#Spoilers CW

[chromatoghosts]

frye my beloved!!!!!!!!!

[nerdylolo]

"i chose her because i couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends"

in four years, you'll lose your memory and she'll be the only thing you'll remember.

[optionalcausality]

I've listened to the first episode twice now, and there's a fair amount to admire.

The way Siobhan immediately sets up the real mystery: why was it so important for the Big Guy to take the package? But then deflects our attention to the (much more immediate) concern that because of something involving the package's perceived significance, she's now being tailed. Of course that takes priority, for Imelda, since it puts her in danger, so it's entirely in-character that she'd set everything else up in just a few sentences and then put Why? on the back burner.

Other good bits:

The way Stacy Fakename gets referenced extremely quickly, and then comes back as something Imelda and Anastasia have in common. Not sure if Joanna is alluding to a third relative, but I assume Stacy Fakename is the pseudonym Anastasia used when the cousins were younger.

The fact that Conrad collects discarded bits of information. Possibly because the Big Guy is in denial about certain aspects of the work he's doing -- taking in certain information but not cataloging it for later, except for the bits his conscience won't let him forget.

The cafes having sudden deals on cortisol and adrenaline, foreshadowing that the Big Guy is wildly stressed.

The setting being, as it were, the Great Depression.

The ice skates may come up in the context of a brain freeze, but could also be an old dream or aspiration that the Big Guy had, back in the day.

And the very best problem to have, which is that any of these characters is so good that I can't be concise about it.

Ex: Danielle Radford playing A Tension as someone who is a reformer and absolutely didn't have to be. I mean, we don't know for sure, but she has a key of her own so I think it's reasonable to assume she has roughly equivalent influence to Imelda. And that she's trying to inform the citizens about important topics in a way that could, long-term, really change the balance of power in the city. She feels a bit like a titled Peer who is pushing hard for democratic reforms. She could just be rich and influential but instead she's throwing her effort into communication, trying to legitimately work her way up until she can choose the topics to pursue.

And, like, she's not without a safety net; Imelda says Anastasia's parents miss her and worry. But her boss at the Observer does treat the threat of being sacked as a genuine point of leverage over her. There's just, a lot of nuance here, and I love it.

[shallliveoninsong]

|| @maskednihilism cont. from [X]!

This was getting to be a bit much. Sure, this blue human's soul had been asleep whenever Sissel had gone and altered his fate but still! He didn't even have the foggiest of memory about dying? It wasn't exactly easy for Sissel to avert his fate either given how much trouble whoever this guy was got himself into. If he were human, he'd be raising an eyebrow in bafflement.

But after a pause Sissel leaps down from his perch to approach. He should start charging this guy here on out. Three cans of wet cat food every time his fate is averted.

He halted just close enough for Sissel to be able to connect to the unlucky man in the ghost world. After so many saves it was time to introduce himself, even if he was trying to keep a low-profile here.

"Think you can stop dying so much anytime soon? You're almost as accident-prone as a friend of mine."

[grislyintentions]

[Some new littol hcs made with reference to Arlecchino's short (Spoilers!!!) and Freminet's character stories:

Timeline: Given that Freminet held memories of the former director of the Hearth in one of his character stories and voicelines, there is a high possibility that he was one of the final batches of kids coming into the Hearth under "Mother" OR he was kept in another Hearth before finally being transferred to the one established by Arlecchino once she has cemented her position as Harbinger/The Knave (as cruelty in upper management seems to be a common practise).

This makes him an ideal plot device for the events unfolding. He fits the role of a catalyst in events really well. It does lead to the question of what secrets Freminet has been keeping from Father. Does this person's whereabouts that he's hiding involve "Mother" in some way?

As we have seen in Lyney's character stories, it is largely implied that Arlecchino intends for him to take over in the future.

However, given the whole grooming/training traditions passed down between the fatui orphanages, it would be nigh impossible to simply undo what the orphans have been taught over the years. The damage has already been done and Arlecchino alone cannot account for just how many orphanage directors are still instilling the barbaric practises in the other children across Teyvat. Could this be a part of her motivations/intended actions after ceding the position to Lyney? Who knows.

I ultimately don't think she intends to "punish/kill" the twins or Freminet. I think it's a final test to decide if they are ready to overturn past generational conditioning together instead of individually. To choose "family". If Lyney is reluctant to accept the position as head of the Hearth, then would he be less hard pressed to do so if the responsibilities are shared by his siblings? Would he be as reluctant if he was given free reign of the hearth as a separate castle away from other influence?

Arlecchino is by no means an individual that is redeemable (and she isn't asking to be redeemed, much the same was as Rosalyne didn't ask either.) There is equally as much blood on her hands as a harbinger as everyone else in the organisation, although their personal motivations can be sympathised with. That is what makes her such a nuanced person. A villain to some, a tragic character to others. And to her children, she will always be their Father- as complicated as that may be.

Prior established personal HCs: (x) - the extent of betrayal and "keeping secrets" from Father (x) - freminet's history with the Hearth and the former director (x) - freminet's inferiority complex (x) - freminet's loyalty

[faintlyglow]

Red Valley Pod has everything! A traumatized redhead. Several different varieties of nerds. Canon queer characters. References to the Sonic the Hedgehog. Complex moral dilemmas. Human experimentation. Themes that make you think deeply about the prison industrial complex.

There's even a tortoise named Waffles :-)

[listen to Red Valley Pod here]

[takerfoxx]

Congratulations to Kiruko for arguably hitting literally every single gender identity at the same time.

Transmasc! Transfem! Non-binary! Genderfluid! Technically cis! She/He/They pronouns! Some secret other thing that applies to them and them only! First cis dude to receive gender unaffirming care, and it's been one hell of a ride ever since!

[stagred]

　@kakodaimones SAW THE FINALE!

　Alastor doesn't appear exactly where he'd have liked when he vanishes from the fight. Part of him feels a twinge of guilt for abandoning the others when he'd been so confident in his plans, but the moment his staff was broken, he could just feel the power draining from within him.

　And now he's limping through the streets, thankfully empty with the threat of Extermination, and watching every camera that follows him. After a moment of swallowing his own blood, Alastor stumbles and retches, bringing up black bile and burning sanguine. It hurts his pride more than any injury he'd endured tonight to look up to one of the cameras and rasp, " Don't let someone else take your prize -- "

　Before his eyes flutter and he drops to his knees.

[skullimangoarts]

Contains spoilers for the Fallout Show Season 1

Ok so I can't stop thinking about how the last song played in the season was literally such a perfect song... The choice of it is just. Absolutely perfect.

===================

"We three, we're all alone" Lucy - She, alone, chose to leave the vault in search for her father whilst the rest of the vault was to cowardly or searching for more answers. Maximus - He had a different attitude and respect for himself and others compared to the rest of the brotherhood, proven and shown by how he let Titus die and proceeded to make brash and bold decisions. The Ghoul - He lost his family, and even then he was stuck alone between supporting Vault tech and his wife, and completely disagreeing and tearing it all down...but he hated the idea of communism. "Living in a memory" Lucy - Memories of her mother, and what she thought her father was. Maximus - I think it has to do with how he originally saw the brotherhood when he was saved. The Ghoul - His family. The flashbacks he had. The memory of the man he once was. "My echo, my shadow, and me" Maximus - My Echo: He is an echo of what Lucy wants, what Rose wanted. He wants peace, and he will carry that hope and wish with him. The Ghoul - My Shadow: He is literally from the past, 200 years ago. He once was what Lucy is, and had what she wants now. But now he is a looming reminder of what Lucy will come to be. The world now. Lucy - And me: She is the main character, she is a vault dweller which some of the games start off with the player character being.

===================

"We three, we're not a crowd" They all are very different and do not share a past. They are from different factions and backgrounds entirely. However their stories are tied together despite their lack of direct connection. Even with the romance between Lucy and Max, I still believe the differences in lives and factions still create that divide. "We're not even company" The Ghoul is not friends with either. Lucy and Max do get along but even in the end do they get separated, causing there to be a lack of physical company. "My echo, my shadow, and me" - Referenced above

===================

"What good is the moonlight The silvery moonlight that shines above?" The doubt and despair that the waste land brings has made Lucy see things differently. She is less optimistic than in the beginning of the series. "I walk with my shadow" Lucy literally walks with The Ghoul for a long time, before she has a larger moment of realization. She realizes that no matter how kind the people of the waste land are, it is good to be cautious and suspicious. Because the waste land lacks the empathy that a vault has. "I talk with my echo" Lucy talks with Max a lot. The way they even got to know each other was talking. The two find comfort in each other's words and experiences. "But where is the one I love?" Lucy lost the love she had in her dad, she doesn't know how to feel or think about him now that she knows the truth. Everything she knew and trusted has been changed, in a way she has lost everything she loved.

===================

"We three, we'll wait for you" I'm unsure how this connects currently but I think that it may be that they are all waiting for what's coming next. What is going to happen. When they are going to find what they are looking for. "Even till eternity" The ghoul has spent 200 years looking for his family. He won't stop now. I believe that The other two, despite how they feel about ghouls, would become a ghoul if it meant reaching what they are seeking for. "My echo, my shadow, and me" - Referenced above

===================

"We three we're all alone. Seems like we're livin' in a memory." - Similar lines referenced above "That's my echo my shadow and me." If I remember correctly before this line plays it shows/references Maximus before panning to The Ghoul walking away, then to Lucy. "We three we ain't no crowd. Fact is we ain't even company. That's my echo my shadow and me. You know I been wonderin' what good is the moonlight that silvery moonlight that shines way, way up above? Yeah, I walk with my shadow, I talk with my echo, but where is that gal that I love?" - Similar lines referenced above "We three, we'll wait for you Even till eternity My echo, my shadow, and me" - Referenced above

===================

Overall, this song was an excellent choice for not only the overall story of the show, but also for wrapping up the season after the insanely well done events in episode 8.

I genuinely cannot wait for the next season and I am incredibly grateful that Jonathan Nolan chose to take the risk of making this show and I am even more grateful that Todd Howard agreed to let this show be produced.

[nerdylolo]

"i chose her because i couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends"

he doesn't know that they're soulmates, that they're endgame, that he'll take the whole world from her shoulders and carry it for her, that he'll reject immortality on olympus for her, that he'll have his whole mind wiped but the only thing he'll remember is her.

[optionalcausality]

I am still not over how Goldenloin's establishing character moment was "would cut off his lover's arm in order to shift a deadly weapon's beam upward and away from the crowd".

Like it was clearly a short term solution, if it hadn't stopped firing then there would have been an uncontrolled beam weapon pointing who knows where, but that reaction hits hard.

And he wrestles with the action afterward -- wondering if he could have reacted differently, could have caused less harm, could have intervened sooner -- which is also reasonable and useful and the sort of introspection I do want to see from heroic characters.

Nimona just did so much right.

[shallliveoninsong]

|| @maskednihilism kinda cont. .from [X]

In the depths of a secret underground lab tucked away on one of the small, unnamed islands in the sea on the Luofu the Disciples of Scantus Medicus were making strides on their latest project.

The Ravager Phantylia's plan may have fallen through but it wasn't for naught and the Disciples could reap some benefits from the failure. With the Disciples now on the run and their numbers scarce after the failure they needed something to interfere with the Luofu's operations so they could regain their footing. An attack on the Alchemy Commission in the middle of the night was launched with one goal: to capture the man who was the biggest obstacle in their plans; General Jing Yuan. A few healers were harmed in the attack, not that it was of any consequence to the Disciples.

And now they had made much progress with the Cloud Knight General. The power of the Destruction that Phantylia had forced into him fought for control of its host despite the connection being severed. There just needed to be a little something more.

Over the weeks following the General's disappearance they experimented with force-feeding him Mara-inducing medicinal pellets. It made the General temporarily Mara-struck but the Destruction didn't react with the procedure. It wasn't what the Disciples needed.

Gradual liquid injections worked much better. And unlike the pellets the effect interacted with the Destruction in the General in a very unique way. It made the General moldable and easy to condition but not completely Mara-struck and mindless. Yes, they could work with this. _____

Jing Yuan was too weak to speak, nor even take in much of his surroundings. A dimly lit room. Cold. His arms ached and burned.

The General could barely move. He was suspended in the air by chains and shackles on his wrists and ankles. But even his head felt too heavy to hold up. His normally light hair was a dark gray with grime and dust. Dried splotches of blood decorated it, though whether it was his or someone else's was a mystery.

How long had he been here? It was all a blur. But not from falling asleep--no seldom was he granted solace from this mess by sleep. Hazy fits of rage and combat he couldn't quite remember interrupted the times when he was fully conscious of what was going on.

Each breath he took shot pain through his lungs where Cloud Piercer had gone through him. The Fragmentum corrosion had spread across most of his torso from the wound. He couldn't see it under his battered and bloodstained tunic even without his darker-toned armor, but he could feel it. Spreading across him like a plague. But no matter how much he thrashed he couldn't get free. So instead he hung there, taking shallow breaths to lessen the daggers of pain that shot through his lungs with every inhale.

"One more dose and things will be complete," the leader of this crew said.

Another member acknowledged the statement before affixing another liquid dose to the IV hooked into the General's arm. The Disciples had nothing to fear out here in the middle of nowhere. No one would be able to find the underground base and get past all the locked doors and surviving members operating out of it. No one, except for one thief.

[grislyintentions]

|| Commentary: Adepti Lore ||

NOTE: Spoilers included if you haven't played through Chenyu Vale things Strap in for the incessant chatter folks.

Things discussed:

Mythology involving the "nature" of adeptus and gods + common themes discussed/covered in chinese mythological drama/stories

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao relations to one another

Cultural significance of Jade and it's value

The Nature of "Good" and "Evil" (Spiritual Karma)

As I have previously shared here in this post, we do not consider spirits to be inherently good or evil in nature. Every living thing accumulate karma in their lifetime based on their actions and motivations: even the divine are not exempt from this and can very well be judged based on that -squints at neuvillette-

These voicelines comment on exactly that:

With regards to Fujin's comment about no one remaining an adeptus forever and my previous post covering how the lingering grudges/remnants of deities cannot be completely erased, it ties into soul/spirit cultivation.

While the divine cannot truly be "killed" in the conventional sense, they can lose their abilities as well as physical form. They can undergo things like erosion, corruption and become tainted. They can lose their divine nature, their spirit can be dispersed and linger in specific areas where they have strong emotional ties to. Over time, they vanish and lose all ability to be able to interact with the current plane of existence they are in. Eg: traces of the fallen Yaksha can still be detected but their will can no longer be returned/coalesced. Remember what happened to Yelan and company in the chasm quest? Yeah.

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao Relation:

From Fujin's narration of the past, there might be a possibility that she, Herblord (likely Changsheng) and Xiao all served under the Goddess at one point. (This may also be why Xiao recognised Baizhu in the doctor's story quest.)

I theorise that when Fujin and Herblord defected, Xiao remained behind. Given references to Xiao's character story (4th one), it is implied that he was kept captive by means of the 'cruel god' exploiting his weakness and used as a "bloodhound" in his youth. He was subsequently rescued by Rex Lapis and in Fujin's statement, she spoke of a goddess seeking power/security yet ultimately being overpowered by Morax. What better way would a god seek power/safety by ensuring that the ability to grant the dreams of others remain solely her own? And the will to take it away also remain hers (by means of having an adeptus who can devour dreams be by her side?). More elaboration on her intentions and use of Xiao here in this post.

Cultural Significance of Jade and it's Value:

Even today, Jade is highly valued for it's cultural significance. In fact there is an ongoing argument about how it's more valuable than gold to this day.

Many associate the material with prosperity, longevity, immortality, harmony, purity so on so forth. When accompanied with gold, they tie into themes of "heaven and earth". They can be used as a medium of communication, spiritual healing or warding off evils.

Hence, the depiction of the "Jade Emperor" being the representation of a primordial god.

[helluvahell]

　" I need a fucking flyswatter next time I go out. "

[stagred]

　@hellfrczencver SAW THE FINALE!

　" FROSTY! "

　He wouldn't call for Husk or Niffty like this. Not in such a sorry, pathetic state. If either of them thought that his power was wavering for even a second, he could lose them both. But Frosty is different. Blindly loyal, desperate to impress... and probably listening in as often as possible. No matter if he isn't.

　Electric green chains appear in his free claw, the end disappearing far beyond the boundaries of his ruined tower, and Germain gives it a weak tug. " Help me...! NOW! "

[birt-art]

"Maybe we both die. Probably. But maybe not. Maybe, maybe everything works out, and we end up somewhere else...."

I'm still not ok with MAG 200 !! 💀