beneath-the-mask

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can I come over and dodge roll into all your breakable furniture

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don't care + running + jumping + skipping + hopping + having fun + playing

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Overture showing that Carlo was actually a much gentler, kinder, brighter soul than Geppetto painted him was something that i expected but that still hit me like a fucking train.

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Everything about Romeo hurts my soul. I'm never getting over him.

(Spoilers below)

All Romeo did was be a good friend to Carlo, and Geppetto took that so personally.

I don't think they ever properly met. So as far as I know, Geppetto hates this random guy for no reason outside of him being friends with Carlo.

His home is ravaged by an incurable illness. His best friend dies from the incurable illness. He was kidnapped by a serial killer puppet. His arms were cut off. He was hung up with ropes and left to die. His teacher is killed. He is kidnapped a second time by Geppetto. He is turned into a puppet and placed as the King of Puppets against his will. He tries to tell the puppet-ified version of his dead best friend to join him. Said dead best friend refuses. He is killed by the aforementioned friend.

I wonder what he was thinking prior to meeting P as the King of Puppets. Do you think he was excited to see his friend again? I can't possibly imagine the hurt he felt when he was rejected and had to fight him. I've seen several people note that in his first phase, a lot of his attacks are about keeping P away because he doesn't want to hurt him.

And god, imagine how he felt when he realized he had to kill his best friend in order to save him from himself and Geppetto.

The dialogue for if he kills you makes me want to cry.

"Its gonna be okay. I will always be with you, Carlo."

And when you kill him, he says: "Maybe this is what real freedom is. Thank you, Carlo..."

Im not going to lie and say I didn't tear up a little.

The only things that make me remotely (as close as one can get to being) happy about everything is that:

Romeo and Carlo were best friends, and Romeo got to have a great friend and childhood.

He got to see his friend again.

Romeo is eventually released and can find peace. Albeit in death, but still.

Its all very bittersweet to me. But that's just the entire game, isn't it?

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writing tip #3827:

start

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Verso

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We can infer they're long sleeves going by the coat we got but we never actually see the full shirt intact do we...

(they're standing this close bcs Romeo just got done hugging Carlo from behind and not bcs I made a position mistake and was too lazy to adjust it)

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another carmeo wip has hit the wip folder

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I’m luv her and she deserved better

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Is the Nameless Puppet actually Carlo?

I've been thinking about the Nameless Puppet victory badge's flavor text since I got it.

Though the game skirts around whether or not Nameless Puppet had an ego--

--I've always firmly believed Carlo is still partially present within it (which is why I theorize P never "fully" awakened). I think he's fragmented--partially in his portrait, partially in P, and partially in Nameless Puppet.

The portrait has his soul.

P has his heart.

And Nameless Puppet has his body.

But anyway, re-watching the end cutscene now hits so much harder.

First of all, the whole time, Nameless Puppet is trying to kill P. That's why he breaks free from Geppetto's strings, he has to kill P. He has to destroy the heart in P: Carlo's heart that P has been leveling up. Sound familiar? It was also the mission of Romeo...

...because, like Romeo, he knows "it all" (all of the death and destruction Geppetto has caused) would never end if P remained. I think ATP, he cannot fathom losing Geppetto, like, it's just not on the table. Which is why P has to be the one to go.

I also think he simply does not want to be brought back to life at any cost. Especially not the one Geppetto has paid.

But then Geppetto protects P, and Nameless Puppet almost seems shocked, in disbelief of what just happened. Nameless Puppet, the one who was uncontrollable and frenzied, calmed, at last.

And then...

...he reaches out...

...and gently places a hand on Geppetto. Gently. The Nameless Puppet, being gentle. Tender. Loving.

"The remains of a heart turned from madness to regret."

Even after everything--even in a state like this--Carlo still mourned his father. And I do believe that Carlo was, to some extent, present within the Nameless Puppet to elicit such a reaction. He had to have been.

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listen to me right now: stop wasting precious time waiting to dress sluttier until you're smaller. you have a limited number of slut hours before you die and barring cosmic interference you will Never obtain more of them. wear the crop top

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luana souza by henrique tarricone

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Help out Mr. Klaus with his back pain

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You think if Romeo was semi-conscious during the final fight he might’ve opened his eyes ever so slightly and in his deliriousness, head throbbing, vision blurring, thought it was Carlo fighting alongside Lea? Then the next time his eyes flicker open, just a touch, he’s on the ground in Lea’s arms and it’s only her and he thinks his wish must’ve been granted to see Carlo just one last time before the end.

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if you feel like you forgot how to write: good. forget the rules. be ungovernable. invent a new genre.

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quick carmeo doodle for the soul

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If Romeo could go back in time and say something to Carlo, what would it be?