#jottin down theories and observations

[heart-stomper]

Unspoken Trust, Unspoken Fears

Gathering my thoughts on Sasha and Marcy’s dynamic before S3 proves me wrong shows us what’s going on with these two.

It’s time to look at The Dinner and Battle of the Bands, and then use it as a guide to read the room in True Colors.

No worries! You just gotta speak their language. - Sasha, Reunion

Or in this case, know when to stay quiet. 

Sasha gets really really frustrated this episode. Like, so bad, that if that Volcakeno didn’t erupt, she might have been the one to end the friendship. Even Marcy and Grime couldn’t calm her down. But that’s the thing, before this point, they were the only ones to get through to Sasha without provoking her.

Grime keeps Sasha in line; she rolls her eyes and is clearly annoyed every time she has to hold herself back, but her willingness to keep it cool shows she ultimately agrees with Grime’s plan and sees it as the best path to success.  When Marcy chimes in, it’s with a helpful answer to Sasha’s question. She reminds Sasha of why they stopped Doing Thing by explaining how their plan failed. She avoids judging Sasha for it, and frames it as the repercussions of their actions, as a group. Marcy is on Sasha’s side, so Sasha doesn’t put up any defenses. When Sasha decides to avoid arguing with Anne however, it isn’t for Anne. It’s for the plan, for her and Grime.

Marcy has enough faith in Sasha to believe she’d never want to purposefully hurt Anne, but is careful about broaching the subject. Sasha feels attacked very easily, and will quickly trivialize or downplay things if she feels the other person is being unreasonable or doesn’t ‘get’ her.

And that is the only time Marcy speaks up besides The Big Argument. She only jumps into actual conflicts if things get too heated. Otherwise, she just lets Sasha do her thing, and lets Anne argue with Sasha... sort of.

This isn’t collaboration. It’s a hostile takeover. Why do things always have to be your way?

Now, for the bait and switch. Let’s talk about Marcy’s behavior in Day at the Aquarium and New Wartwood, and Sasha’s in Toadcatcher and Barrel’s Warhammer… while tying it all back to Battle of Bands!

You didn’t tell me you were writing a song! Let’s do it! I mean, if that’s okay with you, Sasha.

In A Day at the Aquarium, Marcy’s first instinct to Anne saying she’s going back with the Plantars is to make a plan. To show that it isn’t actually what will benefit Anne’s Goals. She doesn’t even consider opening up as an option, and avoids saying anything that could cause conflict. New Wartwood, Marcy tries to chat with the citizens of Wartwood and get to know them. But when that doesn’t work, she decides that impressing them with her knowledge and usefulness is bound to make them like her. It has to.

It does seem simpler.

Trying to win people over by claiming a plan is of mutual interest and necessary, carefully choosing which words to use, viewing relationships as a puzzle to be solved… this isn’t the sort of thing Marcy needs to do to get along with someone like Anne. It’s how Marcy copes with Sasha. Sasha lashes out and belittles bad ideas. Sasha has to be convinced the plan benefits her, suits her. Vulnerability and love aren’t enough to make her care, so Marcy does what she can to prove she’s worth being around. She might even sometimes wonder if Sasha actually likes her, or just likes what she can do for her. She rather not find out.

Whenever she’s afraid of people not liking her, or is worried that she’ll lose them, she dives right into those bad habits. She can give her opinions, but they aren’t supposed to get in the way of what Sasha wants. She’s supposed to say “That’s amazing! What do you think Sash’?” not “Let’s do it!”

Listen. There’s another reason why I’ve been training so hard. To protect the one person I know I can count on right now. You. You’re right, I already lost one friend. I’m not about to lose another. - Sasha, Toadcatcher

In Toadcatcher, there’s that scene, where Sasha looks at the BFF picture and the wind cuts off Anne for a second so it’s just her and Marcy. This is where Sasha is at. Anne might have rebelled, but when Sasha reunites with Marcy? Oh, she’ll show Anne, one way or another. They’ll get her back (like, joining the team or revenge wise, depending on Sasha’s mood.)

Listen here you buffoon! What’s it gonna take to prove that you should follow us? - Barrel’s Warhammer

Aaaand Sasha freaks out royally when she learns the two are alone together and doing just fine. On some level, she fears Anne and Marcy “getting along without her” because it means they might decide they don’t actually need her to make plans; that she isn’t necessary to have fun. In the The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers, we see that isn’t as big a catastrophe as Sasha seems to think it’d be. As time goes on, the girls do gain a healthier relationship to their feelings about Sasha, but that doesn’t mean they’d want her gone even if they don’t need her there. But Sasha doesn’t know that, she doesn’t even consider it till reuniting in The Third Temple. All she knows for now, is that she can be a bit... much... so if she isn’t in control, if her way isn’t “the best”, why would Marcy put up with her either? 

Listen. If things get too wild out here, just give me a signal and I’ll call the whole thing off. 

 For sure, teach it to us Anne. 

Every Sasha plan starts with an empty reassurance. So much of Sasha’s dialogue follows a pattern where she says stuff like “we’ll call it off” (she did not call it off) and “for sure, I don’t mind” (she did mind) that it could be it’s own game. Sasha talks the talk, until it gets in the way of what she wants.

Sorry guys, but we’re way to close to bail. I am not going back empty-handed.

It’s good. I just have a few tiny notes that I think could make it even better. ... Boom! Fiixed it! 

If they just follow her lead and let her fix it, everything will work out. They should believe in her and trust her. After all...

That’s not true! Besides, we did it. ... You’re not actually gonna throw this all away are you?

I just wanted all of us to succeed. I was just being a good friend. Why couldn’t they see that?

It all worked out, right? Percy and Braddock made it out okay even if she didn’t follow through on her promise. They won, she’s reliable. But of course, Sasha lost something more important than their belief in her abilities, she lost their trust. In Battle of the Bands however, Sasha recognizes that Anne and Marcy don’t want to follow her ambitions and will be pushed away by them just like Percy and Braddock were. So she takes it upon herself to end things, accepting that she’s lost.

Sorry it took so long.

Except this time, she manages to realize that maybe “what she wants” is to be there for her friends. Sasha’s finally had the space to relax and really think about what she wants, at least a little. This isn’t a real battle after all. Doing things her way all the time isn’t as important as she thought. Maybe she should trust in her friends more. A change of pace isn’t “wrong”, just different. It’s fun.

Sorry we lost, Sash’.

Just like Percy and Braddock, Marcy knows Sasha is capable. She understands that Sasha just wants the team to succeed. That’s why she apologizes when Grime beats them in the competition. She wants Sasha to know she appreciates what she did, but keeps it a bit indirect. She gets Sasha probably didn’t want to push them away. Marcy tried to catch herself and back Sasha up, but when Sasha had her argument with Anne, she stayed quiet. She couldn’t bring herself to go against Anne. 

That was ultimately for the best, as Sasha learned a valuable lesson. Except... She’s in too deep with the rebellion to back out now. This is the episode she’d spill the truth and give up on the whole thing, except... Grime. A part of her knows leaving would make Grime her enemy. She can’t risk that. So, she keeps going with the plan. She decides she’ll somehow win it all back. Because the thing she’s actually most afraid of, is losing another friend. 

Sorry things got a little crazy back there. You guys good? ... Sheesh, don’t be a sore loser. Look, I’m gonna stay here and get this toad regime off the ground, but I can totally send you two home if you want. Or, you can stick around and give me a hand! So what’d’ya say?

Sasha’s final offer; the last chance she’s giving the girls to stop acting weird and go back to being her obedient friends who do what she wants. Sasha lost at Toad Tower, but now she’s won. So Anne should go back to normal, she’s supposed to, like some unspoken “rule”.

And Marcy is supposed fall back in line too. The offer and apology are just as much a plea directed at her. Sasha’s trying to be generous, in her own awkward way. She has bit her tongue so far. She’s thrown a temper tantrum or two, but she hasn’t been this forward in asking Marcy for help till now. She wants Marcy to say that everything’s okay. Make it clear she doesn’t think she’s the bad guy, and that she forgives her and wants to be there for her. That they’re on the same page again. She wants Marcy to help make Anne look overly dramatic and silly for making such a big deal of all this. Sure, if Anne figures that out by herself, that’d be great, but if Marcy could just speak up.

But she doesn’t. Of course she doesn’t.

Marcy’s too busy worrying about Anne’s reaction. Knowing that she’ll be upset about this. She doesn’t dare side with Sasha, and is disappointed and betrayed that she actually did something like this. Marcy already has her own secret plans, so when she finally tries to calm things down, all she can give is a non-descript “we can still fix this”. And then, she’s once again shocked when she sees Sasha threaten Anne and the Plantars. Seeing Sasha act so willing to actually hurt people rather than just push them around... it finally hits her just how serious “tried to kill them” was. And of course, losing Anne or being sent home with her would completely mess up her own plans.

Sasha’s isn’t a vulnerable person. She’ll go on about loving her friends if it makes her look good, but she actively avoids doing anything that could be seen as “weak”. She wouldn’t dare ask Marcy to drop Anne and choose her. If Marcy isn’t speaking up, she can take the hint. She still isn’t on her side, and so she gets sent to the dungeon along with the rest of them.

Marcy accepts that Sasha has become an obstacle, but a part of her still hopes the three of them can work through all this. If they do things her way, nobody has to get hurt. She'll figure out a way hold everything together, fix everything, like always.

And then Andrias betrays her.

Yeah, what plan?

Sasha stops talking once she realizes what’s going on. Quietly fuming as Marcy explains herself. The music box, the suggestion to take it back to Andrias... that wasn’t Marcy being the sweet, supportive friend who Sasha thought she could always rely on, who believed in her... that was Marcy using her. It was never going to become their plan; Marcy never trusted her and was actively working against her. Sasha lost Anne, and she never had a chance at getting Marcy back, either. 

Sasha smacks Marcy away when she desperately tries to justify herself. She doesn’t want to hear it anymore. She’s furious that Marcy thinks they could be friends after something like this, after she’s manipulated them and claimed it was for their sakes. This whole time, her goal had been avoiding the move with her parents. And coming here has only torn them apart even worse.

Marcy reaches out to both girls. And when Sasha rejects her, she clings to Anne, hoping at least she’ll find it in her to forgive her. That she’ll understand she cares about them even if she messed up. Marcy knows they’d probably never pick her over their families or ambitions, so she told herself this place offered those things too. Made them all better people. But as she says her excuses out loud, she can’t find a single one that feels right. She was just afraid of losing them, and now, she’s managed to hurt them on top of that. 

But the thing is. After all that. Despite how betrayed and hurt and angry Sasha was, she looks like this:

Sasha realizes this must be exactly how Anne felt about her betrayal. It isn’t just an abstract “hurt” or “bad thing” anymore. She can also sympathize with how Marcy feels and why she did it, at least a little. She can’t imagine being able to forgive this, and yet... when she looks to Anne with that apologetic look, she isn’t just hoping Anne will forgive her. She’s also asking for permission to forgive Marcy. Pleading that they all still have a chance to move past this together.

[heart-stomper]

Rationalization (feat. Marcy Wu)

Rewatching A Day at the Aquarium is a whole new layer of pain when you realize it’s the episode Marcy agrees to betray Anne. Her and Anne had a plan. “Find Sasha, get the music box, and go back home.” She didn’t necessarily like the plan, but in her mind, it was the “logical” thing to do. It’s what her friend wants; what’s best for her.

Anne, right now you have to follow your head. Not your heart.

Once Hop Pop gets the music box we’ll just… send a servant to pick it up. More efficient that way.

The Plantars got you here, to me. It's time to let them get back to their lives. Why don’t you guys take the day to say goodbye?

This is how Marcy sees decision making. She can’t just want Anne to stay with her, it needs to be “more efficient”. She needs an excuse, something deeper than her own desires.

Whoa whoa whoa. It doesn’t really make sense for you to go back to Wartwood. The last thing we should do is separate again. Not after we’re so close to finding our way home.

Lines like this give away the fact that Marcy is scrambling to find a reason for Anne to stick around. Initially it had the same vibes as Anne’s “I don’t want to lose you after I just got you back.” thing in indirect nerd words. But when you realize her desperation is also due to the fact that she wants to spend as much time as possible with Anne before she has to move, it is absolutely heart-wrenching. 

This is the look Marcy gives once Anne and the Plantars have to say goodbye. Seeing how much it hurts them to part ways with each other makes her start to feel self-conscious about her suggestion.

I’m sorry Anne. This just, made the most sense.

I know I know. *sniff* Logical thing to do.

At first, Marcy considers comforting Anne- being vulnerable. But instead, she sighs and accepts that maaaaybe Anne staying isn’t the most ‘strategic’ way to do things. Maybe she was the one who wasn’t following her head.

Now go, follow your heart.

Anne going with the Plantars makes sense, there’s no reason for her to stay here when Marcy can handle the preparations by herself. Anne wants to be with them, and they clearly care about her. Being honest about the move would simply make things awkward. Uncomfortable. Tense. It’s similar to the music box- if it won’t come up, or hasn’t come up yet, there’s no point mentioning it. It would just be a burden on her friends, or worse, make them dislike her. If she stays quiet, then the fun can last a little longer once they meet back up again.

Always sad to see someone go, isn’t it?

I have a proposition for you, Marcy. And I think you’ll find it very interesting.

Narratively, there’s only one thing this could be about. You don’t drop something like that unless it’s going to be revealed later. Andrias knows Marcy is in a delicate state right now. So he offers her the chance to travel to all sorts of different worlds, and she can bring along her friends too! Of course, if it’s something only she wants, that wouldn’t be fair. But...

I did it for us.

During Marcy’s speech in True Colors, she tends to frame things with "us” and “we”. She switches to using “I”, “me” and “you both” when talking about stuff her friends didn’t know... and when she progressively gets more desperate to convince them her actions were for their sakes. Andrias helped Marcy convince herself that lying about the music box and staying with her friends was the “logical” thing to do. That they’ve flourished in Amphibia, made connections, and have been having so much fun! That it’s even better than the way things were back home! 

Except... once that “logic” faces scrutiny, when her friends can have a say, it all falls apart. And when that happens, Marcy finally admits why she really thought the plan “just made the most sense.”

I just, didn’t wanna be alone...

[heart-stomper]

Some stuff I noticed while scanning Matt’s reddit AMA [current info = S2 finale!]:

Besides the reply asking if Sasha is bi, the only times he replied with “stay tuned” was in regards to Anne, Marcy, and Sasha’s birthdays, and when someone asked about the characters middle names. 

Questions that got “spoilers” as a reply:

What are the last names of Grime, Maggie, and Vince?

Other than Anne and Marcy did Sasha have any other friends?

Will we ever see Sasha’s parents? If we don’t, are they nice or mean like Sasha? (And “What can you tell us about Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's family members?” which got a “nothing yet”)

Will we ever get an answer about Sprig and Polly's parents? /  Are sprig and pollys parents dead / Is Hop Pop maternal grandpa or paternal grandpa to Sprig and Polly?

Who did Sasha prefer, Anne or Marcy?

How old is Amphibia?

Does Time pass differently in Amphibia?

Is Amphibia an island or a continent and is there more places to explore outside Amphibia? / Will we get some hint of or even see what's outside Amphibia?

How old is the Calamity box? [Unconfirmed, but at least over a 1000 years old as of True Colors]

Are there more humans living in Amphibia at the same time as Anne, Marcy and Sasha?

Is the Skipman Marcy's? 

Will there ever be a Sprig vs Sasha fight? (”SPOILERS” IN ALL CAPS)

How many seasons do you expect the show to run for? (Numbering was out of order, but the answer was: “spoilers, but this is a 3 act story and we are in the 2nd act” and it tracked with the previously answered questions)

“Spoilers” we know the answer to:

Where is that robot that was stalking the Plantars before? [Friend or Frobo]

will Marcy be returning to wartwood with the plantars [New Wartwood]

Will the lady from The Bizarre Bazaar make a second appearance? [The Second Temple]

When and how did the girls meet and become friends when they are different from each other? [The Third Temple]

What went on and made Marcy in season one look super smug and then came to be a nerd in the second season. /  Did Marcy have good intentions finding the calamity box? [True Colors]

Where did most of the toads from toad tower run off to after they abandoned Grime? [Toad to Redemption / Barrel’s Warhammer (ish?)]

Haha where do I put these “spoilers”:

What is the core political/military system in Amphiba and how does it work?

This question about Anne’s default design and if/how it will change.

Some Extra Details I Noticed and Thought Were Neat:

“will the show have any sort of lgbt rep??”  “yes, I will make sure of it.”

Matt suggested referring to Punk Girl seen next to Vince in Reunion as “Cheyenne”, after “the board artist who did this scene“. Marcy’s last name is because he knew a Wu, and Sasha’s was the maiden name of one of the show's development executives, Elizabeth Taylor.

Gave a “Maybe we can make a prequel :P” to someone asking about when and how the Sand Wars happened. 

“Saint James Middle School” was the name of Matt’s middle school, and is a catholic school. He said Anne obviously isn’t catholic, but left it open for Sasha and Marcy.

Consistently uses “She wasn’t written with that intention” when asked if Marcy is neurodivergent / autistic coded, BUT also gave replies saying “but I believe we still have a lot to learn about her, even on our end.“ and “In many ways they tell us who they are, not vice versa. I am so happy to see people identify with her in this way.” Meaning the team might lean into that possibility in the future.

[heart-stomper]

Embracing the Fall, Why Anne will Fall in the Season 3 Finale

Three stars burning bright / Come from beyond to expel the night / Should they fight or embrace the fall / Their choice will determine all

Time to talk about Reunion and True Colors. Starting with the parallels between Sprig and Sasha, Grime and Marcy, and Andrias and Anne, and how their choices reflect who they are.

Anne had the Plantars by her side, but failed save Sasha. While Andrias was alone, but managed to toss out Sprig.

Sasha chose to fall to in order to protect her friend. While Andrias chose to drop Sprig in order to hurt his(Sprig’s) friends.

Grime saves Sasha. And Marcy saves Sprig.

But Grime solidifies the rift between Anne and Sasha, and only saves her due to his personal connection with her. While Marcy saves Sprig to reunite him with his family, whether or not Anne will forgive her. 

Antagonist Parallels, & the Cycle of The Plantars

Polly and Sprig both have moments where one of the antagonists (Andrias and Sasha respectively) try to kill them. Keep in mind that Anne tries to kill both Sasha and Andrias in True Colors, and that both girls have tried to off one of their biggest foils. (Grimesy if you see MarMar RUN.)

Like Andrias does to Sprig, Hop Pop is dangled over the edge by Grime. However, Grime is the one who falls.

Sprig has his own “grab the calamity box” heroic moment when he confronts Sasha. Him standing up to her serves the same purpose as Polly growing legs: showing how the Plantars have Anne’s back. 

Which means, Hop Pop might get a fake out with one of the season 3 antagonists, perhaps Anne (or one of the other girls) pretending to be loyal to the bad guys. Hop Pop will also play a pivotal role in momentarily impeding the antagonists plot. With Polly being the one who incites the final “fall”... perhaps by choosing to jump.

Refusing to Fight and Embracing the Fall 

Because you weren’t just a jerk. You also inspired us.

- Anne, The Third Temple

The companions have a lot of meanings worth exploring but I’ll just address the most relevant one to this analysis: that the girls companions give you insight into what they need to “embrace” to “repel the night”. Sasha needs the humility to let go and listen, Marcy needs to take responsibility and stop hiding, and Anne... Anne needs to be persistent about what she wants from herself and others, instead of sending mixed signals and giving in.

The power of tears, AKA love. With this bit of (what I’m assuming is foreshadowing), it’s time to talk about Anne and The Night.

The Night will be the antagonist of season 3. They are a metaphor for our darkest instincts, corrupted intentions, and our toxicity. Of our arrogance, irresponsibility, and desire to give up. The girls have a choice: continue to fight like those before them(Andrias and his friends), or embrace the fall(accept positive change). Sasha’s fall was night, Marcy’s was dusk/dawn, and Anne’s will be day. Specifically it will be the daylight that “casts out the night”, the moment all three stars burn brightest: together. The Beginning.

Symbolically, The Night can never truly be defeated because your best intentions will always be capable of harm. They’re a part of you. It’s only through shining a light on yourself and refusing to look away, through trust, time, and honesty with yourself and with those around you, that you’re capable of holding it at bay. The Night is a relationship broken. It fails to acknowledge and grow with those around it. Anne can’t defeat it alone, but she also won’t submit to it by letting it corrupt her like Andrias did.

Andrias & The Night will manage to regain the calamity powers. Anne might even die. Because what repels the night comes from beyond, perhaps in more ways than one. If Andrias turns to revenge because of the betrayal his friends? Anne will do everything she can to save her friends. She loves them. She won’t give up on them, no matter what. Not because she’s a pushover, not because she’d forgive them if they refused to change, but because she refuses to hurt them, and won’t allow herself to be consumed by hatred. Even if things look hopeless and impossible. Having the humility, responsibility, and persistence to reconcile is the only way to repel The Night. The cycle of toxicity can only be stopped if everyone is willing to embrace the fall.

So, Anne falls.

[heart-stomper]

Ghost Marcy hcs

Marcy haunts Sasha and gives her advice like hallucination Sprig from Anne Hunter, Sasha assumes the trauma is just really getting to her.

Marcy eventually gains the ability to work as a Ghost Telephone for Sasha and Anne. During the first “call”,  Anne asks if MarMar is a hallucination since her mind is “surprisingly honest about that”. 

Maddie sends Sasha (& possibly Anne) to gather materials so she can reanimate (read: shove Marcy’s soul back into) her body

Sasha & Anne would iron grip cling to Marcy once she starts responding, Sasha crying tears of relief and Anne sobbing.

Marcy, after getting over the initial shock of being res’d: “Wait a second… so what does this even make me?” (Anne: “Alive?” Sasha: “A zombie...? … Yeah, okay, wow. That’s actually pretty gross.”)

@ being called at zombie: “Hmm, I wouldn’t say I’m a zombie. My brain’s all still here, so I’m probably something more like (buffering hand twirl motion) a lich! Ohmagoshomagosh oh my gosh you guys, this is actually just like a side quest from one of my favorite MMOs ---“

Joe Sparrow gets commended for his role in the rescue operation, and is given a sick statue

Sprig thanks Marcy for saving him; he made her a slingshot since she could ‘use it in emergencies’ and is a ‘long range fighter like him’.

“Y’know, given that I’ve technically been reborn, I guess that would make Maddie my second mom now!” (Maddie, who was cleaning up the resurrection site: “Wait what”, Anne: “D’aww-- wait, isn’t she younger than us?” Sasha: “That is definitely not how that works.” )

[heart-stomper]

Exploring Each Temple’s Meaning

Intelligence and Humility

Marcy is super smart. She comments that she’s been roleplaying as ‘your standard Artificer Rogue’; Artificers being master inventors in DnD “CnC”. She enjoys suggesting improvements for Newtopia and was willing to learn a whole language just for a quest! But, she’s rarely one to jump start a plan. She likes playing support, and admires the strengths of others. Trying out different ideas is just fun for her.

During the First Temple, Marcy goes full Focused Marcy Mode. She blocks everything out when she’s solving puzzles, and doesn’t pay enough consideration to Anne and the Plantars. When the Flipwart challenge gets too dangerous and really is unwinnable, however, she realizes she has to surrender. She understands that her friends are more important than beating some temple.

In New Wartwood, we can see that Marcy has a serious desire to be liked by others. However, ‘getting’ relationships isn’t really her strong suit. If it can’t be solved like a puzzle, she tends to end up causing trouble. After almost sinking Wartwood, even though she did end up fixing things, she also fully acknowledges she made a mistake. She apologizes and assumes it’s ruined her chance at be friends.

Things tend to go wrong when Marcy blindly trusts that she can fix things with her intelligence without listening to her more humble side. 

Heart and Responsibility

Anne is a very caring girl who loves hanging out with others. When she first gets to Amphibia, she can’t bare staying cooped up in that dang basement. She becomes friends with the Plantars and the rest of Wartwood due to her willingness (and occasional unwillingness) to listen to others and her love of adventure. She even makes fast friends with a few Newtopians. She’s an earnest girl who only lies when she feels cornered. 

During the Second Temple, Anne is forced to make a lot of split second decisions. Her mind is always focused on trying to help others, even if it isn’t always the easiest or safest option. Arguably, some of her choices were totally reckless. But she can own up to it. When confronted about the music box, she admits that it was wrong of her to steal it. However, she also realizes that learning from her mistakes was what helped her grow as a person. She still tries to do right thing even if there will be times she messes up.

In the past, Anne would take on too much responsibility for her friends. She’d let Sasha have her things, took the fall when plans went awry, and was constantly keeping Marcy from accidentally hurting herself or making a mess. Any ideas Anne had would have to go through Sasha, and any argument would be diverted by Marcy. It clearly killed her confidence.

Things have gotten better now that Anne’s grown into someone who embraces her bravery. She’s gotten pretty good at standing up for herself while still leaving room to forgive. She puts in the effort to do right by people. And likes who she’s managed to become.

Strength and Persistence

Sasha is a very ambitious girl who cares about her friends more than anything else even if she struggles to accept it. She gets very defensive and hurt when people want to do things differently than she’s planned. AKA, she hates being ‘wrong’ and takes it super personally. She wants ‘everyone’ to succeed, and tends to frame everything as a competition. If the ‘team’ has ‘won’, they shouldn’t be upset with doing things her way. Put simply, if someone doesn’t think she should be in control, it just means she has to prove herself harder. 

During the Third Temple, we see Sasha is physically strong. But her strength also lies in her persistent dedication to accomplishing her goals, ‘her dreams’. Anne reminded her that she’s someone who refuses to back down no matter how difficult things get. Be it conquering Amphibia, getting her friends back, or beating some giant rock frog thing- Sasha won’t give up.

In Battle of the Bands, Sasha has a moment where she realizes doing things differently and being considerate of what her friends want isn’t so bad, and that sometimes, it’s even more fun than ‘winning’. But she also has Grime to consider now, and it’s not as if she suddenly doesn’t want to have fun with her friends and win.

Things tend to go wrong when Sasha’s persistence turns into stubbornness.

[heart-stomper]

Sashannarcy Name Meanings

Anne: Favored. Grace. (Gracious/Merciful)

Boonchuy: One who encourages or performs good deeds

-

Sasha: Defender. Helper of mankind

Waybright: War. Battle. Bright☆

-

Marcy: Mars, God of War. Dedicated to Mars. Martial. (Proud/Brave)

Wu: to swallow. to shout, yell. The name of a historical state in both the Warring States and Three Kingdoms periods.*

*Marcy’s last name, Wu, is trickier to pin down the inspiration for. Explanation here.

[heart-stomper]

Ahem. So. Proposal. If Marcy doesn’t get regulated to The Tube, I would like Andrias to “rebuild” her. Specifically, I think it would be cool if he repurposed the frobot’s designs into a pair of cybernetic armor upgrades. 

Like, here’s just a general design concept to give a sense of the Vibes I’m talking about:

Marcy would have those wart-studded pauldrons like the frobots. One of her pauldrons has pipes that connect back into her bodysuit, and it helps pump a life saving concoction through her. The other connects to her new and improved LASER CROSSBOW. In close quarters, it can also emit a concentrated flame that works similar to a wrist blade/gauntlet knives. Thruster wings are integrated onto the back of the armor (bonus points if gives Moth Vibes). She’s got a knight helmet that’s got vertical breathes spaced so it looks similar to a frobots mouth, and a pair of sights with lens that can go from opaque to a glowing yellow/red amphibian eye mode. Her armor also has that swiss army knife thing going on, where it can alter itself to become a shield, shoot out a rope to ties up enemies, and such. However, since MarMar doesn’t have some big robotic bulky interior, she still has to rely on her accompanying frobots to hold her refills, books, food, and other useful items. 

Wherever the bodysuit is visible, I think it’d be interesting if they made sure those branching marks were too. My hc is that those marks are internal damage caused by heat traveling through her body when she was stabbed. So, whenever she’s reaching her limit, she’d start being able to feel pain around them again.

I just think it’d be interesting if we got Frobo and Marcy being “fixed”, with Marcy getting new “armor” as Anne sheds hers, as a sort of dramatic subversion. Because Andrias wouldn’t help Marcy to give her freedom and life, but to shackle her and use her as a tool. To make her someone she isn’t.