#this is a really cool parallel which i have no doubt was intentional

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

honestly, the more i think about it the more certain i become that winds of winter and specifically the kings landing plot/vale/gc plot will significantly parallel the dance of the dragons (mainly the end of the dance).

others have already made great metas on this lol

i think cersei’s downfall will resemble alicent’s. im sad but certain that both tommen and myrcella will be killed (maybe paralleling aegon and rhaenys deaths?). i’m kind of hoping the sand snakes will go through character development and not choose revenge… but i kind of doubt it. i’m sure that cersei will definitely break down even further tho. that’ll be interesting and horrifying to read.

tommen will certainly die first, leading to myrcella being crowned. i think it’s likely that tommen is killed by the sand snakes, but i think myrcella will be killed during the fall of kings landing to (f)aegon. i wonder if the sand snakes try protecting her and fail?

i highly doubt that dorne is going to join (f)aegon. i think arianne will see the truth and will be able to successfully maneuver her way back to dorne. (tho i think she’ll have a run in with aurane which would be cool to read). however, (f)aegon will think that arianne is on his side. i’m worried that lady lance wont leave with the dornish party tho…

anyways, after the fall of kings landing cersei will likely be locked up as she won’t be considered a threat. but this won’t be enough to stop the crazy that will be childless cersei.

the high sparrow will certainly support (f)aegon.

i’m 50/50 on whether margaery marries again. i am worried that margaery will get jaehaera’d :/. i think it’s certain that she’ll be held hostage tho. what if she goes the helaena route… yikes… that’s a sad thought.

at this point in time i think the starks will hold winterfell once again and the freys will have be destroyed. the tullys will probably hold the riverlands again.

euron will be causing absolute havoc in the reach.

i think the vale plot in winds will resemble what happens during the dance. harry and robin will both probably die, so i think littlefinger, who’d be in trouble at that point, would try to gain power through sansa. so i think the knights of the vale will make their way to kings landing with sansa with the intent of making her queen.

this is where the tourney at ashford theory comes into play. though jonsas have it completely wrong, as (f)aegon will be the one taking the place of prince valarr. i’m a bit iffy about sansa marrying (f)aegon due to sansa’s marriage to tyrion… but it could be annulled i suppose? but would the high sparrow do that? i think it’s possible.

i wonder what will happen to trystane and the sand snakes tho? i do think that the sand snakes are savvy enough to be able to escape on their own but trystane worries me :(. and he’s gonna be devastated by myrcellas death.

anyways if the plot does move in this direction then i totally expect to read many littlefinger vs varys showdowns.

this will definitely be a false dawn tho. euron will likely be making his way to kings landing and i’m fairly certain that he will sit on the iron throne at some point. bet this is when cersei is able to rise again.

i’ll admit that this prediction for winds has many holes in it. i may be misremembering some stuff as well and i likely haven’t considered all variables either, so take everything i just stated as a vague prediction.

some questions i’m asking myself rn lol: would the tyrell army go down that easily (or maybe varys friends in the reach will help the golden company win the battle?)? will sweet robin really die :(? baelish won’t be able to try and take back the north bc the starks will hold it once again, and going north would mean definitely giving up his hold over sansa… so wouldn’t trying to make sansa the new queen make more sense? since he’d still be able to isolate her and she’d likely need to depend on him? but wouldn’t going to kings landing again be dangerous for him? well if his and varys interests line up then maybe not… but would the knights of the vale follow him? i guess if both harry and robin died then they’d be totally lost too…

[roxannarambles]

Indigo Disk Photo Album

Just some screenshots and excuses to ramble a bit about Drayton, the environments in Indigo Disk, and Rika. Major spoilers obviously.

First of all, I want to say when Drayton said "Yo, Champ in the making," I was so happy. Such an adorable callback for old fans. Then when I beat the next E4 and he said 'Yo yo, Champ in the making' I thought maybe it was just script writers being lazy and not noticing, but MAYBE he said it twice because I beat TWO people? The third time confirmed it was intentional and I was so happy, lol. Also, I saved him for last, which the dialogue takes note of, so that was really cool.

I liked Drayton, he was my favorite BB person. I think most of that 'laziness' stems from pushing back against all the no doubt intense pressure put on him to follow in the footsteps of family members that are very powerful and accomplished trainers, and really, who could blame him. (Read his dialogue with Hassel if you get the chance, it's good) He's also a 'lil toxic towards Kieran when Player wins, but again, I can't exactly blame him for having some bad feelings towards Kieran considering how much of a JERK Kieran was being.

Terarium stuff. I loved this Pyroar they intentionally placed on the Pride Rock-esque formation. Also I loved other environmental details like electrowebs for Galvantula, antlion pits for Trapinch, nests for Vullaby, etc. Also met up with Perrin so the brothers could re-unite . . . girl why don't you evolve your Growlithe. You do know all you need is a Fire Stone, right? You could be riding a giant fire dog around.

The extra-super sparkly part to Area Zero was nice, but this underground lake with this awesome tree in the center was the coolest. I think they should have had Terapogos there instead of some random poke you need to battle to progress. Also, I have to admit this WAS a very cool moment, when Terapogos broke the Master Ball. It felt very impactful, just seeing that. So props for that.

Ms. Briar's academic obsession with Terapogos is so similar to Sada/Turos' obsession with building a Time Machine and a paradise, I really expected more parallels to be drawn in the story but they never really did. I feel like they didn't take full advantage of that. Although I suppose it's nice Ms. Briar realized she needed to step back, that she was hurting people as a result, whereas Arven's parent never realized this. (I'm gonna explore the idea more if I do an Indigo Disk rewrite and get the Paldea Pals properly involved in the plot) Kieran had an obsession of his own, of course, with Ogerpon but also with growing stronger, and that resulted in a lot of pain too ultimately.

Okay so, the added information on Rika was interesting. She mentions 'babysitting the boss' because Geeta is prone to being absent-minded and needs help keeping track of all the details, which a lot of people loved, although personally I don't like Geeta, so that info didn't fascinate me too much. I found it more interesting that Rika got super upset when she learned Player went into Area Zero, which is honestly really sweet that she's that concerned for our safety. She also mentions that she 'went to kind of a rough school' which is really interesting. I guess she didn't attend Naranja then. People often assume she and Geeta attended Naranja and met there as students, I guess that kinda wrecks that theory. I wonder which school Rika attended? I'm going to guess it's in an area that was economically disadvantaged, as "rough" usually means "poor" (Rika also notes the clubhouses were not 'as nice' as BB's)

Rika also notes that she has a "professional mode" when she's teaching or doing League work, which she finds exhausting if she has to do it all the time, and that she prefers her regular, relaxed, normal self. (She also reveals she wears the glasses because they make her look sharp and professional but they're literally just for show, which is hilarious.) If the player tells her they prefer regular Rika to professional Rika, she says she'll try to loosen up around us and act like her normal self. Aw.

[lionbearfox]

you should state your opinions about fontaine if you're awake! (i am looking intently)

OH MY GOD I WAS GONNA AFTER THE TRAILER BUT I FORGOT. OPINIONS INCOMING

(below the cut bc to nobody's surprise it got long as fuck)

first and foremost! focalors!! furina! she looks SO FUN. huuuuuge contrast to nahida of the previous arc but i'm into it! i love her irreverent attitude, not *really* taking justice seriously, probably mostly oblivious to the problems of the people... if sumeru writing quality holds that arc is gonna be DELICIOUS. so excited for this contrast! (that was set up LAST YEAR when neuvilette was nahida's drip quote talking about how serious she was comparion to a "certain someone" being prone to hysterics....)! and speaking of neuvilette! i'm pretty sure he's nonhuman, maybe an oceanid, and i REALLY want him to be an ally of the previous hydro archon who's trying to keep furina in check! i think that could be SUPER interesting.

other characters: did not give a single fuck about wriothesley until they gave him a fun potential dynamic with adorable sigewinne and now I Love Him (my weakness is dadguys lol), Did Not expect a third sibling for lyney+lynette but i love all three of them! lynette in particular seems like she'll hit all my buttons character-wise, so i'm super interested to see what she's like and how they're gonna play the fatui/(probably) house of hearth connection. im expecting gendou ringo 2: more exciting and i'm Very delighted about it, i loved that quest!! navia and chlorinde look super interesting as well - i'm REALLY hoping they add gun as a new weapon type that would be SO FUN and the schneznayan cast would super benefit from that in the future..

so far the plot looks super cool too! from what i can tell, there are some super interesting parallels being set up regarding illusion/truth (the magic show/the lie behind it, the spectacle of trial/the lack of justice resulting from it, the pure waters/the pollution corrupting it, the glamorous society/the suffering that lies beneath) and i LOVE Themes and Motifs so IM HYPED FOR THAT! hoping they knock it out of the park with the writing again!! designs all look super solid so far tho im kind of disappointed about some freminet concepts that did not last...

if i had to choose one thing im most excited for tho... there's rumors of a hexenzirkel character in fontaine and i'm a longtime hexenzirkel fan so i REALLY REALLY want that to be true i Love the hexenzirkel and they've been getting more story relevance recently so i think fontaine would be a great place for them to enter the main plot!!

gameplay-wise: obvi we'll have to wait for more info to come out, but looks super promising! super hyped about underwater exploration, the setting design leaks i've seen knock it out of the park as always, i'm sure they'll have some super fun world quests and puzzles for us to scratch our heads over - i've got 0 doubts it'll be fantastic in that design lol. will it top sumeru's rainforest in sheer fun? we'll see but i'm feeling optimistic! my only criticism is that it's right above the newest desert expansion and there's a giant hole in the map which Bothers Me but... historically we can expect 4 map expansions total in 4.x so i'm sure that will be temporary.... (i hope so at least!)

i definitely have more thoughts but this is all the big stuff i could think of... maybe i'll post a full analysis/crumbs i noticed of the teaser, but overall- SUPER excited, i think the story is heading in a good direction, and i'm ready for it to be 4.0 already!!!!

[krikeymate]

Rewatching, and I think it’s interesting how it looks like Gomez and Morticia are overwhelmed by and unsure of how to react to Wednesday. They’ve made Wednesday not only an outcast among outcasts, but even among her own family. Which I don’t hate, I just think it’s interesting, I wonder if that is deliberate or unintentional.

I doubt they would go there, but I think it would be interesting to explore if that is the reason why Goody, of all the possible ancestors, is the one that is supposed to teach Wednesday about her powers. Goody who may well be the og Addams, Goody who - Morticia warned - “was a witch of great strength, but her vengeance pushed her too far, and even she couldn't save herself.” I wonder if Goody would consider Wednesday as the same as her.

I have a theory that Goody will come back with the intention to wipe out the normies as a parallel to Crackstone. I think it would be really cool to see Wednesday become more open to others, before something happens that pushes her down a darker path, culminating in her having to make a choice between those two sides of her. After all, Wednesday’s personal philosophy is kill or be killed.

I’m not saying that the trigger is Enid gets really hurt (by normies) and goes all scorched earth on the normies before Enid pulls her back by begging her not to do this but yeah that’s what I’m saying

[aureliaen]

I definitely agree that he is a master manipulator, but it's not like he's the be-all and end-all of lying. Idk if you're interested in hearing a counterargument, but I'm gonna write one in case anyone at all finds it interesting.

In the case of the PCs, they come into the ceremony with the intention of treating him like an enemy. They don't trust him to begin with, and yet there's no passive insight/perception check that would signify deceit. I def have seen DMs omit those at times when the lie absolutely cannot be discovered, but that would be incosistent with the rest of the game, and it frankly makes no sense to give the player no in-game reason to doubt it, when everyone is expecting Gortash to lie.

But there's more to it than that. You get an insight check that, if passed, tells you he's being genuine, and the Emperor confirms all his words to Durge to be true. The Emperor pretty consistently tells you when you're being stupid with any decision, and it's a mind flayer vs a simple 18 CHA human. It's being very specific with its assessment too:

The scene you included is def very cool and one of my favorites too, but it seems to be bugged for you? That's his default response - he has a different one if you're playing as Durge.

I was curious, so I booted up my game and made sure lol. In a way, it proves the opposite point - he specifically does not coddle other potential allies (Tavs, origin characters, even Karlach who he otherwise pretends to like), just Durge.

vs all the letters scattered across the game written by Gortash about how he, and he alone, will ascend to Godhood? it’s The Golden Reign of Gortash, not the golden reign of durgetash.

I def thought those were interesting too, but I fail to see them as absolute proof - they're mostly not dated. For example, the Golden Reign of Gortash one was written after Durge's disappearance and before Gort found out they were alive. Anyway, they seem to parallel Durge's prayer of forgiveness, but they're unreliable one way or another. Characters can always change their minds based on the circumstances, betray their Gods, lie to themselves. In my opinion, this bit of dialogue is really helpful, bc it's actually meta:

Durge or no Durge, Gortash didn't lie about wanting to honor the alliance, but with Durge he specifically didn't lie about wanting them to rule by his side.

This here's personal interpretation, but it makes sense to me, seeing as Bane seems ultimately displeased with Gortash. Obviously he's no Fzoul so I'm not surprised he wasn't rewarded in death, but torture? Might be wrong though, it's just surprising to me if Gortash really was the perfect tyrant who successfully manipulated a child of Bhaal, no less. I'd have thought Bane would be more approving of that, since he loves dominating other gods too. But idk, no proof here.

Orin has a few lines about how “Gortash always knew how to bend your mind and keep you knotted in his cords” if you’re playing Durge, which could be interpreted as her trying to manipulate your lack of memory, or it could just. be the truth. that Gortash was constantly stringing durge along with heavy manipulation to further his own ends.

Or it could just be her genuine interpretation of what was happening, without trying to manipulate Durge or having anything to do with what actually happened between them and Gortash. Orin seems jealous and dismissive of Durge, claiming time and time again they're not worthy to be Bhaal's chosen. The journal in her room says she specifically wanted to punish Durge for being too closely allied with the other chosen. She clearly didn't like their influence on Durge, and this seems like a continuation of that.

That, and the "he did miss this" + "hesitation in his eye" lines. The first is a successful insight check, the other is just reality described by the narrator. He can't lie about those.

Bonus: found this line I haven't seen before when replaying the coronation just now. Shaking fr

hi, i saw your reply in the gortash sa post. i disagree with a lot of your takes, but i'm still curious about your reasoning. why do you think gortash might have or did lie about liking durge? there seems to be ample evidence to the contrary

my interpretation of Gortash is that of a master manipulator. every word, every gesture, is carefully considered before execution. he is always a step ahead. Orin has a few lines about how “Gortash always knew how to bend your mind and keep you knotted in his cords” if you’re playing Durge, which could be interpreted as her trying to manipulate your lack of memory, or it could just. be the truth. that Gortash was constantly stringing durge along with heavy manipulation to further his own ends.

also… what evidence? more things that come out of his lying mouth? vs all the letters scattered across the game written by Gortash about how he, and he alone, will ascend to Godhood? it’s The Golden Reign of Gortash, not the golden reign of durgetash.

there’s also this. one of my favourite gortash moments.

he is entirely willing to put durge under psionic torture (in front of their friends and a crowd of people, no less) just for disobedience. and this immediately after swearing to bring you no harm.

you can’t trust anything he says.

[sonofapunk]

Anarky (1999) # 5 // Truth Coming Out of Her Well to Shame Mankind

[raayllum]

bloodmoon huntress review

I’ll be sharing more of my in depth thoughts on a Podcast episode (hopefully recorded tonight or tomorrow when I get the chance!), including an initial non-spoilers review section there for anyone who is waiting for their copy! But because this is a visual format and therefore I can include pictures, this one is going to be briefer but have spoilers!

So let’s dig in!

First Off, things that surprised me:

How much I love the little Skywing elf, Suroh! I was already very excited for him and while he and Rayla didn’t develop as friends as much as I thought they might, I will be definitely working him into fics and using that sweet “basically clean slate characterization wise but canonically knows & is on friendly terms with Rayla” spot like my life depends on it

That we saw Lain and Tiadrin saying goodbye to Rayla. I never thought we’d see that scene in anything, let alone that we’d be seeing them in this comic. But it was utterly heartbreaking, foreshadowed and reaffirmed so much of Through The Moon in exactly the ways I hoped.

As well as the event that likely (understandably) gave Rayla her fear of water, poor kiddo! That scene was horrifying and so well drawn, my heart went out to her (and also screamed about all the parallels, but more on that later).

I didn’t expect to see a moment where Runaan doubted being an assassin, so that was really interesting (and again, reaffirming; hi “If time is money” headcanons!) to see him have it, and how Ethari subsequently alleviated it. Which is both tender and so incredibly complicated in terms of regret and grief and just. gaah. More thoughts later

Things that Delighted Me

Ever since S1 came out I’ve thought it was likely that Rayla had little to no friends growing up, and BH proved me right, given we never see her interact or ask for help from other Moonshadow children, and her canonical best friend at this point is an adoraburr. So when I say delighted here, I really mean delighted and heartbroken in the best way.

On a similar note, sometimes I wonder if I read too much into TDP with my big ol’ analytical brain, but then stuff like this comes out, with so many scenes that paid such intentional care in the language used in terms of motifs, parallels, arc words, etc. that I know that I’m not, and it always makes me feel both warm and fuzzy inside and incredibly excited to analyze.

And it was good/funny to see that Rayla and Runaan have literally always been Like This, even if they reach their own understanding, and what drove Rayla to (wrongfully) choose the path of an assassin, even if it was understandable on both sides at the time. Also broke my heart to see Andromeda so young and that Rayla probably spent time sitting in on lessons all the time growing up when she wasn’t being trained herself :’(

Cons??

The Bloodmoon Huntress herself was deeply cool, but the layer of removal (aka she mostly went after Suroh, who while I love, we aren’t deeply attached to) made her feel a bit disconnected, like she was there to provide a conflict > than being a character. I am curious about the fact she escaped, though, and how that could tie into the future, as I was sure she’d be killed by the end (and Rayla seeing Runaan’s work come to fruition like that in a useful way).

All the Runaan/Ethari scenes were so sweet, but I was surprised we focused more on their individual bonds with Rayla > equal time regarding their own bond with each other, so I actually would’ve liked to see more! Still very pleased with all we got, especially all the casual affection and touching.

Also - and I was reading this at like 3am with very little sleep so take with a grain of salt - the pacing felt a little fast. IDK if it’s because the book took place over a seemingly shorter amount of time (a couple of weeks) even though so much was happening, or because there were quite a few scenes that all had the same message (Rayla wanting to know what Runaan does) that didn’t go anywhere for a little while, but the pacing felt a bit off. It also may be because I was expecting something like Through The Moon (5/5 stars, whereas I would give BH a 3.5 or 4/5) where the whole thing was about pacing and processing emotions, and that wasn’t as much the case here.

Conclusion

Loved it, thought it was super cute and heartwarming overall, am curious to see if we learn about the Bloodmoon huntress and her phials, and happy for the Ruthari / moon stans, y’all deserve this!

[knightxmoon]

Reactions to Episode 2

spoilers ahead.

MARC. I love how the paralleling is working; Marc wakes up and face plants on the floor like Steven did in episode one.

"You there? No? Didn't think so." Oh, mood.

"Are you crying?" "Yeah, a bit."

"That's not me," Oh? Okay, either this is Steven and I'm a dumbie, which I doubt. Or...oh, Marc is Khonshu's avatar, so was he referring to that being Khonshu? That would make sense. (Or he lost control to Mr Knight or Jake or another alter. Hm.)

Oh, they're getting him a shrink.

Oh. God, I just realised that when Steven wakes up, he no longer has a job. I know Marc is freaking out about it, I know it. Everything he was trying to keep away from Steven is making itself known to him and his life is falling apart. Fuck.

OH OKAY IT IS STEVEN. I'm a dumbie. My above statement remains true, though.

"It's under Steven...or Marc...I think." OH, MOOD. ("WHO made the account and WHAT is the email and username" vibes.)

Makeshift military bunker vibes.

Steven's aversion to guns is a survival instinct the others do not have—Oh, surname acquired.

Marc! There he is!

Oh gosh it's happening. It's happening. Nevermind. Marc, stop dancing around the subject.

I adore their banter so much.

No! Steven! It's okay. No, no no. Analysing that scene later, holy shit.

Oh, yay, is Khonshu mad now? ;-;

Okay, really quick, I am loving the headspace portrayals. Marc appears to be in mirrors, because he considers himself to be a mirror of Steven (or vice versa). Khonshu appears huge and scary and intimidating because a dramatic Egyptian god. Love that.

I also love how they made the point of 'Marc isn't going to be in every mirror and in his head at all times,' by having him ask for Marc at the beginning of the episode. Whether intentional or not, that points out that alters aren't always co-con, even after you discover them.

Layla! Oh!

Oh, yay. Romance.

Wife?!

Okay, how does the wife not know about the alters? The plot and drama thickens, I suppose. (I am too aro for this, I am so sorry.)

Oh, Marc misses her ;-;

I will be back once the romance stage is over.

Divorce papers?! Oh, Steven...

Insult your alter for their choices...mood.

Cops (derogatory).

"It's a paperweight. From the paperweight shop."

If these two were better at communicating, this could all be going a lot better. That's okay, though, they're both new at this and hopefully will get better at it. Marc wants full control whenever he wants and I feel like he needs to realise that's not going to happen in order for them to move forward successfully.

Let Marc have control. C'mon. Listen to him this time. C'mooon.

"I'm not broken. I just need some help."

...This is pretty cool, though.

Was Arthur his previous avatar? HA CALLED IT.

"The little American man living inside of me." That's the greatest thing I've ever heard. Sincerely, the British alter /hj.

"Eradicating the choice of evil," Haha, haha, that doesn't sound like it'll end well. Agency is important and growth is important and evil people existing sucks, but punishing people before they can make a choice is...a bad idea. I'm not formulating things properly, but Steven says it well. "Would she kill a child for something they might do in thirty years?"

Steven is a mood.

SHIT LET MARC FRONT STEVEN. AVATAR BATTLE PLEASE.

Layla, I adore you already, but you just took away my Avatar battle.

Let him in, Steven. Also, poor Layla thinking he has amnesia...which isn't wrong...but.

MR KNIGHT MR KNIGHT MR KNIGHT

The "What are we wearing?" banter...I love these two so much.

Layla is a badass. Steven is a dork. Marc is done with everything.

You know what would be fun? Layla being polyam and dating both of them.

YES GOOD JOB STEVEN. Marc and you better communicate after this, though.

New scene to analyse; Steven's reaction to the headspace. And this whole conversation. I really like this but I'll have to watch it a few times so I can put thoughts onto paper.

Plot!

They didn't communicate. </3

[theseshipsshallsail]

Chapter 1

The revelry from the bookstore leaves a heady buzz of la libertà flowing through their veins, and as the crescent moon climbs higher in a pin-pricked sky, Rome’s labyrinthine streets bear witness to the loss of their remaining inhibitions. Drunken kisses give way to drunken dancing - and unfortunate drunken vomiting - but the ancient cobbles are their compass on this ferragosto evening, steering them back to the complicit safety of their hotel. 

The stale scent of sex still lingers in the room, yet tempted as they are to add to it, the prospect of their imminent separation is a sobering force. Elio’s body is heavy with exhaustion. The oppressive tightness in his chest magnified by all that he’s trying to ignore. Their time is borrowed. Soon, all of this will be naught but memory. The man beside him nothing but a ghost. Haunting his every step with visions of a life denied. A future obfuscated by what-ifs and maybes.   

He refuses to sleep, however. Refuses to sacrifice a single minute to unconsciousness in spite of the grappa’s siren call. Absurd though it is, a part of him dreads waking up alone. That Oliver will disappear like a thief in the night - taking what’s left of his shattered heart with him. His guards are down - all his pretences stripped away - but here they are, stretched out on a too-small bed, solemn fingers caressing familiar skin. Worshipping each other by words, if not by the flesh. 

And it isn’t easy. Of course it isn’t. Elio’s an individuo reservato. A trait he’s uncomfortably aware of. But he can’t let that stop him from spilling his innermost thoughts. From divulging the things he wishes he’d done differently. Or not at all. In some aspects, he’s sure he’s repeating himself, but there’s just so much he needs Oliver to hear. Things he never dared tell him previously - never deemed vital - when the end of their summer idyll was a nebulous concept.  

Like how he’d leave the adjoining door open at night, hoping beyond hope that Oliver would walk through it. Or that afternoon at the tennis courts, when he’d recoiled from his massage for fear of leaning into the frisson of excitement. Needs him to understand his visceral reaction the morning after they first slept together. The crippling anxiety that twisted his intentions, necessitating a hasty - if short-lived - retreat. Wants to beg him not to forget. To remember everything. So that when next he tastes the salt-tang of the ocean upon his lips, the sweetness of apricot juice beneath a cloudless yonder, a piece of Elio - nevermind how fleeting - will slip into that parallel life, too.

All his secrets. 

All his worries. 

All he’s put off for later. 

A futile notion, admittedly, now that there is no later. 

No more chance for postponement. 

Thankfully, he isn’t the only one speaking, and Oliver lays his own regrets out like a hand of cards whenever he stumbles into a tongue-tied silence. His forearm is slung around his waist, their legs tangled at the knees, and Elio drowns in his eyes as he recalls the steely glares that once pierced him to the core, but which he now appreciates were a means of self-defence. An attempt to stave off the unavoidable.

“Did you mean it?” he whispers, twisting Oliver’s Star of David between his fingertips as he burrows into the sticky warmth of his neck. “When you said you’d been happy here?”

“How can you even ask me that?” 

“How can I not?” Elio replies, failing to control the tremor in his voice. “You tried to keep your distance when you arrived. It was me who sought you out. If I hadn’t pushed so hard -”

“I’d have probably spent ten more days kicking myself for my cowardice,” Oliver tells him, dropping kisses to his knuckles as though they’re something to be cherished. “Wearing holes in my espadrilles… trying to hide a semi each time you passed by in those swim trunks...”

Elio snorts. “The feeling’s mutual, mon ami.”

“So we’re both idiots, then?”

“Well… one of us was being purposefully difficult...”

“Goose,” Oliver growls, and Elio giggles despite himself when he’s tickled without mercy. “I’ll show you purposefully difficult.”

It soon devolves into a childish wrestling match, Elio’s wrists pinned above him as Oliver scrabbles along his sides, leaving him bow-taut and winded. “Tutto apposto! Enough!”

“You give?”

“I give,” he says, lungs heaving in his chest. “Dio… I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Nonsense.” Oliver rolls to the side, tipping his chin up to better meet his eyes. ”This is new to us both. It’s only natural to have doubts.”

Elio huffs. “Doubt is the father of inventions.”

“And may I ask what you’re inventing?”

An awkward shrug. “Nothing,” Elio says, afraid his misgivings will lead them down a destructive path. “And everything. You know how my brain works.”

“I do, yes.” Oliver brushes a thumb over his bottom lip. “Though for my sins, I’ve yet to find cause for complaint.”

“Déviant.” 

“Takes one to know one.”

Elio nips at the tormenting digit, not quite ready to let the subject go. “I want to hear it,” he murmurs, teeth scraping the nail. “I think I need to hear it.”

“Elio…”

“Just tell me,” he insists, and sighing, Oliver pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“It’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?” 

Impatience flares at the return of his evasiveness, and the remorse in Oliver’s gaze is immediate. “We never talked much about my family, did we?” he asks, and Elio shakes his head, shuffling closer as Oliver draws a shuddering breath. “My parents, they’re.... well. To describe them as traditional would be a kindness,” he continues. “Our relationship has been strained for years, but they have certain... expectations, I suppose. For my future, specifically. You know how it is.”

“Do I?” Elio asks, stiffening as I'm sure I'll pay for it somehow echoed from the not so distant past. 

The implication is clear, and maybe there are razor blades in his expression, because Oliver’s own turns instantly apologetic. “I guess not,” he says, sliding a conciliatory hand to his hip. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are?”

Elio frowns. “In what way?”

“With your folks,” Oliver explains. “My father would cart me off to a correctional facility.” A beat. “He still might.” 

“Only if he finds out,” his traitorous mouth blurts before his alleged genius can catch up, and Elio’s heart sinks. “But he won’t, will he?”

It’s less a question, more a statement, and Oliver’s jaw clenches as he stares at him in silent concession. “I wish things could be different.”

“I know,” Elio says, the words braver than the sentiment behind them. “Me too.”  

But the universe isn’t that lenient. Like Icarus, they’ve flown too near to the sun, and the consequences of such defiance will see their wings clipped once they crash back down to earth. He’d cautioned himself on the journey south to prepare for the blow. Peered out the grimy window of the direttissimo, knowing that when he next stands on the platform he’ll be alone. That he’ll hate it. Those rehearsals, it seems, have done little to dull the pain of what’s to come, and latent superstition has left him fumbling in the dark, regardless.

“E’ la vita,” Elio says, resorting to self-preservation as he dredges up a smile - the over-bright, false one he’s perfected through years of dinner drudgery. “Why risk it all for a bit of fun, right?”

“Don’t do that.” Apparently Elio’s not the only one who can see through a facade. “You mean more to me than some fling, and you know it.”

“But -” 

“No. Hear me out.” Earnest, Oliver smooths the hair from Elio’s temple. “These past six weeks… I don’t know how to describe how important they were to me. The freedom. The acceptance.” His throat bobs in the grey strokes of dawn. “You.”

“Me?” 

“Us.” Oliver fidgets with a loose thread on Elio’s shirt. “I meant it,” he mutters at last, winding an errant curl around the index finger of his other hand. “I have been happy here. I’ve been happy with you.” He hesitates. A quick flash of indecision. “I’m not sure I was ever really happy before you.” 

“Please don’t say that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Per carità! That only makes it worse,” Elio says, whirling away to hide in Oliver’s collar. The sour musk of sweat is soaked into the material, and he inhales deeply, hoarding every piece of him while he still can. “You are the very best parts of me,” he confesses, lifting his head. “I don’t know what I’ll do when -”

“Hey…” Oliver’s grip tightens. “Didn’t we go over this? You’ll be -”

“Fine. You said.”

“Clearly it bears repeating.” 

Elio touches his face. Watches the ripples of emotion spread out like a pebble cast into the lake. “And you?” he returns, recollecting that night on the rock. His naivety in presuming Oliver’s ghost wouldn’t always be staring out at the horizon. Rodin’s Thinker clad in billowy cotton. “You’ll be okay?”

A breath. “I’ll be okay.”

Elio’s not sure which of them he’s trying to convince, so he kisses him gently in lieu of examining it further, his stomach flipping when Oliver pulls back with an air of exquisite softness. “What time do we need to be at the airport?” he asks, seeking sanctuary in distraction. “You have your passport, sì?”

“I do,” Oliver says, studying him carefully. “The plane leaves at noon. But don’t feel you have to -” He stops. Swallows. Tries again. “You don’t have to see me off. Not if you don’t want -”

“I want.”

“Elio -”

“Non essere ridicolo. I’m coming,” he tells him, fighting a shiver as the cool breeze from the window brings goosebumps to his skin. “Of course I’m coming.” 

The relentless tick of the clock rings loud in the sudden silence, and Elio raises up on his elbow, only for Oliver to cup his cheek before he can turn towards the wall. 

“Don’t look,” he whispers, sounding choked as he double checks the time on his watch. “It’s ten minutes fast at any rate.”

“Ten minutes?” Elio laughs. Slightly unhinged. “What difference does that make? Ten? Twenty? You still have to leave.”

He detests the unspoken word that hovers between them. The entire phrase a sullen admission of weakness: you still have to leave me.

“Don’t think of it like that,” Oliver murmurs, one hand stroking the base of his spine. ”We have a few hours yet.” 

Elio sniffs. “Not like they’ll matter tomorrow.”

“Maybe not. But they matter right now.” Oliver nudges their foreheads together. “Every second, Elio.” 

“Every second, Elio,” he echoes numbly, if only to call him by his name one last time.

He’s shaking, he realises, though in all honesty he doesn’t care that his vulnerabilities are on display. That Oliver can see how lost in him he really is. That the situation is gutting him, and he’s unable to stop the bleeding. His chest feels concave. The space below his ribs too small to contain the sheer need and protectiveness that washes through him. He wants to shelter Oliver from the storm that lies ahead. To house him beneath his breast where the burdens of this world cannot touch him. Encapsulate everything Oliver is within the confines of himself, meagre as those confines might be.

But what can he do? Implore him to stay? Ask him to give up his doctorate? His career? His responsibilities? And for what? A life in the shadows? Always looking over their shoulders. Always that sense of shame.

He thinks of the pink and yellow lilies that bloom in the giardino back in B. The delicate petals that unfurl for such a brief period of time. There’s something recherché, he knows, in such transitory beauty, yet Elio’s never lacked for stubbornness. Oliver may believe his story is already written - that their destiny is forged in stone - but no one’s ever survived a freefall by continuing to spiral. 

For something so tragically temporary, their bond has left a permanent mark. And Elio? He wants to beat his fists against this odious ending until they’re bloodied and raw.

[bonesandthebees]

This particular segment is really cool because, while their first major interaction had Wilbur being particularly incompetent at fighting and Techno showing that he could easily knock down Wilbur if he wanted to, this is now Wilbur proving to Techno that he has other strengths in different areas. It shows off some more of his skill and gives them something to actually discuss, making the conversation a bit more worthwhile. I like the parallels.

Of course, immediately after discussing about Themis, Techno brings up the fact that he's been spending a lot of time with Phil lately. Which again, mirrors how much time Tommy spends with Techno, but the key here is Wilbur's attempted dismissal which Techno sees right through. He tries to jab back, but Techno says it was really Tommy seeking him out. It shows the distance in their communication and irregularity here, where Wilbur cannot believe or acknowledge what the situation really looks like compared to what he wants to believe. Techno doesn't deny the manipulation claim, but nor does he accept it, which is a little bit fishy.

With every step forward it feels like a step back, weirdly. I wonder if that's intentional.

The disconnect even carries over to when he's actually with Tommy, letting his insecurities and self doubt clouding what Tommy really wants from Wilbur. It's really sad to watch. Tommy's face is impassive and cold, a stark difference to how he was when they first arrived and it's a product of everything he's gone through here. Multiple times where things went completely awry and his support pillar of a brother leaving him behind has caused Tommy to change just as much as Wilbur has. I want a Tommy POV stars now. It feels like a goldmine, I need to dig into the gremlin child's head. Gimme.

- ❄️

it's definitely a contrast to that first training scene! wilbur really doesn't have a lot in the physical side of skills, but he has knowledge, and techno respects that more than wilbur realizes

of course techno was going to bring up how much time wilbur and phil are spending together because he and phil talk about the boys a lot when they're on their own. even if we don't see them together 'on screen' a lot, phil and techno are a duo. they rule the AE together, and they keep each other updated on most of what they're doing. this is definitely a contrast to the way tommy and wilbur are working right now, with wilbur not really registering that all the times tommy left their room was him seeking techno out to train and not him being summoned to do it.

if techno denied the manipulation claim do you think wilbur would've believed it? as paranoid as he is? no way, and techno knew that too. why bother dignifying that kind of accusation with a response when you know the person asking you the question only wants to hear one answer?

man as much as i would love to write a tommy POV my favorite part of writing a fic like stars is because of the challenge a limited POV represents. wilbur is such an unreliable narrator and i personally think that makes the story so much more interesting. also it's just a lot more fun for me as a writer to not let myself jump between POVs. I do actually have parts of chapter 13 that i wrote in phil's POV just so i could get an idea what was going on inside his head, but i dont think that's ever gonna see the light of day (and if it does it'll only be posted after stars has already finished as bonus content)

but yes if i were to do a tommy POV it would be a goldmine... if only

[protectchara201x]

(ignoring all the other juicy Deltarune 2 stuff to shove Chara Talks into it lololol)

I haven’t been super active on this blog because frankly I have like, three? looong analysis/theorycrafting posts I’ve been putting off working on and it fills me with shame to log in and see them waiting in my drafts.

But.

With the release of Deltarune Chapter 2, I wanted to talk kinda in general about how I thought it could impact the fandom’s perception of Everybody’s Favorite Demon Baby, and also point out something in specific about the Weird Route that might connect back to Undertale.

Putting it under the cut to avoid spoilers and long-winded ramblings for the unwilling. Includes spoilers for the Weird Route.

(NOTE: may update later if I notice more things for to put in section II. I’d like to make a full list of parallels if I can tidy them up.)

I. Pre- vs Post-Release Thoughts (you can skip down to II if you don’t care, it is genuinely Long and Pointless)

Okay, so first off. I got SO worried like, the day before the new chapter dropped? It hit me that whatever new stuff we got out of this, people would connect back to Undertale, and. Honestly, I really do hate connecting everything back to Chara, because I do think of Kris as their own character and I really like them and don’t want to ignore everything they got going on. But, I am first and foremost a shameless Chara stan and they’re very important to me, so I kinda... did spend a few minutes reeling from all the new DR stuff as its own stuff, and then immediately started thinking about how this would reflect back on Chara in Undertale lol.

But that’s ok for me to do here because this is my All Chara, Only Chara, All The Time blog, so I am gonna only really talk about Deltarune here to talk about them lol.

So yeah, I started getting anxious beforehand worrying about how everyone would take any and all implications and apply it to mean “aha, Chara IS evil!” The fakeout with the pie reveal in the anniversary stream was a big relief, but I still got worried leading up to the release about what could be in it.

Because part of why I’ve always thought that “Chara was genuinely evil from the start” and even “ok maybe not TOTALLY evil, but Chara was still a kinda bad person” were unlikely was, even if you throw out all the other popular Chara-sympathetic theories. To me, both these takes just seemed too below TF’s talent and the way he wrote all his other characters with depth and love; a Chara like the one these theories propose just doesn’t belong in a world created by TF, and the way the Dreemurrs talk about them overall, the way TF made a point of having Chara say they were guided and repeatedly, correctly blame you the player for the destruction in Kill-All, I was sure that he never intended them to ever be as bad as the fandom sometimes tried to make them out to be.

... Like, mostly sure. Like, 80% sure? Because he never ever talks about them, so it’s impossible say for sure, and it is still theoretically possible that “Chara was and is bad” was the cold-ass take he’d intended all along. So yeah, leading up to the release, I started getting antsy that whatever new lore came out of it, either he’d directly confirm “Chara was a villain?” “*cocks gun* Always has been” or there’d be something that’d at least heavily implicate them, or could be twisted to implicate them, as a negative force. More ammo to be used against them in the Chara Debate Circles would be a drag, and outright confirmation of them as a villain would honestly break my heart and I’d be forced to disown Toby Fox, My Beloved Cool Dad.

And, right now? Tell the truth, I’m SO relieved and I am SO happy. And not just because of how much depth and characterization it seems Kris is getting! (imo, because rn I just headcanon them as an unhappy teen desperately trying to keep their new friends going on adventures with them and trying to fight back against the player’s control)

I love how this chapter seems to be TF doing course-correcting based on fandom interpretations. Because Kris just isn’t evil, even if they are a knife teen, even if they are the Knight, they’re just NOT evil and that’s canon, baybeeee; it’s made clear in this chapter and the previous one that they love their family even outside of the player’s control, they care about their new friends even outside of the player’s control, they’re established as a weird creepy kid but no one sees them as scary or evil, they’re just Kris, and even in the Weird Route, TF made a point of hammering in the differences between Kris and the player in the Weird Route: Susie and Ralsei notice how distressed Kris seemed after you have Noelle ice Berdly, Noelle heard a voice that she said wasn’t Kris telling her to kill, and the FUCKING Spamton fight: “Kris called for help... but nobody came” again and again, and then “You whispered Noelle’s name”... you, not Kris.

I know TF has never commented much on fans’ perceptions of Frisk and Chara, or who exactly is pulling strings in different routes. But after all this, and especially after seeing all the little winks and nods to fandom jokes in this chapter (what comes to mind: pulling everyone’s leg by seeming to have Kris attack Toriel with a knife only to reveal that pie theory was right, Susie not liking Ralsei’s real face as much as his shadowed one, Ralsei with a gun getting referenced with the ad, Kris getting a joke fixation with knives after the fans made Chara and Kris have knife obsessions as a joke), and seeing what looks like him try to correct some things (what stuck out to me was doubling down on showing that Kris is loved and valued in their family: lots of fans came away from Chapter 1 thinking that Kris was not valued as much as Asriel, but here we see that Toriel is supportive of Kris’ friendship with Susie, and it’s stated that Asriel is the one who used the crappy controller, not Kris) -

I think while he hasn’t commented directly, while he admitted to being overwhelmed by Undertale’s success, while he tends to be pretty tight-lipped about the lore (whether that’s because it’ll be addressed by future chapters or because he prefers to let fans sleuth it out), this chapter convinced me that Toby does keep tabs on fan reactions in Deltarune, so he probably does with Undertale too and would know about all The Discourse surrounding Little Mx Pink Cheeks (and in turn, popular theories like Narrator Chara... Toby if you integrate Narrator Chara into Deltarune being a borderline creepypasta and have the narrator start talking directly to the characters or to the player or the characters start talking to the narrator I will lose my damn B E A N S).

(Kris and Chara not being demonized and the narrator interacting directly with the characters were the only two things on my wishlist going in, I was fine with literally anything else happening lmao)

I even kinda think he’s going out of his way to separate Kris and the player because we didn’t get it before with Undertale, we still insisted that Frisk or Chara was the one doing it, and he’s even using Kris to show that even if this kid can be scary, maybe even mean, and maybe they’re even the Knight (with their reasons unknown), they’re still not a bad kid, they’re still funny and likable, and they still genuinely love their family and friends - which falls in line with Undertale’s cast of complex but likable people who can be antagonists and make mistakes but still aren’t truly bad people, and imo is a direct response to some people fixating on the idea that Chara was always evil because they seem scary/complicated.

... Which is a long way to say that I came out of Deltarune with my confidence fully restored about TF’s intentions with Chara and Kris. Even if he never comments on Chara directly, now I really don’t think TF thinks they’re evil or ever intended for them to be. Deltarune convinced me more than ever that Chara is meant to be complex, yes, and able to be influenced to do horrible things, but they were never intended to be as malicious or shallow as some fans insist.

TLDR:

Toby Fox read your mean fanfiction where Chara is a bad abusive serial killer no one likes, and he made Deltarune in revenge.

... Hm? Ah, you’d like me to get to the point! Right this way!

II. Undertale, Deltarune, and The Point

While no doubt some will still take the voice Noelle hears to be Chara influencing her to turn her into a murderer (I haven’t gone looking for it yet, but I’m sure it’s already a thing because I know this fandom), since it’s made too clear by the game that they can’t blame Kris for this one, I think at this point that’s just being too stubborn to consider other ideas.

If you believe in the totally made up idea used in so many fanfics that Chara is an evil spirit trying to whisper in Frisk’s ear to kill everyone, literally (for some reason) the embodiment of raising stats, and gets more control over people who have increased LV to take over their body... sure. Could be them, they did talk about moving on to the next world and all. I mean, that wouldn’t really make sense because it’s literally never implied in the actual game that Chara encourages you to kill outside of the Kill-All Run or even wants you to, certainly not as the narrator and we get no hint of them doing this as an unseen, unheard third-party either.

Not to mention they’re NOT literally possessing you because of increased LV; they don’t control you even with high LV in any Undertale route other than arguably the Kill-All, and if you fail the Kill-All and it turns into a high-body count Neutral, Chara suddenly stops using first-person narration and showing up in mirrors entirely even though they were showing themself before, the LV remains the same or even can get raised as high as LV 19, nor do they suddenly take over in any other Neutral runs. We can speculate on why (personally, I’d place this either on Chara’s mindset, such as them sinking into shock from the trauma or becoming more assertive as the player feeds their megalomania, or as a sign of Frisk’s withdrawal, leaving Chara alone in the body to take the reins and act out the player’s orders), but canonically, no, Chara does not take over due to high stats.

In fact, there’s even more evidence against this. First-person narration also exists for fleeing your battles in Undertale, even on Pacifist runs with base stats, 0 EXP, and an LV of 1. Since Chara is established to use first-person narration to refer to themself, is the only one who canonically does so, and is confirmed to be present even in all runs through their name and memories always showing up, it seems pretty likely that Chara can take control to flee battle. That means an increase in stats is not a sign of their presence or control, in Undertale or Deltarune.

The most damning blow to the idea that Chara is the voice corrupting Noelle are the lines in the fight with Spamton I mentioned. Kris called for help, but nobody came. You whispered Noelle’s name. Well hold on. If that’s Chara, shouldn’t it be “I whispered Noelle’s name”? As soon as you’ve officially started the Kill-All in Undertale, Chara starts up their “It’s me, Chara” schtick right away, right there in Toriel’s home in the first area, and if they weren’t the narrator before, they’re beginning to speak through the narration now. If the voice was Chara, surely Toby Fox knows it’d be a way bigger “oh shit” moment if the creepy scary hidden route once again switched into first-person, scaring us the same way he did before when we first saw “It’s me, Chara” and knew something was wrong; unfairly or not, their reputation as a villain is still well established and hinting to Chara’s presence with a simple “I” would drive the menace even further, if he intended for them to simply be a demon that possesses player characters when you grind enough. But it’s still just you. The player.

The Weird Route does even more to help Chara’s case than that. Not only is it made pretty clear that Kris and the player are separate, and the player is the one responsible for corrupting Noelle and making her kill... consider how similar Noelle and Chara are, in the Weird Route and the Kill-All Route.

This “voice” that “guides” them in growing strong, compelling them to kill everyone in order to fight for them, eventually driving them to murder people they know. Chara calls themself “the demon that comes when people call its name”, and you whisper Noelle’s name to have her appear to kill Spamton. Noelle’s conflicting emotions towards Kris and the voice as she is manipulated, as she becomes more violent and sadistic, as she goes into shock; does that not sound like Chara, who flipflops between holding you dear as their partner and wanting to move on to the next world together, to be together forever, and them being disgusted by your refusal to accept consequences and the perverse enjoyment you get in killing everyone again and again? Chara, who clings to their quirky narration for much of the Kill-All, but keeps slipping up, who becomes terrifyingly cold, aggressive, power-hungry, and even sadistic, yet still calls Undyne “the heroine”, still seems to still care about their locket, still has moments where they seem to falter?

Noelle does put up significantly more resistance to the voice’s commands than Chara does, and at least much more visibly shows distress and trauma. I don’t think this is a black mark on Chara’s chara-cter either, or an indication of them being more violent or cruel.

For one, while Noelle is still herself with her own soul, it is heavily implied by Chara, Flowey, and Undertale’s lore that Chara was reincarnated without their own soul, at best perhaps attached to Frisk’s (or yours): as I speculate in one of my currently unfinished theories, while monster souls are made up of love, compassion, and hope and thus Asriel was reincarnated without these qualities, it could well be that human souls are correspondingly made up of their own multiple traits, namely determination, patience, bravery, integrity, perseverance, kindness, and justice; if true, a soulless Chara would be lacking these qualities, which would make them less equipped to resist the player’s commands or to feel as torn up about it.

Also, the player has a hold on them both as “party members” to the player’s vessels, but it is also possible that the player naming Chara and having them directly attached to Frisk also gives them a stronger connection to Chara they can abuse, similar to how Kris and Frisk (as the player’s direct vessels) have much less autonomy than Kris’ party members.

(Fun observation: We know that when the thing controlling Kris forced Noelle into becoming a killer and using her to kill Berdly, Kris was horrified and shaken-up according to Susie and Ralsei. How do you think Frisk felt watching Chara be used to slaughter the Underground and then erasing the world when they’re totally corrupted?)

And lastly... look, Noelle and Chara are both minors, but Chara is significantly younger - a small child compared to Noelle’s teen. I know it’s fiction and strong wills and determination and anime is real and all, but a traumatized young child who died two violent and awful deaths back-to-back, may have literally experienced being a corpse in their own coffin/grave for who knows how long, and then came back ”confused” only to immediately start hearing a voice relentlessly commanding them to kill everyone?? I can absolutely see a traumatized kid shutting down and just going with it out of fear at first, before the LV sets in.

TLDR:

What you do to Noelle in the Weird Route is the same fucking thing you do to Chara in the Kill-All Route.

[sokkastyles]

So a while ago @tea-and-la​ asked me to elaborate on something I said about Katara and Iroh being parallels with respect to their relationship with Aang and Zuko, respectively. And in order to really analyze this, I think I would have to look at the series as a whole, because I suspect that it’s a parallel that runs through most of the series, until season three where I think the writers drop the ball on Aang’s development, and part of that has to do with his relationship to Katara. But for now I just want to focus on one episode, and that’s “The Southern Air Temple.”

The A plot sees Aang, Katara, and Sokka journey to the titular temple and Aang’s home. Aang is excited, but Katara is wary, warning Aang that things have changed in the past hundred years that he’s been frozen in the iceberg.

In the B plot, we have Iroh and Zuko docking to repair their ship after the encounter with Aang and co., and running into Zhao, who Zuko immediately shows his dislike for. Zuko also doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s found the Avatar after a hundred years.

Juxtaposing these two storylines is smart from a world-building and character-building standpoint. We get a short history lesson on the past hundred years and how things have changed, from the perspective of both the other nations and within the Fire Nation itself. The storyline also links these two parallel narratives together after the initial encounter between Aang and Zuko, having them diverge but both explore similar thematic elements, both following the threads of the hundred year war and Aang’s disappearance, and how both of those things have affected the world.

In the A plot, Katara plays the role of a mentor/guide to Aang, ushering him into a world with which he is unfamiliar. She warns him that things may not be as he remembers, and of the brutality of the Fire Nation, to which Aang reacts with disbelief.

Katara: [Uneasily.] Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.

Aang: [Cheerfully.] What about 'em?

Katara: Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. [Sadly.] They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.

Aang: [Ponders over her words for a bit. Hopefully.] Just because no one has seen an airbender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped!

Katara: [Places one hand on Aang's shoulder.] I know it's hard to accept.

Aang: [Cheerfully, as Katara moves her hand back to her side.] You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison! Right, Appa?

It’s understandable that Aang would have a hard time admitting what we the audience already know. Having to process the grief of losing your entire people after the shock of being cryo-frozen for a hundred years would be too much for an adult. Aang loves his people and so of course doesn’t believe that they couldn’t have escaped. But Katara, who has had to process the grief of losing a loved one, knows what the Fire Nation is capable of.

In Zuko and Iroh’s plotline, Iroh tries to deescalate things between Zuko and Zhao. The scene gets across Zuko’s hot-headedness, but if we look closer we can see that Zhao comes across as petty for picking a fight with a banished teenager and trying to rub his disgrace in his nose, and Zuko is desperately trying to deny the truth of Zhao’s words, that his father really doesn’t care about him. Iroh warns Zuko about dueling with Zhao:

Iroh: [Worried.] Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?

Zuko: [Darkly.] I will never forget.

Both Aang and Zuko impulsively rush into situations that their respective mentor figures try to protect them from, and deny the truth of the source of their trauma. Both Katara and Iroh are also put in the role of caretaker, and try to protect their respective charges, and both have that position threatened in this episode.

Sokka: You know, you can't protect him forever.

-

Zhao: It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do.

 Finally, both Aang and Zuko are violently forced to come face to face with their trauma. Aang by finding Gyatso’s skeleton and Zuko by facing a second agni kai against Zhao.

Aang, upon realizing the truth of the Air Nomad genocide, goes into the Avatar State, and is cooled down by Katara.

Zuko has the chance to scar Zhao in a repeat of what was done to him, but doesn’t. Zhao attacks Zuko once his back is turned, and Zuko reacts in rage, but is stopped by Iroh.

The episode ends with Katara reaffirming that Aang still has a family, with a final shot of Aang looking wistfully back at the home that he has lost. Which is one of my favorite shots in the series. Dang, this show has some beautiful visuals.

And Zuko and Iroh walking away, with Iroh affirming to Zuko that honor is not something that can be arbitrarily given or taken away, but gained by doing the right thing.

If you’ve read some of my other meta, you might have guessed where I’m going with this, and this is the part where I become critical of the writing, as I do believe the parallels between Zuko’s anger, which he is forced to confront and overcome throughout his arc, and Aang learning to control the Avatar State were initially intentional, and that this is a set up for Aang to master the Avatar State by mastering his own fear and rage, the way Zuko does. They even both have a mystical literal manifestation of that anger, Aang’s being the Avatar State and Zuko’s being his rage-fueled firebending. I think there are several other episodes where I would point to that being the case, and that set up was created as early as this, the third episode of season one. 

I also think that one of the key steps to mastering it is getting rid of the attachment to and reliance on the caretaker figure. Zuko had to stop relying on Iroh to get him out of things and take responsibility for his own actions. Aang continues to rely on Katara and, I would argue, takes advantage of her quite a bit, and I think the show could have done something great with giving Aang and Katara an arc similar to Zuko and Iroh’s, possibly facing a physical separation for a while before coming together with a greater understanding of and love for each other. It seems like the seeds for that were even sown in season three, then dropped in favor of a dramatic balcony kiss with nothing but negative build-up leading up to it. And Katara is the one who suffers the most for it because she’s expected to be both Aang’s caretaker and his love interest.

[cosmicjoke]

Okay, so here we go!  Chapter 1 of “No Regrets”!  

There’s a few things I want to point out about this chapter, because both visually and textually, we get a lot of information about the Underground and Levi, and his relationship with Isabel and Furlan.  So I’ll just go through it.

The first thing that really caught my attention for this chapter was the opening page, which is a retrospective shot of Levi after he’s joined the SC, thinking about how he can’t ever know what the results of his choices are going to be.  He says here “I trusted in my own strength... I trusted in the decisions of comrades who had earned my faith...”  And this quote from Levi is really important in later understanding why he makes the choice he does, at the end.  He says he trusted in the decisions of comrades who had earned his faith, and that tells us that Levi believes in Furlan and Isabel, that he believes in their strength and their capability, that he believes in them enough to let them choose for themselves and trust in their judgement.  We’ll obviously delve more into this as it becomes more relevant to the story.  But moving on...

The next thing to catch my attention is the panels of the Underground we see.  These are probably the best shots of this place we get in the whole series, as it really depicts a place that is totally run down and dilapidated, with buildings falling apart and crumbling in disrepair, filth ridden streets with literal sewage water coming out of drain pipes, and a actual cave cover overhead, complete with stalactites, blocking out all sunlight except for few and far between pockets which break through holes in the rock ceiling.  The most telling panels though are the ones which depict the violence and poverty of the place.  We see a panel of a homeless man passed out on the street, painfully thin looking, and under him, two men in a fight, one beating the other violently.  And the next panel shows us a little girl, sitting barefoot on the ground between two men who have just blown each other’s brains out with guns.  Truly, this is a violent, dark, poverty-stricken place that breeds crime and depravation.  The pages before this say that BECAUSE of the splendor of the Capital city above the Underground, this place exists, and that’s accurate.  Because of the excesses and decadence of the rich and well off above these people rejected by society, that means fewer resources for the less fortunate.  It’s truly tragic.  

Alright, now I just want to move on to some small, but telling moments here while Levi and the others are being chased by Erwin and his crew.  

When Isabel is bragging about how the MP’s never learn, referring to how they’ll never be able to catch their gang, she asks Levi if what she said was cool.  Levi tells her “Don’t be stupid.”  This might seem like Levi just blowing her off, but the way I read it, it seems more to me like Levi is warning her not to be cocky, not to be over confident, because that’s the kind of thing that can get you killed, or caught.  Big Bro indeed!   We also see how mindful Levi is here as a leader, when he tells them they can’t afford to lead the soldiers following them straight to their hideout, and clearly they have a plan in place for just this sort of thing.

More importantly, Levi is fast to realize these aren’t ordinary soldiers after them, which shows his great instincts, but what’s really interesting is his internal thoughts here.  His logic is telling him regular MP’s wouldn’t work this hard to catch them, and that their skill with the ODM means they must be SC.  But Levi doesn’t really believe it which, given what we later find out about the deal with Lobov, and Lobov warning them of Erwin’s plans, tells us that Levi never really believed the SC would come after them.  He’s clearly surprised here.

Further, after informing Isabel and Furlan and confirming his suspicions, he tells Furlan that he’s got no intention of getting mixed up with “these guys”.  This tells us Levi never wanted to go through with Furlan’s plans, never wanted to join the SC, never wanted anything to do with any of it.  There’s further evidenced in this very chapter, which I’ll get to in a moment.  But it tells us a lot about the dubious feelings Levi had from the start, and how he probably would have simply been happiest to stay in the Underground with his friends, even though it was a hard life.  

Alright, so, this next part is a big deal, and it’s an overlooked detail which speaks volumes about the kind of person Levi is.  I didn’t even notice this the first time I read it, so I want to talk about it.  Levi separates from Isabel and Furlan, and takes Erwin and Mike on a wild chase through the back alley’s and narrow passages of the slums.  He really tries to give them the run around here, until he flips over a door, into another area.  What’s really important here is Levi’s dialog.  He says first “... Lost ‘em, huh?”  And then he says, “That got a little crazy...  I hope... none of them crashed.”  This is kind of amazing.  Levi is showing actual concern for the two soldiers who’d just attempted to catch him and his friends, who were doggedly pursuing them with obviously bad intentions of some kind.  And Levi, after having to resort to some serious ODM skills to shake them, says he hopes that none of them crashed.  He doesn’t want Erwin or Mike to get hurt, he just wants to get away from them.  Considering he doesn’t know either of them at this point, they’re just nameless, faceless military dogs trying to mess things up for him, that shows remarkable character.  

Of course, things go downhill from there, when Mike crashes through the door and tackles him.  All bets are off then, because Levi’s life is now in danger, and when that happens, he’ll resort to physical force.  Still, he only throws Mike off of him and once again attempts to get away, only for it to be Erwin who swoops down and cuts Levi’s cables.  This was actually really dangerous.  Given Levi’s momentum and position, he crashes hard into a nearby wall before falling to the ground.  So we already see some of that ruthlessness from Erwin here.  Of course, that spurs Levi into violence himself.  I have no doubt that when Levi lunges for Erwin and knocks his blade away, bringing his knife to his neck, he truly intended to kill him in that moment.  Levi’s compassion for these soldiers can only go so far, considering the desperation of his own circumstances.  If Mike hadn’t been there to stop it, I think Levi probably would have ripped Erwin’s jugular right out, and that would have been that, lol.  And then, it’s important to note too WHY Levi stops.  Not because Mike was able to physically restrain him, but because he tells Levi to look around himself, directing his attention to the fact that Furlan and Isabel have been caught.  That immediately stays Levi’s hand, and once again, we’re shown how Levi puts the wellbeing of his friends above himself.  He could have ditched Furlan and Isabel right then and there and escaped on his own.  Instead, he allows himself to be restrained and cuffed.  He refuses to abandon them.

Now the next scene is hugely important to a lot of stuff.

Erwin’s got Levi and his friends down on their knees, in the sewage, questioning them about their ODM skills, and the three of them stay silent, obviously defiant.  We really get a good look at Erwin’s abilities as a manipulator here.

He’s pulling the whole good cop/bad cop routine on Levi, when he tells him “I’d like to avoid any rough treatment if I can” before looking to Mike in a clear signal for Mike to pretty damn violently tear Levi’s head back by his hair before smashing his face into the sewage on the ground.  And this really IS sewage.  It’s not mud.  If you look at the panels, we see this brown muck coming out of drain pips attached to the surrounding buildings.  This water is probably, literally, dirty with feces, and Erwin has Mike put Levi’s face in this and hold it there.  Now let’s remember something important about Levi.  He’s a clean freak.  He obviously cares deeply about keeping both himself and his environment clean.  Erwin couldn’t know this about him at the time, but nobody of course would be happy about having their face shoved into literal shit.  But for Levi, I can only imagine this had to be tantamount to a kind of torture.  Erwin keeps questioning him, looking down at him without any kind of emotion, and Levi remains stubbornly silent, despite how awful this must truly be for him.  We get a close up of Levi’s eye in one of the panels, paralleled with Erwin’s own, and Levi’s expression really strikes me as one of awful humiliation.  He goes from looking up at Erwin in rage, to looking away, staring straight ahead, while Erwin keeps looking down at him.

Still, Levi says nothing, and it’s Isabel who finally cracks, telling Erwin that they didn’t learn to use ODM from anyone, with Furlan further explaining that they taught themselves as a means of survival.  He remarks that “anyone who doesn’t know what sewage tastes like couldn’t understand!”.  Clearly, both of them are really upset to see this being done to Levi, and I have to imagine it’s at least in part because they know how awful an experience this has to be for him, given that they know how much he desires to stay clean.  Their shocked expressions when Mike first pushes Levi’s face into the sewage says as much too.

But still, Levi remains silent as Erwin then demands to know Levi’s name.  What Mike does to Levi in the next panel is even worse.  He pushes his face into the sewage and holds him there until Levi literally starts to choke in it, for long enough that, when he finally does pull him up, Levi is gasping for breath.  I really don’t see people talk enough about this scene, but, well...

It’s a torture scene.  Erwin is ordering Mike to torture Levi here.  It may not be the most extreme form of torture, it isn’t the type of physical violence we typically think of when we think of torture, but that’s what it is.  It’s causing Levi both physical and mental degradation, as well as physical distress.  

Even with this though, Levi’s still silent and refuses to answer Erwin at all.  

It’s only when Erwin literally threatens the lives of Furlan and Isabel that he finally talks.  This is such an important detail.  Levi was willing to take what to him must have been truly horrific treatment, but as soon as Erwin gives the signal to the other two Scouts who have hold of his friends, we see Levi’s expression shift from defiant rage to wide eyed fear as they put their blades to Furlan’s and Isabel’s throats.  

Finally Levi talks, calling Erwin a “bastard”, to which Erwin simply asks him again what his name is, and after a slight hesitation, Levi finally gives it.  

I think this entire scene is vital in understanding WHY Levi was so violently pissed at Erwin, to the point of wanting to kill him.

I think it’s a combination of both the humiliation and torture he puts Levi through here, and, worse still, the fact that he threatens Isabel and Furlan’s lives.  Levi already feels looked down upon by Erwin here, he already feels humiliated and embarrassed and as though he’s being treated like he’s worthless, because Erwin IS treating him like that here.  All while Erwin stands there, expressionless, making statements like he doesn’t want to have to use any rough treatment, etc... while at the same time ordering Mike to do just that.  Already, Erwin is sending Levi the message that he’s a liar and a manipulator who thinks nothing of putting another human being’s face in shit.  And then, to top that off, he shows Levi that he’s willing to hurt, maybe even kill, his two friends to get what he wants.

Is it any wonder Levi hated Erwin as much as he did at the beginning?  After a lifetime in the Underground where, from the time of his birth, he had to deal with him and those he cares about being treated like worthless trash.  It would be a miracle if Levi DIDN’T want to kill Erwin at this point.  To have to then submit to him willingly, after all of that, must have been beyond humiliating for him.

Erwin continues to be manipulative here too, when after Levi gives his name, Erwin’s attitude suddenly shifts, and he smiles at Levi and gets down on one knee with him, in the filth, his entire demeanor seeming to shift into an abruptly friendly one as he offers his deal to Levi.  Again, that whole good cop/bad cop thing.  At the same time, he continues to threaten Levi by telling him if he refuses his offer, he’ll hand them all over to the MP’s and that, given their crimes, they shouldn’t expect to be treated with any kind of decency.  What’s kind of funny about this statement from Erwin is that up until now, Erwin and Mike have done anything but treat Levi decently. 

Okay, one more important point to make about this chapter, and it goes back to what I said earlier about Levi not wanting anything to do with the SC, and how that tells us Levi really didn’t want to go through with Furlan’s plans.

After Erwin makes his offer, we see Levi look over at Furlan, who’s giving him an intent look, and in the next panel, we see an almost surprised, or astonished look on Levi’s face, like he can’t believe Furlan is asking him to do this, before he grits his teeth in obvious frustration, and then accepts Erwin’s offer to join the SC.  What this tells us is that Levi only takes Erwin’s offer because Furlan wanted him to.  Because this was all part of Furlan’s plan, to go through with Lobov’s commission, to get caught by the SC, etc...  It’s clear Levi never wanted this, and he’s upset at having to do it.  But the fact he agrees after looking over at Furlan and seeing him implore Levi with his eyes tells us, once again, that Levi is willing to sacrifice his own desires for the desires of others.  That being his two friends.

For them, he’ll join the Survey Corps, even as every one of his instincts is probably screaming at him that this is a bad idea.

Anyway, those are my thoughts for the first chapter of “No Regrets”.  There’s a lot more to unpack in this manga than I think people realize.  I hope whoever took the time to read my long ass post found it at least a little worth while.  I’ll be moving on to chapter two next!

[plutoswrath]

Heyy! I was catching up on your NCT rising sign posts and firstly it was sooo cool to see how in-depth u and other go that’s my fav like if u wanna guess risings u can’t just go off of looks! U gotta think any house and planet placements lol the whole thing. I wanted to come here to share my thoughts on Chenle and Heachan specifically bc I recently put a lot of thought into it for some reason lol

For Chenle I know he’s a sag/Scorpio cusp but I rlly think he’s a sag and I was running the numbers and for him to be a sag he would have had to been born after 3pm! I used to be rlly confident he was a cap rising bc he has intense bone structure and eyes but not in a Scorpio way, more in a strict saturn way. But to be a sag puts him past a lot of potential rising signs so the only ones left that have him at sag sun were Aries to Libra. I played around w some of them and I feel like he could be a Gemini rising! It makes sense cuz he’s known for being sooo friendly, bright, curious, and playfully witty and snarky. Here’s the selling point tho, depending on the time it could put his Gemini Saturn in first! Which explains why he looks like a cap rising to me lol

I’m bringing Haechan into this too bc I know a lot of ppl think he could be a Gemini rising and tbh I’d still buy it but I wanted to propose another idea. I think he could def be an Aries rising! And that would put all the sign in their natural house which I think makes sense w his Leo moon in 5th and the Gemini in 3rd etc. and when I try to compare him and Chenle in regards to whose more of a Gemini rising, it makes haechan seem less like one. He does act b Gemini cuz I mean he has 3 Gemini placements lmao..,, but Aries rising are loud, opinionated, independent, but also has that bored or distracted easy Aries thing. Quick temper, very like what I see is what I want. they’re not a curious as Gemini and they can be outgoing but their focus isn’t rlly on like inquiring about people like Gemini?

Anyways that’s my theory lol I just wanted to bounce ideas off someone who gets it! I love theorizing

Hello! Ohh, I love theorizing as well, so this is the place for you haha x

So,I hope it's okay but I think with the recent info that Haechan allegedly confirmed his birth time (which I personally take with a grain of salt because I've read that he apparently talked about his birth time before and said it was around 12 pm so....we gotta take his word here but I think we all generally know one has to be critical with all casual mentioned birth times from celebrities, but guessing peoples rising sign is for fun so in the end it's not that serious and let's have our fun disecting the chart with the info we have now!!) I want to talk about Haechan's rising sign first!

So one thing that always stood out for me when it came to Haechan was that he seemed very sensitive to me. It's almost like it's kinda written on his face when he speaks (or doesn't) and I think by the way he acts (very animated and reactive) it just underlines this sensitivity and just emotional receptivness. So I wasn't really suprised to see that he has a Cancer Mercury. Being a Gemini sun already places a huge empathize on his Mercury sign, and Gemini with the influence of water really makes for some pretty reactive people, because they can be highly sensitive to the words, moods and hidden intentions of others. Makes one really moody as well, especially if it's a Gemini with water influence but that's just a random fun fact I wanted to add on asdfghkl. If we take his alleged birth time into consideration, he'd have not only a Scorpio rising, but also a Pluto in the 1st. I think the look of his eyes can be pretty droopey at times and yet very focused/piercing at the same time, kind of like he challenges you in that sense, and this is certainly a theme I noticed in a lot of Scorpio risings, especially if they have Pluto in the 1st as well (which a lot of second/third decade Scorpio risings have). Also, having his Chart ruler in the 1st and in the opposite of his Sun and Venus would explain why he is kind of 'on and off' in that sense with his energy and moods (when you watch him in interviews with 127 especially, behind the scenes, at vlives, etc), especially him asserting his presence in the room with a Sun opposite Pluto would make a lot of sense (btw, this is all written in a neutral perspective and no critique, this is just me explaining his behaviour with astrology here). Haechan also is extremely 'scheming', even when he just sits and doesn't talk in an interview he seems to think ahead and I think this os something that comes really naturally to him, just connecting the dots and adding his own twists and turns to a conversation and story. Also, his Mercury in the 8th adds to the sensitivity I got from him, and that with his Scorpio rising and Pluto in the 1st really add to his driness at times, just really flat with his responses and reactions (which come pretty quick and surprising as well). And let's not forget his Uranus and Neptune in the 3rd: very distinguished and unique voice, as well as having Uranus in the 3rd would contribute to his 'on and off' switch but generally very high energy he has, especially when having a conversation. Despite that having Sun and Mercury in the 7th in a conjunction makes one really sociable in the sense you could feel the need to communicate and interact with others (especially when the Sun in 7th is involved, outs great empathise on being with others, lack of social connections can result in strong lonliness at worst). Oh and not to forget he'd have a Virgo MC with a Scorpio Ascendant. For me at least, it only adds to the fact that Haechan is really a jack of all traits, Virgo MC people usually come across as pretty capable and are pretty self composed (also can come across as quiet judgy and they don't even notice it).

OKAY I WILL STOP NOW ITH HAECHAN WOWIE LET'S MOVE ON TO CHENLE okay so I think I've mentioned before that I think Chenle's face has strong Cancerian/Jupiterian vibes for me - his bone structure is phenomenal ofc, but I think his face seems kind of 'stretched' (same with Taeil) which is btw not (!) meant in any negative way because that doesn't exclude being pretty ofc. I know an anon before mentioned that they believe he is a Sagittarius rising but with him being a possible Sagittarius Sun that would explain the effect of his Cancer Jupiter! I think I once talked about him reminding me of young Leonardo DiCaprio so much that I just wished for him to be a Libra rising, but to be fair I think an Air Ascendant would make sense for his nature in general. Ex: to have a Libra rising he'd have to be born around 2am, which ofc would make him still a Scorpio but would put his Cancer Jupiter in the 10th house, also in a possible exact conjunction to his MC (and even if not it's still the closest planet to his MC). He'd have his Moon, Mars and Uranus both in the 5th house which would generally explain his extremely friendly nature (if we can believe Johnny's rising and I sadly kinda doubt it tbh because I can see him just trolling us with his birthtime I'm seeing the parallels here) and why it's so easy and probabl also important to him to conenct with others and be on good terms. Generally speaking I find him pretty jolly in nature and I think if he'd have his Jupiter in the 10th, possibly conjunct his MC and an Aqurius stellium in the 5th (+ possible Libra rising) that could be it. He'd have a Scorpio stellium in the 2nd house with his Sun in the 29th degree, and even if this is said to make people closed off, part of Scorpio in the 2nd house is a) maintaing close and intimate relationships is key for them, they really need that and b) they trive on being liked and admired. Not to say that he is fake in that sense (all people are to an extent but that's beside the point) but this can definitely add to a general charisma! But idk if Chenle is actually 'edgy' enough for this potential birth chart, probably not I believe

Another possible rising sign I thought for him was actually Taurus rising, putting his Sun, Mercury and Venus (exactly on the Descendant here if it would be in the 2nd decan) in the 7th house and his Aqaurius stellium in the 10th, Jupiter in the 3rd. With his Sun being already in Sagittarius I think it would add to a natural 'want to feel good' attitude and searching for pleasure and good times in every situation and Aquarius in the 10th can make for very sociable people, even if they feel more introverted in that sense they have an easier time making connections with others, or others feel drawn to their friendly and understanding nature. Also, his Jupiter in the 3rd would be in a trine woth his Venus in 7th (especially if it's on the Descnedant) which can grand him an easy hand with social groups and settings to begin with!

And I really like your idea behind the Gemini rising, depending on the decan, his MC could still be in Aquarius with his Aquarius Mars in the 9th conjunct his MC and his Uranus in the 10th conjunct his MC as well, and again, putting his Moon in the 10th. Idk but his Aquarius stellium being possibly in the 10th just really seems to resonate for me 🤠🤠 Also, having a Sagittarius Sun in the 6th would make him most likely someone who's easier to work with, because these people value having a good and rather lighthearded atmosphere around them. Very enjoyable and loyal as friends and extremely passionate in their work place/when they pursue something their heart is in.

[fresh-prince-of-denmark]

Interpretation of V’s Mikoshi Poem Pt1: Life is Murder

Cyberpunk spoilers ahead: 

Let’s talk about Cyberpunk’s literary references and what they mean for the story, coming from a former English professor/teacher.

Alt will read you one of two poems you cross the bridge to the Mikoshi depending on who is in control. Johnny is read an excerpt from Sailing to Byzantium by Yeats, while V is given an excerpt from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot. For now, let’s focus on V’s poem:

“Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, 

The muttering retreats 

Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels 

And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: 

Streets that follow like a tedious argument 

Of insidious intent 

To lead you to an overwhelming question. . . . 

Oh, do not ask, "What is it?" 

Let us go and make our visit.”

Cool. Some English majors (derogatory) work at project red. So why should I care?

Well I’ll tell you:

First, a summary: In this story, the narrator is on an evening stroll with a woman he most likely has a romantic relationship with although the vibes are far from a romantic love sonnet. Interestingly enough, the first few lines of this poem have been cut from Alt’s reading; including the epigraph from Dante’s inferno, which translates to the following:

 “If I but thought that my response were made

to one perhaps returning to the world,

this tongue of flame would cease to flicker.

But since, up from these depths, no one has yet

returned alive, if what I hear is true,

I answer without fear of being shamed.”

This missing piece from Alt’s poem can be read several ways; most of them drawing a parallel between the Blackwell and hell. In fact, Dante’s inferno has a lot of similarities to the story. One can make a comparison between Virgil and Alt, leaving a debate on who plays the roll of Beatrice (the one being saved) and Dante (the one doing the saving) between Johnny and V. I have to wonder at the writers choice to leave this portion out, as there’s a lot to be said here about who truly comes out alive: who’s flame will cease to flicker? V, for obvious reasons, does not return to the world of the living the same. She will not live much longer, and is dying despite being temporarily “saved.” However, if Johnny returns to the body, he is no longer the Johnny we know; arrogant, self-assured, and more than a little narcissistic. The will to fight seems to have died within him; he leaves Night City, presumably looking to start over. While V clearly changes him before Mikoshi, he is a broken and somber man after returning to life, a flickering flame of who he once was. There’s also a connection to be made about Johnny/V dying and returning to life, literally rising from hell. The next part of the missing introduction is as follows: 

“Let us go then, you and I,

When the evening is spread out against the sky

Like a patient etherized upon a table;” 

I can’t think of a better way to describe what is happening in Mikoshi aside from the line “Like a patient etherized upon a table.” Johnny and V, in this moment, are suspended in an almost dream-like state. In Eliot’s poem, the “treatment” this patient is awaiting is presumably an examination/reflection of the self, which will lead to the narrator making a major decision. In this scenario, V is being forced to make a very tough choice, one that will take a lot of reflection as they decide what (a few months) of their remaining life is worth. 

On to the actual portion of the poem that Alt reads:

“Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,

The muttering retreats

Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels

And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:

Streets that follow like a tedious argument

Of insidious intent.”

While Prufrock is taking his lover on a romantic stroll, they are hardly walking through rose gardens. They are traveling through the unpleasant parts of a city, and he is noticing all the unsavory parts of his world. Obvious references to night city include one-night hotels (such as the no-tell motel, the Pista Sofia, or the hotel that Johnny and V stay at after the parade, which Johnny gripes about and asks ‘what kind of losers stay in a place like this?), and ‘the sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells,’ which is possibly a reference to the fact that food in Night City is real sketchy (odd things like synth-milk, which Takemura complains about throughout the game). The streets like a tedious argument works on several levels here; both the crime of night city’s streets, which is relentless and quite literally never-ending (V can’t walk two blocks without an assault in progress task spawning), and the socio-economic ecosystem that threatens self-combust at any point. There will always be conflict between gangs, between corpos, between Arasaka and Militech, and between the nomads and the Raffins/Wraiths. In one mission with Padre, you find out that Arasaka and Militech are on the verge of waging another war. None of this conflict is positive, and always ends in bloodshed, often of the innocent. One can argue themselves in circles trying to find a solution to NC’s problems, there is no win-win situation. It’s a bit of a damnned if you do, damnned if you don’t situation. This comes up in conversation with Takemura on his career with Arasaka, as well as several other missions that involve those who choose to work for corporations to survive. This is also a point of conflict between V and Johnny a multiple times, one that never gets an answer. A literal tedious argument, tedious because there are no ‘happy endings for all involved’ in Night City. The final lines of Alt’s reading have more to do with V/Johnny’s final choice:

“To lead you to an overwhelming question ...

Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”

Let us go and make our visit.”

All the unsavory things V has to do to survive, all the people that have died to get to Mikoshi, lead up to one ‘overwhelming’ question: who will live on? There are so many other questions that should be answered: what is beyond the Blackwall? Are Johnny and Alt real, or is the soul truly dead, and are they just a copy of the people they once were? What happens to the idea of God and the afterlife when you introduce the idea of Soulkiller? But much like in the poem, we don’t get these answers. In fact, we are barely given time to contemplate the question as we fight for survival. A decision must be made, despite not knowing or even having time to dwell on these answers. Similarly Johnny, when presented with these questions in several side quests, refuses to even entertain the question, much like the poem’s narrator. 

The rest of the poem, which is not included in Alt’s reading, is full of allusions to the story. The “yellow fog,” which persists across the poem is full of cat-like imagery, conjuring the bakaneko, the spirit of misfortune that can bring people back to life that Takemura mentions (coincidence that V/Johnny can adopt a cat? Keeping death as a close companion? I think not). Prufrock spends the rest of the poem contemplating his question, talking himself in circles, and the only thing that changes is his age as time slips by. Just as he seems to be making progress, he talks himself back to square one and begins again. Much in the same way, Johnny and V go in the same circles. Their journey begins with their deaths, and to death they will both return no matter what. Nothing they did really mattered, the world remains the same, broken and unfair. As Prufrock later contemplates: “Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?…Would it have been worth while/ To have bitten off the matter with a smile,? To have squeezed the universe into a ball?” Johnny loses his life trying to strike against an unjust world, yet he is scarcely a memory to most residents of Night City, who do not have time to contemplate what is right and what is wrong; their focus must be on survival. 

Interestingly enough, both the poem and Cyberpunk reference similar secondary materials. Prufrock references Lazarus and Hamlet as he contemplates how he will never lead an exciting existence. Lazarus, much like V/Johnny, famously rose from the dead. Hamlet is a reoccurring theme in the storyline; Prufrock, V/Johnny, and Hamlet all are faced having to inevitably make a very difficult decision, the latter two involving tragedy for all no matter what. It’s also up for debate whether Hamlet is turning mad, similar to how we can’t be sure how much Johnny is driving V “mad” by taking over their mind. Despite this comparison, V/Johnny are no Hamlet/Lazarus. They are Prufrock; their lives, and their deaths, are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Despite their efforts, they will simply fade away until they remain only in the memories of those they left behind. The play is further referenced as Jackie’s grave reads “Goodnight, sweet Prince,” and in a deleted audio file Johnny tells V “Sleep well prince/princess” before taking control if V chooses to attack Arasaka with Rogues help. What makes this more interesting is when you look at the line in which Hamlet is mentioned:

“No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,

Deferential, glad to be of use,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—

Almost, at times, the Fool.”

The Fool, which is mentioned several times by Misty, represents V and Johnny, in the journey that is told by the major arcane in tarot. The beginning of a journey — of a cycle — while the Death card symbolizes the ending of one phase and the beginning of another. An often painful transformation into something new. The main theme of Eliot’s poem is cycles; he  talks himself in circles, never making a choice, always ending up where he begins. Circles are mentioned once again by Kerry during his personal mission, when he talks about beginning a new cycle in his life. V/Johnny’s journey together begins with death, and so it must end that way for them; whether it is a physical death, or a death of the self. No matter what, V’s fate is inevitable; they will face death again head-on, just as they did at the beginning of their story. The chosen passages of this poem asserts this cycle — the first three words of Alt’s first and last sentence are the same: 

“Let us go.” 

[trashlie]

I'm loving all your ILY posts! I've also seen your comments on reddit and I enjoy reading your insightful analysis there, too. I would like to know your thoughts on Kousuke and Alyssa. Do you think they will become narrative foils? I noticed they were acting awkwardly around each other too (it kind of reminds me of how annoyed Soushi reacts around Maya) and she seems to have a crush on him 👀 I think she'll be used to contrast how he's still capable of redemption. 1/?

I mean Yui groomed them both successfully. They have shown to emulate her behavior, value their reputation over other people's feelings, and refuse to take accountability for their actions against Shin Ae and Nol. But unlike Kousuke, Alyssa has shown no hint of remorse or even guilt. 2/?

Waaahh thank you so much, anon! Isn't it silly that I still go :O when I realize people actually enjoy what I have to say? I started yelling into the void on tumblr because I got worried I was too active on reddit and I was possibly annoying people lmaooooo so I'm actually really glad you're able to find me on both platforms! It means a lot that I'm not just yelling into a total void.

If you don't mind, I'm breaking your ask down into two parts, because I might leave somethin off/this will get too long if I keep it all in one lol. BUT you bring up things I love to think about!!!!! So!!!!!

I think we are deliberately kept in the dark about Alyssa - whether it's to subvert the scheming girl trope, I'm not sure, but there's a lot of things we don't know about her and that's definitely on purpose. She's a character who probably won't be revealed more to us for a while yet, too, which is frustrating if only because I want to know everything NOW, but it does serve to make her more interesting.

Alyssa's interest in Kousuke is so obvious I can't believe I never noticed it in my original reads. I've seen this brushed off as "She just admires him" and I'm just like... she actually sulked for a moment about Kousuke leaving! Meanwhile she was straight up all but telling Nol she'll help him pack his bags lmao.

I feel like the cast of her shadow is deliberate, too, but look at that face. Sulking.

Compare with

There's room to argue that we can't see Alyssa's face when she first tells him she won't stop him, but she kind of makes it abundantly clear that Nol being away doesn't really affect her. And, I mean, look at how their relationship is conducted. She's bragged to Meg that she and Nol are so casual and cool and easy breezy.

(I guess that means there ALSO is room to argue that Alyssa is putting on a front and just saying this to make sure people think her relationship is great, but the only People who know is Meg. And as a people pleaser, if Alyssa felt uncomfortable with the casual nature of her relationship with Nol, wouldn't she actually do more to make the relationship more of what she wants? Notably during the conversation on the balcony, she basically tells Nol this isn't really her dream relationship, which leads to the admission that they are together not for each other but for the benefits they each get so......)

Kousuke is the one who confuses me the most, because it strikes me as really weird that Yui has used Alyssa as leverage before against Kousuke. "You should bring a date, Kousuke, Alyssa will be there." What does this mean? What does it have to do with him and why would it entice him to bring anyone, anyway? I'm still really baffled on this one, tbh. Something that really stood out to me was during the dinner when Nol finally revealed he was planning to attend Oxford, Kousuke was distracted by his own news that the CFO position would be opening. In fact, when Nol mentions attending Oxford later, Kousuke seems to act like this is his first time hearing it.

Nol takes note of Kousuke's state of distraction before he finally starts talking about his plan.

The way quim does the dialogue and suddenly Kousuke's interest returning is.... interesting isn't it? From the moment Nol notes Kousuke's disinterest, we don't see his face again until Rand brings up Alyssa. Quim doesn't do anything without reason - in a movie, you wouldn't waste film on Kousuke's interesting returning at the mention of Alysa unless it meant anything, right?

There's so many little moments that make me go what the heck is going on here, too.

What the heck is up with THIS? Why does Kousuke deliberate SO LONG before he calls Alyssa? Like, do I think he's really so weirded out about calling his younger brother's girlfriend, considering he has one of his younger brother's own friends reporting on him and at his beck and call? You can't convince me that he's hesitant only because Alyssa is the sister of Meg. It just seems too wary.

And yes, this moment here?

It really does have the same tone as Soushi's wariness of Maya, except is Kousuke wary of Alyssa in the same way? Is he wary of her intentions? This one is so hard for me to read, because frankly, at this point it's hard to tell if Kousuke even cares about Nol as a brother or because he was forced to and he feels deep-buried remorse for the way he treated him and doesn't know how to handle it. Is he just aware of Alyssa's keen interest in him and that puts him on edge? Would he even care about Alyssa's keen interest unless she starts to get pushy?

I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA and frankly, it drives me nuts, so I love to discuss this and see what other people have to say. I'd never even noticed how long he deliberates before finally calling her until someone on reddit pointed that out.

lmao this so much preamble to get to the point but anyway YES they are absolutely parallels and I do wonder if they would become foils. Again, it's hard to know with Alyssa because we've been deliberately shielded so much of her personality right now and it's hard to tell what's real and what's not with her. The way that she worries about Shinae telling Nol what she did absolutely reads to me as a lack of remorse, but maybe I'm just projecting because we haven't been given much reason to like her lol. Shinae definitely makes it seem like Alyssa never actually apologized and the way Shinae just brushes it off makes me feel like there was never actual, proper closure. What Alyssa did is worse than just causing her injury: it was why she did it and how she reacted like Shinae was something dirty and how dare she even talk to her even though Shinae probably just wanted to know why Alyssa stopped being friends with her. Maybe she was even seeking closure at the time.

In the same way that Nol and Shinae are mirrors, Kousuke and Alyssa are their parallel abusers, grooming victims of Yui, those who care more about their image and reputation than anything else and have hurt others (Nol and Shinae) in their quest to fill the role. We still don't know if Alyssa dated Nol because she genuinely had a crush (doubtful so far) or because she figured out the family he's from and wanted to get closer. I try so hard to give her the benefit of the doubt but narratively we aren't privy to that yet. Also, have you noticed that Nol and Shinae both have a relationship of some kind with each others' abuser? This mirror and their parallel abusers thing is INTRICATELY woven.

That's what makes it so difficult to tell if she'll become a foil or merely a parallel that highlights what Nol and Shinae have been through. We know Kousuke will receive a redemption arc, because he's a main character, and also because I think part of subverting his trope is that he has to take responsibility for his past actions, rather than being loved in spite of the things he's done or whatever. In order for Kousuke to proper and develop further, he has to be held accountable and he has to break free of his family. Can we trust the same for Alyssa? At this point, she doesn't want to lose Nol because she knows if she loses him, she can just as easily lose her career and access to the world she's only just gained access to (and if she were to lose it all right now, it would be worse for her because she'd have all those trainee fees to pay back).

I think both Kousuke and Alyssa are likely in for a very public airing of their sins; for Kousuke it may come in the form of the expose YuJing is working on, collateral damage in the quest to take down Yui. I also think the only way to nudge Kousuke to change is that his image has to take a hit in some form. Is it that Rand isn't his father? Is it a reveal that he abused his brother? Is it whatever happened in the past that Nol got in trouble for was caused by Kousuke and he let Nol take the blame? Likewise, I think the fact that people knew Alyssa in middle school means she's not so safe, either; what if one of the girls from after school duty reveals what happened? Surely there were rumors going around school about what happened - Shinae is out of school, Alyssa is pulled from school, kids talk. Frankly, a scandal like that could ruin her career, and worse, if Nol knew what she had done, would he be able to remain shackled to her?

While I know Kousuke won't immediately take responsibility for his actions, I've always believed that such a catalyst would at least make him start thinking about it and force him to admit it. It wouldn't happen over night, but in time it will. But will Alyssa? Would she deny the allegations? Would she just shift blame, insist that it was all an accident, that it wasn't bullying like you think? (Cos look, I do believe it was an accident, but there's a way to call it an accident and still admit fault and blame; but just as easily you can call it an accident and try to shirk responsibility.)

I do love the idea of her being a foil for Kousuke, an Aesop's fable, if you will, of what happens when you barter with the devil (Yui). I'm not opposed to the scheming female character type, but I do oppose it when they take down others to raise themselves up, and if that's the way Alyssa will end up doing it, then I'll be happy to watch her fall. If she can scheme and use her connections without hurting people then hey power to ya. Unlike Alyssa, Kousuke never had a chance to evade Yui, and being able to walk away from her as an adult will be a choice he can make. Alyssa loses... so much if she breaks her deal.

I guess that's the thing about where she and Nol are in their relationship now - it's been made clear he's hanging in here because he's forced to and as a sort of act of self-sabotage, full well knowing she's here because she's taking advantage of the opportunities that "dating" him brings so... if they're in an agreement, is it okay to watch her climb right now? She leaves me conflicted and I know it's largely because she's one of the characters we know just enough to hate but so little to justify. Could it be that it all just got out of hand for her? At first she just wanted friends, was trying to find a place to belong, something good in a life that deprived her of social connections. And then comes along Yui, seducing her with ideas of fame and fortune? Was the desire to be loved and admired so strong it powered over the need to fit in with friends and she readily cast them off? Did she not anticipate what it would actually mean, thought she could have her cake and eat it, too? The way she responds to Nol's texts, and the fact that Dieter and Soushi ask him about her, means she probably isn't even in touch with them at all anymore. Idk, I really look forward to seeing their dynamic pre-idol Alyssa, because I want to know how she fit with them, what was it like?

And then, because this was supposed to be about foils lmao you have the fact that Shinae basically foils both Alyssa and Kousuke in regard to Nol, both as a person who cares about him and also as "a good friend" vs "the person I'm currently seeing" lmao like, everyone is literally set to juxtapose each other and man, I'll never get over how well this has been done lmao. Compared to Kousuke and Alyssa, Shinae is the one who accepts responsibility even when it's difficult, who knows when and how to swallow her pride (even if she's not the one who should) and I think it's why she is the one seen a the champion at Nol's side - they are the ones who care little for their images and who know how to apologize (even when they aren't the ones who should be) and that's why they are at each other's sides.

So yes, this is a very long essay response lol to essentially say: I'm still undecided if I think Alyssa will become a foil or merely remain a parallel. I would love to see her redeem herself but something tells me not all characters in this story will be redeeamable. Maybe one day we'll understand her motivation, even if we don't agree with it. I hope at the very least she makes peace with Shinae, but I get the feeling she'll be forced into it (as in, her secret gets ousted) and that's not as satisfying, but hey, if it helps Shinae then I'm for it.

A friend of mine has mused that maybe Alyssa will be the one to oust the secret herself and I'm ngl, I like that idea though it does feel kind of vindictive towards her character. Maybe accidentally spilling it to Nol would be the segue to a couple episodes from her POV though!

Gosh this was so long I'm so sorry lmao but please follow up with your thoughts and feelings, too, or if this made you think of anything or what! I think at this point in the story we've been given a lot of information but we just don't have enough of it to totally piece together what we're supposed to be seeing. I think Kousuke and Alyssa's weirdness around each other is very deliberate, though, and I'm not sure "She's Meg's sister" is enough to warrant so many panels of Kou being SO WEIRD about her, you know? Am I missing thing? Is there more to be revealed? Are we just blind? lmao Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh