#this is completely vibes based analysis

[vanilla-vivillon]

WHO IS COOKED 🗣️ 🔥 🔥 ‼️ 🧑‍🍳 🔥

[inklingofadream]

Late breaking news: our reporters have just unearthed YET ANOTHER short story wildly misinterpreted by the AP Lit teacher i hated. He can't keep getting away with this

You'll never guess which, between "The Story of an Hour" and "Harrison Bergeron" is supposed to be an absolute gut buster and which is supposed to be primarily tragic

[astrolook]

🎨💍#2 Appearance & Traits Of Future Spouse In Astrology🌸🌹

Note: These are just my personal observations and recurring patterns I've noticed over the years. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Feel free to share in the comments if any of this hits home. This post is based on Vedic astrology.

👀 Future spouse looks according to your planets in your 7th house

🌞 Sun in 7H: Slight tan skin 🍯, a bit intimidating at first 😈. You might hesitate to even approach them! Stands out in a crowd 💥, might be into workouts 🏋️. Hubby = gym rat/ posh man🏋️‍♂️, wifey = toned queen 👑. Commanding voice 🎤, dom vibes 🔥. Dresses classy & conservative 🧥, might be a boss 🏛️, business owner 💼, or a high-up government or corporate babe/ boo 💼💣.

🔥 Mars in 7H: Warm and tanned skin ☀️, reddish/dark hair vibes ❤️‍🔥 (might love dyeing it!). Wild energy🌪️ hairstyles and outfits always changing 🎭. Smart, fast-talker 🧠, extrovert + a little spicy 🌶️. Defined angry-looking eyebrows 😠 (even when happy lol). Big spender 💸, big earner too 🏆.

🌞+🔥 Sun + Mars in 7H: Ambivert alert 🚦. Mood-based conversations: one day a helpful angel 👼, next day "huh, who r u??" 😒. Tan or slightly darker than you ✨. You WILL find them magnetic 🧲. Possibly foreign/mixed race🛫.

🧠 Mercury in 7H: Total chatterbox 📞, witty king/queen 🤹. Slim build 🪶, quirky , might whistle or make weird sounds 🎵. Loves music 🎸, games 🎮, restaurants 🍝, parties 🎉, weekend trips 🚗. Super approachable!

🧠🔁 Mercury Rx in 7H: Wise owl 🦉, slow to open up 🌑. Introverted, might wear glasses 🤓. Researcher vibes 🔍. For wives = BS detector 🧹, for husbands = detective brain 🕵️‍♂️. Jobs in analysis, finance, art, coding, writing 👨‍💻.

💖 Venus in 7H: Spouse is youthful af ✨. You'll KNOW they are "the one" 💍. Gorgeous looks 😍, into beauty/art/health fields 🎨💉. Loves comfy living 🛋️ and lowkey snack queen 👑🍪.

💖🔁 Venus Rx in 7H: Baby face + allergies combo 🍼🤧. Reserved, deeply insecure under their pretty exterior 🥺. Might get beauty treatments 💉. Into design, food, history, style 🎀.

🧠+💖 Mercury + Venus in 7H: Smooth talkers with sparkly brains 🌟. Prone to sniffles 🤧, but will charm the socks off everyone 🧦. Could pass as a hot manager/model 😎. Cute chubby-cheeked even when fit 🍑.

🌙 Moon in 7H: Hair dye addict 🎨, moody rollercoaster 🎢. Mama's boy/daddy’s girl vibes 👶👸. Artistic soul 🎭, super intuitive 🔮. Fertile AF 👶x3. Baby today, grandma/ grandpa wisdom tomorrow 🧓👼.

🌍 Jupiter in 7H: Big smiles 😁, big hands 👐, big wallet 💰. SPF300 if you’re sunbathing with them 🧴☀️. Works abroad 🌎 or inherits properties or genetic issues🏠. Blessed child!

🌍🔁 Jupiter Rx in 7H: Addicted (to coffee ☕, meds 💊, or... more 🍷). Might be underfed/overfed 🍽️. Liberal but grew up strict. Atheist / agnostic / irreligious. Might live that alt life (vegan, minimalist 🌱).

🌙+🧠 Moon + Mercury in 7H: Mimics everyone 🎭, movie buff 🎬, loves forests 🌳 and autumn 🍂. Bird lover 🐦.

🪐 Saturn in 7H: Calm, mature 🧘‍♀️. Collects vintage bags 👜 or classic cars 🚗. Might go bald early 👨‍🦲 or grey early 👩‍🦳. Gains weight in face and tummy if it happens 🍩.

🪐🔁 Saturn Rx in 7H: Smart, chill, owns a home 🏡 before 35. Loves antiques 🖼️. Big age gap possible, either too young or too old for you 🧓+🧒. Reverse-aging vampire vibes 🧛‍♂️.

🌙+🪐 Moon + Saturn in 7H: Wild style changes 🎭, sleep issues 🌒. Into auctions 🎨 or gambling 🎰. Pale if Rx, darker if not Rx.

🌞+🧠🔁 Sun + Mercury Rx in 7H: Grumpy genius ✍️. Silent unless close to you 🔕. Might stutter or trail off mid-sentence 🫠. Either casual like your bro 👦 or formal like an English lord 🧐.

Wanna go deeper into the layers of your placements? DM me for a complete astrology reading or a 5 year/8 year marriage report or synastry reading🌙💬 and check out my pinned post for pricing + details 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐

Next post is about Darakaraka (DK) aka the planet with the lowest degree in your birth chart which reveals clues about your future spouse.

DK: The planet that holds your deepest desires for a partner like your soul's "Wanted Ad" scribbled in cosmic ink. It shows the kind of spouse you attract and what your heart secretly craves in relationships.

[stemmmm]

Billford fic recs!

I was asked a while ago (i believe by @kerink ?) when I shared a list of the currently active fics I was reading if I could do a broader rec list as well, so here it is! not a ton of oneshots since I didn't try to keep good track of fics until very recently. will likely update this over time!

there is ONE non-triangle bill in here, but what he is in that one is vague so maybe he could still be the triangle. schrodingers triangle.

Collections:

Valentines 3K challenge (all explicit)

you know it. you love it. if you haven't read all of them though, you're missing the fuck out

Stan Bros Coffee (G and explicit)

the espresso-Bill AU! there's a bunch of little fics about it and they're all in here!

Oneshots: (most oneshot recs are in the collections)

Eternal Devotion - Illusions of the Heart (explicit)

have you ever read a horror story posing as a love story? are you interested in the most unhinged yet cohesive internal monologue ever crafted? do you wonder why keyhole suddenly became so prominent in the fandom out of nowhere? all of these and more await you in here. click the link-- i am a normal fanfic

touch and go (teen)

it's portal ford, baby! great exploration of what prolonged isolation does to people and has excellent bill being sweeties

Haha He Fucked That...Spider? (explicit)

again, portal ford! he's the master of getting himself in stupid situations, and bill is the master of getting him out of them in the ways ford appreciates the least

Longfics:

Theseus' Guide To Ruining A Perfectly Good Boat (mature) (complete in my heart bc i know what happens)

why are you still following me if you haven't read this yet. y'all know what this is

Then it becomes, it becomes, it becomes a problem (mature) (complete)

how bad do things have to get before bill finally chooses to cut his shit out? the answer may surprise you! during-betrayal fic where bill makes the ingenious decision to bring a third party into the mix as if that would solve anything. breathtaking prose, magnificent character work, and the best fucking bill cipher writing and analysis there is! SO funny, SO raw and emotional. Jan deserves to ascend to godhood at the cost of all of her family and friends. as a treat.

Property of Bill Cipher (explicit) (good as complete)

pre-portal character exploration. the only fic i think ive ever seen that dares to say bill was doing extremely fucked up shit with ford the entire time before things went bad between them, it's just that after the betrayal, ford viewed it all in a different light. handles bill's obsession with the guy so nicely, does not shy away from the scary and unnerving in just the way i love it! it's incomplete, but the story is really just a series of vignettes leading up to and a little after the betrayal, so we all know how this is all going to end anyways. this one is formative billford for me

Creative Solution (unrated, but i'd call it mature) (complete)

what if bill erased ford's memories of the betrayal and weirdmageddon happened? touches on what it's like to be in a relationship where you're both deeply mentally ill and insecure in a way that really, truly hits me. absolute masterwork of digging through bill's fucked up psyche and the ways in which he Can and Will spiral forever

Multiversal Manhunt Moved to Your Backyard (explicit, but only the final chapter) (complete)

set during weirdmageddon, bill and ford make a deal to play a game of sexy scary hide and seek. it's so fun to root for the villain. this author has an amazing grasp on the character voices and tone, this is SUCH a delightful read and despite knowing exactly how it's gonna end, the tension still keeps you at the edge of your seat!

On the Level (mature) (incomplete)

marine biology AU where ford is a researcher on a deep sea base and bill is some sort of eldritch horror at the bottom of the sea. writing is lovely and it's really got the slow, ominous horror vibe down pat. it's tagged for Alien(1979) references so i'm personally waiting for bill to violently murder all of these people <3 also this is the non-triangle fic i was referring to

Take A Chance (explicit) (incomplete)

handyman bill thats very focused on how poorly bill and ford are able to communicate with each other, and boy, theyre bad at it. lots of cute family shenanigans and overall a very lighthearted read!

Impossible Geometries and Biologies (explicit) (incomplete)

the only pregnant bill fic i'll ever read because its carried by so much fun speculative biology. really has you nodding along like okay, okay even if i might not agree, i can see what you're cooking. my continued interest hinges heavily on whether or not they choose to kill bill off but i imagine we won't know if that happens for at least 2 more chapters

[hollowed-theory-hall]

hi! Who do you think was the most special person for Sirius? I love your analysis

James. No question.

Okay, now more seriously: Hi, thank you so much!

But yeah, it was James and later Harry, but Harry was never James in Sirius' eyes. I think I talked about it a bit in various posts in the past but I low-key think one-sided Prongsfoot (as in Sirius was in love with James) is canon. There isn't like, much textual evidence, it's mostly a vibe thing, so I consider it a canon-based headcanon more than a proper theory, but I think there's something there if you want to read into it.

I kind of wanted to make a post about it for a while, so this ask is as good an excuse as any:

So, I want to start by saying James and Sirius are not normal about each other. Their friendship is kind of insane and it's mutual. There's a reason in PoA whenever someone talks about them they forget Remus and Peter and just talk about James and Sirius and how inseparable they are:

“You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta,” murmured Professor McGonagall. “Do you remember who his best friend was?” “Naturally,�� said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. “Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!”

(PoA)

Their names are on the same breath for all their teachers & Rosmerta. So much so, that they had to place them in separate detentions. Not that it helped because these two found a way to not be separate for even a second:

This is a two-way mirror. I’ve got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you’ll appear in my mirror and I’ll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.

(OotP)

They literally couldn't spend an hour apart from each other when in school. I completely understand why you "never saw one without the other".

Every photo they took, they took so they were flush next to each other at the center of the Mauraders:

With a leap of pleasure, Harry recognized his father; his untidy black hair stuck up at the back like Harry’s, and he too wore glasses. Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger and happier than Harry had ever seen it alive. To Sirius’s right stood Pettigrew, more than a head shorter, plump and watery-eyed, flushed with pleasure at his inclusion in this coolest of gangs, with the much-admired rebels that James and Sirius had been. On James’s left was Lupin

(DH)

He was the best man in James and Lily's wedding, right there next to James the whole wedding:

He stopped on a picture of his parents’ wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there ... that must be him. Their best man ... Harry had never given him a thought before.

(PoA)

Sirius was Harry's godfather and as I mentioned here, it appears Sirius lived with James and Lily when they were married before they went into hiding. JKR stated Sirius & Lily were living on James' inheritance — not Remus who couldn't get a job, not Peter who didn't get an inheritance from Uncle Alphard — Sirius.

When Sirius had enough of his family at 16, he went to James. It's always James for him. He probably felt he was able to leave his family because he knew he could go to James.

Sirius' plan with the Secret Keeper switch was that everyone would think he was the Secret Keeper so they'd torture and kill him and he wouldn't be able to tell them anything. His plan was to die for James, Lily, and Harry. Sirius didn't think he'd survive the first war if Voldemort really wanted to get to the Potters and it was worth it for him. Because James, Lily, and Harry would be safe, and he expects everyone else to do so too:

“You don’t understand!” whined Pettigrew. “He would have killed me, Sirius!” “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!” roared Black. “DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

(PoA)

Lily was well aware of how codependent James and Sirius were:

James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell—also Dumbledore’s still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much.

(DH)

She knows that Sirius can talk James into things she can't. She knows how inseparable these two are and how important it is to Sirius to be on Harry's birthday, as she comforts him about it in her letter. I think Lily was more consciously aware of the insanity that was James and Sirius than either James or Sirius. I mean, it speaks volumes that Lily feels the need to write Sirius to talk sense into her husband becouse she knows it would work and that Sirius would do it. Because I'm sure the moment Sirius saw this letter he made the time to come over because it was for James. And Sirius would die for James in a heartbeat, without a second thought. Becouse, yes, it is how his loyalty works, but there aren't many people Sirius Black is loyal to to that degree. Even though he says he'd die for Peter, I don't think he'd do it as quickly and as readily as he would for James or Harry (after all, he makes fun of Peter in SWM in a way he'd never dare to when it comes to James).

When Sirius talks about James in the books, there is so much reverence. The same reverence Snape has for Lily and more. James is on a pedestal on which he can do no wrong in Sirius' mind — and it might've been that way when James was alive too, if perhaps to a lesser degree.

“He kept messing up his hair,” said Harry in a pained voice. Sirius and Lupin laughed. “I’d forgotten he used to do that,” said Sirius affectionately.

(OotP)

When talking to Harry about James' negative traits and behavior with in OotP, Sirius is incapable of seeing James in a negative light. While Lily disliked James' cruelty (I think she was fine with the arrogance somewhat, contrary to what she says), Sirius loved James' cruelty becouse it was James. (Sirius is probably also a crueler person than Lily, but that's a different matter). But Sirius isn't willing to see any faults in James' behavior or traits. James is a good person and his best friend and he knows, objectively, that James did bad things, but he would rather call it being an "idiot teenager" than what it was. Like, this fandom talks a lot about Snape putting Lily on a pedestal, but what about Sirius with James?

James could murder someone in cold blood in front of Sirius for no reason and Sirius would start making excuses for him on why he was actually right to do so. ("no auror, see, this was actually completely justified and the right thing to do!")

“Look, Harry,” said Sirius placatingly, “James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can’t you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be — he was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything.

(OotP)

(I love that while excusing the bullying he sings James' praises, I can just hear the 'good-looking' he isn't saying out loud)

And even when he confesses they were berks for what they did, he spreads the blame on all of them:

“I’m not proud of it,” said Sirius quickly. [...] “If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean,” said Sirius. [...] “Well . . . I thought he was a bit of an idiot.” [Harry] “Of course he was a bit of an idiot!” said Sirius bracingly. “We were all idiots! Well — not Moony so much,” he said fairly, looking at Lupin, but Lupin shook his head.

(OotP)

Sirius doesn't blame James without blaming all of them. And, he continued to justify James as he said it. (I'll add Remus is doing just as much to defend James and excuse all of his behavior, so it's not just Sirius)

“She didn’t know too much about it, to tell you the truth,” said Sirius. “I mean, James didn’t take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?”

(OotP)

I wanted to note this above quote because it's interesting to me. Yes, it's Sirius not minding James' behavior again, but I find it interesting that James didn't reform completely and hides it from Lily, but not from Sirius — never from Sirius. Kind of goes with how in the letter Lily mentions how James is trying to act strong in front of her, but he probably wouldn't in front of Sirius. Their friendship was just the most important connection to both of them. James keeps secrets from Lily, the love of his life, but not from his best mate Sirius who lives with them.

(Also the "took Snape on dates with Lily" made me think James had Sirius hide nearby on at least one date with Lily to help him out and Lily, obviously, caught them. Either as Padfoot for moral support or sitting in the bushes with the two-way mirror as James holds his under the table at Madam Puddifoot's)

Sirius outright says himself James was the most important person to him:

Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced. “Look,” he said, “your father was the best friend I ever had, and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.”

(OotP)

I also think Sirius had zero experience pre-Azkaban, contrary to some fanon. I mean:

With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James’s nor Harry’s could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed. 

(OotP)

Harry instantly notes how hot Sirius is and how he is getting girls' attention, and yet, Sirius only has eyes for James. He doesn't notice the girl (or any other) because he's looking at James. This is practically text at this point (mostly joking, but also, not really).

And Sirius' fixation on James started from day one, from the moment these two met:

“Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” James asked the boy lounging on the seats opposite him, and with a jolt, Harry realized that it was Sirius. Sirius did not smile. “My whole family have been in Slytherin,” he said. “Blimey,” said James, “and I thought you seemed all right!” Sirius grinned. “Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?”

(DH)

Sirius and James just met, the train barely even moved out of the station, and Sirius was upset at the possibility James wouldn't like him now because of his family history in Slytherin. It's the opposite reaction Harry had to Draco about the "wrong sort of wizard" where Harry would rather be disliked by an arrogant berk, Sirius wanted James to like him. Sirius wants James to like him so much that when James says he thought Sirius was "all right", Sirius jumps at the opportunity to prove why James should like him because he won't be a Slytherin like the rest of his family.

I low-key think this conversation affected Sirius' sorting. I think that, loath as he is to admit it, Sirius has some Slytherin characteristics, he has the cunning, the arrogance, and try as he might, he is still, so clearly, a rich pureblood from the House of Black. And he acts it. I think he was a borderline sorting and the hat took his preference. I can see young Sirius going "not Slytheirn" the same way Harry did (I like the mirroring). I think he considered that before, I think Sirius' started drifting from his family before, but I think James' words really cemented it to him.

and, just look how Sirius is with Harry. Listen, I'm the first person to jump to Sirius' defense when anyone claims he sees Harry as a James replacement — he doesn't. But Sirius' devotion to Harry (which is insane, I mean, he lived in a cave and ate rats for months, he returned to his family home which he both loathes and misses becouse it'll help the Order keep Harry safe) is an extension of his devotion to James. Sirius would do anything for Harry becouse he'll do anything for James. He sees Harry as his own person, I don't think he treats him the way he treated James at all, but his love for Harry and loyalty to him is tied to his love for James. James is the initial connecting tissue.

This post was a bit more of a rambly one than a proper essay, but I think the point comes across.

[carigm]

The Lochlan and Chelsea of it all…

I have to say that this isn’t so much an analysis as it is an observation/ pondering on what Mike White was trying to do when paralleling these two characters.

For me this all started after the finale when I read an Aimee Lou Wood quote about Chelsea and Rick’s relationship where she referred to Rick as “the religion Chelsea is subscribed to, and ultimately, the thing that gets her killed”.

I thought this was similar to how Sam Nivola had described Lochlan during this press tour, saying he’d go to any lengths necessary to be loved/foster a special connection in his life. (More on this later.)

And then I rewatched the show and boy, there’s a lot of little threads between Chelsea and Lochy, especially in relationship to their respective bonds to Rick and Saxon.

One of the first things that grabbed my attention is that both of them are sort of obsessed with the idea of fatalism (bad things happening). Chelsea is a deeply spiritual person and she spends the entire season saying she has a bad feeling about Rick’s fate, which ultimately turned out to be true.

Lochlan is not a spiritual person, this is in fact highlighted at the beginning of the season, but he’s the character Mike White chose to ominously warn his family of what’s coming for them. Lochlan’s obsession with tsunamis played a similar role in the narrative to Chelsea’s intuition.

Chelsea and Lochlan don’t interact a ton on the show, but she first approaches him in episode 4 while he’s doing magic tricks. Lochlan is referred to as “the little magician” by Chloe, and obviously this is an aspect of his chameleon/deceptive nature when it comes to adapting or shifting his personality according to who he’s around. Lochlan is all smoke and mirrors. But so is Chelsea. Aimee Lou Wood has mentioned in post finale interviews that Chelsea’s “happy go lucky” attitude and new age vibes are a bit of a front, a role she plays in hopes that it’s aptly complimentary to Rick’s personality. She’s hope, and happiness, and coolness, but she’s also a bit void inside because it’s well…a bit performative. I think aspects of this can be seen in how easily Chelsea accepts the batshit insanity that happens around her: Chloe’s crazy comments, the incest situation, Rick’s issues. Lochlan does this too, he tends to go with the flow of others.

This is not me saying they’re pushovers, they’re not, but they try to be peacekeepers, often at their own detriment.

I think both of them are deeply lost people, but Chelsea just does a great job at pretending she’s not. Above anything else, they’re both desperate for connection and to be loved, and unfortunately for them, they’ve hitched their fates/set their sights on emotionally unavailable people.

There’s a delicious contrast in episode 5 by having Chelsea abstain from the debauchery of the Full Moon Party because she’s loyal to Rick, and that’s what he would want, while Lochlan fully lets loose and pushes things to the extreme, because that’s what he believes Saxon wants of him.

This becomes a bit amusing when you throw in Saxon’s attempts at sleeping with Chelsea, despite her constantly shooting him down.

This moment of Saxon getting Chelsea a drink (“pink for the lady”), while she completely ignores him and Lochlan snatches the drink for himself. Very subtle Mike White…

Another moment, but this one is actually just painful, happens in Episode 6, while Chelsea talks to Rick on the phone after the Full Moon Party.

Chelsea is chastising Rick for not saying “I love you” to her properly (he never does in fact, and she dies without hearing it), meanwhile the camera also focuses on Lochlan alone on the boat. Given what happened between Lochlan and Saxon the night before, choosing to focus on him during this moment is pretty devastating. And again, it’s another instance showing how desperate him and Chelsea are for love and connection.

And then we get to episode 8…

Chelsea drops this line to Saxon, but based on what we see later on in this episode, I’m more inclined to believe that this actually applies to her and Lochlan.

This next scene was deleted, but originally, Lochlan has a dream in episode 8 where he sees Saxon dead out by the pool with vomit all over his face. Basically, Lochlan dreamt of Saxon being poisoned. According to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s description of the scene, it’s this nightmare that prompts Lochlan to go to the blender in the morning and make a protein shake. Sam Nivola has also mentioned that Lochlan made the shake because he wanted to feel close to his brother.

And then Lochlan basically fucking dies. His devotion and love for his brother leads him to his almost death.

“It’s okay for you to worship me, but don’t like WORSHIP me…”

But he does, because just like Chelsea with Rick, this is the religion Lochlan subscribes to.

I think it’s very interesting that episode 8 was supposed to include two fake out scenes of Lochlan and Saxon dead (one a near-death and one a dream) especially because it would’ve happened right before Chelsea and Rick actually die.

And the circumstances of Chelsea’s death are eerily similar to Lochlan’s near one. Rick tells her to go away, to leave him, but she decides to follow him and gets caught in the cross fire, and that’s it. It is also her love and devotion for him that kills her.

I have so many feelings about these moments. The way they both quietly die, the way their loved ones don’t notice until a bit later. The way they’re literally shot in the exact same way.

And of course, the way that once Chelsea and Rick finally make it back to the water (death) is when Lochlan opens his eyes and basically comes back to life. I don’t think that scene was shot that way just for aesthetic purposes, which leads me to believe it’s a nod to Chelsea’s “groups of people coming together to form a divine plan” comment.

Something to be said for characters that are so desperate for love, attention, and care that they’re willing to modify and uproot their inner self in order to satisfy the people they love, because it is through that purpose only that they themselves can be satisfied. It just so happens that more often than not, that love ends up being wasted or not fully reciprocated.

I do feel like I have to clarify that I don’t think Saxon is as bad/doomed as Rick. There’s a reason Saxon didn’t die, he IS capable of change, while Rick was not…but the parallels are there lol.

[aurae-rori]

DR RATIO ANALYSIS

SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT!

Now, you might be saying - "Aurae, Oh No! and Are You Satisfied? are much too basic songs to analyze Dr. Ratio to! Just because he's a scholar doesn't mean that he has academic trauma!" WRONG! Before we start, I have been researching psychology for approximately six years and I plan to go into it professionally. HOWEVER, that said, I am NOT a professional (YET. One day I will be. Yay for Aurae!) so understand that everything I come to conclusions about has been analyzed with some personal judgement, personal interpretations, and this is just what I have concluded with the info that I have deconstructed from his brain. If you disagree, that's fine!

I will be pulling from my own experiences with being a "golden" and "gifted" child, as well as the experiences I've had speaking to other people who were those. I will also be pulling from my experiences of researching and seeing how people with superiority complexes work, as well as diving into how those work (from what I've seen, as well as how they conceal a lack of self-esteem).

OKAY, NOW THAT THAT LONG AHH DISCLAIMER IS OVER, ALLOW ME TO WORK MY PSYCH ENJOYER MAGIC! Let's deconstruct Dr. Ratio like a lego toy.

Let's start off with how Dr. Ratio presents himself. When you first meet him, he seems like a haughty, arrogant asshole. He likes to PRESENT himself as a stoic, superior scholar who is purely in it to win it, and I got total "*stares down at your tiny body and laughs at how you lack knowledge*" vibes at the very start, due to how he goes around calling people idiots all the time. However, he DOES lose the idgaf war, and we can very quickly see that he does care for other people, even if in his own, strange way. Dr Ratio presentation: An asshole. The reality?

His entire character is based around the idea of helping the masses. He wishes to spread knowledge through the cosmos and give people who didn't have access to it, access. He's a harsh teacher, and calling people 'idiots' is NOT the way to motivate them, but he's doing his best™.

Actually, no, I'm going to go full psych into this. Okay, so here starts the Dr. Ratio and my FATHER COMPARISONS. My father is a professor and he is often called a harsh grader by his students. However, I've spoken to him multiple times because I was curious - why is he so harsh and diligent with his grading system? The answer is - he wants them to actually learn. When he's grading, he gives them harsh marks because he wants them to know exactly where they messed up, and he's always willing to stay after hours to help students understand where they can't. My father also is an enjoyer of knowledge, and for as long as I've remembered, he has prioritized teaching me how to think critically. He wants me to be able to think for myself - and I think that's what Dr. Ratio wants, too. He wants for his students to be able to fully comprehend and absorb the information that he teaches, and although his methods are harsh, he genuinely wants to help. My father's like this too - he hates students that waste his time or aren't here because their hearts are in it. Dr. Ratio hates people who aren't taking their education seriously because knowledge is important. Knowledge is a tool, and to disregard it completely is lowkey kind of insulting - especially when there are people who weren't privileged enough to actually get it, so this isn't something that you should take for granted. Dr. Ratio despises people who take knowledge for granted.

Also, I disagree with the claims that say that Dr. Ratio hates the genius society. He shows open respect for them in his voice lines. Just check them if you need proof. Also, I'll delve into the idea of Aeons and recognition later.

Now that we’ve established that Dr. Ratio kins my dad, let’s let's tackle the 'stoic' allegations. He is LOSING the idgaf war. Like, really badly. He has a temper of a thousand suns and snaps at people frequently, despite his 'impassive' face, his tone holds a LOT of emotion. He seems to feel very deeply and has a shit ton of empathy for others - why else would he be dedicating his entire career to helping others? Of course, he doesn't express this in 'typical' ways of being openly kind - but it doesn't mean that he doesn't care for other people. In fact, he seems to be pretty good at putting himself in the shoes of others and understanding them - expressed in the 2.1 quest where he tells Aventurine to tell him if he can't hold on any longer. Also, he loses the IDGAF war because he is actively trying to help people who want to learn and trying to spread logic and knowledge across the cosmos to those who didn't have it before. Would a man who didn't GAF do that? No!

Now that we've covered his view on knowledge and the way that he presents himself, let's turn to the way that he SEES himself. Now, this is where we get into the nitty gritty of gifted child trauma & academic trauma as well as crippling expectations. It's literally explicitly said in his character stories that he sees himself as mediocre, and it's canon that he doesn't have a good view of himself. His self-esteem is down in the fucking trenches along with my sanity as I write this analysis. The reality is - being called a genius your whole life doesn't really make you feel better about yourself. I'd know. I was. In fact, it makes you feel fucking worse when you can't live up to an expectation. We all fail in life. It's part of being human. But when you're held to such high standards - idolized for your knowledge and the way that you're 'gifted' - the crash comes really fucking hard. Failure is inevitable, and when people who are held on that pedestal experience it, they take it really bad.

The reality is that nobody - not even geniuses - are perfect, but you grow up believing that you are. Then, when you fail for the first time, it all comes tumbling down. The first time I came home with a bad grade was one of the most humiliating moments of my life. I hadn't studied because I was arrogant and I thought that I was smart enough to pass without putting any extra effort into it - because I was a 'gifted' child, right? I should've been able to do it without studying like the other kids. And that's the thing with gifted children – you grow reliant on that title. You cling onto it for dear life for motivation, as well as self-perception. Little by little, the person you are falls apart as you slave away to the perception other people have of you. I think basically every gifted child that I've ever spoken to is a victim of this – and of course, you can heal from this mindset - but it's a hard one to shake.

Ratio's way of presenting himself as being a 'genius' and 'arrogant' also seems to contradict the way that he calls himself 'mundane' at the same time. However, these are two mindsets that can coexist. One part of you believes that you are a genius and that you are perfect, while the other part is crumbling and calling yourself good-for-nothing every time you make a mistake. It's a tiring cycle to live in. This usually leads to people shutting themselves out and closing themselves off after living like that, pushing back your own feelings in favour of being the perfect child. However, we don't know the exact details of Dr. Ratio's childhood, but we can infer that he was held to a pedestal, and this is a very harmful mindset for a child to have.

His superiority complex comes both from how other people view him, but it's a way to cope with his crippling lack of self-esteem. I'm sorry my guy. Also helping others probably helps him feel like he's worth something and makes him feel better because he bases his entire worth off of what he can do and how he can help others. However, this is just my personal interpretation backed by what I have already deconstructed. 

In general, this is an easy way to crush self-esteem. You spend your whole life working to meet the image of what other people think you are. In fact, another reason why Dr. Ratio might be so harsh is because that’s the kind of attitude he holds towards himself when conducting research – he’s as hard on himself as he is to others. You end up hating the idea of failure, instead of seeing it as it should be - a way to improve and grow. Actually, I think this could be a reason that he went out of his way to break that illusion of 'worshipping geniuses' in the Space Station. Maybe some sort of childhood connection? Personal connection? In his endeavour to spread more knowledge and make people think for themselves and not blindly follow geniuses, to wake them up and let them think for themselves - maybe, somewhere, in there, he's helping that little child that was almost dehumanized for his intelligence. TLDR: Conflicting mindsets due to trauma, brain vs heart almost - his knowledge that he is a genius vs the crippling lack of his self worth.

Now that we've established Dr. Ratio's self worth, let's take a look at the impact Aeons had on him. Nous, the Aeon of Knowledge itself. I think in a world where the Gods are real, tangible beings that you can reach out and talk to - it makes sense that someone with high ambition and someone who's been called a genius his whole life would seek the confirmation of Nous. When you're a man of knowledge, and you've spent your whole life working with it, being praised for it – it feels natural to look for a god to look down upon you and bless you, right? The Genius Society – it should house him, because he is a genius as well, right? Imagine this – you have been called a genius your whole life, held to that kind of pedestal for so long, and now you wait for the recognition of the Gods. Because if you truly are a genius – then surely, a higher being will recognize your intelligence, right?

The invitation never comes.

And then, comes the doubt.

What if I'm really not a genius? What if everything I've worked for is a lie? Aeons are beings that are 'absolute'. If the god of Knowledge won't accept you or even cast a glance upon you, does that mean that everything was wrong. Gods see more than humans, after all. Gods know more than humans - and that spiral... I think you can see if. (If you don't let me know. I will ramble about how a failure like that can make you spiral down into a worse mindset). 

However, the reason why Ratio was never invited to the Genius Society is simple. It’s because he LOSES THE IDGAF WAR. Now, if we look at all the people we know who are in the Genius Society - we find one thing in common. They’re in it to win it for themselves. They don’t help others using the knowledge that they’ve gotten - they use it to pursue shit for themselves. The people of the Genius Society are inherently self-serving. They WIN the idgaf war. Ratio LOSES. Do we see now? 

Ratio’s empathy is the reason why he wasn’t let in. He is too human. Nous is a computer. Herta is detached from people. Ruan Mei is literally looking at life as test subjects. Screwllum is a robot. 

OUR DOCTOR MAN LOST THE IDGAF WAR, BECAUSE HE IS HUMAN AND FEELS FOR OTHERS!!! 

Also, it’s a plausible theory that Nous’s definition of ‘genius’ is different from the human definition of ‘genius’ – it’s a computer, after all. Who knows what’s going on in that code head of its. 

However, we still love you Ratio. Never stop losing the IDGAF war. 

TLDR: Nous is a computer. It is also in it to win it. It is also self serving. It gazes upon the hoes who are here to win it for themselves. Ratio is busy serving the masses and cooking knowledge in his frying pan. To it, there is no logical reason to be doing this. Therefore, no reason to invite this guy to the Genius Society. 

Ratio’s gifted child trauma says otherwise. He wants in. Why wouldn’t he? He’s been working his whole life as a genius. 

Nous is like… nah bro, you care too much. Ratio is like, ‘what the fuck?’ And then the AEON OF KNOWLEDGE GOES FOR THE MILK. 

Okay, now, quick shoutout to Ratio wanting to help others. He is just like me fr. SO BASICALLY, RECAP OF EVERYTHING I JUST SAID:

Ratio LOSES the idgaf war because he cares about other people. Spent his whole life as the golden egg, and then turns to the gods for recognition because of the inherent trauma of being a child genius. He goes, "hey bro, can you confirm that I am in fact a genius?" and Nous goes, "no, you are too busy cheffing for the masses." Ratio goes, "what the fuck?" and then we collectively realize his attitude comes from blocking off his feelings (while failing miserably), being salty about not being recognized, being put on a pedestal for his whole life, and his crippling depression *cough* lack of self worth *cough*. 

Oh, and the "I will never be enough" thought train probably hits him every single day. He is not enough to be recognized by a God. Gods are superior to humans. Maybe nothing has worth after all. Hey, that's Nihility! Hi IX, let's hear what you have to say.

*muffled ix noises*

I see, I see.

The consensus is: HE'S TRAUMATIZED BY EXPECTATIONS! HE WILL PROBABLY SUFFER FROM BURNT OUT GIFTED CHILD IF HE HAS NOT ALREADY!

Okay, now, before I delve into song lyrics (and I KNOW this has been long, just bear with me) I want to talk a little bit (read: a lot) about his relationship with Aventurine. We all know that he cares about Aventurine in his own way. But I want to pull in another idea that I didn’t cover before: 

Ratio’s fucking emotional constipation. 

Basically, the reason why he has trouble connecting with others is because he was most likely alienated by others as a symptom of being called a genius and being put on a pedestal. This makes him seem unapproachable to his peers, most likely, and therefore, as a result, doesn’t know how to properly connect with others. This just makes his way of presenting affection and care to others even more challenging – because he just doesn’t know how to do it in a healthy and clear way. Academic trauma causing emotional problems, because he’s probably a little bit out of touch with his own. Processing? No! Research. Also, this is very important for understanding Ratio’s character in my opinion, because he’s just a little guy who doesn’t know how to articulate. Maybe he’s got a touch of the ‘tism. Tism mutuals, do we agree or disagree? 

However, in comes Aventurine. Love Aventurine, but they are both emotionally constipated. Aventurine displays his affection in ways that Ratio probably only catches after re-analyzing their time together about five times. He’s also a very closed off individual – but Ratio knows this. A cute thing is that Ratio is patient where he needs to be, even if he’s generally a pretty hot-headed guy, and I’m like… bro… that letter… “I wish you the best of luck”... I will wait for you…. GAY ASS MAN…

Sorry the Aventio demons took over. Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that they both have nonverbal communication with one another that they clearly decipher and Ratio obviously cares for him (he came back and almost jeopardized the plan just for the sake of his ‘coworker’... okay gayboy…) and they just have such a neat little dynamic… Aventurine lets Dr. Ratio do his thing… understands his emotional alienation to a degree…. they’re so neat….

Okay, Aventurine segment over. NOW, FINALLY, WE CAN GET TO THE SONG LYRICS!!! YAY!!!! We all cheered!!!

We are going to be here for two more amber eras, because I realized I actually want to analyze every single lyric from both of these songs. Brace yourself for like, 2k more words. Help. 

I think it’s only proper that we start off with ‘Oh No!’ the song that has haunted me since my childhood.

“Don’t do love, don’t do friends

I’m only after success

Don’t need a relationship

I’ll never soften my grip”

Remember when I mentioned that alienation was a big part of Ratio lore? Yeah, that manifests itself in this. When you spend your entire life chasing after knowledge and being held to that standard of untouchable genius, it makes sense that you couldn’t connect with others and that you turn your gaze only to success. Therefore, relationships that are interpersonal lose meaning for a bit – you’re just looking for answers and ways to help them, not connect with them. Also, this is what he wants to do – so he’s never going to pass down an opportunity to better himself or to help someone else. 

“Don’t want cash, don’t want card

Want it fast, want it hard 

Don’t need money, don’t need fame

I just want to make a change

I just wanna change, I just wanna change” 

This is directly alluding to his reasonings for distributing knowledge across the cosmos. Was he based on this song? Maybe he was. He’s not looking for money or fame, his ultimate goal is actually pretty selfless – to bring knowledge and give people the tools they need to think for themselves. He just wants to make a change – he just wants people to be able to have access to knowledge and help cure ‘stupidity’. He wants to do it as quickly as possible, always reaching for lofty goals that might seem impossible, but he will make them possible. 

“I know exactly what I want and who I want to be

I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine

I’m now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy

Oh! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no, oh!” 

Ratio knows his goal. He knows what he’s working towards. I do believe that he understands why he is the way that he is – he has a degree in Psychology, after all. He knows how he’s been hurt but at the same time, the trauma brain probably doesn’t want to recognize it and he hasn’t stepped into healing yet. He knows what he went through impacted him, but he’s too busy helping others to help himself. He’s becoming what he wants to be, and yet he’s not, all at the same time – which causes the idea of “oh no!” as a kind of cry for help, almost. He’s too proud to ask for it himself, of course, so he’ll fall alone until someone manages to catch him and give him the strength to continue holding on. Aventurine is that. 

“One track mind, one track heart

If I fail, I’ll fall apart

Maybe it is all a test

‘Cause I feel like I’m the worst

So I always act like I’m the best” 

Now, these are the exact lyrics that made me associate this song with Ratio in the first place. He’s got a singular goal that he will do nothing to stop at getting, that he goes so far to get to. However, as I mentioned earlier, failure is not an option for those who were deemed gifted or genius. You are perfect, so therefore you must live up to everyone’s every expectation and surpass them, too, in order to keep your perception of yourself intact. Ratio does not hold himself in high regard, but acts arrogant in order to hold himself together and not fall to the self-deprecating thoughts, even if they fall through the cracks. It gets tiring to hold yourself together like that for a long time, you know? 

“I’m gonna live, I’m gonna fly

I’m gonna fail, I’m gonna die

I’m gonna live, I’m gonna fly

I’m gonna fail, I’m gonna die” 

Remember how I was talking about contradictory mindsets and how they can coexist. This is them. The feeling of crippling self-hatred and lack of self esteem versus the idea that you can do it, you can make a difference – you were born a genius, this is what you’re going to do. This is the knowledge that you are a genius vs the lack of self-esteem that Ratio has. “Mediocre” vs “genius” mindset, eh? 

All the other lyrics in this song are repetitions of what I’ve analyzed before, so let’s move onto “Are you Satisfied?” 

To be honest, there are only a few lines in this song that allow me to connect it to Ratio, so therefore, I will only be analyzing them. However, if you think that other lyrics can connect to him, I’d be interested in knowing how. 

“What you’re gonna be 

It’s not my problem if you don’t see what I see

And I do not give a damn if you don’t believe

My problem, it’s my problem that I never am happy

It’s my problem, it’s my problem on how fast I will succeed”

Pretending to not care about how the world sees you is so fucking real. Sometimes, you really don’t give a shit, and sometimes it’s all you can think about. Ratio… doesn’t seem like he’s the happiest person. He works himself hard and he’s always chasing after a goal that must be exhausting. He’s always doing his best, and I think even with his empathy, it’s easy to start not giving a shit after trying for so long and so hard. Accepting help is one of the hardest things that anybody can do, especially with how much pride he has. His personal problems are his personal problems and he can deal with them on his own. 

“High achiever, don’t you see? 

Baby, nothing comes for free

They say I’m a control freak

Driven by a greed to succeed

Nobody can stop me” 

Nothing comes for free. A lot of the things Ratio has achieved is due to his own intelligence, yes, but also because of a shit ton of hard work. His goal is literally to cure the universe of ‘stupidity’ – and that’s a pretty large fucking goal. He is a high achiever who likes to know the details of every situation when he can in order to try and make things better, and he is driven by a greed to succeed. Why wouldn’t he be? Success is important, and success means helping more people. He isn’t going to allow himself to be stopped by anybody – not even anybody from the Genius society. 

Okay, and we have finally reached the end of my analysis! This caps at around 4k words, so if you stuck around for this long, thank you so much. I would love to hear any of your comments, and I hope you laughed a little bit. Thank you again! This means so much to me that you read. <3

[learnastrowallura]

🕯Mercury in Astrology

Information is from Chris Brennan's video on The Astrology Podcast YouTube channel on the topic of Mercury significations <3

Mercury: writing, speech, words, message, reign, translation, conveying, transmitting, information, interpretations, numbers, analysis, reasoning, details, dialogue, exchange, money, businesses, contracts, commerce, negotiating, indecision, disputation, questioning, doubts, distractions, speed, variety, irregularity, verstatility, changing, adaptability, flexibility, instability, inconsistency, knowledge, philosophy, service, teaching, mind, intelligence, intellect, language, communication, learning, poetry, voice acting, narration, acting, sharing, masculine, neutrality

Sun and Mercury:

Sun and Mercury are both centered around intelligence but in different ways; they complete each other. Sun is about divine knowledge and Mercury is about conveying, transmitting or communicating that knowledge or even perhaps analyzing it and extracting more wisdom as well as detail from it so I found this point particularly interesting. Sun illuminates with its rays and gives clarity by providing us with the truth and then Mercury expands on that truth and shares it with others in its charming versatile way as well

Sun vs Mercury sign:

Mercury does not move further than 28 degrees from the Sun meaning that the Mercury sign will always be the sign before or after the Sun sign (zodiacal signs are divided into 30 degrees) and so there is a bit of a differentiation (for lack of a better word) between who we are and the way we communicate and exchange information with other people if the Mercury and Sun signs are not one of the same. First example that comes to mind is having an Aries Sun Taurus Mercury and two people who are quite close to me have these placements; you would not know they were Aries Suns unless u asked hahaha even though one of them is an Aries rising too so that is something I wanted to note as well. Another example would be Sagittarius sun with Scorpio Mercury adding a lot of intensity to the person's communication style as well (which is something I relate to as you will see later on)

Domicile and exaltation:

Sooo Mercury rules over Gemini and Virgo so those are its domicile signs, it is how Mercury can manifest itself most comfortably whilst embodying its true essence. And then Mercury has its exaltation in Virgo as well which is pretty unique might I say and this gives me the vibes of (this my own way of seeing it so take it with a grain of salt) Mercury being more constructive in the sign of Virgo versus in Gemini just because of this particular distinction

But speaking of these two signs I do think they embody their Mercurial energies quite differently and shoutout to my friend @saturnianoracle for giving me the key words to describe this. First of all they are both analytic but Virgo is more of a skeptic I feel while Gemini tends to have more of an open mind. Virgo wants to see the evidence behind certain things to determine the merit or validity, to a certain extent, of the topics at hand to then decides if it wants to invest energy into looking into it more. It is very grounded as well as organized. With Gemini there is a certain sense of childlike curiosity that takes hold of this sign making it want to explore deep topics and of course stimulate its mind; it dives in without thinking and is more disorganized, inconsistent and chaotic I would say, and it loves conversing about its findings as well. I saw a tiktok video ancient astrology based describing Virgo and Gemini as the most intuitive signs which was fascinating to be honest u can watch it here

Detriment and Fall:

Mercury has its detriment in Sagittarius/Pisces and its fall in the sign of Pisces as well and the interesting thing noted in the video I watched (mentioned at the start) is that Sagittarius and Pisces are ruled by Jupiter, the biggest planet ruling over expansion and abundance, and with Mercury being on the smaller side you can really see that distinction of the Mercurial signs really often looking at the detail of things and well in contrast the Jupiter signs seeing the bigger picture. Also Jupiter being a benefic and ruling over luck makes me think that having these two placements is honestly not so bad tbh

Mercury in first house:

Mercury has its planetary joy in the first house of the self, highlighting the utmost importance of the curious, inquisitive and messenger qualities of the planet. What is interesting is the neutrality of Mercury and how we can link that with its joy being in the 1st house; a house that can be above or below the horizon, so even in this regard it stays neutral and does not "pick a side" if that makes sense; "acting as a bridge between the upper and lower hemispheres of the chart, a bridge between the celestial and terrestial realms which are united in the degree of the ascendant".

Source for the planetery joy information is Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan

I have made a more detailed post on planetary joys so check it out <3

Neutrality:

Mercury is not seen as a benefic or a malefic; it is considered a neutral planet. Of course, its manifestation and expression can be positive, negative or stay neutral depending on a few factors, such as:

Being in its domicile (Gemini/Virgo) or its exaltation (Virgo) sign is gonna lead it to manifest in a more constructive/beneficial way

Being in its detriment (Sagittarius/Pisces) or its fall (Pisces) sign would generally lead it to manifest in a less constructive way

Aspecting a benefic planet (Jupiter/Venus) would lead Mercury in this instance to manifest in a more constructive way as it is said to adopt the traits of benefic planet it is associated with

Being in a benefic ruled sign; meaning a Jupiter ruled sign as mentioned beforehand (Sagittarius Mercury, Pisces Mercury) or a Venus ruled sign (Taurus Mercury, Libra Mercury) would manifest in the same manner mentioned above

Aspecting a malefic planet (Mars/Saturn) leads Mercury to take on the traits of that malefic planet as well

Being in a malefic ruled sign so either Mars ruled (Aries Mercury, Scorpio Mercury) or Saturn ruled (Capricorn Mercury, Aquarius Mercury) leads us to Mercury adapting to that malefic's traits again

Triplicity also matters and I will make a detailed post on it soon but for now all I can say is that having Mercury in an air sign (Gemini, Aquarius, or Libra) adds on to the "power" that the Mercury placement has within the chart and the support that it gives to the native; if we are dealing with a day chart then Mercury has moderate support in the air sign in question (Saturn being its triplicity lord), and if it is a night chart then it maintains a powerful position within the chart, being its own triplicity ruler. (Source for triplicity rulership intormation is Ancient Astrology: in Theory and Practice: A manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume One: Assessing Planetary Condition by Demetra George)

That is all!! I wanted to go into more detail tbh but time simply does not allow it these days as I have my internship going on as well but I hope this was informative haha

Thank you for reading <3

Masterlist

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[lady-asphodel]

DR. RATIO ANALYSIS: The hard Truth who Uncovers the sweet Lies | Awareness vs Foolishness

Hello everybody, and welcome back to my analysis of Dr. Ratio in: "Crown Of The Mundane And The Divine". In this post, as a follow up to my previous one about his introductory cutscene, I will talk about Dr. Ratio in "When The Stars Of Ingenuity Shines."

Disclaimer: Whilst it is not needed to read my first post, I recommend you to do so to understand the context of some comments I will do here. Also, everything said in this post is subjective, as my own, personal interpretations, and must not be treated as canon or taken as face value. I don't pretend to know Dr. Ratio better or that my speculations for him are the right ones. I will also often compare the EN lines and the CN lines, and will automatically take the CN as a base for my analysis of there are differences. Thank you <3

1- Strict education or narcissistic correction?

We will start off with the dialogues before the boss fight.

EN: "Are you waiting for a sign? Time is ticking. Descend via the elevator - what you seek is there."

CN: 愣著做什麽，你時間很多嗎？我看不像。坐電梯下去，你要找的東西就在那裡。

CN translation: "Why are you standing in a daze, do you have a lot of time? Doesn't seem like it to me. Take the elevator down - what you're looking for is right there"

The differences here are not that significant, they both kind of give the same message: Hurry up. Right from the start, we're embarked in the action, we have no time. Dr. Ratio's impatience is showing very much right there, a feeling that is much more pronounced in the CN but fairly condensed in the EN.

Though what is interesting to note in the CN is that the part" do you have a lot of time" is very sarcastic and self-explanatory in itself: Traiblazer doesn't have a lot of time. Yet, Dr. Ratio still reinforces the comment with " Doesn't seem like it to me ". Which highlights quite well his critical and observant stand point.

At the end of the cutscene, Dr. Ratio told Traiblazer to get thinking. Then, his first line is basically:" hurry up !". Which relate to the two values I've pointed out in his cutscene: the mind and time.

Then, the last line is strictly informative. He's a guide; he knows Traiblazer's goal, he knows what to do and he gives the direction (remember, always two steps ahead. I will say that a lot with him). It kinda gives off the vibe of your typical game quest cursor which shows you where to go or what to do but doesn't actually actively help you do it. Once again, Dr. Ratio is an observer and not active.

Of course, Traiblazer gets curious and can ask one of the three questions: Who are you ?/ Why are you here ?/ Do you know what I'm looking for ?

Dr. Ratio then answers:

EN: "Have you considered whether the answer to your question will be of any relevance to our current predicament?"

CN: 提問��前，不如先想一想，答案是否對你要解決的問題有益。

CN Translation: "Before asking a question, it would be better to first consider whether the answer will help the problem you want to solve"

There is a heavy difference between the two in my opinion. The EN line is confrontational and even slightly accusatory, as if it should have been obvious that this question shouldn't have been asked. However, in the CN, there is a more technical (professional) approach to it. That's not an attack or an accusation, more like a recommendation. "Have you...?" will imply a sort of expectation while "It would be..." will sound like a suggestion. EN's structure and tone gives off a similar one to "why are you even doing that?" or "That's completely useless right now." while CN is more like "it's best not to do that." or "That's not what's needed right now."

Do you see the difference? There's one word that perfectly describes that difference and it is harshness; Dr. Ratio is not meant to be harsh, he's meant to be eccentric, strict and slightly nonchalant.

EN: "If a question is of no help, then don't ask it. Time is clearly precious to the both of us."

CN: 如果沒有，最好別問，顯然你我的時間都很寶貴.

CN Translation: "if not, it's best not to ask--clearly, both your time and mine are valuable."

In itself, the sentence is the same. However, in CN we find that instructive and even slightly advisatory tone and structure instead of much more condemning one. "Don't ask it" vs "it's best not to ask". It's subtle but it makes all the difference sometimes, especially with a character that is already strict and serious, adding more to that will naturally unbalance the equilibrium between Dr. Ratio's intolerance and his casualness.

Now, putting that aside, Dr. Ratio is right on one thing: That will not help trailblazer to know who he is exactly, what he's doing here or how he knew what their goal was. The thing here is that he's not saying "I expect you to follow my every word because I'm right", more like: "I'm not important, you don't have to trust me, but hurry up, time's running".

Time is extremely important and to make sure to not waste it, we may be confronted with a situation where we have to dive into the unknown and be in a place where we don't know what's trustworthy or not.

EN: "...Never mind. Allow me to clarify something. I know exactly who you are, and I'm aware you are in Ruan Mei's employ. This was not my intended destination — I just happened to find my way here during my visit and saw what she was up to."

CN: ...…算了，就当做个示范：我知道你是谁，也知道你在为阮•梅办事；我本是空间��的访客，误入此地，目睹了她的实验.

CN Translation: "...... Never mind, just treat this as a demonstration: I know who you are, and I know you're working for Ruan Mei. I was originally a visitor of the Space Station but accidentally ended up here and witnessed her experiment."

Here, Dr. Ratio acknowledges Traiblazer's confusion and need of some answers. So, instead of ignoring it, he takes time to address it. He, at first, tried to advise Traiblazer about oral efficiency by explaining it but then the "never mind" comes a change of method to adapt at a situation. He's thoughtful.

There's one important difference in the first line, which reinforces the tone difference for the two previous lines: "Allow me to clarify something." vs "just treat this as a demonstration:"

Since in the two previous lines the EN went with a more harsh and accusatory structure, here, to follow the steps, when Dr. Ratio answers to dissipate Traiblazer's confusion by giving actual needed answers, it feels like he's putting up with it just because they asked first. It's an abrupt transition that doesn't make sense. Why is he explaining itvwhen right before he was condemning it. As if: "Since you already asked, i'll answer it then"

While, for the CN, since the structure was instructive, it is a continuation of the previous lines, which transforms a mere suggestion/comment into a demonstration. His answers are not simply there to answer Traiblazer in a relevant manner, he's using this opportunity to teach what he had already begun to teach before (crazy when he's a professor right).

He knows Traiblazer, he knows Ruan Mei, he knows there's an arrangement between them, he's a visitor to the space station (subtly telling that he isn't someone trying to attack it, he was invited), he was there first and saw Ruan Mei's experiment and that's why he's there. All that information in two simple sentences. That's his demonstration.

EN: "My goals are roughly aligned with yours. Since you're here, I won't intercede... but should you fail, I will be forced to prevent some avoidable misfortunes."

CN: 我的目的大抵和你相同，既然你來了，我便不會干涉。但如果你失敗，我就會強硬介入，阻止一些不必要的麻煩

CN Translation: "My goal is roughly the same as yours. Since you're here, I won't interfere. But if you fail, I will step in forcefully to prevent any unnecessary trouble."

The sentence is kinda the same, the only difference is that for EN, Dr. Ratio says he will be forced to step in rather that he's the one that will forcefully step in.

What he's saying there is that while he'll stay on the sideline, because that's how Dr. Ratio operates, failure is not to be feared. He's kind of telling Traiblazer that there's a safe net below them. If they fail, he will be there to take the torch and arrange everything. It's not only a way to show Dr Ratio confidence in his own abilities WITHOUT arrogance and narcissism (pride and confidence does not equal those), as well as it hints at us that he alone is capable of dealing with this mess, but it is just a show of how Dr. Ratio methods' and mindset fundamentally work: "Failure is not the end, there's always another option after it."

EN: "That's all you need to know. Just two paragraphs. Very effective communication."

CN: 你知道這些就夠了--- -共兩句話，非常有效率的溝通

CN Translation: "Knowing this is enough for you--just two sentences in total, very efficient communication"

Both mean the same. However, without the instructive tone given by the first lines, the last two can't be perceived as educational and ends up feeling like showing off and putting up with the interlocutor (something that can be seen as a burden), which naturally leads to believing he's arrogant and narcissistic. Because, he isn't really praising himself there, he's demonstrating remember, but since the EN didn't utilize the right structure, it can end up being read differently.

Two of the threes choices to say after are either "Thank you for telling me that" or "You're not a bad person after all". Because Traiblazer's curiosity reflected their doubts and distrust to a literal stranger. Dr. Ratio knew and acknowledged that while giving a lesson. And you may remark that Traiblazer still doesn't know anything about Dr. Ratio! All Traiblazer needed to know was that Dr. Ratio is not a menace to their goal, which he delivered. Efficiency ++

If "Thank you for telling me that" or "You're not a bad person after all" then:

EN: "I can't stand discourtesy - even when it comes from myself."

CN: 因為我討厭不知禮數、惡言相向的人一富然，也包括我自己。

CN Translation: "Because I despise those who lack manners and speak harshly--myself included, of course."

A very, very important line that I feel like a lot of people overlooked and partially because of EN. Oh, what do I read here......."AND SPEAK HARSHLY" Crazy! Why would someone who's harsh hate people who speaks harshly? Maybe because he's not supposed to be harsh to begin with! I'm just sayin."What if he is hypocritical?" Ahahahahah. No. The last sentence literally is there to reject hypocrisy.

Anyway. Dr. Ratio explains that he despises - here, the characters 讨厌 (simplified) describe a sentiment between mild dislike to intense dislike, the end of the phrase softens the tone by mixing a sense of humility with strong critique- those who lacks manners; in other words, disrespect and rudeness.

Dr Ratio would have been 'rude' had he not given answers to Traiblazer's questions or reassured them that he wasn't an enemy. After all, while it was a question for an unnecessary answer, it was still a reasonable one. That's why despite his lesson about it, he still actually answered, while turning it into something that both of them could profit for: for Ratio, he proved his sincerity and his alliance, and Traiblazer gained an ally and a free lesson on time management (lol).

And he PRECISES that he also dislikes people who speak harshly. The phrase itself is pretty clear, but the characters 恶语相向 (simplified) also form an idiom in Chinese that refers closely to being cruel, being verbally offensive on purpose and lashing out. So mean and harsh comments. And I think we can't make it more obvious that Ratio is not mean, harsh or cruel in any way. Dr. Ratio is sarcastic, strict and negative minded, but he isn't cruel or harsh about it.

Lastly, "myself included, of course". Self-awareness. Dr. Ratio quite literally tells in black and white that he doesn't like harshness and rudeness, especially from himself. "Of course" there emphasizes the fact it should be a banality, a norm and obvious. Of course it concerns himself! He represents truth, why would truth be hypocritical and insincere? No, truth is strict, straightforward and simple, yet also detached, neutral and helpful. That's who Dr. Ratio is.

(If "Why do you wear an alabaster head...." Then:)

EN: "Because I can't bear to see idiots. Of course, they wouldn't want to see me either."

CN: 因为我见不得蠢材，当然，他们也不想见我 。

CN Translation: "Because I can't stand fools, and of course, they don't want to see me either."

Fortunately, CN and EN are nearly identical on this one, both in tone and structure, because it is a very important line. The characters 见不得 for“l can't stand" are very strong: they imply heavy dislike, absolutely no tolerance or even aversion. But the key word here is intolerance. It's not a surprise when Dr. Ratio constantly expresses his intolerance for foolishness (a.k.a, arrogance and ignorance as we concluded on the last post).

What's funny is that so far he only complains about foolishness, waste of time or mean behavior. And I think we can take those as some sort of standards. And yes those standards, paired with biases Ratio has for the cosmos (but as Truth, how can he not?) kind of honestly nurture a sense of unconventional "self-centeredness" (in the sense that he acts only based on his standards and biases) that isn't associated with selfishness, arrogance or narcissism. Quite paradoxical? That's the point, Dr. Ratio's entire character is ironic and paradoxical, while embracing a complex, perfect imperfection. (note: will be heavily developed later).

The other part is as important and impactful:"Of course, they don't want to see me either." "Of course" implies some sort of expectation, norm once again, while the rest brings forth a direct confrontation.

While Dr. Ratio critics fools he also admits mutual dislike. There's a clear and poignant duality that we were already able to read in his cutscene, because to cure foolishness is a battle of the self and one must go through it the hard way (practice and negativity) to let go of ignorance and achieve awareness. What I find extremely interesting is that the sentence itself is written in stone, it won't change: the confrontation between Dr. Ratio and fools are inevitable. And if we look at it through my personal theory, that Dr. Ratio is the personification of Truth (as a concept itself) then this sentence is even more meaningful. Because it isn't just Dr. Ratio vs fools, it's Truth against Arrogance (foolishness). Fools, ignorant and arrogant people, hate to be told the truth or to confront the truth. Truth is self-aware, fools are not and that's what sets up the global norm to what people are in Ratio's point-of-view: Fools and everyone else. Simple as that.

EN: "Go. Take the elevator and bear witness to this "Genius' Masterpiece.""

The CN is identical.

What I want to talk about for this lines is what represents the "Masterpiece Of Genius" and how it sets the beginning of Dr. Ratio's lesson that will happen in "Mundane Troubles". What Ruan Mei created is mindblowing of course, but also extremely dangerous and that's what "Masterpiece of Genius" represents: it shows Geniuses' habits to selfishly produce danger without them necessarily caring. And that will be one of the points that will lead Dr. Ratio to question their hierarchy in the cosmos and people's careless, blind faith in them, in "Mundane Troubles".

2- Cutscene: Final Observation

In the cinematic, Dr. Ratio stands far and above, with an absolute view of everything. Not only does it showcase exactly Dr. Ratio's methods (remember, standing back and observing) but the fact he is there, like an instructor yes, but the settings itself give him a sort of charisma.

Well, I may be biased on that one because there's no denying Dr. Ratio's attractiveness and charisma. But, my point is that even when he was only in a secondary plan in this situation, his presence still feels significant.

He does a standard, clinical observation about what happened at the end of the experiment. Once again the fact he's the one confirming that the threat is over instead of Traiblazer who had been fighting or Ruan Mei who is the author of it, shows some kind of importance for his character, his role and what he represents (here, can be read as truth).

Then, immediately and without hesitation, it's time to get going. There's no need to linger there or to ponder about further things, no time to waste; again, Dr. Ratio and time management.

3- RUAN MEI: Truthfulness vs Falsehood

For this last section, I will talk about two of Ruan Mei's dialogue moments. You may ask yourself "but why talk about Ruan Mei in a Dr. Ratio's analysis?" Well, let me show you. But before that, keep in mind that what's told below is based on the idea that Ratio is Truth.

I find this specific line to be very interesting, because I think it kind of give an idea of what Geniuses stand for and we can make (and even see) an opposition with Dr. Ratio which ends up being quite ironic (just like his character hm). Trailblazer asks Ruan Mei about life outside of research and Ruan Mei basically answers that she has none and that it's how she wants it.

It seems like Genius Society members dedicate their entire life and existence to research and some extent, to finding answers, so 'truth'. While, on the other hand, from everything that we are able to observe about Ratio in all the contents he's appearing in, it seems like Dr. Ratio is dedicating research to Life. Not in the same way Ruan Mei does. Life as in humanity and civilization throughout the cosmos.

And that's one of the dualities that is present in "Crown Of The Mundane And The Divine". Dr. Ratio, who is pretty self-aware and represents truth, dedicates his existence to the assistance of civilization and their evolution. While geniuses who dedicate life to research don't have much knowledge of civilization (the Mundane) and sometimes even less of the self. There's a clear opposition between them and it may be what's actually the cause of Dr. Ratio being unable to draw the gaze of Nous. I will talk about it in more detail in another post.

Traiblazer talks one last time with Ruan Mei, and it is revealed that she gave the "Anti-Truth" she gave them has more abilities than she had told. Traiblazer will slowly forget about Ruan Mei in order to protect her secrets because she isn't someone who trusts easily.

I find this moment extremely interesting and meaningful in its contrast with Traiblazer's whole interactions with Dr. Ratio.

On one side, we have Dr Ratio, who can be considered the personification of Truth and was there to point out Ruan Mei's lies and guide us to the real truth; on the other side, Ruan Mei, a Genius, uses "Anti-Truth"to conceal her lies and secrets after they had been discovered and dealt with.

We have Dr. Ratio who is often villainized and is eccentric, while Ruan Mei is praised and delicate.

Dr. Ratio (or truth) is straightforward and can be perceived as ruthless, while the Anti-Truth is described as slow and sweet. Almost like a metaphor to truth being hard to accept while lies are sweet and easily deceives.

And finally, Ruan Mei, who lied, tried to conceal the truth (and her identity) while being bare-faced with us. However, Dr. Ratio, who guided tb to truth, had his identity hidden throughout the quest. It's funny when bareness is a typical symbol associated with Truthfulness and their personifications, but Ratio had his identity covered while Ruan Mei was not hiding it. There's actually a story about the Truth Goddess Ratio may be inspired from; about her counterpart (falsehood) pretending to be her (Truth). One of the moralities in those myths and stories is often that lies may start off as successful but Truth will always prevail. Which I think is quite fitting in this situation

CONCLUSION:

As a continuation to his introductive cutscene, we have the start of a slow development of Dr. Ratio's main traits and characteristics. It's diverting to realize, after all the other quests and looking back at the first ones, that early on there were already the hints and showcases of Dr. Ratio's personality and values. Throughout the quest, Trailblazer interacted with an unknown man (Dr. Ratio), and it was that same unknown man that helped Traiblazer uncover the affairs of someone Traiblazer already knew and trusted!

Here, Dr. Ratio may have represented Truth, not in its bare state as he usually does. It's interesting to note that Dr. Ratio tells himself that he could show his true colors but that it ends up being rather counter productive. Just like the fact Truth itself is better represented bare but few people actually can handle it that way. That's also a morality brought forth in the story of Truthfulness and her Counterpart, the one where Falsehood pretends to be Truthfulness by wearing her clothes, Truthfulness was naked and tried to convince Men that it was a trick but Men condemned Truthfulness, preferring a beautiful lie than the bare truth.

Dr. Ratio wearing an Alabaster Head most of the time might be a reflection to that but a little bit twisted, in order to prevent counterproductive results; a covered truth is still truth. Hiding his sight (truth) from fools doesn't prevent them from learning and trying to find it behind the barriers he puts. I also think the alabaster Head is simply a reference to him being the personification of Truthfulness, since one of the myths about the goddess speaks of her being a statue originally.

Here's the points to remember:

Time is extremely important and should be used efficiently. Which we were already aware of, but the fact time is such a close and important concept glued to Ratio's character might have something to do with him being Truthfulness, as whilst one version tells that the goddess was created as a statue, another says that she was the daughter of Cronus (the time titan/god)

Dr. Ratio is an educator first and foremost. He is strict and intolerant but not harsh and cruel. His manner of speech will often be straightforward, simple, instructive and effective. But it doesn't exclude things like sarcasm, a touch of humour without losing that gloominess that surrounds his character.

His intolerance with fools is strong and reciprocal, which could represent, through a metaphor, the confrontation between arrogance/foolishness and truthfulness.

We are shown the premises of Dr. Ratio's methods more clearly: practice and detached observation.

And lastly, The way both Dr. Ratio and Ruan Mei were portrayed in constant opposition from one another foretells of the duality that Crown of the mundane and divine is inherently about and will be plainly talked about in Mundane Trouble

I hope you enjoyed this long but hopefully interesting and insightful post! I always end up writing so so much ahah. Next, I will dive into the very important quest: "Mundane Troubles'

If you like my analyses, and if you're interested to know more, stay tuned!

[gatheredfates]

While I work on getting my FFXIV mojo back and coming out (of my cage) hiatus, I thought this drive might be a good transitionary stage for my brain to get back into community projects! So, please consider this another run of Sea's Single-Word (Anything) Drive!

What is a single-word (anything) drive?

I'm glad you asked! The single-word (anything) drive is an extension (and evolution) of my single-word fic drive, where writers would create a small fic based on a word of my choice and post it for the community to read.

These days, I want to give people the opportunity engage in creative mediums beyond writing; aka:

Gpose

Art

Headcanons

Meta Analysis

...and more!

Whatever makes you happy and engaged creatively with Final Fantasy XIV!

By liking/reblogging this post, you consent for me to go into your askbox to send a one-word prompt generated from this website, picked from a selection of five, as a prompt for you do something creative with your oc. I will then queue any and all completed works to my character question tag, which can be found here, as well as posting them to my Tumblr Community over at SEAFLOOR (though you and other members are welcome to reblog them there in my absence, too)! Some members even like to think their work in my project Discord, but that's not mandatory. ✨

There is no word limit or time limit, no barrier for skill, and you are welcome to ask for another prompt if the original one doesn't vibe. This is all about giving you the opportunity to explore a concept or part of your character you might not have considered, or expand upon your artistic/technical ability.

Sea, when does the drive end?

I'm going to be kind to myself and open the drive until next Sunday, April 6, with most of the prompts being send over today and that weekend. So, if you don't get one right away, please expect it next weekend!

[sage-is-in-fact-very-tired]

so like . maybe opening a Google doc for this is a bit much however (future sage after they finished, it was not. it was not a bit much) . consider . who cares

the paragraph analysis (that isn't 2k words) - morally grey, maybe leaning more villain, some vague concepts of like- power? (of the magic kind?), probably was part of a group / company and isn't anymore . also like . getting vague toxic ex vibes from at least two of those songs.

anyway. I've gotten very good at analyzing songs as we all know. and so - a short little analysis based on nothing but the vibes of those songs <3

-> [Bones]

-> giving very morally grey kinda vibes? something about like- “I'll take the long road home that's lined with blood and snow” have they killed people? maybe their past involves some kind of death? the whole thing of innocent but they'll still serve time, maybe they're being blamed for some kind of death? The line about being your own worst enemy - do they blame *themself* for something that happened? do they think they're a bad person and keep going on anyway? Also that first like “can you believe in something that you can't even see? Can you agree we're part of something bigger than you and me?” Very ‘part of a suspicious group” kinda vibes, especially with the other lines about blood and innocence. “The mirror's always showing me a shell of who I used to be” maybe they used to be a better person than what they are now? (Looks at Little Wolf. looks at Little Wolf so hard)

-> vaguely kinda . toxic (or more than just toxic) ex vibes if you look at it in the right lens . like the lines about “you can give and take” and “Crack my bones but my heart won't break” like. yeah

-> [AC/DC]

-> this one is giving me . a time . because okay the main thought is of course like- robot. or some kind of mechanical parts, connected somehow to something like that?

-> if we go robot route, you have the obvious of like- morally grey robot being used by slightly evil group / company to do their dirty work, but in combination with all of the other songs I'm not quite sure that really fits completely?

-> could actually be more *the group / company* talking to starbound!sherb as opposed to starbound!sherb themself, which in context to the other songs I feel might be a bit more likely? honestly this song is the most confusing one to me-

-> [Rats]

-> something about how the group they work for is a little evil and they're all kind of rats and rats aren't considered good or clean or anything (something about having blood on their hands?) “Guess he's only got himself to blame” Something about how they've done bad things but (they believe) it's kinda their fault because they kept doing it without any question

-> and the other thing . toxic ex vibes . just very toxic relationship vibes . something about “love me like the rats in the cupboard” but like they wouldn't be loved because no one *wants* rats in their cupboard. the “watch me me burn and feed the flames” something about a possible partner (or I guess this could be like- okay I have brain worms and they definitely *were* apart of some kind of group so this could be referring to that but . lemme have my fun <3 - and this doesn't feel like the kinda song sherb would pick if thats the case? soooooo /silly) letting them wear themself down and feed the fire of why they're not a good person? “Do you ever get sick of watching me cave in” like ??? okay now . something about getting close to someone and then just . They don't help you and just watch you from afar. mmm. “Pull me apart and spreed me thin” do I need to elaborate . like. same reason as the last one- “told me she was back and here to stay, said she loved me and she wants my money, well I told her not today” very like- maybe controlling past partner maybe? this whole song gives very toxic relationship vibes and I dunno how else you want me to say that- “love me like the rats in the cupboard, not enough to keep a dying flame” something something starbound!sherb finally walking away from this? finally going off and trying to distance themself from this person?

-> half vaguely coherent thought of maybe like- them leaving the possible group they could've been apart of and like- getting into a relationship that isn't healthy in the slightest bc they haven't been able to process and the other side is just toxic? you know? shrug

-> [Sinners]

-> very just . morally grey vibes. not like lyric wise just like Vibe wise you must listen to it to understand I feel. “I must be good for something” so they want to be useful huh? is that a thing they wanna do? hm? /silly “oh Sinners come down, come gather round” something about maybe formerly being in a group - maybe being in some sort of higher up position? who knows, not me, clearly. “Let's go have some fun before they put us in the ground” so there's people after their group or just them perhaps? (with the addition of leave me alone later on the playlist, this is highly likely that *someone* is after them) “lions sit in solemn lines, drinking gin and dropping lines” something about whatever they do being very like- controlling? (could tie back to AC/DC maybe?) like them being on a tight ship perhaps? there's a lot of repeating lyrics in this one so there's not too much for me to look at with my eyes :(

-> [Little Wolf]

-> so this is the outlier of the group it'd seem . and . okay I've been brain worms about this one. because there's like- two ways yoou can see this one. also they're for sure not Athena I hope we can agree on that-

-> so option number one that- I think makes the most sense, is that in the context of this song they'd be antinuous. Kinda of more of that “morally grey, leaning a bit more ‘villain’” kinda vibes they got going? Just very antagonistic and stuff like that? (To who is another question but we probably can't get that just from the playlist)

-> other option is they're telemachus - a younger version of them only hoping to be a good person (perhaps joining a group in hopes they'd be able to help out with space horrors?), being taken under the wing of someone older and willing to protect them. (something about how arguably, under this interpretation, they could very easily be *both* telemachus and antinuous, trying to be good at the beginning and only ending up a worse person despite. Perhaps this is some kind of internal dialog, who knows. it's funky thinking about what's up with them)

-> [Dark Science]

-> This is the part I get the vague power vibes from? it just has that vibes and I can't explain it more than that-

-> actually on second thought it could also just be like- the group they were / could've been a part of? like something about their leader or a recruiter talking to starbound!sherb? and or star!sherb talking to like- a victim, but I lean more to the first option? something about the pre-chorus “Of your cold heart, no spark Restarting your true dark With mismatched animal parts Cannibal starved, natural Death is just the start” Feels very like- trying to convince them that it's gonna be fine and whatever they're going to do to star!sherb will all be fine (maybe they're like- cyborg? or along this song maybe some funky alien things? which could maybe also add to the powers idea that I've slightly squashed) and the chorus telling someone to not be afraid feels very “someone trying to convince someone else this group / these people are good and this is completely normal and ethical :)” also this - “With every draw I paint a picture Perfect murder scene But if these mortuary walls could talk We both know that they’d scream Hindsight is the only judge and jury that I need” feels very like- their story has *something* to do with death of some kind, be that literal or like- something else I'm not sure we can figure out. also the bridge talks about control and being a “cog” and. yeah I think their story perhaps also has something to do with control . I feel like those are the two major vibes I get. (Add the toxic ex idea to that? mmmmmm)

-> [Cavalryman]

-> something about being a soldier something about doing people's dirty work something about being apart of a slightly evil group something something. I don't have big brain worms about this song its just very big vibes honestly. also a lot of stuff about death yet again? like I feel like this could perhaps be a big part of their story… just guessing here though who knows… /silly

-> [Do What I Gotta]

-> morally grey bitch <3 /pos - also, seems like they might be on their own now perhaps? not apart of a group anymore - something like they left it for something better? (being morally grey still <3) anyway. “This city got issues lucky for us though I'm a one man armada” something about them trying to fix everything on their own (points back to that idea in Sinners of “I must be good for something” perhaps?) “I'm a bottle half full cause I got a good feeling that this world will truly start healing long as I do my part and keep a head start” very funky vibes going on here - seems a but more optimistic than the previous songs seemed? maybe they're trying to change their ways (albeit still in a definitely morally grey kinda way) or something like that so they can reverse any harm they could've done? “Imma do what's best if I get knocked down i'll start from the bottom” something about how they're willing to start all over if they get knocked off wherever they are? thyre *willing* to start over and still climb their way back up to the top. and then the . “count your days, I don't care what city you stay, I don't care what path you walk, the fact that you walks enough to get slain” Oh so like they're definitely killing people . so like regardless of what they did before they're probably definitely killing people still- “”we are your friends, we're in your crew, we are like you,” or that what they say” so maybe they're killing the people they used to associate with question mark? “Your choice is easy just pick a side but pick the wrong one and you'll probably die” funky funky funky for sure guys . normal

-> [Leave Me Alone]

-> puts my fingers together . toxic ex makes an appearance perhaps . I dunno something about this song in combination with Rats (and also Bones a little) is giving very toxic ex vibes and also probably like- their past group too but. lemme toxic ex truth here for a little bit please <3 “you took the money but the money couldn't buy a friend” points, there was a reference to money in rats and it was In a very oh this person wants this but I won't give it to them and this also maybe has that kinda vibes. also the whole just . leave me alone idea . toxic maybe kinda controlling vibes from rats and bones - it's not a *long* stretch to assume they might be after star!sherb? “The devil that you is better than the devil that you don't” perhaps like- maybe star!sherb not wanting to hurt whoever after them despite everything (the devil they know being the person after them, and the devil they don't being star!sherb? something about how star!sherb definitely is like . okay with murder-) “go fly a kite until your tangled in the hanging tree” Well that's a way to tell someone to kill themself- okay no for real something about how maybe in this case star!sherb doesn't want to get their hands dirty? and they want someone else, or even the person after them, to do it themself as opposed to otherwise (if we go toxic ex situation, something about still feeling things for them despite everything?)

uhhhhhhhh, I think that's all. word count on all of that is like two thousand words . thought that'd be shorter guess I'm just too much of a loser for that. anyway I have brainworms about starbound!sherb I hope that's clear 🧍‍♂️

[matryosika]

Mark; Power Dynamic and Other Analysis

Wordcount: 1,065 words Includes: Silly little headcanons Genre: Smut, 18+ Author’s note: This is purely based on my imagination and the vibes I get from him. You may or may not agree with me, and that’s completely okay —this is only me free associating for a thousand words straight. Please enjoy whatever this is, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me! Credits: MDNI banner by @/cafekitsune !

First things first, I sense that Mark loves to be in control. 

With that being said, I honestly don't picture him as a hard dominant. He might not even care about roles, anyway, but he is naturally leaning towards the dominant side. 

He is really playful with the role, though. Mark is such a tease, and really creates an environment in which you can feel comfortable. He takes it upon himself to reassure you in every step of the fucking way —if he feels like you’re shying away from him, he would do anything just to bring you back to him.

For instance, I feel like one of his priorities in bed is to make sure you feel comfortable exposing yourself to him. I can really see him being into body worshiping and might even kneel in front of you and kiss your body from head to toe, whispering sweet nothings while asking all the right questions: "do you like it when I kiss you like this?, "does it feel good?", "do you want me touch you here?", and so on.

Despite the natural dominance I see in him, I do feel like he can get needier and more desperate than you, and he is not really ashamed of expressing it. This man is whiny, might even beg you to let him please you. And it's good that he is very talkative, because I just know his voice gets deeper and raspier in sexual contexts. At the same time, he is not really that loud; it's all whispers and murmurs, half of his words are muffled because he just has to have his lips attached to your skin and flesh. 

But when I say he is talkative, I mean it. The type to curse under his breath, and even start rambling about how much he loves you and how good you're making him feel. At one point he stops making any sense, because he is no longer thinking with his head but his dick. 

Mark might seem shy and collected at first, but I feel like the most he progresses into a sexual encounter, the less timid and more primal he becomes. 

But even then, I don't picture him as someone who might enjoy degrading or humiliating you, and certain practices like impact play might be a big no for him. I feel like he could try if you asked him to, but I don't think he would enjoy it just for the sake of slapping or spanking you. If he does enjoy it, it's probably out of ego —the fact that you're trusting him enough to ask him such things, and that you're enjoying them.

But, willingly, I don't think Mark would ever inflict pain on you like that.

Overstimulation and denial, however, are a whole other topic for him. He doesn't mind hurting you a little if he knows you can take it, and that it can become pleasure in exchange for a little pain —the way he proves your loyalty is through how good you're at following his orders and how willing you're to leave your pleasure aside, or endure a little pain, just because he asked you to. 

Mark is a hopeless romantic, and that translates into sex as a somewhat possessive partner. He is only yours, as long as you prove to him that you're only his. He is going to love you passionately if only you can do the same for him; he never hesitates when it comes to you, and he expects you to be the same when it comes to him. 

Because of this passion and intensity, I think he is very much the jealous type. Get jealous easily, and might act a little bit impulsive on it. Also, he isn't afraid of bringing said topics with you —if something bothers him, he will tell you without beating around the bush. It may conflict him, and he might get shy when talking to you about whatever it was that upsetted him, but he never keeps such things for himself.

That's kind of relevant because I think the possessive, jealous part of him really makes an appearance in bed —he wants to hear you say how you belong to him, and him only; how your body it's only his to touch and kiss, how you don't want anyone else but him.

Mark wants everything there is of you —your mind, heart and body. 

And that's why sex is always so intense; not necessarily rough, but emotionally I feel like he brings a shit ton of vulnerability and he needs you to do the same. Sex with him it's always so fucking intimate, and it can get really filthy because trust is one of the most important things for him —he doesn't care about the mess, as long as it is your mess (with this I mean like certain fluids or things one might find disgusting, but to him they really aren’t). 

He might be an experimentalist; he is willing to try everything at least once before deciding if he is into it or not. He’s also pretty good at communicating and putting his thoughts and emotions into words, so that gives me the impression that he is really in touch with himself and his preferences. 

So, going back to the power dynamic bit, I don't see Mark willingly and fully submitting to you. Although I said he might not even care about those sorts of roles, I feel like he is the most comfortable with being in charge of your pleasure and his. For some it might be a burden, but not for him —he leans towards dominance naturally, not to assert it but because he likes it.

Mark is always gentle, but in the midst of things I really believe he can manhandle you unintentionally. He might squeeze your hands a bit too harshly, or grip your hips a bit too rough; not to hurt you, but because he loses his mind in between. He gets so drunk on you and your body, that he just forgets the whole world surrounding him but you.

To wrap things up, I must say he is a fucking great kisser. I do see him as someone who kisses sloppily, but in a "I definitely know what I'm doing" kind of way. He bites, and uses tongue, and just makes sure to kiss you deeply until your mouth is full of him. Mark either places his hands on each side of your face or takes you by your waist to press his body against yours.

[aihoshiino]

chapter 165 thoughts

Aqua Hoshigan Status: It's Officially Hoshinover

Chapters Until The Story Ends Without The 143 Kiss Being Addressed Or Acknowledged: 1

damn i guess they really did just kill his ass

I'm gonna be so real with you gamers, I kind of don't have a lot to say about this one either lol. Which I acknowledge sounds completely wild given the Everything that happens in it, but most of my meat and potatoes analysis in these reviews comes from breaking down characterization and we're flying through everything at such breakneck pace that we're barely getting any characterization.

It continues to drive me bugfuck insane that Ai is completely absent from this finale despite the importance of 15 Year Lie. Its imagery is plastered all over but whenever we return to it, we just see Aqua. Not only that, but Gotanda is the one who insists on pushing the movie through for Aqua. 15YL as a story about Ai's true self and her tragedy is now officially taking a backseat to being about Aqua's tragic death and legacy. It was already bad enough that we spent so much time in the Movie Arc not actually focusing on Ai to the extent that, as everyone pointed out, based on what we saw on-page it was basically a Sad Kamiki Movie, but this really is just pissing right in the wound at this point lmao.

The funeral scene also serves as the final nail in the coffin for any Secretly Alive Aqua copes, which is kind of a relief. I still don't like how Aqua's death played out, but I think dragging it out for four chapters then going "sorry you thought i was /srs when i was just /jk" would have been infinitely more insulting. I don't like this ending, but I can respect that Akasaka seems to be sticking to his guns on it, even if we still do have like a whole chapter left for him to whip around and go "I WAS /JK ALL ALONG!!!!" but I don't see it happening.

Anyway, yeah! The funeral! Uh. Is it gonna sound weird if I say I felt kind of like… grossed out reading this the first time? Like, I really don't know how else to explain the visceral "why the fuck is the author making me read this" reaction I had to it. I think it's just because Kana is so fucking distraught here and the drama is just so hammy and so over the top that it feels kind of… ech. I dunno. I just really didn't vibe.

It doesn't help that this is part of a much broader pattern in the back half of OnK of Aka getting us right up close into the gory details of a character's complete mental breakdown and suffering and then spend zero time or focus on their recovery. This happened with Ruby all over the Movie Arc and this many times and with this little runway to the end of the series, it just starts to feel exploitative, like a way to cheaply pull at our heartstrings without doing the work to build everyone back up after tearing them down.

also pre-emptively dreading all the fuel this is going to add to the fires of People Who Are Weird And Misogynistic About Kana but she could die saving innocent children from a burning building and people would find reasons to be shitty about her lmao

we really are not seeing ruby's reaction to finding out her brother was dead huh lol

I will say the one thing I didn't Actively Dislike about this chapter was Ruby, though. I was honestly starting to get pretty skeeved out with how many people were gleefully predicting or actively wishing for her immediate suicide purely for ship motivated reasons and I was also worrying that the story was going to pretend that Ruby doesn't like. Have a life and support system outside of Aqua. Yes, she should absolutely be affected by his death but this period of her shutting down only to drag herself back onto her feet that we seem to be getting feels way more in line with pre-Movie Arc flanderization Ruby and I'll take that W where I can get it.

god. I haven't even talked about Kamiki's supposed serial killer cult. I just don't have the strength. Like… that's self-evidently stupid, right? I don't need to explain to you why that's ridiculous and unbelievable? You don't need me to tell you why it's fucking crazy that we're getting this information about the alleged overarching antagonist of the series not only in the second-to-last chapter of the entire series but after he was already dead, right? We can just move on? Ok good. jesus christ.

FINAL CHAPTER NEXT WEEK…

[iveneverbeenmorestressedinmylife]

10+ hours of tom scott approved europop for your listening pleasure. bonus commentary under the cut.

everything above "shelter me from the rain" (the hyperpop beardyman song they made for that colab video) is songs he mentioned on europlop with tim. they range from songs and artists he LOVES (mika, aqua, kim petras etc etc etc) to songs he liked, enjoyed or was at least a bit positive towards. a lot of songs are there because he brought them up just to compare them with the song of the day (usually to say that they were better. examples include marina's savages & primadonna, radiohead's creep, gwen stefanni's what you waiting for, M.I.A.'s paper planes and more). everything AFTER shelter me from the rain is songs he mentioned once on random videos, his newsletter, lateral, on a random podcast episode he appeared in, park bench episodes etc etc etc. at first i wanted to write a complete analysis on all of those songs, cite my sources and everything but im afraid that i cant really be bothered to do all that. sorry. still u can ask me if u want a source for a specific one? there is about a 70% chance that i will remember where it got mentioned.

nonetheless, here are some honourable mentions, commentary and final conclusions:

i believe in a thing called love was apparently quote "his university anthem" end quote. thats why its sitting honourably at the top of the playlist.

basically at the top of the playlist ive put emphasis at entire albums he mentioned liking. kim petras' turn off the light, mika's life in cartoon motion and the boy who knew too much, aqua's aquarium, alphabeat's this is alphabeat, bwo's big science, justice's justice. in the cases of mika and alphabeat he didnt mention the albums by name, he just said that he was listening to these artists during his college days and since we know when he went to college its not hard at all to understand which albums he was listening to back then.

i didnt include most of these albums in their entirety, i either picked songs based on vibes, or especially in the case of mika the ones *I* like the most (i love mika).

while they talk a lot about aqua on europlop tom doesnt specifically mention their first album (aquarium). he does however mention it here. i put it on the top of the playlist anyway to be with the rest of the fave albums.

awkward by jens he specifically mentioned hating the start and he is 100% right. i dont like it either. but he seemed more positive about the rest of the song and i like it too so i put it in. why am i specifically mentioning this song? because it perfectly showcases how this playlist operates. tom was negative enough about this song that i wouldnt have included it if i didnt like it. so yeah, ive brought my own biases and taste into this mess. similarly if tom liked a song i hated i wouldn't have put it in. at the end of the day i made this playlist so i can listen to it.

he likes a lot of what i can only describe as girlypop. common tom scott w.

he also loves intentionally cheesy german schlager. clearly, theres no saving him.

also a lot of eurovision because of course.

yes, the last song in the playlist is the infamous rickroll, because of course it is. so in a sense this playlist can also work as a pretty low stakes game of russian roullete if you are listening on shuffle.

what does the fox say is also in there somewhere because he brought it up as an example of "song that is obviously intentionally stupid but also kinda fun".

david bowie's space oddity is there because 1) i love it and i cant listen to it withouth thinking about him, 2) i had already put it in the playlist but then i remembered that one instagram post of his where he used one of its lyrics as the caption. i probably would have left it in the playlist anyway (because again, i made this playlist for me) even if he hadnt mentioned it anywhere publicly but this made me very happy :]

if u are curious to see what he and tim had to say about a specific song or artist you can just type (song of your choice) site:https://www.europlop.co.uk on google search or simply use your browsers advanced search.

we have old man river. we have william shatner's common people. we have vengaboys. YMCA. chappel roan's good luck babe. bring me to life (thank you evanescence !). we have everything.

at the time of posting editing this ive gone through 60 70 82/140 pages on europlop. the playlist will keep getting updated as i make my way through the earlier years.

thats all <3

[yomogi-mogi-mochi]

Unnecessarily Convoluted Analysis of TWST Dorm Architecture

Putting that Art History degree to use 💪 I am getting my Masters in art history, so I am like semi qualified?? to do this. Tried my best with some of the dorms since some don't have an explicit cultural/architectural parallel irl. And obviously lots of liberties taken since I'm sure the people at Disney were not going for historical accuracy

Masterlist here

Much of this analysis can from my Spolia fic (Malleus x Light Fae MC)

Diasmonia: Early Gothic

Gothic- but early gothic. It's got a few flying buttresses, indicative of technology in later gothic movements- but in combination to the lower ceilings (lower than later gothic), fewer levels (celestory, triforium, doric columns, and shorter windows makes me think it's early gothic (more towards Norman architecture/Sens Cathedral), because it's a lot simpler and less technologically developed than high gothic (larger windows, rose windows, higher and pointier style, flying buttresses, more decorative stuff like Corinthian columns and stained glass). Still, I think the Fae would be been more concerned with its structural integrity against the waves of time- therefore gargoyles become a very prominent symbol in protecting this eternity and preservation of architecture since it basically prevents rain/weather from eating away at the building.

There's some interesting symbolism with Malleus' fixation with gargoyles, but I'm sure you can make that connection on your own based on what's out in Chapter 7 and how he reacts to both Lilia's and MC'S impending goodbyes.

Gothic was actually a term used by the French to demean the style, since it was seen as more 'savage' and 'lower' than classical architecture- which is symmetrical, solid, and values very literal and realistic (albeit idealized) characterization. Gothic architecture in contrast is a lot more airy, focuses on light and windows, and values more allegorical representations, which is why it resonated so well with the religious ruler and monarchies because they were able to not-so-subtly point to their influence and power in every single way without it being in your face all the time.

Because of this very stank contrast, it was labeled as "gothic" because people were criticizing it to be "savage" and "unkept". The goths were painted this way because they were mainly responsible for Rome's downfall, leading to the dark ages. Regardless of the French ruthlessly roasting the goths, this type of design flourished after the dark ages because technology was beginning to be advanced once more, and materials were more readily available.

My theory would be that the fae began to first develop this architecture because they had the advantage of magic, but then the humans were influenced by it- which leads them to high gothic (Noble Bell College), as well as Baroque and Rococo architecture (like the Pomefiore dorm). The Fae kept their style of early gothic since they didn't really see a point in changing much- maybe just more decorative gargoyles called grotesque as a symbol of the Fae's gratitude in their protection against time.

Also the hallways have what are almost like ribbed vaults which was one of the primary and first symbols of gothic architecture because they allowed more weight to be distributed to the vaults, and therefore allow for bigger windows.

Another distict characteristics in gothic architecture are clearly defined elevations.

Traditionally, they will have the celestial at the top, then gallery, then the main arcade (especially as we get into the later gothic periods and buildings get even taller and taller). Of course Disney isn't completely accurate with these things, but it seems that they're sort of going for that vibe, as many things end up being as our contemporary notions of historical design often creates a vague iconography of things that is often a copy of a copy of a copy of the original medium.

However I do think the intention to mimic the original design is still there overall, and combined with many of the other elements such as the prevalence of pointed arches that are a symbol of gothic architecture, and the sheer number of windows that were allowed originally due to the technological advances of the gothic era (and of course Malleus' own obsession with gargoyles), I think it would make sense to categorize this is like "gothic adjacent".

If I were to redesign the diasmonia dorm however, I would definitely begin by fixing the exterior- but I think they were referencing Malificent's tower in the Disney movie than any sort of historical accuracy lol. You win some, you lose some.

Pomefiore: Rococo with a touch of Art Noveau

Very obviously modeled after French Rococo architecture- the illustration of the hallways of Pomefiore dorm are almost exactly like the Palace of Versailles

It is definitely a toned down version- but pretty spot on, right? When I first saw the Pomefiore dorm I immediately Googled a picture of the Palace of Versailles cause I knew I saw it somewhere. Autistic spidey senses at it again.

Honestly wish they went more all out with the chandeliers, and had painted ceilings on the dorm colors- but I feel like they got the general vibes right. It feels closer to Romanesque with its simplicity but it still holds an aura of decadence and frivolity that I like. Very rich, extravagant like it's members (maybe not so much Epel lol)

Elements of Art noveau in the furniture (the peacock chair) and the embroidery of the uniforms.

Also, the peacock chair sort of reminds me of James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room. He was an American impressionist that was sort of the forefront of art nouveau, since impressionism was one of the mainstream movements that really began the explosion of Japanese inspired design that is also used in Art Nouveau aesthetic.

(Vil would definitely have this room if he could)

The carpet in the room reminds me of William Morris' designs, and just art nouveau in general.

As far as I can tell, the exterior is based on a variety of German castle styles from 13th century Romanesque styles, to 18th century Neo-Gothic styles. Which is coincidentally what a lot of the castles on Disneyland are based off of.

Everything is very florial, Corinthian, and extravagant. I love it. It's very baroque, I dig it.

Scarabia

Please don't come for me I'm not as well versed in Non-Asian and Non-Western architecture except for religious architecture in Turkey and Jerusalem so I'm gonna try my best with this one

So I think it mixes a lot of the icons we think of in association to Arabic architecture like domes, pointed/ogee (rounded, then pointed)/multifoil (multiple curves) arches, and ornate floral designs that derive from the use of calligraphy in Islamic structures (as iconography, or pictures depicting the faces and bodies of religious figures were not allowed).

And I think all those tiny buildings resemble Minarets, or tall towers built adjacent to mosques where the muezzin can issue the call to prayer. But the artists were probably like "hm. Not enough. How do we make it more arabic??" And of course the contemporary orientalist perspectives that dominate the artistic realm made they go "quick just add a bunch of domes"

I think Kalim's room and the lounge in particular best shows the general "airiness" that parallels Islamic acthicture (ie the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on UAE)

Open air courtyards are also a characteristic element of Islam architecture, which you can see with the areal view of the dorm, and also makes sense with Kalim's unique magic.

Jali window designs (the intricate gold metal covers on the arches) are also popular on Islamic architecture

The Haga Sophia in particular has been described to have a dome "suspended by the heavens", as the section connecting the building and the dome is made entirely of arches that allows the sunlight from the heavens to pour inside the building. Though the haga Sophia is a very special case, as it was occupied by varying religions with different architectural styles at certain periods- I think it's also a good representation of our contemporary prototype of Arabian architecture that makes up the final design of the dorm.

Ignihyde: Classical Greek

Looks like it's modeled after the Parthenon, which was built during the Classical period on Greece where Athens was flourishing as a center of mathematics, technology, and architecture. These are sentiments which becomes reflected in the Renaissance afterwards, such as symmetry and a very systemic way of approaching things. I think it fits perfectly with this dorm, since they're the "tech geeks" of NRC

It's got your pediment, your doric columns (would have preferred ionic columns but whatever Disney), your arcades. Pretty straight forward unlike the actual movie it's based off of lol (Hercules has so so many mythological inconsistencies. Like why are you talking about Achilles in the movie??? Trojan was hasn't even happened babe stop manifesting that shit)

I think the symmetry and order of Classical Greek design goes well with the overall futuristic look Ignihyde and the Island of Woe are going for. Pretty clever, Disney.

Heartslabyul: Tudor Revival Style

Though Alice in Wonderland is set in the later 19th century, I think the Tudorian Revival style than began in the beginning of the 20th century just shortly later fits best.

Turdorian revival style is characterized through half timbering, which is like the timber panels you see on the surface of the building; oriel windows (windows that jut out); mock battlements; and courtyards.

The Tudorian revival style also takes elements from Elizabethan era architecture and perpendicular gothic architecture, hence the long gallery and the tudorian four point arch)

The glass panes in the lounge leaves me to believe it's sort of like a glass house where part of the house is sort of like a greenhouse. This is characteristic of Victorian glasshouses that rose with the availability of timber, paint, and brick and the popularity of botany in the Victorian era propelled by botanical imports from British colonies. Architecrs like Joseph Paxton were also known for his opus magnum- the Crystal Palace, which held the Great Exhibition of 1851 (kind of like a world expo with the theme of industry and art) also popularize the movement- and was a significant sign of wealth, as glass and window taxes were especially high. But in the later century when iron and steel frame construction was advanced, people could be built out of iron and window panes, so they could be assembled easily, and also afforded by middle class citizens.

So it's basically a mix of Elizabethan and Victorian revival styles (tudorian and gothic), which is in theme with the Victorian period the original media is set in, albeit taking inspiration from styles little later in the period.

Savanaclaw:

Again- I am blind when it comes to Non-Asian/Non-Western architecture- but this one was kinda confusing cause it really doesn't have any architectural cohesivity??? Like it's just got a general "jungle vibe" which I'm not surprised at because Disney is infamous for glossing over non-white cultures and kind of just simplifying them into a "general vibe" which wow yikes my guy

Kind of reminds me of Mese Verde, which are structures made directly within a cliffside, or the Great Mosque of Djenné and the African Heritage house in Kenya which have very smoothed, natural designs that blend into the environment

What I could gather from my research and my juicy autistic brain, savannas are regularly subjected to wild fires- so a lot of the heavy, rocky architecture and interior style makes sense, opposed to one made of wood (which are mostly in the inside of the structure, besides the roof which I imagine is less likely to catch on fire). Much of the building seems also to be directly carved within natural rock formations- a very functional use of the resources around you- very savannaclaw!

The textiles in each of the dorm members' rooms resemble Kente fabric, a style of hand weaving from Ghana, originally reserved for royalty but now commonly worn for ceremonial occasions and such. Also unlike other African textiles styles, it's strictly a male practice. I think it would make sense for Sunset Savanna, a place where women are highly respected and perhaps take on more political and military positions- leaving largely men to the practice of textile making (both are honorable acts- not comparing the two). There aren't distinguished aesthetic styles of textiles that differentiate each weaving from another- rather, it is divided by technique and region- so this is not like a definite connection, just thought it was interesting to includle

Textiles seem to occupy the only decorative role in the entire dorm- so perhaps there is significant cultural significance? Maybe there is a certain region that's known for their practices? Or is weaving a symbol of adulthood or growth and therefore is why they're hung up in each of the dorm member's rooms with the exception of Ruggie, who may not have had the socioeconomic privilege of making one? Or does the practice vary across species? Much to speculate 🤔

Octavinelle: Art Deco and Art Nouveau

Saved this one for last because oh boy I don't even know where to start with this. Obviously the design is very creative and I love it, but there's a lot less historical elements I can use to analyze the style, kind of like the Savanah claw exterior.

But it leans towards the art deco style, which is most fitting for the business dorm I think.

Elements of Art deco like geometric aspects of design, thematic and aesthetic consistency, and decorative/geometric windows are seen throughout the dorm interior and exterior

But I think the art nouveau elements are also there too, with the cheeky sea-themed elements that use natural shapes and icons into the architecture, design, and surfaces of the dorm.

Otherwise, not much else to say about this dorm 🤷 it's not really based in anything historical but there are bits and pieces of art nouveau and art deco in there, but I definitely wish they would lean more into the art deco elements since I think it would go well with the general themes of the dorm values.

So uh, yeah. Told you it would be convoluted.

Feel free to add and or correct!

[ominousvibez]

Okay I'm still thinking about the Amity Park in Ohio thing so here's my proposal for this idea:

Reasons That Amity Park Should Be in Ohio (By Someone Who's Lived In Ohio For 2+ Years)

#1 It's Definitely A Great Lake State

Amity Park has never been stated to be officially in one specific state, just vaguely central United States, possibly somewhere around the Great Lakes area. That specific area is often referenced by other characters in the show. Urban Jungle shows Undergrowth's roots stretching out from this general area, and the Lake Eerie mentioned in the show might just literally be Lake Erie.

Of course it's kinda cartoony and I honestly have no idea if those mountains in the bottom right corner are meant to be the Appalachia area or not but it vaugely looks like the Great Lakes area

Because of this screenshot, I think most of the fandom headcanons Amity Park to be somewhere in Illinois, possibly close to Chicago, but we can basically point at any Great Lakes state and say "yeah that fits".

For my non-American friends, it's this general area of America (specifically Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio)

But I'd also like to say that cartoons do have a tendency to fudge some details about geography (or completely change the states a la Steven Universe) so the map might not be 100% accurate. But with the map, it could technically be any Great Lakes State, so why not OHIO?

Which btw I'm going to be counting as a Midwest state for this analysis. Some people can argue it isn't, but from my experience living here in Ohio there are a lot of Midwestern tendencies. It's more like Ohio is the border state between the Eastern states and the Midwest, so it gets a mix of both.

B*tch H*rtman (as much as we don't like to talk about him) was also born in Michigan, which is a state in the Midwest, so some of Amity Park could be based (consciously or not) on the towns he grew up in there. But because of him I'm ruling out Michigan the state as a whole and Wisconsin for states Amity Park could be in.

#2 It Takes Four Days To Get To Wisconsin, Apparently?

In Season 1, Episode 7, when they travel to Vlad's mansion in Wisconsin, Jazz says it will take "four days" to get from Amity Park to Vlad's Mansion (Somewhere in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin, basically). The geography is a little off for every midwestern/Great Lakes state except maybe New York if you're gonna count that but Amity Park does not feel like it'd be in New York state.

Ohio is the furthest Midwest Great Lakes state from Wisconsin. Case closed there. Of course, it doesn't take four days to get from Ohio to Wisconsin. It can roughly vary from 10 to 15 hours, depending on route options (such as avoiding highways and stuff), but still.

It's a road trip, so it makes more sense that they'd take longer to get there-- plus realistically people don't tend to drive 10 hours on a road trip, they probably stopped through the trip and spent the night in their RV.

#3 They Got Beaches?

Amity Park does exist near a body of water. It isn't clear if it's a lake, river, or ocean in the show. It could be a lake. There's also the area in Frightmare, where Nocturne literally takes up space in some sort of port building/factory that gives the audience the assumption that it's on a pier/port. So they're really next to a body of water.

There is also the summer camp that Danny and his friends attend in Claw of the Wild which is said to be on Lake "Eerie". Which could easily just be Lake Erie, the lake that Ohio is on.

Also Camp Skull and Crossbones?? What an iconic camp name. You could say the name is pretty,,,,,, camp (ba dum tss).

#4 Ohio's Just Like... Very Haunted

Ohio has kinda become a meme recently. Not just one specific part of Ohio, but the entire state. The memes are mostly good fun-- like how the state is mostly just corn -- but I think some of the ~vibes~ of Ohio just fit right.

Like, there's no definite way to say which U.S. State is the most haunted (I think either the New England area or maybe Louisiana could take the #1 spot) but Ohio is definitely something else. Of course, we have the baby bridges and the haunted penitentiaries like Ohio State Penitentiary, but there are some interesting places that could be played with, too.

For one, there's an entire abandoned town called Helltown, Ohio, where rumors are cultists perform Satantic rituals, mutant creatures roaming the city created by an oil spill, and even a giant snake? There's also a place literally called the Gateway to Hell, too, which is right behind a Tim Horton's (oddly fitting).

Bobby Mackey's is also in Ohio! If you've ever seen Buzzfeed Unsolved, you know what I'm talking about.

There are also less hell-related spooky things in Ohio. Like, Lake Erie has its own Monster! We call her Bessie. Danny could definitely befriend Bessie!!!

#5 It'd Be Funny

It'd be funny for Amity Park to be in Ohio. The Most Haunted Place in America to be in Ohio is just kinda funny. With how "cursed" of a reputation Ohio seems to have in a larger cultural context, doesn't it kinda just fit?

TLDR:

Ohio is a very cursed state, has a lot of supernatural lore to it, and I think Amity Park would fit in both thematically and almost geographically. Of course, other Midwestern States like Illinois do fit the bill, too, in this argument. But I am a firm "Amity Park is in Ohio" supporter.