprised. You could say she looks the same all of the time, because of her vegetative state, and while I mostly agree, there are some outliers in the mix.

When Joyce mentions El being her daughter, what we get is a reaction shot of Terry dramatically closing her eyes for an extended period of time, almost like she's experiencing frustration over them woefully misunderstanding the truth behind what's going on.

And I think that's kind of the whole point of the vegetative state here, that perhaps if Terry could say what she wanted to say, it would give away the truth that has been hidden all along, AKA Joyce and Hopper are El and Will's true parents. When Joyce then mentions her missing son, showing Terry a picture of him, this woman LITERALLY turns her head to the right, looking straight up annoyed... Why? Why would she do that unless this is her ?/? time meeting them, hearing this same old silly charade?..

But then here... THIS moment when Hopper asks about Brenner and Terry's relationship with him, that's when it gets interesting. Terry doesn't look exhausted over their ignorance anymore like she seemed to be in the moments previous. Now, she's back to her stare of nothing, and yet seeing this in contrast to her micro-expressions, almost adds a new layer to what this could possibly mean... Perhaps this could be hinting that Hopper is a lot closer to the truth than he realizes, warranting a knowing look from Terry, with her almost impressed, thinking Damn Jim, maybe you'll figure it out this time and I can finally be released from this hell...

This might seem like a reach to assume Brenner and Terry had any sort of relation beyond her being a lab volunteer, but something I think you might be interested in knowing, is that Terry has a little collection of Bonsai tree books beside her chair... Bonsai... does that remind you of anyone...? (If you check out those posts by @shippingfangirl013, you might know what i'm referring to...)

The fact that Hopper even mentions Brenner and Terry's presumed connection to him is just one other example of Hopper subconsciously picking up on things he discovered in previous loops that are close to the TRUE truth, allowing him to narrow things down quicker this time around, without needing to take all the steps to get to that point.

An owl behind both Joyce and Hopper here, while they talk about what allegedly happened to Terry and her daughter Jane.

And there you have it folks, the acknowledgment that the truth could have been covered up, the moment Hopper stands in front of the owl artwork (literally covering it up). Owls, which have been tied more than anyone else to Hopper, Joyce, Will and El (tying them together?).? Also the crib between them... Nothing to see here.

This one is pretty self explanatory. We even get a parallel to this in s4 with El AND Will, though next time they'll confirm Hopper's role in the equation. So, be ready for that...

These scenes are so important to this theory because despite them all being separated (who knows how many times now), they have this epic finale of coming together. We get these really heartfelt scenes with El and Joyce and Hopper, Will and El, and then Will and Joyce and Hopper, and it's all very emotional and just so much deeper knowing that the truth could be that they're all tied to each other more than we (or even them) realize.

11 & 12 between the two hands on the clock, in a moment that parallels X-Men and also the lab massacre (which presumably had both 11 and 12 in attendance...). Mike calling out to El emotionally the moment that Joyce and Hopper are reunited with Will. My heart can't take it!!!

Someone actually noticed this shot of Hopper recently, I can't remember who! But it made me want to go back to see what shot is right before it. And low and behold, it follows directly after a shot of the Byers family reuniting. Kind of interesting they made the choice to have this shot right afterwards, of Hopper sitting next to Ted (aka a dad), while looking lost in thought as he stressfully bites his nails, with his arm sporting his daughter's blue bracelet...

Not suspicious at all. That creepy shadow behind Owens as he makes an almost knowing comment about Joyce and Hopper being 'Mom and Pop', followed by Hopper looking like he's missing something...

And for this scene to follow shortly after? Hopper literally acknowledging Owens whose waving at him politely, and yet choosing to not wave back at him?... He KNOWS something is off, but he just can't quite put his finger on it...

As you probably know, most of the scenes with the birthday mug in Mike's basement involve either El (in s1) or Will (in s2-3), which is interesting considering the other few notable birthday references we get in the show, including this really cryptic sequence above, involve Joyce and Hopper...

Now, if you still didn't believe me about Terry's behavior being off, I think this piece of evidence might help support our claims a little bit more for you to consider. Because, why, WHY when El approaches Terry in the void and says I'm home, is Terry's response No..? Why would that even make any sense? Why would El's biological mom say No to her missing daughter implying that she is her family? Unless, she's not of course...?

Something interesting about the flashbacks that Terry shows El, is that they're very sporadic and hard to understand. Not only that, but we STILL get callbacks to these memories heavily even in s4, which tells me there is still something there that has yet to be picked up on, by both the audience and El herself, which is why they keep resurfacing in different forms. My favorite moment out of the s2 flashbacks though is probably this moment where it looks like a baby is born, only for Brenner to look back, like there's more to come (another baby?? TWINS?). But this type of twin imagery, only gets stronger in s3-4...

After 2 seasons of building up this meeting of these two characters who have been mirroring each other since the very beginning, here we are... Also, why even hold back for so long in introducing them? Maybe because them finally interacting properly is going to cause some things to resurface... And you definitely don't want to overlook these shots of Hopper and Joyce in Melvald's with two baby's in between them, followed by a shot of keys... Hmmmm.

Remember when I said to pay attention to the Terry/Lab flashbacks El experiences over the seasons?

Well this particular flashback below comes from 3x06: E Plurbius Unum aka the episode that was originally titled The Birthday, might prove to be important...

Jonathan and Will in a scene prior to El's flashback, has them situated interestingly between this Lucky Charms box and this Spill & Spell game, which is then followed by this scene with El experiencing flashbacks... And...

Rainbow? Lucky (Upside down horse shoe...) Enter flashback

I'm not going to be able to show each frame of this flashback, because in total there are over 30 different quick images shown and repeated...

And so, If you want to find out why this is the strongest piece of evidence for Willel twins in my opinion (brought to you by @shippingfangirl013's big brain), go back and rewatch to see how many times they show the image of baby El and young El in the rainbow room... Also take note of how shots of Kali (008) are interspersed consistently within this flashback, aka a character that is known for having powers to make people invisible, and to also make people see things that aren't actually happening...

Here's that parallel I mentioned earlier making a return, but instead tying El (and arguably Will) to Hopper being their biological father. Also peep El's bracelet and Will's watch being prominent in a lot of their shots together throughout s4, now that they share the screen a lot more.

The Wright Bros...

No, but seriously, Willel's bracelet and watch mirroring each other often in their scenes together, and by association also paralleling Hopper wearing one of each, dramatically showcased in his introduction to the series, can be something so personal to me...

THEY'RE TWINS YOUR HONOR!

This one really goes off. A car passes by a couple times during this flashback El has (IN S4), causing a shadow to cast behind Will, almost creating this duplicate-like effect... This is literally happening while El is having a flashback to her 'birth mother', while staring at a family (with their faces warn out/blurred) on a billboard, with an arrow pointing towards where Will, aka her twin, is standing to the right of her...

This one below has gotta be my favorite though. And it's because I literally remember watching this scene the first time and being confused?

Tbh, that's when you know something is more complex than it appears. Whenever something feels off within the context provided in the moment, it's probably because there's something deeper going on and there are multiple meanings at play. This means they're using this small moment as an opportunity to provide dual meaning in plain sight, that we wont understand the dual meaning of until later on down the line.

Are you ready..

Hmmm. I wonder what this could possibly be alluding to? Could it perhaps be the writers hinting at Hopper unintentionally projecting his own situation onto Dmitri? Is it possible who Hopper believes to be his child (daughter... son(s?)?) and his (ex)wife, are not actually who he and everyone thinks they are...?

Well. There you have it! These are just some of the many, many hints hiding in the details that point to the possibility of the Byers actually all being, Hoppers...?

For now, this is just a theory! So even though it's cool and there is a serious amount of evidence pointing to it, it will most definitely continue to transform and look different over time, the more we look deeper and discover more. Nothing is set in stone, for now it's all just theories and speculation.

Again, if you're curious about what else there is out there in regards to this theory and other possibilities surrounding it, please follow and check out @shippingfangirl013 posts! She was way more on board with this theory than me in the beginning and arguably still is, because I do still experience occasional doubt about it, for sure.! And so without her I would not have come to half of these conclusions! I look forward to you guys seeing other stuff she's discovered bc seriously... Her poor storage ya'll.

And also, if you're interested in the time-loop aspect specifically in regards to this, I encourage you to check out two recent posts I did about this. Part I actually starts with those first scenes introducing Hopper and the Byers and how other scenes later in the show parallel it. VERY VERY cool stuff, and tbh if you've made it this far, I think you'll be intrigued...

Time Loop Fuckery in Stranger Things Part I

Time Loop Fuckery in Stranger Things Part II

[2cmtall]

voices lines

Context: using different voice lines and adding a small scenario/context to it.

A/N: aah, it's been a long while since I've posted! Not much to say other then the fact my consistency to write and stay motivated is non existent. My apologies 😅

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya

______________________________________________________________

Chat: relax The sun was beating down on you both, the heatwaves rippling near the ground as clammy sweat stuck to all parts of your bodies, though it seems the heat is affecting you more than Diluc. You've been trekking for about an hour and it's only in the last few minutes that he finally took his dark coat off, hanging it over his arm. But even with all the layers of his clothes, his thick red hair, and his fiery vision, his strong legs were still moving at a consistent pace, only ever faltering when he notices you slowing down significantly. He was so focused on getting to your destination, he almost forgot that you werent as adept to extreme weather.

"Y/n, it's in your best interest to try to keep up. We are almost there."

"gasp diluc. . . .doncha think . . . . W'should take uh break?" You could barely even get those measly words out, your head hanging low as you slurred your words together, your mannerisms that of a drunkard if not for the obvious fact that you were in the sweltering heat. Not taking the pressure anymore, you strayed off course and plopped down near a tree, muterring something along the lines of "screw this." You started instantly feeling better as the rustling tree provided much needed air and shade. Looking back at you, he sighed, ashamed he didnt see how bad you were handling the weather, and came to you offering his water as an apology.

"Guess we can rest for a bit."

For the next few minutes of the rest, he spent fanning your flushed face, which put you to sleep, causing you both to delay your trek further. This time though, when walking, he made sure to keep to a more shady area, and making sure that you take your necessary breaks and drink lots of water.

When it rains: umbrellas You and diluc were getting ready to leave Angel's share, it was closing time and you just got finished with cleaning the last table, putting all the supplies away. You couldnt hear the rain, as you were inside and too busy chatting with diluc, talking about everything and nothing at all, but when you opened the door for the both you, that's when the telltale cacophony of rain drops filled your ears momentarily halting your speech. You looked up at diluc in question, "should we go find some umbrellas?"

"I don't need an umbrella, but you could use one if you need." He said it as if it was simple fact that he didn't need one, but you felt bad, not wanting him to get wet just to be polite. "You know, if we only find one umbrella, we could maybe share it? I just dont want you to get wet."

You meant it sincerely, but your words and expression made him momentarily taken aback, though he recovered swiftly with an amused huff. Going to the back, he grabbed an umbrella for you, and shocked, you watched as he stepped out into the rain, steam starting to billow from where the raindrops touched him. They evaporated before your eyes, not being able to get him wet. It was an astonishing sight, one that made you burst out laughing.

"Ha! I guess you really dont need one after all, huh, diluc?" You smiled wide at him, making a small smirk emerge from diluc's lips.

"I'm afraid not, y/n. Care to join me in the rain?" His red eyes twinkled like a ruby in the night.

"Of course, diluc. Can't have you out in the rain all alone, now can I?" And with that, you joined him in the rain, still offering your umbrella toward him, your eyebrow arched toward him with a cheeky smile. At least now, he won't be steaming like a dish on a hot stove.

______________________________________________________________

When it snows- anecdote You and kaeya were sent on a small mission to investigate on some suspicious activity in dragonspine, to your utmost displeasure. No matter if you're used to the cold or not, dragonspine is a different kind of hell, as if the place of eternal fire froze over. Even now, when you and kaeya were well within a cave you found in shrieking excitement, with a blazing fire that crackled in front of you both, you were still shivering. The only thing you could hear besides the blessed fire is the chattering of your teeth and the howl from outside, the thought of going back outside making you curl in on yourself further. It was honestly quite pathetic how weak you were to the cold. Through the shaking of your jaw you mustered out, "this is so stupid. I dont know why anyone thought sending me here was a good idea." Your brow furrowed even further, deep lines of displeasure marking your face.

The sight made Kaeya lightly chuckle as he stretched his sore muscles, obviously making a show of how he wasnt affected by the biting cold. But underneath his teasing, his face grimaced at seeing your sorry state, wondering if you'll really be ok. Hes already given you his fur coat, to which you were vehemently gripping around your body, your knuckles white. So how about he distract you from your problems, he thought?

"Hey, how about a ghost story to go with the snow?" He marched his brow and smiled with his hand outstretched to you, as if offering you this suggestion in his palm. You blankly stared at him through the deep furrow of your eyebrows, "ghost stories? In the snow? Arent these stories usually reserved for camping out in the woods?"

Kaeya smiled, "well, we are technically camping, are we not? And it seems you need a bit of distracting. . . And who's to say we cant tell ghost stories in the frigid cold?" You pondered this for a moment, understanding that kaeya may have a point. A few points actually. You gave a small nod to his direction, giving kaeya permission to continue. "There's an abundance of eery tales surrounding dragonspine, would you like to listen? Though if you're interested, I suggest holding someone close to you. Wouldn't want to scare you too bad~" this made you squint your eyes in confusion. Kaeya was the only other person here? And how scary can these tales possibly be? You were about to call him out on this, your mouth opening in an inhale, but you choked the words before they could form, suddenly understanding. Kaeya wasnt looking at you anymore, your prolonged silence his rash suggestion making him look almost. . . Shy? You couldnt believe what you were seeing. And when you think about it this way, what kaeya said made odd sense given how you were practically rattling in the biting cold, and cuddling-no- being close to kaeya would allow for a bit of protection. And the part where he said you needed a distraction. He already gave you his coat and sparked a fire, and he couldnt so much as use his vision on you, so distracting my mind is the next best thing. Finally understanding his motives, you smiled cheekily as you stood up and plopped down snuggly between his long legs, his chest to your back. He made a noise and stayed frozen, as if processing what just happened. And for a while it was positively silent, with you shivering against him, and him not moving an inch, his breath fanning the top of your head. And then all at once, his arms wrapped around you and his head rested against the top of your head. Curious about the sudden change in him, you discreeting tilted your head up to try to meet his eyes, but could only see the underside of his chin. . . And his smile. A very simple smile, but it was the very reason that made your eyes widen in astonishment. You felt as though you were intruding on a private fact, so you tilted your head back down slightly, and disturbed the silence with a question.

"So, are you going to tell me your ghost stories or not? I'm holding someone close, just like you said." You heard him chuckle, his chest quaking slightly with telltale laughter, which made you smile broadly.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting. As the legends are told, dragonspine was. . . . "

When it snows- cold "What's wrong? Can't handle the cold?"

You gave him a cold side eye that even he shivered at. 'Y/n is quite the menacing one when provoked.' Kaeya thought to himself. You continued to glare at him, despite your immense shivering.

"Hahaha, I suppose not. . ." He gave a weak laugh, trying to look for anything that might dissolve your anger, but for a while all he could see was snow, bare trees, more snow. . . Aha!

"Lucky for you, y/n, there's a cave just a few steps ahead of us! Try not to turn into an icicle in the mean time~" you still looked cross with him, your eyebrows still furrowed, but you've lost some of the hard edge in your frown and your features were less drawn down. Now you looked at him expectantly.

"Carry me, please." Just with the mention of carry, his eyes widened back to you, only momentarily, before he got his composure back and coughed. "My, how very forthright of you! But. . . If you insist, y/n. I suppose Dragonspine has treated you too harshly. You can't help but have assistance from me, can you~?" He treated you with a teasing grin. A Cheshire cat, through and through. At his comment, you made a sort of impatient huff, to which he chuckled at. It's quite a delight seeing you act so childish, though he supposed he should help you, seeing as how you've been struggling to keep up for a while now.

Lowering himself down in front of you, he allowed you to climb on his back. You held on tight around his neck as he raised himself to his full height. He really did feel bad, ya know. Feeling you shiver violently on his back made him hold onto you tighter, lest you fall out of his grip. He told himself that next time he will use everything in his power to help you avoid traversing through the unforgiving nature that is dragonspine. Maybe after this he could take you to the beach, a much more pleasant place to be, he hopes.

[mishkakagehishka]

Hey Korka I saw a thing so of course I have to shu-ify it because it can fit this idiot who never says what he actually thinks unless it's strictly necessary.

Anyway thinking about something going wonky with some thing or other and being able to hear Shu's inner voice... Like getting to hear his actual feelings with a sort of echo effect after he says his usual harsh words... Maybe using that to your advantage to tease him a little bit and fluster him while making it not completely obvious so he doesn't evaporate on the spot

I think we don't have to really use any logic because "Well, we just want to see it happen!!" is enough. For the sake of an argument, let's imagine uhhhhhhh [checks notes] the time and space matter is falling apart because of the perpetual timeloop and it's showing in the fact that Shu's thoughts are now shared with whoever he's speaking to in the moment. We could bring up the idea of a soulmate AU, but I won't torture you tonight.

idk the word count i wrote it directly in post (so no spellchecker! should be fun!!) and i . didn't really plan on doing that.

Shu's usual biting remarks - something that takes lots of getting used to, and even then can hurt quite a lot. It's not like he wants to be mean, but that's how he comes across to most. To most, with a few notable exceptions, to most except to those who, after all, know him.

But it takes practice to know how to translate Shu's words, to know that his "Even a child could do it" doesn't necessarily mean you're stupid so you should be able to do it - it doesn't mean that he considers you on the level of the imaginary child he is mentioning, but that he expects someone of your skills and knowledge to be able to breeze through it. To know that his scoffs and "Don't bother me" and "I'm only doing this because it'd be an inconvenience to me otherwise" are just ways of masking his own care for you. That his scoffs are to hide his smiles, his shooing of you just a way to make sure he's not distracted by wanting to talk to you, that he just cannot come clean about his true intentions - it's not in his nature to show vulnerability.

And one day, all that practice, all that difficulty is just. Gone. And suddenly you have access to Shu's inner thoughts. How? Who knows. The author doesn't particularly care, either. But the reality is that you were left sitting in your seat, listening to Shu berating you for not bringing an umbrella, yet very much hearing the echo of, what would I do if you got sick? Why do you always insist on worrying me like this? And how were you supposed to pair it to "Are you a moron? Do you not check the weather like an adult before leaving the house?!"

Easily. By batting your eyelashes at him, by saying, "Sorry, did I worry you?" He paused in his berating, mid-sentence, mid-calling-you-an-imbecile. Eyes widened, mouth still left half-open. Is that the faintest rosiness of a blush you see on his cheeks? "Don't be ridiculous. Whether you get sick or not is none of my business, but think about the work you'd be pushing onto others because of your lack of care. It is highly irresponsible." Yet the echo was panicking. Panicking! Screaming, is it that obvious? Am I that obvious? I don't look worried, do I? You may have just found your entertainment for today.

"Well, I just forgot my umbrella. I'm sorry, but I don't think I deserve to be called names for it," you defended yourself, just wanting to see if he'd think anything vaguely remorseful. "I'm simply stating facts. Forgetting such a trivial thing makes you seem dumber than you are." - If you feel bad about being called names, then quit behaving so carelessly.

Well, Shu will always be Shu.

I hate making you feel bad, too. I wish you would smile at me." And wasn't that your perfect sign? Your wonderful cue to shoot him the brightest, most blinding smile known to humanity, in such perfect timing. And as if an arrow had struck him, he froze. Even his thoughts - empty. But he was under your effect, that was certain, with that faint blush easily deepening, splashing his cheeks in a far more noticeable way. In a way that was, quite frankly, very taking-advantage-of-able. "Are you okay? You're looking a bit red?" Don't come closer, don't come closer, don't come closer, DON'T- Of course you came closer. Of course you placed your hand on his forehead, pressing ever so lightly. "Do you have a fever?" "NO! I'm fine. Don't touch me!" Though he attempted to swat your hand away, it was clearly rather low-effort, and your hand remained on his forehead. He almost leaned into it, and you could hear words so unfitting of Shu's voice, yet undeniably in his voice. Ah~ Your hand is so soft... I wish time would stop so you would never pull away... It's so warm... What a capricious man.

"You're burning up, Shu! And you scolded me about getting sick..." "I'm not sick, I told you! Let go this instant!" Please don't let go please don't let go please don't let go "Why don't you move away? Nobody's holding you." Really, nobody was. You only kept your hand on his forehead, but he was free to even just take a single step backwards. But you knew the reason. And he knew the reason as well. The blush spread to the tip of his ears, making him look nothing less than like a rose in bloom. Or an embarrassed tomato. "You're not sick? So what's with your face? You're red all over. Could it be you're embarrassed?" You happily watched his composure crumble, his breathing turn uneven, his eyes trembling. What's happening?

Suddenly, his cheeks were cupped, squished until his mouth was stuck in a pout. A most undignified state that had him scrambling, trying to push your hands away, but ultimately it was a fruitless endeavor. What's happening!??!?! "You're so cute." "UNHAND ME!" But, like a puppy, his thoughts just repeated the compliment over and over. I'm cute... I'm cute...? He seemed to enjoy it, his heart pounding in his ears at the words, at your touch, at how close your faces were. "You're adorable. Do you like it when I compliment you like that?" I love it "You do, don't you? So cute."

A loud smooch to his cheek. And his knees buckled. Pathetically. "Wha-what is the meaning of this? You're behaving most inappropriately and-!" "Are you crying?" "I'm NOT!" He was not... technically. The tears that collected in the corners of his eyes were those of frustration with himself, frustration with the situation. I would want for nothing more than to embrace you and kiss you, but... Even his thoughts hadn't a ready excuse. It was simply not something that would be in his nature. But I could never take the lead with such acts.

And isn't that all you needed to know to grab his face once more, albeit less like a fussy baby's and more gently now, to cup his jaw and press your lips against his? To cradle his face in your hands, to feel his body tensing up for a mere moment, before his arms caught hold of your shoulders, attempting to ground himself. His breathing evening once more, though his heart continued pounding hard enough that you could feel it against your own chest. And his inner monologue nothing but an unending scream of, what you assumed to be, excitement. It probably wouldn't be horror, else he wouldn't have been kissing back as fervently as he was. Pulling away was equally as entertaining as listening to his inner screaming throughout the kiss, rather, watching him quickly trying to mask his softened features back into a frown, getting ready to scold you, but... No words came out.

"You..! You..! You.....!" He tried his best, he really did. I cannot believe you did that i cannot believe we did that that was so good that was great i want to do that again i never want to be away from you i want to hug you more i want to kiss you more i want to "Me? Me? Me?" You mocked, a victorious smile on your face, knowing you had one over him. Him, who was still out of breath, tried as he did to hide it. "You're that into me, huh?" At this point, he had the bright idea to hide his face. "I already saw how red you are, no use hiding it now. Come kiss me again." Peeking through his fingers, no, glaring through his fingers. He pondered on a response for a second, face still heating up, embarrassment still evident. But, for once, his thoughts and words overlapped, "Can I?"

[bandofchimeras]

ACAB its not just a slogan or a meme.

police make everywhere feel so unsafe.

when you aren't one of the demographic they serve (landowning upper class white cishet people). i don't even think about calling the cops if my life is danger. I did that one time. they arrested me.

if there was a murder need investigating, sure, but i wouldn't trust that they would actually put any effort into the search based on who my friends tend to be.

in this city, they paid serial killers on the force 500,000 pension to "retire" and then get hired again by another county force the next year. everytime a cop car drives by, I imagine that verified murderers and accomplices, heavily armed and angry, are in the drivers seat. how is that NOT a fucking "gang"?

I'm white. I'm never going to understand the particuarly terrifying relationship Black Americans or Native people have with the police.

but when other middle class people make jabs at "unsafe" neighborhoods and places...they forget elite, rich neighborhoods can be just as deadly if you don't look like its residents. My blood pressure rises whenever i have to drive my junker truck with the taped over window into a wealthy area, or park near businesses where most of the other cars are shiny. recently all the side streets in this city have been full of "NO PARKING" signs to target houseless folks. In Kentucky they're working on passing the H5 bill the "Safer Kentucky Act" - which would decriminalize shooting homeless people. and criminalize sleeping in your car. and implement a three strike rule, which can lead to a life sentence or execution.

state sponsored execution for being "undesirable" think about that. they get to just decide who gets to live and die? for being "dirty" or using substances? for being disabled by a disabling virus?

its easy to let ACAB become a slogan and not think about why cops are bastards if you aren't exposed to dangerous situations regularly, and then default to them in a panic when the chips are down. because you haven't seen it. you're the white church mom I used to know posting about how nice the cops were to her when she got pulled over. the lady who makes her blonde friend drive when they go on road trips because she can get out of tickets. but once you witness the level of betrayal and mishandling in the criminal injustice system, the level of abuse and violence, the way your neighbors and friends are trigger-happy to use this armed gang against you the second you're perceived as "out of control, "the second that violence touches you it becomes so obvious these bastards are not your friends and never can be.

unless you adopt the ideology necessary to justify their aggressions against yourself and your neighbors. and even then. you ever seen some wacko with a Blue Lives Matter wrap get pulled over? its funny but also it shows, nothing will protect you. cops are doing heavy PR right now. town halls, coffee and donuts. they're recruiting for the upcoming militarization that's coming in response to Palestine protests and this horror show election in November.

Amerikkkan cops are heavily infiltrated and practically equivalent in many cities to other white supremacist, militant gangs. They are militarizing more and more rapidly. Using AI and integrating with the court system, more survelliance, more rules for how you're allowed to exist in public. think about that. why should it matter? if you loiter, if you skateboard, if you wear glasses or masks? you are being trained to see yourself and your neighbors as potential-crime-committers rather than human beings. we are self-survelling. reporting. getting off on correcting and ignoring eachother. What Israel is doing is a mirror held to our collective potential future. and you should be very, very alarmed. Fuck the cops. Fuck the prisons. Fuck the detention centers. We already have the Gestapo and the camps. Look the fuck around.