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I just finished the script of my updated Mylo analysis video. Never thought I'd be able to say that but AHAHAHAHAH THE ARCANE WRITERS TREATED US WITH EPISODE 7

SNEAK PEEK!

The immediate thing I think most people noticed here—aside from that mustache—is that Mylo’s clearly happier than before. In stories, we usually associate characters becoming happy with two things. a) achieving their goals. Ekko’s goal was to give people a better life in Zaun, so we see him at his happiest when he’s with people who are happy in Zaun, whether that be in this alternate timeline or in our timeline. b) overcoming their flaws. Caitlyn lets go of her judgmental side, and now she’s way happier.

So has Mylo achieved his goals in this universe? Overcome his flaws?No. He hasn’t.

For extra context, I made this video back in January:

And now part 2: "The MYLO That COULD’VE BEEN | ARCANE Analysis" is officially in the works >:)

I'd expect it'll be ready in early 2025, so HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED

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Look at this.

Look at Gert's smile.

You cannot tell me she didn't hear that first voice-crack try loud and clear (also, he's literally like a meter away from her)

Now this is up to interpretation, but my DivaxLoser heart says she heard him try and fail and decided to ignore him like "I'll let you try again, I believe in you."

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I've seen Gert x Vi, I've seen Gert x Jinx, I've even seen Gert x Lest, but WHERE is the appreciation for Badass Diva Girlfriend Gert x Loser Boyfriend Mylo???

IMAGINE

Everyone finds out Gert has a boyfriend, and rumors go around about who it could be, then in walks this wet-rat-looking stick figure of a man with the stupidest mustache in Runeterra.

Mylo strolls into the bar like "GUESS WHAT, FUCKERS, I FINALLY DID IT! I GOT MY GIRL!" and everyone's like "finally, he realized Gert's way out of his league, now what loser has the misfortune of dating him?" then tHERE SHE COMES, striding in after him like "Yeah... His loser charm got me."

She's a badass with a career in music. He's in the front of the crowd every single time she plays, alternating between staring with the most adoring eyes and hyping her up like Zaun has never heard anything better.

She's taller than him. Enough said. Have you seen him? He's a stick! And have you seen her? Those arms have muscles! She can lift him up with one arm! He can tell her not to do it in front of his siblings, but she can do it anyway while smirking her head off!

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Have people in this fandom never heard of sibling affection before???

Look at this clip.

Now I'm about to say something completely shocking, so hold onto your hats. Siblings can show affection. Siblings can look at each other lovingly. Siblings can hug each other. Even if they're boys!

There is nothing in this clip that suggests Mylo's doing anything but lovey-dovey-ly watching his crush do her thing, and accepting a hug from his brother. There's nothing to suggest Claggor's doing anything but hugging his brother and encouraging him (in a bit of a teasing way) to pursue this crush.

There's nothing in this clip I wouldn't to with my sister. No "type of look" I wouldn't give her. We're very close and physically affectionate (me especially); it's not at all uncommon for me to hug her for any reason I can find. I think I've done the exact thing Claggor does to Mylo here several times. Because, shock of all shocks, she's my sister and I love her and I'm an affectionate person. When she's gushing over and staring lovingly at her girlfriend, I look at her with happiness and encouragement (and sometimes a bit of teasing) in my eyes. Because, another shock of all shocks, I love that she's so happy and in love with someone. Seeing her happy makes me happy for her, and sometimes, I want to show that through hugs and happy looks.

So why can't two fictional brothers do the same?

What do you want them to do? Stand five feet apart and give each other approving nods? Fist bump like two fifteen-year-olds who are scared of affection? Do the frat boy hug and give each other the smallest of smiles like true masculine manly men?

I LOVED seeing a physically affectionate hug between two brothers. Pieces of fiction often shy away so much from letting male characters be affectionate with each other, so it was so refreshing to see. Then it was so disheartening to see people immediate dismiss that so they could encourage their (incest) ship.

In a show that is so much about love in all of its forms, why do people take one of the sweetest displays of normal brotherly affection and go "GAY, HOMOEROTIC, THEY'RE IN LOVE"? Just because you aren't the type of person to show sibling affection in this way doesn't mean no one is. Saying that this type of affection can't be anything but romantic is disgusting to someone like me, who regularly shows people affection like this. It tells me that if my sister and I were fictional adoptive sisters, people would ship us. I hate that.

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The way a too large portion of this fanbase saw two brothers (one of whom is staring, utterly enchanted, at the girl he's head over heels for) (the other of whom is encouraging/teasing the first about that girl), and said "let's use this as fuel to ship them"

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I get attached too easily

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Repeat after me, besties.

Max. Was NOT. Their. FRIEND. They hated him! Even if he stopped bullying them, he'll always be a part of their trauma, and they'll always have AWFUL memories connected to him.

i fear i may do something drastic if i see another person include Max in stuff about the nerdy prudes.

That man bullied them relentlessly 💀 he is the furthest thing from being their friend. RICHIE WAS TERRIFIED OF HIM AND YALL SAID "okay make them gay" WHAT

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Hatchetfield but everything is just lukewarm

The Guy Who Was Indifferent About Musicals

Cup of Mediocre Coffee

Cup of Slightly Worse Coffee

Join Us and Get a Little Hurt

Number

America Is Fine Again

Most Likely

OhioM.I.A.

Put Up a Couple of Decorations (in Northville High)

Be Okay With Me

High School Is Making Me a Little Sad

Literal Mean Guy

Be Unpleasant to the Mean Guy

Do Your Best Nighthawks or Something I Don't Really Care

Nerdy Prudes Can Leave if They Want To

The Asking Politely For Them to Come

One Part of You

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Hi!!

I just wanted to say that your "Why Richie's death is more horrifying than you think" video is what got me into Hatchetfield and StarKid!!

It popped up in my recommended so I watched it with 0 context and was like "oh my goodness this is so amazing, I NEED to see what this is about!!" (Which resulted in me watching NPMD first without realising 😬)

Seriously, thank you so much for getting me into this fandom :D It's a huge part of my life know and it's all thanks to you!!

I've been off Tumblr for a few days, and returning to see this made me so adfkjbnaksdnadfnas

THANK YOU SO MUCH! This made me so so happy omg

I'm so glad you liked the video, and I'm so honored to have been your welcome to the Hatchetfield fandom

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Editing my novel be like

"Normally we’d survey the area for a week or so, but there’s barely a pattern to Rover attacks, and we’re really in a hurry—

I'M IN A HURRY!

The other path steered straight to an inevitable—

IT WAS INEVITABLEEEEEEE, INEVITABLEEEEE, INEEEEEVITABLEEEEEEEE!!!

"Like when Lyle took a kick to the nuts—

OOOOOOOOH! RIGHT IN THE SUBPOENA!

And I discovered Hatchetifeld halfway through writing book 2, meaning I could blatantly name a minor character Paul and feature this line:

She peeked over her shoulder, and sure enough, there was Paul, a look on his face like he’d walked in on her performing her heart out in a musical number.

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How normal people sing lullabies to their children: "Twinkle twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are"

How I'ma be singing lullabies to my future children: "The witch in the web wants power, power over you"

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Overthinking Time Bastard and thinking of how Ted's "vision" of his and Jenny's wedding seems like it was the happiest Ted had been in a WHILE, but after all the events of the episode, would be be able to think of it as a happy occasion before everything went to shit, or would he only be able to think of it as the start of everything going wrong as fuck?

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I rewrote If I Loved You for the like five other Flipschitz shippers around here

I actually wrote this like a month and a half ago, but I thought no one would care since Flipschitz is kind of a rare ship, but then I saw one Flipschitz post in the 'recent' section of the Nerdy Prudes Must Die hashtag, so here we are.

May I present: If I Loved You, but rewritten to become Ruth and Richie finally (slowly) breaking out of their routine of obliviousness and doubt! Blue = Richie Red = Ruth Purple = Both

‘Don’t think I wanted you anyway I always knew my place and knew my ways But you had to go and throw me all your cute plays Am I out of that phase?

Wait a minute, Rich, you’ve got me hooked Who’s the loser who’s been giving looks? Would I go for a weeb who Naruto runs down the halls?

If I loved you, would I know it? If I loved you, ‘think I’d show it If I loved you like I hope you’ll be loved Loved you in more ways than I think of If you were the one I’m dreaming of, woah No, wait, I think I’d know

I mean, I’ve known you my whole life, you know Why wouldn’t this have happened many years ago? Ooh! But you got me with every hello You’re my best friend I don’t want that to end

‘Don’t know who told you that it would have to ‘Don't want a hit and quit, I want something true Sure, I ask out every beau, and they always say no But I'll skip the risks of hearing it from you

If I loved you, would I know it? If I loved you, ‘think I’d show it If I loved you like I hope you’ll be loved (you’ll be loved) Loved you in more ways than I think of If you were the one I’m dreaming of, woah Maybe I wouldn’t know

It's only now that I can see what I’m feelin’ I strictly avoid those thoughts I never thought that you’d like me Have I misunderstood a lot?

Tell me how I should know that you’re interested in me That I am the one you want Call me up when you’re ready to say how you feel If I If I

If I loved you, would I know it? If I loved you, ‘think I’d show it If I loved you like I hope you’ll be loved (If I loved you like I hope) Loved you in more ways than I think of If you were the one I’m dreaming of, woah No wait, I think I’d know

Maybe I wouldn’t know Maybe I’ve always known Now should I let it show?

Wait, what?

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If you headcanon Trevor and Richie as identical twins...

...buckle up for sadness.

Because the thing about killing one of two identical twins is that the aftermath differs from the deaths of non-twins in countless ways.

For one, Trevor's left without the brother he's spent his entire life with, without who we can assume used to be one of his best friends. He's left without a part of himself.

Think of their friends, and even more, their family. Everyone who knew them is gonna have to get used to seeing Trevor without Richie. Trevor alone in the room he and Richie shared, him leaving the school building without Richie by his side, everything's a constant reminder of a pair split in two by a force that can never be undone. Twins, especially identical ones, are kind of fated to be viewed as a pair by the world around them. Their names ought to have been said together again and again and again. By their parents: "Can you tell Trevor and Richie dinner's ready?" By Daniel (if you headcanon him as their little brother): "Mom! Trevor and Richie won't let me play video games with them!" By relatives at every family gathering: "I'm gonna go say hi to Trevor and Richie." It's Trevor and Richie's room, Trevor and Richie's birthday, Trevor and Richie's, Trevor and Richie's, Trevor and Richie's. It's second nature in certain situations to address them together. But now there's only Trevor left. There is no more "Trevor and Richie." How many times after Richie's death would you hear "Trevor and— ..."?

Some people already experience thinking they see deceased loved ones after their death, because people on the street briefly remind them of that person. With Trevor and Richie, that would get even worse. It wouldn't be, "I thought I saw his face" or, "I saw someone who reminded me of him." No, it would be, "I literally saw his face, because Trevor has almost exactly the same one.

Trevor's face IS Richie's face. How long did it take before people started seeing Trevor again, after Richie's death made his face nothing but a reminder of the son, brother, nephew, friend and etcetera they lost?

How long does it take before Trevor can look into a mirror and only see himself?

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Anyone else really wanna see Paul and Emma's first interaction, where Paul for some reason went to Beanie's instead of Starbucks, and Emma was very rude to him, but he walked out of there ✨completely smitten✨ anyway?

(I know it's Paul Perkins and Emma Matthews that canonically have this backstory, but come on, look at real Paul and Emma and try to tell me that that first meeting isn't universal to all the timelines)

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Jon Matteson family tree headcanon, anyone?

Emma found out about each of Paul's relatives separately.

First Emma scratched someone's car, and while they were discussing what to do about it, Paul said, "If it comes down to it, I can get in contact with Gary." "Gary Goldstein? You're on a first name basis with the only lawyer in town?" "Yeah. He's my older brother."

A couple of weeks later, Emma's talking about the rare instances when she actually remembers something about the Beanie's customers, and she mentions a guy with really weird and greasy, anime-like hair. "Huh. I didn't know Richie liked Beanie's." "Who?" "Richie. My nephew. With the anime hair."

An ad for Camp Idontwannabang comes up on TV, and Emma recalls her horrible summer at Camp Idontwannabang as a teenager. Then Paul pulls out the, "I'm glad I never had to go. My cousin's one of the counselors — well, one of the directors now — so my parents decided I shouldn't have to spend an entire summer with him." "Boy Jerry's your fucking cousin?"

While on their way somewhere, they run into Daniel outside the Roller-rama. Emma's like, "God, I feel like I've seen that kid outside the Roller-rama ten times." "Yeah, Daniel goes there a lot." "Why the fuck do you know his name?" "He's my other nephew."

Finally, Paul brings Emma to a family gathering, where she spots the identical Lipschitz twins, who she's always assumed to be the same person when she's seen them separately. "There's TWO of them?" "Yeah, that's Trevor. My third nephew."

Skip forward another few weeks and there's something on the news about politics and so forth. "That secretary of defense looks a bit like you, Paul. What's he; another secret brother?" "No." "Yeah, I know, I'm just messing—" "Wallace is my cousin."

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So while we're all talking about Brenda wearing Max's jacket in Workin' Boys, let me say this.

So what if it was a costume budget thing?

This is what we have headcanons, fan theories and fandoms as a whole for. We see something like that, and we give it an in-universe explanation.

Even if the real explanation is costume budget, we make it make sense IN THE SHOW by theorizing that Max and Brenda dated, or with any other theories we might have. We can do this with any out-of-universe explanation, any mistake, any little thing without an explanation in the show!

Brenda's wearing Max's letterman jacket because they didn't have the money to make a whole new jacket just for a background character? Max and Brenda were a thing once — or maybe they ARE a thing in the Workin' Boys universe.

In the digital ticket, Richie leaves the game to take a shower, but Jon accidentally removes the Hawaiian shirt as well while taking off the Zeek costume, leading to him having to put it back even though Richie should be undressing? Richie just always keeps the Hawaiian shirt on top of his crewneck, even when he's not wearing them, so he can easily slip them both on in one go. Taking one off but not the other would mess with his routine. (Thank you to my sister for this one).

Both Paul and Richie say the exact line "Fuck 'em/Clivesdale! Fuck 'em straight to hell! Assholes!" which might just be a fun callback? No, that's Richie having gotten that phrase from his uncle Paul!

Things having an out-of-universe explanation doesn't eliminate our possibilities of giving them in-universe explanations.