#glagger

[glagger-true]

Not really an analysis post like I promised yet, but I really just wanna ramble about how much I like that Dave both shares a struggle with and integrates an aspect of whichever love interest he chooses.

Both Dave and Sal deal with the survivor's guilt of losing a loved one and its effects. So Dave becomes introspective and patient like Sal as they grow close to both support Sal and cope with it himself.

Both Dave and Orlando have parents who failed them. In opposite ways. And Dave becomes stubborn and attentive about protecting the feelings of who he loves like Orlando does to understand that he can move past that shadow and help Orlando do the same.

Both Dave and Dean have a trauma that makes them feel like they need to overcompensate all the time. And act in harmful ways a result. Dave gets confident and mature like Dean as they grow closer and more honest with the other to tackle that issue together better.

Both Dave and Hoss struggle with being open about their feelings and trusting people with their struggles. So Dave is taught better self-care and how to be more perceptive about himself and others through Hoss to learn how care for himself better and deal with his feelings. As well as inspire Hoss to open himself up more.

Both Dave and Tyson deal with self-loathing and emotional disconnection. Which makes their usually positive bond toxic for both oftenly. Dave becomes more assertive and direct like Tyson as their relationship gets more intimate and that helps both him and Tyson acknowledge and accept their feelings. Helping them become healthier partners.

Both Dave and Roswell deal terribly with the idea of losing their loved ones. Feeling responsible for any harm that befalls them. It's by learning from Roswell's perspective about life and death, as well as accepting to love him knowing his death is unavoidable, that Dave learns how to cope with loss better. Giving himself and Roswell the opportunity to focus on and value themselves and their feelings first for once rather than thinking just about everyone else's.

Funnily enough, most of these are likely all unintentional. But I still think it's cool that they're there anyways because it shows one my favorites traits about Dave. Which is how full of potential for learning and growth he is.

He might be the same person in all routes, but the paths he can take as he develops and grows with his loved ones are limitless and unique.

I just think he's neat.

[mystical-sunshine]

*jumps out of cereal box*

TA DA!!!!!!

GASP!! SO COOL!!!!

[glagger-true]

My friends when I watched Madoka Magica.

Your friends watching something for the first time and getting to that scene VS you, the knower.

[glagger-true]

Oh yeah. As an added note since I'm not done rambling, I really like that one of the many parallels Roswell has with Dave is that he has the opposite relationship development with each cast member. And that his interactions with them set back his own development and theirs.

Much like Sal, Roswell also deals with survivor's guilt from losing loved ones like Sal since he was the only one left alive in the original iteration after failing to protect anyone. But instead of having a positive relationship with Sal and learning to cope with that healthly through patience and emotional intelligence, he makes quick assumptions about him and doesn't bother trying a deeper connection. Instead, unknowingly abusing of his trauma to turn him into a tool to save the others. Solidifying his own toxic perception of himself as an expendable tool to be used to avoid their death and terrifying Sal with the idea that he could be directly responsible for the death of a loved one again.

Much like Orlando, Roswell has parents who failed him. But instead of connecting with him over that once he learns of his family connections, Roswell ignores it and takes the same route Orlando does of deflecting from the issue and pretending it doesn't bother him. Developing the same toxic perception that Orlando has that it all doesn't matter since his fate is already decided by the end of the month. And that his unhappy end is perfectly fine as long as he ensures the happy end of his friends and the person he loves. (Dave.)

Much like Dean, Roswell also plays up a persona thanks to past trauma to try to overcompensate for unwilling past crimes against loved ones. But instead of connecting with Dean over it, and trying to develop the emotional maturity needed to untangle himself from that alongside him, Roswell exploits of Dean's emotional nature for the sake of his plans many times. (Such as revealing that he's sick and asking him to take care of Dave for his sake so that Dean will prioritize Dave's safety.) Making both just lose themselves further into that fantasy of duty they created to pretend everything is fine.

Much like Hoss, Roswell hides his true self and true feelings all the time. And struggles with trusting others. Even though all he wants is to tell his friends the truth and be accepted regardless of it. But instead of trying to build a bond of mutual trust and support with Hoss over it, he never tries seeing past his surface and bases the trust he has on him in purely functional and superficial things. Choosing to just use him for his skills and worsening both Hoss' own traumas and his own belief that his relationship with his friends is conditional.

Much like Tyson, Roswell also has a terrible past that shaped him into a emotionally stunted and paranoid youth who feels like he has to be on guard at all times. And both end up sharing the same belief that no one is fully trustworthy except for the one person that was with them at their most vulnerable. (Dave.) But instead of trying to understand Tyson or connect with him over their many similarities, Roswell never manages to see past their first impression of one another. Choosing instead to bait Tyson into showing his worse aspects to validate his anger. Which both shows his own toxic aspects and hurts Dave in the same way Tyson tends to at his worst while also setting Tyson back into his journey of self-improvement and worsening his self-loathing.

And, of course, he parallels Dave perfectly. Both deal with loss terribly. Both self-sacrifice for their loved ones until they break and pretend it's fine. Both are in terrible emotional pain that warps them into less than ideal, toxic versions of themselves. But instead of walking the path of healing and self-improvement Dave does, Roswell just spirals further into his descent into tragedy. Which is tied to yet another parallel between them. Roswell's lack of potential. His lack of future. Contrasting with Dave's limitless one.

Again, most of it is likely unintentional save for his parallel with Dave. But I think it's real cool regardless. And it's one of the many reasons why I'm invested in Roswell.

And as a closing note, I don't really blame Roswell for any of it. At the end of the day, the other characters also don't do any effort to connect with him deeply on their end like they do with Dave. (Dean and Sal largely ignore him, Hoss and Orlando like him only superficially, and Tyson never bothers to get to know Roswell better or repent meaningfully for his actions to him directly. Mostly because he doesn't feel any guilt or regret over it when it comes to anyone besides Dave.) So all in all, I think his choices are pretty understandable even if still wrong. With the proper guidance, he'll find the right way, too.

I also just think he's neat.

[glagger-true]

God. I was playing through Password with a friend on call since he's finishing the game for the first time, and boy did I take psychological and physical damage from having to read through the confrontation scene between Dave and Roswell again.

I hate it so fucking much I wish I could punch Dave. Skdnskdns.

[mystical-sunshine]

Two time has no right being that pretty what the gliggle-glaggers

[purpleparasol]

Happy new year passblr

(Traditional filipino lechon)

@knockoff-fuze-tea-brewery @glagger-true

[ace-octo-pix]

i enjoy the mashup method of ship names. how else is anyone supposed to come up with elegant masterpieces like Glagger? (GlassesxGogglesxRider)

Oh my god sjfhevd WOW

[glagger-true]

(Last post sequence.)

Oh right. And just so it doesn't feel like it's Roswell-pandering, the others all have lost of true end partner potential too.

Dean, the one who felt like he needed to be mature and perfect always, ending with the guy who gets it and makes him feel safe to let go of that to the point he's comfortable letting him take the lead because he knows he won't judge his flaws.

Sal, the one who always felt emotionally disconnected from himself and others because of his loss, staying with the person that faced the exact same struggle and can guide him down the path of healing with patience and understanding even when he's at his worst and most aggressive.

Hoss, the one who's terrified of being rejected and abandoned if he ever shows his true self, being loved unconditionally by someone who's always honest to and supports his loved ones. And who already knows and loves his most vulnerable sides and wants to keep learning more of him so he can love him more each day as they spend their life together.

Orlando, the one who believed that he would never have anything he wished for because of his family, ending with the man he wanted the most in his life while that man promises to face his struggles with him and be the family he always deserved but never had.

Not adding Tyson to this because he IS the true end partner and I'm sure the appeal is obvious. But the general point is that they're all suitable to be with Dave for different reasons and I really like that. It's why I got so invested in the characters and their relationships. It's the biggest strength of Password I feel.

[glagger-true]

(Password's true end spoilers ahead.)

Not an analysis post or even anything objective about PW, just pure opinion and venting of feelings, but I am once again thinking of the "what you could have been" potential of Roswell as the true end partner.

Roswell, the one that mirrors all of Dave's flaws, being loved and accepted by Dave.

Roswell, the one who tried to save his loved ones by hurting them, being forgiven and taught a better path by the one who hurt his loved ones trying to save them.

Roswell, the one without a future and who deep down wanted one so bad, being gifted one by the hands of the person he fought so hard to save the future of, and who almost gave up the future they had.

Roswell, the one who always thought of himself as disposable and less important, being chosen by the person who made him feel that way and who's also the most important one to him and all their friends. Now wanting to atone for the pain they caused.

Roswell, the one whose relationship with Dave was almost always strained, bittersweet and filled with as much pain as it was with happiness, finally getting to experience what it's like to have a bond with him that's only positive and based purely in trust and love.

Roswell, the first friend. The one who was there since the start. Being the one to stay with Dave at the end.

Roswell Sinclair, the broken heroic villain. Staying with Dave Halloway, the healed villainous hero.

[glagger-true]

Introduction:

Howdy, dear reader! I'm your host, Glagger, and today I'm here to present you the master post containing all installments of my medal analysis series for Password the Visual Novel.

This is a long running passion project that has been in the works since after path P dropped to the public in full. The prime (ha) goal of it, is to discuss and analyze in-depth the astrological theme used in Password.

Each of its parts contains a full analysis dedicated to each medal and its associated character, where I attempt to show how the astrological meanings and connections enrich the writing of the game. There's also a few intermissions where I discuss interesting parallels between certain medals and their characters.

Thank you for your help:

Despite starting out solely as my own, this idea became a shared project between me and Xernok down the line. His work as an editor and artist, alongside all the encouragement, has made this evolve far beyond what I could have imagined. And for that, I'm very grateful to him. Our project, is only what it is now thanks to him.

I'm also grateful to Arran, Boigers and Gyrack to reviewing the original document that spawned this project. Your suggestions, advice, and in Arran's case, proof-reading, were of immense help, thank you. I'd also like to add Endersvoid as an honorable mention to this list. Even though you weren't able to review the original doc, the fact you accepted to read through it meant the world to me, thank you very much as well.

I'm also thankful to every artist that allowed me to use their wonderful pieces of fanart in this project. You're all talented and amazing, and your contribution to this has made it look even better than I could have dreamed. Each post that contains a piece done by you has your profiles linked, but I can't help but make a list here as well.

https://twitter.com/mrjosh47

https://twitter.com/terrantitanium

https://twitter.com/harushipanda

https://twitter.com/mikeowolee

https://twitter.com/butchii123

https://twitter.com/orbitpaws

Ghostlink on Discord

https://twitter.com/_Gabu4Play_

https://twitter.com/CaitNyz

https://twitter.com/hhsyan

https://twitter.com/PantsOnRams

https://twitter.com/UnsafeScapewolf

https://twitter.com/fxw93907805

And of course, Xernok on Discord.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart 💙.

The metaphorical wheel:

Before delving into the main content, in order to help those with zero knowledge of astrology not to feel lost or confused, we'd like to provide you with a simple reference sheet that was created to aid the reader in understanding the basic concepts of this pseudo science as they read:

Credits to Xernok for being its creator.

With these concepts in mind, let's delve into Password's zodiac wheel! (For those who never used Tumblr, the underlined sentences are hyperlinks, just tap or click on them).

1- The revolutionary noble Aquarius.

2- The patient and indulgent Taurus.

3- The devoted sensitive Cancer.

4- The solid and resilient Capricorn.

5- The forgiving dreamer Pisces.

Intermission one - The sinners.

6- The harmonious and honest Libra.

7- The passionate and determined Leo.

8- The stubborn and driven Aries.

9- The empathetic and manipulative Scorpio.

10- The unified and mutable Gemini.

Intermission two - The victims.

11- The wise and hopeful Sagittarius.

12- The rational and kind Virgo.

The final intermission - The villainous hero and The heroic villain.

13- The mysterious and ambitious Ophiuchus.

Conclusion:

We hope that this was as much of a fun read to you as it was to us to write and edit it. And that by the end of it, you feel like you learned something new about this wonderful cast and story.

I love Password, and want to share as much of that love as I can through my writing with anyone who's willing to listen. I hope that you were able to feel that love through this project, and that it has multiplied whatever fondness you had for the game tenfold.

Lastly, I'd like to thank you for your attention and time. After all, this project is only relevant because you're on the other side of the screen to read it. I shall see you again soon, dear reader. In whatever project my obsession with this story will spawn next. Buh bye! 👋💙.

[glagger-true]

Howdy dear reader! 👋 I'm your host Glagger, and today I'm here to bring you the first installment of a multi-part analysis on the friendship and romance between Dave Halloway and Roswell Sinclair from Password VN.

It shouldn't exactly come as a surprise that I'm quite fond of Roswell, and I will also admit Dave is without a doubt my favorite character in the vn by far. Naturally, that means I'm very invested in their bond and progression, and today I've decided to share my thoughts and observations on both.

Instead of focusing on their entire route content, I've decided to keep things simple by focusing on only the really important scenes, and I'll be discussing one per post. Today, we'll start with the day 8 argument between them, and use a few past and future scenes to back up the conclusions I've arrived to.

Please keep in mind that this post has spoilers for the novel. With this in mind, let's begin, shall we?

Roswell and Dave: how denial and naivety can generate dependency, neglect and accidental abuse. - Part one.

Scene breakdown:

At the beginning of the argument, Dave uses his intuition and knowledge of Roswell to identify there's an unknown reason for the boar's cruel and strange behavior towards Tyson. He approaches the situation cautiously, trying to bait Roswell subtly with the topic to try and figure out the root of the problem.

Roswell, however, immediately answers back in a brash, confrontational and dismissive way, having an explicitly negative emotional response to Dave showing disapproval of his actions.

As Dave presses the issue further, using logical arguments and explaining why the boar's actions are hurtful and unfair, Roswell becomes even more aggravated and aggressive, refusing to acknowledge Dave's arguments and claiming he's being manipulated by Tyson.

Roswell gets progressively more unreasonable, demanding that Dave provides private information as a reason for his strong defense in favor of the wolf. Dave becomes more objective, choosing to reveal some of the discoveries he made about the wolf and how their relationship grew from them to try and defend that Tyson deserves to be considered a friend and be treated fairly like the rest of the group.

The argument reaches a breaking point when Dave demands Roswell apologizes to Tyson, claiming that he expected better of the boar. Then, he is the one to press Roswell for a reason behind his actions.

Roswell finally confesses his reasons are purely selfish, and that he's afraid of dying without confronting Tyson and saying everything that's stuck in his chest.

In his route, he even goes as far as to admit that his interest in Dave is also influencing his thoughts and actions. He states that he always sees things logically, but when Dave is involved, it becomes difficult to know what's the correct thing to say and do.

Dave presses further, saying that Roswell has to forgive Tyson because he's family to the hyena. He concludes this argument by claiming that he won't pick sides between friends, but implies that if the boar forces him to choose, he'll choose the wolf because of Roswell's pressure. He also confirms that Roswell is important to him once the boar asks, but says that doesn't give him the right to force him to choose.

Roswell becomes so unreasonable hearing this he tries to use the fight he deliberately forced to happen with Tyson on day 3 as an argument, to which Dave responds he knows both of them enough to notice Roswell forced it to happen on purpose to cast blame on Tyson.

Roswell finally drops his facade of calmness and admits he's jealous of Tyson when Dave asks him directly, claiming he wishes he had known about Tyson beforehand so he could have stopped him from coming.

Dave also drops all pretense of impartiality, and straight up says that, from his perspective, Roswell is wrong and owes Tyson an apology.

Realizing Dave won't relent, Roswell finally returns to his rational behavior and agrees to apologize under the condition the wolf shows him proof of his improvement and apologizes to him as well.

Dave returns to his more common emotional tendencies, trying to appeal to Roswell by asking if he's not willing to just trust him on this matter.

Roswell rejects that, but is willing to accept not fighting is the logical action given the proximity, and then retreats back to his room to cool off, ignoring Dave's plea for him to stay.

Scene analysis:

There are two things here to point out. The first is how Dave and Roswell's behaviors reverse during this conversation.

In the third intermission of my medal analysis, I've brought to your attention that Dave and Roswell parallel the other by reflecting the other's nature and behavior. Dave is internally rational and practical, but very emotional and sentimental externally, while Roswell is internally emotional and sentimental, but behaves logically and rationally externally.

During the argument, however, their natures are brought to the surface, causing them to behave and think like the other. This is an intentional change on their part, because it's an attempt to speak in the language the other understands.

Dave calmly uses arguments and facts to convince Roswell because that's the way the boar behaves. Roswell, on the other hand, exibits his emotional distress and uses sentimental appeal to convince Dave because that's how the hyena communicates.

This strategic change is caused by their emotional investment in Tyson. Dave loves and sees him as family, so he becomes confident and serious when he tries to protect him. Roswell, however, despises Tyson and sees him as a bully, so he can't understand why Dave shows such appreciation for the wolf and lashes out as a result.

Secondly, it's interesting to note how Roswell didn't manage to win this argument even though he was supposed to. The reason he's the one who should be correct is because even though his behavior towards Tyson is unfair and hurtful, the true source of this conflict doesn't lie in the grudge he holds against Tyson. The true root of this issue is Dave's selfishness and naivety.

Dave is the one who invited Tyson to the manor without consulting the others. He does this intentionally because he knew they wouldn't accept the wolf's presence at the manor. Dave claims he did this because it was fair and correct, saying that Tyson is a friend too and deserves the same treatment as everyone else.

What he fails to understand, however, is that this isn't his vacation, this is Roswell's vacation, for their friends. Tyson is Dave's friend but not the group's friend and even less Roswell's friend. Tyson is, however, the bully and abuser of both Roswell and Orlando, as well as the guy Dean and Sal are disapproving against thanks to the wolf's own behavior.

Dave quite literally lied to a victim of bullying to force said victim to be in the presence of their bully in an isolated environment for a month. This is very serious, and Dave is completely oblivious to the severity of his mistake.

Roswell could have immediately won the argument by saying this directly to Dave's face. After all, Dave trampled on his and Orlando's emotions by making such an awful, abusive and selfish decision. But instead, Roswell completely ignores that and guns for Tyson instead, which works against him because Tyson is innocent in this situation.

The questions that come to mind then are: Why doesn't Roswell call Dave out? Why does he target Tyson who's innocent in this matter? Why does Roswell behave so irationally and allows Dave to trample on his feelings in such a manner when he always defends himself and confronts people when he feels that they are treating him unfairly?

The answer to that is simple, it is because he loves Dave, and the way roswell expresses his love is based on a single concept: Devotion.

When he loves someone, he always has that person on his mind. All of his actions, thoughts and decisions are affected by that person because he always has their best interest in mind. This also causes him to wish for that person to act the same, to think about him and what's best for him, for them to believe in him, value him, side with him and do everything for him, just like he does.

These things are stated in canon to be felt by Roswell towards Dave. He openly states in the argument that his love for Dave makes him think of the hyena first before any decision or action, and in his final letter to Dave on day 24, he writes that, even though he knew it was impossible for Dave to save him, the boar wished that Dave would do everything he could to keep him alive like he did for him.

Roswell doesn't want to acknowledge that Dave's behavior was insensitive or that he's responsible because that would mean admitting that Dave is the offender, and that he doesn't value Roswell in the same intensity as the boar does him.

Roswell denies Dave's guilt by gaslighting himself into believing the reason Dave is treating him with such coldness is because of Tyson. Dave being naive enough to be manipulated by Tyson into bringing him so he could take advantage of the hyena by pretending to be nice is an easier pill to swallow than the simple truth that Dave just didn't care about him or the others at all when making the decision.

Villainizing Tyson to victimize Dave is the goal here, which is why Roswell antagonizes Tyson on purpose. He wants to show Dave that Tyson is still bad by drawing it out of the wolf by force. That way, Dave will finally reject Tyson and see that Roswell is right. This is a direct result of the boar's devoted love, because it gives him the desire to prove his righteousness to Dave so that he acknowledges Roswell is correct and takes a stand for him.

But this isn't the truth. Dave willingly made the decision to bring the wolf, and Tyson has truly changed for the better and is innocent in the situation. This is made very clear by Dave himself in the argument, and we can see that the clearer this becomes to Roswell as they argue, the more desperate and sad he becomes.

Dave claims that Roswell is forcing him to pick a side, however, Dave himself has already picked a side in the matter from his perspective, and that side was Tyson's. From the moment he chose to bring the wolf, Dave was already valuing Tyson above Roswell, Orlando and the others.

Roswell tries multiple times during the argument to make Dave see that indirectly, such as saying directly that he values him enough to consider his feelings before acting and asking Dave if he's not important. It only makes Dave more inclined to side with Tyson rather than Roswell, however.

He loses the argument by attacking an innocent instead of the offender, giving said offender ammo against him and causing Dave to feel further justified in his actions even though they are selfish. Both of them behave selfishly and childishly, and both are abusive to the other as a result.

Dave is naive to his selfishness, neglecting Roswell and taking him for granted without meaning to. Roswell is in denial, enabling Dave to keep behaving in abusive ways towards him because he's emotionally dependent on the hyena thanks to his feelings and doesn't want to damage their bond. The abusive nature of their relationship generated by their disconnection from separation is exposed.

The scene shows the reader that Roswell needs to stop being so unfairly dependent on Dave to the point he stops behaving rationally, and that Dave has to stop being so naive to the emotions of others to the point he behaves selfishly and hurts everyone around him.

It sets their characters well, and makes it clear that in order for their fractured bond to be restored, both will have to acknowledge their flaws and mistakes to each other and apologize so they can be better towards the other.

To conclude, these flaws were actually already foreshadowed by the narrative before they were explicitly shown, which further supports these observations.

In day 1, after Roswell is picked as the dinner partner, Dave and Roswell reminisce about their past together. Mid conversation, Dave wonders why Roswell stopped coming over to his house, and the boar answers it's simply because Dave didn't invite him over anymore at all. This statement shocks Dave, as he realizes it's true.

This visibly shows that Dave has been neglecting and taking his relationship with Roswell for granted for a while, and that he has been completely ignorant to this until the boar directly told him so.

It also shows that Roswell's aware of Dave's neglect, but has been pretending everything is fine and doing nothing to fix the problem. His dependency and denial are creating a toxic situation, to which neither him or Dave have the tools to fix... yet.

[glagger-true]

Howdy, dear reader! I'm your host, Glagger, and today I'm here to bring you the first post in my medal analysis series for the visual novel Password by Grizz.

In this series I'll be discussing every medal in game. Talking about their signs and their important metaphorical meanings to the tale and main cast. And how their significance enriches both.

Before we can start properly, I would like to make it clear that this post has SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL. So please, if you haven't read the novel yet and don't want to be spoiled, leave for now.

Aquarius. The medal of Freedom, Wishes and Inaction:

The first medal we'll discuss is aquarius. Found in all routes, but further developed in Orlando's route, which is the place where its meaning is relevant.

It is found in the middle of the hedge-maze in the hand of a statue. Orlando goes on a brief tangent about how he got lost in his grandfather's castle when he was little and how his father trained him in puzzle solving to build his character and dragon masculinity at a young age after it is found. He also mentions the star sign is an air sign, making it related to freedom.

Aquarius in astrology, is the fixed positive air sign of the zodiac. Meaning it's an inflexible and expressive sign connected to communication.

As a sign, Aquarius is said to be collectivistic and social. Its wish is to always work towards the greater good for everyone through cooperation rather than just what's best for themselves. Since it's and idealistic sign that constantly tries to change the world for the better, Aquarius is known for healing and spreading hope through their intellect and curiosity.

Aquarius is currently ruled by two planets. The old ruler Saturn, that represents tradition, order, structure, and the status quo. And the modern ruler Uranus, that represents innovation, technology, progressiveness, rebelliousness and the destruction of existing structures.

This combination of influences is said to be the what makes Aquarius the stubborn and organized big thinker they are. And also the reason why they despise authority and out-dated social structures so much. Sometimes to the point they forget about family and friendships in their chase for big, collective changes. A trait that makes others think of them as distant in relationships. But the truth is that they are actually very compassionate and empathetic when reminded that big changes start in a small scale.

Aquarius is the rebel and revolutionary, it tries to create something brand new from the traditions and rules it breaks free from.

In Greek myth, the water carrier the Aquarius constellation shows is Ganymede. He's the beautiful young son of Tros, king of Troy. While tending to his father's flocks on Mount Ida, Ganymede was spotted by Zeus, and the king of gods fell in love with him. He then flew down to the mountain in the form of a large bird, kidnapping Ganymede, and turning him into the cupbearer to the gods. Making him a constellation in the heavens.

To astrology, those born under this star sign are energetic and eccentric freedom fighters. Progressive, rebellious, and humanitarian are the main traits Aquarians tend to have. They love fighting for idealistic causes and always attempt to see people without prejudice. They also are usually innovative and spontaneous types who prefer to live life to the fullest. And as such, proudly display their non-traditional tastes and beliefs. They also have a deeply sensitive side that makes appreciation, support, and love, necessities in their lives.

Orlando himself, is a beautiful young man who's heir to a criminal king's heritage. He's an active and spontaneous gentleman that communicates well with others and is an idealist by nature. And is also notoriously inflexible in the love he feels for his toxic family. Being unwilling to change that stance until the circumstances become so extreme he's forced to chose between his friends and them.

He wishes desperately that his world was different, and that he could be free to express himself and his desires despite the expectations of his heritage. But also does nothing to actively change his situation, accepting his fate while simultaneously wishing he could be whisked away from it.

There seems to be an interesting parallel with the idea of a powerful man falling in love with him and taking him to a paradise. Because it reflects not only his own desires, but also how he attempts to make Dean do the same to Dave. He tries getting Dean and Dave together so Dean can whisk Dave away from the mess that is the dragon's life, so Dave can be happy while away from him once he's gone for good.

Despite these adversities, however, the end of his tale in both Paths A and B are marked by rebellion, freedom and the end of tradition. In path B, he directly confronts his father and kills him to protect himself and his friends. He takes over the mantle of crime boss to keep the peace and try to change things from the inside. In path A, he manages to completely restructure the mafia, turning it into an crime-free organization that has each member learn legal ways of work and actively do good to society rather than damage it.

Craig also mentions that Aquarius is the sign that flows unrestrained regardless of the whims of those around it. Like time itself. Which might be the reason why it ended in a maze.

This also relates to Orlando, whose personality and desires flow unrestrained in the maze of complications that is his life. Regardless of the homophobia, cruelty and greediness of his family, Orlando is still gay, emotional, kind and empathetic. Wishing for a future where he can bring happiness to others by giving rather than bringing them pain by taking. He tries to navigate and reach the middle of this "real life emotional maze", hoping the answer to his conflict lies there.

Banner and artwork were both made by Xernok on Discord.

[glagger-true]

*Cutely does this to all my mutuals.*

[glagger-true]

Howdy dear reader! I'm your host Glagger, and today we have reached the tenth post of my Password medal analysis series. Woohoo!

Before I start this very exciting installment I'd like to remind you that, as usual, this post has SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL. So please, if you haven't read the novel yet, and don't want to be spoiled, leave for now.

Gemini, the medal of Completion, Unity and Understanding:

Gemini the only medal in game split in two halves, and both of them are found by Tyson on different days. The first is found on day 4 inside the hedge-maze, and the other on the final day of path B, inside the Old Shack in the woods. Only the first half is Tyson exclusive, and the days they are found on make Gemini simultaneously the first and last medal to be found in game before the ending exclusive medals.

In first half's scene, Tyson takes Dave to the place in the maze where he hid the medal after he found it the day before. They have a very domestic back and forth, where their familiarity with the other becomes visible to the reader. Tyson isn't agressive to Dave chastisizing him or almost calling him a dog, and also reassures Dave he would tell him anything if it becomes important. Dave also isn't afraid to ask Tyson personal things or to show worry for the wolf, something that people would usually avoid doing or caring about except to judge him further.

The second half has two variants for the scene, and is found after Dave and Tyson sneak out the old shack without attracting Jack and Dominic's attention.

In non-Tyson routes, Tyson asks Dave directly why he still puts up with him when he's so far of being perfect, to which Dave answers he does so because the wolf is family, and his imperfections are irrelevant because they are just parts of who Tyson is. Dave also says that while he likes not knowing Tyson completely, he also wishes he could understand the wolf better, and that Tyson would just tell him things directly. The scene ends with a heartfelt hug between the two, and the second half is found directly after they escape a few frames of text later.

In Tyson's route, Dave tells Tyson he's happy the wolf's okay, but angry he left like that, saying that Tyson should apologize for endangering his own life and worrying Dave. Tyson apologizes, but says he can't promise he won't do it again, but will try to try for Dave's sake. Tyson then kisses Dave gently, saying it's just in case they don't make it out alive, and the scene ends with them hugging tenderly before escaping and finding the second half.

In astrology, Gemini is categorized as the positive mutable air sign of the zodiac. This sign is the Playful social butterfly of the zodiac wheel, being very quick-witted, objective and direct when communicating with others. They are resourceful and intellectual. Having so many different pursuits, they divided themselves in two to acheive them all. Gemini is known for being very curious, to the point they are always trying to juggle different passions, hobbies, careers and even friend groups sometimes. This sign has a natural duality attached to them that often causes them to be seen as two faced. Ironically however, nothing could be further from the truth, since this sign is one of the most open and honest of the zodiac, rarely having any hidden agendas.

Astrologers believe those born under Gemini's stars are curious, energetic and innovative. They love to guide new projects by changing and transforming them. They are known for being hyperactive and having short attention spans, making it so that they usually don't stick around once they are done with something, and move on to whatever new idea they have as fluidly as possible. They are very disconnected and detached, preferring to ignore feelings and emotions in favor of being analytical, which can sometimes make them look ruthless. Despite that, self-expression is essential to Geminians, to the point that the act of communication is often more important to them than what they actually say with it, leading them to sometimes be crude, abrasive or unthoughtful in their words. This also gives them the very unique strength of being able to recover easily and quickly from embarassing social moments. They put their feet in their mouths so often that they simply don't care and move on from whatever shame that could generate.

Gemini's planetary ruler is Mercury, the representative of communication and movement. Mercury's influence is what causes Gemini to be so expressive and curious, and makes this sign express their emotions externally rather than internally. Gemini needs output, which makes it common for it to communicate with their hands and body language. They need a constant stream of transmission and stimuli, which makes them restless and constantly search for new engagements with people.

In babylonian astronomy, the two brightest stars of Gemini, which they called Castor and Pollux, were seen as two minor gods whose names meant "The one arisen from the underworld" and "The mighty king" respectively. However, both of their names were also titles of one single major god in babylonian mythology, making them two halves of the same being. In Greek myth, Gemini is associated with the mythological Castor and Pollux, a duo of half-brothers who were sons of Leda. Pollux was immortal since Zeus was his father, but Castor had a human father and was mortal. They spent their whole lives together, going on many adventures that became legends, but ultimately ended in tragedy when Castor finally met his demise thanks to his mortality. Desperate and heart-broken, Pollux begs his father to make Castor immortal so he could live with him forever, even offering to share his own immortality with him. Zeus does as Pollux asks, and immortalizes them both in the skies as the Gemini constellation, so that they stay together forever.

Paralleling Gemini to Tyson, we see that he is very cold and analytical when it comes to emotions, oftenly disregarding them when making decisions. He's very blunt, direct and witty during conversations, hardly being caught off guard when interacting with others. When he does like people however, talking and doing it properly becomes essential to him, something visible in his extensive interactions with Hoss and Dave. Despite not being book-smart, he is very resourceful and intelligent with the knowledge he does have, and is eager to learn new things when they interest him, like when he tried to create a bracelet for Dave in his route. He has a very "what you see is what you get" persona, being very open to the point of rudeness about himself, but also having a hidden softer and gentler side that is just as open, but only towards people he feels comfortable with. When emotional, he often expresses these frustrations physically, through his body language and especially his hands, rather than through words.

If we compare Tyson's story with the myths, we can see many similarities between him and Pollux. At the beginning, he is the strong and dependable in the relationship, who's always ready to defend his frailer brother. Dave acts as his Castor, being the one who humbles and supports Tyson by watching his back and trying to keep him out of trouble. They also grew up together and went on many adventures during their teenage years at school, at home and at their family outings, much like the half-brothers they are being paralled with. Dave also ends up dying during the story, causing a heartbroken Tyson to beg him not to die while declaring his love for him. In the final scene of his route on Path B, the way Tyson asks David at the graveyard to let Dave marry him is very reminiscent off how Pollux asks Zeus to let his immortal life be split with Castor so they remain together forever.

The journey Tyson shares with Dave of learning how to properly communicate with the other and express their emotions clearly is also very connected with Gemini's meaning. They both possess traits the other doesn't, and flaws that are balanced by the positive aspects of their partner. They transmit these traits to the other, interchanging their roles and switching them constantly mid-relationship. Dave, despite being selfless and kind, becomes selfish, aggressive and borderline abusive when Tyson is endangered or hurt. Tyson, on the other hand, is usually selfish and distant, but becomes selfless, sensitive and devoted when Dave is involved, acting almost like a saint when he allows his love for the hyena dictate his actions.

Gemini's influence is evident even in their intimacy with one another as well. Their first sexual interaction has Tyson take a more selfish and indulgent approach as Dave enables him by being receptive of his desire. Their second one in path B, however, has Tyson emotionally submit to Dave by replacing his dominance and aggressivity with vulnerability and submission, causing their intimate connection to be a selfless expression of love the second time around. The writing even implies their sexual roles reversed during their second time, which fits perfectly their narrative and Gemini's motif.

In Craig's final thoughts on the medal, he says the medal was either split as a joke, or as a test to see if the proverb about it representing how two people could understand the other so well, and could exist in perfect equilibrium had any stock to it. This is a direct reference to how the first half marked the beginning of their journey for understanding and balance, and the second half only completed the first after they reached the end of that journey and achieved perfect equilibrium with the other, completing the medal's superstition.

Banner was made by Xernok on Discord.

Artworks were made by Xernok and Ghostlink on Discord respectively.

[glagger-true]

Howdy dear reader! I'm your host Glagger, and today I bring you the ninth post of Password VN medal analysis series.

Much like its predecessors, this post SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL. So please, if you haven't read the novel yet, and don't want to be spoiled, leave for now.

Scorpio, the medal of "Evil", Purpose and Honesty:

Scorpio is given to Dave in the hedge-maze by Roswell, on the final day of path A. Dave finds Roswell in the middle of the hedge-maze and, in most routes, he's on the verge of death, giving an envelope containing the medal and a letter to Dave after the hyena gives him Thanatos' body. In Roswell's route however, Dave finds him already dead and picks up the envelope to read the letter after he sets Thanatos next to the boar.

The letter contains the final words of Roswell, as well as an extensive apology in which he explains the reasons behind all the bad things he did, and why he broke the medicine inside the vault. He reassures Dave he's happy and has no regrets, despite knowing he would die in the end, satisfied in doing what was right from his perspective in the warped situation they got stuck in. He also confesses that the main thing comforting him in the end is the fact that he'll get to meet Dave again in the next universe, admitting he is scared of dying, now that he's at the end. Roswell also asks Dave to tell Flora he loves her if he dies before getting the chance to do it himself.

In Roswell's route, the letter has an extra passage, where he apologizes for leaving Dave so soon, telling him how he laid awake at night thinking about him as a child until his innocent crush turned to love. The boar confesses that his affection might have played a role in how much he wished to protect Dave, and that deep down, part of him hoped Dave would do the same for him even if it was impossible. He concludes the letter by thanking Dave for being his friend and also so much more than he thought possible, stating how bittersweet it is that everytime he thinks of Dave their time grows shorter since the hyena makes his heart beat faster, ending the passage with a goodbye and an I love you. Once the reading ends, a near-crying Dave realizes the medal is inside the envelope as well.

In astrology, Scorpio is categorized as the negative fixed water sign of the zodiac. The strengths of Scorpio are psychic and emotional, making them a strongly intuitive sign with strong psychic powers. Being highly emotional and secretive, Scorpio is a very suspicious sign that hates both revealing its secrets and the dishonesty of others. They can be very manipulative both to defend themselves and to search for the truth. Followers of astrology often misunderstand Scorpio as an evil sign, since it's associated with negative traits such as jealousy, competitiveness, tactlessness, dark sexual desires and an inclination towards the occult.

Astrologers believe that people born under Scorpio are persistent to the point they become borderline obsessive, which, combined with their intellect, can ensure they accomplish even the most impossible objectives. They are guarded and secretive, never revealing their true goals and objectives until they acheive them. Strategic and patient, their hidden agendas are very unpredictable since they are always plotting, manipulating and orchestrating, having no trouble in playing long games to get what they wish. Scorpios become fiercely loyal and protective when they love someone, unrivaled in empathy, commitment and devotion when they build trust with their loved ones. They will do everything in their power to keep their dear ones safe. This also causes them to be jealous and vengeful, never forgetting when someone hurts them or those they care about. This strong passion sometimes makes them controlling, which is why they can tend to end up poisoning themselves with their own stinger in their search for control.

The first planetary ruler of Scorpio is the old ruler Mars, who represents action, energy, drive, determination, passion and anger. While the modern ruler is Pluto, who represents destruction, regeneration and transformation. The combined influence of these rulers is directly responsible for why Scorpio is so ambitious, passionate and power-hungry for control, despite being a water sign. Scorpio has a strong ego, but also acknowledges the need to desconstruct themselves and reform better to get what they want and bring happiness to those they care for.

In Greek Myth, Scorpio is the Scorpion sent after the hunter Orion by the goddess of the hunt Artemis and her mother Leto to kill him, after he boasted to them he would hunt every animal on earth without fail. After Orion got killed by the scorpion, Zeus raised both to the stars at the request of Artemis, as a reminder mortals should control their pride. Another version has Apollo, the twin brother of Artemis, send the Scorpion after Orion out of jealousy because he earned his sister's favor by admitting she was a better hunter than him. The ancient Greeks also believed the Libra constellation was actually a part of Scorpio, making it the representative of fairness, civility, and justice.

The description of Scorpio's traits is almost a step-by-step description of Roswell as a person. He is empathetic, competitive, persistent, stubborn, secretive and strategic, also possesing an obsession with death and the occult. He is loyal, devoted and protective of Dave, to the point where he can be controlling and make decisions for the hyena without taking his feelings into consideration. He holds a strong grudge against Tyson for harming him and Dave in the past, seeking vengeance long after the events have passed. Despite his stubborn bitterness against the wolf, Roswell chooses to let the trust he has for Dave win out, and actively tries to desconstruct his preconceptions and behavior to make the hyena happy.

Roswell being the mastermind is also perfectly fitting with Scorpio's motif. He has the most hidden agenda of all characters in the cast, carefully manipulating events and people with his intelligence to acheive his secret goal of saving as many people as possible. The secret is so well guarded that only Dave finds it out after an unnatural power allows him to do so. Despite the murders and manipulation, Roswell fought for what he believed was right and tried to stand for justice and fairness even in a warped scenario where those things where difficult to see.

Roswell's letter also shows these traits to the reader. Not only does it expose the depth of his secrecy and manipulation, but also his empathetic devotion and desire to do what's right by the people he cares about. From him ensuring the medicine in the vault remains destroyed in all iterations by hiding the password to the vault so ill-intended people can't abuse of the innocent with it, to him openly confessing his selfless love for Dave as one of the driving forces behind his actions, the letter reveals all of the boar's qualities and faults, which all tie with Scorpio.

Finally, Craig comments that some people associate Scorpio with evil, but that he doesn't put any stock in it, claiming signs are just stars in the end. He also says that even though the person who gave the medal away is the root of all the tragedy, that doesn't matter. This parallels well with how most people would assume Roswell to be evil on the surface considering his actions, but in reality, he is very kind and does his best to do the right thing by everyone in everything he does. Him being the villain doesn't make him evil nor his medal an evil medal, and both are a lot more complex than black and white labels.

Banner was made by Xernok on Discord.

Artwork was made by https://twitter.com/Leo_Zeke on Twitter.