#*Note: Hundred Line spoilers in link

[jacksmusesdrv3]

Oh yeah hehehe

About the Hundred Line twins, and the theory of Kokichi twins?

Well, if you don't mind spoilers, there's something else decidedly interesting about these two that seems resonant.............

[asaka-lucy-hl]

Completion Event Report②

Previous article → ①

This article adds some extra details from the guest talk segment of The Hundred Line - Last Defense Academy Completion Event—things that were left out of the official media coverage. For a clearer overview of the event itself (with photos and all), I recommend checking the official articles linked below.

Gamer

Famitsu

animate Times

DENGEKI ONLINE

Denfaminico-gamer

(The article on "Denfaminico-gamer" is especially detailed.)

⚠️ Note: While this article contains no direct story spoilers, it does include information that may hint at still-hidden game systems and the structure of the endings. If you want to experience the game completely blind, you may want to stop reading here.

Since recording and photography were prohibited during the event, this report is based on my memory and notes taken immediately after. As such, some details may differ from what was actually said, or the order in which things were said.

If you're okay with the above, feel free to expand and read on below. (This is a very long post!)

The event was hosted by Shohei Taguchi, who also served as the MC for the Tokyo Game Show special program on YouTube. First to take the stage were the three guest speakers: Kazutaka Kodaka, Taihi Kimura, and Nene. When Kodaka was first asked to speak, he declared, “We’ve completed a masterpiece. No, correction—a historically masterpiece.” The phrasing made it clear that he wasn't just talking about a well-made game, he was boldly asserting that it was a game worthy of a place in history. His confidence was unmistakable.

Later, when the host asked something along the lines of “How does it feel to see all the fans here in person today?”, Kodaka responded: "Actually, there are still elements of the game we haven’t revealed yet. Once players discover them, it gives the game a real boost in excitement. It’s a rare kind of game where the fun ramps up mid-way through. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions when they reach that point." (Kodaka has mentioned in the past that there are still unrevealed elements to the game. For example, he talked about this during the School Council’s online meeting, which I’ve posted about before.)

In response, the host asked, “Is that boost you mentioned something players will notice right away?” To that, Kodaka replied, “Yeah, I think they’ll get it pretty quickly. Like, ‘Ah, this is it!’” After that, the conversation touched on the topic of branching endings. From the way Kodaka spoke, it seemed that this “boost in excitement” is closely tied to those branching elements. Once players understand it, it apparently makes them think, “Oh, so that’s why there are 100 different endings.”

This isn't the exact order in which things were discussed at the event, but later when Kanata Hongo took the stage, he mentioned that Kodaka had asked him to stream THLLDA gameplay on his YouTube channel. He had already received the final version of the game and had played it up to about day 50. At that point, the host asked, "So, has the boost kicked in yet?" Kodaka replied, "Not yet at this point." So it seems that the element associated with this "boost in excitement" is something that will be revealed after Day 50.

After that, the conversation shifted to how Kimura was chosen to voice Takumi Sumino. Kodaka explained the reason simply: "It was his kind of voice". At the time of the first audition, he thought his voice was just right for a normal boy like Takumi, but since Kimura was inexperienced, Kodaka wanted to make sure he could take direction and adjust his performance accordingly. So, on a later date, he asked Kimura to come in again, under the pretense of continuing the audition.

In reality, Kodaka had pretty much already decided on him by that point, so Kimura was the only one he invited. But Kimura didn��t know that. Kodaka deliberately chose some of the more difficult lines—ones that would be tricky to perform—and had Kimura read them. Kodaka then gave him some direction, listened to the revised performance, and once he felt confident, he called Kimura into another room and said, “I’d like you to take the role.”

Kimura was completely shocked, since he assumed there were still other candidates. He said the surprise was so intense, he barely remembers what happened after that. Although it was completely omitted from all official articles, Kodaka actually made this dark joke at the time:

Kodaka: So I told him, ‘Lick my shoe and I’ll give you the role.’ Host: What? Kodaka: And he actually did it. Lick, lick. So I said, ‘Alright, the role is yours.’ Host: That’s definitely not true, right? (laughs)

Why does he love the expression "kneeling" and "licking shoes" so much? 😂 Well, some might find it odd that Kodaka made that joke right after telling the real story, but that's how it happened. I think he was just trying to help out Kimura, who didn't seem to remember much about the offer. The little sketch in the upper right corner is mostly my imagination, but Kodaka really did lift his toe on stage. lol What's great about him is that he never says "just kidding" after a wild joke like that. The Rain Code protagonist's VA got the same treatment, so maybe laughing off Kodaka's jokes is part of the requirements for being the protagonist's VA of his works. 😆

There was also a moment when the host asked Nene, who was dressed as Darumi, who her favorite character in the game was. She replied, “It’s really hard to say this while dressed like this, but... actually, I love Hiruko-sama. I’m into strong women.” Personally, I had found it a bit curious why a cosplayer dressed as Darumi was chosen as a guest, but from the way she spoke, it didn’t seem like it was her choice. When she mentioned she hoped to cosplay as Hiruko someday, the audience responded with a round of applause.

---

After that, Kanata Hongo took the stage and, as mentioned earlier, he shared that he had already received the final version of the game and had been playing it. He also mentioned that when he acted Makoto Karaki in Death Come True, Kodaka had already told him about his idea to create a game with an enormous number of branching paths, where all of the endings would be considered the true route. DCT was released in 2020, and according to some interviews, THLLDA took more than six years to develop. Therefore, assuming that filming for DCT took place around 2019, it certainly coincides with the start of THLLDA development.

Hongo also mentioned, "I was told the approximate amount of the debt by Kodaka-san, and it was indeed a huge amount. I was surprised." Kodaka replied with a bit of a bitter smile, "I wonder why making a game costs so much money..." Kodaka has mentioned multiple times, in various places, that he took out a loan to make THLLDA, but this was the first time I heard anyone refer to the large amount of money involved. Later, Kodaka expressed concern about whether TooKyo Games would still be around 100 days after the release, and from Hongo's reaction, I started to think he might actually be serious.

When asked about his thoughts after playing up to Day 50, he said: “Well, of course I can't spoil the main story, but... there's just one thing I want to say. There are characters who'll make you go, 'What is with this character?' early on—but trust me, you'll end up loving them. So don't worry.”

Later, Hongo brought up the fact that Megumi Ogata, who has appeared in many of Kodaka's works such as Danganronpa and Akudama Drive, was once again part of this game as Ima Tsukumo's VA. He then asked, “What does Megumi Ogata mean to you, Kodaka-san?” Hongo said he thought of that question because Kodaka would have difficulty answering questions related to the story, but Kodaka smiled wryly and said it was a question he hadn't expected at all.

Kodaka explained that the reason he offered the role to Ogata was because THLLDA was created as the culmination of TooKyo Games' work, and he wanted to reach out to as many people as possible whom he had worked with before and wanted to work with again. He said that Ogata was definitely someone he absolutely wanted to work with once more.

However, he added, “Just because we’ve worked together for a long time doesn’t mean we’re perfectly in sync. Whenever I work with Ogata-san, it always ends up in a bit of a clash.” He explained that rather than simply doing exactly what she's instructed, Ogata often brings her own interpretation to the role. Then, after listening to her version, they decide whether to go with her take or the originally planned direction.

Upon hearing that, Hongo responded, “I can totally imagine that. When I was with her during the recording sessions for Danganronpa 3, even though she was a veteran, she was the one most actively discussing things with the director and staff.”

Kodaka also said, “We’ve built characters together through shared ideas and effort, so... of course, she’s far more experienced than I am, but I still think of her as—she feels like a 戦友 (sennyū / comrade-in-arms), or rather a 戦仲間 (ikusa-nakama / battle companion).” To add some context, Ogata is 13 years older than Kodaka. When she voiced one of her most iconic characters, Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kodaka was still just 17 years old. I only used Japanese here, but after Kodaka first said “戦友,” I was struck by his choice to then use the word “戦仲間.” The word “戦友” includes the character for “friend,” but perhaps he felt that using it made him sound too presumptuous, as if he were placing himself on equal footing with her.

After that, the event moved into a segment where they answered questions from the gathered fans. One of the questions was, “Is it made clear in the game which route was written by you, Kodaka-san?”

Kodaka: The route I wrote is—well, it’s not actually referred to that way in the game—but what you’d call the 'truth-revealing route.' It’s the part where all the mysteries get explained. The game doesn’t explicitly tell you which route you’re on while you're playing, but at the end, there’s a title card that says something like ‘This was the ___ arc,’ and at that point, it’s clear which one I wrote. Hongo: So you don’t find out while reading the story? Like it doesn’t say ‘This part is written by Kodaka,’ or something? Kodaka: Even Darumi wouldn’t break the fourth wall like that. (laughs) But I think people can probably tell... I think most of you will read it and go, ‘Yeah, this one’s definitely written by Kodaka.’

At this point, the host brought up how having 100 different endings must have made the voice recording process extremely challenging for Kimura. Kimura agreed, but when the host followed up with the next question, he gave a wry smile:

Host: So... do you want players to listen to all 100 routes? Kimura: Uhhhhhhhh... wellll... I don’t know about that... Host: Huh? Isn’t this where you’re supposed to just say, “Yes! I want everyone to hear them all!” Kimura: It’s just... some of the routes are really heartbreaking...

He really furrowed his brow when he heard that question! When I saw his reaction, I thought, "Ah, that makes sense—that must be why both Kodaka and Uchikoshi emphasized in interviews that players don’t have to play through all the routes." After that, Kimura never actually said he wanted players to experience them all. That said, I should add that during the voice recording sessions, Kimura hardly got to see the actual in-game footage. Unlike Hongo, he mentioned that he had only played the demo version.

There were other questions as well, but since there’s nothing additional I want to add to what’s already been covered in the official media articles, I won’t introduce them here.

---

Finally, there was a challenge where Hongo attempted to clear a later part of the story, beyond what was available in the demo, within 7 minutes. The battle screen photo can be seen in the official media article, and it looked like the first battle after Takumi meets the second unit (Yugamu, Kurara, Kyoshika, Nozomi). Since Hongo had already completed the same battle, he started off well, introducing mechanics like building fences (Strategic Materials) and using potions to enhance character abilities to hold off the School Invaders. However, he got so caught up in explaining things that he ended up pushing Takumi too far forward. After the turn ended, Takumi became the prime target and was the first to die. However, after the next turn began, it was funny when Hongo started looking for Takumi after a while:

Hongo: Ah, so Takumi dies here? Oh, yeah, Takumi’s going to die. But it’s okay! In this game, when a character dies, the VOLTAGE increases by 100%! I can still turn this around with a special attack! Kimura: Ahh... Takumi deserved better... <A few dozen seconds later> Hongo: Huh, where’s Takumi? Wait, Takumi’s gone... oh, he died earlier. Kimura: You DID kill him with a smile! Already forgot!?

After that, Yugamu, who had low HP, also died, and the battle situation became critical. Seeing this, Kodaka gave detailed instructions to help Hongo:

Kodaka: Use Nozomi’s skill to heal, have Kyoshika use a special attack, then heal again with Nozomi. After that, just keep attacking with Kyoshika, and it should be fine. Hongo: Can you just do it yourself, Kodaka-san?

I should add that Kodaka started giving this advice (almost like commands) because he read the situation and realized it would be better to ensure the challenge succeeded, as the reward for success was that five lucky audience members would be randomly selected to receive signed posters.

---

What each speaker shared during the closing segment is accurately reflected in the official media, so please refer to that for the exact wording. The rest is a closing thoughts, mixed with my own impressions.

This event gathered many people involved in the project, and at least I personally confirmed that Masafumi Takada, who is the main composer was, seated in the back of the audience. (There was also a woman sitting next to him, who I believe was the sound designer Etsuko Ichikawa. She was one of the people who answered an interview in the creators’ blog.)

Also, I’ve left out a part because I forgot exactly when it happened, but at one point, Kodaka turned to the staff and said “Congratulations on the complete.” Of course, he directed the game himself, but the event had the feel of everyone sharing the joy that this game was completed, thanks to the hard work of many staff members.

At the segment breaks, previously released trailers were projected onto the screen, and during this time, lighting effects in the venue illuminated the walls in the theme colors of THLLDA, such as blue and red, or teal and pink. It was such a lavish event that you almost forgot it was a free event for the audience. From these aspects, I also got the impression that the development staff was absolutely confident that this game would be both fun and successful.

It was a really wonderful event that made me even more excited for the release. The Hundred Line - Last Defense Academy will be released on April 24th! Let’s enjoy it together!

Thank you for reading! 🫶💖

[alto-tenure]

The Imacoin Masterpost, Part 1

Note: This was created in collaboration with @vaultymonsoon , who wrote part 2, and @lesbiankakyoin , who helped edit this.

Edit: Part 2 is available now! Link at the end of this post.

Introduction

Imacoin is a joke. We’re talking about this fictional character like a bunch of business investors. It’s a memecoin, except it doesn’t actually exist as real cryptocurrency. This post, and its followup, exist to explain the joke and where it came from.

Ima Tsukumo is a character from upcoming game The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. Since his character was fully revealed, he’s been controversial among the fandom, since he has a “sister complex”, directly affecting his twin sister, Kako.

However, a few fans latched onto one particular detail: their last name. Tsukumo in Japanese is written as 九十九, translating to “ninety-nine”. Beyond the obvious connection of being one less than the arc number of 100, there’s also a more niche connection.

Allow me to introduce you to the novel Tsukumojuuku, by Maijo Otaro.

A major component of understanding the origins of Imacoin comes from understanding the connection between both twins and the novel. Since it broke containment, the connection has been lost, and thus a major reason why people are “betting” on him and his development as a character (both for better and for worse). This part will get into the basics: what exactly the connection is, why it’s plausible as a reference, and some (relatively) spoiler-free discussion of Tsukumojuuku. Part 2 will get into spoilers for the entire novel and some deeper theories.

That being said: if you would like to read Tsukumojuuku for yourself, a translation in English is available. It is a heavy book that tackles some dark subjects, including (but not limited to) physical & sexual child abuse, incest, and cannibalism. As this post will discuss parts of the novel’s Episode 1 (there are seven in total), anyone wanting to go in 100% blind should not keep reading. However, this post is designed for people unfamiliar with the novel to go over the basics. If you cannot read the novel due to the content warnings outlined above, keep in mind that this post will discuss some of these subjects, namely sexual abuse & incest.

What is Tsukumojuuku?

As stated earlier, Tsukumojuuku is a novel by Maijo Otaro. It is a detective novel, centering protagonist Tsukumojuuku (九十九十九)  Katou as he gets entwined in a metafictional mystery. It is also a reference to the Japan Detectives Club novels — the protagonist of that series is named Tsukumo Juuku, the “God of Detectives”. Throughout Tsukumojuuku, the idea of the “detective” and the “mystery” are both explored.

Just from this little introduction, the connections begin to line up. “Katou” isn’t too far off from “Kako” phonetically, and Kako is an aspiring detective. So…why the focus on Ima?

The Twins

Episode 1 of Tsukumojuuku largely focuses on establishing the protagonist’s backstory. His mother kidnapped him from the hospital and proceeded to abuse him due to his beauty, but eventually got arrested, so he moved out with his half-brother and stepfather, and said stepfather ended up marrying another woman…with a pair of twins.

Due to the fact that Tsukumojuuku presented a danger of making people faint in any given interaction with him, he was shut in the basement at this new home.

Here, we meet Seshiru and Serika. These two are a pair of twins and Tsukumojuuku’s step-siblings. They also work together to regularly sexually abuse him. To the two of them, Tsukumojuuku acts as a “pet”, someone who only lives to be under their control. Both of them regularly have sex with him because they wish to engage in a relationship with each other but cannot because they are twins. Serika especially presents an interesting case, as while she does engage in sexual activity with Tsukumojuuku, she wishes to preserve some of her purity/virginity, so she refuses to engage in specific activities that she sees as damaging to that.

We have seen evidence of Ima exhibiting abusive behaviors towards Kako. He exhibits controlling and overprotective behavior towards her, like when he expresses disappointment towards the two of them having separate rooms, and Kako expresses that she believes they’re better off with separate rooms. Additionally, in one preview video where Kako declares that she wishes to join the battling students, but Ima steps up and scolds her akin to a parent scolding a child when he tells her to back off. Both of these point to his desire to maintain control over her and make her solely dependent on him rather than anyone else — he doesn’t treat her as her own autonomous human being.

In addition, Ima has an investment in preserving Kako’s purity and maintaining her image as a “perfect” girl. His descriptions of her beauty harken back to fairytale princesses (“She’s so lovely, unidentified species of bugs and animals flock to her whenever she goes outside”), and his desire to prevent her from fighting isn’t just for her safety — it’s to preserve this purity he sees. In these ways, Ima’s abuse of Kako mirrors the abuse throughout Tsukumojuuku’s childhood.

Other symbolism & themes

Another piece of evidence for this allusion are the angel and devil motifs that Ima and Kako have. This gets into themes that are explored deeper into the novel, but to leave you with a hook for reading the rest of the novel, Tsukumojuuku focuses on Christian imagery and motifs, including angel/devil motifs. 

Is there really any reason to believe this?

Kodaka in the past has cited the Japan Detectives Club novels as a creative influence, and mentioned Maijo in an interview when discussing favorite authors. While he’s never mentioned Tsukumojuuku directly, it’s very likely that he’s read it. Considering that both Danganronpa and Rain Code have been influenced by literature (with one Danganronpa character being a direct JDC reference — though that reference has its own failures), is it really that much of a stretch that this game and its characters could be as well?

Conclusion

Ima is a controversial character in the fandom right now, and I have no doubt that he will continue to be. However, one of the hopes I have, as someone who has “invested in Imacoin”, is that the writers of this game are aware of the themes they are choosing to invoke with the allusions to Tsukumojuuku of incestuous abuse and its effects on those involved in it. I hope they use those themes to do something interesting with Ima — whether the arc will culminate in him improving and stopping his abuse of Kako or getting worse and doubling down will likely depend on the route, but both options will undoubtedly create a character who is interesting.

Also: if you do decide to read the full novel, after you do so, be sure to check out part 2 when it comes out soon! now!

[sdrklx]

hello!! could i ask for the drive link for the ripped assets? sorry if this is rude or forward ;

it's not rude whatsoever! In fact, I'll leave the drive link for everyone here, in this post.

I should also note that any datamined game asset may contain SPOILERS, so please be advised before proceeding. If I had the time I'd made a separate folder with spoiler-free content.

[1moreff-creator]

Considering that both DT and P:EG happen in the U.S., what state and/or region do you think each of them lives in based on their lifestyle, fashion sense, culture, beliefs, backstory, etc?

Ok so. I gave answering this an honest shot, but I can’t lmao. I’m not from the US, I have absolutely no idea how to place the majority of these guys. I wouldn’t know the difference between someone from Arkansas and someone from California even if you put them right next to each other. Are those even particularly different states? Who knows! Not me!

Accents don’t help me either; I can barely tell apart accents in my native language, let alone intra-US accent differences. So, uh, I think I have to leave this one to my fellow Tumblr users to figure out!

That said, I still have some thoughts on some of the characters based on canonical information of their origin, so I’ll write those under the cut, so as to give you something.

Spoilers for P:EG CH1 and DRDT CH2.

Project: Eden’s Garden

Damon apparently canonically grew up in Japan, which was a new one for me. (Sources 1 and 2). If he moved to the US at some point, I have no idea where he landed lol. 

Here’s what Ulysses says about where he works:

Damon [Ulysses 1st FTE]: You work at the Patawomeck River Museum, right? Ulysses: In Tsenacommacah, yes… I direct an exhibit on the Cold War there.

Tsenacommacah (name given by the Patawomeck tribe) is a real place in Virginia, so assuming Ulysses works in the same area he lives, we have a more or less confirmed origin! Hell yeah. 

I would assume Jean lives in a coastal city, since, y’know. Sailing’s kinda his thing.

Does Ingrid have a southern accent? It’s like the only English accent I think I can easily recognize lmao. In fact, the wiki says she specifically has a Texan accent, so let’s say she’s from there. 

The wiki says Grace has an Australian accent (and yes I’m quoting the wiki even on this, I’m that unconfident in telling apart accents lol), so you could argue she may come from Australia and just immigrated to the US. 

Danganronpa: Despair Time

Unlike P:EG, where I don’t think it’s been explicitly stated every character (other than Damon evidently) is originally from America, it has been stated that most of the DRDT characters are explicitly American. The only exception is Teruko, whose nationality is “legally in question.”

Though, speaking of Teruko, it’s been highly implied that she grew up in Japan. We know she spent some time there according to a line from MonoTV in the costume change scene from CH2, and she and her brother used Japanese honorifics for each other when they lived together. 

(Does anyone have a link to this reply for future reference? I don’t have Twitter and I can’t access it easily help)

By extension, it’s possible Mai Akasaki comes from Japan, as she seems to have known Teruko for a long time.

Mai Quote (Teruko): Some years ago, she was searching for someone named 'Teruko Tawaki.'

For the Americans, it’s worth noting that they’re all part of “East Class 27” per Bonus Episode 1, possibly implying they’re all from the eastern side of the US. The only exception might once again be Teruko per the “West Class Teruko” theory you can find in my Mai post. 

We know from Bonus Episode 2 that Xander grew up in “Chariton” and spent some time in Britain, though he's not from real life Chariton, and instead from a fake Chariton near an equally fictional Chariton River. 

This is maybe a nice time to bring up that, given DRDT is set almost a hundred years post Tragedy, there’s a non zero chance some state and city names changed in the wake of the whole Junko fiasco lol. That also means that reasoning like “J might be from or near Hollywood because her mom is a famous actor” is not 100% reliable, because the Tragedy could have changed certain aspects of culture, and we have no way of knowing which ones.

Off the top of my head, I can’t remember anyone else from DRDT stating where they’re from, so. That’s where my guesses end lmao.

-

And that’s about it! I imagine there must be something I missed somewhere, since there’s a lot of evidence across both of these fangans and I don’t have Rose’s photographic memory so. Feel free to bring up anything I may have missed in comments or rbs. Hope I didn’t do too bad of a job though! And I hope that was enough of an answer for you! Thanks for the ask!

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

Although Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) only caught my eye on Netflix in December 2023, I’m so glad it did and that I didn’t miss out on this stunning and thought-provoking masterpiece. It is the most inspiring series I have ever watched for many reasons. Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. I frequently felt the need to pause and admire the well-designed sets, and exquisitely detailed costumes of even minor characters. The acting is superb across the board, and the leads act and respond very naturally to each other. The long hair of male characters is especially well-done, falling naturally with subtle highlights and looks real. All these details breathe life into this fantasy world and make it very realistic.

Every line of each song from the phenomenal OST is brimming with hidden meanings related to the series, adding lots of additional context! The artwork created for the opening and ending sequences is also full of meaning (minor spoilers ahead). Take, for example, the last picture where the OTP are sitting on a boat in the Oblivion River, the junction between their two tribes, the male lead has removed his crown and hence his responsibilities at least for the moment, and they are watching the sunrise together for the rest of eternity after the close of the series (sigh!)

Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui. Even the secondary villains and dictator of Shuiyuntian have grown and changed their perceptions by the end. It made me believe that anyone is capable of opening their minds and bettering themselves. Both lead and side characters are repeatedly faced with overwhelmingly bleak choices and heartbreaking challenges, especially in the last ten episodes. Yet every time, they show courage, sacrifice and selfless love that is amazing and very inspiring.

It is rare to find this kind of poignance in any production. I used to find Game of Thrones inspiring due to Daenerys freeing the world of slavery…until Season 8 happened. LBFAD tops Game of Thrones in this regard by freeing two distinct realms from conflict. The actions of the OTP break through a hundred millenia of mutual hatred and relentless conflict between their people with no end in sight, to create a new dawn of lasting peace. LBFAD reminds me of Lord of the Rings in terms of its cinematographic beauty and themes of never losing hope and prevailing over overwhelming odds. However, the stronger focus of LBFAD on the lead couple’s development and on creating multidimensional villains and side characters made it, for me, more engaging to watch.

The world-building and depth of characters has many layers in LBFAD, to the extent that much of the context was clear to me only in retrospect on rewatching the series and on deep reflection. The fast pace of the series also means that a lot of action occurs off-screen in between scenes. There are no filler scenes, there is no room for them. Every scene adds new plot twists and depth to characters, making the series highly addictive.

I am not a native mandarin speaker, and came to realise how beautiful the language is only on encountering LBFAD and its OST. It inspired me to learn mandarin, which makes rewatching the series highly enjoyable as I am able to pick up new nuances. I’m embarrassed to be late to watch LBFAD after its release in August 2022, but have thoroughly enjoyed the posts on Tumblr from fellow fans, including enthralling artwork, meta and links to fanfiction. It has encouraged me to post on Tumblr myself. I have started to post my interpretations of artwork, mandarin names, xianxia concepts, and story-format reflections on each episode. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community!

Links to some of my other LBFAD articles:

Character Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Location Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

LBFAD Opening Artwork - Hidden Meanings

Here is a link to my episode 1 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[ktechnicolour]

Yoglabs: Behind Closed Doors - Universe Structure

Overview:

So with my mass spoiler post, I realised I never actually went into any detail about my head canons for the setting and world structure as a whole, So buckle up kids cause we’re diving in head first!

The Elemental Planes

The YBCD world exists on a planar system, similar to DnD but ALOT simpler, with the four elemental planes; the Nether, the Aether, the Erebus and the Oceanus each keeping the balance for the overworld.

Each of the elemental planes is supposed to have a demigod connected to it, with Ridge being connected to the Aether, Israphel; the Nether and Kirin; Oceanus. I never decided on what to do with the Erebus. Probably something along the lines of the previous demigod dying and no replacement being appointed yet. Subject K is a special case since she’s a manufactured demigod, her power is also linked to the Aether.

For the story of BCD, the Oceanus has actually been “cut off” from the overworld, in that Kirin has decided to have a hissy fit for the past few hundred years and isnt letting anyone play in his dimension. (storm honse man pouts in a demiplane after being tricked by a cryptid. More on that later) this “cut off dimension” is actually what K’s dad is looking for before he dies.

The Demiplanes

While not planes connected to the overworld in the same way; the End and the Twilight forest both play their own roles in the universe.

In terms of The End, Rythian's stories are canon to my universe and you can find those here! https://rythian.tumblr.com/tagged/storiesbyrythian

The Twilight forest however, is a little different. The kingdom of Dusk is what sealed away the kingdom of dawn in the first place, severing both kingdoms from the overworld. In a much similar way to the elemental planes holding balance between each other, the twilight forest acts as balancing opposition to the end.

The Void, and the creation of the World

The Void is slightly different in terms of a plane, and to understand its purpose, you’d need to understand the creation of the world. For BCD, the true gods are essentially nothing more than elemental energy now. Originally, there were the elemental planes that existed separated from each other. Lonely, bored or just curious, the gods began reaching out of their planes, creating bridges between each other. These bridges sparked creation and life until the void began reaching out too. The Void brought only darkness, destruction and death to all the creations the other gods were reveling in. Scared that their new creations would be destroyed and they'd be cast back into solitude, the gods decided to imprison the void through their combined efforts. The energy used to do so however reduced them to nothing more than formless forces. While the gods can still impose upon the overworld, it's more through elemental influence than direct intervention. Thus the gods appoint Demigods to maintain the world instead. Though their power is a fraction of the original gods.

Footnotes and coming next

The entire creation idea is rather vague in my head honestly, but since it's more of a myth within the world itself I didn't think it needed that much fleshing out.

The next few posts I want to make are details going into certain characters' backstories. Mainly;

Ridge and Israphel

Rythian

And Kirin.

I also wanna end off with a huge thank you for all the lovely notes and asks people have been sending in lately. If I know people are interested in my silly little head canons then I'm happy to put them out there!

[yersina]

a linguist plays chants of sennaar (pt 4)

[pt 1] [pt 2] [pt 3] [x] [pt 5]

we're getting close to the end, guys!!

disclaimer: can't promise that i'll have any insights that a layperson wouldn't have, this is kinda just me thinking through the grammar of the language out loud haha.

this post covers the fourth language and will contain spoilers! it also assumes that you know what the symbols mean already.

additional note: i went and added alt text to my previous posts in this series! sorry for not having them before :)

numbers!!!!!!!!

before i get into anything else, i think i might as well start with numbers, which are the most unique part of this language and really leans into the portrayal of this society as mathematical and scientific lol. like the arabic numeral system, this number system is base 10, which we can see from the ruler. whether it’s base 10 or not isn’t super relevant to the gameplay or the language, i think?? except that it mimics the arabic numeral system, so it’s familiar to us. i am not a mathematician or logician or what-have-you, so i wouldn’t know—my expertise does not lie in this area lol

we only have evidence in the game for numbers with up to 4 digits (one on each side and end of the center line) so we don't know how the alchemists would've represented really big numbers. however, the placement of the four numerical digits around the central line suggests to me that this language might have a system that counts by four digit placements, rather than three. (to clarify: in western cultures, we often count and represent numbers in groups of three: thousand (1,000), million (1,000,000), and so on, with a new word for each set of three digit places. in many east asian languages, large numbers are represented in groups of four instead (examples that came to mind were chinese, japanese, and korean, but that’s just what i’m personally familiar with; there certainly might be others). in chinese, we have 万 (10,000) and 亿 (100,000,000), single words instead of “ten thousand” and “hundred million”. the word for million is “hundred-ten thousand” (百万).) since this language naturally seems to represent numbers in groups of four, that's my suspicion. unfortunately, the addition-only calculator in lab 2 only goes up to 9999, so we don't know what happens at five digits; my best guess is that the center line changes (maybe becomes two lines instead of just one, since one line also represents 0?), but obv there's no guarantee.

moving on from numbers, this language is relatively consistent when it comes to visual representation of linguistic categories: verbs have an open circle, locations have the sideways u/semi-circle deal, and people have a triangle-plus-line element to them. interestingly, “fear” once again is more of a noun than a verb in this language in terms of appearance. at this point, i’m inclined to think that this a quirk of the developers, rather than the language; even though fear is often used as a verb in the language itself, its appearance denotes that it’s primarily a noun, which may indicate that the game developers also thought of it as a noun first and verb second.

other interesting combinations of elements/radicals in the language include “mine”, which combines the radical for location and the triangular feature of scientific elements/materials (i.e, “the location where you can find materials”). the word for “seek/want” and “laboratory” share a radical, which suggests that that radical means something like “answer” or “curiosity” or something like that. another fun thing i noted is that the word for “alchemist” shares a similar shape to “i/me”, which might be indicative of a thought like “i am an alchemist”, and that those two concepts are linked, culturally or historically. i also think it’s interesting that “fire” and “fear” visually look more similar to each other than the other nouns—again, could possibly indicate something about how the alchemists conceptualize them? they obviously live in an environment where they encountered monsters that were scared of fire, and they in turn were scared of the monsters—i wouldn’t be surprised if it were the case that these were connected in that way.

i’ve been trying to figure out if this language has a particular pattern when it comes to representing words with an open circle vs dot, but so far i can’t find anything. might just be random/artistic choice!

this language once again returns to the pattern of being SVO, with plural suffixes rather than prefixes like the warrior language. in fact, i would say that grammatically, especially in terms of sentence structure, the warriors and the alchemists seem to be the most similar. no verb-initial languages in this game i’m afraid, haha.

one more language to go!!

[thecluelessdoctor]

It's rambling time

*CRAWLS OUTTA WELL WITH A COMEDICALLY LARGE BACKPACK FULL OF NOTES*

I love totk. Don't get me wrong. I love it. But HOLY HELL TO I WANNA STRANGLE WHO EVER THOUGHT 'HEY MAN LETS GET RID OF ALL THE SHEIKAH TECH OTHER THAN LIKE- TWO GUARDIANS' LIKE EXSQUEEZE ME?? MY BABIESSSS/HJ

But on a serious note, I hate the fact how not only Zelda's character development go backwards, it forced a very black and white view on Hyrule. Rauru and kingdom of Hyrule good, Ganondorf bad. Like. What??? EXSQUEEZE ME.

Okz sure, Ganondorf did murder Sonia and steal a secret stone, and attack Hyrule, but like. Let's just- also note this. If the gerudo have a similar story to the sheikah, the kingdom of Hyrule, aka Rauru forced their hand into surrender.

Though I do like the 'keep your loved ones close and your enemies closer' trope (waiting for the ship art/j)

Let me note here, I am rather young, and Botw is what introduced me into LOZ. So. I still have a lot to learn. Anyway! On ward! (Also warning spoilers for TOTK jsndhdbdbdbd)

*sits down on a grassy patch, unpacking bag*

So!! Oh brother where to I start. Let's start with Zelda first because oh my hylia does it hurt.

Ok.

So, Zelda finds out about Zonai and the thing under Hyrule castle, it's understandable that she would be curious! It was established that she was a curious person.

Anyway, she gets yeeted into the past with a TIME power?!? WHAT. I mean it would explain why it took so long for her light power to wake the fuck up, but still?? It feels so random and forced.

Also in BOTW she spends one HUNDRED years keeping a calamity from destroying hyrule, and now suddenly she can't do jack in TOTK?!? EXSQUEEZE ME. WHAT. SHE MAKES A DAGGER GO BACK IN TIME. wOw- link mastered the power in a day- (I'm sorry but I have so many link rambles)

I just MY BRAIN HURTS. also I just- what the fuck happened to the sheikah?!

Yeah we are talking about this now. Like- fuckers are forgotten by EVERYONE- what happened to the shrines?! OR THE GIANT ASS DIVINE BEASTS LIKE WHERE ARE YOU RUDANA- *SOBS* Oh yeah and let's not forget the fact the champions have been forgotten basically. And Sidon moved the statue of his dead sister to make a statue of link riding him. Don't take that out of context. Also how the fuck did they get rid of the lynel up the mountain like?! Even if link killed it for them it would come back every time- endless building there made it so it couldn't come back there-??? Didn't know monsters had manners. I just- UGH.

Ah yes back to the sheikah tech. Everyone, even the sheikah have forgotten it like bruh. Even if it was like- 8 years since BOTW still- they couldn't have suddenly found everything and got rid of the shrines???

Like- the yiga clan (yes fucks I am talking about them) the yiga clan giving up learning about the sheikah for the Zonai makes sense- because the yiga clan has the depth now- and, they didn't have as much *known* access to sheikah tech. But like- PURAH FOR EXAMPLE- WHY WOULD SHE FORGET ABOUT THE TECH SKDNDJHR- IDC HOW HOT YOU ARE IM MAD AT YOU FOR THAT!

Oh and *SIGHS* lemme talk about the sages. No no, not the ones WE know now, I mean the ones of past. I hate them. The only one I like is the one of the gorons because of that one line he says

Me too buddy, me too/j

Anyway.

I wanna fucking murder these sages. Do they all share the same brain cell??? Other than you Mineru I like you.

Wait hold on that's meme potential. SOMEONE DRAW THE SAGES HAVING THE SAME BRAINCELL/HJ

But I just

I hate them.

So much.

Now let me talk about the best characters in TOTK. Besides kogha.

Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra.

Dear golly I love these dragons. I vibe with them.

Now it's time for my personal favorite topic

THE YIGA CLAN

I love them. And. Yeah

Though I'm very sad about the missed potential for them. Also is it just me or is almost every yiga a dude..

Idk what to say. Just. I love them. And. Kogha better come back or I will cry/J he always comes back-(I'm sorry)

And the last topic of the evening

Link.

I have

Thoughts

Uhm

Ok less about link I love him but like the fact he's so chill about the fact he doesn't have a arm and now has the arm of a furry might say smt.

But at least in BOTW impa is like 'hey you sure your ready to take on what's next and save hyrule' but now it's like 'fucker go do this this and this and go look at the funny ass paintings on the ground' like. Damn ok. ;-;

I can't tell you how much I stalled playing totk. I had such a hard time finishing regional phenomenon. It just- wasn't fun. I knew what to expect, and what was going to happen. So. Yeah.

But I did really like Rito Village. And gorons town. They basically got addicted to drugs and I am ALL FOR IT (not drugs. Don't do drugs) but the Zora's felt... Boring. I mean they felt boring in botw but it got worse. Personally I thought the gerudo were the most boring in botw which is saying something because I got to sneak through the yiga hide out and Rob Kogha. But the zora felt- basic like. Yeah. At least everything else caused you damage or made things harder- the shroud made navigation hard, snow caused damage, the meat roast made conversion harder

But the zora? The sludge just- made you slower??? Idk man.

And omg. Do Sidon and yona make me mad. YEAH, HATE ME FOR IT SIDON FANS!! like people hate yona bc she's engaged to sidon. Personally I dislike them both. Like- Sidon lost the spark that made him- him! And yona- yona is just annoying. Like fuck off mipha copy.

And oh my hylia the MUCKDROCK- I hate it. No. No I loath it. Like what the fuck are you your fucking shrimp.

And it's fight wasn't even that hard. It was just annoying. Like- colagara in my opinion was the easiest, but it was super fun. But the muchdrock? He sucked.

Also btw- before the wrap up, has anyone found the smoldering coliseum and got zants helm??? Just me? Ok :') apparently it's the ice verison of the thunder helm. Now I think there is a fire one.. hmMmmm

Anyway! That wraps up the ramble!

[dorminchu]

for want of a mackerel

Summary:

During another side-operation, 2B suffers an unexpected lapse in judgement, forcing 9S to temporarily act in her stead despite his lack of combat prowess. What starts as an accident becomes an unintended bonding experience for the two androids. [Ending K]

Rating: T Genre: Hurt/Comfort Characters: 2B, 9S, Devola

a/n: For Day 30 of Whumptober: RECOVERY. Contains spoilers for NieR Automata in regards to 2B, 9S and their dynamic.

Link to [ao3]

2B first received the mackerel in her inbox, attached to Jackass's letter. A long-standing favor she'd been putting off in the interest of pursuing more direct objectives. She directed Pod 042 to file it away.

Fish, 9S explained, were something of a commodity on Earth to androids and machines alike. The large or exotic specimens could yield enough money for a chip capacity expansion or a weapon upgrade. A few eccentric androids kept synthetic kilifish as pets, much to the incredulity of their commanding officers.

The act of fishing was not something 2B had taken into account. A handful of times, 9S would stop by a suitable body of water and demonstrate. Initially 2B concluded it was not necessary to their mission. 9S would contrast mechanical specimens from their organic counterparts. 2B had fished up more metal than live tissue, and a handful of junk that sold well enough at shops to convince her that it was not a pointless expenditure. At the very least, Command had no quarrel with him and 2B saw no reason to chastise 9S so long as the fishing did not impede their directive.

It was only after a couple side operations and an overdue trip to the supply trader within the resistance camp that 2B considered the mackerel and its intended purpose. She'd only meant to purchase a few restorative items. She paged down the holographic menu and noted the mackerel in her inventory. "How much for this?"

"I'll give you five-hundred." The Resistance android paused. "Say, is that a live mackerel?"

"Yes." 2B was unclear as to the desire for clarification. In her view, it was better to have one less item cluttering up her inventory. Jackass wouldn't press it, or else find another unsuspecting android to test out on. Her attention had drifted towards 9S, who was chatting with the unintelligibly fast-talking resistance member with pinkish hair. 2B chose instead to sell some boar meat for twice the value of the mackerel.

They spent the afternoon in the dunes, slaughtering machines. 9S had to remind her to send a status report to the Bunker, which necessitated visiting one of the terminals. There was nothing pressing left to do for the day besides a few side-ops, and Anemone insisted they take a break when 2B politely inquired.

In the spare room set aside for them, 9S shook the sand from his boots and grumbled to himself. 2B called on her Pod to analyze the fish.

Analysis: Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.

"Humans used to eat them," 9S said. 

Affirmative. The mackerel is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and was intensively harvested by humans. Sport fishermen valued the fighting abilities of the king mackerel. However, the flesh of the mackerel spoils quickly and can cause scombroid food poisoning. Accordingly, it should be eaten on the day of capture unless properly refrigerated or cured.

2B stared at the fish. Its eyes were glassy and the texture of its body a disconcerting combination of slimy and smooth. 

Alert: Consumption of the mackerel by an android may severely compromise motor functions and is therefore unadvised.

2B pressed her lips into a thin line. "Androids are capable of simulating several human processes."

Affirmative.

"Well, yeah, we possess some capacity, but we're not exactly designed to digest things." She'd been working alongside 9S long enough. He would have rather been at the Bunker where they could take baths. But the Resistance Camp offered no such luxuries. 2B could go on without for a while. "There's a chemical in the mackerel's oils that reacts badly with our bodily fluids. If you're lucky you'll just be paralyzed." He buckled his boots and stood. "It's completely counterintuitive to our mission."

It was inadvisable to disregard 9S or her Pod. "Have the effects been documented on a combat model?"

9S frowned. "What difference does it make?"

2B waited for a direct confirmation. When it was not provided, she said, "I'll try it once. If something happens, backup my current coordinates to the Bunker."

9S stood up. "You're not seriously going to eat it?"

"There's no logical reason for you to eat the fish," said 2B curtly. "Are there any documented cases of death from poisoning in the archives?" 9S hesitated. "Then it should be fine."

The first hour saw no visible fluctuation in her battle performance or perception of her surroundings. Her limbs felt stiff but otherwise unchanged. They went off to the dunes again to sweep up any remaining machine lifeforms. 2B was having trouble dodging and took a blow from one of the bipeds.

Alert: Mobility malfunction detected.

9S was running over to her, kicking up sand. Somehow she'd fallen to her knees. "We can't both use the transport, we'll have to—" 2B seized up, her mouth moved soundlessly as she emitted a strangled, droning noise.

9S grabbed her shoulders before she could fall over. "Don't exert yourself any more than you have to." 2B struggled to comprehend the meaning behind the syllables. "Here—" he hooked her arm over his shoulder, and she attempted to brace herself, leaning against him "—okay. That's good for now."

Gingerly, step-by-step, they began to traverse across the sand. 2B's heels did her no favors in this respect. She had to stoop just to keep up with his pace and the longer they struggled the worse the pain was becoming. Her legs gave out and she pulled 9S with her into the sand, retching but unable to produce anything.

"2B!"

There was a pain in her chest, comparable to a physical compression. She managed to shove herself to a hunched sitting position, trying to breathe, but simply slid down the dune. As 9S reached her, she gestured to her mouth, unable to articulate. 9S grabbed her shoulders.

"What? What's wrong?"

Pod 153 chimed in:

Hypothesis: Unit 2B must expel the foreign agent to avoid further contamination.

"How am I supposed to do that?" 9S demanded, trying his best not to give in to panic. "I can't just—cut her open, there are too many variables."

Suggestion: perform manual override.

"You want me to hack into her?" It was risky in the best of circumstances; hacking a sentient was far more optimal when the subject was not malfunctioning. And a simple override didn't negate the problem of the raw chunk of fish stuck in her digestive tract.

Perform manual override.

9S tapped his fingers to one temple. A sudden lurching motion beyond her control. She fell to all fours, heaving. The meat came up chunky and undigested, smelling worse than it did the first time. If she were any more human-like, 2B might have vomited again from the effluvium itself but lacked the capacity.

She raised her head slightly, bumping his cheek. He didn't seem to notice how close they were. Without thinking, she whispered, "It was my fault."

"I'm just glad it worked," said 9S with a forced air of relief. "For a minute there it looked like we'd have to cut you open."

2B was already sitting up, wiping her mouth. Then lurched again. A dozen different alerts from Pod 042 fired off in tandem. Even with the mackeral out of her system, it was too late to stop the poisoning.

9S had not been programmed for combat. Whenever he tried to express that, she never seemed to understand, just as he had not understood Jackass blowing up the barricade. It was counterproductive to think about Jackass right now but his anger had no other outlet. He would never guess that consuming the fish was a form of flagellation. "2B, I should never have let you eat the damn fish."

2B made another funny noise, but she didn't look pained this time. "It wasn't so bad, you know. Exquisite."

"Shh. You don't want to overexert yourself," said 9S, because the less he heard about the stupid mackerel, the better. "I'm gonna hack into one of those machines and carry you to the Resistance Camp. It'll only take a second." She attempted to affirm but could only seize. 9S cursed. The other stubbies had noticed their activity, eyes flashing red. "Requesting authorization to sync control of Pod 042 with 153." 

Pod 042 chimed in: Affirmative.

2B was barely listening. Haptic feedback muted, tiny grains of sand against synthetic skin. The biped came into her vision. She couldn't reach for her weapon at all. Maybe this was just, given what she'd done to him over and over. That he would be unable to save her from her own foolishness. It brought her more pain that enduring his anger.

"Whoa-whoa, it's me!" The biped reached out, its green eyes flickering. "I hacked into one of these guys."

2B couldn't help but exhale before the pain redoubled and she began to seize. The biped lifted her into its arms as if she weighed nothing at all and began to sprint across the dunes.

At the camp, 2B laid on the operating table while Devola got to work. The effect of the sedative was two fold; 2B was aware of her surroundings but effectively paralyzed from the neck down. The newer combat models processed an dopamine imitator but also a failsafe built into their self-destruct function. The digestive function was perfunctory at best and technically incomplete, as all the old records had been lost with the old world. The latest YoRHa models could ingest food but often had trouble breaking down the components as a live human would. Mackerel would congeal the fluid within an android and induce paralysis. Like shoving food into the port of a machine, it would gum up the works and possibly damage it permanently. What possessed their creators to design a fascimile, it was beyond Devola's understanding. A cruel joke at their expense or simple folly.

While Popola tried to get the story out of 9S, who insisted he didn't know what compelled his comrade to eat the fish, Devola was busy making sure 2B remained conscious. Opening up her abdominal cavity. A YoRHa unit possessed synthetic organs in a crude approximation of a human's. Her pale eyes flickered in the direction of the terminal. The spare room.

She had an alarming tolerance to the sedative. Combat models tended to plateau earlier than their Scanner peers, given that they were experiencing a constant influx of dopamine with each successful kill. An expirimental new E-Drug cooked up by some of the units stationed in the desert oasis. It boosted stamina and combat ability, but could produce auditory and visual glitches. Devola and Popola had already tended to half a dozen YoRHa and Resistance androids. No trace of the drug was in 2B's system.

She had eaten the fish of her own volition. Popola had the better bedside manner. Devola attemped the same bright tone that sounded hollow, "9S stopped by earlier."

2B gave the barest sound and her eyes wandered back towards the empty sky. As Devola removed a few half-digested chunks of raw meat from the crude instestinal tract, she said, "You know, it's not uncommon for androids to test the limitations of our anthropormorphic attributes. We were made in the image of our creators, after all. It's only natural we would try to understand them, even if it seem strange at times. Humans don't always act in ways that make logical sense."

2B said nothing. A deadness behind her pale eyes caught Devola by surprise. She dropped the act of geneality.

"Your model is inexpensive to replace compared to your partner. But that's not why you did this, is it?"

Devola wasn't interested in arguing to 9S that 2B was perfectly rational when she ate the fish and on the operating table. 9S's superior intellect precluded him from comprehending the simpler truth. With the capacity for independent thought and simulated emotions, these thoughts and feelings deemed inexpressible would manifest in "irrational" behavior that was, ironically, perfectly reasoned. The motive was not something 2B could articulate, or perhaps she lacked the capability to grasp why she'd acted beyond remorse itself. Dwelling too long on existential questions would not make her a better combat model.

"Well, I guess only you need to know the reason why."

She sewed 2B back up, blotting away the oil so like hemic fluid. With a few taps to her spine and nape, 2B was reactivated.

2B sat up with a muted groan. She turned to face Devola and said, "Where is 9S now?"

A tense silence awaited her in the spare room. 

9S insisted on running diagonostics. If not for the stress of their mission earlier, 2B would have thought nothing of it. Laying on her back, 9S's hand on her temple, she heard him muttering to himself, "Maybe a logic virus? No, there's no symptoms...."

The note of frustration in his tone gave her no relief.

2B was already intimate with the make of his model and its vulnerabilities. She'd crushed his windpipe a dozen times, swallowing down the desire to apologize for what should only be duty. She'd run him through with her blade twenty eight times. He would understand one day, but that would mark the end of YoRHa. To him, she need only be a lowly combat model, unsophisticated despite her physical prowess. A superior to trust with his life as she trusted hers to him. She was not an intellectual to share and appreciate all the data he collected from their field missions. That was 21O's job. Another emotionally unavaliable model. 

Due to the nature of their assignment, Executioners were subject to severe psychological and memory strain. 2B was the only E Model on record to expressly abstain from direct emotional attachment, both verbally and non-verbally. It was technically redundant as no other YoRHa model need expressly prohibit "emotion", though 2B was never penalized by Command or by 6O, the latter of which simply interpreted this as 2B's austere demeanor. 

Killing machines helped to 'blow off steam', to borrow the human expression. Though she would never admit it to 9S or anyone else, 2B possessed ulterior motives beyond satisfying his concern for her safety. Whenever he tried to open up, she had to be cold and focus on the mission. But that didn't mean she was indifferent to him. If she did not appreciate his concern for her well-being and his capabilities, she would not have agreed to let him run diagnostics. She'd only let her guard down because of the damned fish.

"All right, you're clear." 2B got to her feet. 9S wasn't towering over her, but his frame radiated displeasure. "You shouldn't have done something so reckless."

"Your life is worth more to YoRHa. It was for your own safety." He opened his mouth to argue and she persisted, "Between the two of us, I'm far more expendible. The Bunker can afford to transfer a combat model's memories along the network without much fuss. This was a calculated decision in the interest of proving my resistance to mackerel consumption as well as poisoining. To ask you to take such a risk in my stead would be illogical."

9S seemed to relax a little, but it didn't reach his voice. "You're recovering faster than I expected."

"It was thanks to Devola and Popola," said 2B. "As well as you." She turned and tested her legs. No apparent malfunction. "Let's report our findings to Jackass."

"Are you serious?" 9S exploded. "After all the trouble I went through to keep you alive, you're just going to humor her?"

"We've determined the adverse effects of mackerel consumption. Once is enough."

9S's expression did not change. He turned away. 2B hesitated. Wounding him in such a way brought her no pleasure. "I'm sorry that I caused you so much trouble," she said. "I'm fortunate to be assigned to you, 9S. But I would never have asked you to take such a risk."

A faint tremor in his shoulders. 9S mastered it. "I understand that. I'll touch base with Command."

2B smiled to his back. "Thank you."

[braintarts]

Love & DeepSpace, Loves Human Sacrifice.

I said I was going to talk about women also defend predatory behavior or portray it, so lets start with this.

Let’s talk ethics in the game, specifically around the themes of human sacrifice. Spoilers for Xavior, Zayne, and Rafayel's myth stories from the Permeant Banner Only.

First, a quick note on Aztec practice of human sacrifice, which often involved women, young girls, and slaves, with hearts being pulled out. While I thought the game just threw in some Aztec references for flavor, after reading the myths, the myth stories seem to make it deeper. As well as the only Wander with a name that is based on an actual Aztec god Tezcatlipoca [his powers were mythology accurate as well] . The other wander names are just made up, when I tried to search them. The game seems to draw inspiration from this extinct practice, especially with how the male leads come from societies that rely on human sacrifices for survival.

 [*]Xavior, His planet’s survival depends on constant human sacrifices, yet he hides this from the MC for as long as possible, he also doesn’t tell anyone else until he creates the Backtrackers. He also abandoning his planet to be with the MC in a different timeline [the main story] , sure to "save her" but your also dating the MC in the Tender Hearts time line. So he abandoned his lover that's dying for one thats alive. He also didn't just make the suggestions that since Philio's is dying why not go to the new planet he found ? He keeps it to himself. Does no one question the hundreds of years of missing people on a planet where everyone is immortal?

[*]Rafayel’s story is similar, with the Lumerians needing sacrifices from their followers to maintain their society. It feels almost cult-like, especially when Rafayel plans to sacrifice someone he’s in love with to reinstate their society. The whole system seems based on murdering someone who has been groomed to love you. Sure he changes his mind, but why is their entire civilization which is suppose to be super advanced based on cutting out a girls heart ?

[*]Zayne's myth again has his powers linked to slowly killing a living human for prophecies. Now Zayne is getting Mind melded every time he realize the person he is in love with is alive by a GOD, so he can't to much. The story is vague on if he knew the power of his staff was from a human sacrifice , before he realized it was the girl he loved or not.

Another part about human Sacrifice from the Aztec culture is a "willing victim", who has been indoctrinated to think their eventual Grisel demise is something they should be proud of & the MC is pretty okay with being scarified in these stories. I question the validity of any of these super advanced cultures that seems to have surpassed current technology but also regressed to past atrocities to survive and no one seems to mind until hte fall in love ?

Their also seems to be some inconsistences with Philio's the setting of each Myth Card.

 I thought the Myths were from the past but Linkon City is on Earth [?] and they have noticed as a livable planet Philio but haven't terraformed. Xavior is from a future where they figure out how. How is everyone Myth from a place in the future if they are reincarnated from the past ? 😵‍💫 they can travel through wormholes and terraform a planet but they can maintain it without human sacrifices ?

[hiruko-shizuhara]

SPOILERS FOR THE DEMO AHEAD

basic intro:

cosmic/zero, 19, any pronouns

it's okay to repost my stuff, just don't claim it as your own. credit/link to source preferred.

mainblog (and dr blog) is @pekoposting

THL liveblog is @zero-plays-the-hundred-line (going through the main game rn)

ao3 is cosmic_zero

i've had a hiruko shizuhara hyperfixation since day 1 of the demo, and i already know it's gonna last a few years

shizuhara analysis tag is called shizuharanalysis. neat, huh

note: if you are on the tsukumo/cest side of the fandom, i have almost certainly blocked you on main, because i'm not particularly interested in engaging with that side of the fandom. it is not for me. so if you try and engage with me and hear radio silence, it's because i cannot see your messages

[aranell18]

My Notes on War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (Warning, Contains Spoilers!)

(Image via Goodreads)

I gave War Storm a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I liked how the series ended, to a point. I read a review on one of the series Novellas ( I apologize, I don't remember who wrote the review) on Goodreads after I finished the book and this person made a great point that I whole heartedly agreed with (if you are or know who wrote the review, please let me know and I'll credit you!). The reviewer said something along the lines of "Mare's love interest options are either Elara's monster or Corian's brat" and I loved this comment. People may not agree with me, but that's okay.

I one-hundred percent ship Mare with Kilorn. She should absolutely marry the boy. As for Cameron's charachter, I don't care for her in the slightest. Every time a chapter was written in her perspective, or she was mentioned, or spoke, I found myself rolling my eyes. I ship Malorn! ...lol. but actually though, I think they'd be great together, she needs to leave the silver brat behind and be with her best friend. Friends to lovers! I ship Malorn!....😅

Thank you for reading!

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[aparticularbandit]

Yo, potential new bestie, and welcome!

I call myself Bandit, I'm 30+, and I write! A LOT.

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Of Note: I frequently post about things I'm writing as I'm writing or editing them, so if you want to read my stuff with no spoilers whatsoever, then block the tags bandit writes fic and bandit brainstorms - between the two of those, you should avoid all those posts. Hopefully. >.>;;;;

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What I Write:

Found Family

Angst (so much angst)

Redemption Arcs

Soulmate Timer AUs

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Time Shenanigans

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Multiple Interpretations of the Same Character

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Graphic Sexual Content

Fandoms:

Danganronpa

Ships: Enogiri (Junko/Kyoko), Junkan (Junko/Mikan), Matsushima (Ryoko/Yasuke), and Miscellaneous WLW Rarepairs.

Open to writing more by request; still playing with characters and dynamics.

MCU

Characters: Agatha Harkness, Wanda Maximoff, Ancient One, Viv Vision, America Chavez

Ships: Harximoff (Agatha/Wanda), Agathian (Agatha/Ancient One)

Hahnverse:

Characters: Claire Debella, Eve Fletcher

Ships: Agave (Agatha/Eve), Valentines (Claire/Eve)

Jane the Virgin:

Characters: Rose Solano, Luisa Alver

Ships: Roisa (Rose/Luisa)

AND MORE

(Check the Masterlist or AO3 because I've dabbled in...a lot.)

[gvtted-ratz]

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INTRODUCTION

(Pick and Choice Options) x GN!Hacker!Reader

Last Edited: 03/06/2024

TW: kidnapping, rape threat, death threat, dehumanization, illegal auctioning, human trafficking, foul language, threats of murder

Requested: No.

Word Count: 3,081

AO3 LINK -> HERE

Notes: Reader is GN with they/them pronouns. They are NOT a good person since they’re a very good hacker/informant/stalker, visiting the auction to buy another human being. This is an AU but will still have some spoilers for the game. Instead of you being bought, it is one of the many characters present in the game. For a few of the characters, their race is not known, so we did our best to describe the colour of their skin, hair, etc in their respected chapters. There is no canon information for us to go on, so we apologize for the lack of information on these characters. In total, there will be 9 chapters. 8 of which will be characters. Thank you for your patience, and we hope you enjoy this series we have planned out.

@rppik (editor/co-writer): Alternative title: “I can't wait to live out my ‘Reverse!Bought by 1Direction AU’ fantasies with this one”.

You sit behind the window, watching as people are brought in to be lined up for the auction. Your legs are resting up on the ledge, crossed, as you recline in a cheap office chair. One of your hands props up your obscured face as you stare out into the gradually filling room. 

The amount of money it takes to attend one of these auctions can vary from a few hundred thousand to millions, depending on the people running the show and the sort of “product” being put on display. You had to dig around, throwing a few bribes here and there, to so much as find this specific show. This action house specializes in selling only the best humans they can find. Usually it’s the very healthy and fit types, though there are times when one can find those that can be used for medical means: buy them for their parts, just to sell what you’ve reaped.

From first-hand experience, humans tend to be quite expensive, rarely coming to a smaller bid than the physical items put to illegal auction. Not that you're unfamiliar with black market auctions yourself; most of your earnings come from gathering information to sell to the highest buyer. The work required to pull such a thing can go from hacking to bribery, blackmail to even stalking. You’ve passed along valuable info involving anything ranging from cheating wives to covered up murders; if it has a trail, you’ll find it. Most of the time, it’s not even hard to get. Many civilians tend to use the same password for everything, or base it on something as simple as their birthday. Others just forget to turn off their GPS or take their phone with them, leaving behind that trail you oh-so love to follow.

Forcing your attention to the room, you see a few of the choices entering the room, tugging and snarling like cornered animals sent to the slaughter. The others seem to either be reluctant to struggle or just taking everything in stride. You spot only one that seems to be shaken to his core.

With them all lined up, staring at the three windows before them, the auctioneer stands to the left. She stands tall and proud, dressed business-casual save for her entire head being covered by a mask with a bandage-covered, cast-like design. She raises her microphone to where her lips would be so her cheery tone rings out.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome! Important things must be said three times! Today, I’ve brought you a wide selection to choose from!” You can hear the customer-service smile shining through.

“Oooo! Look at them! We have a few cuties in here!” A blue glow emits from the middle window, a high-pitched squeal rings out.

“Can you not start your pig squealing the moment the goods are brought out?” The red window to the left lights up, an annoyed voice ringing out in response. From what you can tell, the owners of the voices aren't too old– the one from the blue window being a middle-aged woman, perhaps, with the red window's voice sounding younger and too androgynous to label further.

“Let’s get the bidding started. We don’t have all day,” your distorted voice rings out. You wear a dark motorcycle helmet, a voice changer built into it, for meetings like this. You won’t let anyone here figure out who you are or give away something so easy to remember as your voice. If anyone were to recognize its modulated tone somewhere, then that's simple enough to change.

“Oooooo! Green, you dirty dog ! You just want to snatch the best from us, don't you? You always get the good ones.” The blue light shines as the nameless woman complains.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have such a low budget, Piggy,” the red window retorts, still sounding annoyed.

“Oh hush! I have plenty this time!” She sounds proud, although you know for a fact that her budget is very little for these things.

“Quiet,” with just your words, the two quiet down. You’ve had many run-ins with these two, just like they have with you. They know you make more than them since you tend to come here nearly every seven months. Money wields power, and with you at the top compared to the others, they know that you could purchase them if you saw fit.

“Thank you, thank you! I know my regulars are very excited to find their perfect purchase! Now, I do hope you don’t mind the amount of goods I’ve brought! I will make sure to give you a very quick summary on each one of these prizes!” You can hear every exclamation mark in her sentences, nailing that customer-service type of energy.

“Fuck you! When I get out of here, I'll slash your belly open and fuck that yapping whore mouth of yours!” A short, golden brown complexioned man with bleach-blonde hair shouts. He struggles against his bonds, making the chains clink together. A few of the others among him watch with mild annoyance, while others watch like they know they’re witnessing a bratty tantrum.

“Sounds like the punk bitch is wailing,” the androgynous voice says. You can hear a bit of amusement bleeding through their words.

“What a nasty mouth on this young man!” The high-pitched woman says, sounding disgusted. A mangled, non-committal hum leaves you, eliciting laughter from the other two people behind the windows. The red window's inhabitant has more of a chuckle than a laugh, while the blue one has a hyena cackle.

“Yes, yes! This is Derek Goffard, age twenty-seven! The current heir to Mr. Goffard’s very successful, and very large, investing firm with ties to luxury goods!”

“Shut up, Bitch,” Derek snaps once more. A stockier man, having the same skin tone and eye shape as him, hisses some sort of retort back that makes the other’s face light up a darker shade.

“Meanwhile, the man beside him is Matt Goffard! He is the younger half-brother of Derek. If the other were to die, he’d be the next heir to Mr. Goffard’s wealth! These two have such a fierce rivalry, having come from two different mothers! It’s no wonder they turned out just like their father, with wandering eyes, hands, and an interest in murdering innocents in the most horrific ways possible!”

That declaration makes many of the prizes look at the auctioneer in surprise. How can she know? How does she know? Everything was covered up so well. At least, that’s what you assume they’re thinking. Only one of the eight isn’t sharing that surprised look, seeming instead horrified, paired with pure terror at the situation.

“Oh? You really did change up the game, did you?” Red sounds impressed, knowing that this must have taken a while to compose.

“Wow… To think we get to see such awful people for sale this time. We’re so lucky!” On the other hand, Blue responds as though all this is just pure coincidence.

“Monsters like us are for sale this time,” you come across as monotone with your voice modulator. The creaking of your chair rings out in the silence your words bring, letting everyone know that your interest is piqued as you stand. “Count me impressed, Auctioneer.”

The resulting hyena cackles and light chuckling makes the goods’ faces start to turn; realization is setting in. You’re the top dog here; by stating your interest in the meats in front of you, they’ve practically signed a death sentence by catching your attention.

“Would you look at that? The fresh cuts have got our highest buyer to stand. They even admitted to being interested in the selections available!” The auctioneer's zeal sounds more genuine this time, turning her head towards the many options. “I never thought I’d see the day! Oh, let’s see which one of you is lucky enough to go with our lovely green window by the end of introductions!”

“Fuck that. This is some sort of punishment, right? Didn’t enjoy the fuckin’ holiday enough, Derek?” A man with greying hair shaved into a midlife crisis mohawk and stubble snaps at the smaller of the two golden complexioned men.

“Me? This isn’t me, clearly! Blame fucking Matt or my dad! This wasn’t me, Shitass!”

“Why would you blame me?! Don’t drag me into your bullshit!” Matt exclaims, looking just as pissed as his half-brother.

“Now, now! Let’s not get too heated! You wouldn’t want to ruin the bidding, would you?” The auctioneer chirps cheerily.

“Nah, let them bicker. They usually don’t do this," Red says.

“You should put them together like this more often, Auctioneer. This is the most fun I’ve had watching a bidding in so long!” Blue seems to agree with red. You give no reply, letting them do what they wish. However, you can’t help but silently agree with the two.

“Well, then! This is Dean, age forty-six! He’s also known as Jackal when he goes out for his yearly vacation trip, along with a number of our other prizes here today, who each take a part in sadistic thrills far out and away from civilization. Dean here is a corrupt cop who takes bribes when on the job, and a murderous stalker who gets off to those who fight back!”

“How do you even know all this? How?” A chubby, light brown-skinned man asks this; you can see his trembling from here, but you do find it somewhat brave of him to ask such a loaded question with how terrified he is. Before either of the other buyers can answer, you let yourself be known again.

“You were hand-picked, files on your very being reviewed extensively , before it was decided you would be the next item to be won.” The man seems to shrink in on himself at the revelation coming from a buyer who should not have any idea of such things unless they played a hand in it– or perhaps had done such a thing in the past, now knowing how the process worked.

“You reviewed us, is that it, Green?” The beastkin has a customer-service tone as fake as the auctioneer’s. His tail swishes, seeming to think he has you down as the very reason they’re all there. It doesn’t surprise you that the others among him stare at your window, making you shake your head.

“Incorrect,” your harshly spoken word makes a few twitch while others tense. “I have, however, dealt with this before. If I had chosen any of you to be sold, I would not be here to buy, now would I?” It’s a rhetorical question, so when the timid man opens his mouth, you cut him off. “Auctioneer, continue. We waste time with entertaining items up for purchase.”

The dehumanizing words makes the obviously meek man droop with hopelessness and fear. You can see the two largest of the group tighten their fists at the obvious display of power.

“Anything for my regulars! Now, the two here,” she motions towards a long-haired, skinny man with many piercings first, before motioning towards a heavier set man with a tattoo on his right shoulder, “are Michael, twenty-six, and Jason, age twenty-five! Michael was interested in the occult, bringing along Jason for the ride! Both of them go to these “vacations” after kidnapping two victims from Jason’s old college campus! One is used for their rituals, while the other tends to be used for first blood!”

The two occultists look towards each other grimly, both looking more like worried college drop-outs than two murderous men. The Auctioneer continues cheerfully, “From the information I’ve been given, they’ve been going to these vacations for nearly as long as Dean has!”

A hum leaves you before you can stop it. The Auctioneer, alongside the many eyes of the objects to be bought, stares in wait for your thoughts. “To think you have brought such things. I will have to admit, I’m amazed, Auctioneer. Remind me to pay you double after the show.”

A squawk of protest leaves the oldest Goffard boy, but you pay it no mind. A few of the others look a bit worried now, with the corrupt cop starting to sweat beads along his brow; the two occultists shuffle closer together, meanwhile, the two tallest of the group appear to tense further despite the lack of emotion on their faces.

“Oh my! You sure do love to make them swoon, don’t you, Green?” Blue chimes up, teasing you for the obvious favouritism for bringing something other than civilians.

“You’d do the same if you had any money to give,” Red snarks. “I’ll do the same, Auctioneer. You’ve brought us real treats. I might end up buying more than one.”

“Oh, I’ll buy more than one, too. I can’t let this go to waste!”

“One. I have no time nor patience for anything more. Release what’s left to be bought for another time,” it’s a command more than an option. The seller nods eagerly, knowing not to disagree with her regulars.

“Oh, what a marvelous idea, Green! To think we’ll see whatever’s left next time.”

“I’m in agreement. They can’t hide for long, and I’m bound to get bored after a while with what I buy.”

“Oh, I hope I don’t get bored so soon… Look at the fresh cuts here!”

“I’ll get my money’s worth out of them. Let’s hope they last long enough for the next show,” Red’s words only bring a grunt of agreement from you, while Blue’s response is another cackle.

“I will stray for a moment away from such awful beings, as I do have one civilian with us! Thomas, age twenty-six, is a true sweetheart; he’s a dedicated individual to his sound design brand despite it not taking off!” She nods towards the skittish man from earlier. You clocked him as a civilian the moment your eyes found him; his soft looks, paired with how he carries himself, only gave him away as a good man among monsters. Usually, you wouldn’t bother with the civilians, finding them not worth your time due to the ignorance they display. Despite his apparent lack of awareness of the dark underbelly of society, he doesn't strike you as particularly brainless. He may be worth something for catching your eye. “To think he goes to the college Jason and Michael tend to kidnap their victims from! Why, it would have been disastrous for him if he had been taken on that holiday trip!”

“Now, how did you get here, Sweetie? You’re here among some awful people!” Blue’s constant cackling makes a sigh escape you. Red chimes in as well, having enough.

“Will you shut the fuck up? Damn! You’re the broke bitch asking stupid shit!”

“Hey! I’m asking a good question! Besides, you agreed with me a few times today!” Their bickering continues, making more of the pets shift in place. You watch from your window, red and blue lights clashing over the unwilling prizes. They’re all starting to look weary at the fact that at least five of the gathered nine will not be returning to their homes.

Your sigh cuts through the bickering, Red ending it with a: “and your cooter is dryer than the fucking desert.”

“If you two keep this up, I may end up having an aneurysm.” You hear the masked woman cough to cover up her laugh. You know she has to stay in her character, but to hear you, one of her prestigious buyers and occasional sellers, admit to being annoyed makes it hard to keep such a straight face.

“Ha– Let’s keep going, yes?” She says, recovering from her slip.

“Yes. Time is ticking, I’m afraid. Please understand my hurry, Auctioneer,” is your reply. It may be blunt, however, it is also polite with it’s warped quality.

“Very well! This is Mason Heiral, age thirty-eight! He’s a cultist that lives deep in the Canadian woods! He had slaughtered everyone else in the cult, including his girlfriend, Sandy! It’s said he used her bones to make a knife, naming it after her. He’s just another killer among us today who enjoys hunting those he buys!”

“You mean he’s a buyer like the rest of us?” Red asks, seemingly intrigued.

“That he is! As is Derek and Matt Goffard! The others kidnap their victims, minus Thomas, of course!” Red responds with a grunt at her answer. Blue remains as quiet as you, probably thinking of her choices. You’re certain she’s already chosen, regarding the fact that there are two more choices left.

“Next, we have Machete, age twenty-three! His legal name is unknown, however, we do know he joined the desert group to avenge his dead sister, who was previously killed by the group. He planned to kill them all, having earned their trust via various illegal means!” You see the quiet rage in his eyes. His carmel-brown chest swells with his breathing, seemingly trying to keep it all contained.

Blue mumbles something, making her window light up, but no one seems to catch it besides the last man who has yet to be introduced; the fox ears twitch while his eyes light up with some sort of amusement. Through all of this, it looks like they're all trying to be in their best behaviour so as to either not be picked or go with someone who will underestimate them. You can't help but mentally give them all kudos for this idea, even though it is a bit poor; then again, it is their only means of hope.

“Lastly, we have Ren Hana, age forty-seven! He’s a beastkin who used to be an auctioneer! Running illegal auctions alongside his deadly hobby of snuff streaming, he’s rated high for his customer service and excellent quality of goods!” The beastkin, Ren, gives a wide smile at her words. You have to admit, you can see the customer-service quality to it if you ignore the sharp pinpricks of teeth in his maw.

“I assume this is everything?” You can hear Blue and Red getting shifty at your words. They, as well as you, have been waiting for the introduction to cease to start your biddings.

“That it is, yes! Would my esteemed customers like to let this auctioneer know what goods you wish to purchase?”

Yes, that is the question, isn’t it? Who will you be bidding on to take with you?

》 MAKE YOUR SELECTION 《

》JACKAL《

》THOMAS《

》MACHETE《

》REN HANA《

》MASON HEIRAL《

》MATT GOFFARD《

》DEREK GOFFARD《

》DRAGON+KOMODO《

》ERROR. SELECTIONS UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME《

[iviarellereads]

The Great Hunt, Chapter 47 - The Grave Is No Bar to My Call(1)

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Horn icon) In which you were there, and you were there...

PERSPECTIVE: When Rand and Hurin get to the place with the horses, Mat and Perrin are already mounted, and ask where Ingtar is. Rand says he's dying so they can get away. They'll all take the Horn to Verin, and then Perrin and Mat can help her take it wherever it needs to go. Rand digs his heels into his horse instead of answering, and rides hard, thinking of all the duties he carries, from securing the Horn, to taking Fain out, finding Egwene, helping Mat... Why can't it just be one at a time?

He reins so hard the horse almost rears, and Rand says the three of them will be enough to carry the Horn to Verin. He has to go. Mat says aloud that the only place he's going is mad, clearly. Rand says he has to rescue Egwene, she's got a damane collar. Mat argues that he doesn't want to leave her there, either. Perrin says nobody's going back, and points back to Falme, where it seems every Seanchan soldier and every available damane are lining up at the edge of town. It's only then that they see the Whitecloaks on the other side of the field.

Hurin says if any of them sees the Horn, they'll never see it again. Even if they aren't after the Horn, either side could kill them. Every eye looks to the Horn.

“It has to be there at the Last Battle,” Mat said, licking his lips. “Nothing says it can’t be used before then.” He pulled the Horn free of its lashings and looked at them anxiously. “Nothing says it can’t.” No one else said anything. Rand did not think he could speak; his own thoughts were too urgent to allow room for speech. Have to go back. Have to go back. The longer he looked at the Horn, the more urgent his thoughts became. Have to. Have to. Mat’s hand shook as he raised the Horn of Valere to his lips.(2) It was a clear note, golden as the Horn was golden. The trees around them seemed to resonate with it, and the ground under their feet, the sky overhead. That one long sound encompassed everything. Out of nowhere, a fog began to rise. First thin wisps hanging in the air, then thicker billows, and thicker, until it blanketed the land like clouds.

PERSPECTIVE: Geofram Bornhald, calling the legion to a trot, just before the ground ahead of him explodes. Then he calls for a full charge, his horse leaping forward. Thunder, screams, and whiteness follow. His only regret is that Byar won't be able to tell Dain how he died.

PERSPECTIVE: Rand, as the fog rises around them, coalescing into human shapes as the fog has lifted them into some strange liminal space. The figures, Rand recognizes from all the Ages, men and women, armoured and not.(3)

Rogosh Eagle-eye, a fatherly looking man with white hair and eyes so sharp as to make his name merely a hint. Gaidal Cain, a swarthy man with the hilts of his two swords sticking above his broad shoulders. Golden-haired Birgitte, with her gleaming silver bow and quiver bristling with silver arrows. More. He knew their faces, knew their names. But he heard a hundred names when he looked at each face, some so different he did not recognize them as names at all, though he knew they were. Michael instead of Mikel. Patrick instead of Paedrig. Oscar instead of Otarin.(4) He knew the man who rode at their head, too. Tall and hook-nosed, with dark, deep-set eyes, his great sword Justice at his side. Artur Hawkwing. Mat gaped at them as they reined in before him and the others. “Is this . . . ? Is this all of you?” They were little more than a hundred, Rand saw, and realized that somehow he had known that they would be. Hurin’s mouth hung open; his eyes bulged almost out of his head. “It takes more than bravery to bind a man to the Horn.”(5) Artur Hawkwing’s voice was deep and carrying, a voice used to giving commands. “Or a woman,” Birgitte said sharply. “Or a woman,” Hawkwing agreed. “Only a few are bound to the Wheel, spun out again and again to work the will of the Wheel in the Pattern of the Ages. You could tell him, Lews Therin, could you but remember when you wore flesh.” He was looking at Rand.(6)

Rand shakes his head, but doesn't bother to deny it. He tells them of the Seanchan, who must be driven back into the sea, and he needs help freeing Egwene, as well. Birgitte laughs and says he always chooses women who cause him trouble.(7) Rand says there isn't much time, but Birgitte says they have all of time.

The Heroes ready their weapons, and Hawkwing says he's fought with and against Lews Therin throughout time, as the Wheel wills. He'll help him, this time, but something is holding him back. Does Rand have the banner?

Rand takes it out of his saddlebag, and the heroes murmur.

“The Pattern weaves itself around our necks like halters,” Artur Hawkwing said. “You are here. The banner is here. The weave of this moment is set. We have come to the Horn, but we must follow the banner. And the Dragon.” Hurin made a faint sound as if his throat had seized. “Burn me,” Mat breathed. “It’s true. Burn me!” Perrin hesitated only an instant before swinging down off his horse and striding into the mist. There came a chopping sound, and when he returned, he carried a straight length of sapling shorn of its branches. “Give it to me, Rand,” he said gravely. “If they need it. . . . Give it to me.” Hastily, Rand helped him tie the banner to the pole. When Perrin remounted, pole in hand,(8) a current of air seemed to ripple the pale length of the banner, so the serpentine Dragon appeared to move, alive. The wind did not touch the heavy fog, only the banner.

Rand tells Hurin to stay safe here, but Hurin will have none of it, he's come this far, he'd like to go the rest of the way. Hawkwing says he might make it among their number, one day, and asks Mat to sound the Horn again. They ride forth from the copse of trees. Rand can't see anything, and yet he can somehow see all of Falme.(9) The mist thickens around him, and suddenly, Baa is right in front of him, his arms wide. Rand's horse rears and Rand falls, but he lands softly, as if he only fell into a cloud. He's aware of the heroes meeting the Seanchan in the fog, and yet he's no part of it, here with Baa.(10)

He takes saidin, hoping he has any chance against the Dark One, and tells Baa to stand aside, he's not here for him. Baa laughs, and does his usual taunting. At one point, he laughs that Rand has sounded the Horn, he's linked to it now, and Rand realizes with a shock that he doesn't know everything.(11)

Sword form after sword form, they fight. On the edges of his awareness, Rand watches the battle in Falme. He realizes that their battles are linked: when he advances, the heroes drive the Seanchan back, and when he falls back, the Seanchan drive forth.

As Baa taunts, Rand realizes he's moving like he's afraid of the heron-marked blade, as if steel could hurt the Dark One.

It was another voice he heard then. Lan’s voice. There will come a time when you want something more than you want life. Ingtar’s voice. It is every man’s right to choose when to Sheathe the Sword. The picture formed of Egwene, collared, living her life as a damane. Threads of my life in danger. Egwene. If Hawkwing gets into Falme, he can save her. Before he knew it, he had taken the first position of Heron Wading in the Rushes,(12) balanced on one foot, sword raised high, open and defenseless. Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain. Ba’alzamon stared at him. “Why are you grinning like an idiot, fool? Do you not know I can destroy you utterly?” Rand felt a calmness beyond that of the void. “I will never serve you, Father of Lies. In a thousand lives, I never have. I know that. I’m sure of it. Come. It is time to die.” Ba’alzamon’s eyes widened; for an instant they were furnaces that put sweat on Rand’s face. The blackness behind Ba’alzamon boiled up around him, and his face hardened. “Then die, worm!” He struck with the staff, as with a spear. Rand screamed as he felt it pierce his side, burning like a white-hot poker. The void trembled, but he held on with the last of his strength, and drove the heron-mark blade into Ba’alzamon’s heart. Ba’alzamon screamed, and the dark behind him screamed. The world exploded in fire.

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(1) Did you remember that this was one of the lines on the side of the Horn when you first saw it? So close to the end, this is generally the chapter that, if people reach it and fail to stay interested in the series, they'll never stay with the series. It's an incredible eleven pages of story climax. (2) Remember how we heard over and over that nothing in any prophecy linked the Dragon to the Horn, except that both are needed to fight the Last Battle. So, it seems it was a bit of a strong misdirect for the Horn to have been stored with the Dragon's banner. Rand doesn't have to be linked to the Horn, and in fact it may be better that he's not. Mat is the impulsive one, the trickster, of course he's gonna blow the dang horn given half a chance. Do you think Lanfear's speeches about glory would've worked better on him? (3) I think it's really cool that the heroes of the horn aren't all just men in armour, they're specifically described as being all sorts of men and women, all they need is to have done heroic deeds, which can be a lot of things. (4) Lots of references to our history/legends/myths, and some we've never figured out parallels for. (5) Which makes sense. You don't want this army being all the "heroes" of every story that ever got passed on or something, that'd be far too overpowered and make the Hunt for the Horn far more lucrative even than it is. But, a hundred warriors who can't die… that's no small force either. (6) Also, Rand finally realizes that nobody's been lying to him. He can do nothing but declare himself on this field. (7) Huh, what do you think THAT means? Well, if Rand really is Lews Therin Telamon reborn… we know at least one ex who literally went dark side after they split (Lanfear… where is she, anyway?) so Birgitte here seems to have a point. (8) So, more proof that they're all needed, they're all connected. Without both his besties, would Rand have blown the Horn at all? Would he have had the help he needed from the Heroes, and the emotional support of his friends not abandoning him, to succeed? (9) The Dragon is the land, someone said back in book 1. Well, at a critical moment like this… it makes sense to give him a link to the battlefield while he fights his more metaphysical battle in the sky. (10) I don't know how much RJ thought over this battle, I never will. On the ground, there are only two forces I see described in play besides the Heroes themselves: the Seanchan and the last of the Whitecloaks who fought here. We have some assurance that someone the Darkfriends believed was the Dark One himself is at least partially responsible for the Seanchan "return", so it makes sense that Ishy represents them, metaphorically speaking. But where does that leave Rand? Representing all the people of Randland, even the remaining Whitecloaks. The good, the bad, the redeemable and the otherwise. Everyone matters. Everyone is important. Everyone deserves a chance to do better and make their world better. Nobody deserves authoritarian rule. (11) I realize that my notes very much just take it as given that Ishamael isn't the Dark One proper. I mean, RJ does literally tell you so at the end of Eye of the World, if you know how to connect two statements out of context to each other. I don't feel bad about that. But, it does undercut a teensy bit of the drama at this reveal if you're reading these footnotes. (12) And of course, the Chekov's Heron Wading in the Rushes comes back into play, as Rand realizes it's the only way to get a hit on Ishy. Do you think he's really dead this time?