rationalromantic

[rationalromantic]

Was there a FOURTH Baudelaire?! (BCT)

This theory is dedicated to @decoaili, who has the only active blog from a post I ("recently") reblogged about Rereading THH: https://www.tumblr.com/unfortunatetheorist/783862022203981824/rereading-the-hostile-hospital?source=share

In THH, there is a list of patient names that Klaus (& Sunny) come across whilst disguised as Dr Faustus. One of the names on this list is 'Ed Valiantbrue'.

Apart from, of course, Laura V. Bleediotie, Ed Valiantbrue is the only other name on the list to have all ten letters in 'Baudelaire'...

...but there are only three other letters: V, N and T. These don't form a name, but maybe they stand for initials.

Another point I find noteworthy is that 'VNT' rhymes somewhat with 'VFD'.

This makes me think of something Violet says in TCC: when Klaus asks if one of their parents is alive, why aren't they trying to find them, Violet responds, "Maybe they are but they can't because we keep moving from place to place".

So in answer to our question: No, there was not a fourth Baudelaire - I think, instead, the following:

Ed Valiantbrue is a name put on the list by a V.F.D. Volunteer. Unscrambled, it spells 'V.N.T. Baudelaire'. I think 'V.N.T.' stands for 'Volunteer Near, Trying'. In other words, there is a volunteer who knows that the Baudelaires are at Heimlich Hospital, trying to send a subtle message of hope to them - but of course, Klaus and Sunny are busy trying to save their sister from decapitation, and don't have time to even try and decipher this message.

"Who is this volunteer who knows where the Baudelaires are?", I hear you cry. My thoughts say Dewey Denouement as he's the organisation's secret sub-sub-librarian, who knows all the safe places. I think he and Lemony are in contact, as both know what it is to keep their existence secret - Lemony because he's on the lam, and Dewey because... I've forgot. It's likely Dewey told Lemony, who strategically placed himself as a patient on the Heimlich list - Monty Kensickle.

~ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph, Unfortunate Theorist/Snicketologist

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You have left nothing but a trail of pain behind you. You know you’ll never find forgiveness. Nothing can atone for a wasted life. Nothing can purify you. Nothing can absolve you. Ahead of you, there’s nothing. Only the void awaits. DISCLAIMER (2024) dir. Alfonso Cuaron

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The Dangers Of Thinking Your Child Can Do No Wrong | My Thoughts On Disclaimer*

Disclaimer* is a top-five TV show for me; one reason is its evoked range of emotions. Until the last episode, we all held a specific opinion of Catherine Ravenscroft. Episode seven revealed the true horrific story of what happened during that trip to Italy, and it got me thinking: Why do parents feel their children can do no wrong?

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thinking about the fact that the only place in the base game you could find the specific white flower with 5 petals in Shaman Village is Malenia boss arena… aka the Haligtree roots.

(that flower also looks like jasmine, which is what “Marika” means in Japanese - 茉莉花)

you can find the same 5-petal flower in Shadow Keep architecture too (Messmer splattering the flower bearing his Mother’s name and her golden ring symbol everywhere in his castle 😭 I bet it’s him who told Malenia about Marika being named after a flower)

Also the lily in the boss arena is Calla lily, not the one Miquella or Trina like, so I always assume it’s Malenia’s favourite, and if she’s growing them along with jasmine…

Such a small environmental design detail, but it’s so in line with my theory that the Marika’s Soreseal found in the Haligtree was meant to help seal away Malenia’s rot (like the eye Messmer got), it just didn’t work.

yet Malenia kept it always, and grew the flowers her mother was named after in her new home. something to remember her by…

Extra edit: Trina was growing jasmine along with her purple lilies as well.

There's something tragic about Miquella, on his path to abandon everything that made him Marika's child, left the flower bearing his Mother's name - the flower he probably planted together with his sister at the Haligtree roots - with his discarded love.

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The Great Truce

One of the arguments used to show that Count Olaf did not set fire to the Baudelaires’ house is the answer to the question: “why now”? After all, the Baudelaires would have gone through at least 14 years of relative peace, (Violet’s lifetime outside the womb until the fire). Apparently, from the moment Beatrice and Bertrand left the island after they discovered a cure for the deadly fungus MM until the moment they died, there was peace in their lives despite Olaf living in the neighborhood. Only this is “apparently”. In fact, shortly after leaving the island and arriving home, the Baudelaires faced a life-threatening situation. We know this because of Lemony’s letter to Mrs. Baudelaire in LS to BB # 6. So there was a Penultimate Peril in Beatrice’s life before the end. But there was also a great hiatus of approximately 14 years between these situations, and this period that I am calling The Great Truce. On the other hand, from the moment Beatrice and Bertrand died, Olaf felt free to act as he pleased. He changed his attitude only when he suspected that one of the Baudelaires’ parents was alive. From then on, this knowledge about it became very important, and that is why he went to consult Olivia Taliban. The question is, why did Olaf exhibit this behavior? At the moment I believe that this is related to the SB. My accidental theory that SB contains a radioative element contains an interesting element. I stated that the content of the SB that belonged to Esmé is the same as that of the mysterious box that Olaf and Esmé had in hand at the construction committee meeting. I stated that at that time Esmé had not yet managed to find a safe and beautiful container for that mysterious item. I also stated that the volunteers already used other sugar bowls for some other object, and that Esmé simply used the SB that belonged to her to store the mysterious item that was in that box. Esmé’s words indicate that the SB contains something deadly, and the words of Kit and Dewey indicate that the SB contains destructive potential similar to the deadly fungus MM. This description seems to fit the reaction of members of the construction committee meeting. Olaf had the small item in hand but it gave him the power to threaten people simply by removing it from some type of containment box. Now let us turn our attention to the attitudes of Gregor A. He sought to cultivate the deadly fungus MM with the aim of countering enemies. At that time Olaf had no restrictions whatsoever on acting with his incendiary methods. Fernald supported Olaf and destroyed AA, and the deadly fungus was presumably extinguished. (It is interesting that even the MM fungus had a false death in ASOUE). Around this time (I know that because Fiona was a baby, and Fiona is a little older than Violet), we know that Beatrice and Bertrand were looking for a cure for the deadly fungus MM. This would be a protection for the associates, as Beatrice was concerned with the lives of the associates who were yet to be born (She was not so concerned with the lives of all the unborn babies in the world, but with the lives of the children in the wombs of the women of the VFD members.) She wanted to take the results of the research to the AA, through a tunnel. It is easy to see that the cure and the disease were the result of the work of the same organization. Olaf and Fernald work against the disease through fire. Fernald seems to have been motivated by a feeling that the best option for him was to act in the way that was least worse: he decided to remove AA because the destructive potential of the MM fungus could cause a much greater number of deaths than Olaf himself. Unfortunately it was necessary to remove not only the fungus, but also those responsible for the research, because otherwise they could restart the same research elsewhere. (Over time he became a villain who supported Olaf at heart, and then changed again). At the time he believed that his actions may have resulted in the death of some people, but it also resulted in the salvation of many others. (Something similar to what Lemony did at the end of? 4). I don’t think people like Beatrice and Bertrand really wanted to use the deadly fungus MM. I believe they just wanted to keep the incendiary side under control, forcing a truce by means of threat. The destruction of AA prevented this. So Lemony knew that the destruction of AA would be a danger to the Baudelaire family. Lemony was probably talking about the fact that arsonists would no longer have restrictions to act. On the other hand, there was still a way out for the fire extinguishing side to force a truce. They could steal the mysterious item from the box that Olaf and Esmé used to threaten the construction committee members. If I’m right, by that time this item had already been placed by Esmé in a safe and beautiful container. That’s why Beatrice stole this container with the contents. This forced the incendiary side to a truce, as the biggest weapon they had in hand was now in Beatrice’s hands. Thus, if Olaf or his associates used their incendiary methods, they would be at risk of being killed. And Beatrice showed that she was not kidding when (apparently) she killed Count Olaf’s father or parents. Beatrice wanted to live in peace, whatever the cost. So she could take care of her children. When an accident led Beatrice and Bertrand to death, Olaf was free to act as he pleased, as the SB was lost. But when rumors about the survival of one of them surfaced again, he was soon afraid. And soon he became interested in meeting SB again. I mean, Esme and the sinister duo were more concerned with that. Without Beatrice and Bertrand to use the SB, the location of the SB itself was not that important anymore. It would be unlikely that anyone in VFD other than the Baudelaires would use lethal force. That way, Olaf could focus on getting the fortunes he always wanted.

[rationalromantic]

Well, I just realized something horribly dark

Beatrice discovered that there was something about the horseradish-apple hybrid that was harmful to unborn babies…

Was Beatrice pregnant before Violet?

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cate blanchett in black bag (2025)

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[rationalromantic]

Black Bag (2025) directed by Steven Soderbergh

[rationalromantic]

The Mystery of Kit Snicket: Lies, Retcons, and the Role of R in ASOUE

The story behind the story is very important. Lemony wrote to a supposed sister in TSS. Here we discover that Lemony has a sister named Kit Snicket. And without using any means to try to hide information (as he had done in TCC and TSS), he openly said that he was trying to save the life of his sister Kit. I think we can say with complete certainty that when Lemony published ASOUE in his universe, several years had already passed since the main events narrated in the series.

The important question is: If Kit dies during the main events narrated in ASOUE, how could Lemony try to communicate with her and save her life many years after her death (that is, at the time of the publication of ASOUE)? While some argue for the idea of a "plot hole," I argue for the idea of a "conscious decision made in TE to retcon and make this woman, referred to as Kit at the time of publication, an imposter whom Lemony knew was an imposter and knowingly collaborated with."

In fact, in LSTUA, there were already some hints of this. Consider the original title of chapter 12 of LSTUA: "Is there anything a concerned citizen can do if he or she wants to help the Baudelaires?"

On page 192, we find Lemony’s response to this question. Note who the response letter is addressed to:

"My dear sister, I understand how desperate our situation has become, but it is dreadful enough for people to have to read about the Baudelaires. I cannot imagine who would be brave enough to help them. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket."

What happened here? Someone sent a question to Lemony (the question in the chapter title), and he answered with "my dear sister." Interestingly, in THH, the VFD people handing out balloons and singing at the hospital explained to Klaus that "brother and sister" doesn’t necessarily mean biological siblings but can refer to people in the same organization with the same goals.

With this in mind, we see the development of DH’s idea about Lemony’s "dear sister." In THH, we learn brothers and sisters aren’t always family. Then, in LSTUA, Kit appears as Lemony’s real sister (published in our universe after THH). At the same time, another “secret” character is introduced: R. LSTUA is what truly allowed the world-building from TCC onward to become so consistent.

In a recent 667 interview (well, more like questions sent through Semb), DH said he made outlines for LSTUA and that we could take it seriously. LSTUA laid the groundwork for the Sebald Code, Jacques working on a submarine, and many other things. But back to Lemony’s “dear sister.” LSTUA shows that VFD members sometimes pretend to be other members (and not just Olaf with disguises).

To get straight to the point: I’m saying that R took Kit’s identity and Lemony knew it. Lemony knew Kit had died on the island, her death witnessed by a few people whose whereabouts are now unknown.

Now, look at what R wrote to Lemony on page 25 of LSTUA:

"There are not many of us left, Mr. Snicket, but we are ready to help you in any way we can… Gone are the wigs I used when I wanted to disguise myself as you disguised as someone else."

R promised to help Lemony and was known for going undercover. Did DH forget or ignore R in the main story? No! In fact, R is mentioned in TGG, which proves DH included her in the narrative. Of course, the quotes in TE and TBL are more obvious, but even in TGG, R’s presence is "felt."

In ch. 8 of LSTUA, we see the story about "Miss K" at Prufrock Prep and the photo of a woman Lemony wrote about: "Will I ever see her again?" At first, maybe DH’s idea was that Miss K was Kit. But after TE, we know Miss K cannot be Kit. Kit died before the publication of TBB in the ASOUE universe, while Miss K brought one of ASOUE’s published books to Prufrock Prep. This means Miss K became someone else, not Kit. Probably a retcon, but that’s fine, since it’s never revealed that Miss K is Kit. There are enough loopholes to suggest she’s someone else—most likely R.

As a result, the secret message in TCC and the letter in TSS couldn’t have been sent to Kit. ( Note: R is only a suspect). Since Lemony is an unreliable narrator capable of lying or making mistakes, the recipient could even be Beatrice, whom he believes is alive (maybe she is, maybe not). With Lemony’s unreliability, there are so many possibilities that I have to establish guiding principles for investigating the Baudelaire case.

The fact that Kit is described as alive in TGG, called "my sister Kit" by Lemony, is clear evidence that Lemony lied. When he called her "dear sister," it could’ve been ambiguous, but naming her outright makes it a direct lie. The purpose seems to be to mislead anyone in his universe reading ASOUE to gather intel to capture Lemony or his allies.

By the time TGG was published, Kit had been dead for years. Lemony knew this. Most of his detailed knowledge of the Baudelaires’ thoughts and actions comes from the book written by the island castaways. That book told him how Kit died and where she was buried. This allowed him to write such a detailed account of the Baudelaires, including their private thoughts and actions.

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Hela : You are by far most alluring thing I've ever laid my eyes on....

[M!Reader stares at her with confusion while eating a burger with sauce all over his face]

Hela : You truly are worthy

M!Reader : Of what?

Hela : My heart...

M!Reader : Awwwwww! ^v^

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Goddess....

CATE BLANCHETT Venice Film Festival

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finally... i can draw more elden ring family shenanigans 🤭

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could we ever get those chibi Messmer and Malenia as stickers or even just as PNGs? I adore those pieces so much!

it's so specifically drawn to be made into a clear card for photo-taking purpose that i didn't think people will be interested in it as png haha, but here it is!

if i can make another fanbook in the future i'll include all these chibi merch in it 🥹

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don’t worry guys I know how to fix her ☕️👍

[rationalromantic]

a continuation of this reverse parenting AU where Messmer went back in time to save a young Marika, and now she’s bringing all kinds of (not) animals back to his Keep lmaooo

let’s pretend in this setting the Elden Beast and Metyr are like… alien cats … idk 🐱🐈‍⬛

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Queen Marika whose embrace is full of warmth and healing magic ✨✨🥰

(throw in the Tarnished cuz we deserve hugs too, come on)