#this does include other abnos so

[camspicvault]

I am never gonna finish this Limbus Company Railway Abnormality Encounter card

Especially not now that White Lake is probs non-canon because Proj Moon lacks a spine.

But here's my White Lake Aberration, Grief Upon The Shore! She's a fucking bitch and will kick the shit outta anyone who pisses her off.

[ibelievewhatyousaid]

season 5 abnos are here!!!!!!!!!! i’d like to briefly cover them, because oughuehhghhh (sounds of pain) i’m so excited…..!!!!

hurting teddy bear!! given to sinclair and rodya and subsequently donqui!

so, i think it’s important to mention that hurting teddy bear is a little different from happy teddy bear, at their core they do share longing for connection and hurting those around you. happy teddy bear deals with the yearning in abandonment, being left behind it grows attached and possessive of what it has left and it turn hurts those it can finally grasp as its own.. makes sense angela got it, yeah! but, hurting teddy bear doesn’t specifically mention abandonment, in fact the encounter points out once or twice that it has spent a very long time in pain, “it is an empty void,” in a literal sense and metaphorically and, “perhaps it is unable to feel pain.” there’s a huge focus, both design, encounter and choices that it doesn’t quite “long,” the same way happy teddy bear does, if the other holds out enough hope to embrace and hold tight to not be left again, hurting teddy bear doesn’t even try, all it does is leak and bleed. i think the dichotomy of the names shows this as well, despite the sorrows of happy teddy bear it still IS a happy teddy bear. hurting teddy bear has always, for as long as it can remember, been hurting and yearning for something it won’t have.

i think this plays into the three before differently, sinclair obviously was close to his family before the dissonance he feels later in life, he mentions how he enjoyed and fond comfort in them eating together, sinclair doesn’t strike himself as being very close to his peers, either, in which kromer and damien are seemingly the only two others in his school that draw importance. unlike the weight he gives his family and why their changes grow uncertainty in him. his “world fo light,” is directly his family, by the push of kromer does he enter the “other side,” i think his resonance with the abnormality is born from seemingly losing that innocence (much like a teddy bear being outgrown and left) and that “world,” he loved. unlike lobcorp’s bear, there is no hope here, why would there be? he’s lost his family and he lost them far before their actual deaths. he was drifting from that idyllic fantasy for awhile, he feels thrust upon the world, forcefully taken from his egg before hatching and told to fly. he’s longing for that connection again, to feel the warmness, when he didn’t know how the world was, but that won’t come to be. he’s attached to something long gone.

now, rodya’s is interesting! especially the animation difference and her general demeanor. rodya has “broken,” her charade before in ids AND ego, there is a specific reason why hers looks so cheerful! her animations include her almost puppeteering, i think this is to play into the fact rodion can’t be honest to herself, she knows how reality is, in all aspects— she knows she’s not special, she’s not a hero, nor is she “elite,” (which just comes.. more and more clear as events pass, war hero? vampire noble? random rookie with some blessing mark to be a leader? what is she, just some poor backstreet resider?) rodya is clearly mournful of her situation, even if she doesn’t admit it, the faces of people she knew are trapped in ice and she refuses to defrost their memories of identities, she can’t and won’t accept the consequences of her actions because that would be admitting she wasn’t all that. rodya refuses to drop her appeasing persona because she has prided herself on being someone worth this weight of “team’s support,” she likes being seen as inflatable and needed, i mean, if she wasn’t there to crack a joke here imagine how dark the room would be..?

rodya clearly longs for connections, her relationship with sonya is obvious to that, but, even when sonya hands her out the perfect out, free of any pain and suffering, (well if no one can lose, how can rodion win?) and no judgement— rodya throws herself out into the cold to be miserable juuuust awhile longer. it makes since that despite her longing for connection she won’t succumb to that unsightly attachment, she plays above it, and manipulates it, too. you can see the puppeting as multiple things, that as much as rodion can care people around her, they will always be at expense of her safety in her act or that she plays with her own outwards image and puppets it into something appealing to her. either way, i don’t think they’re “wrong.”!

DON QUIXOTEEEEEE. i feel insane thinking about her, don longs for connection— this is kind of obvious, it’s subtle but don mentions “compatriotes,” and “companions,” frequently, the only other sinner whose put such a focus on friends is yi sang. all of don quixote is about the people around him, specifically people playing into his fantasy to “cure,” him, even as he tries hard to get people to play into his delusions (i.e, his truth, really) people hold it over his head to drag him to his senses or mock him. don quixote is quite fond of the sinners, we see her care in multiple instances, as early as canto three she’s the first person to step in, and even has an honest and true moment with sinclair, it wasn’t born to start violence or because he had done something wrong (really, donqui of all people would support going wild on evil fiends.. motwe guys!!) she did it because she knew it wasn’t what he actually wanted. in canto four she throws herself into the explosion to save the other sinners, dongrang puts it: “it must be the faith that they will come back to life at any time that prompted them to jump into danger without hesitation. not out of any sort of friendship or affinity... isn’t that right?” meursault, who also jumped in, declares that it was simply the most logical situation to protect dante and keep the mission going but don isn’t ABLE to answer, you could say this is simply because it was the “righteous” thing to do, but dongrang pointing out how it “couldn’t have been friendship,” backfires that point. donqui spends all their time on the boat worrying about yi sang, in heathcliff’s distortion logs she tries to praise him and put things lightly, she wants to be around the sinners like asking to play chess with sinclair or reading the news with meursault or wanting to cosplay with heathcliff!

this is a long tangent, but these are all very small moments, but it’s important to get across how integral bonds are to donqui, especially added into the context of her familia as a vampire. don quixote longs for human connection, but she cannot have it, we don’t know her general background or reasons why, but even AS don quixote, she isn’t understood, she’s deemed inconvenient, insane, she wants people to understand her, but none have ever tried. when ishmael tells her she’s sick of hearing about her delusions and “isn’t about time you finally woke up?” it stuns Don into silence and being uncomfortable. even disregarding the natural line between her being a “monster,” looked down by society, her “human persona,” isn’t able to be loved properly either.

ROSE HUNTER..!! okay, i actually called this abno (same with carmilla but that was quite later) but it makes perfect sense! rose hunter is about, you’ll never get this, a rose hunter hunting down an apple, an apple that is destined to be a princess one day. the apple tries to hide (to different layers of success depending on choices) and the rose hunter is insistent on dragging them back into their proper course. “stories must follow their natural courses,” / “if this is what the story dictates, i will have to follow it.” now i won’t go too much into faust and hong lu because we don’t have their cantos, but it definitely fits their perceived roles, for hong lu that is his family, he doesn’t fight the instances or unfairness, as seen in tkt, he seemingly accepts it all as it comes, at least on the surface, of just being how things are. same with faust, although you can take it as her connection to mephi and faust’s deal with the devil and the plans that started limbus, seemingly being the connector and getting the ball rolling for limbus and setting up every sinner, her line of, “we both know our places,” in tkt really emphasis this. faust doesnt have much autonomy, she simply does her role and keeps it moving, by her words with donqui’s reveal, limbus has everything planned out pretty consistently, and she seems to just be the messenger. that’s what makes rose hunter so fascinating, as much as it traps others in the story, it itself is trapped in its role! now with don quixote! i think don fits both as the rose hunter and apple, don tailors her world into very black and white thinking, she draws people into playing along, at least in her head, things are very one way or the other, either you are acceptable or not. when people break her fantasy she dejects them off, her switching between red gaze and vergilius based on whether he still meets her expectations, to donqui it’s her world and we’re all living in it. that’s naturally the hunter, how knights must exist and be righteous, they must save the weak and they must continue to exist. they have to, to her. and you either fulfill that role or face wrath from her. now, she fits the apple even more so i say, given the plot of both man of la mancha and don quixote. the entire time is them trying to drag him home, they play into his fantasy in aims to manipulating him home. he HAS a role to play, and it’s not that. i think it’s even more prominent with how bloodfiends are written about, a “stageplay,” faust says, and how cassetti breaks and renters his role of “prince,” even though he ran home, he can’t drop that act. he’s afraid of being found again. now adding that to don quixote’s plot line, she’s ran off to become a “righteous fixer,” but she has a role to fulfill, she has a way this must play out. she already is someone, if

this is a somewhat unrelated tangent but i also think “princess,” is quite interesting parallel given don’s appearance, hers directly mirrors dulcinea’s description: blonde hair, rosy cheeks, eyes like suns (orangeish eyes as well as stars in them! which what are suns if not stars?) with other lines like her peasant talk in korean and addressing dante with higher respect. there’s a lot of more stuff, I’m not saying don = dulcinea, but, i think it’s an intriguing connecting nonetheless! pm is very intentional with character design.

carmilla! the star of the show, really. it’s so, so beautiful, and i’m hyperfocusing on donqui here, (sorry meursault)

OKAY, first, the ego being named “yearning mircalla” which is carmilla’s real name, the yearning is important because carmilla wanted to be understood and loved by the women she formed bonds with, she yearned for that love and relationship. meursault and donqui fit because of that desire too, meursault in the stranger feels ostracized by people around him, like he doesn’t “fit in,” right. he follows the motions and indulges in societal expectations but he can’t quite ever “fool” anyone into thinking he’s someone like them. don quixote is naturally like this, he is unable to be understood or seen as a person with autonomy and reasons, he runs away from home because alonso is very much miserable from his life, that was his escapism. this works double time with don quixote being a bloodfiend, a lot of bloodfiend context we’ve gotten has focused on them being animalistic, monstrous, a “twisted” being that once was human. sasha is desperate to live and pleads for her life, cassetti says him and all other bloodfiends are disgusted with themselves, elena says she must be longed to be an ordinary human once again. they’ve given up their honor and faith in efforts to survive, and it’s a burden quite heavy— all their humanity.

the way their designs are different is really telling, i’m kind of mind blown how great don’s is, meursault, by all accounts, is still human. donqui has sharp nails, red eyes, slits in them, meursault lacks all these designs, he’s still just.. him. meursault has a rose covering his eye, a wrap around of vines on his head. but that’s it. don quixote in comparison has thorns all around her, in fact they’re coming OUT of her, the top of her head, it isn’t a headband, theirs thorns seemingly piercing out of her skull, including the blood stains on her hair where they lay. her boots are entrapped in thorns, to the point “the thorns,” and “her,” are one in the same, it’s so visually blurry especially in the animations that they LOOK like one huge mass of danger. thorns pierce out of her on every angle and they trap her. meursault is still human, despite it all, (at least from what we know??? but safe to say!) even through his disconnect of humanity, he, nonetheless, is apart of it. the flower blocks out his vision from maybe even seeing the truth of that, too blurred to get the whole picture, this looming thought he is abnormal. while don, from her every being, isn’t one. the vines and flower on meursault are a whole separate entity. donqui IS the flower, she is the rose, she is the thorns, they’re born from her and escape her, they hold her hostage and work as her. she isn’t human, she can’t be, and the abno drives that point home, she is the danger and the abnormality in society— to draw back into the “could’ve been something beautiful,” line in the encounter, a rose is beautiful, to the point people forget about the thorns. but the rose won’t, because, it isn’t “the rose” and “the thorns,” they’re the same being. even in meursault’s disconnect of being human, he IS one. don quixote’s disconnect can’t be soothed, because she isn’t, and it’s clear as day. (Also fun fact, meursault’s rose is bleeding down, but donqui’s is clearly being controlled by her like bloodfiends do! another blaring difference.) with the context of don BEING the rose and its thorns, it makes the destructive smash of it even more palpable.

that’s all my thoughts I could remember! i probably have more that just escaped me. sorry for any misspellings and whatnot, I’m just soooooo excited for canto 7, I’m !!!$2?!3!&??!! Love don so much im excited to see how it plays out (<- haunted by questions. why is there an orb there?)

[5thcloud]

Story structure different based on culture

writing our silly limbus buppy fic and wanted share sillies :]

how story constructed is also like commentary on difference of story structure we see in western stories compare to khmer folktales .

----

1a.

in lot western stories , it idea of "the characters want something" and that whole story is based and driven by a "want" or "goal" .

It so ingrained to the point where seen multiple times people saying "a story can only exist if a character has a want or goal"

starting from lower place , then learning getting better and being actively rewarded for getting goal . "want and reward" process .

it more direct in story show how be better by characters showing process on page .

of course we feel it from idea of "work hard , get rewarded" that present here in west , which shows up in our stories

--

1b.

however , in khmer folktales we've seen , the idea of a "grand want" is often from the scoundrel bad person who wants something and it actively harms the other characters . The protag / good character doesnt really have a want , and more so does something as a reaction to bad thing .

Characters are mostly static n not change or learn . The smart protag is already smart and tricks the scoundrel or show their wisdom , showing how its done to the audience or other characters around .

Or alternative is scoundrel doing bad thing and leaving with the victim suffering , not showing punishment of the bad guy and more focusing on how the victim suffering because of bad person's action .

it feels more up to the reader to take in story and learn for self how to be better instead of story directly showing how , and the reward never being the point

-

we do feel this very much result of how cambodia is buddhist , specifically Theravada Buddhism which mostly in parts of southeast asia (much of east asia is Mahayana , and theres other schools of buddhism too like Tibetan Buddhism )

Theravada is more so focused on being smart for yourself and own betterment and protection , and being able use that to help others if wish , guiding by example

(also feel rlly happy share what seen on khmer folktale structure as looking up "khmer story structures" doesnt bring up anything)

---- 2a.

in Tres Flores , we present story in a way thats "this is the goal , reach the goal to succeed" (in this case , Dolorem asking the abnos/passengers to find golden boughs)

However , it show time and time again that this is distressing to the passengers , and sees the manager as an outside thing . they never end up finding a golden bough specifically .

it more so feel like wandering , but learning things during process that can be lined up and find a purpose ,

however the story doesnt make these parts Technically important to story , so if not personally put together or see the points as important because story doesnt reward directly , then itll lead to feeling empty and "whats the point"

(this point is intentional , wrote story knowing it wont technically be good nor hit for all / most / some readers , and for readers to find a purpose as story doesnt state or try convince you its important . We normally wouldnt do this with other stories .)

--

2b.

So Tres Flores has hints of both idea of structure , more so illusion or expectation that its to be a "get the thing , character growth" , but ends up being more of characters who are ideas who dont change , just a different perspective on the same character , and to come to own conclusion

but difference is that in Tres Flores , its much more open ended and things can be interpreted as greatly positive or negative at same time , leading to very different conclusions or confusion ,

this is often avoided in khmer folktales and buddhism story teachings , however is included here as it part of journey , however story does offer more in the positive direction .

-- 3.

no structure is better than other , it depends on culture and story want tell . it can mix together and stuff and things mentioned as "khmer folktale" and "western" story structure arent exclusive

but it good understand that there many way tell and do story

--

4.

anyways , we feel rlly rlly happy include stuff stuff :] as Tres Flores is ultimately a (an oc) fanfic of Limbus Company , with Dante being based on Dante's Inferno and going into christian hell

and so complementing that here by instead using idea of Samsara , rebirth and cycle of life and death stuck in .

and as homage to Night on the Galactic Railroad as Tres Flores is based on it and the author himself being Mahayana Buddhist and the story having christian elements with his buddhist interpretation

and also being able put some of our heritage too into story as well as it being an alternate take to canon :] make really happy wawaa

--

[edit] 5a.

realized ppl who not know limbus company might read this n think should give full context to help with comparison n how change , so added this whole section of 5a and 5b here ehe

canon limbus is about Dante (theyre nonbinary) who lost their memories and is pretty much forced to work for limbus company as a manager of a group who Did sign up to work there , with a promise of a wish being granted if do , and in turn being immortal in process . All the characters are based off of characters from classic novels from different places

Their goal is to pretty much go around and get Golden Boughs , which is like a small glowing stick which holds lot power and can also "grant wishes" , however its not for them and instead given back to limbus

the game has more adult themes (more so heavy topics , not sexual however there are suggestive stuff) and violence , and also idea of criticizing capitalism and all that throughout (which also present in lobotomy corporation which is previous game and this game more expands on)

--

5b.

so idea with our oc fic is more so taking after this idea instead of specifically exploring the world in canon , and twisting idea of a "want" and "thing will come true if do thing" and "do as I say / what the higher ups say" into something else

idea of more so questioning "why must i" or "would getting this specific thing really solve anything ?" as especially this oc crew never ends up getting a Bough specifically this whole time .

it can be seen as "avoiding the goal" , "not trying hard enough / not looking in the right place" , or "no no it is that but you just threw it away because you thought it was something else" , especially as this oc crew is never directly stated to be in a lobcorp facility as thats where theyre supposed to be found in canon

idea of a "want" being from an outside bad thing or person that harms everyone else .

-

so yeah , also a commentary on capitalism and such but in different way , but extending it out to a kids perspective on world as the passengers are coded to be more child-like :]

[lu-is-not-ok]

Stuck in Heaven (ego gift: Late-bloomer's Tattoo) has been grinding my gears for a while now. It has an idea - and a clear one at that - but i can't figure out what it *is*. Wiki has the event transcript. Pls send help

Alright, back to my proper analyses, and... *cracks knuckles* Oh this one's gonna be fun. I want to say that since this one won't need to get into E.G.O analysis, then this post will be a bit shorter than my other full-length analyses...

But. You know how it is with me. For all I know this one might end up ridiculously long anyway. Also, uh, spoilers for Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina ahead.

So, before we can talk about Stuck in Heaven, we need to talk about the other Abnormality it's directly related to - The Burrowing Heaven.

The Burrowing Heaven debuted in Lobotomy Corporation, but later made a return in Library of Ruina as one of the Abnormality Battles. For the sake of completion, I will be taking a look at both of its appearances in the series.

In its original appearance, Burrowing Heaven takes on the form of a tree-like entity, made up of a fleshy material, with branches that seperate into wing-like shapes and many eyes.

Its main mechanics in Lobotomy Corporation is that the Abnormality needs to be on-screen to prevent it from breaching and teleporting away once it does breach. This mechanic is reflected in a lot of flavor text about it, most directly in the description of its E.G.O Gear, which includes the sentence "Just contain it in your sight."

Burrowing Heaven's story further expands on this idea. The Abnormality is repeatedly said to "live inside your eyes/gaze", to feed on the attention and focus others give it by looking at it. However, the moment one looks away for too long, it begins to stretch the stalks of its wings for two reasons - one, to gather corpses as food for the fruit it bears; two, to reach towards the sky and sun, as if to cover it up.

Religious imagery and symbolism is used all over for this Abnormality. From the act of stretching its limbs being compared to praying to an old-forgotten god, to its wings reaching the skies being compared to an angel, to the action of it growing its thorns and burrowing being described as for the purpose of "reaching heaven inside one's vision".

Now, there's a very interesting part of Burrowing Heaven's story in LobCorp that I want to point out. Usually, when those stories are said in first person, it's either through the use of "we" (to reflect the company/employees writing those down as a whole), or with the passage being specified as either some testimony or log or otherwise being quoted.

However... That's not the case here. For Burrowing Heaven, there is a whole section in its story written in first person, with no clear note of it being quoted from something else. Allow me to paste the segment in its entirety.

"That's what a gaze is. Attention. An invisible string that connects us.  Sole focus.  Do not come here, as there is no place for you to rest.  But you see, I could only bear fruit when I stood inside your sight. Is this what you wanted to see?  When your tears dry up at last, tell me your answer."

Interesting, isn't it?

However, we're not done yet. There is still the context of its appearance in Library of Ruina, so let's look at that, shall we?

In Library of Ruina, Burrowing Heaven's Abno Battle is placed on the Floor of Religion, aka Hokma's Floor, alongside Price of Silence, Blue Star, and WhiteNight.

Narratively, this Library Floor explores the faith and dedication that Carmen's group put into her and Ayin, especially from Hokma's perspective, who unconditionally put his trust into Ayin back when he was known as Benjamin. Thus, all of the Abnormalities fought on this symbolically represent Carmen's unwavering dedication to gathering like-minded people to make her dream come true, and the devotion those who followed felt towards her and her goals.

When it comes to the Burrowing Heaven, there is some more info we can gather from its Abno Battle in this game, starting off with its new appearance:

As you can see, the previously tree-like form has been replaced with one that very clearly represent a human's central nervous system, brain and spinal cord included. The bloody wings and eyes still remain though.

...Now. Those who have played Lobotomy Corporation might recognize what Burrowing Heaven is meant to represent in this form. And for those who haven't, allow me to show you something.

This is what became of Carmen after her death:

A disembodied central nervous system, with its nerves spread out in an almost wing-like fashion.

While most of the flavor text here repeats what we know about the Abno from LobCorp, there are a few unique pieces of text I want to shine a spotlight on right here.

"The desire for the unreachable will only grow bigger. And to pursue it… is to tread a path riddled with thorns."

"Basking in everyone’s gaze and attention… It will finally come to fruition and spread its wings."

"The one who spread their wings sacrificed everything they had, and yet…"

"Just close your eyes. That’s right, you’re doing good…"

"If we ever open our eyes again, will we get to see the fruit of our labor in that gaze?"

...In case you were wondering why I was being so scant on the interpretation part of this analysis, this is why. This connection is what changes Burrowing Heaven from a nebulous concept to a direct parallel.

Burrowing Heaven, at its core, is a reflection of Carmen. More specifically, Carmen's dream, and the way she and her followers acted to reach her goals. How, to pursue it, they had to single-mindedly focus on that goal, to make many sacrifices for the sake of reaching what seemed unreachable.

It could also represent how Carmen's seeming demise and the following tragedies happened because nobody paid attention to the warning signs, nobody focused on Carmen when she was at her lowest. And yet, those very tragedies are what led to even more attention being put on making progress towards that goal, towards Carmen's wings spreading out and reaching ever closer towards the heaven she so desired.

The gaze being put on her may have put her deep underground, in the vat where her nervous system became a source of Cogito... but it also eventually led to the breathtaking sight that was the Light. And now that there is no more gaze left on her, her wings can spread everywhere, blocking out the sun with her own Light.

When you think about it, isn't that how Distortions take place under Carmen's influence? Just close your eyes and ignore the world around you. Let your desires guide you. Just like Carmen is encouraging you to do, patiently. That's right, you're doing good, following what she says.

...Okay that's all fine and good, but what the fuck does all this mean for Stuck in Heaven? Let's get to that.

From just a cursory look at its physical description, Stuck in Heaven appears to be the next step of progression in this Heaven line of Abnormalities. From the tree-like form of the LobCorp Burrowing Heaven, to the brainstem in Library of Ruina, to Stuck in Heaven taking the form of growths directly growing over a person.

Interestingly enough, the Mirror Dungeon event describes Stuck in Heaven as having "the appearance" of a branch, yet being human. Curious.

This is also where a difference is established between Stuck in Heaven and Burrowing Heaven, with the event text directly referencing the Abnormality that Stuck in Heaven is related to.

"Heaven sometimes burrows; other times, it makes a home in the heart. Once taken root, that heaven will only be visible through the eyes of others."

Immediately, this tells us one major thing - Stuck in Heaven does not burrow like Burrowing Heaven, it does not need to feed on the attention people give through vision. Rather, the thing it aims to take root in is the heart.

The text you get from taking the [Close your eyes.] option explains why Stuck in Heaven does that. When it takes root in one's heart, closing one's eyes is not enough to get it out of one's gaze, as the sight it sought out is that coming from the heart itself.

I believe this is also why actually trying to [Return the gaze.] with one's eyes does nothing. With Burrowing Heaven, which actively sought out one's eye vision, one can find many references to it being alive and actively watching its observer back. However, trying to do so with Stuck in Heaven results in it ignoring the observer. The heaven Stuck in Heaven is looking for is not in the eyes, but past them. "Behind me", as the text puts it.

Now... all of that might not have much meaning without further context. After all, what's all this looking with one's eyes and looking with one's heart stuff about?

And this. Is where we get to The Little Prince.

Yeah, remember how Demian seems to be representing the titular Little Prince himself, through him directly quoting the kid?

Yeah, that's not the only thing Limbus Company borrows from that book. In fact, from what I've gathered, The Little Prince might just be one of, if not the most important books when it comes to the themes Limbus Company is setting itself up to explore.

And the main theme that Limbus Company borrows from that book is the theme of seeing with the eyes vs seeing with the heart. It is all over this narrative. The constant focus on perception and what everyone is percieving through their senses. The equal focus on the heart, of how subjective reality is when looking at the reflections of one's heart, yet how one has to follow the heart to reach the unreachable. I mean, for fuck's sake, the word Limbus can refer to both a part of the eye and a part of the heart!

Most importantly, I think it's also the key to understanding Stuck in Heaven a bit better. In The Little Prince, a clear divide is established between the Little Prince, who uses his imagination to understand his reality, and "the grown-ups", who focus solely on the physical world.

Stuck in Heaven's E.G.O Gift is named Late-Bloomer's Tattoo. A late-bloomer is someone who takes a long time to develop one's skills or grow up. For Stuck in Heaven to be able to leave its mark (or Tattoo) on someone, to take root in their heart, one has to not be a grown-up yet, to still be able to see the world with one's heart rather than one's eyes.

So... What does it all mean?

I'll be honest, I don't fucking know! I don't even know if Stuck in Heaven even still has connections to Carmen the way Burrowing Heaven does!

What I can say however, is that Stuck in Heaven is likely extremely interconnected with the main plot and themes of Limbus Company, the same way Burrowing Heaven was for Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina.

Does it represent the goals of Limbus Company itself? Faust? The Golden Boughs? The fucking Mark of Cain?

The reality of it all is... we just aren't far enough along in the story yet to be sure. The way it connects to one of the bigger themes of Limbus Company, alongside it being directly related to the Abnormality that was so directly paralleling the end-game reveals about Carmen in LobCorp, means that we likely just don't have enough of the puzzle pieces yet to see the full picture of what Stuck in Heaven truly represents.

I'm sure as we head closer towards Limbus Company's endgame, the true meaning of Stuck in Heaven will become much, much clearer to us. But, until then, all we can do is wait and see what comes next. It's definitely a subject I'll want to revisit later on, once we get a better grasp on the overarching plot and will be able to start properly connecting the pieces.

Sorry that I couldn't give a more definite answer as to what Stuck in Heaven's exact meaning is, but from all the analysis I've done I genuinely think this is the best answer I can give. That it's a direct parallel to something within the main plot of Limbus Company that we have yet to learn, similarly to how Burrowing Heaven is a direct parallel to Carmen and the path taken to reach her goals.

[justsomeno1s]

ISAT x LobCorp AU: Bonnie the Abno, and the Nuggets!

No, I'm not mentioning the Abno Ideas in the comments of the first one- Still ahead of where my irl friend and I am in game, so will leave it until then. Apologies!

As with before, Ideas under Read More due to general length:

Bonnie

S-04-112, Cast Aside Iron, Non-Breaching "Tool"

The Cast Aside Iron is a cast iron frying pan that is 'possessed' by Bonnie. They are fully sentient and conscious of whats going on around them, but are incapable of moving on their own (Which they HATE! They're an active kid, and not even being able to sate basic needs would drive anyone insane)

When the pan is held by someone, Bonnie is immediately capable of speaking to the wielder. The longer the pan is held, the more they can do- As time goes on, Bonnie gains first influence, then control, over the wielder's body. Essentially, Bonnie possesses whoever uses their frying pan for too long.

This process of possession leaves the wielder's mind distant and floaty, almost in a dreamlike state. As such, employees with low Temperance and Prudence would be far more easily possessed. The body also slowly stops perciving pain, allowing Bonnie to push it well beyond its physical limits.

What makes the possession bad? Well, when Bonnie's been possessing a body for too long, they get a little desperate to keep it. In their attempt to not be left in a room for who-knows-how-long, they force the body to try and eat the frying pan. Needless to say, this kills the body brutally.

(They figure that a metal frying won't be, like, dissolved by stomach acids, and that would keep the pan in contact with the body forever! Only problem is that they dont really account for the impossibility of eating a metal pan the size of your head without breaking either pan or head)

Despite retaining all memories from prior repositories, Bonnie doesn't really want to destroy the facility, or cause any trouble. They just want a body and their family back! Especially Petronille. But no one remembers...

Hoo boy, this kid remembers a lot at the back of their mind. With some prompting, they'd be able to remember just about everything about LobCorp. (Odile takes advantage of this constantly- Bonnie is happy to just have someone who sticks around.)

Bonnie wasn't cursed or transformed or anything. They were born as a tiny metal spoon, and slowly grew into a pan over the years- Yeahh, they're just like that. Petronille is their actual blood sister. On that note, Bonnie's Pan does actually have blood in a wafer thin layer hidden in the metal.

In a story based setting, Bonnie doesn't try to take over their Family. Odile, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Petronille, and Siffrin (when he was an employee) were all safe from the "eating the pan" thing [Siffrin as an Abno would do the same thing, including not attacking anyone with Bonnie's Pan]

EMPLOYEE TIME!!

Mirabelle

A Nugget working under Hod in the Training Department. As other trainees come and go, Mirabelle ends up sticking around, always trying to learn and perfect more. About half the time, Mira ends up becoming the Training Team Captain, both through seniority and skill. Always happy to help out new Nuggets- She's often sent to wait outside containment units, just incase someone panics.

Mira speciallizes in Justice and Temperance, though she typically ends up pretty well rounded.

Almost always uses White damage weapons, with her most prefered being The Sword Sharpened With Tears and Moonlight.

Her favorite Abnormality to work on is probably Knight of Despair, and her least favorites are definitly Silent Orchestra and Alriune. (She doesn't want to get a bad grade in Abnormalities /ref But fr, she hates the idea of her mistakes causing other people trouble/suffering.)

Isabeau

Isabeau is a Nugget that does a bit of everything. Never a captain, but not for lack of ability. He's always bouncing from one deparment to the next. No particular opinions on the Sephirot.

Isa is best with Fortitude, with Prudence and Justice tied for second best. His Attack Speed is notably higher than his movement, too.

Isa likes close range stuff- If he could, he'd use Gold Rush, absolutely. Probably wouldn't mind going to Support with Whote damage, either, but he's not touching Wristcutter. (It makes him feel sick, somehow)

Likes working on Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary [Imo, her Instinct work can include sparring], Dislikes working on Funeral of Dead Butterflies (Sympathizes, but also wants self and family to live), Spider Bud (he cant help them) and Bloodbath (he can't help them-)

Odile

A highly skilled Nugget sent wherever she's needed. She's often based in Lower Central, much to her dismay. Her poor old legs hate all her walking.

Specializes in Pruedence and Temperance, low Justice. (cause slow)

I want to give her In the Name of Love and Hate, b/c the mental image is hilarious and the damage type changes is surprisingly accurate. But, tbh, she'd prolly have long range, low movement weaponry. Like, y'know how Sound of a Star/Feather of Honor doesn't swing the weapon, but just holds their hand out and attacks like that? Something like that- Maybe a gun, also for humor factor.

Likes the Plague Doctor (I feel she'd like like the religous/theological discussions she'd have with them) and maybe Burrowing Heaven (Its a challenge to write and observe at the same time, and I feel she might enjoy the difficulty?) Used to like The Snow Queen, but after being frozen once, she became much more cautious. Dislikes working on The Queen of Hatred (Just vibes), Child of the Galaxy and Laetitia (Not a fan of the possessive/"I am your main focus" types)

Will equip Cast Aside Iron quite often, as Bonnie is very careful not to hurt her and has a lot of information about things.

Petronille

Petronille is a mid ranking Nugget, prolly a part of Safety.

Low Temperance, high Fortitude and Justice.

Uses Slow, Close-Range weapons. Think hammers/clubs.

Unsure of Likes or Dislikes- Hates the ordeals, tho. Like, beyond normal. If she even sees a clown, Change help her. Also hates the Sweepers.

Actually Boniface's sister, Same parents and all. They're just an Abnormality and she's not. Originally ran away from home with Bonnie because she was afraid their parents would sell/hurt Bonnie, and kept running because of the Backstreets being Like That(tm). Eventually found and caught by LobCorp. She tried her best to protect Bonnie, even still, but when LobCorp went back to day 1, she forgot everything, even as Bonnie remembered.

[beehawk4]

hi hiiii i havent been here in like months. anyway im super stoked about Limbus Company showing teasers of Der Freitschütz ID for Outis and for fun i decided to make a guess on what her sin resonances (and the specific skills they're for) might be

anyway! just as a foreword, this is based off of lu-is-not-okay's sin analysis guide. very interesting read, does provide a connection between the explanations ill give and the sin resonances i propose. ill also include a paraphrased explanation of the relevant sins, but if you want a more indepth explanation the link is below

Skill 1 -- Lust

Lust is when you let yourself be guided by your own desires and whims, i.e. forgoing any discipline, long-term goals, etc. to solely fulfill your own instincts and wants. Der Freitschütz as an abno fits this description very well; he does not act on any kind of moral compass, but rather whatever he feels like doing at the time. This is supported by his lore entry in Lobotomy Corporation:

"... With the last bullet gone for good, the hunter traveled to numerous worlds. Sometimes he helped those in need or fought evil, but it was all done on impulse, not a gesture of goodwill or ideals. In one world, he was called a righteous hunter, while in another, he was a bloodstained gunman.. ..."

He is guided by nothing but his own personal whims. He has no moral, external, or societal obligations.

Skill 2 -- Envy

Envy is defined by its requirement of an external stimuli -- a reaction to something done by someone else. Envy implies jealousy or vengeance, but those aspects are not necessary for the sin of Envy -- rather, the key necessity is that a person is being influenced or prompted by something else.

For this Outis ID, she is being prompted by the Manager. Whatever orders she is given, she will follow to the ends of the earth. If the Manager tells her to fire at something, whether its a Green Dawn ordeal, an Agent in the Security Team, or an ALEPH abnormality breaching containment, she WILL shoot it.

"Should the Manager order me to fire... the bullet will penetrate the target. Wherever it is, whichever it is, or whoever it is."

In this regard, she is under total control of the Manager; she does nothing without explicit orders from the Manager, i.e. only acts when prompted to.

Skill 3 -- Pride

Pride is to ignore consequences, whether that is due to the belief that the pros of doing something outweigh the cons or simply flatout refusing to acknowledge the potential harm your actions may bring. It's not necessarily tied to selfishness or overconfidence -- while sacrificing others to benefit yourself is Prideful, so too is making a personal sacrifice to benefit others. Both ways, you are ignoring the ramifications that you or others may experience, out of the belief that it's worth the cost (or ignoring the harm the latter may bring you).

For this ID, this sin is rather intricately tied with Envy, so much so that I had a bit of a rough time determining which Sin should go to which skill. See, in Outis's case, the consequence she is ignoring is the possibility of harming or even killing her coworkers, due to the way her E.G.O. gear works. (FYI, in the original Lobotomy Corporation game, Der Freitschütz's E.G.O. weapon dealt very high damage and had infinite pierce, but also damaged other Agents and Clerks in its line of fire.)

This is where Envy and Pride mix together -- it doesn't matter to her if she kills other Agents or Clerks (Pride), so long as she fulfills her orders (Envy).

"Even... the loved ones."

Adding more for Pride, Outis doesn't acknowledge the harm she brings to her fellow coworkers at all, instead adopting an "at all costs" attitude towards her directives. To her, the "benefit" of completing the Manager's request far outweighs the potential costs of hurting / killing her coworkers.

It's also just woven into the abnormality itself. Der Freitschütz, in the pursuit of his own whims, doesn't acknowledge the harm or aid he brings to other people. He gains various reputations on multiple worlds, being a "righteous gunman" in some and a "bloodstained hunter" in others, but nothing suggests that he cares about his notoriety, or about the consequences of his actions in general.

"The marksman, now a devil himself, continues to pull the trigger to gather the souls of others."

Again, he acts only on his own whims, caring not for the consequences that come after, or for any reasons beside his transient desires.

...

sorry if this is messy or hard to understand its like 5 am for me. anyway der freitschutz is one of my fav abnos and it was fun to theorycraft for the first time in a while. fingers crossed that im right 🤞🤞🤞

[youthofpandas]

i already know about it but ill ask if you wanna talk abt it so bad SMH (I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT IT)

FIIINE if im FORCED to talk about it i guess ill see what I can do

for the everyone who doesn't know it already I have this liiiiittle project that has been killlingggg me known as the dead demian au which is like a Came Back Wrong sorta thing. Every other week I revise the level of Weirdness I want it to be and feel compelled to completely redo the actual plot events but that's not important what is important is the stuff that's sticking around. under the cut because this is like so long because I care too much about them.

Demian has died and with him so has all of Sinclair's will to live. He loses an unknown amount of time to a depressive state and only after a very odd dream that is so weird and real that even Sinclair is forced to realize there was something unnatural about it does he start to get back to being alive if only barely. and not long after this Demian is back ! Just like Sinclair has been able to claw his way out of the grave that was his lil mental breakdown era it appears that Demian has been able to do the same, quite literally

and oh how easy would it be to give in and pretend like nothing is wrong, maybe everything in these months including the death were all a dream or delusion and nothing bad every happened to begin with ! but of course he can't actually do that. can he even be sure that this thing is his friend who he loved (and dear god had he barely begun to accept how much the unspoken love between them Fucked Him Up in his grief how can he not let that regret weigh him down) because if it Isn't him then what is this thing? and god if it gives him Demian back does he care if it's wrong?

anyways things happen which include but are not limited to A LOT of weird Emil dreams centered around wellll uuuh let's say it's safe to assume they're about death and corpses and being in love with your best friend, the epic return of Demian's "let's kill this guy <3!" suggestions, the incredibly rare instance of me bothering to include Kromer in one of my fics, tons of truly great Sinclair insane logic to justify his really stupid actions, a lot of weird pretentious Demian rants about the meaning of life and free will and the nature of love, and the best part. lots and lots of truly insane Demian characterization I get to make that I don't get to do in most of my other things becaaaause (drum roll)

this fic and au is just a really elaborate exploration of all of my favorite little non human Demian moments. like sorry who is up thinking about his weird little self wanting to be human because he Loves them and loves to understand them and the first time he really feels like he's really managing to forget that he's something inhuman is with Sinclair and his complete adoration of him because it stems from such obviously human emotions. the love is there. the love was always there. you know? anyways he is my star (semi literal).... and dear god is he so lonely. he is so so lonely, my star in the sky who is waiting for someone on earth to love him so much maybe he can pretend to be human for a while. Frau Eva's story about the star who went back to space after the human who loved her could not make the leap of faith and Sinclair being made to decide if Demian, who helped him discover the truth of humanity, not being human is something that he cares about or if he'll be too scared to commit. the STARS !

And then there's the other inspo of course you know her you love her it's the little prince abno! Yay!! the simplest way to explain this part of it is like okaaaay let's rot together ^^ become one in body and soul and the #symbolism of the way Sinclair views himself as an extension of Demian more than as his own person sometimes (and esp in the aftermath of the not quite a death) and yet Demian wants nothing like that because Demian loves Sinclair for everything unique about him that makes him stand as his own person. Aaand yeah I think I covered everything important. Oh also despite what this paragraph would have you believe it's way more of a book fic than a game one personality wise, this is like modern setting none of the other game characters exist in this world it's just my guys

anyways I've written like TWO scenes in this AU that I actually like and it will never be truly 'written' so it will simply exist in my head forever but I do at least loooove the one where Emil's in his depression coma like that is early writing I still am in love with. i should probably actually try writing something for it soon but sadly it is impossible.... i think of them and go too crazy when it comes to this one

in conclusion the dead demian au has made me worse in so many ways and I've barely even gotten any good writing out of it making it the bane of my existence. I hate this thing and it is also my favorite child.

[thetstandsfort]

My main nuggs (and those who I haven't remembered for a long time... and just a rundown of my LC playthrough)

When I first played LC, I got two employees who I grew in love for. Asera and Kobenri.

Underneath Asera's Today's Expression mask, they just have a tired expression including a stubble (thank the Wellcheers crew). Asera is calm, collected, works dilligently and fights alright. I envision them hating work since they just rule at it.

Kobenri, a custom employee, is kind of similar to the Kobeni she was based off. Scared shitless, but can fight a really good fight. Later she became a Twilight wielder, contrasting with BongBong's Paradise Lost.

Asera was also an employee who died thanks to Portrait of another World linking them with someone who was working with Justice Bird. It also marked my first big reset, as I had some unfortunate abnormalities close together.

Also going through my screenshots, it comes to my attention that Kobenri once got selected for Baby Duty.

So, first reset. Installed some mods to make custom employees free. Here's Mari.

Mari... I forgot everything about her.

Anyways, later on, Kobenri reached Quintuple V

Ain't that nice? Way later she did decide to smoke thanks to Freischutz giving her an E.G.O. gift.

But then, way later, when Kobenri was wielding [CENSORED] and wearing Mimicry... a legend was born

BongBong, an agent of chaos, a creature beyond our comprehension, maybe even a humanoid abno in disguise. I really like her, unfortunately, she doesn't get the spotlight yet

However, one employee who I mocked when I was building the facility is the one named Xavier.

Xavier looks... in my honest opinion, a bit ugly. It's thanks to Wellcheers, but even despite that, he slays magical girls, pulling the Queen of Hatred out of hysteria multiple times.

Meanwhile BongBong was wielding the Magical Bullet, causing some days to take some trial and error.

About Asera, they got covered by [CENSORED]

Same went with Kobenri, but with eyes.

So after taking care of Asiyah's problems, I restarted again.

This is where the nuggetsplosion happens

Yes, BongBong got misspelled, but the rest is here, including some not-so important custom nugs. A lot of them were from DMC, Evangalion, Yakuza, Genshin Impact, but all misspelled in a little way.

We also have my girlfriend, who looks more like Zato-1. I love her to bits, but she's not really an "OC", I would say. She's just along for the ride.

Waay later, after Tiphereth got ice cream, Chesed got coffee and Gebura did the facility in, I created Chiyo-Chan

From Azumanga Daioh, I created her as a disposable employee, although she sticked by my side for a long part of the game. She even went through Hokma's little tantrum, which was easily contained by repressing the urge to press space.

Still, Asera got killed again.

After this, I did another reset, got BongBong's name correct and decided to finish this game, going for all the other abno's left. So while abusing time and trying to lure three birds and a plague doctor

So. as my main blorbo's (if I use this term correctly), we have Asera, Kobenri, BongBong and Xavier. It's time for my final one.

Born with a bit of an unfortunate name and sent to the team with a weird sephiroth, here's my final blorbo: Poussey. While Asera knows their shit, Poussey does not and does not care. She can punch, kick, and turn you into a book before you can say that I'm referencing the wrong Project Moon game.

After getting a lost paradise, I restarted for the final time.

Remember when I said I had some DMC characters? Dio was the replacement for one of the characters, and has a keen refusal to die ever since. KiKi is supposed to be the perfect rival of BongBong, but it did not work out. But other than Courtney, the rest just had to be made on my own.

As for BongBong being an agent of chaos, I mean it.

BongBong and Kobenri are also a thing.

Their relation even made them sprout wings (Note, whitenight was not available at the time, thus the console was used. I regret nothing.)

I erm... ran out of screenshots. Boo-womp

So, after LC, where are they now?

(the other floors have nothing of note)

They are loyal parts of the Library, Xavier still has to be pulled from somewhere, but we might be able to find him in no time when the writer actually plays Ruina further again for Pete's sake.

Thank you for reading to my inner machinations of my mind, I hope you enjoyed my coverage of LC a bit using the hook of nuggets.

[the-lovecore-abnormality]

Here have an abnormality solace

In this context, abnormalities of this sort are beings born from the collective unconscious of humanity, or this universes equivalent to them, the ancients. They are borne from concepts and ideas like a story, fairytale, fear, trauma, religon, or occur from somewhere else.

This one is called staining rose, it’s a very very dangerous waw capable of very, very bad things, so I’m going to trust that you’ll listen to the instructions I’m about to give you.

When you send someone to work on it they must write in a note book in its containment unit with a pen or other writing implement, a letter to someone they care for or wish to say goodbye to, fold it into a flower then eat it, there are many paper flowers around the room that spawn when that happens, they must all be eaten, then the flower will drain all the blood from the person, and stain itself red with their blood, it will then go dormant for a time, and then lose color after a while, and require work to be performed again.

It also produces energy when it’s worked on, the energy is also completely clean and safe to use with no consequences at all, other then the means it is acquired.

It also requires work from someone who fills a specific ‘condition’, like lovecore, and if someone works with it who doesn’t fulfill the ‘condition’, it infects living things outside its containment unit with a disease that makes them throw up red rose petals, and it spreads from person to person and other living things, until there’s a whole garden or red roses, and dead bodies. Also it only accepts one person to work with it. Exclusively

If you are infected, and it can infect robots so you are in danger, it does black damage, which damages your mind and body, as well as not being affected by physical or psychological resistances, you are not immune to black damage last I checked

Also if you don’t send someone to do work on it every hour, it will affect living things including you regardless, and it’s not destroyable, abnos cannot die in any meaningful way, and are immortal in the sense that they comeback to life after like 5 minutes

*Solace looks at lovecore*

STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT????

[friendcorp]

FriendCorp Session 3: Sympathy for the Clerks, the Black Forest Blues

Our Session starts on Day 17 where I learn quickly that Tori should absolutely under no circumstances work with The Lady Facing The Wall, as every time she does it results in panic, now the only saving grace here is that she's very easy to calm down. Literally so much so that I couldn't even get a good gif of it because she calms down so quickly.

Info team has a good stock of white damage type weapons which makes it relatively safe to handle this sort of thing.

I was able to send a few of our new Training Team nuggets to work with All Around Helper, and Snow Queen; the two new Training Team abnormalities. Which to my surprise went quite well since I didn't expect new hires to be able to handle HE level abnos very easily, especially considering I hadn't given them any EGO on their first day.

Since we have managed to only take a total of 2 Zayin abnormalities (one of which is mandatory) our energy outputs are high enough that we don't even need to worry about Noon Ordeals yet

However I will gladly use the remaining time before Noon to get some more training in for our newer nuggets. I will also take this time to continue throwing Epsilon into Temperance training so I can trust them working with higher class abnormalities and still having good success rates to ensure their survival.

I don't know if anyone is curious about the nugget's regular abnormalities they work with but to give a quick rundown. Dia works primarily with Snow Queen after an incident with Bella lead to a reset since the resulting panic actually ended Dia's life. I instead sent Bella to work with Old Lady as to work on Temperance a bit, higher success rate = less damage = less panic. Marx and Foosball both work with all Around Helper as they seem to be the two it reacts best to. Rain became the resident Funeral handler not only being given the full ego set but included in said set was the coffin. Funeral has never escaped when working with Rain, the two seem to be friends. Geminiano is currently handling 1.76 Mhz as the resulting Justice will be helpful down the line, and Kanna has been working with One Sin as for whatever reason Kanna has yet to not produce full power output when working with them. Julian moved from working with Fragment to working with Red Shoes as that used to be Marx's old station and it's one of the better power outputs for our facility currently. Which left Fragment without an assigned agent, Tori needs work on her Temperance stat so I assigned her to the task. Yuri seems to be the only one who can handle The Lady Facing The Wall without panicking or triggering the scream, so I've kept him in charge of dealing with her when needed. Archer meanwhile manages the Cherry Blossom, not only is Archer able to handle full repression work without as much as breaking a sweat, but the tree has decided it likes Archer enough to also produce a great energy output when we actually want good work results. Merry typically juggles working with 1.76 MHz and working with Fairy Festival. Reinhardt is our Fairy Festival and Fragment handler at the moment. Maki keeps trying to work with All Around Helper but it typically doesn't go well, it hasn't breached yet but Maki just can't seem to get a decent work result with it, other abnos include One Sin and Old Lady. I refuse to send Epsilon to deal with any "big boy" abnormalities just yet given their lower stats, and lack of protection; the 1.5 weakness to dark rules out a lot of potentially good options but thankfully between the heart and flesh book they can survive work with Fragment and Old Lady both of which are great for early game Temperance training, when they're not doing that I have them cycle between Fairy Festival for HP and 1.76 MHz for Attack Speed, I will have Epsilon solo a Doubt by the end of this playthrough. The other's don't have regular abnormalities they work with just yet as there's unfortunately a disproportionate amount of Agents to Abnos.

In the final few work orders of the day the fact Tori should not work with Lady Facing the Wall is cemented by YET ANOTHER PANIC

At this point I feel like the poor Info team is constantly just texting her like

You probably think I'm playing this up for content but uh...

THOSE ARE ALL TORI.

So anyways we clear Day 17 without any deaths somehow lol

At this point the game decides we have it a little TOO easy so our options are:

and of course we're taking Big Bird because I VALUE MY SANITY.

Day 18 is the first day in a while where I enter a flow state of knowing exactly what everyone's capable of and knowing exactly what everyone needs to do, we're absolutely crushing it, the facility is running smooth as butter everyone has a job and they can handle it flawlessly, it's like watching a little ant farm go to work but I wasn't prepared for the dawn ordeal... I had forgot something very important.

It was happening, the rematch of the century except this time Epsilon was far more prepared, they had spent days training to boost their HP and SP this was their moment:

And yet again they manage to somehow upgrade their EGO with the power of friendship!

I let this battle go on for a good while before something happens, something I wasn't prepared for. See, while we were fighting off the Ordeal the Ordeal was also killing Clerks... a lot of Clerks. Which made something very unhappy. As power to the Training Department flickered and shut off, the sporadic squeals of a bird could be heard.

As we clear out the remaining Ordeal we launch a suppression effort

Unfortunately our damage output is not quite there yet, and our nuggets are taking much more damage than Big Bird. I knew in this moment I'd have to cut my losses and focus the effort on finishing the day while avoiding this new threat.

I threw everyone into the Safety Department main room and sent everyone out to work as quickly as possible. It feels fitting that Dia hit level 5 on the day they lead the suppression effort to try to save the facility. We end the day taking a penalty of -5 Lob Points but with all 20 of our nuggets still alive, I'm genuinely proud of every member of the team here, even Epsilon fought alongside the squad and not one of them panicked or died. FriendCorp might need to change it's name to ChadCorp after this. We'll be back for Big Bird later, since Hod wants us to suppress abnormalities now...

but in the meantime it was time to pick an abnormality and this time I left things up to the Discord Server (https://discord.gg/GcrUKnvz7v) which admittedly wasn't too exciting this time around since it was a tool type abnormality but there will be plenty of chances to force me into taking something horrible in the future lol.

At first it was relatively tame, with votes coming in and people discussing it... but everything changed when the Central Command Department attacked.

and with a unanimous and overwhelming vote we took O-09-91.

This however didn't upset the balance that was our fine tuned and impeccable facility, to manage a deathless run all the way to day 50 I'm getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of every single agent, to understand when and how to work with every abnormality, to better perfect their placement and how I can best manage this facility.

It's a beautiful sight to behold (if you ignore the little play icon in the upper right yes I'm grabbing these gifs from my recordings of the sessions lol), such a facility running like clockwork. We hit half our quota before even facing our Dawn Ordeal, and day 19 is finished without a hitch. I decided to check in on the Discord after day 19 just to see how things were going since you know we were about to open central command and uh...

Yea that's about what I expected honestly...

With only one more day standing between us and Central Command I wasn't holding anything back.

All hands on deck, time to speed through the day.

Green Dawn befalls us yet again, but learning from our mistakes we send each department to take care of their own robot; it's a mad dash to kill them before they kill our Clerks, no chance we're letting that bird out again.

Everything we've learned, everyone's efforts coming together made this day so eas-

Excuse me?

LUNAS NO YOU GO BACK TO YOUR DEPARTMENT AND KEEP YOUR FORBIDDEN SHOE DESIRES TO YOURSELF!

As I was saying, thanks to everyone's efforts and everything we've learned this day was-

OH DEAR GOD WHY THIS!? IT'S OKAY EVERYONE JUST FOCUS ON WORK IT'LL BE OKAY!

HEY SAFETY TEAM WHY NOT GO FOR A WALK!? HEY TORI DO NOT LOOK BACK JUST KEEP MOVING PLEASE JUST KEEP GOING FRAGMENT WILL KEEP YOU SAFE!

OH GOD WE STILL NEED LIKE 80 MORE ENERGY.

Oh that was easy... well then don't I look silly. I mean I totally had that under control lol ahem... thank god no one died.

we advance onto day 21 picking up Spider Bud and Bloodbath two relatively easy abnormalities to handle, so the new hires down at Central Command shouldn't have any issues with them. Speaking of Central Command we should-

on second thought let's not check in on Central Command, they're probably fine. I hope you're all prepared for Session 4 because I can tell you right now Central Command is going to go feral over it.

As always, I grabbed some bonus blorbo pictures for you all!

and unfortunately that fills the 30 image limit that Tumblr will let me put here, but bonus images, blorbo interactions, and of course the voting polls can always be found over on the discord if that's something you're interested in. If you're not interested in that sort of thing, don't worry; I see you and I respect you and you can ALWAYS expect the same quality of content I've been providing for you right here on tumblr.

-Cryptid

[tubal-facts]

Concerned about PTLS? What are the side effects of sterilization? How does it affect hormones and periods?

In principle, sterilization by removing or occluding/blocking/cutting the tubes won't impact the ovaries, and thus won't impact hormone levels. The ovaries will remain intact. They have their own blood supply, so blood flow to the ovaries won't be interrupted.

An Analogy: A tubal ligation or bilateral salpingectomy is like unplugging a video cable that runs between your computer and your monitor. Your computer and your monitor will still retain their individual power supplies, just as your ovaries and your uterus will still retain their own blood supplies. But the image will no longer be able to get from your computer to your monitor, just like your eggs can no longer get from your ovaries to your uterus. Unplugging a video cable will not cause your system to shut down, just like removing or severing the tubes will not cause your ovaries to shut down.

Article from gynecologist Dr. Jen Gunter about the myth of "Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome"

Here are some references showing hormone levels, blood flow to the ovaries, and menstruation are not affected by sterilization.

Hormone levels and blood flow to the ovaries are not affected by sterilization:

"5-year follow-up study suggests that there is neither an accelerated decline of ovarian follicular reserve nor ovarian dysfunction after tubal sterilization" (2003)

"Tubal ligation does not affect hormonal changes during the early menopausal transition." (2005) - "134 women reporting a BTL were compared throughout the course of a 4-year follow-up study to 172 women without a BTL."

"There were no significant hormonal changes in sterilized women over a period of 2 years when compared with their baseline levels or when compared with unsterilized age-matched controls." (2006)

"There was no significant difference in AMH, AFC or FSH in women with a history of salpingectomy compared to women without surgery." "Neither salpingectomy nor cystectomy for cysts other than endometrioma has appreciable effects on ovarian reserve." (2016) - Subjects in this study underwent a variety of procedures; not all were for sterilization

"Even when the surgical excision includes the removal of the mesosalpinx, salpingectomy does not damage the ovarian reserve." (2015)

"Use of a hormonal contraceptive method prior to TL was significantly associated with a postoperative increase in AMH. [...] This study suggests that ovarian reserve is not altered by TL." (2013)

"non-significant change in the current ovarian reserve markers, especially in the AMH levels." (2013)

no decrease in ovarian blood supply at 12 months post-sterilization (2006)

"Ovarian function and vascular resistance do not seem to be affected by laparoscopic bipolar tubal coagulation" at one year post-sterilization (2004)

"6-month postoperative follow-up of groups that had undergone different TS methods showed no difference in uterine or ovarian artery blood flow rates or ovarian hormone secretion" (2004)

"no statistically significant difference in the serum FSH, LH and estradiol levels in preoperative and postoperative assessments" (2006)

"There were no statistically significant changes in serum levels of ovarian hormones after laparoscopic tubal ligation" (2001)

"Doppler flow studies of the ovarian stromal arteries showed that there were no significant differences before and after tubal ligation" (2004)

"Sterilization by salpingectomy appears to be as safe as tubal ligation regarding operative complications and subsequent ovarian reserve." (2017) - the purpose of this study is only to "compare short-term ovarian reserve and operative complications in cases of salpingectomy and tubal ligation"

Menstrual abnormalities are no different after sterilization:

"Women who have undergone tubal sterilization are no more likely than other women to have menstrual abnormalities." (2000) - 9514 subjects with TL

"Menstrual abnormalities were not significantly different between the case and control groups" (2005)

"The result of this study showed that previous tubal sterilization is not a risk factor for undergoing hysterectomy because of abnormal uterine bleeding." (2012)

The effect of tubal sterilization on ovarian function (1994) This study from Germany had the following conclusions:

1) Menstrual disturbances, climacteric symptoms after tubal sterilisation during perimenopause do not occur more frequently than in a comparative group of the same age.

2) In comparison with a group of women with no surgical history, neither did cycle anomalies and ovarian deficiency symptoms in terms of climacteric complaints occur earlier, nor did early onset of menopause take place more often in this examined group of sterilised women.

Cycle anomalies, ovarian deficiency symptoms, and early menopause were just as likely as in non-sterilized subjects.

3) Hormone analysis could not establish any significant differences between both groups in respect of endocrinological parameters in the perimenopause.

In perimenopause, hormones are the same between sterilized and non-sterilized subjects.

So, why do some people experience symptoms?

They had complications during surgery (very rare, but not impossible) and are experiencing symptoms related to that

They stopped hormonal birth control for the first time in years (or even decades) and are reacclimating to their normal cycle

In the case of postpartum sterilizations, they just gave birth and are experiencing effects/impacts related to that

In other words, the symptoms are real, but the cause is misattributed.

A note on the scientific method:

The studies referenced above confirm the null hypothesis. However, fundamentally, it is not up to medical researchers to prove that PTLS doesn't exist. The onus is on people who claim PTLS exists to provide scientific evidence for their claims.

Do not assume the alternate hypothesis - that PTLS exists, hormone levels change after sterilization, sterilization limits blood flow to the ovaries, sterilization leads to increased menstrual abnormalities, etc.; and expect the null hypothesis - that these effects are not observed - to be proven by experiment. This is the opposite of how the scientific method works.

I understand some of the studies here are old, sample sizes tend to be small, and usually patients are not followed for years afterward (it's very expensive to conduct cohort studies of that nature; the CREST studies are the last major cohort study for sterilization AFAIK). But there is a lack of studies showing that sterilization negatively impacts hormone levels, blood flow to the ovaries, periods, cycles, etc. As old and small as these studies are, it's better than the utter lack of evidence showing PTLS exists.

[lu-is-not-ok]

loving the analyses! could we get ebony stem/ya śūnyatā tad rūpam, if your inbox isn't too full? keep up the good work!

Well, I can fulfill one half of this request, considering I already talked about the other Outis E.G.O for... Way longer than was probably necessary.

That being said, let's dive under the cut for this.

So, let's start off with Ebony Queen's Apple. Or, rather, Snow White's Apple, the Abnormality Ebony Queen's Apple is an Abberation of.

The story of Snow White's Apple is a very interesting twist on the fairytale, focusing on the experience and feelings of the apple that poisoned Snow White.

This apple, created by the witch's rage and curse, was left abandoned after it fulfilled its purpose. Lonely and festering hatred towards the princess, the same feeling the witch was experiencing, it waited to rot away and disapper... But it couldn't. No matter how much time passed, how much the apple was crushed or eaten by bugs and birds, it would continue to exist.

Surrounded by the bodies of the birds and bugs its poison killed, the apple began to ponder its existence, until one day it sprouted enough of a stem and leaves to move from its spot. Thinking of the princess who was woken up from her poisoned slumber by a prince, the apple decided that it was a princess in its own right, but didn't need a prince to be woken.

The main theme of this abnormality is loneliness and jealousy mixing together to form an intense, "toxic" hatred. There's also this interesting idea of immortality and its negative connotations, being that the apple wished to effectively die, but would never rot, instead stewing in its own loneliness and the harm it inflicted just by existing. There's also this interesting idea of a role reversal, of the apple that inherited the witch's will and feelings becoming a princess in its own twisted way.

Now, that's all nice and good, but what about Ebony Queen's Apple.

Here, I would like to briefly rant about the fact that the wiki for Limbus Company contains all the MD Events, all the Abno Logs (though not always with proper assignments who said what), all the detailed Battle Info... but. For SOME FUCKING REASON. It does not include the text for mid-battle events. IT SAYS THE EVENTS ARE THERE!!! BUT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE FUCKING TEXT!!!!

Thank you, shitty fandom wiki, this is useless! You're making my job Harder!

In fact, I'm going to bring up those events as the First Thing, because they actually have the most thematically relevant details out of all of the information we have.

Ebony Queen's Apple has two mid-fight events. One that always activates on Turn 3 of the fight, and one that activates when its Head part is broken once and brought down to half health.

Let's start with the first one, perhaps the most interesting one.

It begins by describing Ebony Queen's Apple as "a heart torn into thousands of pieces", and how it burrows and tangles itself underground to hide itself from all eyes. Already, we have this repeat of the idea that the Apple is inheriting feelings from someone else, being that person's heart rather than just an apple cursed by that person.

This is followed by another interesting line, giving the reason for someone to pull up these roots as "there is no wound that can remain unearthed". The wording of this is kind of odd here. The word 'unearth' means to find something by digging something up from the ground, so for something to remain 'unearthed', it has have already been found and dug up.

Which... doesn't make sense when you first think about it, because it's giving a reason for digging something up by telling you that... something can't remain dug up? Unless, you connect it to the previous line. A wounded heart should not be seen by all eyes. No wound can remain unearthed. Ebony Queen's Apple is very much trying to hide its pain, and that's why the Sinners have to pull on these roots. Reveal the Apple's own pain. Because it by itself never would.

When the Sinners proceed to give each other looks, another interesting sentence follows. "Being coiled in piercing, sharp pain was something to avoid even in one's dreams." While, on the literal level, this is obviously meant to refer to the Sinner being bound by Ebony Queen's Apple's roots, I do wonder... Is it also referring to the pain the Apple itself is experiencing and trying to hide?

The skill check is a Wrath Advantage, with the additional flavor text saying "The dry earth must be upturned. Which Sinner was up to the task?". It's interesting how Wrath, the Sin of defiance, is the one that does better at upturning reality, if you will. But, that's not directly related to the Abno, so I won't dwell on it for too long.

What follows a successful skill check is the Sinner digging up the roots with their bare hands and coming to some... interesting realizations. To quote the text directly:

"In their hands were the doubts of others. The Sinner realized... That while the injury may heal, distrust might take deep root in their heart."

This, I think, is the reveal of what the source of Ebony Queen's Apple's pain is. The Apple has been hurt before, and while no physical injury or pain remains, there is still that pain of distrust, that pain of fear over being hurt again. The coiling, sharp pain that took root in the heart that the Apple represents. And that same pain that the Apple tries so desperately to hide.

Now, let's talk about the second event, which I have to rant about again. There is. Very little online info about this event, as usually one can very easily skip it because of how easy Ebony Queen's Apple is to defeat. The only footage I've found of it is in a Solo video, with the person pressing the Skip button, so if I miss any text in that event, this is why.

And no, I couldn't check what the event was on my own, because by the time I'm writing this Ebony Queen's Apple is no longer available in thread luxcavations, and I'm not going to be doing a whole MD for the chance of finding the boss or waiting a whole week just to be able to confirm the event text. I may be insane, but I'm not that insane.

So, in this event, when the Sinners look up at the Apple's face, they gaze upon "the weathered memories within". Again, there's this idea of the original harm that was done to the Apple took place such a long time ago that its memories have become weathered. It could also refer to the pain and distrust being what made those memories weathered by them, everything the Apple can remember now tainted by these feelings.

Another interesting line in this event is the following: "When the apple browns, cracks, shrivels, and attracts lowly creatures... That is when it has met golden bliss." There's that same idea of the Apple seeking death just like Snow White's Apple. How rotting away and becoming one with the earth, finally letting go of this pain, is the one thing this Apple considers as true bliss.

Upon succeeding the skill check (Pride advantage for taking advantage of the Apple being lost in bliss, btw), an interesting line is said. "The fruit was emptied of its lifeblood long ago; only futility remained."

It's a very evocative sentence to me. It gives the image of Ebony Queen's Apple being a sort of walking corpse, something that should have already died, but something within it was keeping it clinging to life in futility. Was the moment the Apple got hurt enough to begin its distrust the moment it lost its lifeblood? Was that pain and distrust the thing that kept it going in futility?

Now, let's take a look at the actual battle info. Don't worry, this one won't be as long as the MFE one, since Ebony Queen's Apple doesn't have as much to ramble about regarding its Skills and Passives.

Ebony Queen's Apple uses two different Sin Affinities - Gluttony for attacks done with its Stems, and Pride for attacks done with its Roots. All of the Apple's body parts have two attacks each, with the exception of the Head, which only uses a single Affinity-less defense skill.

Starting with the Stem attacks:

Pale Stem - The appearance of Snow White's Apple's stems actually plays a notable role, as they are constantly described as looking like they are dying and withering, yet they're still alive and growing. Likewise, I think it is worth pointing out what Ebony Queen's Apple's stems look like as well. The descriptor of 'Pale' combined with the almost skeletal appearance in its design proper gives the image of a plant that has been dead for so long its color and structure is unrecognisable. And yet... it's still alive, despite all odds.

Distrust - In case we didn't pick up on the idea of distrust from the mid-battle event, this attack would absolutely clue us all in. Incredibly straight-forward, not much more to say here.

Now onto the Roots attacks:

Root Spike - This one is so straightforward that I don't think there's much to read into here. You could probably read way into it with the idea of distrust and how it connects to the idea of taking root, but... Nah. I think this one is just a simple physical description of the attack. They can't all be deep.

Shared Pain - An interesting fact about this specific attack is that it only starts getting used After the mid-battle event (wiki says it only enters the pool after both events but I'm Sure I've had this attack happen after only the first one, so *shrug*), which has some interesting implications.

Recall that the first event involves a Sinner digging up Ebony Queen's Apple's roots, effectively exposing the pain and distrust it feels to everyone around it. And this action is what lets the Apple use the Shared Pain skill... If you can't hide it, make a show out of it, I suppose.

Now, onto the last one, the Head's defense:

Vain Fruit - Now, I think this is a very interesting skill name, as it could have a double meaning. Vain could mean someone with a lot of pride, an excessively high opinion of oneself. However, vain could also mean something useless, futile. In a way, I think both of these apply.

On one hand, Ebony Queen's Apple absolutely fits the Limbus definition of Pride. Hiding and trying to ignore its own pain for the sake of keeping up appearances, doing something for its benefits while ignoring the negative consequences. On the other, we are directly told that the Apple's continued survival is futile, there is no life left in it, only pain and distrust. Its continued existence is in vain.

So, I think the description "Vain Fruit" fits it quite perfectly actually.

Now, I'll take a brief look at the Passives as well.

An Apple's Twilight is an interesting one. When used figuratively, twilight can describe a state of gradual decline, or a state that is obscure and hard to define. In a way, I think that's exactly the state Ebony Queen's Apple is in. Not quite alive, but not yet dead either. In the twilight of its life, you could say.

Entangling Roots is clearly connected to the first mid-battle event, where the Apple is described as tangling itself to hide its pain. These roots are what entangles the Apple, and by pulling them out, this Passive is turned off premautrely.

One Sole Root is an interesting one, because I think it comes back to the idea of Pride/Vanity. That everything is about keeping up Ebony Queen's Apple's image, keeping up that one single root that matters. Note how the Roots are the part of the Apple that is covered up by its dress, and how "breaking" the Roots doesn't necessarily break the roots themselves, but exposes them by breaking the dress covering them.

So, let's finally mention the Abno Logs, shall we?

Something very interesting about Ebony Queen's Apple is that it's noted to not be immediately hostile to the Sinners, rather trying to communicate with them telepathically. It's in stark contrast to Snow White's Apple, whose hatred and poison would actively harm anything within its vicinity.

Even more interestingly, Ebony Queen's Apple asks the Sinners to "Bring Snow White", which leads Faust to realize this Abnormality has some connection to Snow White's Apple. However, something about this is interesting - it's very clearly talking about Snow White, the princess, not the other Apple. Do both of the Apples have some sort of connection to that princess?

The next Log mentions something interesting - Faust speculated that Ebony Queen's Apple could potentially 'believe itself to be a "noble".' Consider how Snow White's Apple began to believe itself to be a princess after spending a long time thinking about her. Likewise, Ebony Queen's Apple seems to have done something similar, instead beginning to believe itself to be the evil queen, potentially also after thinking about her for a long time.

...So I have a theory here. A Lore theory, if you will.

The Snow White's Apple is an Apple who took on the heart of the witch (which, if you somehow don't know the story, is the Evil Queen in disguise), but decided to become like a princess after being hurt by her.

What is the chance that Ebony Queen's Apple is the opposite of that? An Apple who took on the heart of the princess, but decided to become like the Evil Queen after being hurt by her.

It would explain a lot, in fact. The reason why Ebony Queen's Apple isn't initially hostile towards the Sinners? Because at her heart, Snow White isn't a violent or malicious person, it's the persona of the Evil Queen that the Apple took on that is violent. What character in the fairytale would be the most likely to develop high levels of distrust? Snow White, who's being constantly hunted down by the Evil Queen through a variety of deceitful tricks. Why would the Apple look like it's been dead for a long time? Because Snow White was put into a coma, seemingly dying due to the Evil Queen's actions, before she was brought back to life.

So... decoding Ebony Queen's Apple is nice and all, but where does that leave us themes-wise?

Well, distrust is the most obvious theme here. Specifically, the pain one experiences and feels the need to hide because of the fear of being hurt again. There's also this similar idea of immortality, but in this case it's specifically the futile attempt of living after one's death, literal or figurative. A walking corpse, if you will. Finally, the role reversal theme rears its head up again, though in this case it's about a kind, soft-hearted person becoming malicious and selfish, so as to never be hurt again.

And now, we get to the big question. What does all of this mean for Ebony Stem Outis?

Well, let's look at the Awakening attack. In this attack, Outis uses Ebony Queen's Apple's Root Spike attack, which by itself doesn't tell us much. What is interesting is how she invokes this attack. The motion she makes puts to mind the leader of an army, directing their troops forward with the decisive raise of a weapon.

However, the more interesting part here I think is her dialogue line. "If this is to seize victory…" So, those who were here for my Ya Śūnyatā Tad Rūpam analysis might have an idea of where this is going.

This, I think, is Outis expressing her own justification for putting on the persona of the 'Evil Queen', of a brave, selfish commander. It's to seize victory, whether it's about the Smoke War, whatever ulterior motives she has in her current position, or perhaps even something far more personal. Because, if you win, you can't lose and be hurt further, right?

After all...

Outis has proven herself to be quite familiar with this idea, hasn't she?

Now, onto the Corrosion.

Here, the idea of Ebony Queen's Apple representing something that is already dead is further cemented, as Outis's face turns completely skeletal upon becoming Corroded. Interestingly enough, the animation she uses here is the Apple's Shared Pain attack. Perhaps Corroding under the influence of this Abnormality shows enough of her vulnerabilities for her to decide to unmask just enough to use that attack?

The dialogue line here is also very fascinating. "Just a little more…", said in a notably pained manner. Just how desperate is Outis? Just how much pain is she pushing herself through to continue on? How many 'just a little more's has she been clinging to this whole time?

Just like how Ebony Queen's Apple's attempts to keep living after death are futile, Outis's attempts to continue on despite what happened in her past are also futile. No amount of pushing through and inching forward will lead her to where she wants to be. No amount of telling herself that the Oddyssey had a purpose will actually give it one.

Finally, we're at the point where we can do some Sin Analysis.

Ebony Stem is a Gluttony-affinity E.G.O, and it's a very clear yet very interesting case of one. The hunger is very much there, but it's not what one would usually associate with Gluttony on first glance.

The hunger for survival is there, but it's not literal. In this case, it's the striving towards surviving without being hurt, surviving despite the pain distrust causes. Likewise, the hunger for progress is also there, in this case it's for trying to move forward despite what happened in the past, to keep inching 'just a little more', even though it's clearly futile, with no end in sight.

This futility, I think, is what truly makes this a Gluttony E.G.O.

Now, as for the necessary Sin Resources, they are as follows (ordered from needed most of to least of): Pride, Gluttony, Lust, Gloom.

Pride is quite important to Outis's character, and especially to this E.G.O, as she requires a whole four of it to use it. While the whole idea of her ignoring the harm she inflicts on others to get what she wants still applies here, I think there's another layer to this - ignoring the harm she experiences in doing so.

One of the main themes of Ebony Queen's Apple is how one tries to hide and ignore the pain and distrust one feels for the sake of the appearance one puts on, an incredibly Pride-coded action. Likewise, Outis has to hide her pain and insecurities to be able to put on the persona of the strong-willed, merciless commander, a highly Prideful act by Limbus's standards.

Gluttony follows after, with Outis requiring three of it to use Ebony Stem. Due to it being the Sin Affinity of the E.G.O, most of the points I made while talking about that still remain. Outis needs to wish to survive without pain and keep moving forward despite it being futile to use Ebony Stem, simple enough.

Then, a surprise guest.

Lust. Outis requires two of that Sin to use Ebony Stem. While Lust often represents indulgence, I believe this case is very similar to the case of Lust in Ya Śūnyatā Tad Rūpam. It represents Outis's dedication to her personal goals, how she has to be willing to do anything to fulfill them to gain access to this E.G.O. Plus, there is that additional layer of her wishing to not be hurt, though that can count as several different Sins depending on the context, and it's something I would put under Gluttony for this E.G.O specifically.

Finally, there's Gloom. Outis requires only one of it to use Ebony Stem. It's a small, but nonetheless important part of this E.G.O. I believe Gloom here represents the pain and trauma that led to Outis developing this behavior in the first place. The harm that was inflicted on her in the past, and the distrust that clings to her afterwards. It's a small part due to Outis's highly goal-oriented nature, causing her to focus on other aspects of Ebony Stem, suchs as reaching the goal of victory... But that hurt is still there. That piercing, sharp pain coiling around her heart, that she's always aware of at the back of her mind, no matter how much she wishes to hide it.

Of course, her Passive here being named Stem of Distrust only drives the point home even further.

Something interesting about Ebony Stem Outis's Sin Resistances is that, while very close to Ebony Queen's Apple's, they're not exactly the same. Both the Apple and Outis are Fatal to Wrath and Pride, as it's what can easily tear down their masks - the will to defy their commanding presence and tear it down, knowing that exposing their pain will hurt them in the process. However, what they differ in is the Sins that are Ineffective (x0.5) against them, and the ones they Endure (x0.75).

For Ebony Queen's Apple, its Ineffective Resistance is Gloom, and it's Endured Resistance is Envy. Meanwhile, for Ebony Stem Outis, the Ineffective Resistance is Gluttony, while Gloom is Endured.

I think the reason they're protected from the influences of those Sins is, well... They're the reasons why both the Apple and Outis put on those personas in the first place. They're both protected from Gloom because the whole reason they act like 'Evil Queens' is to avoid getting further hurt, with it being much more important to the Apple.

The Apple endures Envy because its pain likely comes from the influence of a single person - the real Ebony Queen. As such, by mimicking her, the Apple is effectively ensuring that it won't be as hurt and influences by her as it was in the past. Likewise, Gluttony is Ineffective against Ebony Stem Outis as that's the main reason she puts on this mask, to continue moving forward, to keep on living after what happened, regardless of its futility.

There is... certainly something going on with Outis that we don't fully know about yet. Something about her two Gluttony Affinity E.G.Os having themes of distrusting other people, and all of her E.G.Os having some form of idea of putting on a front that's far more aggressive or selfish or commanding than the real self might be...

Girl, what is with you.

[lu-is-not-ok]

Could you analyze Lifetime Stew if you haven't already? Either of them would be cool!!! Thank you either way.

Sooo I think I already mentioned it once, so I will mention it again. The reason why I haven't analyzed Lifetime Stew yet (and I have gotten that request before), is because the abno it's based on, Basilisoup, does not currently exist in the game.

Yes, we do know that the abno is likely based on the Stone Soup folk story, but to me that is not Nearly enough info to be able to come up with a full E.G.O analysis.

There are many questions that remain unanswered about the abno's and the E.G.O's themes until we get to see Basilisoup itself (and it is possible for us to see it at some point in the future, as we Did recieve MD events for abnos after their E.G.Os were released, like Wishing Cairn and Lantern), for example:

Which version of the folktale is being used as inspiration for Basilisoup?

Does the fact it seems to be also based on a Basilisk also play a role into its themeing? If so, how does it alter the themes of the Stone Soup story?

Are there any other alterations done to the themes of the story for the sake of exploring adjacent subjects? An example of PM doing this is Scorched Girl, which in addition of carrying over the themes of abandonment and wishing for a better world from the The Little Match Girl story, also includes themes of that hopelessness turning to hatred and the wish to burn down the world because of it.

Are there any themes that could be relevant due to the story being subverted, deconstructed, or otherwise twisted in some way? An example of PM doing this is Beauty and the Beast, where the original story about love and looking past appearances is turned into something that dives into themes of hatred and the cycles it forms.

So, until we get to learn more information on Basilisoup, I ask that people don't request analyses on Lifetime Stew, as I will simply be unable to go as deeply into it as all the other analyses.