// twohats/secret ending spoilers ahead
okay okay so we know how Loop feels throughout most of ISAT, watching Siff talk to THEIR party, THEIR friends, working to get THEIR happy ending, but what about the last time Siffrin talks to them before entering the House for the final time? Act 5, when Siffrin is set on killing the King himself
How hopeless Loop must feel during it?
Loop, trying desperately to convince Siffrin- and probably themselves- that they're here to help! Siffrin isn't stuck looping forever, thats what Loop is there for! To help! To get Siffrin out of the timeloop! To fulfill THEIR OWN WISH
"I was b-brought here to help you, and I thought if I was here, we could-"
"I thought that if we tried together, we'd-"
For once, Loop probably isn't thinking about how they're here to help a different Siffrin out of their timeloops. Probably isn't worried about being replaced, being shoved to the sidelines, being placed in the role of the understudy.
No, they're probably only thinking about how they're supposed to be here to help, how they're here to get Siffrin out of the timeloop, and they're failing. Siffrin is losing hope- practically hopeless, at this point, and Loop... can't help. They don't know what to say, and what they do say, Siff doesn't listen to.
They're failing the one thing they're supposed to be doing.
They couldn't break out of their own timeloop, and now, they can't even help a different Siffrin out of his.
The Universe answered their wish, but they can't even fulfill their role. They can't be the savior they so desperately needed, and are left watching this other Siffrin go through the same hopelessness they themselves went through. The one thing they were supposed to do- the one job they had, and they can't do it.
This was not what they wished for.
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It's so hard to find examples of quadrant type relationships in media, mostly because the framework that they're described under is so alien, and the environment that even brings about those types of bonds in general is so extreme, that typical people don't tend to even develop those types of feelings in the first place.
For example, the kill or be killed mentality of Alternia is what brings about the need to Pacify in the first place, and combining that distrust and competition of the planet with the necessity of the drone visits is what makes kismesissitude more common than it would otherwise be, imo. The structures of Pity and Hate (not the same as how we use the word here) as foundations of romance are just so different that it makes sense that it's difficult to find examples. When people talk about the quadrant framework as applied to our world or media, they tend to water it down or twist it in a way that makes it more digestible to whatever cultural norms they hold. (Normal dating, bestest best friends who kiss/qpr, rivals to lovers, That Fourth One)
Which is what makes it even more fascinating to me that when the perfect example of Pity and Hate and Pacification driving an intimate relationship stared me right in the eyes in my analyses, when I was writing them down with my own hands, I completely missed it until I saw @lucabyte 's posts about it, but it's so clear. There is so much intensity in Loop's feelings towards Siffrin, their searing resentment and hatred and pity and protectiveness and jealousy and fondness and revulsion and desire, and all are true at once and all are genuine. Siffrin's pity for Loop is equally as intense, once they Know the truth, and his desire to Make It Up To Them in whatever way that he can is so strong that even if Loop wins their fight, and is strangling them, they never once try to hurt Loop back, only tries to free themselves, and even after that, they still gently cup whatever modicum of face that Loop has in their hands and gives them nothing but gentle reassurance and praise and gratitude and compassion and care. Still wants them to stay. The whole Act 6 fight is an act of Pacification by Siffrin to Loop.
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no actually I’d like to hear your thoughts on the isat ending
Like i said it felt really tropey and by that i meant that it’s just Everything Good Happens forever and…..that’s it ? like idk we were building up to this huge catharsis sort of thing and then we got to it and it was so sudden and not a good payoff and just kind of nothingburger of an ending . the fact that everyone just forgives siffrin bothers me, or at least the fact that they don’t confront them about the shit they’ve said and done. call me a mental illness villainizer but i think if you’re a fucking asshole and doing the most insensitive things to the people you care about then hey, i think those ppl have a right to fucking tell you off for it. likeeee idk being at your lowest point …… not an excuse …. not feeling it chief ……. like sure the message is to move past your mistakes or whatever but ? that doesn’t mean just getting away with it ??? and i just really don’t understand Why everyone forgives him. honestly at the end of the day the ending is just one problem, the root of which are the characters. everyone feels like trope cardboard cutouts. oh, this is the smart one. this is the smol bean. this is the himbo. and they all care for each other btw. Did u hear that? they all care for each other. we’re not really going to explain to you why these people are so close or what they went through together but just trust me man they’re sooo found famy. like …. okay. i’ve played 30 hours of this game and not once did i buy that any of the characters really cared about each other. like??? why???? You’re telling me everyone super cares about siffrin even though they barely know them?? you’re telling me siffrin cares about everyone sooo much even though he never even bothered to find out their problems before ? Wat ? and this just breaks the ending more because literally whyyy do these people care about him so bad. and then it’s just whyyy does siffrin Have to tell them anything he doesn’t even seem to know them that well. everyone feels like colleagues and Just Friends at best. and so the ending just seems really forced. like it was written by that type of tumblr user who’s always talking about aww why does the found family have to break up after the end of the journey :( which is like fiiiiine. i guess. but u guys know that u have to build up to it right?? you can’t just tell me they’re Family Members(tm) 102829 times and that they super care about each other source: trust. you can’t just do that and then expect me to believe it ….. It feels unearned. the ending feels unearned and i don’ttttt understand what i’m supposed to take away from it . that it’s ok to fuck people up because you’re traumatized and insecure?? that you have to talk about your deepest problems with people you barely know??? i just dont know. Like i said if im being honest the problems with this game’s writing are more than just the ending, it just stands out so much because there’s a lot of build up and then just …… That
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