rosenspur

[maggstar]

Finished playing Plague Tale Requiem and sobbing tears rn. I love games with amazing stories, but these ones always hit home. 😭

[unordinary-diary]

So I have a question about Arlo’s powers that you might have the answer to

Do you know what the bleeding is all about? Like when he starts coughing up blood after his barrier breaks. Does he just like straight up start bleeding internally or something?

Anyway I love this blog sm you are giving me the unO content I crave

Ah, thank you! Yes, I absolutely have the answer. In fact, I’m going to take this opportunity to make a post that was already floating in my head.

Arlo and Recoil Damage

First, to answer your question in a literal sense, yes. It’s definitely internal bleeding. Specifically, damage to his lungs.

It’s also not at all unprecedented for a person to be wounded like this. Every person with a conjuring type ability takes damage when their conjures are damaged.

(Rein in ch. 16)

(Cecile attacking Arlo, ch. 109)

The difference with Arlo, is that his damage happens below the skin. Here’s where it gets juicy.

Symbolism

Arlo’s ability is very symbolic, possibly the most so of anyone in the series. His nigh unbreakable barrier he puts around himself represents his metaphorical walls, and how he keeps everyone at a distance. His passive makes him invulnerable— he gets punched in the face, clawed at, stabbed at, etc, and doesn’t even blink. The only way to hurt Arlo is to break through his barrier. And when his walls are broken down, there’s a wound in his chest. It’s not literal enough to be his heart that bleeds, but it’s very close.

There’s also something that’s been kicking around in my head for awhile—

“You’re the strongest one out of all of us here right now. You can try to brush this whole thing off... but to the rest of us, it’s still scary. If even you can’t protect yourself, what can the rest of us do?” — Remi, Ep. 61.

I remembered the line being “When people as strong as you show fear, it scares the rest of us.” However, that must have come from a different scene and I won’t track it down.

It’s plain and simple: High tiers have been taught their whole lives to bottle things up.

This is also seen reflected in Seraphina—

(ep. 20) Granted, the circumstances here are very different, but it’s a similar idea. High tiers showing emotions scares people.

So they bottle them up...

… until they explode.

(Ep. 106)

The judgment Arlo and Seraphina face is very similar. Seraphina rejects these expectations before the story starts, but Arlo has yet to do so. He is very much like the Seraphina we see in flashbacks.

All of this is to say: it is significant that his barrier wounds are internal. The little bit of blood we can see is mainly there so the audience knows he’s injured— but otherwise? Barrier cracks aren’t an injury that people can really see. Recoil damage is typically reflected as scratches, so his internal wounds are both unique, and symbolic of the way he hides his feelings.

[sweetingseva]

A YEAR AGO TODAY...

THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER was released, and lives were forever changed 💖🎉🦊🍎

Happy 1 year!!!! It's still as amazing as the first time I read it 💕

[ohtendril]

gotta be my favorite genre

[vesperione]

Considering 2 years ago today Honey Queen came out, this seems like a perfect time for a nmt2 rewatch so we can get a nmt3!

[bababerries]

Pandora hearts is my special little manga I’ve loved since middle school obsessed with it and I like how it’s one of those things where i also like talking about my issues with it very much. Like more reasons to talk about my favorite thing? Hell yes!

[tchaikovskym]

I think I can officially call my art blog a public archive since it's not getting any blog action

[fairyofshampgyu]

when did you start txt?✨

stanning txt ? I didn’t start stanning until around lovesong era !!

[benisasoftboi]

Genuinely how DARE YouTube recommend this to me. Yes, this is surely a true statement of many viewers, no disrespect at all to the video's creator, but FULL disrespect to the algorithm for suggesting that I lack knowledge of semi-obscure Rainbow Magic trivia. Who do you think I am? Some common nostalgic twenty-something? False! Falsehood and slander! Genuinely concerning levels of Rainbow Magic knowledge that I have to hide when I speak to actual children about it for fear of freaking out their parents is all I have! Please don't take this from me

[drawthething]

"I'm sorry. You are?" - "Better than you"

"Ha! Can't afford regular yogurt"

"Well I kissed her first and you kissed her worst"

"Seattle has drugs"

"And A is for 🎶 asthma which is a disease 🎶 that takes people's 🎶 breath 🎶 a-waaaay"

"Put. the lips. down"

I think we all know who the ultimate star of Two for Tina is

[deadscell]

i just finished haunting ground and i can say it was one of the most intense, satisfying stories i’ve ever played through. i enjoyed every second of it, and of course there’s nothing better than getting to see fiona leave with her good boy hewie. a phenomenal game that i’ll be playing again.

[iholli]

WHO'S READY TO FUCKING SCREAM ABOUT THE MARIO MOVIE BECAUSE I FUCKING AM AAAAAADDYJBXKBXJBKXHKBCJKB

[schneereggen]

Don't mind me, I'm just crying over X again...

[t4tbedehopmar]

so guess who finished the fic

[beware-thecrow]

Ah... my beloved Hiromu Arakawa. The men try to reach your level of writing, and yet they fail spectacularly.