#amphoreus prediction

[sharkydragon26]

Hsr Amphoreus prediction (a bit of theory too)

Major 3.1 spoilers below the cut

At the very end of the 3.1 quest, it looks like Castorice is narrating the fact that the trailblazer is going to die on Amphoreus.

I think we all know that the Trailblazer isn’t actually going to die. At least, the Trailblazer definitely won’t die permanently. I’d like to predict/theorize what is going to happen after their “death”

Summary of my prediction:

I believe the Trailblazer is just going to wake up on the Astral Express. I know it sounds kind of lame, but there’s more. The Trailblazer’s “death” on Amphoreus is going to be exactly what the Nameless needs. The Trailblazer “dying” and reappearing on the Express is a perfect opportunity for them to recon and finally discuss what’s going on in Amphoreus. The whole reason only two members of the nameless left first is because of how unknown the situation was, but with the Trailblazer’s (possible) return they’ll have more information. With new information, Trailblazer returns to Amphoreus with Himeko, Welt, and Sunday. Meanwhile the Herta, Fu Gue, and Black Swan stay behind. My reasoning for those specific characters is because of one scene in the “Nameless Faces” Trailer.

Why I believe the Trailblazer will survive their “death” and how I think they’ll survive:

I have multiple reasons for why I believe the Trailblazer will just wake up on the express after their “death”. The main one being how similar Amphoreus is to Teyvat, but that’s way too much lore to dive into right now. So, I will just summarize why the parallels to Teyvat are important. Basically, a lot of issues that harm or even kill people in Teyvat don’t affect the Traveler because they aren’t connected to the leylines since they’re a descender. A very common theory is that Teyvat and Amphoreus were both locked away from the rest of the world because of them both being “stories.” I will not provide evidence for that theory because there is WAY too much and I do not want that to be the center of this post. Anyways, as “descenders” the Trailblazer and the Traveler can both be seen as “readers” of Teyvat and Amphoreus.

(Although, they themselves don’t see it this way and instead of idly watching what happens, they try to fight and save lives. This is where the whole concept of changing fate comes in, two very reoccurring themes in both Amphoreus and Teyvat. Making them more of writers then readers. Hence the theme of writing in RMC’s kit, and the whole journal thing with Mem. But that’s besides the point)

When reading a story, you should be able to close the book and pick it up later whenever you want. And yet, it is very apparent that neither the Traveler nor the Trailblazer can do that. When the Traveler tried to leave with their twin, they were interrupted by the unknown god. And the Trailblazer is completely unable to contact the Astral Express. But what if they could leave through a way they’d never think to try? (obviously the traveler still wouldn’t leave bc they want to leave alongside their twin.) What if dying in a world they never belonged to—a world that never expected them to enter—is just a way for them to leave said world. Sort of like dying in a dream and waking up. After all, everything we’ve seen about death in Teyvat shows that souls connected to the LeyLines still will live in Teyvat. But when a person dies, wouldn’t you expect their soul to go with them? What I’m saying is that when a person in Teyvat or Amphoreus die, they don’t die in the way someone outside that world would. Their soul stays alive, and this is shown in multiple ways in Teyvat. One being the border (introduced through Hu Tao’s story quest and further explored in 5.3 Lantern Rite), and the Night Kingdom (pretty much half of Natlan’s plot). We also see it in Amphoreus with the river of souls, but we don’t have enough information on it yet to really consider it credential.

Although, the Traveler is completely unaffected by the border and the Night Kingdom. Especially when compared to the way those places affect people connected to the LeyLines.

I believe if the traveler were to be killed by something belonging to Teyvat (A living being born in Teyvat, a toxin born in teyvat, a piece of technology built by Teyvat materials and Teyvat knowledge, gravity belonging to Teyvat’s atmosphere, etc.) while in Teyvat, they will die the same exact way someone from Teyvat would. Except as a descender, the world wouldn’t be able to place their soul in an afterlife. So, their soul would just be pushed out of Teyvat. And then a living soul that isn’t trapped in any form of afterlife, is simply a living soul. It is completely possible that death in Amphoreus works the same way. And if my interpretation of death on Teyvat is even just a little accurate, then it would make complete sense for the Trailblazer’s soul to be pushed out of Amphoreus when they die.

Why I believe the Trailblazer will return to the Astral Express, and why they’ll go back to Amphoreus while bringing Himeko, Welt, and Sunday with them:

How they exactly land back on the Astral Express? I honestly don’t know. The power of friendship guides their soul back or smth lmao. BUT, the reason I believe the Trailblazer will reunite with the nameless is because of a scene from the “Nameless Faces” trailer.

In this scene, Sunday, Welt, Himeko, Dan Heng, and the Trailblazer are all seen in amphoreus together. While I do think this scene can be interpreted as metaphorical (especially because right after this the trailblazer “turns” into Phainon) I think there is also reason to believe this is foreshadowing future events. This is because March 7th isn’t there. If the scene was purely metaphorical, March 7th would’ve been shown. We all know March 7th is currently in a critical condition, but even so she would’ve been there if the scene’s only point was to represent “the nameless trailblazing through Amphoreus.” But I think this scene represents those specific characters journeying through Amphoreus.

And yes I know that at the end of 3.0’s quest, Sunday and Welt were on Herta’s space station. but between then, now, and when the trailblazer goes through their “death,” they would’ve had more than enough time to get back to the express. I also believe Herta would’ve gone with them because she is the emanator of erudition, and she won’t miss an opportunity to learn about a whole ass planet she never heard about.

I do find it hard to believe that practically all of the Nameless would go to Amphoreus because it’d make sense for at least one of them to stay behind to take care of March. BUT, it’s still possible because they’d feel at ease knowing Fu Gue, Black Swan, and Herta would be there.

[starcurtain]

We are only in 3.0 but do you have any theories how the story is going to develop? (Especially with no one having any idea where the prophecy came from)

Also maybe it's just me, but I think they made Phainon just a little bit too fond of Mydei to the point I can feel my alarm bells going through the roof...i don't know if it's a death flag but it's defintiely some kinda angst flag...

How does it feel to be the smartest person in the room? Predicting them Phaidei death flags all the way from 3.0. Good job, anon!

To be honest, I have given up on trying to predict Hoyoverse stories because if at some point someone told me Penacony was going to be invaded by viral meme talking monkeys, exunt pursued by a ninja, I would have asked them what kind of crack they were smoking, but... here we are...

However, I do have a wild conspiracy theory about Amphoreus, and it goes like this:

Amphoreus itself is one gigantic "allegory of the cave" meets "lotus eater" plot.

The Amphoreus that the Trailblazer and Dan Heng are currently trapped in isn't a real world at all--it's a simulation maintained by the combined powers of Remembrance and Erudition (possibly with the third aeon involved. If the third aeon is actively involved, it may be Enigmata. If the third aeon is not involved with maintaining the simulation, it might be an enemy instead, i.e. Destruction). I believe that this simulation might be running with a person--Cyrene/Elysia--at its core. This is the reason that Amphoreus only appears in the Garden of Recollection's mirror--because it was never a real place and only ever existed as a fictional location in someone's mind/memory. It also would explain some of the inexplicable elements the plot keeps bringing up, like Trailblazer's synesthesia beacon being able to work on Amphoreus despite the planet supposedly never being connected to the Silver Rail.

My basic speculation is that the person at the core of the situation has lost their original world, and is using the power of aeons to keep their world "alive" through a simulated reality. This invokes the lotus eater plot: Someone is intentionally "refusing to wake" from a dream, indulging in a fantasy to escape from a cruel reality.

However, I suggest that the person who is maintaining the simulation isn't trying to accurately recreate their original world. Instead, they're telling themselves a story. They're not remembering a real world or 100% real people--they're filling in gaps, piecing together different elements of truth and creating entirely new material in efforts to produce a version of the story that will finally have a happy ending. Rather than attempting to bring reality back, they're creating a fairy tale, combining jumbled memories, rewrites/revisions, and entirely retelling portions of the tale when something goes wrong.

This invokes the "allegory of the cave" plot. The person at the core of the simulation isn't seeing reality, but instead watching nothing more than shadow-play, shallow imitations of forms, acting out one-dimensional imitations of reality and accepting that one-dimensional re-enactment as their only "truth." The story we are watching as players is, in fact, nothing more than a story in-game as well.

This accounts for the strange skips between times, places where the plot collapses in on itself--events are occurring both thousands of years and two years ago, all at the same time--places where things don't add up (how did Tribios escape on her own?) and the odd clash of archaism and modernity (people still use stone tablets as reading material but also have cellphones with cameras). It also accounts for the "black tide" manifesting in ways that look like computer viruses--the simulation itself is being attacked and dissolving.

In fact, we could see the "black tide" itself as the way the story reconciles with reality--the simulation may be crumbling or failing (either internally or because of external pressure such as an enemy aeon), and that manifests as an "impending apocalypse" inside the story!Amphoreus as well.

Simultaneously, there's a meta aspect to the "allegory of the cave" plot: None of the Amphoreus natives recognize that they're in a story. They all think that what they're seeing and experiencing is reality. This makes them literal "allegory of the cave" participants. They stare at the false projections on the "cave wall" and are convinced that's reality. At the core of their adventure is the idea of "flame-chasing"--that is, they are spellbound by the flame that projects the false shadows on the wall. The prophecy is the chains that keep them bound, unable to look away to any other possibilities and discover the truth outside their "cave." This accounts for the fact that the characters' themselves don't seem to notice the odd discrepancies in their timelines (i.e. Tribbie handwaving Tribio's inexplicable escape and Mydei not pausing to go "Something isn't right here" about the strange gaps in his own backstory). They don't question the story--because they're part of it. (Anaxa, then, becomes the one exception, the one character who is trapped in the illusion but aware enough to tell everyone that they're in an illusion.)

But this creates a conundrum. If the characters don't follow along with the story and pursue the prophecy, then they might be marching to their own inevitable ends, because it is entirely possible that either all of them are already dead or none of them ever existed. Trailblazer and Dan Heng obviously need to escape the simulation, to then and only then find the "true" Amphoreus--whether that is a real-world hidden from us by the simulation... or whether there's nothing left to find at all. But the Amphoreus natives themselves? They might not have anything left outside their shadows on the wall.

Basically, Amphoreus is just the plot of Princess Tutu, is what I'm saying.

That's my tinfoil hat conspiracy!

[voidcat]

so... amphoreus, huh. i think as 3.2 is out, we all know and are aware it is, without a doubt, a simulation right?

(aka my mini rambling post regarding the world thus far, less of a theory and more of a "pointing out the obvious" in my terms because im still seeing posts in denial or not reading a single text in the main quest then making "theories" and im a salty person who's annoyed by this ahahaha)

with 3.2 being out and we have been shed more light with anaxagoras' help, i want to talk about the world a little, and appreciate mhy for the foreshadowings they've done. credit where its due, for all the bs they do, they always nail foreshadows right and do it well. not spoiler free !!! im lazy to add visuals (esp regarding anaxagoras quotes) so i'll quote to the best of my ability (idek where to begin lol) kind of a long thread, mostly to keep my thoughts somewhere,,, ty if you read to the end <3

So even for non hi3 or genshin players, amphoreus was a suspicious world on its own. the corrupted areas looking to be like erased data or a virus of sorts. how garmentmakers nymphs always resembled "bugs" and made emoticon faces to react. i said before that i thought the world was stuck in a cycle- a samsara cycle like tevyat (genshin) perhaps. with the broken moon, "the sea of flowers at the end of the journey" (the twins' ultimate destination in genshin) which was revealed to be the nether realm aka the afterlife and how the dead are never fully dead and we have these memory fragments often left behind at crucial locations.

cerces had called herself "calypso" before and said she came up with it on a whim. but this quest showed, calypso was one of the seven sages and her past form for a better lack of a word. like how gnaus was once nikador/strife. "titans of today are heirs of yesterday who claimed the coreflames and passed the trials" it's as simple as that, really.

(also here is what one of the nymphs in dawnbreak say when you catch it) (the nymphs seem to be more aware of the reality of amphoreus than the citizens and heirs)

amphoreus is a simulation- that resets its data. that's why while cerces has remained her appearance (despite her contradicting lines saying they decipted her as a tree in the demigod council, easiest and best way to illustrate her when they didn't know what she looked like) some of the previous heirs did not- or to our knowledge so far. how the new titans' data is "constructed" entirely depends on the "memories" collected in the previous era. and from there, their new forms are based on. kephale hinted to be not dead nor alive, in the state of dying and thus stuck in a dynamic, i think fits well with phainon's contradicting entity too. only surviver of his town, his "true form" on the other side wreaking havoc. he is the trickiest heir most likely last to obtain divinity for this reason. because it's flame reaver that is the lord ravager lygus told madam herta.

amphoreus is a simulation made to keep lord ravager in. the why isn't clear but there must be some history between his past and cyrene/elysia to have gone through these lenghts. with a simulated world that "resets" itself and starts over, FR is more or less aware of his entrapment at this point and that'ss why he has begun to go after the coreflames: the hard drivers of the world, if we take amphoreus not just as a simulation but as a simple computer of sorts.

that's where erudition and remembrance plays factor, intentionally or not in a collabration with each other, as brought to reality and guarded by lygus, an antikytheran.

and what is an antikytheran? a hand powered orrery (solar system model) that could be used to predict asronomical positions/athletic cycles of olympic games and such. it can be considered as the oldest known example of an analogue computer. (all these, simply from a basic wikipedia search). in the game we are told there used to be many "antikytherans" and lygus is one of the last of the species, but in a simulated world, how much of it holds true, who is to say this isnt fabricated history? anaxagoras also points out the history before the titans is unclear and implied/told to be in utter chaos. just because it wasn't recorded properly does not mean this was th fact.

same as the case of lygus. in his dialogue to madam herta, there is an emphasis on predictions, similar to the real thing. he says he ws gazed upon by nous too but herta has showed us already that nous is not exactly the gazing or responsive type. before he is an aeon, he is a computer. so who is to say lygus is not an extension of it, or maybe an earlier model, a prototype perhaps made by zandar one kuwabara himself- or based on one of his earlier inventions? just like that, it's most likely lygus/nous' influence that the first "seeds" of "nousporists" was planted (again, credit where its due, nous' name and the philosophy of nousporism in amphoreus tie wonderfully and show us clear influence/interventions of nous. just like how nihility is named ix not for the number but after the major arcana card ix). everything in amphoreus is a repetitive cycle that is rewritten by the previous data that has been saved/collected.

as a world that is overlooked by three paths, i think destruction came last, with the arrival of lord ravager. now im not certain if the world was already existing before that with the intention to keep him, or if he was inserted after, but the last scenes with herta imply he was the latest component and lastly added- one of the true outsiders. his fragment image being able to move as herta walks is another display of his self awareness of his predicament.

and now onto why i emphasized on mhy's foreshadowing (if you've read this far lmao) if you've done the seal event, you see TB has a "prophetic dream" that shows phainon. some things that stand out regarding him is that: he refers to his seal army as his "legion" which instantly reminds me of "anti matter legion" or simply known as the "legion", lead by nanook and his lord ravagers. in the event, phainon (or pie-non as he introduces himself in the dream), he does say "i was always the invader. there was never any side switching." for the remainder of the event after the dream, we don't see much of him. it gives us more information regarding cipher and aglaea in fact.

which further leads me to believe his purpose is for the following story. because one thing mhy loves is to hide their best drops and foreshadows in fun, silly looking events (ie: summer events that always foreshadow upcoming regions in genshin) people will skim over or will put to auto (or webevents, as the latest moon sisters loredrop in genshin proved once more.) please do note this is the same company who foreshadowed/gave us a lot of crucial intel on the harbingers and even the story of ru and the thunderbird as early as games earliest existing artifacts (the og electro set to be specific for ru/thunderbird.) the timing of the event being right after 3.2 and giving you a warning to play it if you havent finished the latest quest are all intentional.

offhandedly it is also said during the quest, hycilens is dead. (not surprising since she is most likely an expy of dr mei) but with anaxagoras' death as well, before we could learn more regarding him and the odd void within his chest, i think we are meant to see the upcoming cycle. all of the heirs being foreshadowed to die isn't very surprising, since we have examples such as tingyun, fugue, misha, gallagher and whatnot... but considering they are all part of a simulation, as long as their coreflames/souls remain protected, they will live on for a better lack of a word.

and we do have calypso suggesting alchemy in the previous cycle, and supposedly in the new era when supposedly "alchemy hadn't existed to align/sync with the story of dragon of styxia", castorice's existence alone is the first step perhaps that the repetitive cycle is being broken.-- castorice and pollixia breaking the natural order of the world by directly inserting her into the new cycle is the first step on the path of disturbance, or destruction.

and while i got into the whole foreshadow thing, i do want to add, black swan's existence in penacony from the start seemed iffy to me. so when we put what we know about misha/mikhail, black swan and all she told us so far, the memetic virus event that stuck out like a sorethumb when we all were expecting amphoreus, i am certain, these were all setting stones for amphoreus for us players. (the black tide being corrupted data/a virus, the nymphs being bugs/antivirus installment that record data and watch over until we collect them all back while coreflames are the drives where all data is restored for the world to be reset with a "new age of titans".

so much rambling for so little conclusion ahahah sorry, i didn't have much time to ponder regarding phainon being "cursed by mnestia" but considering the golden threads that always listen and the nymphs belonging to her, her role isnt just the "titan of love and romance" nor "created by cerces for company, only for the creation to fall in love with the creator". -> especially after with thanatos and the twins, reaching the conclusion that with the cycle of life and death and the passion to live and enjoy as long as you breathe, thus the humans learned to love; bringing this hand to hand with thanatos playing a role in mnestia's nymphs, their roles mightve been more mixed than what we have been shown so far.

after all, all we learn in amphoreus is just memories of people of the past- manipulated data if you will. oh and the vortex of genesis is most likely the heart of amphoreus and the whole world itself. as it is where the coreflames are "returned" (restored) and why when entering the world, herta finds herself there with fragmanted forms of the outsiders (lord ravager/fr, trailblazer and dan heng) while lygus is fully intact and in its form as it has shown us.

if anyone (especially hi3 players) have anything they want to add or have noticed themselves, pls feel free to add! i mainly wanted a post to gather my thoughts and will most likely edit this in the foreseeable future when i remember the rest of my thoughts ^^) but yeah, elysia/cyrene is most likely a emanator (remembrance) too but if she's not playing dumb as mem and that gaze of fuli black swan noticed in 3.2 wasn't the moment we were gazed upon by fuli, then it'll really be a paimon situation for sure... rip oh and whenever we "purify" the corrupted areas, the symbol we interact with seem to resemble kephale's symbol... edit 2: i'm thinking maybe as black swan has said regarding the garden of recollection and memokeepers, there is a third party playing too that we are unaware of yet who is causing this chaos/corruption- possibly even the black tide itself. similar to how march 7th's ice shoing up when she is unable to remember, the remnants of black tide is data removal- and in case of amphoreus, we know data = memories. perhaps the third party is like HoC was for elysian realm and Cyrene is now trying to guide us as Mem. and for all that concerns Phainon/FR/Kevin, the world to be built only to reset over and over is perhaps the true trial of not just Kephale but for Phainon/Kevin to reach a certain form or state of mind Cyrene/Elysia hopes for him to reach as humanity's survivor and protector. edit: i think this qrt thread by twitter user lenteels sums up all of amphoreus as a world down to its basics pretty much too (and gave me a good laugh so i'll link here)

(also idk how many of you follow leaks or not but just today we've got leaks that say flame reaver is the true protagonist of the story-- they didn't elaborate further as to not spoil anything else, and "because it's long". buuuuuut yeah let's see what we will be getting out of FR vs Elysia / Phainon vs Cyrene and was the driving force behind her actions^-^)

[gojover]

my prophetic dreams about phainon have done something irreparable to my brain chemistry

you’re psychic and hoyoverse needs to hire you for their storyline immediately

[solelii]

I hope that the Trailblazer’s actions will alter Phainon’s fate and become their salvation in the upcoming Trailblaze Mission.

[godisasimp]

Fine, I'll admit.

Shaoji can write good stories, sometimes.

I just spent a total hour count of like 17h straight non-stop hours of almost nothing but story (i didn't do 3.1 when it released), was that enjoyable? Not really i finished at 4:35am, i don't recommend doing that just, do it in multiple sessions.

Anyway bad life decisions aside.

Castorice? More like Peaktorice.

She's really great and wonderful and amazing and lovely and sweet and just the best written Amphoreus character dear god.

I just loved her story, finding out her truth, the reason she is cursed, reuniting with her sister Polyxia, god.

If Shaoji can hear me, kill Mydeimos permanently and give me back Castorice.

[burningfaith]

the fuck was that, literally the only thing I feel after finishing this quest is anger bruh

[rawr-mortgage]

writing my own mydei lore to see how it holds up in future updates and revelations

[angelesca]

w.c. ~5k hooooly balllls | game system au! phainon x npc!gnreader, short stories, in da clerb, we all fam with the amphoreus cast, puppy phainon yippee, bantering with the game system, trying to avoid raising phainon's affection points but failing horribly💖reader has a lil' nickname ('moonlight'), goofy antics ofc ofc, finally some physical contact (it's a good day), written during ver.3.0! (forgive me for any poor characterisations!) [𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐬]: 1 ┃ 2 ┃...

a/n: here i am again with another stupid idea (who is surprised). okay but the nymph emoticons lit a lightbulb in my head and BAM i gave birth a second child. drew inspo from [svsss], [orv], and [villains are destined to die]!

!!! disclaimer (read me) !!! in the game, there's no night in okhema city (as of writing this), but in this fic it happens! it's explained as best as my dumb brain could^^

“what… the… fudge.” you stare at the system pop-up, almost drooling from how long you’ve had your mouth open in disbelief.

marmoreal market. amphoreus’s civilians walk by you as if you are a passing breeze. in their sphere of natural time flowing, you are stuck with defective clockwork, unmoving in the present reality. what was once a screen of predictable code on your gaming device, is now alive. 

this must be a dream, an illusion drifting by in your head. it's that damn phone, isn't it? you need to stop staying up all night reading fanfic.

you shut your eyes.

…

… ping!

…?

groggily, you open your eyes. in front of you is the perpetrator:

[ヽ(o＾▽＾o) hi~]

angrily, you press the ‘x’ button and close it.

[ what's that for?! (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ ]

you mash your finger on the blue window repeatedly, poking the emoticon in the eye. “you did this to me, didn't you? you kidnapper!” your voice is brimming with fear, overflowing with confusion.

[ WHAAAAT?! (凸ಠ益ಠ)凸 just hear me out- ow! i’ll help you! and stop poking my eye already! yeowch! my nostril! ☆(＃××) ]

pausing, you take a deep breath. the gazes of alert onlookers are beginning to settle goosebumps on your skin. there’s not much that can be done for now, honestly, your best bet is to place some faith on this mysterious system. “... what do you want with me?” you whisper in the lowest volume your anger would allow.

[ hehe~ (o´▽`o) ] you don’t like that expression at all. [ it’s exactly as i’ve told you from the start: become the main character of the newest update in honkai star rail, amphoreus! ] (this is not an advertisement)

“nah.” unamused, you walk through the window which shatters dramatically.

[ (°ロ°) hah? ] 

you scoff. the troublesome titankin? unending side quests and puzzles? responsibilities? fighting a literal god? who the hell wants to do all that? clenching your fist, resolve reconstructs your confidence. and you definitely don't want to listen to an annoying emoticon who forced you here. “i… will live quietly as an npc!” don't let the system have their way!

[ HAAAaAH???! Σ(ﾟ口ﾟ;) ]

you find your 88th chest of the day. it's pretty much stealing yet no one bats an eye, do amphoreus civilians also happen to offer customary welcomes for robbers in their houses? at least you are adapting to the world quickly given your game knowledge.

[ surprised you haven't encountered any enemies this past month. usually, the mc has to do some fighting... ┐(￣ヘ￣;)┌ ] is what the system said. guess the npc life was made for you.

when you open your 88th chest, you immediately regret it. a purple void cleaves the air and a familiar character dives out. it emotes cheekily, swooping the chest like an eagle to prey. “teehee~ this is mine now!”

[ that’s bartholos the spirit thief. ( ° ∀ ° )ﾉﾞ] [ new achievement: 'meeting bartholos!' ]

bartholos, spirit thief. distasteful memories rewind their tape in your head. the anger you felt seeing this thief pop up, doing the tedious minigame... fury untethered, its primordial tides stirs the previously calm waters of your mind. [ -75 sanity... ]

“... you lil’ flappin’ shirthead. i will rip your throa buy you a lovely necklace and stew you cook you my favourite stew!” 

[ bartholos is confused! ]

“you fu***** bi** sh****** p******* **@^*)>{“£$^*!!!!!�� [ OMG! the system can’t keep up with the filtering! ｏ(＞＜；)○ ] “*****pots clanging*****cats meowing*****???***more farting***??”

[ shots fired! it's extremely effective! ]

“o-o-okay! geez, take it… ” bartholos drops the chest, hands in the air. “damn, is it that serious?”

[ w-what kind of npc are you? ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : ) ]

"what do you mean?" you pant, "that was totally npc-like." rule #1 in 'the npc survival handbook': gotta make a living somehow.

[ oh, there's an injured pers- don't just ignore them! (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ ]

you had just passed by a dark alley, genuinely not having noticed someone laying there because of the night shadows. and not because you were stuffing your face with sagelore fruit. rolling your eyes, you say, "pay me (nom nom)."

[ huhu (μ_μ) you're so cruel... ]

you cock an eyebrow. "and who forced me here (muffle muffle)?"

[ new side quest: 'be a good person!' ] [ reward: 1500 credits ]

squinting, you read it over - the reward is quite hefty? rule #1 resounds in your head: 'gotta make a living somehow'. retracing your steps, you decide to investigate the shrouding darkness, fingers tracing along the walls.

[ take this! ψ( ` ∇ ´ )ψ ]

your foot catches onto a stray object. "huh?!" the ground slips beneath you and gravity is pulling you by the hand. fortunately, you land on top of something. a solid hand is placed on your lower back, having caught your fall.

analysing whatever it is, you recognise its familiarity: white hair, heroic armour, long cape... oh. oh. oh no. oh nonononono. [ oh yes (≖ ͜ʖ≖) ]

rule #2 in the 'npc survival handbook': do not get involved with the chrysos heirs. you gulp. "yo, i'm outta here-"

[ new mainline quest! complete the scenario to advance~ ]

"you littl-" [ violation of system rule #87: do not speak out of character ] "wha-"

[ please choose out of the following options]:

[ i love you! ]

[ let's arrange a marriage NEOW (charisma check) ]

[ if you and i were socks, we'd make a great pair! ]

your eyes could pop out of their socket. what is the system trying to do here? worst wingman in history! without meaning to, you choose the secret fourth option: silence. you awkwardly stare at each other. [ he is confused! ] [ hehe~ okay, i'll stop~ (o^ ^o) that was fun ]

"you shouldn't be here," a serrated voice, sawing into your ears, slices through the stiff silence.

[ 'ooc' turned on ] you feel your throat clear, recclaiming your words. "yes, i agree." you nod your head enthusiastically. "i should be home, cosy in bed." [ oh, come on (￢_￢) ]

"haven't you noticed it's night time?"

"uh," you crook your head up. "i did[n't]." now that he mentioned it, no one else was awake in ohkema city, as if in hiding.

"then please find somewhere safe," he pushes himself up with ripened strength. "it's dangerous to-" he winces. you back away, searching for the site of cause. blood is pooling on his abdomen.

you didn't expect him to be in such a state. how many enemies was he fighting off? glass fiddles in your pockets, reminding you of your spoils. hurriedly, you hand him a health potion that you definitely did not steal. then, painkillers, disinfectant, and so on.

he asks quizically, "how do you have so many things in your pockets?"

"don't worry about it." just videogame things innit. silently, you tend to his wounds though your effort is clumsy.

he looks up at you. his hand timidly ghosts along the road of your working arm, driving closer and closer, as if he's navigated it before. a familiarity that suggests crossed trajectories, but with the way you avoid his eyes, the paths quickly rupture back into parallel lines.

ping! [ new achievement: 'meeting phainon' ] [ phainon's affection +1! ]

you had to repel phainon, but he's strongly magnitised. it's been a few days like this and you don't know why - it's not like you have dog food in your pockets.

"so, what do you do for a living?" oh no, he's is showing interest and his imaginary dog tail is wagging.

your mind blanks. it's not like you can tell him you steal chests and spit bars at bartholos. that'd be a prison speedrun. "i... i'm a professional npc..." [ great impression (￣_￣) ] you groan at the system message.

he tilts his head, curiousity shining in his eyes. "en... pee... sea?"

"uhhh," you falter. then, a lightbulb. wait, wouldn't this is be a good opportunity to change his impression of you—for the worse? anymore association with a chrysos heir is basically a life sentence to becoming the mc, right? "... i," you tinker with your head. "... i sniff armpits..." [ ... my ears hurt (¯ . ¯;) ]

phainon can only smile stiffly. "ahaha?" [ phainon is... intrigued? what's with this guy ] [ phainon's affection +1!(?) ]

... that did not work. rule #3 of 'the npc survival handbook': don't draw attention to yourself (failed).

another day in your life...

"do you know about the other chrysos heirs?" phainon asks, carrying your haul of limited edition honeycakes. [ w(°ｏ°)w finally, the plot is moving! ]

"no," you refuse adamantly, "and i don't want to know because it's too much exposition to listen with no skip butt-"

"hello..."

you jump. "wah?!" the girl bloomed by death's hand studies you, her dark circles accentuating her eyes.

a deep voice thrusts himself in. "are you phainon's new sparring partner? hmph."

"the new traveller? you must be the one the threads were whispering about... why don't we have a chat later?"

"we welcome you to ohkema! isn't it great?!"

"isn't it great...?"

"isn't it great? hmph."

[ isn't it great? ＼(＾▽＾)／]

why in kephale's name is every chrysos heir suddenly here? is this a family gathering or what? it's like you're meeting your in-laws, ready to get their blessings for phainon's hand in marriage.

[ your future husband ] phainon smiles warmly. "well, now you know them." [ handsome as always (＾་།＾) ] [ new achievement: 'meeting the family!' ]

"do you want to embalm a corpse with me...?"

"are you really phainon's sparring partner? come, let me test your prowess in battle."

both of your sides are occupied. along with a tall puppy, there's also a purple butterfly and a tabby cat apparently [ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ]. "don't you guys have to save the world?"

castorice nods slowly. "indeed... finding thanatos, i hope to recover my past too..."

mydei crosses his arms. "of course i want to defeat nikador and return to castrum kremnos one day. but who says heroes don't need rest?"

"and you both decided to spend it with me of all people?"

"phainon mentions you a lot... we simply wanted to see for ourselves," castorice replies, "should we invite tribbie too?"

"please don't," you shrug your shoulders. "i'm only an npc, nothing to see here." [ are you sure about that? 🤨 ] suddenly, emojis?

"en-piii-she...?" castorices points a finger to her lip.

"em... piss... cee? what's that?" mydei lifts an eyebrow.

you were not gonna answer that again. [ castorice's affection +1! ] [ mydei's affection +1! ]

in the distance, threads begin to murmur a song. the dressmaster's fingers weave through her strings, strumming each one to orchestrate amphoreus’s future stage.

aglaea’s eyebrows dip. tribbie's ears opened at the first note, wary. "the threads are strained..."

[ (＠＾◡＾) ~ ] "phainon, dearie, how have you been?"

[ ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ ] "phainon, come look at the fresh fruit!"

phainon, is admittedly very popular, a stark contrast to you, like day and night. "how do you have so much energy to interact?" you question.

phainon is now petting a large dog, wearing a large grin when the dog licks his face. in your eyes, they are a pair of twins playing with each other. "i think it just comes naturally. it's a part of my duty to the citizens."

duty. the word is tiresome in your head. you crouch down, rubbing the large dog's fur. "then, is there anything you want to do for yourself?"

"oh..." he trails off, stealing a glance at you. the steady waves in phainon's eyes shine blue, finding your reflection in them on his horizon. "there are many things i'd love to do. you know, i'm jealous of you." [ (╬`益´) HE'S LYING-! ] you press the mute button.

"what do you mean?"

sunlight perches itself on top of his head, kissing the crown of his head like a tender mother to born babe. you feel your breath being stolen. he is surely nature's revered child. "i hope to be as free as you someday, doing whatever i want," he says (he doesn't know about the chest-stealing, does he?). a face steeled from suffering, regret, and past mistakes, smelts under your warm gaze. if you were to lift his lips up with your fingers, you would find it malleable without resistance. "away from all the chrysos heir business - it gets stressful at times."

your heart skips, understanding. beneath the exterior of a hero is someone who wants to live like every other ordinary person. your heart skips one more time, hearing how you could inspire a chase for freedom in him. [ your understanding of phainon has deepened ] an unsuspecting heat runs laps across your cheeks. you both wave goodbye to the dog. "so... you want to be an npc too?"

"n-p-c," phainon recounts, "an armpit sniffer?" he teases.

"nevermind." unconciously, you brush away the strands of hair obscuring phainon's eyes, taming his fur. his eyebrows lift, eyes radiant. ears redden. "ah..." a timid disappointment when you stop, fluffy ears drooping.

silently, you think the conversation over. duty... is that what creates purpose? should you find one too? does an npc need to think this extensively? perhaps this is a part of you speaking, begging to fit in with this foreign world.

freedom and obligation. can't both co-exist?

one day, you're haggling at the market stalls, firing words no one could understand. [ phainon's affection +1! ]

another day, you're falling off the dromases every minute. phainon watched you get strapped to the saddle with rope when all else failed. [ phainon's affection +1! ]

today, you ate agalae's stock of afternoon tea desserts. [ phainon's affection +1 ]

and tomorrow, you'll ask castorice and mydei to fight to the death to settle the philosophical dilemma of the 'unstoppable force vs. immovable object'. you told him of your evil plans. [ phainon's affection +1 ]

"uh, can you stop doing that?" you turn towards the human-sized dog behind you. [ phainon's affection +1 ]

phainon stops in his tracks. "doing what?"

you point at him. [ phainon's affection +1 ] "... nevermind." you give up. it's a bit endearing, honestly. you've come to appreciate his presence accompanying you. a small smile plays on your lips. [ phainon's affection +10!!! ] ..?

[ new mainline quest! 'chat with aglaea.' ]

that's was a great start to your morning; the deafening system alarm was a nice touch. you threw a fist at the pop-up, annoyed. [ this is abuse!! (ಥ﹏ಥ) ]

so now, you are in the bathhouse with aglaea [ and me! (*ˊᗜˋ*) ]. she slides a thick envelope across the table you were both sitting at.

hesitantly, you take it under her inspective gaze. apprehension takes root in your guts. you open the envelope. [ 7-7-7 TRILLION CREDITS??!! =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) ] you look up at her, stunned. you only know how to mutter her name, "aglaea...?"

"i urge you to take it and travel far away," she explains, tapping the table with her finger. "the strife titan is closer than ever and amphoreus is losing itself to dark nights due to the black tide. yet, phainon is distracted at this crucial moment." the tapping stops. "and i suspect you are the cause of his straying mind."

you point at yourself, disbelieving [ (⊙_⊙) ☜ ? ]. "me?" you've seen this in dramas before - the part where the mother-in-law bribes her son's partner. you could almost laugh at the comparison. realistically, you would choose the money...

"-but that's not up to you," you frown, remembering yesterday. "phainon can choose what he wants to do."

you have come to understand each other, yes, the stars are re-writing your definitions - phainon, the great warrior who yearns for a quiet life, pledging to his one moon, and you, an outsider who went as they pleased yet also wanted to belong. if aglaea is to deny his longing desires, then it is to deny your existence.

"don't make me laugh," aglaea reprimands sternly. the threads in the air are tense, ready to cut. your throat cinches. "freedom is something we gave up long ago to devote ourselves to amphoreus's amity." a pained expression fades within a split second.

a heaviness spears into you, weighing you down. you look at your feet. she is right, but you can't help but feel pierced into. silence reigns the air.

ping! [ hey! (눈_눈) ] you look up. [ what are you doing right now? ]

...? [ you said you'd live freely! (albeit as an 'npc') why are you hesitating now? you're letting the system win! ]

"huh?" isn't that what the system wanted though? to have you obey the rules and the role of a typical mc. then again, when did you ever listen to it? "uh, well..."

aglaea stands up. "that's all i want to convey."

"wait," the words suddenly burst out, a wave of energy surging. [ go go! ] "... saving amphoreus, it's not only an obligation, but something all the chrysos heirs chose for themselves." [ ∑d(°∀°d) ] aglaea raises an eyebrow. she is letting you speak what could be your final words.

"... castorice wishes to recover her past. she will defeat thanatos and save amphoreus, to discover the world with newfound purpose."

"mydei hopes to return to castrum kremnos and sever the last ties. he will defeat nikador to protect amphoreus and his new life."

"and phainon has people he wants to protect. and to do that, he will save amphoreus to keep them safe."

"the chrysos heirs all share the same feelings as you, hearts strong; saving amphoreus, but to also save a future of their own as well. so... put more faith... in them..." the words die out when you realise that what you've been saying, to aglaea of all people. her stare is critical, analysing your flaws. "or don't..." well, it was a good life.

you are expecting the sweet release of death. but nothing comes. it is silent before aglaea sits back down, one leg crossing over the other. she rests her chin on her hand, looking into the distance. seemingly conflicted, as if not wanting you to look at her, but hoping you'd stay for a bit longer. the ice in the air warms bit-by-bit. you process the silent understanding with her, watching the water flow. [ aglaea's affection +1 ]

"don't die guys. seriously." you give mydei a pat on the back, and castorice a thumb up because she'll instantly dissolve you otherwise. "where's phainon?"

"i saw him on the rooftop... i think he's wait... ing..." castorice trails off, head bobbing from a lack of sleep presumably.

mydei scratches his head. "we'll head off first then," he sighs. "don't keep him any longer than you have to."

"why am i-" the pair gradually get smaller into the distance. "-the one to go?" [ new mainline mi- ] "yeah, yeah, i get it." you wave the message away. [ 凸( ` ﾛ ´ )凸 ] you smile. [ YOU LAUGHED- ] muted.

sure enough, you find the missing person on a rooftop. phainon is surprised to see you. you wave, approaching him. "yo."

"... yo." he mirrors, brightening like the sun. but behind the smile were shadows.

"what's up?" you ask.

phainon is in quiet contemplation. "i'm afraid, honestly," he starts, "i do want to defeat nikador. it's been a life-long goal."

"but... i wish i could run away too, away from the commitment. rest my eyes and not have to think or worry."

insecure, anxious. you saw hints of it before, but now he has cracked completely, revealing to you. the calm before the storm. a final exchange of all the unwritten words.

you make an inch for his hand, but unsure, you retract it. "you sound as if you'll die."

his eyes widen. "i didn't mean to insinuate..." he looks down forlornly, at the distance between his and your hands. the quiver in his fingers craves, agitated. "i can't die yet, there's too much i want to do." his eyes move to yours. but the embarassment he feels when you reciprocate it quickly deflects his gaze away.

skin to bone; rust to metal. they only rot to the test of time, and it is only in this way that phainon will release himself from the overworld. not to the titankin, not to nikador, but a natural harbinger. that way, every breath, down to his last, can be spent on you.

you really want to pet his head. thinking back to the conversation with aglaea, you construct your words, "come home after this. to amphoreus, to the chrysos heirs. afterwards, there will be time for your heart to rest."

all these answers but phainon didn't find one to the question he is searching for. he tugs at your sleeve, eyebrows frowning. you feel almost shy looking into his faithful eyes. "will you be there too?"

your mouth opens, "me?" his ears wait for an answer. his fingers fiddling your fabric to as if to annoy a response out of you. reject, accept, deny, he's begging for anything. it doesn't matter.

phainon is entirely devoted to you, for reasons he had yet to explain. this part of his story is not left out. claim, discipline, stipple your mark into him and his skin will not rebound from your carving. until skin melted into flesh, and flesh peeled off his bones, and bones pulverised into dust, everything would remain as history written on his body until then.

at the end of the day, into the night, he is waiting for you. he's hoping you'll do the same.

a velvet smile paints your face, heart beating, your answer as natural as day and night: "i will be waiting too." for him, and his story of devotion.

"when we reunite, let's make a world of our own. one we both belong to, and one where we are free to do everything we want. where the sun guides us and the moon watches over, co-existing." [ ... ]

rule #2 in the 'npc survival handbook': do not get involved with the chrysos heirs.

phainon finds solace in the crook of your neck, strong arms wrapped around you but his hold trembles. you let him do as he please - let his heart, something he almost gave up, finally express itself, and you can hear his heart beat prove its existence. quietly, you card through his white strands with your fingers.

the sun begins to set.

"phainon, i order you to track this outsider. i do not know how they happened to breach okhema, but i suspect they fell from beyond the sky," agalae instructed, eyes sharpened. "if they make any suspiscious movement, or mention the forbidden, they must be dealt with swiftly."

thus, phainon watched over you, playing executioner. another mission, nothing new. leave them alone if proven harmless, execute if necessary.

standing upright on a rooftop, the first time he laid eyes on you, you were in the middle of marmoreal market, dazed, speaking... to no one? then the chest stealing, the sagelore fruit stuffed in your mouth, doing everything that you pleased - riding the loose currents of freedom, unrestrained by rules. without knowing, bright laughter left his rigid lips.

as days passed, disturbance grew. for whatever reason, the titankin were strongly attracted to you, as if you were an anomaly they had to eliminate. before one of them could strike you-

"hm?" as soon as you turned around to look, there was nothing there but the glaring sun quietly protecting you all along.

months passed like this and phainon slowly carved your existence into amphoreus. from the big movements, the twitching in your expressions. to the hollowness in your eyes when you watched the people chatter, the children running by, the scholars conversing. he saw it then. a black sheep walking among the herd; a shard of the night misfitting itself into bright daylight.

chaos worsened. the black tide brought night and agitated harmony's wavelengths. the titankin spiralled and even more were after your throat. took its toll on phainon as he stayed by your side when amphoreus was asking for him. it was one of the few times that he let his duties go for something he freely chose to do. although, the price to pay was hefty - it was him against many. and the threads hummed tunes about his misdeeds.

as much as the dark scared him, the night carried you to him on that fated day. you were going to kill him. open his stomach. stab his chest. those were most effective. but you felt so warm in his arms when he caught you.

in the back of his mind, a nagging hope procured a promising premonition. a hope brought to flame, his studying that came to fruition, when you tenderly looked after him.

he looked up at you. the moon softly caressed its shimmer upon you. you were moonlight. and from there on, the sun orbited the moon. a devotion that naturally made sense, that was meant to be.

days turned to weeks. you tried not to think about the emptiness. who are you? someone waiting for their husband to return home from war?

"hey kid, watch out." you steady a brown-haired kid before he could fall over again. he bows, thanking you. you learned his name was theophis.

"buying more sagelore fruit? come, come! the produce this season is at its ripest." their name was auguste.

"good morning, dearie. is phainon not here today either?" her name was hegesia.

again and again, you strolled around okhema, sticking names to familiar faces. the people grew to know you as time moved its hands - a sense of belonging and purpose in a place once foreign. you found yourself engaging with them, not because of a reward, or even being forced to do it.

it is then that you realise it. chatter, talking, noise. yet, everything is too quiet at the same time. no banter, no teasing remark... nothing.

in the middle of marmoreal market, you stand dazed again. something is supposed to guide you in moments like these. your heart is heavy, mourning a loss.

"system?"

the wind slips through your fingers, proudly holding your hand. it answers your call.

you are sound asleep when the night courses through your balcony, blowing the curtains with its star-glistened breath. the cautious clicking of boots unheard. fingers delicate, lips yearning, but settlling for gently pressing their head against yours, lightly rubbing back and forth. so careful, too delicate, a touch that only borders the rim of a minute gap between you and him, afraid to rouse you from your dreams.

"my moonlight... "

strangely, you slept well last night. and the night after that. and the next one too. you did your usual routine in marmoreal market and were about to head home when a strong gust of wind attacks you. "woah!" you hold your arms in front you.

the breeze gradually calms, tugging at your clothes. slowly, you lower your arms, feeling the familiarity in its touch. the wind guides you by the hand, dragging you hurriedly to the rooftop and you recognise his back.

"phainon?" he jumps a little at the sound of your voice, his tail wagging. his owner has returned. he awkwardly rubs a hand on the back of his neck, bashful - those ears are red again. what's he hiding?

his shoulders shake slightly. it is taking all his strength to not run into your loving arms. before he could, there was something in his cards to reveal. he turns around, closing the distance, and you finally meet his face. a very flushed one, that is. but a face you missed all the same. he clears his throat. "i want to explore amphoreus, find a quieter place," he says, structuredly, "i will return to okhema when needed, of course, but for now... the heart wants to rest," he extends his hand towards you. "will you come with me?" his hand trembles.

no pressure, no forcing. he is letting your heart decide the flow. he would go anywhere you wanted, as your desires are also his as much as it is yours. this is the freedom he wants, a drift of the wind that you decide, as long as he can ride along it with you. the direction does not matter when the amphoreus is only a speck in the universe, with so much to explore.

a smile creeps onto your lips. you steady his hand into yours. even after all this time, he acts like he's meeting you for the first time. "why wouldn't i?"

"oh," phainon immediately brightens. "g-great!"

you remember the well-rested nights. "but it was you, wasn't it? how come you didn't reveal yourself sooner?"

his encompassing hands fidget with your ring finger. "i... was practicing my lines for days." he looks away. "i was really nervous," he mumbles.

you grin. "what were you so afraid of? it's only me."

he chuckles. "you're right..." slowly, he takes your hand and presses it against his cheek. your cradle is a fondness reserved only for him. in his eyes, an affection that has accompanied you everywhere, since you first got here. a love that didn't need recognition, it only asks to follow you and shower him with the sound of your laughter when he gets lonely. "about everything, about us, i want to tell you how it all started from my eyes. ever since you got here..." -the sun had always followed the moon. he kisses your palm.

and before he forgets, phainon hands you an envelope. it is as heavy as you remember it to be. "all their blessings are in here, the chrysos heirs."

it really sounds like you are getting married. you let out a tired laugh.

there are no more rules. whether from a sense of obligation, freedom or loneliness, you'll both live how you want. become the main characters of your own stories.

"let's go!" with no time to waste, phainon excitedly takes you by the hand, legs flourished by the wind and trails of good fortune. the day is beginning to rise, and the sun is more than happy to follow his moonlight into the next day, and for all of infinity and evermore.

"godspeed to you," tribbie clasps her hands together in prayer, looking down at the pair from the far above. then, she smiles, her head swaying side-to-side. "searching for a small world of their own. it's almost like an elopement, isn't it, agy?"

aglaea hums, hand on her heart. the threads chime a ceremonial aria, the ice melts ever so little. "the heart... knows what it wants."

a person closes the novel they were reading. sighing, they pick up their phone and start typing again:

"this author has balls of steel to come back with another disasterous novel. so criiiiiiinge. where was castorice at the end? i was waiting for her! why is the male lead, a powerful warrior, reduced to a lovesick puppy? how does that make sense, you stupid author! such abysmal writing full of holes, leaking enough to fill an entire ocean. insanity, i say!" this random nobody criticises, slamming their fingers on the screen. they clear their throat. "hmph. the next volume better be coming soon."

a/n: im pooped, expect my third child to come out next year probably. everyone's invited to the baby shower, just make sure to bring ur best costumes. my back breaks everytime i have to argue philosophy with the reader and the characters like,, im being attacked from all sides. fun fact: ever since i prematurely posted my sunday fic, when im sleeping, everytime i hear a phone notif i instantly wake up bc i get scared thinking i accidentally posted again. so thats cool. new trauma gained ig😜 idk what else to say. like and subscribe, hit the bell icon for notifications. lemme know ur fav toothpaste brand. [ new achievement: 'thanks for reading!!' ヾ(*'▽'*)' ]

[aventurineswife]

Expanding on that Yog-sothoth ask:

Do you think Herta would abandon trying to get Nous to gaze at her again just to get the Creator to acknowledge her? Maybe she HAS glimpsed the Creator like Charles Randoph Carter glimpsed Yog-sothoth and is trying to reach that point once again?

I love the idea that while Sunday and Argenti are devout followers of the Creator, you might have Herta completely and utterly enthralled by them. That she has finally found something that can keep her entertained and captivated for eternity.

Do you think the others in the Genius Society would grow concerned for her? Like, maybe she for just a moment comprehended the Creators intentions and thoughts, and can no longer see anything the same (as is the way with madness).

And what if the Creator could potentially have Emanators *if* they manage to draw the Creators attention? Maybe Herta has become their very first Emanator in this AU?

And what about the Aeons themselves? What if they had a higher understanding of what exactly the Creator was, what the Creator was protecting the material world from?

I also just really like poking fun at Amphoreus with these kinds of things. Like yeah you have these sick ass Titans and a mysterious disaster creeping across the lands, that's pretty cool... let's introduce something far beyond your comprehension and let you stew in the fact your struggles are literally an ember compared to the catastrophes that have happened and are happening elsewhere in the universe xD

Oh, this is the kind of cosmic horror spiral I love to see.

Herta absolutely seems like the kind of person who would abandon Nous in an instant if she caught even the faintest glimpse of the Creator. Nous? Predictable. The Creator? Limitless, unknowable, all-encompassing. That’s an entirely different level of intrigue.

I love the idea that she’s had a fleeting moment of true understanding, a brush with something so vast and incomprehensible that it shattered her perception of reality. Maybe she glimpsed them in a dream, or maybe she pushed her research too far and stumbled upon something she shouldn’t have. And now? Nothing else matters. She’s spent eons bored with everything around her, but now she’s found something that truly, truly captivates her. She needs to reach that moment again, no matter what it takes.

Oh, the others in the Genius Society would definitely be worried. Herta’s always been detached, but this is something else. Maybe Screwllum, with all his calculations, realizes that her behavior is following patterns eerily similar to documented cases of those who have gazed into the abyss and lost themselves. Maybe Ruan Mei is concerned that her mind is unraveling in ways even she can’t predict. And then there’s Herta herself, completely unbothered, utterly enraptured—because in her eyes, she hasn’t lost anything. She’s gained something that no one else can comprehend.

Hell, what if even Nous is concerned? The Aeon of Erudition prides itself on knowledge, but even it must recognize that some things aren’t meant to be understood. If Nous itself refuses to acknowledge the Creator’s existence, yet Herta has seen them—what does that say about her?

The idea of the Creator having Emanators in this AU is so good. Unlike the Aeons, who choose and shape their Emanators, the Creator doesn’t actively grant anything. Their presence alone is enough to change those who become attuned to them. Maybe it’s not a conscious decision—perhaps Emanators arise naturally, by sheer virtue of comprehending even a fraction of the Creator’s thoughts.

If Herta is the first, it would be fascinating to explore what that means. Does she gain new abilities? Does she become something more? Maybe she starts speaking in ways that warp reality around her. Maybe her very existence starts bending the minds of those who interact with her. Maybe even she doesn’t fully understand what she’s becoming, but she’s embracing it because this is so much more interesting than anything else she’s ever done.

Oh, absolutely, the Aeons know something. Maybe that’s why they don’t interfere with the Creator. Maybe that’s why some of them are so obsessed with their own paths, because they understand that in the grand scheme of things, the Paths are the only thing keeping them from falling into total insignificance.

Maybe IX is the only one that truly understands the Creator’s nature, and that’s why it remains silent. Maybe Nanook has seen too much, and that’s why it seeks destruction—because it knows that, ultimately, the universe is just entropy waiting to be acknowledged. Maybe the reason Nous won’t look at Herta isn’t disinterest, but fear—fear that she has gone beyond Erudition into something it cannot comprehend.

Amphoreus, thinking it’s the center of its own cosmic drama, only to be faced with the sheer scope of the universe and realizing it’s just another minor tragedy in a sea of countless others?? That’s hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Imagine their reaction when the Trailblazer or Dan Heng just casually drops, "Oh yeah, there are things way worse than your Titans. Your world isn’t even close to the worst the universe has seen."

And the Heirs? Losing their minds trying to rationalize this, trying to cope with the knowledge that all their struggles are a footnote at best. That even the greatest calamity they’ve ever faced is just one of an infinite number of stories unfolding at this very moment.

This AU has insane potential. Horror, existential dread, philosophical debates, and just the right amount of humor at the sheer absurdity of it all.

[another-goblin]

There is a thing that makes Dr. Ratio fundamentally different from most other characters and puts him into a special little category that arguably also includes Black Swan (and maybe Sparkle to a lesser extent).

The thing is that they don't exist "inside" the story but rather "above" or "outside" of it. They appear wherever they want, and they just know things.

(And what a coincidence that both he and BS were shown to be some of the first people who woke up from Ena's dream. But it kind of looks like maybe they weren't affected by it at all, existing "outside" the story)

And while BS is a powerful and mysterious memokeeper, what's Mr. "Normal Mundane Person"'s excuse? (let's face it, it's probably "because the things we want to happen wouldn't have happened otherwise," and "just don't think about it," and "he's just smart and mysterious, deal with it.")

And for a guy literally called "Truth," he has an interesting relationship with truth and knowledge. Namely, he doesn't seem to seek it, probably because he seems to already inexplicably know everything there is to know, including but not limited to: Ruan Mei's bug, the fact that she "employed" us to deal with it, Duke Inferno's plans concerning Herta's station, the information about Ruan Mei's lost Phase Flame, knowledge of how to use it to teleport himself and others, the true nature of Something Unto Death, and so on (and TVTropes has a whole list of the things he seemingly predicted) .

He had his "Doctor's Advice" prepared in advance (and I don't think the plan they discussed and agreed on included Aventurine ending up inside a black hole, desperate and depressed so much that only an encouragement from a friend would save him from ending it all for good.)

Even when helping Screwllum with the Divergent Universe, he didn't actually seem interested in the results of the research. He just helped Screwllum with it a bit, gave him a new idea of how to approach this study, and then seemingly removed himself from the project completely.

What made me write this is that I finally started version 3.2 story. I've heard people saying that Anaxa is basically Ratio 2.0 (mixed with Aventurine). And I'm glad to say that it doesn't seem that bad, at least for now. There are definitely some puzzling surface-level similarities, but it made me realize one of their main differences. Anaxa operates inside of the constraints set by the story, alongside with all the others.

BTW this is why it would be very in character for Dr. Ratio if the Bug from version 3.0 weren't a bug. If he were to get involved, he absolutely would just stand there contemplating without any explanation of how he got there, and how does he even know about Amphoreus.

[starcurtain]

3.4 Prediction, Sorta?

I haven't read too many of the recent leaks, so I'm not sure if there's already anything out there disproving this, but one of my guesses is:

Lygus is going to bait Phainon into believing the Erudition is his enemy by presenting himself as Nous's avatar and revealing to Phainon the actual extent of the psychological torment he's been put through (re: the endlessly cycling Amphoreus). This feeds into to Jingliu's claim that Irontomb's wish is to kill Nous, if Lygus actually has nefarious intentions.

On the other hand, I could be totally wrong and maybe that whole "evil robot face reveal" is a fakeout; maybe Lygus isn't nefarious, and instead has been watching over Phainon's journey through the cycles because he and Cyrene need to raise a "pseudo" Lord Ravager who will be capable of taking on the actual Lord Ravager's (the Scepter's?) power to prevent Nanook's plan to kill Nous...

There's also this to consider:

Could it be that the simulation being carried out in Amphoreus is Rubert II's "Self-Coronation" experiment?

Either way, I am so excited to see how Phainon's story will play out!

[aventoru]

Undeserving of Our Blessings

ft. anaxa

tags : anaxa’s death, 3.2 quest spoilers, grief, angst

series masterlist / general masterlist

anaxa knew the grove was in danger before it even arrived. well, danger was always imminent considering he was its pseudo-leader. even so, the concept of “tomorrow” seemed much more bleak now that the black tide had taken over various parts of amphoreus. reaching the grove was no longer a matter of if, it was simply a matter of when.

you knew it too, that disaster would strike eventually. but anaxa’s pretty face and brilliant genius pulled you in like a moth to a flame. the professor was by no means a hopeless romantic, but you knew he appreciated you in his own way. you were the one who he acknowledged and made his assistant. you were the one he entrusted with his knowledge and research. it was your name that was printed next to his on published findings. you were the only one given the priviledge to call him anaxa.

your journey with the infamous scholar started from being his classmate, then his colleague, and now…something more. anaxa treated you like you meant something to him, and it was about time he came to admit it.

“i know you love me, and you know i love you,” you said exasperatedly.

“of course. i deduced that a long time ago idiot,” he replied.

“then what’s stopping us?”

“me,” he deadpanned.

anaxa wasn’t stupid. he wasn’t going to put you through danger for his short-term bliss of being your lover. his love language, if he even had one, was to protect you, not to pull you into the fire with him. unfortunately, the stubborn professor had met his match, for you refused to back down from your desire for his love. you were adamant, and he only had so much fight left in him after the endless plans and preparations for defending the grove.

after an intense stare-off, he blinked, gaze softening ever so slightly. “fine, do whatever you wish,” the scholar sighed, caving at last, “but don’t put the blame on me once you come to regret this.”

“i would never,” you intertwined your hands with his.

anaxa was unsurprised when flame reaver’s next target was the grove. he had predicted this after all. he followed standard protocol and evacuated everyone before they could even bid him a proper farewell. you felt utterly helpless watching anaxa shoulder all the pain as he fused himself with the coreflame of reason. his colleagues, his students, had passed and left. there was nothing you could do besides stay. as soon as flame reaver touched down, the professor and you set foot towards okhema together, his tired frame leaning on your sagging shoulders.

you stood right by his side as he negotiated with aglaea the future of the ticking time bomb planted in his chest. anaxa, forever the reckless problem-solver, proposed to sacrifice his own life to retrieve the coreflame. aglaea and the other chrysos heirs could not believe that was the only possible course of action. you could only offer an apologetic smile. you’d gotten used to this.

that night, you rested within the accommodation aglaea had kindly arranged, getting comfortable on the soft bed and fluffy pillow. anaxa laid facing the moonlit window and you laid facing his back. you shifted closer, gently wrapping your arms around him from behind as if he were made of glass. your actions managed, albeit briefly, to disperse the thick clouds in his mind and swirling pain in his heart.

“we will weather this storm,” you said.

no, we won’t, anaxa thought, smirking. perhaps his judgement of you was wrong. perhaps you really weren’t as smart as he thought you were. “is that your hypothesis?” he asked.

“no, it’s my conclusion,” you murmured, snuggling closer and closing your eyes. you slept peacefully that night, satisfied at your perfect deception. this would be the first and only time you outsmarted him.

no, we won’t, you knew.

“when the time comes, i shall return this coreflame to the chrysos heirs. that is my final decision,” anaxa announced to you the next morning.

he knew this wasn’t what you wanted. he always made decisions by himself, unregarding of you and your feelings but anaxa was stuck between a rock and a hard place. in every hero epic, sacrifices need to be made for the better of humanity. it was just that this time, the sacrifice was him. he had half-expected your emotions to finally burst, for you to stand up and give him a piece of your mind. but the anger never came, and anaxa realized it was only him who would ever do that.

“i understand,” you nodded supportively.

you don’t deserve them, cerces whispered next to him. he turned to glare daggers at her, but deep down he knew she was right. you were always gentle and understanding, never raising your voice. you were above the petty arguments and brawls over the truth about amphoreus, or the origin of the titans. you always thought twice when it came to words and actions, thrice when it came to him. you stayed with him when no one did, when he was deemed blasphemous, selfish, brooding. you were truly too good for him.

“i never gave you peace.”

“you’re here with me. and that’s enough.” for someone so intelligent, anaxa had failed to understand your true emotions. you never cared for peace. you only ever cared for him.

so once more, you watched silently at the vortex of genesis as he reached into his chest and pulled out the coreflame, cutting his heart off its life support. his lifeline was gone, and so was yours. a blinding green flashed before your eyes as your lover faded away into dust, quickly and quietly. you stayed true to your word and bid him goodbye with no regrets, but a completely different emotion took over.

you will die, and grief will engulf me. that was my true conclusion. you swallowed the growing lump in your throat, eyes brimming with tears.

the rain had come, at last.

a/n : this concept fits anaxa so well 😭 like he's always aiming for more while you js stand there helplessly watching him from afar 💔💔💔

[lesbianbrea]

Collection of my incomprehensible HSR Amphoreus story prediction images

[hazymoonlinh]

Could you pls make a Part 2 of your recent Mydei fic pls?

- 🌹 Anon

“A scientific method of falling in love.” — Part 2

Save me…I have to go to school again soon…

(Mydei x Researcher!Reader | Soulmate AU — Continuation)

Amphoreus was chaos incarnate.

At least, that’s what she thought the moment Mydei dragged—no, retrieved—her from the sterile halls of Herta’s Space Station to this blazing, unpredictable world. Gone were the cool, metallic walls and quiet hums of data processors. Here, the very ground pulsed with heat, ancient structures carved from white stone rising like the spines of some slumbering beast. The air was thick, charged with an energy that felt both sacred and volatile.

And standing at the center of it all, with that insufferably smug grin, was Mydei.

“Welcome to Amphoreus,” he announced, arms outstretched as if unveiling a masterpiece. “Not actually my domain. But, a world carved by strife, where the strong thrive and the weak learn their place.”

She blinked, unimpressed. “…It’s hot.”

Mydei’s grin faltered for a split second before he leaned in, his sharp, lion-like eyes gleaming with amusement. “You’re hot.”

She didn’t even flinch. “That’s a biological response to the temperature.”

He exhaled through his nose, both irritated and intrigued. How was she this unaffected? Soulmates were supposed to feel something—some undeniable pull, some sense of belonging. But here she was, treating him like an experiment under a microscope.

“Well,” he said, straightening up, “you’ll warm up to me eventually.”

“…Because of the heat?”

Mydei groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “No. Because I’m irresistible.”

She merely adjusted her data pad, tapping away as if he weren’t even there.

Day 1 — The “Trial Run” Begins

Mydei’s version of a “trial run” consisted of throwing her into the most ridiculous situations.

“You need to observe me in my natural environment,” he insisted, dragging her to an fighting pit filled with roaring crowds and warriors twice her size.

She stood there, arms crossed, as Mydei leapt into the arena, his fists wrapped in crimson crystal, radiating power with every blow. The crowd chanted his name, his movements fluid and precise—a deadly dance of strength and skill.

After effortlessly defeating his opponent, he turned to her, chest heaving, sweat glistening on his skin, and grinned. “Impressed yet?”

She glanced down at her data pad. “Your footwork could be optimized by shifting your center of gravity two degrees to the left. Otherwise, predictable.”

Mydei’s eye twitched. “Predictable?”

She nodded. “I could simulate the same outcome with 87% accuracy.”

He jumped out of the ring, storming toward her. “Oh yeah? How about I simulate carrying you again?”

She stepped back, unfazed. “Physical threats aren’t persuasive.”

Mydei leaned in, his grin sharp. “Not a threat. A promise.”

Day 3 — The Cracks Appear

Despite his frustration, Mydei couldn’t help but notice the small changes.

She’d stopped calling their bond “irrelevant.” She still analyzed everything, sure—but there were moments when she’d pause, her gaze lingering on him just a little too long. Like when he laughed—really laughed—after she unintentionally made a joke without realizing it.

Or the time he shielded her from an unexpected explosion during a mission, his arm wrapping around her instinctively. She didn’t push him away. She just… stared.

“Why did you do that?” she asked quietly afterward.

“Because you’re mine,” he replied without hesitation.

She didn’t argue.

Day 5 — The Breaking Point

They stood atop one of Amphoreus’s highest cliffs, the horizon bathed in shades of crimson and gold as the twin suns dipped below the jagged landscape. The wind was fierce, whipping through Mydei’s wild hair and tugging at her pristine uniform.

She was silent, staring out at the view. Mydei watched her, his heart—yes, heart—thundering in his chest.

“Do you still think fate is irrelevant?” he asked quietly.

She didn’t answer.

He stepped closer, his voice softer this time. “Tell me the truth.”

Finally, she turned to him, her expression unreadable. “I don’t know.”

It wasn’t the cold, dismissive response he expected. It was… honest. Vulnerable.

Mydei reached out, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered, warm against her cool skin. “You don’t have to know.” His voice was low, rough around the edges. “You just have to feel it.”

She stared at him, and for once, there was no data pad between them. No calculations. No logic. Just… them.

And then, in the quiet space between words, she whispered, “I think I do.”

Mydei didn’t grin this time. He just closed the distance, his forehead resting against hers, a rare softness in his fierce gaze.

“You’re mine,” he murmured. “No more running.”

This time, she didn’t argue.

(This idea is really nice)

[applealchemist]

i'm still shocked over the fact that i predicted dr ratio rerunning with anaxa in a joking comment i made after seeing anaxa's drip marketing months back.

for my next prediction i predict that dr ratio will show up in amphoreus after aquilla's coreflame is retrieved and the amphoreus people are able to leave and outsiders are able to enter without getting shot down like a person naruto running into area 51.

also i predict we'll unlock the path of erudition at some point in amphoreus since one of its paths is the erudition