#Caleb theory’s

[xavistarlight]

Guys… I see it

[slimepuparibaba]

Imagine if Caleb didn't say anything about him being alive because he knew he was an active threat to you, and that Ever wanted to use him as a weapon against you. So he opted to silently disappear from your life and take down Ever in the background. He would climb the ranks, he would tear them apart, piece by piece. He would use his position as Colonel of the Farspace Fleet to gain the power to destroy everyone who hurt you, hurt him, all while you thought he was dead.

He was resigned to disappearing from your life, so long as you were okay somewhere else. He would let his feelings for you die. He was fine being away from you. He was okay being dead to you. So long as you were safe and happy. So long as Ever wasn't a threat, nor was he a threat.

But then you showed up again. And things changed. And the moment you kept pushing for answers and pushing for him to come back in his life, he relented. Despite how insistent he was that he was no longer who you knew, you still wanted him back, you fought so vehemently to get him to stay.

So he had to stay with you. He couldn't ignore the want he had inside of him, eating away at him. After all, he's a man to you now, and he made that clear. And you seemed open to the idea of being by his side, no longer just childhood friends or brother and sister figures.

Just... he also has to now figure out how to protect you. Especially when the biggest ticking time bomb? The biggest weapon pointed at you?

Is himself.

[littlestpersimmon]

My mlm / queer books and manga that resonated in my trans man heart book recs: (at the top of my mind)

[deepspacenova]

something that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking about Caleb is the way he consistently continues to fight his fate, despite every sign he encounters pointing toward its inevitability:

it's in the way he defies the Toring Chip, and the meaning of 7%

When Caleb falls apart on the bench with MC and the chip resets in Farspace Bloomfall, 100% of his mind is supposed to reset.... and yet only 93% of the chip is integrated and able to do so.

We know Caleb is aware of this too, when he tells MC to tell him about her problems “while I can still respond.” Because he knows he'll inevitably lose some information once it happens, like the 'patrol data' Enforcer mentions.

This means it’s happened before, Caleb's mind had been reset before. Which means, he knows if the chip’s integrity ever gets to 100% and resets, anything he feels toward MC will also reset. And so..

“…he’s purposefully ‘sealed’ his brain rather than damaging it.”

So Caleb gathered up every emotion, every memory, and every impression of MC in his mind, wrapped it all together into one small piece, and has since, against all odds, continuously used his Evol to put a barrier around it, to protect it. To keep the chip from finding it and wiping it. And what is that piece? That 7%?

7% is MC. 7% is his memories of MC. 7% is his love for MC.

it's in the way he's turned himself from "perfect weapon to destroy each other" to "perfect weapon to destroy others"

I could be wrong (please correct me), but I'm pretty sure it's murky right now whether Caleb (subject 002?) knew MC during any of her 'incarnations' in the lab and/or their purposes to be a killswitch for each other. But if he does know or remember any of it, the protection of that 7% from the Toring Chip becomes even more vital and strategic as all hell.

Because that would mean Caleb orchestrated a situation where he's become the lab subject, a decoy in MC's place as they try and correct the chip within him.

And that would mean that Caleb planned for them to "sacrifice a great deal to obtain him," — apparently, so much that they're unwilling/unable to simply dispose of him when he's resisting the very thing that would seal his fate as "the key", as MC's killswitch.

and it's in the literal beat of his heart

when you lay your hand over caleb's heart to hear his heartbeat, no matter how fast that beat starts out, if you hold your hand there long enough, his heartbeat inevitably tapers into a calm 50-60.

Despite all he's doing to preserve that 7%, he can't fight the nature of the other 93%. The nature of the chip and it's purpose to keep him in an emotional stasis.

His excitement to see you, his happiness to have you there, the fluttering of his heart? Those are abnormalities to the chip, those aren't in line with what that stasis is supposed to be. And so... no matter how quickly his heart beats for you initially, it inevitably gets suppressed.

We see how it affects other members of the Fleet too. How all of them have accepted the inevitability of the chip. Tuum Officer No. 6025 and Liam in particular shows us exactly what it looks like to give in.

And yet, every time you come back, Caleb's still excited, Caleb still fights it. He's fighting it with only 7% of his memory, he's fighting it with every quickened beat of his heart.

If the chip is a tether, if his fate is a tether, Caleb will never stop sawing at the strings, and i am not okay about it.

blame for any and all crash outs can be directed to @solifloris and @starmocha, who have managed to make my "down bad" for caleb turn into "sick to my stomach with eternal devotion"

[ishaslife]

Love and Deepspace:

Caleb Trailer Breakdown

Okay, so, I was confused on the trailer for a while and honestly a little put off at the whole "villain" vibes I got from it. But... I feel like there's something deeper going on here. Just hear me out:

"23rd Neural Control Experiment"

Pay close attention to the word, "Neural," to do with the brain and the nerves, as well as "control." Then, we see him struggling.

He's moaning and groaning, almost as if he's trying to fight against it. He looks like he's pain and then suddenly,

He's fine, he's IN control. His whole demeanour changes momentarily and all the lights around him come to life, it's not chaotic anymore. Until,

He wakes up, as if from a dream, absolutely terrified. He's sweating and scared, he's almost relieved to realise that it was a dream. But... What if it wasn't? I have always bought into the theory that Caleb and MC were brought together as a part of a bigger experiment by Ever, to test their evols and how they would get along.

Caleb has always been experimented on to better suit the needs and purposes that Ever plans to achieve with him and MC. He is being mind controlled by Ever, it's a "Neural Experiment" after all, Ever is trying to gain control of his thoughts and feelings, to make him detach himself from the MC to be able to use his telekenisis/gravity manipulation evol more effectively. Caleb seems unaware of this, he thinks that all of this is a dream when it's likely not. It's a result of all the poking and prodding Ever did in his brain since he's been a child. And Caleb's feelings for the MC are so strong that he's always able to fight against it, even if he is aware of it.

Ever blew up their house, likely because they thought that if MC knew that Caleb is definitely dead, they'd be able to keep her away from Caleb and keep Caleb away from her, making it easier for them to manipulate his brain to their liking.

Caleb is a sweet guy. The moment I saw him in the game, he was instantly the "protective-older-oppa-niichan" archetype. And this sudden shift in him in the trailer made me feel... Strange to say the least. It was absolutely jarring. I don't think he's evil, I think he's being made to think he is evil.

The still from the trailer below; it shows what is likely his apartment and everything is boxed up, it's almost as though this is from the day he moved to skyhaven or a few days after.

(side note: it's kinda cute that the only thing he unpacked is that photo of, what I assume is, him and the MC on the left.)

This is most definitely the past because,

He still has the necklace and he seems as soft as we know him to be, he caresses the necklace with care and in memory, almost as if he's consoling the MC like, "I'll never hurt you, don't worry." (And well, also just because he misses her and wishes she was with him.)

And then, this beautiful dream-like scene, almost from a memory changes into something far darker.

It's as though he's not himself anyone, he's someone who has been twisted. Ever has succeeded and it's up to us to make him remember again.

To add: the apple symbolism. His art and his motifs are often littered with apples and snakes, snakes are often seen as symbols of seduction, betrayal and most importantly: duality in most world mythologies and the apple, it's quite literally the seduction and fall of Eve/mankind. Even the snake, the devil takes the form of a snake when trying to seduce Eve to eat from the tree.

Perhaps the snakes at meant to represent his duality, and Ever as they are the reason for his duality in the first place. Meanwhile, the apples: his fall orchestrated by Ever. Ever is the devil and Caleb fell for their trap, unknowingly just as Eve did.

[starmocha]

✨️fallen angel Caleb myth pls✨️

✨️pretty pls fallen angel Caleb myth✨️

[munnmolads]

Rumors about the guys in the newest trailer

I compiled the rumors from the trailers for a easy access! Someone else typed about their names in Reddit.

Edit to add: The texts are now readable in the latest social media posts, fixing my errors:

Xavier: "Danger often hides..."

Rafayel: "A Praedator rose..."

[zaynes-pookie]

Okay so THEORY TIME!!

Something I notice when watching the trailer and replaying the story is that, whenever Caleb change personality, there is always a car passing by…

The two exemples:

In the first one, he first seems normal and then becomes super secretive after (replay chapter 4.3 to listen to the dialogue). In the trailer for his myth (i think) he looked harden and when the car passed by him, he did a full 180 in personality and became the Caleb we knew before the explosion.

So my theory is that… maybe (just like the Winter Soldier) the car or someone in the car is controlling whenever he is in “winter soldier mode”. 🫣

But again that’s just a theory i had THANK YOU FOR READING❤️

[kestrelmando]

I'm back with more LADs lore predictions 🤔

1. Miss Hunter's origins as a celestial being made into a humanoid form --

By the game's definition, protocores are; dropped by Wanderers once they are killed and carry celestial energy that can be harnessed for many applications.

We've seen several specific protocores:

A. The Creatio protocore, during Zayne's Foreseer myth. This protocore is said to contain Astra's power and Zayne says "Astra's power is yours to wield" after Miss Hunter absorbs it. Interestingly, he also mentions prior in the myth that her heart condition stems from "resonance with it" and that the Creatio protocore was growing stronger by "draining away" Miss Hunter's life.

B. The specific protocore Xavier searched for and found during his time on Philos. I don't believe it's ever named. I'm not convinced this wasn't Miss Hunter being vague and telling Xavier a cure existed to give him hope so I don't really include this one.

C. Destructio, I'm not sure this was ever confirmed as a protocore but I'm making an assumption here. The "energy" of Miss Hunter from Caleb's myth as A-01.

D. Construo, same as above I am assuming this is a protocore. The "energy" of Caleb as X-02 in his myth. Interestingly, A-01 and X-02 appear to be able to switch these energies -- creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin. I think there are meant to be one protocore. Perhaps this a situation where Miss Hunter has one half of it and Caleb the other.

E. The Spatium core, spatium literally meaning space or displacement or even the distance between two points. In the story, it's been used to influence spaces and create new ones.

F. Special shoutout to the Aether core class, a rare fragment or complete crystal filled with celestial energy. Aether meaning the sky, the dominion of the gods (assuming they are using the mythical definition) and the god of light. A complete Aether core has its own energy shield to protect it. Aether cores come from "the very core of the cosmos". For a long time, I assumed Sylus's eye contained half of Miss Hunter's Aether core and that was why it's unstable. But Zayne says "the energy in your heart has always been stable" and that it "forms a shield when attacked". Miss Hunter's Aether core is in one, complete piece.

G. The Origo core, recently introduced in Death and Rebirth. It descends from the cosmos and finds (seeks out?) dying planets. Then a "tiny protocore" is born from destruction after a planet "collapses inward". and dies. This introduces a chicken and egg problem for me: was there an origin Origo core? Or a planet must die for one to be produced? Was the cosmos made from THE Origo core? If so, how was the very first one produced? By who/what?

SO - Miss Hunter? The game keeps making a point to inform us that it is time AND space that is being altered/bent.

She appears to be based on the Greek Gaia or the Egyptian Nut.

Nut is summarized as the goddess of the sky, stars, the cosmos, mothers, astronomy, and the universe.

Gaia is summarized as the Earth personified, the mother of all life.

She will likely be a combo of the two inspiration wise, given that there supposedly more planets in Deepspace besides Earth.

She travels the universe, comes upon/looks for dying planets and plants a seed of herself in the planet's core. This seed is an Origo core and is powered by her essence. The Origo core builds a new planet and eventually the Origo core houses itself in a human/humanoid personification of her.

These human seeds become our Beloved Bride, Sea Witch, A-01, Thief, the Master of Fate's companion, Knight, Queen, Dragon, and Gladiator. I still maintain my earlier stance that these lives do not intersect nor happen on the same planet or timelime since Miss Hunter's Origo powers allow her to part time and space.

Overall, I think she will be a mix of various mythologies.

Astra seems to have a particular grudge against Miss Hunter, her being part of a pantheon would make sense. Something clearly happened between her and Astra. He seems to be following her across time and space, even if he isn't named explicitly.

In the end? My money is that she is the goddess of life and free will while Astra is the god of death and fate -- two sides of the same coin, locked in an unending battle. I still maintain Astra is the big bad. And what makes her immortal is the Origo protocore.

2. Miss Hunter's latest iteration --

If indeed Miss Hunter seeded all the planets that would presumably include Earth. So is our Miss Hunter a seed that has been on Earth for millenia and recently awakened? I'm not so sure.

I realize this is Zayne and his mystery mission to the Arctic, but the imagery makes me wonder if there IS a Miss Hunter for Dawnbreaker, the OG Earth seed, but she is trapped somewhere by Astra or somehow dormant....perhaps stuck in the Arctic in a different time/space pocket?

In short, I think our latest iteration of Miss Hunter is the gladiator version of her with Sylus. They agree to run away together and something happens to split them up. I believe this is where Sylus ends up in the time space prison and Miss Hunter?

The Deepspace Tunnel being described as "vast" is interesting. It feels like the Temporal Loom from Loki. There is one Deepspace Tunnel, and everything branches from it. Deepspace Tunnel = an Olympus of sorts in the middle/a pocket removed from time and space?

She falls through the Deepspace Tunnel to Earth. If she can manipulate time and space, as it appears she can, she could be falling through multiple times/spaces of the Deepspace Tunnel and "jumping" in her distress.

But our Miss Hunter has protocore syndrome and lacks the power she's supposed to have? The Deepspace Tunnel tore them from her during her fall and they fell from her as protocores. She doesn't have a weak heart -- she's incomplete. The specific, named protocores are easily and "accidentally" absorbed by her because they belong to her, they are pieces of her.

She's going to be weak and unstable until she is complete. She's gotta pull a Thanos and collect them things!

And when she does? Along with sorting thru her memories? She's gonna be scary.

3. But wait -- what about her weak heart in the myths with boys?

This circles back to she can manipulate time and space -- perhaps the Deepspace Tunnel was originally her means of travel and something went wrong? Altered by Astra? Either way, she appears to be incomplete in some (all?) of the myths as well. Her heart with Xavier and Foreseer Zayne, something is "wrong" with her power with Master of Fate Zayne, etc.

If the Goddess version of her is where all the seed versions of her draw their power from, is something wrong with the Goddess and that's why her seeds are weak?

It also occurs to me the boys could have pieces of her as well from their origins and that explains the inexorable draw to each other. Their choice to fall in love but the type of locked eyes with a stranger in a crowded room and can't look away draw.

Or perhaps the boys are celestial bodies as well, I did see a theory to support this (would love to credit the original person who thought that one up, please let me know) on various platforms -- Miss Hunter seeds the planet and becomes intertwined with it.

I think that's all for now 😅😆🤣🤣🤣

[xavistarlight]

Thinking about dad Caleb letting his insecurities get the best of him.

Caleb x fem!reader

So we all know Caleb has his insecurities over his looks maybe looking too average compared to others, his hair color, freckles etc.

Caleb always hoped his daughter would come out a little version of you mostly because he couldn’t wait to care for a mini version of you , but deep inside his heart slightly because he didn’t want his daughter to suffer with the insecurities that he does.

So safe to say when you gave birth and your daughter came out a spitting image of Caleb.

( his stubborn genes to be blamed ) he was worried , he wasn’t disappointed not even in the slightest he’d gotten the daughter he had always dreamed of and loved her to bits he just didn’t want her to suffer at the hands of him.

Caleb was usually the one to do your daughter’s hair , not because you couldn’t but because it was something he enjoyed, when you were younger he had always done your hair for school, little twists and bows and cute rubber band filled hairstyles and it was sweet to see him replicate the styles on your daughter.

“ Anddd all done ! “ he exclaims as he ties the last rubber band into the little girls hair.

Today was Valentine’s Day and the preschool your daughter is in , is doing a special party to celebrate so obviously Caleb took it upon himself to make sure his baby girl was the best dressed there ( she was already the cutest either way)

“ look mama papa put a heart in my hair , look look !!!” Your daughter excitedly runs over to you in the kitchen to show you her Valentine’s Day hair style and outfit.

She had her long ash brown hair half up half down, with two braids conjoining together to make a heart , completed with a red ribbon to match her red dress. She does a spin just as clumsy as you she’s unsteady on her feet slightly to happy to notice.

“ careful love bug “ Caleb walks behind her letting out a chuckle.

“ I’m okay daddy! “ she sticks a thumb up and smiles with a toothy grin , reminding you exactly of Caleb when he was around her age. She had the spunk of you , and the goofy nature of Caleb.

She was perfect.

Caleb taps his foot excitedly, holding your hand in his.

This is his favorite part of the day , school pick up time. Getting his girl back getting to hear all of her child like rambles about all the things she did today , the things she learned and he specifically enjoyed how she was always the first one to dart out to be engulfed in a hug by her mama and papa.

But .. something was off she wasn’t excitedly running out today , and her usually sparkly lavender eyes full of excitement looked like they held pure sadness.

Confused as ever u and Caleb give each other a glance.

Once she gets to the car she’s silent

“ baby girl please talk to us we’re worried” you state as she looks at you through her eyelashes tears forming on her waterline and welling up in her eyes.

The.. kids at school … said im ugly she sniffles between every sentence.

Calebs biggest fear personified

You look over at him an almost unreadable expression on his face, unreadable if you didn’t know him like the back of your hand, he’s fighting with his inner thoughts.

“ baby you know that’s not true daddy tells you every day how beautiful of a girl you are and not only that how beautiful of a heart you have “

Caleb is brought back to the delivery room when he scanned his daughters face , sparkly lavender eyes looking up at him the color all him but the shape all you , the cutest button nose that reminded him of the one he had kissed countless times. And faint freckles already slightly visible that would darken with age. The same freckles you would count before you went to sleep.

That’s when he realized there was no need to be insecure, love had brought you her a beautiful daughter made up of the features both of you adored about each other. A daughter made up of the sheer adoration you two have for each other.

“ my angel , don’t ever let someone else’s mindset of what’s beautiful cloud your judgment. You’re a careful blend of two people who absolutely adore each other me and your mama, two people who find each other even more beautiful with each passing day. You’re a part of us a fragment of our love and that’s beautiful all in its own way isn’t it hm”

He gently caressed the side of her chubby cheek.

You watched the whole conversation and interaction, it was almost as if while he was teaching her he had also come to the realization himself and there was just something so beautiful about that.

While your daughter was still little she most likely didn’t understand every exact meaning of what he said she was still emotionally in-tune finally breaking and letting out sobs.

You and Caleb both give each other knowing smiling hugging her. Giving her the affection you two never had as children. Somehow healing inner wounds by parenting your own child.

Later that night

“ goodnight my tiny pipsqueak “ he kisses the grown of her head

Closing the door quietly behind himself he meets you by the door

“ you know Caleb, your an amazing dad and I’m so lucky she has you.. we’re both lucky to have you”

“ I think I’m the lucky one here “ he giggles your awkward Caleb never being able to take a compliment.

He’s taken aback as you reach up too leave scattered kiss all over his face

“ tickles.. whatcha doin pips “

“ kissing every single one of my prettiest boys freckles, i think he deserved to hear what you told our baby girl tonight. all those years ago “

He breaks down slightly in your arms, more vulnerable reminding u he’s the same boy he’s always been. Your pretty boy , your Caleb.

[slimepuparibaba]

Hi, me again. Caleb brainrot is bad. Anyway

You ever think the reason Caleb likes talking about your childhood so much to the point it seems excessive isn't just because he loves living in the past so much but also because of the fact that he's so used to trying to get you to remember every single detail of events that you may no longer remember because of you constantly dying?

Cuz like. You died and forgot, but Caleb survived and remembered?

So now it's just a habit and Caleb also trying to make sure he fills gaps in your memory that may or may not exist? Because he's no longer sure what you do and don't remember of your time together and he's so used to trying to remind you of things that happened?

Because, you know. Caleb's seen you die so many times since he was like 9-10 years old? And his unhealthy coping mechanism to deal with the trauma is to constantly make sure you're never in a situation where you die and forget everything again?

No?

Okay, have a good day :)

[rui-drawsbox]

i love the lab rats theory

[scientificwitchry]

I love everything about Caleb but the thing I like about him the most is the way he is so obviously delusional. I remember looking back at chapter four, I couldn't stop thinking about it and specifically this line; "... If not for me who else would you turn to for..." He stops his sentence but it's clear that it wasn't until that light passing by that even for a split second, a moment there could be someone we trust more than him. Or even that we wouldn't trust him at all.

I get the same vibe from the showcase of his card, Farspace Bloomfall, specifically this line;

To Caleb, I'm sure that even if he can accept us being angry, acknowledge it he wouldn't be able to ever wrap the mere idea that we could ever completely, entirely hate him (and he's absolutely correct).

After all, we're so close. We grew up together, we probably experienced so many memories, and so many complex emotions. From all the happy moments to all the sad moments. He knows us well, too well. The same way we know our gun, how to aim, how to fire, how to most efficiently deal with a wanderer. Caleb in fact knows us so well he knows exactly how to appeal to us; how to manipulate us, how to make us tick. I don't even doubt there are things about us he knows that even we don't considering the explosion and his following shift in demeanor/character.

Considering that, is it then, not only natural that he's the first person we run to? The one we rely on the most, the one we trust the most?

Is it then not common sense that he's the most obvious option, the only option the same way we've always been for him?

After all, he knows us the best, whether it's as the reliable gege who's always been there to protect us or the Caleb who's always loved us even when we never realized it.

[calebdatabase]

All About MC's Evol and Aether Core Powers

For those curious about the role of MC’s powers and following terms throughout the story, this brief guide is for you! Sprinkled throughout this post, you’ll also find some of my theories on the direction of the story.

Here’s the five terms we go over:

Resonance Evol Aether Core Spatium Core Flux Nexus Flux Stabilizer

I decided to make this post, especially for myself because when I started diving into lore threads, I realized how lost and rusty I was regarding the main story. It was a given since the last time I played through the older chapters was a year ago.

However, I recently replayed the entire main story so here’s a little refresher on MC’s powers and other important terms I didn't understand immediately! It doesn't include everything but will mention examples for terms that helped me follow the story more easily.

The definitions are taken from in-game/the wiki and then are supplemented with quotes/references/trivia I selected to help me grasp them. This also means this post is chockful of spoilers across the board. If there are any discrepancies, feel free to amend them in the comments (I did my best to be accurate but I am human).

I hope this helps to shed some light and invite more people to dive into the lore!

Resonance Evol noun

1 An Evol that allows the owner to change their frequency to match another life form or object, as well as amplify or suppress another’s Evol

2 An Anhausen class Evol with an undetermined power level wielded by MC

Notes:

An Evol that allows MC to change her frequency to match another's by using the waves generated by her brain’s magnetic field

She can produce repulsive waves against certain people/things to avoid resonating with them

Rafayel explained that MC must open her heart to establish a ‘connection’ and share her power by amplifying or suppressing another's Evol at will 

Xavier stated this is the only Evol that can undo a lock on a Flux Nexus pillar and retrieve a protocore/Aether Core from within (how convenient??)

It also allows MC to resonate with evol imbued items such as Rafayel’s coral stone to draw out Wanderers, or his paintings to inspect them

As of Caleb’s Homecoming Wings story, MC’s Evol remains underdeveloped and suppressed likely due to her Aether Core’s powers being incomplete

She can also return Wanderer Protofields to their original state

MC can even resonate with other peoples dreams:

"It's as if she saw through time and space, through his dreams, to realize he's not the doctor." - Dawnbreaker Zayne

“There were times when I noticed him [Xavier] sleeping. I tried using my Evol to resonate with his dreams. But whenever I do, I get too nervous and fail.” – MC in Xavier’s anecdotes

One cannot simply force a resonance with any Evolver, the process is a two-way street:

Rafayel and Sylus were overly-eager and attempted to resonate with MC within a short time of meeting her but failed because she viewed them as strangers

Out of all the LI’s (besides Caleb), Xavier resonated with MC more easily during their initial encounter against the Luminivores, most likely because his light evol and her aether core powers are similar in form which possibly made it easier for her to match his frequency as both are described as ‘warm glowing light’

Examples of resonating successes/attempts:

Xavier

‘I sigh and place my hand over his [Xavier’s] heart. The waves caused by the resonance Evol ripple from my fingers– the fountain bursts into a shower of dazzling light, countless, tiny droplets scattering. The spectacle reminds me of fireworks as vibrant as an oil painting.’

– MC and Xavier create a distraction in Azure Square to escape the robots monitoring him

‘As chaos envelops my vision, only one warm force stays tightly connected with me. It flows steadily from my hand and gradually covers the world in a dazzling light. It overwhelms my senses…”

– MC resonates with Xavier to power the Traceback II starship together

“Weird… It feels like something is suppressing Xavier’s Evol, preventing a complete Resonance…”

– MC’s speculation on Xavier’s Evol suppressing collar preventing them from fully resonating

Zayne

MC: “I’ll help you suppress your Evol first. Tell me the area I should resonate with so you recover faster.”Zayne: “My left shoulder… A little lower…”

– MC helps Zayne recover by suppressing his Evol in his shoulder

Rafayel

“All right, I guess I was wrong. Tapping into the depths of someone’s Evol isn’t easy.”

– Rafayel after trying to resonate with MC by holding her hands and explaining the intricacies of her Evol to her (lmao)

Sylus

MC: “Even if you keep holding on to me like this, I can’t resonate with you. It’s not something I can do just on a whim!”

S: “After all that arrogance, it seems you can’t even control your own Evol.”

MC: “... At the very least it doesn’t want to be activated in front of you!”

– MC to Sylus who was attempting to force her to resonate with him by grabbing onto her 

Caleb

“Resonate with me!” Like a bullet, Caleb leaps after the plummeting Wanderer.

“Caleb!” The roaring hurts my ears as I reach out. I can only catch the wind he stirs. Warmth surges over me like a tidal wave, and I focus my energy on catching Caleb as he’s in freefall. Our resonance creates a large energy shield that manipulates gravity. It halts his descent.

– MC assisting Caleb during battle on Linkon Tower

“The only advantage I have is having part of an Aether Core in my heart. Since I can resonate with the energy… I should be able to sense its location.”

– MC on locating other Aether Cores with her Resonance Evol

Aether Core noun

1 A rare protocore fragment or crystal containing a powerful mysterious energy that can only be wielded by a select few Evolvers

2 A complete Aether Core has a stable aether barrier on its outermost layer, which utilizes the gravitational field to seal and contain all the core's energy, thus ensuring its internal balance and stability

“Their power comes from the very core of the cosmos. If fully awakened, they would spell disaster for the world. I know. You aren’t satisfied with my answer. But there are some truths you have to see and decide for yourself.”

– Xavier explaining Aether Cores to MC

“Rather than what’s already happened, I’m more afraid of what might come in the future. But right now, you terrify me the most. You used the power of the Aether Core this time. I’m worried about what you’ll do next.”

– Xavier to MC after she uses him as a conduit for her powers to feed Starfield Forest

“The Protocore energy in your heart has always been stable. It can form an invisible shield to protect your heart when you’re attacked. You also haven’t become as weak as other patients with Protocore Syndrome. In other words, it’s a power made just for you.”

– Zayne comforting MC about her Aether Core

Notes:

An Aether Core fragment like MC's can appear as a yellow protocore fragment emitting a golden glow

Its power surpasses that of a regular Protocore and attracts anyone aware of their existence

In the present timeline, it was first discovered in MC’s heart by Granny Josephine and the Gaia scientists while experimenting on her as an illegal child experiment

It’s implied that it was not welded to MC’s heart through surgery but rather appeared on its own or chose MC due to her innate strength

MC’s Aether Core power is described as “warm” and appears as a radiant golden light

It has it's own defense mechanism and can create a shield around MC's heart

It especially attracts those affected by Protocore Syndrome who want to devour it's power

When used in combination with the Resonance Evol, MC can sense the location of other Aether Cores within range

At full power, it can power an entire planet for centuries but only temporarily (Philos survived for some time on a past MC’s Aether Core)

According to Xavier, once fully awakened it can also cause mass destruction (hint hint Earth’s downfall and Philos’ 2.0 rise?)

MC can siphon it’s energy, resulting in the crystal vessel breaking after the process of absorption

MC’s aether core provides boundless energy and immortality across time and space

Sylus’ aether core within his eye allows him to see people’s true desires and possibly grants him immortality as well

A modified wanderer wielding a spatium core was able to invade Xavier’s mind and recreate a protofield based on his memories of Starfield Forest (by Soren’s influence)

Human vessels who can control and maintain Aether Core’s power are extremely rare

MC, Sylus, and Kevi are three of them and therefore are sought after by the powers that be (i.e. Ever Group, The Farspace Fleet, Philos Backtrackers, etc)

Other possible vessels:

Xavier who is arguably one of the strongest evolvers was able to act as a conduit for the massive transfer of MC’s aether core power while they were in Starfield Forest

Caleb will soon make this list once Ever fulfills the Fountain of Atei project, since he boasts himself as a better vessel than MC

My personal theory is that only powerful Evolvers who have an indomitable spirit can house and command the ability of an Aether Core

Sylus and MC have strong personalities and are always at the heart of the action

They are known to have endured an unfair amount of suffering throughout their lifetimes that fostered this grit within them

Sylus even considers them to be ‘kindred spirits’ due to all of their similarities and encourages her lust for power regardless of the timeline

Their Aether Core's caused a physical energy link to materialize between both of them, tethering their wrists together like a handcuff

Sylus mentions she’s predestined to commit crimes in the future– my power-hungry villain MC theory is for another time lol 

Kevi, a mere child, was able to withstand the rigorous test Lucius’ forces his experiments to undergo in order to determine if their suitable for 'adoption'

Kevi was also able to easily utilize the spatium core to hide from the fleet

While we don’t know a lot about Kevi, it’s undeniable that he has an intrinsic will to live and promising powers

I don't remember his Evol being mentioned but we'll learn more about him and the experiments in the future

Caleb’s story speaks for itself tbh

Man’s survived how many near death experiences, and endless experiments, lord only knows what tragedy he experienced in his Myth... and will experience in the future

He can literally create black holes and shift the cosmos so I think his powers rival Xavier’s (though I’d like to see Xavi’s powers without his evol suppressing collar on)

A list of places Aether Cores have been found:

The flux nexus in the N109 zone on Ever’s abandoned research facility

The flux nexus in the no-hunt zone at the beginning of the main story

MC’s heart

Sylus’ eye

Tome of the Sea God unlocked by Rafayel using MC’s blood

Inside a mutated Wanderer destroyed by MC and Zayne in Chansia Hospital

Wthin a modified Wanderer destroyed by MC and Xavier outside Starfield Forest

Kevi’s possession given to him by his parents who were fleet personnel

Probably other locations I can't recall

‘I grit my teeth and forge that power into a sharp blade. Slowly but surely, it cuts through the invisible barrier along with the spaceship. Space itself is ripped open, which creates tremendous energy fluctuations and tremors. In the distance, a massive shadow looms.’

– MC and Xavier resonating on Traceback II to force their way through the Spatium Core’s illusion created by a modified Wanderer

Spatium Core noun

1 A rare type of Aether Core capable of influencing space, even creating entirely new spaces

2 Takes on the appearance of a green irregular spherical structure; the core’s shards have partially reassembled, drawn together by some gravitational pull

Notes:

A newly discovered type of Aether Core fragment that emits a faint green glow and grants the owner the power to ‘recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality’, essentially creating an illusion

MC describes the energy emanating from the core as gentle waves brimming with power, and a light, warm glow

Kevi was given a fragment of the Spatium Core by his parents to create a hidden pocket of space near his home to hide in from the Fleet

MC was able to sense the energy trail of this Spatium Core when she first searched the area of Kevi’s home due to owning an Aether Core 

Xavier confirmed the Spatium Core’s ability is familiar to people from Philos, such as the ex-Backtracker Soren who used it to lure Xavier into a protofield illusion to drain his powers

It’s important to note that despite being in a different plane, what happens to the victims trapped inside of this spatium-created dimension is very real

When Xavier attacked Soren its implied that Soren took damage outside of the illusion

Xavier’s energy is actually drained by Starfield Forest and Traceback II when he and MC emerge from the illusion; he’s exhausted to the point where he needs to sit down and sleep

By the end of Homecoming Wings, Caleb and by association, the Farspace Fleet, are now the current owners of the center fragment

Caleb’s mission is still to collect all fragments of a Spatium core, while MC’s mission is to retrieve the last remaining fragment from him

With the combined man power of the Farspace Fleet and the Tuum Fleet, Ever will eventually butt heads with the Hunter’s Association for the remaining fragments (or Caleb will use MC to get to the fragments once he discovers the Association is in possession of the rest)

Flux Nexus noun

1 A stone pillar device that captures Metaflux and as a side-effect can serve as a source of fluctuations that attract Wanderers

Notes:

Protocores and Aether Cores can also be stored and retrieved from within the pillar with the use of MC’s resonance evol

In the early story, Xavier and MC discovered Onychinus stored a modified protocore within a flux nexus in attempts to summon a dangerous Wanderer (this was likely a misdirect to paint Sylus as the big bad when in reality it was Ever)

Can serve as a ‘power source’ for crystal-infested human-wanderer hybrids with ‘Protocore Syndrome’

Destroying a flux nexus can result in severing the connection between it and human-wanderer hybrids, a concept similar to cutting off a power generator (Sylus destroyed one when he was chasing someone down in the N109 zone and it resulted in this effect)

Lucius' experiments (Caleb, Viper, Kevi, a mystery young girl) recycled these flux nexus in Skyhaven as a gig for Ever and the Fleet, during their clean-up of failed experiments with protocore syndrome

Flux Stabilizer 2.0 noun

1 A device the size of a bottle cap that regulates the frequency of surrounding Metaflux fluctuations thereby stabilizing the Protofield and reducing the likelihood of Wanderer materialization

2 Also functions similarly to a Spatium Core allowing the user to recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality (this function is obviously only available to those who are aware of how to use it such as Philosians like Xavier, Jeremiah, Soren and subsequently Ever Group)

X: “Initial tests show it has a radio frequency chip that can resonate with Metaflux fluctuations.”

MC: “So this little thing is the culprit behind the RMFMA’s malfunction and even the tool Soren used to lure in the Wanderer.”

X: “Yes.”

MC: “Can you also use that device to… recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality? You mentioned earlier that this is something only ‘your people’ know about.”

X: “That’s right. But you know I don’t like illusion stuff.”

– MC and Xavier discussing Ever Group’s newest groundbreaking invention

Notes:

The concept of a flux stabilizer first makes an appearance at Akso Hospital early on when MC visited Zayne's office and questions if the device is broken when a Wanderer appears

However, as of the end of Prologue To Tomorrow, a new 2.0 version of the flux stabilizer has been revealed to the public

When Ever broadcasts this new device on television, MC doubts there would be any need for Hunters if they implemented his small device all over the city

MC and her teammates are skeptical of this groundbreaking device that is advertised to help humanity against the Wanderers, of course

Similar to a Flux Nexus, this device can also be used for nefarious means such as to lure Wanderers

I wonder if this device along with the existing flux nexus' are how Ever will summon and revive the moist dangerous Wanderers and cause the fall of Linkon City to push their Philos (2.0?) agenda

[starmocha]

Rewatched the trailer for the 500th time because I am not normal, not calm, not stable, and I love him so much 🥺

But I got to thinking.

This would be a kindled scene, and kindled scenes don't typically appear until a few chapters into the myth. Before that, the LI and MC would obviously have some initial interactions and bonding moments.

What if by this point, they are bonded already, but whoever is controlling him had, so to speak, "factory reset" him to follow his original programming and eliminate her. We do get these voiceovers early in the trailer shortly before this kindled scene:

Note it says "repair A-01". It's highly probable that his memories of her were "extracted" and wiped clean. Any feelings he had for her up to this moment are gone, and even any personality traits he developed would be gone. He's been reset to literally a machine that only knows its programming and has lost all sentience.

She tries to speak to him and break him out of this state even if in her mind, it might seem impossible. And then, somehow, he does remember her enough to consciously try to override his own programming, hence: "Command rejected."

The last shot of them sitting side-by-side could just be them comforting one another after that intense traumatizing moment. The voiceover: "I always wanted to be in the same world as you... Instead of just watching you... And imagining you..." could be something he had said earlier in the myth before this scene; possibly even during an initial meeting in a nonhostile environment.

[Anyway....trailers are never as they seem. Scenes can be manipulated and rearranged in order. And significant lines can also be used over other scenes, so this is why I don't want to take the scenes as they are. All of Sylus' trailers have taught me this lmaooo 🙂]

[eddiemunsonbrainrot]

The Importance of the Tiger Pride poster on the season 5 bts video

I’m slightly insane so I spent 2 hours this afternoon analysing the entire video, and this tiger pride photo caught my eye as a little detail no one has mentioned. This may be a bit of a reach BUT the stranger things crew repeatedly show how important even tiny parts of the set are to this character.

The tiger pride poster is obviously in support of the Hawkins tigers, and what is drawn on there is a paw print. But I don’t know if it’s just me but I think that’s an odd way of drawing a paw print. The pad isn’t the right shape (on the poster it more looks like a heart) and the toes are too thin. Here is the poster, then what a tiger paw print should look like. I know they’re a bunch of high schoolers who have made this poster, but this feels like deliberate foreshadowing.

Keep the heart shape in mind.

Additionally, the paw print is coloured in red, which seems an odd choice. The tiger colours are orange and green, literally shown behind the poster, so it would make sense if it was either of those colours. So if we flip it upside, it actually looks like a red bleeding heart.

And you know where we have seen a very important red heart before - on Mike’s shield on Will’s painting

There are many reasons this heart could be included.

I think including this little detail ultimately ties together the importance of the painting to everything Mike does this season, and how it is essential in everything he does, if it is showing up in insignificant places like a poster at school.

However, since the heart is bleeding it could also suggest that Mike gets hurt, or alternatively, his shield gets damaged. We know that he has been building up an emotional shield/guard for the past two seasons, so this could go show that this season this is broken down and he is finally truthful to himself. He stops trying to push Will away, and push his feelings for him aside. Furthermore, to have a bleeding heart means to be a softhearted person, which reinforces the idea of Mike opening up this season.

It could also suggest that since Mike is protecting the whole party with his shield that he fails to save everyone and feels like it is his fault. I think the obvious candidate here is Will, since he is undeniably the person Mike cares most about in the party. I think this links well to the theory that since each season starts with Mike being late to something, he will be too late in saving someone (or so he thinks)

Just some fun little thoughts, let me know what you think.

TL,DR: Mike will be EMOTIONAL this season