#caleb speculation

[mapofsouthdakota]

Caleb’s sigil/crest- Tomorrow’s Catch outfit

What tf is that crest?!

- Another myth speculation

Yes, I’m talking about THAT sigil/crest. Aside from the obvious, which is that there are wings on the outside of the centre of the sigil:

I have spent too much time trying to figure out what tf those thingy’s are.

WELL LEMME TELL YA

FIRE TONGS! Not fire POKERS, BUT TONGS. WELL?! THEY LOOK LIKE BIRB CLAWS TOO omfg

A broken clock is right twice a day, right?

Please, anyone. Tell me that I’m seriously delulu, but this further confirms my suspicions on Caleb being some kind of fiery birb *breaks*

BECAUSE:

While fire pokers aren’t specifically a mythological tool associated with creatures like the Vermilion Bird or Phoenix in Chinese culture, fire tools in general do hold symbolic significance in fire-related rituals and spiritual practices. The Phoenix and Vermilion Bird, both deeply connected to the element of fire, metaphorically align with the ideas of transformation, rebirth, and renewal—concepts that can be associated with the act of tending fire using tools like fire pokers and/or tongs.

THAT CROWN THO

The crown throws me off bigtime, but I have concluded with the following:

There isn’t a direct or widely known historical connection between a three-pointed crown and the phoenix (Fènghuáng, 凤凰) or the Vermilion Bird (Zhūquè, 朱雀) in Chinese mythology, but there are some interesting symbolic parallels:

1. Three as a Sacred Number

In many cultures, the number three represents balance, harmony, and the connection between heaven, earth, and humanity. The Fenghuang and Vermilion Bird are both celestial creatures often associated with cosmic balance, so a three-pointed crown might symbolically align with them in that way.

2. Crest and Feathers

The Fenghuang and Vermilion Bird are often depicted with elaborate, flame-like crests on their heads. A three-spiked crown could metaphorically resemble this, especially if stylized to look like feathers or flames.

3. Imperial and Divine Associations

The Fenghuang is an imperial symbol, often linked to empresses and nobility in Chinese culture. Crowns, particularly ones with three points (which could symbolize heaven, earth, and the ruler), could conceptually fit within that framework.

Okey, so am I cooketh or cooking who knows but I will cry if he turns out being some kind of salty pirate. Jkjk I’m happy with more Caleb content BUT seriously…

If anybody out there have another opinion on what tf those thingies are, please let me know.

[letsgauxplay]

All I can think about is whether Caleb walks out that plane like Maverick in Top Gun or as…the Terminator. 🫡🦾

[catboymoments]

To the person who asked about Grimwalker biology and why specifically they can’t have bio kids I wanted to answer your ask with these but my app keeps crashing. ANYWAY! Here’s some fun speculative boiling isles science about my headcanons with some extra info!!!

I forgor to do a thing on magic hrt too so I apologize but honestly it’s not too different!! It’s just hrt in the form of an elixir lol

[myname1sca1]

MIKE'S BASEMENT

I'm noticing lots of yellows. Lots of Will's drawings. If you guys see anything cool on the shelves, let me know!

[ariadne-mouse]

I know I made a comment about M9 animated series and that if there's new Essek content I'm not going to be normal about it, but if Essek actually shows up in C3 in the next bit here (if BH need to go to Aeor and M9 have found their way to the centralized allies camp with Keyleth, best tour guides would be Caleb or Essek, the chances are small but do exist) I am absolutely not going to be normal about that either. You're all in danger

[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

[littleglutton]

per aspera ad astra

— "through suffering to the stars"

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Astra, a young god, who saw you for a fleeting moment and instantly fell harder and faster than any other.

You were the first mortal he ever met.

Astra, a devoted god, who loved you deeply enough to give you his own heart so that you could stay by his side when he learned your mortal heart wasn't strong enough.

Astra, a broken god, who lost you too soon because even the gods could not stop the threads of fate from weaving their tragic web.

Astra, a mourning god, who broke the rules of foresight to find you again and watched in despair as you fell in love with another and not him.

Never again would it be him.

Astra, a desperate god, who sought to keep you, even if it meant keeping your sorrow and your disdain. Even as he witnessed his own fate of a love unfulfilled. Unrequited.

He would take your hatred over your absence.

Astra, a jealous god, who would mark each lover who would ever cross your path with tragedy and pain.

Astra, a bitter god, who gave an onerous gift to one who would love you in many lives, making sure that love would never bloom.

Astra, a petty god, who encouraged a young sea god to chase after a love that would doom his very people. 

Astra, a malevolent god, who answered the prayers of a desperate prince with a double-edged sword, offering him the path of his people's salvation, only to trap him in a gilded cage.

Astra, a spiteful god, who delivered the last dragon the catalyst of both his freedom and demise.

If he could never have you, no one else would.

Astra, a vengeful god, who tore the heavens apart to keep finding you through every rebirth and timeline, not truly understanding the chaos he brought to humanity's doorstep.

The deepspace tunnel was never an accident.

Astra, a fallen god, who was stripped of grace and reborn into a prison of human flesh; made to atone for everything he had wrought upon you and those who dared love you.

Astra, no longer a god, who had no memories of his past divinity, only an ache of rage and agony that manifest in the form of a relentless and destructive energy coursing through his entire being until he is bursting with it.

Astra, no longer a god, whose torment becomes the power of storms. Energy builds beneath his skin until even the air is charged with a metallic tang. With a surge, that energy becomes tangible, and lightning visibly cracks across his hands and fingers. The evol fills his eyes with a silvery, otherworldly glow.

Your very fear had become his strength. 

Astra, no longer a god, rails against his fate with every breath and fiber of his being, not knowing why it feels as if the weight of eons is crushing him into oblivion. All he knows is that for as long as he can remember, it felt as if he were born with a broken heart, with the jagged shards that were left digging themselves into his very soul.

He wishes he could rip them out, one by one.

Astra, no longer a god, who has yet to meet you in this life but has already begun the machinations of your destruction. He doesn't know you, doesn't understand why he does what he does, only that he must stop the eternal ache of the void in his chest from swallowing him whole. Whatever it takes to stop the pain, whatever he needs to do to fill the empty hollow, he vows to find it.

Time passes.

The search becomes an all-consuming obsession. One he builds his life around.

Always. 

Ever.

Astra, no longer a god, hears about a strange girl. Her heart is an anomaly, but it's strong. She survived the experiments. There's something there; an unseen power lying dormant in her heart.

If I take her heart, maybe I could survive too.

Astra, no longer a god, plays a pretend god.

He casts his web of chaos and destruction with your coveted heart at its center. Without ever meeting you, your life is slowly and meticulously picked apart by his hands. Tragedy befalls you again and again, close to breaking you.

Astra, the pretend god, shatters your family with a single, unfeeling order.

Bloomshore was never an accident.

This is enough to break you.

He plucks the one closest to you from the edge of death and offers him the chance to stand by your side again in exchange for control. 

He doesn't need to say it's control over you that he's after.

He learns your motives. Memorizes your tells. You move exactly where he wants you to be as if he positioned you into place himself like his very own doll. He can almost taste the victory of it filling the gaping maw where his heart should be.

He's so close now. The endgame is in sight. 

Everything is set.

Everything.

Ever…

“Will you love me forever?”

The words are whispered against his chest, softly, sweetly… but your voice is weak, fading. He can feel your life waning, slipping through his fingers like sand in the wind. He clings to you tightly, arms trying desperately to secure what could never be held. 

“Forever and ever and ever. For eternity. Until time itself turns my bones to dust and gives my very soul back to the stars, I will love you.”

Astra meets your eyes for the very first time in this life and remembers everything.

And so it seems, do you.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[fellthemarvelous]

Without hope, we have nothing.

(Spoilers and speculation included a bit further down)

This is actually a post about the Bad Batch and not Star Wars Rebels, but this bit is important so...

Try not to cry when you remember that Tech is the one who taught Hera Syndulla how to mask her ship's signature, a move that made her a massive threat to the Empire and a move that she often used to her advantage. She was such a threat to the Empire that they wanted to capture her alive so they could make an example of her for her years of defiance.

And then also try not to cry when you remember that when Hera was taken prisoner by the Empire, Kanan Jarrus sacrificed his life to free her and save the future of the Rebellion. Try not to cry when you think about the fact that Kanan Jarrus aka Caleb Dume was the Jedi padawan the Bad Batch protected (except for Crosshair) from the Empire during Order 66 by claiming Hunter killed him.

Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo lied to the Empire to protect a Jedi.

And Tech taught Hera how to evade the Empire when the Bad Batch helped her family (Chopper included) escape Ryloth after being accused of treason.

Clone Force 99's actions had a direct outcome on the success of the Rebellion. They refused to commit treason against the Republic and all they did was commit treason against the Empire. They were strong enough to resist the effects of the inhibitor chip (Crosshair and Wrecker for awhile), outright ignored Order 66 (Hunter and Tech), or were tortured and turned partially into a machine against his will by the Techno Union and used as a weapon against the Republic who, upon rescue, immediately jumped back into Separatist territory and fucked their asses up (Echo). Luckily, with the help of Rex, they got their chips removed after Wrecker tried to kill all of them.

Everything under the cut is pure speculation. I'm having a galaxy brain moment, I just have no idea if it's pointing me in the right direction or not lol.

If you disagree with me, I don't need you to rudely tell me why.

After his time on Tantiss, Crosshair can now identify with Echo more than anyone else in the Bad Batch (and Tech if CX-2 is Tech).

When they went to rescue Echo, Crosshair is the one who snidely told Captain Rex that he would have left Echo behind too.

Which is exactly what happened to Crosshair when the Empire turned him into a weapon against his own brothers. He had no choice because the Empire attached him to a machine and amped up the effect of his inhibitor chip so he could not disobey orders.

Rex told Cody "I think Echo is still alive" and Cody told him that was impossible. Anakin accompanied him on this rescue mission with The Bad Batch (we know Cody would have too if he hadn't been injured).

I think that if Tech is CX-2, Crosshair already knows or highly suspects it. He's terrified of Tantiss. I think we're going to have a parallel moment of Crosshair possibly saying the same thing, knowing that he could never leave a brother behind again after what he went through, especially if CX-2 is Tech. (I also wouldn't be surprised if Omega suspected something after her trip back to Tantiss with CX-2.)

We never saw Echo's body after the explosion. Instead we got this image. An empty helmet and a droid arm.

Crosshair defected from the Empire when he witnessed the Empire tell him that Mayday was only a clone and not worth giving medical attention to. Those actions resulted in the death of Mayday and that's when Crosshair chose to shoot an Imperial officer between the eyes (similar to Dogma's execution of General Krell in many ways).

If Tech is CX-2, that is the second Bad Batcher the Empire has turned into an enemy against his brothers.

This is the last we saw of Tech.

Hemlock was fucking lying when he said that Tech's glasses were all they recovered. Why the hell would he have found Tech's glasses and not Tech? All we see below him are clouds. And this is the last bit of Tech we see. That gun is in the shot with his glasses for a reason.

I feel like this is going to parallel Echo's rescue from Skako Minor. Tech and Echo are both highly intelligent huge ass nerds (remember that the battle plans being used against the Republic were written by both Rex and Echo, and Cody acknowledged that Rex was one of their best strategists in the GAR) who always ended up working best together.

Part of me wonders if we are heading into a show centered on the clone troopers in a post Order 66 world going up against the Empire as they try to rescue more of their brothers. Enough to become a problem for the Empire.

Part of me also wonders if the inclusion of Force sensitive children in the Bad Batch means Rex will need to call Ahsoka into the fray. Wolffe has only appeared once so he hasn't even switched sides, let alone even started blocking Ahsoka's messages to Rex yet. During the Clone Wars she had to save Force sensitive children from Darth Sidious. During the Rebellion, the saved more Force sensitive children from Darth Sidious. It makes me wonder if she is also going to save Force sensitive children from this too? I might be reaching a bit too much here, but it could be a possibility! She seems to always show up when Force sensitive children need to be rescued from Darth Sidious.

No matter what ending we get for the Bad Batch, I know it's going to leave us with hope for the future because the message in Star Wars has always shown us that hope will always be stronger than fear.

A simple act of kindness can fill a galaxy with hope.

Without hope, we have nothing.

These episodes are all relevant to Echo's journey. The Domino Squad was referred to as a bad batch and Echo was the one who seemed to struggle the most with orders that conflicted with doing what needed to be done. He is the one who memorized the regulations manual after all. And now the Bad Batch are on a similar journey because they have never trusted regs before, but now it seems they might have to trust the regs to come to help them the way they helped Rex and Echo before the war ended. The way they helped Gregor after the war ended.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but that's a fanfic I can always write!! I don't want to get into who I think is going to die or survive, but I have my suspicions there too and I'm already in too much pain to keep going.

[baeshijima]

when i say i do the study quality time event just to see this in front of me….

dont get me started on the workout quality time bc wowee

[mapofsouthdakota]

Caleb speculations

Caleb and the MC —

Inspired by The story of Hou Yi and Chang’e?

Another reason why I believe Caleb’s upcoming memories and myths will be almost exclusively inspired by Chinese traditional folklore

(This is banter but also kinda serious)

Poetic Caleb, awwhh! I THINK NOT! Sir, you are speaking in riddles and I will crack ‘em like a walnut!

Lemme fill you in on some Chinese folklore

Chang’e and Hou Yi (嫦娥与后羿) – The Moon and the Earth

This is one of China’s most well-known tragic love stories, associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, Zhōngqi��jié).

Chang’e and Hou Yi are central figures in a tragic Chinese myth. In ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, scorching the Earth. The hero Hou Yi, a great archer, shot down nine of the suns to save the world, leaving only one. As a reward, the Jade Emperor gave him a magical elixir of immortality. However, Hou Yi, not wanting to live forever without his wife Chang’e, kept the elixir for them both.

Not only is Caleb a ranged companion in battle, is also a friggin roboman. He’s basically immortal at this point (an overstatement but you get me, right?). And Caleb refers to the sun in the screen shots, like Hou Yi made it to be only one sun. LET ME also remind you on how every inch of his being is summer, sun and warmth.

Over time, Hou Yi’s power and ambition grew, and he became a king. His trusted apprentice, Peng Meng, tried to steal the elixir. To protect it, Chang’e drank it herself, inadvertently becoming immortal and ascending to the moon.

Sounds familiar right? Hello ambitious Colonel Caleb, where u at. The other part, tho. There isn’t a spec of me that doesn’t 100% acknowledge the MC as some kind of immortal being. But time will tell.

Hou Yi was heartbroken and spent every night gazing at the moon, longing for his beloved wife. In return, Chang’e looked down at Earth, forever separated but still in love.

Cough. See the screen shots I posted. I might be severely trippin’ but Caleb states how he and the MC should not end up chasing each other like the sun and the moon 🌕💔🌞

Their story symbolizes sacrifice, love, and the consequences of immortality, and it is celebrated during the Mid-Autumn Festival, where people honor Chang’e and admire the full moon. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is common to eat mooncakes, which symbolize the fullness and completeness of the moon, and by extension, the hope for family unity—a bittersweet reminder of Chang’e’s eternal longing and sacrifice.

That last part has me 💀 I’m calling it. We’ll get an event in Autumn that nods to this folklore. I bet ya we’ll be moon goddesses stuffing ourselfs with mooncakes LOL

The Apple Blossom and the Moon Goddess (Chang’e)

Just a lil something I also found while looking through all the tragic lovestories I could find in Chinese folklore:

One lesser-known folk tale links apple blossoms to Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. In some regional variations of her legend, after ascending to the moon, Chang’e was said to have created a celestial orchard where apple trees bloomed eternally. The blossoms in this version symbolize eternal beauty, love from afar, and the longing between separated lovers—similar to how Hou Yi and Chang’e are forever apart.

Guess who has apple blossoms as his flower? 👀 Ca-leb. The fuqin yearning losers are rooted in folklore imo

So to sum up my HUMBLE opinion:

I find it highly likely that we have already seen Infold’s inspiration from Chinese folklore. This doesn’t mean that every little detail has to be identical to the folklore, but the vibe, the inspiration and the morale will be deeply rooted in Chinese folklore/tradition and stories, imo.

Mind you, his trope is like the otome game trope, (aka the forbidden, yearning, soft yandere trope), but also a common trope in Chinese folklore (I should probably do a post on that at some point). Iow, I have kinda landed on the theory that:

CALEB IS INFOLD’S WAY TO PLEASE THE PLAYERS ASKING FOR MORE CHINESE INSPIRED THEMES RATHER THAN WESTERN

And people like me who is 100% addicted to Chinese folklore at this point. I swear to god.

Okey then, thank you for reading 💕

[obsessionatthemoment]

So, I was rewatching old Stranger Things teasers/trailers to try to simulate the excitement of getting a new one. I decided to start with the behind the scene's teaser trailer for season 5, and got about 15 seconds in before I had an epiphany.

Caleb McLaughlin says, "we're about halfway through filming now." And it's true, they were about halfway through filming when they released the behind the scene's teaser (aka 6 months). And, it's been almost 6 months since they released the teaser.

What I'm getting at is that if I wasn't certain that we were getting another teaser this January before, I am now. This pattern makes sense in my head. Every 6 months release something big, to keep people satisfied, but also keeping up the anticipation. And, 6 months after this teaser in January is summer. Many other Stranger Things seasons were released during the summer. Theoretically, the six months between the teaser and the show release is enough time for post-production.

What I'm saying is we're getting a teaser very soon, and the show will be released during the summer.

Anyway, I'm going to go back to my old trailers, and Byler crumbs now!

[starryseass]

doing some resources to finish this fucked up fanfic for caleb and mc and THEN watching the new multi banner feels like such a fever dream but I’m so happy they are finally happy together that I almost forgot this probably isn’t the current timeline I’m so confused and sooo happy at the same time

[apathy-crossroad]

New LI

Felt like speculating a bit, mostly about his age and Birthday

Just about how it would make sense with events and how they could reasonably time their calendar

Also, if you have any, please tell me

I'm having so much thinking about it!

First thing I think:

Infold doesn't place their birthdays on chinese holidays and not 2 Birthdays in a month, is this a rule? No, but it's what they've been doing so far

So let's take alook at their year:

Jan - New Year

Feb - New Year (depending on the year)

Mar - Rafayel

Apr - Sylus

May - [-]

Jun - Caleb

Jul - [-]

Aug - Qixi (Valentine)

Sep - Zayne

Okt - Xavier

Nov - [-]

Dec - [-]

With November and December completely empty, as well as part of January that would make a good time to put a Birthday

And it would also allow for us to celebrate all 6 LIs Birthdays this year

Now to Age and narrowing down the Birthday:

Age, Name, Birthday, Zodiac

"23", Xav, 16.10, ♎️ 🌬 c

24, Raf, 06.03, ♓️ 💧 m

25, Cal, 13.06, ♊️ 🌬 m

26, "X",

27, Zay, 05.09, ♍️ 🌱 m

28, Syl, 18.04, ♈️ 🔥 c

Our Candidates for new LIs sign:

♏️ 💧 f - 23.10-22.11

♐️ 🔥 m - 23.11-21.12

♑️ 🌱 c - 22.12-19.01

Infold seems to have a Vendetta against fixed signs, so I'm just going to say he's not going to be a Scorpio

The personality associated with Capricorn would be Zaynes stoicism on steroids, so I'm just personally going to vote for a Sagittarius ♐️, specifically a December one

I also think he's going to have eyes in the range of amber/orange/yellow

Why? Take a look at my notes:

[calebslittleapple]

God of Tides Rafayel as the trial companion for Abyssal Chaos????

🤨🤨🤨

SUSPICIOUS!!

[starmocha]

honestly, i don't even think Caleb will be even close to the yandere type. i just think the trailers are leaning into this angle to lure in new players and entice current ones.

i'm only thinking this because they bamboozled us with Sylus being a scary and controlling dom in his trailer when really the man was just trying to enjoy a good book in his robe.