#hl speculation

[thienvaldram]

Half Life – Residual Saga – Timeline Analysis

Introduction

The Residual Saga consists of three mods, plus a few older drafts that don’t fit into this analysis. The three covered specifically are Residual Point (From RL 2.05), Residual Life (2.05) and Residual Agent (Test Version 4). Despite their sheer scope and the almost unprecedented density of the lore of these mods, they are absurdly poorly documented in English in any capacity.

I’m not in any place to confidently relay anything to do with the more pertinent lore points like the weird temporal reboot between RP and RL, the whole Lautrec/Talisman and Sun Eater/Tiny Dwarf thing, the connections with Gadget and Third Force and whatnot. But what I can do is take all three temporally at face value, map out their timeframes, and try to map that onto the events of Half Life 1 as, whilst it is unclear whether or not the mods take place in the exact same setting as the events of the original game (or one another), it is worth taking a more thorough crack at it than the others who have tried as part of larger sync walkthroughs.

Addendum (If you want to play it yourself)

If you intend to play this version of Residual Point or Residual Life I recommend downloading the ‘FunGuy’ version on ModDB for… reasons that will become obvious if you read the comments of both versions.

Residual Point

RP begins with Jack Sohn heading into work at the Biodome Complex, seemingly working on those teleporters we see in Opposing Force when Shephard traverses the area. It can be reasonably assumed that the experiment malfunctions due to the Resonance Cascade and that the event takes place around the same time as it does in Half Life 1.

We then get a brief sequence in Xen, ending with the voice line from Half Life Blue Shift from Rosenberg encouraging Barney to return from Xen.

Now would be a good time to bring up the weighting in which voice lines can be given. RP, RL and RA are mods made by a Korean Mod developer who, whilst not speaking no English, does not speak full English either. With multiple recurrences of some lines, it is more reasonable to assume that the lines are a stand in for ‘generic chatter’ in at least some instances.

Residual Point’s Chapters are as Follows

Intro (Unnamed) – Morning

Insecurity – Morning

Incoming – Morning before incident, Unknown afterwards

Among the Ruins – Daytime (Black Ops Zombie appears)

Office Facility – Unknown

Obscure True – Daytime – Military First Appear

Residue Pit – Unknown

Bombing Surface – Evening (Or early Morning)

Recession – Unknown (ZECU First Appear, Black Ops First Appear)

Distortion – Unknown (Before Teleport/KO), Night (afterwards)

Upper Yard – Morning/Evening, then Night

Course to Lambda – Night

Into the Portal – Lambda Teleporter, then Xen

Dread Plot – Xen

Residual Point – Day (Portal Storms)

Going by that timeframe, we know the Black Mesa Incident of Half Life takes place over three days, the first consisting of Black Mesa Inbound through to On A Rail, the second beginning in Apprehension and lasting for the rest of Half Life 1, but for Shephard beginning with Welcome to Black Mesa and ending at We Are Not Alone. A second night is never shown in Opposing Force, but with the nuclear detonation taking place during the Day, one can assume the nuke didn’t detonate until the third day, with Opposing Force’s latter half, from Foxtrot Uniform to World’s Collide being the morning of Day 3 and Crush Depth to Pitworm’s Nest taking place over the second night. So by that timeframe we have…

Day 1

Intro (Unnamed) – Morning

Insecurity – Morning

Incoming – Morning (Resonance Cascade)

Among the Ruins – Daytime

Office Facility – Daytime

Obscure True – Daytime

Residue Pit – Daytime to Evening

Bombing Surface – Evening (We’ve Got Hostiles era Bombing run)

Recession – Night (HL1 Rocket Launch, then Black Ops Arrive, then ZECU first appear)

Distortion – Night

Day 2

Upper Yard – Morning, then Day and Evening whilst Underground, then Night once resurfaced. (Black Ops turn on HECU here)

Course to Lambda – Night (Same time as Lambda Core)

Into the Portal – Night (Lambda Core ending, then Sohn goes into Xen)

Dread Plot – Xen

Day 3

Dread Plot – Xen (cont into Day 3 Morning on Earth)

Residual Point – Day (After Gene Worm Defeat from OP4, before Nuke)

Nuclear Detonation (From Opposing Force)

This does result in oddities, namely that the Upper Yard Chapter takes Jack Sohn an entire day to complete, as long an amount of time as all of the previous approximately three hours of gameplay in a span of 20 minutes of gameplay. But that concession really must be made regardless on if one intends to fit Residual Point into HL1s timeline or not as it forces the Night -> Day -> Night mapping thing, were it not night after the unconsciousness in Distortion, that would allow for a teleporter break timeskip to the end of Day 2 or at the very least to extend the Recession chapter into Day 2 but with the current skyboxes this is the only real option.

Notably this placement also keeps consistency with most of the major events of Half Life 1, with early Pit Drone cameos being escapes from the Biodome (Can’t really explain that one Black Ops Headcrab Zombie in the earlier chapters which’d indicate a Day 2 placement but a Day 2 placement is impossible without fudging the skyboxes of either Distortion or Upper Yard. Either way, the Black Ops still arrive at some point between the Day 1 night time On a Rail Rocket Launch and the Day 2 morning at the end of Apprehension when Gordon is captured. As well as constraining the arrival of the ZECU to the night time of Day 1. Obviously the ZECU are not seen in Half Life proper, but one can assume the Nihilanth (or Residual Life Xen Route Boss) targeted them into specific areas of Black Mesa at specific times, and Gordon, Adrian, Barney, Gina and Colette never directly intersected those areas of Black Mesa in that timeframe. After all by the same metric, Gordon never encountered Race X during Forget About Freeman or Lambda Core despite them very much being at least somewhat active in that period.

Residual Life

Residual Life is far longer, more narratively involved and arguably more interesting than its predecessor. RL begins with Sora Kim waking up in her dorm and heading to work in the Lambda Complex, entering an elevator just after the Resonance Cascade. The elevator drops and Sora is knocked out. Waking up an undetermined amount of time later to get to the surface. Seems straightforward enough until you pay attention to the details on the surface, at first glance it seems like it’s the time of the We’ve Got Hostiles aerial bombardment but a closer inspection reveals it is in fact more likely to be that of Forget About Freeman. This is notable due to the presence of Black Operations who, in both RP and HL1 do not appear until the night of Day 1, after the timeframe it would have to be for that skybox to appear.

That at least narrows it down to either Day 2 morning or Day 2 evening. Similarly the yard chapters, No Way Out and Countdown seem to at first glance support a ‘Day 2 Daytime’ placement, around the time of Residue Processing – Surface Tension. But between the Black Ops killing the marines, something that only begins in Day 2 afternoon as per Opposing Force, and then most crucially the Nuke detonation which occurs in both Route 1 and Route 2, being the backing driving force behind the entire Countdown chapter through announcements that specifically refer to it as ‘Charlie Bravo’, concluding in it detonating whilst you try to disarm it in Route 1 or detonating as you flee underground in Route 2 indicating that the events of the daytime chapters actually take place after the ending of Opposing Force, during the era between the Gene Worm’s defeat and the nuclear destruction of Black Mesa, implying there were in fact multiple nukes shipped into Black Mesa rather than just the one we see in Opposing Force, with Route 2 implying large parts of the facility even persists after the detonations.

The Timeframe of Residual Life is then as follows

Day 1

Impossibility Dream – Morning

Black Mesa Inbound – Morning

Routine Work – Morning (Resonance Cascade)

Day 2

State of Emergency – Daytime

Legal Defence – Evening

“One is All, All in One” – Evening

Ground Zero – Evening

Between Worlds and Chaos – Xen

Day 3 – Route 1

No Way Out – Daytime

Countdown – Daytime (Nuclear Detonation)

Nuclear Portal – Xen

Ruins of Chronos – Xen

Ashes of Lautrec – Xen

Altar of Sacrifice – Xen

Impossibility Dream – Spatial Isolation

Epilogue – Night

Day 3 – Route 2

No Way Out – Daytime

Countdown – Daytime (Nuclear Detonation)

Chaotic Blue – Daytime

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust – Evening

Heart of Nightmare – Evening

The Centre of All Things – Evening

The Sun Eaters Pillar – Sun Eaters Pillar

Chosin Reservoir – Evening (confirmed to be a real BMRF location in Residual Agent)

The Sun Eaters Pillar (Part 2) – Sun Eaters Pillar

The Tiny Dwarf – Sun Eaters Pillar

The Sun Eaters Pillar (Part 3) – Sun Eaters Pillar

Impossibility Dream – Spatial Isolation

Epilogue – Night

Addendum, Double Nuke Theory

When doing a multi-mod timeline with a bunch of other mods, the timing of the nuke often becomes an issue. The premiere instance of this being Half Life Echoes, which shows the nuke as happening during the night despite Opposing Force’s nuke being during the day. Taking RL into account, it becomes clear that the initial nuke(s) in OP4 (And RL Countdown) fail to destroy large parts of the facility, opening up the possibility that a second, higher yield nuke was detonated the following night after the first barrage failed to stop the Portal Storms that by the time of Day 3 would probably already be ravaging the United States, hence the attempt to contain the disaster by nuking Black Mesa.

Thus the nuke shown in Echoes is not the first nuke but in fact a final ICBM that truly destroys Black Mesa, matching up with the implication in the HL2 era that Black Mesa is utterly gone. Sora’s final escape in the Epilogue would therefore (if real) be shortly prior to the final nuclear detonation.

Residual Agent

I had not played Residual Agent prior to this, nor to be entirely honest have many people. The developer of RP and RL only ever officially hosted RA on their personal Naver blog, making it prohibitively difficult, but not impossible, to access. Unlike RP and RL, RA is also a spinoff of Half Life Zombie Edition and is currently unfinished with far less gameplay than RP or RL. Its less-linear nature and tendency to loop back on itself makes skybox analysis much more difficult too but there’s still a few things we can glean.

For instance

The Black Ops are present

The Black Ops and HECU are working together

The skyboxes are morning/evening.

3 means it has to be one of the following

Day 1 Evening (We’ve Got Hostiles era)

Day 2 Morning (Apprehension era)

Day 2 Evening (Forget About Freeman/“We Are Pulling Out” era)

Day 3 Morning (Foxtrot Uniform Era)

Day 3 Evening (Post-Nuke, Chosin Reservoir Era)

Day 3 Evening can be ruled out right off the bat as the combatants don’t match that of Chosin Reservoir in RL, plus that’d drastically increase the likelihood Rezina-rhagithor 3320 (The headcrab protagonist of Residual Agent) and Sora Kim met which didn’t happen in either game.

Number 1 rules out a Day 1 time, since the Black Ops only arrive on the night of Day 1, number 2 meanwhile rules out Day 2 evening (Which is explicitly when the Black Ops turn on the HECU) and Day 3, meaning the most viable setting as of the current demo is Day 2 morning. This means that Rezina passes through RLs areas before Sora which tracks with the fact the ‘Circle of Death’ secret from RL is not yet unlocked in RA.

So we have

Intro (Chiola Breeding Citadel, Xen)

Field of Blood (Possibly Day 1 Night)

Reign of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

Lake of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

Path of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

To Be Continued…

[diegeticdivinity]

I want to talk about this quote from the HLA ending for a second:

‘Some believe the fate of Our Worlds is inflexible… my Employers disagree.’

I can’t help but feel like the G-Man is deliberately not attributing himself to either party here. Some (like the Vortigaunts) seem to believe fate cannot be altered changed at all. ‘The Eli Vance is dead. Is or will be.’ This probably has a lot to do with the non-linear way that the Vorts perceive time, but it seems as though there’s a distinction between Vortigaunt non-linear and G-Man non-linear. One idea I have is that this is because the Vortigaunts as a hivemind can hear the thoughts of not only other Vorts in the present, but those in the past and future of that timeline too. The G-Man is implied to exist in many places and times at once, but he can travel freely through time and therefore isn’t constrained to a single timeline. It seems to be his job to make timelines ‘change course’, to ‘nudge things’ as he puts it; to him it is natural that fate would be changeable, so why exactly is it that he doesn’t say that he disagrees with fate being inflexible?

Well, for his Employers, with their seemingly extremely high authority, it’s easy to believe that fate can always be bent to one’s will. In that very same monologue they seemingly prevent him from fulfilling Alyx’s request (he never says he can’t remove the Combine from Earth, he just says it’d be too large of a nudge given the interest of his Employers). This, to me, feels like an acknowledgement of the idea that any will can be overridden by fate, just as fate can, at times, be overcome by any will strong enough. He himself defied his Employers when they originally told him Alyx wouldn’t be of any use. He was also defied when Gordon was taken away by the Vortigaunts, recognising that his own will is not absolute even when he works with beings on a smaller scale than himself, a moment in which he seemed irritated but seemingly made no attempts to stop the Vortigaunts.

He seems to acknowledge both perspectives while himself falling into a middle ground where fate isn’t always rigid but also isn’t always changeable, reflecting the idea that there will always be both controllable and uncontrollable factors. This middle ground meshes well with the one he himself seems to occupy as the bridge between beings who experience time linearly and beings who seemingly transcend reality altogether. He acknowledges the power of free will while also being self-aware of his own role of having to take free will away at times.

[angels-heap]

I'm going to break this to y'all as gently as possible...

The "Half-Life Alyx NoVR" twitter account is not a reliable source for updates about future games.

I'm more optimistic about the potential for a new HL game than I've been in a while, but I'll believe it when I see it, and I suspect that speculation of Barney's importance to the plot will prove to be wildly overblown.

[thatforestprince]

caw caw fall in love *queue the rest of the ouran high school host club theme song*

[witchyafterdark]

Consolidated HL Character Profile #2:

— Sebastian Sallow —

Note: Finally, here is Sebastian's version of the complete profile analysis I've done before! I actually started doing his profile before Ominis' but his character information and background became more difficult for me to understand. Nevertheless, I'm happy to post this one for all the Sebastian girlies — and fans in general! 💕

As always, tags and shoutouts are at the very end of this post.

This is a very, very long post. Pace yourself and take your time.

—---—---—---—---—

I. Possible Birth Place

NOTE: These are all speculated places backed with cross-referenced research, and other people’s headcanons. This was the most difficult part of this post, and I am open to other suggestions and ideas.

Before we begin to even tackle all the possible birthplaces of Sebastian (and Anne), there are a couple of important things that needed to be discussed. At the end of this segment, there will be options to choose from based on narrowed down (and specified) locations.

Firstly, we know that Sebastian’s parents were professors who unfortunately passed away before he and Anne developed their magical abilities. Therefore, majority of people in the HL community have an unspoken agreement that the Sallow family (except Solomon) used to live near Hogwarts—if Mr. and Mrs. Sallow were to fulfill their work as professors during the day, and come home to their children at night every single day. They had to live near their place of work because it was indicated that they spent nearly every waking moment in the cellar attending to their academic pursuits.

But wait… where exactly is Hogwarts located?

Scotland is a massive place with lots of towns and cities. In order to narrow down the possible locations of where Hogwarts is situated, I have referred to this source that had studied this whole topic with as much precision as possible that simultaneously pieced together book-canon mentions of the castle itself.

This map shown below is the route that the Hogwarts Express travels from London (at King’s Cross Station) to the castle that oversees Hogsmeade as well. According to the website linked above, standard Victorian steam-powered trains run for 80mph (or 128kph). But under route calculation and terrain consideration, the train would have had the speed of around 65mph if it is to comply with the fact that the students reach Hogwarts by nighttime. And since the entire magical community of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade (and the entire magical Scottish Highlands) are hidden from muggle view, the estimation of Hogwarts’ location is either the Galloway Hills or the West Highlands.

For the sake of congruency between book-canon information and the landscape of the game’s map, this post will settle on the West Highlands instead.

Fun Fact: It was said that Hogsmeade was founded by an Englishman named Hengist of Woodcroft. I noticed that places with the word “-croft” is predominant in Hogwarts Legacy. There’s the Undercroft and Feldcroft, and I think it wraps up nicely alongside the origins of the founder of Hogsmeade himself.

—

Now that Hogwarts’ location has been established, let’s move on with Sebastian’s possible birthplaces.

1. Aranshire

It has been such a long while ago, but I have asked permission from @hogwartslegacypics to reference the post she did before. (Thank you for allowing me to use your work for mine. All pictures used in this segment are credited to you).

There have been deleted voice lines that Sebastian would say or be triggered when you walk with him around this area using the Companion Mod. The quest in Aranshire would have the main character investigate what happened in the village becoming abandoned by its townspeople. This would lead to a house inhabited by Mary Portman, and she was responsible for breeding all sorts of spiders in the cellar of her house.

Furthermore, Sebastian would have a specific voice line once you get inside the cellar. I have tried to activate this dialogue with other NPC’s but it’s only him that says it. There is the possibility that this quest was supposed to be done with Sebastian as part of his questline.

In this video, with the timestamp 59:39, only Sebastian says this line:

“I suppose we know what happened to Mary Portman. She was breeding the spiders.”

It would be both economical and logical for the Sallow professors to have a house near their place of employment instead of boarding with the other professors in the Faculty Tower without a live-in sitter watching their two children. And even if they did hire someone to watch their children, we were never given any indication that the twins were left under someone else's care when Mr. and Mrs. Sallow were still alive. Plus, it would put quite a dent on their finances to rely on childcare services for the whole school year that they'd be at work.

Lastly, giving birth at home is the norm during Victorian times. According to the Victorian Web:

"... for much of the nineteenth century the safest place to be delivered, regardless of social class, was at home by a well-trained midwife. Until the widespread use of antisepsis in the 1880s, male practitioners were more likely to carry infection, using unclean instruments and moving as they did between different types of medical cases and post-mortems to deliveries."

And so, it would make perfect sense that Mrs. Sallow would give birth at the comfort and safety of their home—which would indicate that Sebastian and Anne's birthplace would be Aranshire, or at the very least, near Hogwarts.

2. St. Mungo’s Hospital, London

Another possible place where Sebastian and Anne might have been born is actually at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

I would like to believe that Wizarding medical practices have stark differences from their muggle counterparts, and that the use of magic may have provided the Wizarding world some medical advances long before muggle technological discoveries.

While all of this is just speculation, there is also the possibility of complications with giving birth to a set of twins. Given that most women of the Victorian age preferred home births due to the higher maternal mortality rate with hospital births, there could still be the possibility that Mrs. Sallow had Sebastian and Anne at the hospital.

Both of his parents are professors, and was said to be open-minded folks. It wouldn't be surprising if they are the type of new parents who had read every maternity book they could get their hands on, and may have chosen the option of having medical witches and wizards to aid the delivery of the twins—should any sort of complications arise in the midst of labor.

St. Mungo's Hospital is located in London, concealed in such a manner similar to that of Diagon Alley.

"To enter the premises, one might step through the window of what appeared to be a red-bricked, condemned department store called Purge and Dowse, Ltd. This acted as a magical gateway to the main building, much like the barrier at King's Cross Station to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Although the "department store" building housing the hospital might have been relatively small, this was not an indication of the true capacity of a magical building, the interior looked exactly as a hospital should. One way an individual could enter the building was speaking to an apparently inanimate dummy in the department store."

3. Fort William, Scotland

For Sebastian's last possible place of birth, I had to resort to looking at his wiki page. There was one little thing that I noticed written on his biographical information. There is chance that he is a half-blood.

Given that both his parents are professors, we don't actually have any actual confirmation or evidence that they taught at Hogwarts!

It could be feasible that one of Sebastian's parents was indeed a professor at Hogwarts, while the other one taught at a muggle school. If that's the case, then the Sallow family might have to settle somewhere in the "middle" of their place of work—one goes to the Wizarding community while the other goes to the nearest muggle town.

And according to the map below, the nearest muggle town that was actually the final stop before Hogwarts was Fort William.

Although, just because Sebastian and Anne were born here doesn't mean that they were raised here. It was still canonically stated that Sebastian grew up within the Wizarding community; which is around Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Aranshire, and other hamlets deep in the Scottish Highlands.

Nevertheless, if one really wants to pinpoint an actual location on the (muggle) map, then Fort William is the nearest and most likely place. And yes, the Hogwarts Express Train passes by this beautiful town.

—

End Results:

Sebastian (and Anne) was most likely born in Aranshire, given the amount of evidence we have in the game—alongside exclusive deleted voice lines from the character himself. Then again, the two other options listed above can be considered as well if we entertain the idea of expounding on the tidbits and hints of information we have about him (such as the possibility that he is a half-blood).

—---—---—---—---—

II. Possible Date of Birth

NOTE: If you're not interested in astrology, you can just skip this one, and go to Part 3, 4, and 5!

This section of the post is pure speculation, and no solid proof at all. But we do know that Sebastian should be born between September 1, 1874 and August 31, 1875 if he was to be eleven years-old during the start of his first year at Hogwarts. Therefore, all of the following information is gathered by astrological observations of his character.

(I have a personal tarot and astrology account, @tarotwitchy, if you guys are interested in knowing more about this type of content).

Based on character analysis, I believe that Sebastian is a Virgo Sun, Scorpio Moon, and Sagittarius Rising.

Now, what does that mean?

Let's break down his character one astrological placement at a time.

1. Virgo Sun

— A lot of people think he is a Scorpio Sun. But as one myself, he doesn't quite fit the bill. Instead, based on his actions throughout the game, he represents the hallmark traits of a Virgo Sun. A person with this placement is someone who gets things done. They have laser-sharp focus on things that matter to them, and they will stop at nothing until they've satisfied their own thirst for knowledge and understanding and experience of whichever captivated their whole attention.

— It's because of this "obsessive" behavior that he is tagged as a Scorpio. But in his case, obsession is a manifestation of an unhealthy Virgo; one that cannot admit defeat and accept their losses. It's like beating a dead horse. It's not actually obsession that took over Sebastian. It's his stubbornness. It's his refusal to acknowledge that he is, in fact, not correct in his methods, and disregards anyone else's advice and pleas for him to stop.

— Before the whole Scriptorium and Relic debacle, you get to know him as someone who has a great reputation around school. The professors and the librarian acknowledge that he is a bright boy, and a notable duellist. When done right, a person with Virgo Sun shines brightly in perfecting their crafts and honing their strengths. The best part is that they have no qualms about helping others reach their full potential as well (and this is evident with the way he helps the MC perform well in practicing spells and teaching them Confringo. He loves knowing beyond what the school is willing to teach. For him, knowledge is knowledge).

2. Scorpio Moon

— This is what most people think he is. But in astrology, the basest of our instincts and emotional fallback is not reflected by our Sun sign but by our Moon sign. Our Moon sign is our last line of defense when the going gets tough. We fall into the characteristics of this placement when our "public façade" has failed to mitigate whatever issue we're dealing with.

— As for Sebastian, his Scorpio Moon took hold of the reins during the time when he was running on fumes; mentally, emotionally, and physically. In Ominis' only note, he mentioned that Sebastian is not acting like himself. As much as he is severely influenced by the Relic, it is believed that Dark Magic amplifies the wizard's emotional status.

— With Sebastian, he was already emotionally worn out from the knawing hopelessness of his sister's condition and from the verbal assault he endures from his uncle. When you combine all these elements together, you get the unhealthiest version of a volatile Scorpio Moon.

3. Virgo Mercury

— People with their Mercury in Virgo are reservoirs of both knowledge and the ambition to understand more than what they already know. They aren't the type of people to stop searching for answers simply because they already found a half-baked solution to their problems. They go the extra mile, and then some more.

— And as we all know, Sebastian had turned the entire library upside down reading tome after tome on possible solutions for Anne's dilemma. A Slytherin main character would first encounter him pacing back and forth in the common room reading a huge book... on the first day of school.

— Majority of people with this astrological placement report that they just have that intellectual "itch" that needs to be scratched with more and more information, experimentation, research, and discovery. Until that hunger is satiated, they will not stop their quest to find out the truth they seek. We see Sebastian's downward spiral with this attribute. He was willing to go as far as casting the Cruciatus curse just to get his hands on Salazar Slytherin's spellbook.

4. Scorpio Venus

— Men with Scorpio Venuses are those who aren’t afraid with the nitty gritty of interpersonal and romantic relationships. Some people like to keep things on the surface level, not really bothering with really getting to know other people on an intimate level. And yet, Sebastian has shown to be yearning for more information about the people he’s involved with.

— In the game, when the main character was starting to understand their abilities with ancient magic, Sebastian was quick to ask, “what aren’t you telling me?” He’s the kind of person who goes beyond the hi’s and hello’s, and wants to understand his companion’s current situation. This is the hallmark trait of a person with their Venus in Scorpio. Furthermore, he also exhibits the mentality of wanting to always be in-the-loop of his loved ones’ lives, even if he’s dealing with his own problems at the same time. In his mind, your problem is also his problem, and he will not abandon you in your most trying times.

— This kind of closeness can sometimes be overwhelming for people who aren’t used to another person being very personal and up-close with their lives. But this is one of the way a Scorpio Venus shows their love, and this is very evident with how Sebastian is also helping the main character in their quest find out more about Ancient Magic in spite of drowning in his own research on Anne’s cure.

5. Leo Mars

— If Mars in Leo had a textbook example, Sebastian’s face would be on the cover. To name a few examples of how he exhibits some of the qualities this astrological placement has, let’s start with the fact that Mars is the planet responsible with body language. The way Sebastian was portrayed during his cutscenes and with his routine walks around the castle, he has a very confident gait and posture. He naturally carries himself with his own brand of masculinity; not aggressively so, but securely taking up appropriate space for himself.

— Another quality that people with Leo Mars has is that they are not afraid of being under the spotlight. They live up to people’s expectations of them, and they deliver a spectacular show of presence. In Sebastian’s case, he was one of the best duelists of Crossed Wands, and he doesn’t shy away from being the main character’s opponent during Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

— He is charismatic, ambitious, and playfully adventurous and competitive. Then again, Sebastian is shown to be stubborn, dramatic, and prone to anger. These are the characteristic manifestations of Mars in the sign of Leo.

(Not to mention that his favorite spells are fiery in nature!)

6. Sagittarius Rising

— A person’s ascendant has something to do with people’s first impressions of them. There are some astrological analysis of what Sebastian’s ascendant (or rising) sign would be. Majority of them are saying he has a Scorpio Rising. To have a Scorpio Rising, one has to have a demeanor of being unapproachable, have an air of enigma, and being quite intimidating. However, our first interaction and impression of Sebastian couldn’t be further from the truth. He is open, he is approachable, he is playful, and he is chatty. Ominis, on the other hand, has a Scorpio Rising for the same reasons I stated above for this sign.

— Therefore, Sebastian has a Sagittarius Rising. Traits of this sign include having a curious glint in their eyes, being quite effortlessly popular amongst his peers, charmingly clever, and has an intellectual brand of humor.

— Sagittarius is the sign of higher learning. If the main character was a Slytherin, the very first cutscene of Sebastian is with him pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, with a massive book in his hand, and reading and learning what he can about his dilemma. That is a very obvious and blatant display of a first impression of a Sagittarius rising.

—

End Results:

Sebastian Sallow was born on September 15, 1874 at around 1:00PM, during the autumn season.

Of course, all of this is just my personal headcanon but I made sure to back them up with research and imbued them with my own astrological knowledge when it comes to matching his personality and his possible birth date.

—---—---—---—---—

III. Psychometric Analysis

NOTE: I will be linking the sites for these tests should you want to take them yourself! 😊 Have fun!

1. MBTI

— ENTP (Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving)

"ENTP's are known for their rebellious streak. For this personality type, no belief is too sacred to be questioned, no idea is too fundamental to be scrutinized, and no rule is too important to be broken or at least thoroughly tested. This could make them seem overly cavalier or defiant, but at their core, their innate tendency to test boundaries has more to do with their desire for innovation and change."

Sebastian is, quite literally, the poster boy for ENTP. He embodies the trademark inquisitive nature of this type, and he has the signature charm to back it up as well. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to understand a certain topic he zeroes in on, and he doesn’t shy away from topics that would be considered taboo. As a matter of fact, he thrives in the taboo. Sebastian doesn’t discriminate the information that comes his way; instead, he has his own mental compass and filter that systematizes the knowledge he comes to possess.

2. Enneagram

— Type 8 with wing 7; SX/SP (The Maverick)

“8w7 people are action-oriented and powerful people with a passion for pursuing new opportunities. They tend to be self-confident, sociable, pragmatic and comfortable with conflict. They’re ambitious and independent, preferring to follow their own path. They dream big and have the dedication to achieve their goals. They thrive in environments that encourage their idealism, while granting them the authority to make a difference. They don’t settle for anything; they always seek more. They are also strategic and tough if needed.”

True to the name of this particular Enneagram, Sebastian is known as a rebel and a maverick. He’s the kind of person that questions the rules and authority instead of following blindly. He has his own moral code that he abides to because he is secure in his ability to make the correct decisions, even if we know that he’s going down a dark path. As a rebel, he will stubbornly insist to everyone that his way is the right way because he has already examined the possible courses of action outside the constraints of authority.

This is why he ended up butting heads with Ominis (who thrives in his own systematic order). To Sebastian, no rule is too sacred to break. As long as he sees the alternative outcomes to a specific goal, he will march to the beat of his own drum.

3. Four Temperaments

— Choleric–Sanguine (The Executive)

"The Choleric-Sanguine has a natural drive to quickly get results. They are goal and bottom-line oriented, and can be very persuasive in promoting their ideas and goals. They are easily annoyed when others do not comply with their instructions or direction but it passes quickly; quickly aroused, easily calmed. They are not angry, although others may at times think they are furious. They are impatient and will push others to obtain results and be productive."

This is blend of Temperament fits Sebastian perfectly, especially towards the tail end of his plotline. It’s very evident is his voice lines that he isn’t afraid to push people to their limits and persuade others relentlessly. He jumps into the heat of the battle without much thought, and he expects people to follow suit. He doesn’t appreciate it when his close friends question his motives because that would be an insinuation that they don’t trust his judgments. He is quick on his feet and even quicker with executing alternate routes to get closer to his goals instead of wallowing in his failures.

—---—---—---—---—

IV. Corporeal Patronus

NOTE: An Animagus is a witch or wizard's animal representation of their basest instincts and behavior. A Patronus is an animal manifestation of what makes them happiest. While most people will have the same animal for their Animagus form and Patronus, it's not always the case. We know that a person's Patronus can change throughout their lifetime.

Majority of people in the community have an unspoken agreement that Sebastian’s Animagus is a fox. By extension, his Patronus must take the corporeal form of a fox as well. However, I personally disagree with the definitions that I find in most sources. Therefore, I researched every possible Patronus result in the Wizarding World official test, and painstakingly reviewed their meanings using multiple sources. I have also enlisted the help of my cousin, who also completed her gameplay as a proud Hufflepuff, to determine which amongst all the extensive Patronus possibilities suit Sebastian the best. And after two hours of combing and debating through it, we have decided on the Buffalo.

This source defined this patronus as such:

Few possess just the right strength of character for their patronus to take the form of a buffalo. Those that do are dedicated individuals who are fiercely protective of those close to them, and not in a general way, either. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to harm another under a buffalo’s care is unlikely to come out unscathed. They are fighters, and it’s not uncommon for a buffalo to have their own personal code or way of acting to which normal morality simply doesn’t apply, which can be dangerous even for the buffalo. When all is well, they are placid but often outgoing, with strong personalities and who like having fun with those they bond to. However, going too long without contact with friends or family can lead to a buffalo feeling anxious or sad, and they will usually be at their best when sharing time with others. They are steadfast friends that enjoy being helpful and lending a hand to complete a task, or just making someone feel better. The buffalo is full of many feelings, the strong stature of them showing through a person in this way. They try to appear stoic, but it often backfires and they wear their hearts on their sleeves. They are passionate about everything they do and headstrong. They make sure their opinions are known by all that they concern, because they want to show that they are not weak. They feel as though their emotion and lack of control over it does in a way give them weakness, and it angers them greatly. They have strong tempers that are easy to lose.

A witch or a wizards Patronus has been proven to change over the span of their lifetime, and is influenced by major milestones such as marriage, relationships, or simply being influenced by your parent’s Patronus. However, based on the game material itself, a Buffalo Patronus fits Sebastian the best. Yes, he can still emulate the trickster and cunning nature of having a Fox Animagus. But based on his emotional state throughout the game, this animal’s spirit and its subsequent meaning perfectly reflects why he did the things he has done. He bulldozes his way through things without much contemplation, and he does wear his heart on his sleeves. Sebastian is the type to also care about the problems of his friends and loved ones personally, and will be their pillar of strength when needed.

—---—---—---—---—

V. Wand Analysis

1. Wand Wood

Based on the physical characteristics of this wand and the meaning of the wood, it's highly possible that Sebastian's wand is made from Yew Wood.

According to the wand wood information:

"Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. The witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner’s grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner."

There have been a plethora of different wand woods that are actually suitable for Sebastian's magical disposition. Most people have hypothesized that his wand is made from Aspen due to its duelling nature. However, I have considered that Sebastian's duelling skills are not emphasized because of the wand he uses. It is through his innate magical skills and strength that made him an exceptional duellist.

I also do not see him joining a duelling club (Silver Spears) as a way to flaunt his wand and the exclusivity of what it entails. He was most likely recruited due to his consistent displays of sheer talent and capabilities in martial magic during classes. Sebastian doesn't seem to be the type to use a personal artifact to bolster his reputation. Rather, he utilizes everything he has with efficient resourcefulness to hone his abilities manually and with hard work. You can take his wand from him and provide him with another, and he'd still be formidable with it. That is the kind of witch or wizard Yew wands choose — just as it chose Tom Riddle and Ginny Weasley.

2. Wand Core

This one is easy to determine. Sebastian's wand is imbued with a core of Dragon Heartstring. According to Ollivander, this wand is powerful yet volatile at the wrong hands.

"As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental."

With how quickly Sebastian reads and practices a lot of things in such a short period of time (and simultaneously juggling his studies along with it), it's safe to say that he is a quick learner. He easily absorbs what he reads and witnesses without trouble, and he is able to put into immediate use what he discovers just moments ago. It makes sense that he is paired with a wand with this kind of core, as he needs a magical conduit that doesn't hinder his fast progress.

Furthermore, it is a matter of fact that he truly is drawn towards the Dark Arts, and he was able to cast all the Unforgivable Curses without any error nor did he fumble with them. It takes a great amount of skill a wizard possesses in order to execute these highly complex, powerful, and very dark magic. This is something that a Dragon Heartstring wand core looks for in its owner; the innate drive and relentless energy to fulfill advanced forms of magic. Sebastian just so happens to tick all of those boxes seamlessly.

3. Wand Flexibility and Length

According to the official source:

"Wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair."

Because of that, his wand's flexibility is most likely Hard. This source had explained it perfectly:

"A wand of this flexibility is very difficult to work with and its loyalty is not won easily. Hard wands are great for complex and advanced levels of magic, so beginning wizards and witches may find extra difficulty with this wand when it doesn't perform well for simple magic. As such, this type of wand is best suited for wizards and witches who are gifted, stubborn, and never give up. Owners of this wand also have a tendency to view things in absolutes; black or white. Some people may find them intimidating or difficult to approach."

Majority of Sebastian's wand analysis categorizes it as Unyielding. And while that was the initial decision in this post, I ultimately decided otherwise. With this flexibility, it really puts emphasis on his natural affinity for difficult spells and his tenacity to see through what he started. This kind of wand is not for the timid witch or wizard but someone who is comfortable being challenged time and time again. And of course, Sebastian sees a challenge as a test of his magical progress and curiosities.

As for the length of it, a standard 12 and 3/4 inches suits him just fine. He isn't too cocky about his skills but he also has confidence in himself to get things done.

—

End Results:

Yew Wood, Dragon Heartstring Core, Hard Flexibility, and 12 3/4 inches long! (It isn't a mystery that Confringo is one of his favorite spells!)

—---—---—---—---—

Honestly, this is a difficult one to finish. There wasn’t much to go on with, and every information here was based on very limited information. And most of my posts took a back burner because I feel like I needed to finish this one first. And I had this post sitting in my drafts for more than a year now!

Nevertheless, I am happy with what I produced, and this was given the same amount of thought as the one I had with Ominis. This one’s for all the Sebastian lovers! I hope this is up to par with other character analysis we already have in the fandom.

Tags:

Just a shoutout to my cousin, Marsha, for helping me with this post! I had so much fun doing this at the crack of dawn while we FaceTimed. Without your help, this post won’t be published. Love you to bits, and I’ll see you in December!

@sunnyrealist: I promised, didn’t I? I’m sorry it took a year, though!

@pufflehuffing: I swear, our conversations will always be the highlight of my social media presence in this fandom. This one’s for you, too!

@ravenwind-75: I know you’re an Ominis girlie but I also promised to share this with you once I wrapped it up. Our chats have always been so nice, and I genuinely enjoy being a part of your community.

—

Look at the date when I first created this post. It's been rotting in my drafts for more than a year now... just like the rest of my other posts. 🥲

[fanlore-wiki]

Featured Article: Highlander

This week’s featured article brings you Highlander, the franchise about immortals living among humans. The franchise first started with the 1986 film Highlander and later got expanded into a TV series. Due to its multi-media tie-ins such as an animated series, comics, and books, the canon is highly varied depending on the creators and countries of production.

The series centers around the life of 400-year-old Duncan 'Mac' MacLeod and his struggles to have a "normal" life while still confronting the dangers of being an Immortal. Duncan’s companions are his long-time human girlfriend Tessa Noël and the teenage thief Richie Ryan, who Duncan took in after the later accidentally learned about the existence of Immortals.

Aside from the canon ship Duncan/Tessa, a major slash pairing in the fandom is Duncan/Methos. As both Duncan and Methos are immortals, fans like to speculate about their life throughout the different historical eras.

Crossover is a common trope in HL fanfics and often involve inserting Highlander characters or Highlander-style immortals into another fandom such as Buffy or Stargate SG-1.

Wants to learn more about the Highlander fandom? Give the Fanlore page a visit!

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We value every contribution to our shared fandom history. If you’re new to editing Fanlore or wikis in general, visit our New Visitor Portal to get started or ask us questions here!

[cursedonyx]

Ominis vs Duncan

One of my favourite enduring popular fanons in HL is Ominis & Duncan Hobhouse's rivalry - though they never really interact in game, and Ominis' lines about him are limited (he literally only has two; 'Duncan owes his reputation to you' and 'Once a coward, always a coward, just ask Duncan Hobhouse'), I love speculating on why they might despise each other.

I've seen some brilliant theories, including a phenomenal tiktok video about Duncan landing Ominis detention (that I've sadly not been able to find since) and Duncan's generic lines about not liking muggleborns, which flies directly in the face of Ominis' beliefs, but I think there could be more to it.

Though in my own personal headcanon I reckon Duncan being a pureblood supremacist tracks (he's established to be cowardly and bigots are typically cowards), I think Duncan's cowardice plays a larger part.

I reckon that when these wee lads started Hogwarts as little eleven year olds, Duncan wanted to present himself as bigger and badder than he actually was, and chose an easy target to bully. Who would be easier to pick on than the blind kid? Who would be more impressive to beat down on than the Heir of Slytherin himself? The kid from the family of notorious dark wizards, who better to be cruel to in an attempt to showcase himself as a protector of others? The kid that's already unpopular?

I get the feeling Duncan might have targeted Ominis in their youth in order to make himself feel more powerful and pretend that he was just trying to fight against a supposed dark wizard so others wouldn't hate on him for his bullying and might even join his side, but he made a grave mistake.

Ominis grew up with the Gaunts, and as such would have been used to far worse intimidation, threats and bullying than anything Duncan could have come up with, meaning he would be generally unruffled by insults and snide comments, and with his newfound friendship with the Sallow Twins, one of whom was mischievous to the extreme and the other a talented and intelligent duellist, the revenge turned back on Duncan would have been pretty immediate and severe.

None of the OG emerald trio strike me as particularly vindictive, but Duncan does. He's petty and mean minded, if his voice lines are anything to go by, so he would have likely done his best to bully Ominis as much as he could, and his initial failures would have frustrated him, leading him to amp up his efforts to hurt and upset Ominis. Being a Ravenclaw, he's probably clever, so he may have even been quite sneaky in how he went about it.

This, coupled with his pureblood supremacist beliefs, would naturally have pissed Ominis off to the extreme. Ominis doesn't strike me as the type to let things slide, so he would have eventually reacted to it, encouraging Duncan to continue, leading to a vicious cycle, fostering a long held resentment of each other that lasts throughout their years at Hogwarts.

Thoughts?

Masterlist

[anotherhomelanderblog]

This is all so correct. Because I mean, what was all that torture for? To figure out the full extent of his powers/durability. Not that this in any way justifies it. But also, why did they need to figure that out if they effectively just wanted a movie star?

I am very firmly Team "even though they pumped him so full of V he would've needed help as a kid just to not accidentally massacre everyone, if anyone had cared enough about him as a person then a family situation could've been worked out". I get that this perhaps doesn't fit the vibe of The Boys, where you can be casually and brutally killed just for walking down the street (RIP Robyn), nevermind choosing to live with a laser baby, but still. Come on.

Like, really, considering what Vought wanted him for, they just needed to make sure he had control over his strength and lasers, so no one else got maimed. There were other supes who probably could've helped somewhat with that, and are you telling me these shady scientists who created Compound V and found a way to make a kid with it couldn't have figured out some sort of eye protection for him to wear whilst his lasers were still shooting loose? A little like Scott/Cyclops from the X Men. And, you know, maybe if he'd been held more as an infant rather than sat alone in the bad room, he'd have gotten more used subconsciously to the sort of pressure one exudes when they touch and hold someone else. Maybe that's a reach, but it might've helped.

But we know the real reason they locked him up and tortured him was because they didn't actually just want a celebrity - they wanted a person so utterly moulded by them and the ideals they instilled at him that they could use him for absolutely anything without all that pesky free will and ego getting in the way... which is ironic, since what they ended up creating is a man with whose ego is such a problem now it's getting everyone killed. But I mean, how wicked do you have to be to specifically create someone so utterly alienated from their own personhood, deprived of love and experiences and just any knowledge beyond what you've been feeding him, just so he'll one day advertise your latest products unquestioningly? 😭

I'd be so pissed off if I was Homelander. Imagine being tortured and experimented on all your childhood and formative years, being told you have to be the strongest man alive in order to save the world.

All of these agonizing tests are there for the good of the world, John!

Just to become a celebrity, posing in front of the cameras and reading your lines of the teleprompter on a daily basis. This is what he was tortured for? Where is the big bad evil he was trained to save everyone from? How many genuine saves has he actually done. Is there any enemy that justifies the level of evil that he was put through as a child?

[casserolecremator]

Tyler McVicker thinks the upcoming HL project in development at Valve right now might heavily involve Barney, WHICH is just speculation to an extent as far as I’m aware HOWEVER

I’m still going to run in circles about it. Imagine if we got HL3 playing as Gordon and Barney comes along with us and fights with us like Alyx in the episodes. The yaoi would go CRAZY

[writeblood]

How are LGBT characters treated in your HL fanfiction?

Ignoring the meta-explanation that HL devs added in LGBT characters in order to distance themselves from Rowling's transphobia, let’s start off Pride Month with celebrating an openly LGBT-inclusive game world. And then let’s consider the practical implications of that acceptance. (This tumblr post was made by a ravenclaw, if you didn't know.)

Mirabel Garlick, Professor for Herbology, mentions that she is only interested in finding a wife

Sirona Ryan, owner of The Three Broomsticks, says offhandedly that she used to appear as a different gender. In mythology, Sirona was a healing deity of belonging, which fits with the journey of transitioning.

Nora Treadwell, who introduces the Merlin trials, and Priya Treadwell, a potions vendor, explicitly refer to the other as their wife.

Albie Weekes, owner of Spintwitches Sporting Needs, was assumed by the Hogsmeade villagers to be out with a male suitor.

Two male ghosts at the Deathday Party dance together after seeing the romantic success of their friend.

The context of these specific interactions are key to understanding how the wizarding world as a whole views LGBT people.

In three instances we have an adult directly and casually telling a youth about their life with the same aplomb as a straight person talking about their wife/husband. Villagers gossip about Albie Weekes’s romantic life with no special consideration towards the gender of his speculated lover. Two men, the era of their death unknown, dance together without hesitation.

It’s clear that the wizarding world views the interactions of LGBT people as a normal part of everyday life. Not only that, but gay marriage is recognized.

From the average civilian up to structural political institutions, LGBT activity is embedded in wizarding culture.

How does this make sense when 1800s muggle England still criminalizes homosexuality? Because even the Harry Potter books clearly indicate that the religious cultural values of the wizarding world are very different from the muggle world.

(examples: usage of wizarding swears, celebration of christmas being entirely devoid of its religious story, Rowling explicitly stating she intentionally distanced the HP world from the church, etc)

Additionally, while wizarding and muggle culture often intersect, it is obvious that wizards have unique aspects of their culture that differ from muggles. (examples: wearing robes and pointed hats, wizarding literature, literal usage of magic over mechanical actions. etc)

So the wizarding world lacks major incentive for homophobia and is also capable of having different cultural values.

Wizards having a starkly different perception of gender and sex than muggles is not surprising, especially when it’s already established that, for nearly a thousand years, the wizarding world has already held a radically different view of gender equality than the muggle world.

The very basis of Hogwarts requires the wizarding world to not be nearly as restrictive against women as its muggle counterpart.

Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff were considered equals to their male colleagues in the creation of a co-ed boarding school in the 11th century. Even if attendance were restricted to wealthy families, the concept of girls and boys gaining an equal education is one of the most important steps towards gender equality. This was accomplished in the Middle Ages.

Additionally:

The Holyhead Harpies, all-female Quidditch team, are the second-oldest team in the league and play against male teams.

Wizarding Britain had its first female Minister in 1798, whereas muggle Britain’s first female minister was elected in 1979.

This is not an argument for there being absolutely no misogyny/sexism in the wizarding world. Rather, I give examples of how the wizarding world has had less prejudice than the muggle world in at least one aspect.

Just because the wizarding world is seen as ‘behind’ the muggle world in many areas, it cannot be said that they can never be ‘ahead’ of the muggle world in a few topics. (Also, culture is not a progression tree in Civilization.)

Considering how closely homophobia is linked with misogyny and extreme religion, which the wizarding world has a reduction of, it is reasonable for wizards to be accepting of LGBT people, and obviously that’s canon in Hogwarts Legacy.

Personally, the majority of wlw fics I've read haven't included bigotry. In one m/m/m fic, it was a topic on how the muggle world was not accepting towards the trans muggleborn character. I haven't read many ominis/sebastian fics, but Ao3 indicates they are the most likely to include the 'period-typical homophobia' tag. I've also seen straight fics that have minor homophobia/transphobia exhibited by the evil pureblood characters.

Since our perception of the 19th century is one of intense homophobia and misogyny, some stories will replicate that extreme inequality out of a desire to appear period-accurate or to provide drama and discuss those themes. That’s fair. I think that a story without homophobia also makes just as much sense.

Anyways, this is fanfiction and you can make your setting as homophobic as you want.

[nikalaeva]

ACOTAR Villains, Part 1

Continuing the series of posts "SJM and her poor imagination" (sorry, can't see the bottom of this pit yet).

Today I am writing about Amarantha. Of all the things she did, the only understandable thing was her hatred for Jurian and Feyre, but obsession with Tamlin and violence against Rhysand - there is no basis for this. "Well, she's just a crazy sadist" - no, it doesn't work like that. Either Amarantha has fae schizophrenia or BD, but then her thinking and behavior should match to the symptoms of a decompensated disease. Or she is sane, but then there must be a cause-and-effect relationship. Like, with Jurian: the dude killed her sister - he deserved hell, for Amarantha this is justified. And Feyre is a human, lower wretched thing.

Tamlin

Her obsessing love doesn't stand up to any criticism, so readers seriously speculate they were mates. Btw, this is a feature of ACOTAR - four thick books have so little information that it gives a huge space to many theories with which readers, consciously or not, fill in the gaps.

Okay, let's say Amarantha really was struck by the curse called "love". A cruel, cold-blooded villainess unrequitedly loved a man, and chose the path not of redemption. Why Tamlin? It could be anything: Amarantha was a fan of fae selection ("I'm strong, you're strong, our children will be three times stronger") or she saw him as the only one worthy of her precious cunt (I know, then the whole point of fucking Rhysand would be lost).

I'd rather show the power of fairy deals: for example, Tamlin and Amarantha's fathers made a deal for them to marry, Amarantha was okay with it, but Tamlin didn't, so when the time came, Amarantha developed an irresistible obsession, Tamlin started losing physical and magic power, and these consequences led to the fall of Prythian.

But even that's not necessary - it's enough to write that Amarantha (like all fairies) values ​​promises very much, and she was offended that Tamlin killed his father, so she decided to punish him. The politics, personal principles, fairy culture - just one idea enriches the narrative (if your head isn't full of bit-dicks).

Rhysand

Again: I liked ACOTAR Rhysand and admit his SA, my only criticism is how SJM wrote the aftermath of such trauma in a disgusting way.

So, I don't get why Amarantha did this. Was she compensating for her feelings for Tamlin? Rhysand is the complete opposite of Tamlin, that makes no fucking sense. Testing how far Rhysand will go to prove that he's her ally? Amarantha is a general, and I can't believe that instead of offering Rhysand chance to gut the HL's families or bring his friends, she chose to... fuck him? Gosh, it's pathetic. Did she want to humiliate Rhysand, break him? Like, in the patriarchal fae society, licking pussy is a disgrace, so you, Rhysand, will never wash away this shame? Amaranta's status is too high for consider this humiliation (except for the Illyrians, but who cared about their opinion).

Then SJM exploits this part to press on pity, not to explore the topic of male SA, btw, underestimated. If Rhysand initially offered himself only as a servant, and then Amarantha decided to publicly rape him and portray him as her whore, that would be fae level of cruelty. First, reputational destruction. "Look, friends, the dreaded Night High Lord wiggling his ass, begging me to shove my fist in there" - after that, I think, Rhysand would have to terrorize Illyria and the CoN to maintain his power. Second, influence over Tamlin. "Look, Tamlin, haven't you ever dreamed of stomping on him?" - anyway, Tamlin and Rhysand were friends, and this situation would make it clear they both were victims again. Third, the punishment for Rhysand's hubris. "You think I'm going to buy your double game? You, a half-Illyrian dog, son of a low-born bitch, dare to think you're worthy of serving me?" - it fits in with the further statement that Rhysand is not accepted as a HL 'cause of his heritage.

Feyre

Amarantha was to remain Feyre's main fear and moral benchmark for all eternity. The fear of quietly going mad with love, of losing yourself in the pursuit of a man, of losing your head over high status (ironic, right?). Amarantha was the one Feyre was supposed to see when she came to Bone Carver, her reflection in Ouroboros.

Amarantha was supposed to be the reason she broke up with Tamlin. Not because of his anger issues, but 'cause of Feyre's fear that Tamlin, clinging to their broken, initially forced relationship, would turn into Amarantha. That fear isn't necessarily justified, but it would've been a good way to show how deeply Feyre has been scarred. As for the romance with Rhysand, which should've been giving Feyre the fucking "I have a panic attack just looking at him" Vietnam flashbacks.

Tell Feyre from Tamlin's (or Lucien's or Ianthe's) perspective that Amarantha held Rhysand by the balls, and that's not something you'd wish on your worst enemy.

Let Feyre know that Rhysand, humiliated in front of all of Prythian, is no longer a threat no matter how hard he tries to prove otherwise.

Show that due to different coping mechanisms, Tamlin can't help Feyre, 'cause he is in denial and repressing the trauma, while Feyre and Rhysand want to overcome it and believe they can. And for god's sake, no chapter-long heartbreaking "woe is me" bit. Rhysand needs understanding, not Feyre's pity. He needs to be shown that 500 years of experience doesn't save from mistakes, but makes its consequences a disaster. And he tormented Feyre 'cause he lost hope and broke down, and now he is ashamed, and that proves Rhysand still didn't pass the point of no return, like Amarantha.

Summing up, as you can see, it's not so difficult to make an interesting, UNDERSTANDABLE villain, leaving the plot without much change. Amarantha laid the foundation, and how her "work" was picked up by Ianthe, I will write next time.

Thank you if you read my verbal diarrhea to the end.

[phoenixtakaramono]

The Premise of this Threadfic: Homelander suckles on Billy Butcher’s d!ck until the stress and white noise in his evil blond head is gone. That’s it. That’s the plot.

CW: ⚠️🔞, some surface level Homelander whump because I think he deserves a lil pampering after the new episode. Vaguely inspired by The Boys 04x04 and Butcher’s gorgeous manly tatas

(You can read the rest of it here!)

If you don’t have a Twitter account, screenshots are provided below the line break so you can read this update on Tumblr as well:

A/N - I can't believe this threadfic has its own behind-the-scenes backstory, but the first 25 tweets of how this threadfic initially started had been very different from what you see in this version. It was full of poignant lore and future S4 speculation, a dive into HL's psyche regarding his traumatic upbringing, and commentary about Compound V causing madness and tragedy to tie into what'll happen to Hugh Sr, ect.… It’d been saved in my Drafts; I’d been ready to click “Post All” after I found the perfect GIFs for the starter tweet. But then I'd accidentally pressed "DELETE" instead of "Save”—and all that work, vanished. Banished to the ether. RIP to what could've been. 🥲 I wasn't about to retype all that in my second attempt so I ended up simplifying it. And that's how we arrived here. :) Hope y'all enjoyed regardless! <3

[angels-heap]

Serious question: Does anyone know where Tyler McVicker (and the other HL3 hopium purveyors) got the idea that Barney is "confirmed" to play a major role in a future HL game? I haven't really been keeping up with the leaks and whatnot in real time, but from what I can tell, this is just speculation based on the presumption that Alyx will be absent for part of any future plot, given what happened at the end of HLA, and thus Gordon might "need" another companion character.

If more solid evidence supporting the Barney companion hypothesis exists, I'd love to see it, but otherwise I think this is just wishful thinking. If anything, the ending of HLA suggests that Eli Vance will be Gordon's companion in a future game, so that's what I'm expecting until/unless a credible leak or official announcement says otherwise.

[lovemyromance]

Hey y'all know what is on the page?

Elain & Azriel being down bad for each other in the bonus chapter

Azriel gifting Elain a necklace when customarily only mates give jewelry

Azriel figuring out what was wrong with Elain when Madja said a mate would be able to sense what is amiss

Azriel taking Elain to the garden

Azriel spending his free time with Elain

Azriel making everyone wait to eat until Elain sits down

Azriel questioning his religion for why Elain was mated to another

Azriel rescuing Elain from Hybern

Azriel giving Elain truthteller

Azriel and Elain sharing a charged glance that even Nesta noticed

Cassian noting that Azriel seems to have moved on from Mor

Elain avoiding Lucien at all costs

Elain not using any of Lucien's gifts

Rhys forbidding Azriel from pursuing Elain

Elain saying Lucien's gifts don't entitle him to her

Elain saying she belongs to the NC

And listen, I could go on and on of all the Elriel moments that actually exist in these books. There's so much Elriel on the page that it's hard for me to believe people read that and did not pick up on their burgeoning relationship. There isn't even interpretation needed, these are clear actions. Unless someone is unnecessarily providing their personal interpretation to discredit these actions, all these Elriel moments are canon.

I mean, it is right there. On the page.

But you know what isn't on the page?

Any theory about Elucien

Any indication that Lucien even knows of his parentage and is going to be the HL of Day

Any confirmation that Gwynriel are mates

Any confirmation that Gwyn likes Azriel or Azriel likes Gwyn

Any indication that Elain avoids Lucien because she "feels so much for him"

Any indication that Lucien feels something for Elain beyond the mating bond.

And you know what? If you believe that Gwynriel are mates and Elucien will be endgame - that's literally fine! You can have theories all you want. You can have headcanons all you want.

But what is currently on the page?

Elriel.

And listen, you can even believe with your whole heart and endless desperation that Elriel will change!! That is fine too!

But what you cannot possibly say is that Gwynriel are mates or Elucien is secretly in love or Elriel is just a phase - based on the books.

Because based on the books, Elriel is happening.

You can SPECULATE that it won't be endgame.

You can SPECULATE that Elucien will get over their avoiding each other phase and fall madly in love.

You can SPECULATE that Gwynriel might be mates.

But you cannot say any of those things are canon. 🤷🏻‍♀️

You cannot argue against canon Elriel moments with speculation and personal interpretation 🤷🏻‍♀️

[tamayula-hl]

It's been a long time since I've posted as my daughter and I have both been in bed with the flu and Covid! And once again I apologise for posting an article that is disturbing the atmosphere of HL fandom.

I have discussed the false accusation of trace plagiarism levelled against me with @freewld and have received an apology from her saying that it was a misunderstanding.

Here is a verified image of this case (Twitter/X)

I am now deeply relieved that we were able to end the discussion with a result that convinced her of my innocence. If it was a misunderstanding, I am willing to end it all this time. I would like to end this false accusation racket with a discussion with her. I will refrain from mentioning the matter once and for all (unless another disturbing incident occurs), and I hope that you will refrain from further mention of it too. I also do not want any slanderous behaviour, excessive criticism, speculation or falsehoods towards her, so I strongly urge you all to refrain from doing so. (Just in case , I have compiled screenshots and other evidence regarding the defamation of me that I have received in this row, and submitted and consulted with lawyers and others)

She also requested that I make a correction announcement on four points, which I would like to make here.

She said she conducted the survey with the intention of "using it as one reference for the opinions of her followers".

Tamayula's wish was the reason she decided to make the suspicion of plagiarism public.

She did not vote on the survey from multiple accounts to give herself an advantage.

She only made her Twitter account private after the survey was invalidated.

My verified public article was written in Japanese, which I wrote in a very confused and upset state, and translated into English and published at DeepL. Therefore, it was very difficult to understand and there were many phrases that may have led to your misunderstanding. I would like to apologise deeply for the confusion caused to everyone by my misunderstanding and incomprehensible article, and at the same time, I would like to correct it here. Although it has taken me a long time to respond, I have corrected the English text of the article on Tumblr and made it private, and on Twitter, I have deleted the tweet that referred to the survey.

I was very upset by the false accusations that suddenly fell upon me, and I sincerely regret that I repeatedly exposed myself in an emotional and unsightly manner, and that I failed to respond correctly to the incident. I cannot thank enough those who were kind to me and gave me warm words and those who believed in my innocence. I am sorry, but I will refrain from replying to you now, because if I do so, it is likely to cause an uproar again, but your words of encouragement and support, which I received at a time when I was feeling quite emotionally drained, gave me tremendous emotional support, more than you can imagine. Thank you very much. I am deeply grateful.

As for my future creative activities, I plan to continue with both Tumblr and Twitter as they are now. (However, I intend to move at the end of March in my real life and will be very busy for a few months with preparations and my new life, so my activities will be quite low-key for the time being). My interest in HL, Seb and Omi has not changed, and I am still motivated to paint, but in reflecting on the current turmoil, I now realise that I was very easily influenced by other people's creative styles, and that I had a vague idea of what the boundaries of inspiration were. In the future, I will continue to be self-conscious about my own dangerous values and make every effort to correct them, and if I have used a work as a reference, I will clearly state it and do my utmost not to cause trouble for others as an artist.

Finally, I am very sorry for the trouble I have caused to so many people. And to those of you who have been so warm and thoughtful, once again, thank you very much indeed 🙏 I will continue to do my best in drawing from now on!

[twopoppies]

Gina, a friend of mine who left fandom used to say that while Eleanor was around they're weren't worried about larry not being together cause her existence and bearding was to cover for anything, any sight, any speculation and when elounor broke up they would think there wasn't anything to cover for anymore. Do you think that makes sense? I don't exactly agree with them.. do you think regarding cover ups Louis or whoever might've replaced her with Freddie?

There’s an old post that a larrie made that basically said, “if Larry isn’t real, stop trying so hard to prove it’s not real.”

That’s basically the crux of it. If they weren’t together, if they weren’t queer, none of this would have ever happened. Look at how non-homophobic, straight celebrities answer when they are asked about their sexuality. They just answer it. They’re not bothered by it. It’s not a blacklisted topic. There’s not a 14-year- long conspiracy about it.

And if there is… that’s something to consider.

As for BBG, IMO that was a plan made as the boys were headed into a hiatus, to convince larries that HL had broken up, to saddle Louis with a scandal that punished him, and ultimately to have it drag on so long there seems no way to end it (whether that last part was planned or not, it’s what happened.) As their solo careers started, it also became a way to control Harry and Louis. So, in that respect, I think it was similar to Eleanor.

But queer men have babies, too. So, I don’t think it was a way to beard him (except among people stupid enough to think only straight people have children.) At this point, I’m not entirely sure why Louis has doubled down, but it’s not because he is actually a father.