Goodbye quotes
Keyport
2015.03.05 03:11 zeroair Keyport
A Reddit space for all things Keyport. Ask questions and share your Keyport Slide, Pivot, and Anywhere Tools EDC.
2009.08.12 08:27 surfwax95 TOMT: When you can't remember that…thing…
For finding the un-googleable things that are on the tip of your tongue... That word... The name of that song... That movie...
2013.08.21 16:32 Abe_lincolin "I am vengeance, I am the Knight, I AM BATMAN!
The infamous madhouse of Reddit! 🤯 This place celebrates the Batman Arkham series as well as the subreddit's infamous jokes and insanity that have taken the internet by storm! We welcome a range of posts, from serious posts about the Arkham games, to gameplay and screenshots as well as Non-Arkham memes and shitposts as long as they follow our subreddit's ongoing jokes and formula. Please read the rules carefully before participating. RIP Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin.
2024.05.18 05:12 Practical_Jury9017 Ya’ll im crying istg
Ok. I know I say I have the ‘best call’ every other week. But this time it was so good I cried, low key (I don’t usually cry mb)
So, I finally got access to one of the documents!
I managed to gain access to the form with the password hint of >! Against medical advice !<
Sooo spoilers ahead!
>! The form starts with basically the basics of bedside manner when dealing with delivering a diagnosis. And it really ticked me off, because I had to go through this process once already, and the constant small talk always made me want to vomit. So hearing Sasha describe all this just made me want to genuinely just yell out “SHIT DONT WORK OK?!” !<
After all of that, I decided that I was gonna be 100% honest with them.
“Of course! I applaud honesty” -Sasha
I explained a bit how I knew we didn’t have much ‘rapport’ yet, but how I still wanted to be honest. Told him that all that >! Bedside manner thing !< was complete ‘bullshit’ (full quote from me. I was…surprisingly mad. I was not expecting to be this mad in a LM call)
They then asked me about how I had experience with that. I then explained that, and…I actually took most of my call chatting with Sasha about that. And why I was mad, etc.
Soon, we had 4 minutes left. So I had accidentally thrown my plan away of doing ‘hours’ and then more ‘trivia’.
Queue my actual reply to the time:
“Ah so we don’t have much time left, I kinda just blew it by…talking, haha!”
They then asked me when was the last time I threw away my plans and decided to do something I enjoyed
I was honest and told him when I dropped out of college.
Here’s more or less the conversation
Sasha: do you regret it?
Me: surprisingly, not yet…but I’m waiting on the consequences
He asked me what my original major was, and I told him criminology. Then he asked for the new one, and I said (in a very embarassed tone, because…sadly I am) musical Theater!!!
He caught onto my embarrassment, and I explained how I felt like I was throwing my whole life away by dropping out..but at the same time, I felt free now.
Call ended soon, but while we were doing the final review thingy, the call was disconnected.
Now, I’m no stranger to that, so I kinda expected for me to just continue with my regularly scheduled activities, but to my surprise, Sasha called me back.
Sasha called me back to say goodbye :,).
submitted by Practical_Jury9017 to lennoxmutual [link] [comments]
So, I finally got access to one of the documents!
I managed to gain access to the form with the password hint of >! Against medical advice !<
Sooo spoilers ahead!
>! The form starts with basically the basics of bedside manner when dealing with delivering a diagnosis. And it really ticked me off, because I had to go through this process once already, and the constant small talk always made me want to vomit. So hearing Sasha describe all this just made me want to genuinely just yell out “SHIT DONT WORK OK?!” !<
After all of that, I decided that I was gonna be 100% honest with them.
“Of course! I applaud honesty” -Sasha
I explained a bit how I knew we didn’t have much ‘rapport’ yet, but how I still wanted to be honest. Told him that all that >! Bedside manner thing !< was complete ‘bullshit’ (full quote from me. I was…surprisingly mad. I was not expecting to be this mad in a LM call)
They then asked me about how I had experience with that. I then explained that, and…I actually took most of my call chatting with Sasha about that. And why I was mad, etc.
Soon, we had 4 minutes left. So I had accidentally thrown my plan away of doing ‘hours’ and then more ‘trivia’.
Queue my actual reply to the time:
“Ah so we don’t have much time left, I kinda just blew it by…talking, haha!”
They then asked me when was the last time I threw away my plans and decided to do something I enjoyed
I was honest and told him when I dropped out of college.
Here’s more or less the conversation
Sasha: do you regret it?
Me: surprisingly, not yet…but I’m waiting on the consequences
He asked me what my original major was, and I told him criminology. Then he asked for the new one, and I said (in a very embarassed tone, because…sadly I am) musical Theater!!!
He caught onto my embarrassment, and I explained how I felt like I was throwing my whole life away by dropping out..but at the same time, I felt free now.
Call ended soon, but while we were doing the final review thingy, the call was disconnected.
Now, I’m no stranger to that, so I kinda expected for me to just continue with my regularly scheduled activities, but to my surprise, Sasha called me back.
Sasha called me back to say goodbye :,).
2024.05.18 04:41 Sweet-Count2557 Affordable Trunk Summer Camp Shipping Ship Camps
 | Affordable Trunk Summer Camp Shipping Ship Camps Are you tired of the never-ending struggle to find an affordable and reliable way to ship your child's belongings to summer camp? Look no further because Ship Camps has got you covered.We understand the importance of a stress-free experience for both parents and campers, and that's why we offer an affordable trunk summer camp shipping solution that takes care of all your shipping needs.But how exactly does Ship Camps make it all happen? Well, let's dive in and find out.Key TakeawaysShip Camps offers affordable trunk summer camp shipping with competitive prices starting at $34.99, making it a cost-effective option for families.Round trip shipping provided by Ship Camps saves time and eliminates the hassle of coordinating multiple shipments, allowing campers to focus on preparing for camp.Ship Camps provides peace of mind with $500 of complimentary value protection for each shipment, ensuring that luggage is protected throughout the entire journey.Trusted by world-class camps, Ship Camps guarantees on-time delivery, ensuring that campers have everything they need for a successful and enjoyable summer experience.How Ship Camps WorksWhen using Ship Camps, the process of shipping your luggage for summer camp is made simple and convenient. Ship Camps offers several advantages for summer camp shipping, making it the ideal choice for parents and campers alike.One of the main advantages is how Ship Camps simplifies the shipping process. Whether you choose to set up your shipment on the Ship Camps website or through customer support, the process is quick and easy. Shipping labels are provided, which you can affix to your luggage, and then your luggage is picked up contact-free at the designated address.Another advantage is the ability to track your shipment in real-time. Ship Camps provides online tracking, allowing you to monitor the movement of your luggage from pickup to delivery. This not only provides peace of mind, but also keeps you informed every step of the way. Additionally, Ship Camps offers round trip shipping, so you can easily arrange for your luggage to be returned home after camp.Furthermore, Ship Camps has a reliable on-time delivery guarantee. It's recommended to schedule your luggage to arrive at least one day before your child does, ensuring everything is in place for their arrival. Camps trust Ship Camps for timely delivery, and you can contact the camp to find out when they'll accept luggage.In terms of what items can be shipped, Ship Camps accepts a variety of luggage including duffle bags, trunks, and boxes. You can pack your items as you'd for airplane travel, and the approved bags and boxes with dimensions and weights are listed on the Ship Camps website. Once your luggage is packed, Ship Camps takes care of the rest. They handle the shipping process, allowing you to focus on getting your child ready for camp.Shipment SetupTo set up your shipment with Ship Camps, simply visit our website or contact our customer support. We strive to make the shipment setup process as easy and convenient as possible. Here are five key points to help you get started:User-friendly website: Our website is designed to provide a seamless experience for setting up your shipment. You can easily navigate through the different options and choose the one that best suits your needs.Customer support assistance: If you prefer a more personal touch, our customer support team is readily available to assist you. They can answer any questions you may have and guide you through the shipment setup process.Shipping labels provided: Once you've set up your shipment, we'll provide you with shipping labels that you can easily print and affix to your luggage. This ensures that your belongings are properly identified and tracked throughout the shipping process.Contact-free pickup: We understand the importance of safety and convenience. That's why we offer contact-free pickup at your designated address. Our trusted logistics partners will collect your luggage without the need for direct contact, giving you peace of mind.Real-time tracking: With our online tracking system, you can easily monitor the movement of your shipment in real-time. You'll know exactly where your luggage is at any given moment, allowing you to plan accordingly.At Ship Camps, we want to make your summer camp shipping experience hassle-free. Whether you choose to set up your shipment on our website or reach out to our customer support, we're here to ensure that your belongings arrive safely and on time.Shipping Labels ProvidedShip Camps provides shipping labels for easy identification and tracking of your luggage throughout the shipping process. Our shipping label process is designed to make your camp shipping experience as smooth as possible. When you schedule your shipment with Ship Camps, we will generate a shipping label for you to print and affix to your luggage. This label includes all the necessary information for our carriers to handle and deliver your luggage to the camp safely and efficiently.To give you a better understanding of the shipping label process, here is a table outlining the key details:Label InformationBenefitsEasy identificationQuickly locate your luggage among other shipmentsTracking capabilitiesMonitor the movement of your shipment in real-timeContact-free pickupMinimize physical contact during the pickup processEfficient deliveryEnsure your luggage arrives at camp on timeBy providing shipping labels, we eliminate the hassle of having to create and attach your own labels. Our labels are designed to withstand the rigors of the shipping process and provide clear visibility for our carriers to handle your luggage with care.In addition to the convenience of shipping labels, Ship Camps also offers the benefits of contact-free pickup. Our carriers will come to the designated address to pick up your luggage without the need for direct physical contact. This ensures the safety and well-being of both our customers and our carriers.With Ship Camps, you can enjoy the freedom of a hassle-free shipping experience. Our shipping labels and contact-free pickup process provide convenience, security, and peace of mind for both campers and their families. So let Ship Camps take care of the logistics while you focus on the excitement and adventures that await at summer camp.Contact-Free PickupFor added convenience and peace of mind, Ship Camps offers a contact-free pickup service for your luggage. Here are the benefits of contact-free pickup during summer camp shipping:Safety: With contact-free pickup, there's no need for physical interaction, reducing the risk of spreading germs or viruses. Parents and campers can feel confident that their health and safety are being prioritized.Convenience: Contact-free pickup eliminates the need for parents to travel to a drop-off location or coordinate with camp staff for luggage collection. Instead, Ship Camps arranges for a courier to pick up the luggage directly from your doorstep.Time-saving: By opting for contact-free pickup, parents can save valuable time that would have been spent driving to a drop-off location. This allows for a more efficient and streamlined shipping process, giving parents more time to focus on other preparations for their child's summer camp experience.Peace of mind: Knowing that your luggage will be collected without any physical contact provides peace of mind for parents and campers. It ensures that their belongings will be safely transported to the camp, allowing them to start their camp adventure worry-free.Flexibility: Contact-free pickup offers flexibility for parents who may have busy schedules or live in remote areas. It allows them to easily ship their child's luggage without any hassle or inconvenience.The convenience of contact-free luggage collection for parents and campers can't be overstated. It provides a safe, efficient, and worry-free solution for shipping luggage to summer camps. With Ship Camps' contact-free pickup service, parents can enjoy the freedom of a hassle-free shipping experience, knowing that their child's belongings are in good hands.Real-Time Shipment TrackingWith the convenience of contact-free pickup for your luggage, Ship Camps also offers the added benefit of real-time shipment tracking. We understand that knowing the whereabouts of your belongings can bring peace of mind, especially when it comes to items as important as those going to summer camp. Our tracking technology advancements allow you to stay informed every step of the way.By utilizing our real-time tracking system, you can easily monitor the progress of your shipment from pickup to delivery. No more wondering if your luggage made it to its destination or if it's still sitting in a warehouse somewhere. With just a few clicks, you can access up-to-date information on the location of your belongings.To give you a better understanding of the benefits of our real-time tracking, here's a table that highlights some key features:Real-Time Shipment Tracking BenefitsStay updated on the location of yourshipmentReceive notifications about anydelays or changes in deliveryEasily plan your schedule around theexpected arrival of your luggageTrack multiple shipments at onceOur commitment to providing the best service possible means constantly improving our tracking technology. We strive to stay at the forefront of advancements in shipment tracking, ensuring that you have the most accurate and reliable information at your fingertips.At Ship Camps, we understand that freedom is important to you. That's why we offer real-time shipment tracking as a way to empower you with knowledge and control. With us, you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly where your luggage is at all times.Round Trip ShippingRound trip shipping is a convenient option offered by Ship Camps for those who need their luggage transported to and from summer camp. Here are the benefits of round trip shipping:Cost Savings: By choosing round trip shipping, you can save money compared to booking two separate shipments. Ship Camps offers competitive prices starting at $34.99 for luggage and trunk shipping, making it an affordable choice for families.Time Efficiency: With round trip shipping, you can avoid the hassle of arranging separate shipments for departure and return. Ship Camps takes care of the entire process, from pickup to delivery, allowing you to focus on preparing for camp and enjoying your time off.Convenience: Ship Camps understands the importance of a stress-free experience. By opting for round trip shipping, you eliminate the need to coordinate multiple shipments and track different packages. You can rely on Ship Camps to handle all your shipping needs.Peace of Mind: Ship Camps provides $500 of complimentary value protection for each shipment, ensuring that your luggage is protected throughout the entire journey. Additional insurance options are also available for a small fee, allowing you to have peace of mind knowing that your belongings are covered.Reliable Service: Ship Camps is trusted by world-class camps and offers an on-time delivery guarantee. You can rest assured that your luggage will arrive at camp on time, allowing your child to have everything they need for a successful and enjoyable summer experience.Round trip shipping with Ship Camps offers cost savings, time efficiency, convenience, peace of mind, and reliable service. It's the perfect solution for transporting your luggage to and from summer camp without any hassle.On-Time Delivery GuaranteeHow reliable is Ship Camps' on-time delivery guarantee?Ship Camps prides itself on its commitment to delivering luggage to summer camps on time. We understand the importance of reliable shipping when it comes to ensuring that campers have all their essentials for a memorable camp experience. Our on-time delivery guarantee provides numerous benefits for both campers and their families.One of the key benefits of our on-time delivery guarantee is the peace of mind it offers. Parents can rest assured knowing that their child's luggage will arrive at the camp in a timely manner, allowing them to focus on other aspects of preparing for camp. This eliminates the stress and uncertainty that can come with shipping luggage.Additionally, our reliable shipping ensures that campers have everything they need as soon as they arrive at camp. Campers can start their camp experience without any delays or inconvenience. They can unpack and settle in without worrying about missing out on any camp activities.At Ship Camps, we understand that timing is critical when it comes to camp shipments. That's why we recommend scheduling luggage to arrive at least one day before the child does. This gives camps ample time to process and distribute the luggage, ensuring that it's ready and waiting for the campers upon their arrival.Recommended Arrival ScheduleTo ensure a seamless camp experience, it's essential to schedule luggage arrival at least one day before your child's arrival. Here are the benefits of early delivery:Smooth Transition: By having your child's luggage arrive early, they can settle into their camp life without any disruptions. They won't have to wait for their belongings and can immediately start enjoying their camp activities.Time for Organization: Early delivery allows camp staff to organize and distribute the luggage efficiently. This ensures that your child's belongings are easily accessible and readily available when they need them.Peace of Mind: Knowing that your child's luggage has arrived ahead of time can give you peace of mind. You can rest assured that they've everything they need to have a comfortable and enjoyable camp experience.Avoiding Last-Minute Stress: Waiting until the last minute to schedule luggage delivery can lead to unnecessary stress. By planning ahead and arranging for early arrival, you can eliminate the rush and ensure a smooth process.Flexibility: Early delivery gives you the flexibility to handle any unexpected situations that may arise. If there are any changes to your child's schedule or if they require specific items, you have the time to make adjustments and ensure everything is in order.Trusted by World-Class CampsWhen it comes to ensuring a smooth and reliable camp experience, world-class camps trust Ship Camps for their luggage shipping needs. Ship Camps has established trusted camp partnerships, providing the benefits of reliable delivery to campers and their families. With our on-time delivery guarantee, camps can rest assured that luggage will arrive promptly and in excellent condition.Our process is simple and efficient. Shipment setup can be easily done on our user-friendly website or through our helpful customer support team. We provide shipping labels that can be conveniently affixed to the luggage. Our contact-free pickup service ensures a hassle-free experience, allowing campers and their families to focus on the excitement of camp rather than logistics.Tracking the movement of the shipment is made easy with our online real-time tracking system. Camps can stay updated on the progress of the delivery, giving them peace of mind. Our round trip shipping option further adds convenience, allowing campers to have their luggage shipped back home at the end of their camp experience.Ship Camps offers a low industry rate, starting at just $34.99 for luggage and trunk shipping. Our prices vary based on factors such as weight, size, distance, and delivery speed. An estimated price is provided at checkout, and there are no additional fees charged.At Ship Camps, we understand the importance of protecting luggage during transit. That's why we include $500 of complimentary value protection with every shipment. For added peace of mind, we offer additional insurance options for a small fee, allowing shipments to be insured up to $10,000.Trust Ship Camps for a reliable and stress-free camp experience. Our trusted camp partnerships and commitment to reliable delivery make us the go-to choice for world-class camps. Let's handle the logistics while you focus on creating lasting memories at camp.Accepted Luggage TimesLuggage acceptance times can be obtained by contacting the camp directly. When it comes to drop off your luggage, it's important to know the accepted times. Here are some key points to keep in mind about luggage drop off and delivery options:Contact the camp: Reach out to the camp directly to inquire about the specific times for luggage drop off. They'll be able to provide you with the necessary information and any guidelines or restrictions that may apply.Plan ahead: It's always recommended to schedule your luggage to arrive at least one day before your child does. This allows for any potential delays or unforeseen circumstances that may occur during transit.Flexible options: Ship Camps offers a variety of delivery options to suit your needs. Whether you prefer standard shipping or express delivery, they've options available to ensure your luggage arrives on time.Reliable service: Trusted by world-class camps, Ship Camps is known for their reliable and timely delivery service. Rest assured that your luggage will be in good hands and arrive at the camp when you need it.Peace of mind: With Ship Camps, you can have peace of mind knowing that your luggage is protected. They offer $500 of complimentary value protection and additional insurance options are available for a small fee. This ensures that your belongings are covered in case of any unforeseen incidents.Items Eligible for ShippingDuffle bags, trunks, boxes, and more can be shipped through Ship Camps, making it convenient to send your belongings to summer camp. When it comes to packing for camp, there are a few requirements to keep in mind. Ship Camps recommends packing your items as you would for airplane travel. This means ensuring that your luggage is secure and your belongings are properly protected. Ship Camps provides $500 of complimentary value protection for each shipment, giving you peace of mind knowing that your items are covered.To give you a better idea of what can be shipped, here is a table outlining the approved bags and boxes with their dimensions and weights:ItemDimensionsWeight LimitDuffle Bag22" x 14" x 9"50 lbsTrunk36" x 18" x 18"100 lbsBox24" x 18" x 18"75 lbsOversized Box48" x 24" x 24"150 lbsShip Camps takes care of the rest once you've packed your items. They provide shipping labels for you to affix to your luggage, and the shipment can be tracked online in real-time. With their reliable on-time delivery guarantee, you can trust that your belongings will arrive at camp when you need them.If you require additional insurance coverage, Ship Camps offers options for a small fee. You can insure your shipment for up to $10,000, giving you extra protection and peace of mind. Ship Camps understands the importance of your belongings and is committed to ensuring their safe delivery.With Ship Camps, you can confidently send your duffle bags, trunks, boxes, and more to summer camp, knowing that they will be shipped securely and arrive on time. Enjoy the freedom of knowing that your belongings are taken care of, leaving you to focus on making unforgettable memories at camp.Packing GuidelinesTo ensure a smooth and hassle-free shipping experience with Ship Camps, it's important to adhere to the packing guidelines provided. Here are some packing tips to help you pack your summer camp essentials:Organize your belongings: Before packing, make a list of everything you need to bring to camp. Sort your items into categories such as clothing, toiletries, bedding, and equipment. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don't forget anything important.Pack efficiently: Roll your clothes instead of folding them to save space in your luggage. Use packing cubes or resealable bags to keep similar items together and make it easier to find things when you need them. Don't forget to label your bags and boxes with your name and camp information.Pack only what you need: While it may be tempting to bring your entire wardrobe, remember that you'll be at camp for a limited time. Pack versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched, and consider the weather and activities at camp when choosing what to bring.Don't forget the essentials: Make sure to pack toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and sunscreen. Also, don't forget to bring any necessary medication and a first aid kit for emergencies.Leave room for souvenirs: If you plan on buying souvenirs or bringing back items from camp, leave some extra space in your luggage. This will prevent you from having to buy an additional bag or pay for extra shipping costs.Pricing and FeesAt Ship Camps, we offer affordable pricing and fees for your summer camp shipping needs. We understand that cost is an important factor when choosing a shipping service, so we strive to provide competitive rates without compromising on quality. Our pricing is transparent and based on factors such as weight, size, distance, and delivery speed. To give you a better idea of our pricing structure, here is a cost comparison table showcasing our shipping options:Shipping OptionPrice RangeStandard$34.99 - $99.99Expedited$49.99 - $129.99Next-Day$69.99 - $199.99Round Trip$69.99 - $199.99InternationalCustom QuotePlease note that these prices are estimates and may vary depending on specific requirements. You can find the estimated price for your shipment at checkout. We believe in providing a straightforward pricing structure without any hidden fees. With Ship Camps, what you see is what you get.When comparing our prices with other shipping services, we encourage you to consider the value we offer. Not only do we provide competitive rates, but we also include $500 of complimentary value protection for your luggage. Additionally, we offer additional insurance options for a small fee, allowing you to insure your shipment up to $10,000. We want to provide you with peace of mind knowing that your belongings are protected during transit.At Ship Camps, we believe in making summer camp shipping affordable and hassle-free. Choose us for your shipping needs and experience the freedom of worry-free shipping at a price that won't break the bank.Luggage Protection and InsuranceNow let's turn our attention to the important topic of protecting your luggage and insuring your shipment during transit. When it comes to shipping your belongings, ensuring their safety and security is crucial. Ship Camps understands this and offers reliable luggage coverage options to give you peace of mind with insurance.Here are five key points to consider:$500 of complimentary value protection is included: Ship Camps provides basic coverage for your luggage, giving you some level of protection without any additional cost.Additional insurance options are available for a small fee: If you need more extensive coverage, Ship Camps offers additional insurance options for a minimal fee. This allows you to choose the level of protection that suits your needs.Shipment can be insured up to $10k: Whether you have valuable items or simply want extra reassurance, Ship Camps offers the option to insure your shipment up to $10,000. This ensures that you're adequately covered in case of any unforeseen circumstances.Ship Camps provides protection for luggage: With their insurance options, Ship Camps takes responsibility for the safety and security of your luggage during transit. This means that if any damage or loss occurs, you can rely on Ship Camps to assist you in resolving the issue.Peace of mind is offered with insurance options: By opting for insurance coverage, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your belongings are protected. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your camp preparations without worrying about the safety of your luggage.With Ship Camps' comprehensive luggage coverage options, you can have confidence in the security of your belongings while they're in transit. Whether you choose the complimentary value protection or opt for additional insurance, Ship Camps ensures that your luggage is in safe hands, giving you the freedom to enjoy your camp experience without any unnecessary worries.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat Is the Maximum Weight and Size Limit for Luggage That Can Be Shipped With Ship Camps?The maximum weight limit and size limit for luggage that can be shipped with Ship Camps are determined by the approved bags and boxes listed on their website. These dimensions and weights are provided to ensure that your luggage can be safely transported.Ship Camps takes care of the rest, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your belongings will be delivered to your summer camp destination.Are There Any Restrictions on the Items That Can Be Packed and Shipped With Ship Camps?Restricted items and packing guidelines are important to consider when using Ship Camps. We've certain restrictions on items that can be packed and shipped, such as hazardous materials and perishable items. It's crucial to review our guidelines to ensure compliance and safe shipping.However, we do provide a list of approved bags and boxes with dimensions and weights on our website. Following our guidelines will help ensure a smooth and hassle-free shipping experience with Ship Camps.Can I Schedule a Specific Pickup Time for My Luggage?Sure!When it comes to scheduling a specific pickup time for your luggage with Ship Camps, we offer scheduling flexibility to meet your needs.While we can't guarantee an exact pickup time, you can request a specific date for your luggage to be picked up.It's important to note that there are benefits to scheduling an early pickup, as it allows for ample time to ensure your luggage arrives at the camp before your child does.How Long Does It Typically Take for a Shipment to Reach Its Destination?Shipping time estimation can vary depending on several factors. These factors include:The distance between the pickup and delivery locationsThe shipping method chosenAny potential delays in transitShip Camps provides an estimated delivery date at checkout, giving you an idea of when your shipment will reach its destination.While we strive for timely delivery, please note that unforeseen circumstances may occasionally impact the delivery timeline.Rest assured, we're committed to getting your shipment to its destination as quickly as possible.Is There a Limit to the Distance That Ship Camps Can Ship Luggage?Yes, there's a cost difference for shipping luggage with Ship Camps based on distance.The pricing varies depending on the distance of the shipment, along with other factors like weight, size, and delivery speed.Ship Camps provides an estimated price at checkout to help you plan accordingly.Additionally, Ship Camps offers a tracking system that allows you to monitor the movement of your shipped luggage in real-time.ConclusionDon't let the stress of shipping your child's luggage to summer camp weigh you down. Ship Camps is the affordable trunk shipping solution that takes care of it all.With our seamless process, user-friendly website, and dedicated customer support, we make shipping hassle-free. Our contact-free pickup and real-time tracking give you peace of mind.Trust Ship Camps, the trusted choice of world-class camps. So say goodbye to shipping stress and hello to a worry-free summer camp experience. submitted by Sweet-Count2557 to worldkidstravel [link] [comments] |
2024.05.18 03:27 Apprehensive-Suit715 Are my feelings toward my friend genuine love? I keep thinking I’ve moved on, but then I can’t stop thinking about her.
Everyone I spend time with my friend it feel so wonderful. Is it still love after all this time?
I miss her so much every time I leave after a visit.More of a story and a question. I really don’t even know where to start. You need to how painfully confusing this friendship was from the start. Met in grad school 2017, was taken with my friend quite quickly, and she expressed interest and when I followed up on her invites she wasn’t interested. So, I avoided her because I didn’t want to get involved. However, she ended up running into me all the time and something changed. One night right around Christmas at dinner, she just blurted out she’s polyamorous and a few other things. I didn’t know how to react and by the time I knew what the hell was going I, I didn’t know if I wanted to get involved, thought I might get hurt.
There were a number of nights at 3AM when she asked me to come back for coffee or whatever(that I remember), and I wasn’t sure of anything. However, we ended up living close together and then spent way too much time together during the pandemic going on trips alone, with her other partner. I felt myself falling for her again, but then she moved away and my life fell apart. But it didn’t end.
I need to clarify. My life falling apart wasn’t her fault. The pandemic pidgeon-holed me in a toxic job and then both my older parents had health incidents which required that I move back and start taking care of them and 80% of the household items and transitioning them to a smaller house. Couple that with my own health problems which are a result of all this stress and I feel like I’ve lost who I really learned to be.
I know I should be out doing things and looking elsewhere, but I have no time. I waste 2.5 hrs commuting to work, errands after work for my parents, come home cooking, scrape the remnants of myself together, take a sleeping pill (because the tv is never off) and go to bed. This isn’t relevant except to say I hope I’m not simply clinging to my friend for the wrong reasons.
I’ve withdrawn into myself, am nervous and generally don’t feel like dealing with people. Every other aspect of my life is so taxing right now.
Back to my friend. Knowing her changed me. Although I was confused, she still taught me how fulfilling it can be to make someone happy, communicate emotionally with someone and just feel content and happy being with them. Simple things like telling them unabashedly how something small they did made me happy, being more demonstrative with me affection, and how reciprocating is so fulfilling. The constant making fun of me always helped too. I think that I wouldn’t really have these feelings if she didn’t keep doing as much for me as I try to do for her. I don’t know why I feel embarrassed, but I feel content and so much more when I’m with her.
She gave me so much confidence and energy.
A couple months ago, we met up in NYC for four days and just spent time together. When I went pick up my car at the valet service, we hugged, said goodbye and (it sounds stupid) she said she wanted to wait with me. So we sat down on the bench, and she put her head on my shoulder. It just touched me. There’s a quote that always stuck with me from a young age, but it never really meant that much until I met her. It is “Find someone to sit with you, none of us are strong enough to do it alone.” I held it together until I drove away. I know it’s a reflection of how I’m struggling right now, but the time I spent with her, made me perk back up, be myself more.
Then last week we met up again. I drove 8 hours to spend 10 hours with her and a few friends. It made it clear to me how much time spent with her makes me feel more like my ‘actual self’ if that makes sense. She kept up bringing things up she wanted to do, and had already planned another trip.
Yes, I’m pretty sure she knows how I feel. When she moved away, I told her that she means so much to me and all the time we spent together meant the world. She stopped her car, ran back out and just squeezed me so hard. It felt like a stupid Casablanca moment. I’ve probably drunkenly said something I don’t quite remember too. To be clear, I don’t ever expect anything ‘more’. I cherish having her as a friend.
There’s always a part of me that hopes one of us won’t follow up. More often than not she asks me right before I leave if I’d like to do ‘something else’ with her that she’s already started thinking about. Or I’ll get a call right when I get home. I don’t ever say no.
Part of this post is me trying to understand me feelings. I know I want her in my life more, but that won’t work now or possibly ever. What does more mean for me? I don’t know. I get so much energy when I see her, I’m motivated to do so much with her. Seeing her giggle and have fun give me a wonderful feeling. The other 90%of my life is filled with constant stress, and indifference bordering on hate for my parents. And why does she make me feel like a more complete person? I don’t know.
submitted by Apprehensive-Suit715 to love [link] [comments]
I miss her so much every time I leave after a visit.More of a story and a question. I really don’t even know where to start. You need to how painfully confusing this friendship was from the start. Met in grad school 2017, was taken with my friend quite quickly, and she expressed interest and when I followed up on her invites she wasn’t interested. So, I avoided her because I didn’t want to get involved. However, she ended up running into me all the time and something changed. One night right around Christmas at dinner, she just blurted out she’s polyamorous and a few other things. I didn’t know how to react and by the time I knew what the hell was going I, I didn’t know if I wanted to get involved, thought I might get hurt.
There were a number of nights at 3AM when she asked me to come back for coffee or whatever(that I remember), and I wasn’t sure of anything. However, we ended up living close together and then spent way too much time together during the pandemic going on trips alone, with her other partner. I felt myself falling for her again, but then she moved away and my life fell apart. But it didn’t end.
I need to clarify. My life falling apart wasn’t her fault. The pandemic pidgeon-holed me in a toxic job and then both my older parents had health incidents which required that I move back and start taking care of them and 80% of the household items and transitioning them to a smaller house. Couple that with my own health problems which are a result of all this stress and I feel like I’ve lost who I really learned to be.
I know I should be out doing things and looking elsewhere, but I have no time. I waste 2.5 hrs commuting to work, errands after work for my parents, come home cooking, scrape the remnants of myself together, take a sleeping pill (because the tv is never off) and go to bed. This isn’t relevant except to say I hope I’m not simply clinging to my friend for the wrong reasons.
I’ve withdrawn into myself, am nervous and generally don’t feel like dealing with people. Every other aspect of my life is so taxing right now.
Back to my friend. Knowing her changed me. Although I was confused, she still taught me how fulfilling it can be to make someone happy, communicate emotionally with someone and just feel content and happy being with them. Simple things like telling them unabashedly how something small they did made me happy, being more demonstrative with me affection, and how reciprocating is so fulfilling. The constant making fun of me always helped too. I think that I wouldn’t really have these feelings if she didn’t keep doing as much for me as I try to do for her. I don’t know why I feel embarrassed, but I feel content and so much more when I’m with her.
She gave me so much confidence and energy.
A couple months ago, we met up in NYC for four days and just spent time together. When I went pick up my car at the valet service, we hugged, said goodbye and (it sounds stupid) she said she wanted to wait with me. So we sat down on the bench, and she put her head on my shoulder. It just touched me. There’s a quote that always stuck with me from a young age, but it never really meant that much until I met her. It is “Find someone to sit with you, none of us are strong enough to do it alone.” I held it together until I drove away. I know it’s a reflection of how I’m struggling right now, but the time I spent with her, made me perk back up, be myself more.
Then last week we met up again. I drove 8 hours to spend 10 hours with her and a few friends. It made it clear to me how much time spent with her makes me feel more like my ‘actual self’ if that makes sense. She kept up bringing things up she wanted to do, and had already planned another trip.
Yes, I’m pretty sure she knows how I feel. When she moved away, I told her that she means so much to me and all the time we spent together meant the world. She stopped her car, ran back out and just squeezed me so hard. It felt like a stupid Casablanca moment. I’ve probably drunkenly said something I don’t quite remember too. To be clear, I don’t ever expect anything ‘more’. I cherish having her as a friend.
There’s always a part of me that hopes one of us won’t follow up. More often than not she asks me right before I leave if I’d like to do ‘something else’ with her that she’s already started thinking about. Or I’ll get a call right when I get home. I don’t ever say no.
Part of this post is me trying to understand me feelings. I know I want her in my life more, but that won’t work now or possibly ever. What does more mean for me? I don’t know. I get so much energy when I see her, I’m motivated to do so much with her. Seeing her giggle and have fun give me a wonderful feeling. The other 90%of my life is filled with constant stress, and indifference bordering on hate for my parents. And why does she make me feel like a more complete person? I don’t know.
2024.05.17 15:36 aazndeo Ito nga ba talaga ang announcement?
 | submitted by aazndeo to KathDenShippers [link] [comments] |
2024.05.17 02:33 Hennarise83 Monkey Gone to Heaven
This is a weird question.
I was dating a guy for 7 weeks. I broke it off with him last night. We were both nice, it was amicable, but as I was saying goodbye, he said "If the devil is six then God is seven."
I had to look up the song, and he is a big Pixies fan, but I don't know why he would have quoted that. Does anyone have any ideas? I researched the meaning of the lyrics, but they don't seem to have any kind of romantic connotation.
Thanks.
submitted by Hennarise83 to thepixies [link] [comments]
I was dating a guy for 7 weeks. I broke it off with him last night. We were both nice, it was amicable, but as I was saying goodbye, he said "If the devil is six then God is seven."
I had to look up the song, and he is a big Pixies fan, but I don't know why he would have quoted that. Does anyone have any ideas? I researched the meaning of the lyrics, but they don't seem to have any kind of romantic connotation.
Thanks.
2024.05.17 00:28 Juzabro Forge of Darkness Chapter 3 Summary
Chapter 3
Location: Somewhere outside of Tiste lands the northernmost Jaghut keep
POV: Korya Delath
Korya Delath is hostage to Haut, a Jaghut. Korya is of the lesser house Delack in the tiste settlement Abara. From the aerie in the keep she can see the contested lands, which have nothing to contest about them. Haut keeps her isolated and forbids her from leaving the keep. He does not quite understand the idea of hostages and took it upon himself to educate Korya. He is harsh. Korya spent a lot of time in the Aerie pretending to be a goddess to her dolls. Now those dolls are kept in boxes.
She is alarmed by a group of Jheleck approaching the keep defying the prohibitions for crossing into Jaghut territory, even though they no longer claim any territory. The Jheleck are said to be kin to the Jheck of the far south, but much larger. They were the size of warhorses and possessed a sorcery she knew only as Soletaken. Although she doesn't know what that means. She sees Haut open the gate in his full armor. She had no idea he had any martial proclivities. The Jheleck blur and in their place stand several warriors. Haut yells up at her that they have guests.
Haut has no one in his household but him and Korya. He is capable of conjuring food and drink through sorcery, but prefers not to. Korya learned how to make food, chop wood, and mend clothes in the absence of servants. She thinks that he dislikes the company of people and that is why they are alone. Although she does not understand why he agreed to take her as hostage if that is the case. Jaghut used to live in cities until they came upon the realization that civilization is "economic suicide". Resources are not infinite, but a civilization can try to be. "There was nothing so deadly as success."- Haut. The Lord of Hate is the one who exposed this truth to the Jaghut and because of it they live solitary lives and no longer try to build up their civilization.
The Jheleck brought freshly killed meat with them and in Haut's main hall ate it raw. Haut joins in. Korya is put off balance by this, but studies the scene to attempt to make sense of the gathering. The Jheleck speak the Jaghut language, as does Korya. They call Haut Captain and Haut warns them not to anger Korya. He has never seen her angry, but continues to try to bring it out of her by being harsh. After several jokes about her, Korya asks to be excused and is surprised to hear that it's not possible as the Jheleck are here for her. Korya is very confused.
The Jheleck call Haut Captain, but hostages aren't given to soldiers only noble families. The Jheleck bring up that Haut has no army or houseblades. This is somewhat of a threat. Haut responds by saying that he needs no armies. The Jaghut just destroy their enemies. When Jheleck would raid Jaghut lands, the Jaghut would kill some of them and drive them off, however if they came in greater numbers then the Jaghut would then stop playing nice. They want to return Korya to her home. In their defeat the Jheleck signed a treaty that demands hostages from the Jheleck to the Tiste. They are trying to return Korya to fulfill that treaty. Haut says it does not work that way. Sagral gets angry and demands that Korya leave with them. She doesn't want to and says, "Does this one need a leash?" The joke diffuses the situation.
The tiste have asked for 50 Jheleck hostages. The Jheleck are worried due to the rumors of civil war. Haut tells them that hostages are sacrosanct in war. The Jheleck sense that Korya is empty and is not a child of Mother Dark. Haut confirms this and says he has fashioned a mahybe. "A vessel. Protected, sealed and, as you say, empty. What remains to be done? Why, its filling, of course" Haut dismisses the Jheleck and says if they don't leave he may just kill them all. They, shaken by this and depart.
Location: House of Delack
POV: Lady Nerys Drukorlat
Lady Nerys Drukorlat looks upon her grandson Orfantal as he plays in the dirt. She wishes to end his childhood as soon as possible so he can learn to be the heir of the failing house of Delack and return it to glory. Orfantal is a bastard. Lady Nerys knows that isn't his fault. She recalls a quote from Gallan's latest work, "The wounded will wound / and every hurt is remembered." She looks at his work as revealing unpleasant truths about the Tiste. Others do not. When Orfantal plays at being in war, his play always ends with an unseen betrayer killing him from behind. She blames soldiers returning from war. "Veterans returned home with all illusions scoured from their eyes, their minds. They looked out from a different place, but there was nothing healthy in that, nothing worthy." Lady Nerys's husband was one such soldier. Who upon a heroic return confessed the above to his wife before killing himself and leaving his house in shame.
Another soldier who lost his arm from a horse bite had found Sandalath Drukorlat, Lady Nerys's daughter, and seduced her resulting in the birth of Orfantal. Once Lady Nerys had discovered this, she paid him to never see his son or Sandalath ever again. He accepted. Sandalath though older and having already been a hostage, is now to be a hostage again to her dismay. Her mother will not allow her to say goodbye to her son. Her first stint as a hostage was with House Purake, this time it will be with House Dracons. Orfantal is to go to Kharkanas and be in the retinue of the House of Purake. Not a hostage. Ivis has arrived at House Delack to retrieve Sandalath. She enters the carriage and they depart.
POV: Orfantal
Orfantal watched his mother's carriage leave. He doesn't like to see people cry and tries to prevent it from happening. He understands that, "There were wars and that’s all there was, and every day he died, taken by that knife that followed him across the whole world, just as it had done to his grandfather."
POV: Sandalath
Sandalath thought she saw Orfantal by the stables as her carriage moved away, but she is not confident in what her mind sees so is uncertain. It's very hot in the carriage, but because her mother has instilled in her the virtue of not causing a scene she does not ask the driver to open a window. She fondly recalls her time as hostage in the citadel with the Purake brothers. Always feeling safe with them and loving them each in turn. Well maybe not Silchas. The war took the brothers and their father away and when the father returned broken she began to fear that the brothers would die. House Drukorlas had been devastated by the war and was now in poverty.
Galdan was the one-armed soldier who spoke of a romantic and adventurous war and Sandalath had relayed these stories to her son. Lady Nerys had told her daughter that she had exiled Galdan to Jaghut lands and he had died. Sandalath told her son that Galdan died from a betrayal while he defended his wounded lord. As the carriage trundled through the village, Sandalath thought she saw Galdan, but attributed it to the heat in the carriage. She passed out from the heat and the carriage stopped.
POV: Ivis
Ivis enters the carriage and pulls an unconscious Sandalath out. If Sandalath dies in House Dracons care, other families would use it as an excuse to gain advantage over Draconus. Ivis pays the carriage driver to take off and threatens him with death if this story gets out. Ivis's men get Sandalath's strongbox open. Not sure why maybe to see if she has lighter clothes, but discover that it is filled with jars of river stones from the Dorssan Ryl. It was a way to avow love for another person. Give them a stone from the Dorssan Ryl.
Sandalath wakes up and notices that many layers of her clothing have been removed and that Ivis has the key to her strongbox that is usually around her neck. Ivis lies and says it was constricting her neck and that no one looked in the strongbox although it is very heavy. He says he has a daughter and that he knows young women have a lot of toiletries.
POV: Galdan
"Proper men had two arms for good reason. One to reach for things, the other to keep things away. Galdan had lost the arm that kept things away" This applied to the drink and to Sandalath. After she had been taken away from him he began leaving stones for her in their secret places. He assumed she threw them away.
Location: Outskirts of Hust Forge
POV: Galar Baras
Galar Baras contemplating the Forulkan reveals that their priests were called Assail. "Peace did not serve order; order served peace" The Forulkan worshipped order and confused it for peace and justice. Order became a prison and those who sought freedom became the enemy. The south borderswords were the first to fight the Forulkan and they became the Hust legion. Hust swords had a fearful heartline that was reinforced by the forgemasters. This heartline gives the blades their voice. Galar Baras is obsessed with Hust swords and believes they are an expression of a unique sorcery. After the borderswords had defended the Hust forge from a Forulkan assault, Hust Henarald had rewarded them with Hust blades.
Galar Baras is riding with the commander of the Purake houseblades, Kellaras. When Nimander returned from war and Mother Dark had blessed him and his house for its service, House Purake turned over it's lands to Mother dark and became her vassals. They now took the name Andii, Children of Night. Anomander and house Purake were the first to relieve the borderswords in the battle of the forge and Anomander bestowed great honor upon them by going to their commander Toras Redone and clasping her forearm. From that day the borderswords consider themselves Andiian, sons and daughters of night. This sent a fracture between Urusander's legion and the Hust legion.
In a drunken comment Toras Redone had told Galar Baras that "Peace had become a disaster". Galar is unable to drink alcohol. That night they became lovers. The next day they were not brave enough to continue. Soon after she had sent Galar to Kharkanas to be the Hust legion's representative in the city. Toras is married to Calat Hustain, the man who had given Galar his hust sword. Calat had accepted the command of the wardens and was now far away from his wife. After a miserably lengthy time within the citadel, Galar was now returning to Hust forge both anticipating and dreading seeing the woman he loved.
POV: Kellaras
Kellaras and Galar Baras do not talk much and Kellaras has been told by the members of Urusander's legion in the citadel that Hust swords poison their owners. He's starting to believe it. Galar Baras was not liked in the Citadel. He did not mix with others and remained a mystery to most of them. Kellaras had been given a message to take to Hust Henarald by Anomander. Galar Baras insisted on escorting him to the Hust Legion. Kellaras took this as an insult. He required no escort. Out of the blue Galar Baras asks him a question about the urgency of the message. Kellaras takes it as an opportunity to ask why he insisted on the escort. Galar Baras confides in him that he just wanted to get out of the citadel and felt crushed by it. Kellaras takes this to heart and orders him to continue to escort him so he will not have to return to the citadel. Kellaras now confides in Galar Baras that Anomander intends to commission a sword from Henarald Hust.
submitted by Juzabro to Malazan [link] [comments]
Location: Somewhere outside of Tiste lands the northernmost Jaghut keep
POV: Korya Delath
Korya Delath is hostage to Haut, a Jaghut. Korya is of the lesser house Delack in the tiste settlement Abara. From the aerie in the keep she can see the contested lands, which have nothing to contest about them. Haut keeps her isolated and forbids her from leaving the keep. He does not quite understand the idea of hostages and took it upon himself to educate Korya. He is harsh. Korya spent a lot of time in the Aerie pretending to be a goddess to her dolls. Now those dolls are kept in boxes.
She is alarmed by a group of Jheleck approaching the keep defying the prohibitions for crossing into Jaghut territory, even though they no longer claim any territory. The Jheleck are said to be kin to the Jheck of the far south, but much larger. They were the size of warhorses and possessed a sorcery she knew only as Soletaken. Although she doesn't know what that means. She sees Haut open the gate in his full armor. She had no idea he had any martial proclivities. The Jheleck blur and in their place stand several warriors. Haut yells up at her that they have guests.
Haut has no one in his household but him and Korya. He is capable of conjuring food and drink through sorcery, but prefers not to. Korya learned how to make food, chop wood, and mend clothes in the absence of servants. She thinks that he dislikes the company of people and that is why they are alone. Although she does not understand why he agreed to take her as hostage if that is the case. Jaghut used to live in cities until they came upon the realization that civilization is "economic suicide". Resources are not infinite, but a civilization can try to be. "There was nothing so deadly as success."- Haut. The Lord of Hate is the one who exposed this truth to the Jaghut and because of it they live solitary lives and no longer try to build up their civilization.
The Jheleck brought freshly killed meat with them and in Haut's main hall ate it raw. Haut joins in. Korya is put off balance by this, but studies the scene to attempt to make sense of the gathering. The Jheleck speak the Jaghut language, as does Korya. They call Haut Captain and Haut warns them not to anger Korya. He has never seen her angry, but continues to try to bring it out of her by being harsh. After several jokes about her, Korya asks to be excused and is surprised to hear that it's not possible as the Jheleck are here for her. Korya is very confused.
The Jheleck call Haut Captain, but hostages aren't given to soldiers only noble families. The Jheleck bring up that Haut has no army or houseblades. This is somewhat of a threat. Haut responds by saying that he needs no armies. The Jaghut just destroy their enemies. When Jheleck would raid Jaghut lands, the Jaghut would kill some of them and drive them off, however if they came in greater numbers then the Jaghut would then stop playing nice. They want to return Korya to her home. In their defeat the Jheleck signed a treaty that demands hostages from the Jheleck to the Tiste. They are trying to return Korya to fulfill that treaty. Haut says it does not work that way. Sagral gets angry and demands that Korya leave with them. She doesn't want to and says, "Does this one need a leash?" The joke diffuses the situation.
The tiste have asked for 50 Jheleck hostages. The Jheleck are worried due to the rumors of civil war. Haut tells them that hostages are sacrosanct in war. The Jheleck sense that Korya is empty and is not a child of Mother Dark. Haut confirms this and says he has fashioned a mahybe. "A vessel. Protected, sealed and, as you say, empty. What remains to be done? Why, its filling, of course" Haut dismisses the Jheleck and says if they don't leave he may just kill them all. They, shaken by this and depart.
Location: House of Delack
POV: Lady Nerys Drukorlat
Lady Nerys Drukorlat looks upon her grandson Orfantal as he plays in the dirt. She wishes to end his childhood as soon as possible so he can learn to be the heir of the failing house of Delack and return it to glory. Orfantal is a bastard. Lady Nerys knows that isn't his fault. She recalls a quote from Gallan's latest work, "The wounded will wound / and every hurt is remembered." She looks at his work as revealing unpleasant truths about the Tiste. Others do not. When Orfantal plays at being in war, his play always ends with an unseen betrayer killing him from behind. She blames soldiers returning from war. "Veterans returned home with all illusions scoured from their eyes, their minds. They looked out from a different place, but there was nothing healthy in that, nothing worthy." Lady Nerys's husband was one such soldier. Who upon a heroic return confessed the above to his wife before killing himself and leaving his house in shame.
Another soldier who lost his arm from a horse bite had found Sandalath Drukorlat, Lady Nerys's daughter, and seduced her resulting in the birth of Orfantal. Once Lady Nerys had discovered this, she paid him to never see his son or Sandalath ever again. He accepted. Sandalath though older and having already been a hostage, is now to be a hostage again to her dismay. Her mother will not allow her to say goodbye to her son. Her first stint as a hostage was with House Purake, this time it will be with House Dracons. Orfantal is to go to Kharkanas and be in the retinue of the House of Purake. Not a hostage. Ivis has arrived at House Delack to retrieve Sandalath. She enters the carriage and they depart.
POV: Orfantal
Orfantal watched his mother's carriage leave. He doesn't like to see people cry and tries to prevent it from happening. He understands that, "There were wars and that’s all there was, and every day he died, taken by that knife that followed him across the whole world, just as it had done to his grandfather."
POV: Sandalath
Sandalath thought she saw Orfantal by the stables as her carriage moved away, but she is not confident in what her mind sees so is uncertain. It's very hot in the carriage, but because her mother has instilled in her the virtue of not causing a scene she does not ask the driver to open a window. She fondly recalls her time as hostage in the citadel with the Purake brothers. Always feeling safe with them and loving them each in turn. Well maybe not Silchas. The war took the brothers and their father away and when the father returned broken she began to fear that the brothers would die. House Drukorlas had been devastated by the war and was now in poverty.
Galdan was the one-armed soldier who spoke of a romantic and adventurous war and Sandalath had relayed these stories to her son. Lady Nerys had told her daughter that she had exiled Galdan to Jaghut lands and he had died. Sandalath told her son that Galdan died from a betrayal while he defended his wounded lord. As the carriage trundled through the village, Sandalath thought she saw Galdan, but attributed it to the heat in the carriage. She passed out from the heat and the carriage stopped.
POV: Ivis
Ivis enters the carriage and pulls an unconscious Sandalath out. If Sandalath dies in House Dracons care, other families would use it as an excuse to gain advantage over Draconus. Ivis pays the carriage driver to take off and threatens him with death if this story gets out. Ivis's men get Sandalath's strongbox open. Not sure why maybe to see if she has lighter clothes, but discover that it is filled with jars of river stones from the Dorssan Ryl. It was a way to avow love for another person. Give them a stone from the Dorssan Ryl.
Sandalath wakes up and notices that many layers of her clothing have been removed and that Ivis has the key to her strongbox that is usually around her neck. Ivis lies and says it was constricting her neck and that no one looked in the strongbox although it is very heavy. He says he has a daughter and that he knows young women have a lot of toiletries.
POV: Galdan
"Proper men had two arms for good reason. One to reach for things, the other to keep things away. Galdan had lost the arm that kept things away" This applied to the drink and to Sandalath. After she had been taken away from him he began leaving stones for her in their secret places. He assumed she threw them away.
Location: Outskirts of Hust Forge
POV: Galar Baras
Galar Baras contemplating the Forulkan reveals that their priests were called Assail. "Peace did not serve order; order served peace" The Forulkan worshipped order and confused it for peace and justice. Order became a prison and those who sought freedom became the enemy. The south borderswords were the first to fight the Forulkan and they became the Hust legion. Hust swords had a fearful heartline that was reinforced by the forgemasters. This heartline gives the blades their voice. Galar Baras is obsessed with Hust swords and believes they are an expression of a unique sorcery. After the borderswords had defended the Hust forge from a Forulkan assault, Hust Henarald had rewarded them with Hust blades.
Galar Baras is riding with the commander of the Purake houseblades, Kellaras. When Nimander returned from war and Mother Dark had blessed him and his house for its service, House Purake turned over it's lands to Mother dark and became her vassals. They now took the name Andii, Children of Night. Anomander and house Purake were the first to relieve the borderswords in the battle of the forge and Anomander bestowed great honor upon them by going to their commander Toras Redone and clasping her forearm. From that day the borderswords consider themselves Andiian, sons and daughters of night. This sent a fracture between Urusander's legion and the Hust legion.
In a drunken comment Toras Redone had told Galar Baras that "Peace had become a disaster". Galar is unable to drink alcohol. That night they became lovers. The next day they were not brave enough to continue. Soon after she had sent Galar to Kharkanas to be the Hust legion's representative in the city. Toras is married to Calat Hustain, the man who had given Galar his hust sword. Calat had accepted the command of the wardens and was now far away from his wife. After a miserably lengthy time within the citadel, Galar was now returning to Hust forge both anticipating and dreading seeing the woman he loved.
POV: Kellaras
Kellaras and Galar Baras do not talk much and Kellaras has been told by the members of Urusander's legion in the citadel that Hust swords poison their owners. He's starting to believe it. Galar Baras was not liked in the Citadel. He did not mix with others and remained a mystery to most of them. Kellaras had been given a message to take to Hust Henarald by Anomander. Galar Baras insisted on escorting him to the Hust Legion. Kellaras took this as an insult. He required no escort. Out of the blue Galar Baras asks him a question about the urgency of the message. Kellaras takes it as an opportunity to ask why he insisted on the escort. Galar Baras confides in him that he just wanted to get out of the citadel and felt crushed by it. Kellaras takes this to heart and orders him to continue to escort him so he will not have to return to the citadel. Kellaras now confides in Galar Baras that Anomander intends to commission a sword from Henarald Hust.
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submitted by insuranceexpert_sa to u/insuranceexpert_sa [link] [comments]
Building calculator will help you work out an apporximate replacement value for your house if it had to be rebuilt.
https://insuranceexpert.co.za/insurance/home-insurance-south-africa/how-much-is-house-insurance-in-south-africa/
2024.05.16 17:22 haygurlhay123 “This Time, I Will Never Let You Go”: Cloud’s Mission and the Hidden Purpose of the Remake Trilogy - Literary and Musical Analysis of FFVII - Part 6
(continuation of part 5)
Post-OG Cloud ruminates on what he could have done to save Aerith. Had he not been so lost in his own mind —distracted by Sephiroth and Jenova, consumed by his need to fulfill the emptiness at the core of his identity—, would he have paid more attention to Aerith’s sadness and anticipated her plan to go to the Forgotten Capital alone? Could she have survived if not for his obsession with what tormented him at the time? Could he have figured it out and kept her by his side? He’s angry with himself in retrospect, drowning in guilt, just like in Advent Children.
Here are the choruses, which usually contain the thesis main message of a song:
VI. e) ii. “No Promises to Keep” Lyrics
This is quite obvious. Aerith is resigned to her fate, but still harbors hope that she will meet Cloud again in a permanent reunion:
The last point I want to hit on is the concept of reunion. In OG, this theme was pretty much dominated by the Jenova Reunion. To an OG fan back in 1997, “reunion” meant “Sephiroth and Jenova’s evil plan”. However, in the Remake trilogy, the theme is expanded into something more. The first time Cloud meets Aerith in Remake, she gives him a flower and tells him something she didn’t in OG:
Many moments exclusive to the Remake trilogy serve the same purpose: linking the theme of reunion to Aerith. This expansion of the theme is highly significant. Our theory is that the Remake trilogy exists to reunite Cloud and Aerith, so the fact that the trilogy would implement so many Clerith-centric references to reunion is great support for our theory.
VI. g) i. The Leslie-Cloud Parallel
Let’s consider another instance involving the reunion flower in Remake, more precisely, the chapter 14 subplot surrounding Leslie’s lost lover. In case you need a refresher, Leslie is one of Corneo’s lackeys, although he secretly plans to betray him. He once had a fiancée and things were looking up until she was selected as one of Corneo’s brides. The day before she disappeared (presumably taken by Corneo), his fiancée broke up with him with no explanation. It was confusing and left Leslie perplex. As she broke up with him, she returned a necklace to him, one with a flower pendant. Of course, that flower is the very same reunion flower Aerith gives Cloud in chapter 2.
Evidently, Leslie and Cloud are going through parallel situations. At this point in time, Aerith was just kidnapped by Shinra, and Cloud is on his way to get her back. Both their loved ones have been taken by tyrant rulers, one being slumlord Corneo and the other being the Shinra government. In fact, even Leslie and Cloud’s attitudes share similar disillusioned, cold and stoic qualities. Leslie’s fiancée would evidently be paralleled by Aerith.
The most obvious proof of the Leslie-Cloud parallel is written plainly on the list of Remake’s chapter 14 main scenario objectives. Objective 7, called “For the Reunion”, consists of receiving the grappling guns needed to reach topside and save Aerith. The description of the objective reads as follows:
All this is simple and apparent enough. Just the fact that the theme of reunion is linked to Clerith in this way is proof enough, but there’s another layer to the Leslie-Cloud parallel. Not only does Leslie’s situation reinforce the concept of a Clerith reunion, it also mirrors the specifics of our theory: namely that Cloud will save Aerith from specifically Sephiroth (represented in Leslie’s scenario by Corneo) and that Cloud will take the initiative to accomplish this reunion. These two specific aspects of our theory are reflected by Leslie’s circumstances, meaning the Leslie-Cloud parallel not only pushes the theme of reunion, but also supports our specific theory.
VI. g) i. 1) The Separators: Corneo and Sephiroth
I’ll first prove that Leslie’s scenario is not meant to echo Cloud’s separation from Aerith at the hands of Shinra —or at least not exclusively—, but rather Cloud’s separation from Aerith at the hands of Sephiroth. Corneo would therefore be paralleled by Sephiroth rather than the tyrannical Shinra government.
The first piece of proof for the Corneo-Seohiroth parallel lies within the way in which Leslie’s fiancée broke things off: by lying. Aerith also lies to Cloud to create distance between them, but not pertaining to her kidnapping— rather, pertaining to her fated death. Since Sephiroth is Aerith’s killer and not Shinra, Corneo’s role in the Leslie-Cloud parallel is analogous to Sephiroth’s rather than Shinra’s.
There are two pieces of evidence that the Corneo-Sephiroth comparison makes more sense than the Corneo-Shinra one. The first lies in the fact that Leslie’s breakup resembles Cloud’s resolution scene: the topic of Cloud’s resolution scene is Aerith’s fate at the hands of Sephiroth rather than her kidnapping by Shinra, meaning Corneo and Sephiroth are the antagonists of both heartbreaks.
Let’s examine Leslie’s breakup. Here is how his fiancée broke things off, taken from the English script of Remake’s chapter 14, with tone indicators added by me in bold:
If you’re finding this familiar, then you might be ahead of me. Let’s take a look at what Aerith says to Cloud in his resolution scene, also in the English script of Remake’s chapter 14, with tone indicators added by me in bold:
In both cases, the women know something about their fate that the men don’t and are hiding this impending tragedy from them. Just like Leslie’s fiancée, Aerith uses well-intentioned deception to protect her loved one from the pain that will come from her fate— the lie, of course, is that their love isn’t real. Both women are hopeless, and both men are initially clueless. Aerith’s resolution can’t be about her kidnapping, because Aerith thinks her rescue is anything but hopeless— she’s sure Cloud will come save her from Shinra. She says so herself in OG’s disk 1, chapter 8:
The second piece of evidence supporting my belief that Corneo mirrors Sephiroth and not Shinra in the Leslie-Cloud parallel is the inclusion of the theme of revenge that crops up in the following piece of dialogue:
Additionally, it looks like Leslie’s obsession with revenge as a means to closure is the reason he didn’t bother trying to understand the message his fiancée left him with: he’s focused on his hate rather than his love, and it’s hindering him. He doesn’t succeed in killing Corneo either: his focus and energy are misplaced. Cloud’s desire for vengeance against Sephiroth is also depicted as an obstacle to accomplishing his goals (see how in section “III. c)” of my previous literary analysis). Once more, the Corneo-Sephiroth parallel fits far better than a Corneo-Shinra perspective.
VI. g) i. 2) The Reunion Seekers: Leslie and Cloud
The other aspect of the Leslie-Cloud parallel that supports our theory is that in both scenarios, they both take charge of the situation and decide to actively seek reunion with their respective lovers. The following dialogue excerpt, supplemented by the VA script notes, shows Leslie’s initiative:
VI. g) i. 3) Delayed Realizations
Interestingly, not only does Leslie’s determination mirror Cloud’s, but both men are depicted as realizing the truth too late. Just like Leslie only began searching for his fiancée six months after her disappearance, Cloud only realizes he loves Aerith in OG once she’s died. It took him this long to actually get somewhere in his mission to reunite with her— “somewhere” being the Remake trilogy.
Even Barret’s words highlight the lovers’ delay: “Can never be sure how much someone means to ya till they're gone”. Barret would know: he lost his wife Myrna, whom he loved dearly. The devs have Barret comment on the situation as a man whose lover died, mirroring Cloud’s situation in OG. Just as Barret says, Cloud only truly realized the strength of how he felt for Aerith in OG once she was gone. The gunman’s words apply to both Leslie and Cloud’s tardy initiatives. Regardless of this delay, both men are now determined to see their respective reunions through.
The degree to which the Leslie-Cloud parallel fits our theory is a great sign of its validity: even the details are lining up!
VI. g) ii. Reunion in the Theme Songs
Too easy: in our analysis of the lyrics of the theme songs, we covered how both texts include the theme of reunion. “No Promises to Keep” is especially relevant (see section “VI. e) ii.”), as the entire song is Aerith hoping against fate for a reunion with Cloud (even if you believe the song is about all her companions, that still includes Cloud).
On top of these reunion-themed lyrics, during Aerith’s in-game performance of “No Promises to Keep” at the Gold Saucer production of Loveless, her yellow blossoms signifying reunion bloom all around her as Cloud watches her, captivated.
Another great sign for our theory: the highly significant theme songs are on our side!
VI. g) iii. Waking Up Reunited
The thing I want to juxtapose to our theory is a small yet special moment in chapter 2 of Rebirth that stuck out to me like a sore thumb and got me really excited about sharing it with you. This moment occurs after the battle against the Midgardsormr. We’ll be comparing it to two other clips, describing all three in chronological order, and making deductions based on their similarities.
The first clip I want to address occurs in chapter 8 of Remake (1:32-2:12). There are a couple of things I want to point out in this scene. First, Aerith wakes Cloud from unconsciousness with a cute call of “Hello~?”. Second, despite pretending that he doesn’t, he immediately recognizes her. The VA script notes prove it:
Now onto the Rebirth chapter 2 scene that stuck out to me. After Cloud is saved from the Midgardsormr by Sephiroth, Cloud wakes from an unconsciousness spell with Aerith calling for him (7:20-7:34).
Once more, Aerith wakes him with a cute call (this time, it’s “Wakey, wakey!”), and Cloud recognizes her. In this Midgardsormr clip, unlike their reunion in the church, Cloud verbalizes that he remembers her. This time, there’s more: next, Aerith tells Cloud “おかえり, クラウド”, or “okaeri, Cloud”, which translates to “welcome back, Cloud”. “Okaeri” is what you say in Japanese when someone has returned home. In the third clip we will analyze, Aerith says “okaeri” to Cloud once more. But first, let’s break down this second clip.
I don’t know about you, but this cutscene felt extremely weird to me when I first encountered it. That is, it would have been, if not for the theory I’d begun formulating at that time.
You see, the devs could have chosen for Aerith to ask Cloud if he remembers his own name or where they are, if he’s okay, or check if he responds to his own name. In fact, asking someone who’s been hit on the head to say their own name is a much more common reaction to them finally waking up than asking them if they remember you. Even stranger is Cloud’s reaction: he could have answered “Yeah, you’re Aerith,” or “I remember everything, I’m fine”. Instead, he says her name with this airy and wonderstruck tone. He sounds like he’s opening his eyes to something mystic rather than his comrade leaning over him, like he’s seeing someone unexpectedly for the first time in a while… or rather like he’s waking from a trance of some kind— a trance in which he did not remember Aerith, and now he does. You may see where I’m going with this.
Let’s examine the third clip, wherein Aerith tells Cloud “okaeri” again. More specifically, in chapter 14, Aerith welcomes Cloud back when he snaps out of his zombified, Sephiroth-controlled state and runs toward her. Of course, it’s the sight of her and his memories of meeting her in chapter 2 of Remake that shake him awake (2:17:43-2:18:02).
For a third time, Aerith wakes Cloud. This time, she’s pulling him out of a trance and back to himself. And for a third time, Cloud remembers her. In fact, it’s remembering her that wakes him up. Cloud calls her name and Aerith says “okaeri” in both the post-Midgardsormr cutscene and this third clip. And in both scenes, not only does Cloud return to himself the way someone returns home (recall that “okaeri” is used to welcome someone back home), but he’s also returning to her, recognizing her as his home.
Now we’ve got three scenes lined up: the church reunion scene (both in OG and Remake), the Midgardsormr scene and the hand-reach scene. All three of these recognition scenes feature Cloud being woken up by Aerith and remembering who she is. The main difference is that, in the scenes among these three that are exclusive to Rebirth, Cloud’s return to Aerith is far more meaningful, as he already knows her name, and knows more about who she is to him. Evidently, in the OG church reunion scene, Cloud only remembers being sold a flower by this girl. In the Remake version, he remembers the same thing, plus the attack of the whispers. So there’s something much more weighty about the Rebirth recognition scenes: he remembers more, and he remembers deeper. These aren’t just recognition scenes, they’re also mini-reunions. Of course, as we’ve already analyzed pertaining to the hand-reaching scene, Cloud remembering Aerith is followed by him being the one to take action and run toward her, eager to save her, because she means the world to him. When you place the Midgardsormr scene between the church reunion scene and the hand-reach scene, an evolution of Cloud waking up and remembering Aerith is formed. Each mini-reunion scene adds a piece to the story: the church scene informs us that Cloud and Aerith are meeting again, the Midgardsormr scene tips us off that something mystic is going on from Cloud’s tone when he says Aerith’s name, and the hand reach scene tells us that as a consequence of remembering who Aerith is, Cloud saves her from falling to her death and saving her. “Meeting again”, “mystic”, and “saving Aerith”: these are the keywords of the mini-reunion scenes. They are also the keywords of our theory on Cloud’s mission to save Aerith. This time around Cloud knows more and is more conscious about how he feels for Aerith, just like he feels more when in the hand-reach scene in Rebirth compared to the church reunion scene in Remake. From the latter scene to the former, Cloud gradually wakes up and remembers his love for and loss of Aerith in the OG more and more. Each mini-reunion brings him closer to saving her when he blocks the masamune. This is why I am certain that in part 3, whether Cloud comes to his full senses or not, whether he remembers the events of OG or not, he will save Aerith this time. The Remake trilogy is centered around Aerith, after all. In fact, don’t take it from me, take it from Nojima:
VI. h) Zooming In
In fact, this zooming-in method of directing players’ attention to important narrative beats is far from new.
VI. h) i. Changing Fate
Let’s divert our attention to Nanaki’s Skywheel date (2:28-3:30). The dialogue goes like this: Nanaki brings us the Whispers and suggests the party might eventually forget about their existence, and Cloud says that frankly, if it’s impossible for them to change fate either way, then it would be better for them to forget to Whispers altogether.
This is a very clear message from the devs: “There would be no point in including the Whispers in the Remaketrilogy if we did not make use of their defeat”. They’re telling us through Cloud’s dialogue that they know it would be foul play and bad writing to introduce the theme of defying fate if it didn’t eventually pay off.
As if it weren’t clear enough what the devs are referring to, Nanaki brings up Aerith’s death directly after Cloud delivers the devs’ message to us. He actually makes Cloud promise to save her. This is pretty on the nose. By promising Nanaki he will protect Aerith, the devs are promising us the same. I’m certain that part 3 will deliver on this promise.
If you still aren’t sold, I’d like to direct your attention to the framing of the shot where Cloud says “If we can’t change [fate]” (2:49-2:51). There’s a zoom-in on his mouth, which is a visual cue that translates to “what this character is saying right now is important to the plot”. It’s very indiscreet in theory: the camera literally hones in on the invisible words as though the script has them highlighted, italicized triple-underlined and in bold.
VI. h) ii. Aerith’s Knowledge
We’ve seen the Remake trilogy use this camera framing at least twice so far. The first time occurs in Remake’s chapter 8, before it becomes clear that Aerith knows things from the OG game that she wouldn’t normally know if this were just a remastered version of the same 1997 plot. I’ll let Remake Ultimania‘s description of this moment speak for itself:
The framing of this shot indicates to us that what Aerith says provides an important hint as to the plot’s direction. Sure enough, with hindsight, it’s easy to see that’s true.
VI. h) iii. Tifa’s Question
Another time this framing is used is in chapter 1 of Rebirth, after Cloud recounts the Nibelheim incident. Tifa asks the group why Sephiroth is choosing to come back now, after five years (37:55-37:58).
Once more, we are being signaled that the reason Sephiroth chose to return at the moment he did is significant to the plot, but cannot be revealed explicitly yet. The reason why Sephiroth took five years to return is because that’s how long it took for Cloud to get back on his feet after the Nibelheim incident: Sephiroth wants and/or needs to manipulate Cloud in particular rather than all the other people with Jenova cells in them. It took five years for Cloud to not only go through Hojo’s experiments but also escape Shinra and make his way to Seventh Heaven, where Tifa nursed him back to health— therefore, it took five years until Sephiroth’s favorite pawn was available to be used. There are a few reasons why Cloud is the one Sephiroth wants to use, and all of them would be spoilers at this point in Rebirth to players who don’t know the OG plot. The devs can’t reveal any of them yet, but they do indicate via a close-up shot of Tifa’s mouth that her question is important.
VI. h) iv. The Takeaway
As you can see, this framing of characters’ mouths when they speak signals a plot-significant piece of dialogue. This means Cloud’s words on his gondola date with Nanaki can’t be brushed off as a red herring or an unimportant or throwaway line: it has narrative weight.
VII. a) Shifting Themes
Good storytellers don’t introduce themes as a way to pull the rug from under audiences’ feet by later rendering them completely irrelevant to the plot.
In other words, the devs would not have introduced the notion of fate as an antagonistic force in Remake, nor allowed the players to defeat it in chapter 18, had they planned for these themes not to pay off at all. Think of how good FFVII OG and FF stories in general are, how strong the writing is from a narrative point of view. Nothing is included for no reason or for a cheap reaction— especially not a central theme of a story. Fate and defeating it is a huge point of Remake, and not for no reason.
I mean, think about a storyline all about defying fate ending with a shrug and a “Oh well, we tried.” It would be ridiculous! The devs are better than that.
VII. b) What the Devs Want
The devs are well aware that fans of FFVII have been begging for Aerith’s resurrection since 1997. All those petitions, all those myths of a revival hack… SE knows about them all too well. They were even referenced by FF’s 30th anniversary expo, which partly promoted Remake:
The devs know how well-loved both Clerith and Aerith are. And in fact, they love Aerith at least as much as we do:
I think a lot of people have it in their heads that the devs don’t want anything to change from the OG story, but there’s a lot of evidence that says otherwise. Codirector Toriyama spoke on this, stating the following about the production process of Remake:
(conclusion in
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Post-OG Cloud ruminates on what he could have done to save Aerith. Had he not been so lost in his own mind —distracted by Sephiroth and Jenova, consumed by his need to fulfill the emptiness at the core of his identity—, would he have paid more attention to Aerith’s sadness and anticipated her plan to go to the Forgotten Capital alone? Could she have survived if not for his obsession with what tormented him at the time? Could he have figured it out and kept her by his side? He’s angry with himself in retrospect, drowning in guilt, just like in Advent Children.
Here are the choruses, which usually contain the thesis main message of a song:
“Shine bright once more&
Guide me to you
Smile bright once more
This time I will never let you go”
“Hear me once moreIn these choruses, Cloud asserts that he will get it right this time (“this time” referring to the second chance that is the Remake trilogy). He will make sure he saves Aerith and never lets her go. He knows she’s gone, but he will fight against time to get her back. He longs for her smile and her light again, and he cannot bear the guilt: so he doesn’t. Post-OG Cloud embarks on a new adventure: ”I want to go to a place where everything is new,” said Cloud to Wol and Echo in Eclipse Contact before facing his past and being launched into Remake. “Hollow” makes far more sense now, doesn’t it? It’s a song not only about Cloud’s loss, but also about his determination to save Aerith this time. Given that it’s the theme song of Remake, the fact that “Hollow” fits with our theory perfectly is a very good sign: a theme song is meant to reflect the main plot of a story, indicating as our theory states that Remake is principally, albeit secretly, about Cloud saving Aerith. Because of this hope being set up, I’m confident that they will be together in the end, reunited for good. My dear Clerith friends, this is the hidden purpose of the Remake trilogy. Cloud and Aerith will be reunited.
Show me your smile
This time for sure
I'll see the truth hidden inside your tears
But I, I know
That you're long gone
But I, I will
Go on, howling and hollow”
VI. e) ii. “No Promises to Keep” Lyrics
This is quite obvious. Aerith is resigned to her fate, but still harbors hope that she will meet Cloud again in a permanent reunion:
“Till the day that we meet againVI. f) The Theme of Reunion Explained?
Where or when?
I wish I could say
But believe, know that you'll find me
[…]
Till the day that we meet again
On our street, I want to believe
[…]
Till the day that we meet again
At our place, just let me believe
In the chance that you'll come
Take my hand and never let me go
Take my hand
And believe
We can be
Together evermore
[…]
Still I hope someday you'll come and find me
Still I know someday you'll come and find me”.
The last point I want to hit on is the concept of reunion. In OG, this theme was pretty much dominated by the Jenova Reunion. To an OG fan back in 1997, “reunion” meant “Sephiroth and Jenova’s evil plan”. However, in the Remake trilogy, the theme is expanded into something more. The first time Cloud meets Aerith in Remake, she gives him a flower and tells him something she didn’t in OG:
“Lovers used to give these when they were reunited...”In addition, we’ve already talked about how part 5 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” from the Remake OST tells the story of Cloud and Aerith’s reunion (see section “V. b) ii. 2)”).
Many moments exclusive to the Remake trilogy serve the same purpose: linking the theme of reunion to Aerith. This expansion of the theme is highly significant. Our theory is that the Remake trilogy exists to reunite Cloud and Aerith, so the fact that the trilogy would implement so many Clerith-centric references to reunion is great support for our theory.
VI. g) i. The Leslie-Cloud Parallel
Let’s consider another instance involving the reunion flower in Remake, more precisely, the chapter 14 subplot surrounding Leslie’s lost lover. In case you need a refresher, Leslie is one of Corneo’s lackeys, although he secretly plans to betray him. He once had a fiancée and things were looking up until she was selected as one of Corneo’s brides. The day before she disappeared (presumably taken by Corneo), his fiancée broke up with him with no explanation. It was confusing and left Leslie perplex. As she broke up with him, she returned a necklace to him, one with a flower pendant. Of course, that flower is the very same reunion flower Aerith gives Cloud in chapter 2.
Evidently, Leslie and Cloud are going through parallel situations. At this point in time, Aerith was just kidnapped by Shinra, and Cloud is on his way to get her back. Both their loved ones have been taken by tyrant rulers, one being slumlord Corneo and the other being the Shinra government. In fact, even Leslie and Cloud’s attitudes share similar disillusioned, cold and stoic qualities. Leslie’s fiancée would evidently be paralleled by Aerith.
The most obvious proof of the Leslie-Cloud parallel is written plainly on the list of Remake’s chapter 14 main scenario objectives. Objective 7, called “For the Reunion”, consists of receiving the grappling guns needed to reach topside and save Aerith. The description of the objective reads as follows:
“Leslie gives them grappling guns, and they wish each other luck in reuniting with their respective loved ones. Leslie walks off, and the three prepare to climb the wall.”The grappling guns are “For the Reunion”, because evidently, the loved one Cloud wants to reunite with is Aerith.
All this is simple and apparent enough. Just the fact that the theme of reunion is linked to Clerith in this way is proof enough, but there’s another layer to the Leslie-Cloud parallel. Not only does Leslie’s situation reinforce the concept of a Clerith reunion, it also mirrors the specifics of our theory: namely that Cloud will save Aerith from specifically Sephiroth (represented in Leslie’s scenario by Corneo) and that Cloud will take the initiative to accomplish this reunion. These two specific aspects of our theory are reflected by Leslie’s circumstances, meaning the Leslie-Cloud parallel not only pushes the theme of reunion, but also supports our specific theory.
VI. g) i. 1) The Separators: Corneo and Sephiroth
I’ll first prove that Leslie’s scenario is not meant to echo Cloud’s separation from Aerith at the hands of Shinra —or at least not exclusively—, but rather Cloud’s separation from Aerith at the hands of Sephiroth. Corneo would therefore be paralleled by Sephiroth rather than the tyrannical Shinra government.
The first piece of proof for the Corneo-Seohiroth parallel lies within the way in which Leslie’s fiancée broke things off: by lying. Aerith also lies to Cloud to create distance between them, but not pertaining to her kidnapping— rather, pertaining to her fated death. Since Sephiroth is Aerith’s killer and not Shinra, Corneo’s role in the Leslie-Cloud parallel is analogous to Sephiroth’s rather than Shinra’s.
There are two pieces of evidence that the Corneo-Sephiroth comparison makes more sense than the Corneo-Shinra one. The first lies in the fact that Leslie’s breakup resembles Cloud’s resolution scene: the topic of Cloud’s resolution scene is Aerith’s fate at the hands of Sephiroth rather than her kidnapping by Shinra, meaning Corneo and Sephiroth are the antagonists of both heartbreaks.
Let’s examine Leslie’s breakup. Here is how his fiancée broke things off, taken from the English script of Remake’s chapter 14, with tone indicators added by me in bold:
“Fiancée: It was all just a dream, wasn't it[?]Now, here is a more literal translation of this quote from the original Japanese (verified by me via DeepL), with tone indicators added by me in bold:
Fiancée: (Hopefully) But one day…
(She trails off, then shakes her head and stops herself.)
Fiancée: (Sadly, hopelessly) — no. Time to wake up. And forget.
(She walks away.)”
“Fiancée: It was only just a dream we had / We were only dreaming...Leslie’s fiancée is clearly breaking up with him to spare him the pain of blaming himself for not being able to protect her from Corneo, as she knows it’s too late for her to escape from the slumlord’s clutches. We know this because we understand that the pendant she gave back to him symbolizes a reunion (especially between lovers, as Aerith told Cloud in chapter 2). In fact, the Japanese version of the script reveals that the fiancée was about to reveal the meaning of the flower, perhaps in the hopes that they would find each other once more, but she lost her nerve at the last second. Notice that she tells Leslie two specific things. One: their love or their future together was only a dream, meaning that it wasn’t real. Two: he should forget about her, because the dream is over now and it’s time to wake up from it.
Fiancée: (Hopefully, as though as a hail Mary) In the language of the flowers...
(She trails off, then shakes her head and stops herself.)
Fiancée: (Sadly, hopelessly) — no. You should forget about me.
(She walks away.)”
If you’re finding this familiar, then you might be ahead of me. Let’s take a look at what Aerith says to Cloud in his resolution scene, also in the English script of Remake’s chapter 14, with tone indicators added by me in bold:
“Aerith: […] you can’t fall in love with me. [It]’s not real […]. (With a sigh, as though from sadness or difficulty, but resolutely) It’s almost morning. Time to go.”Now, here is a more literal translation of this quote from the original Japanese (verified by me via DeepL), with tone indicators added by me in bold:
“Aerith: You can’t let yourself fall in love with me. [It]’s only your imagination […]. (With a sigh, as though from sadness or difficulty, but resolutely) Looks like it’s already morning. Time for me to go.”Just like Leslie’s fiancée, Aerith is rejecting or denying Cloud’s love for her in order to spare him from the pain of not having been able to be with her before her death, as she believes it is inevitable. Just like the fiancée, Aerith also tells Cloud two things. One: their love is imaginary or isn’t real. Two: it’s morning, and she has to go (she says this right before Cloud wakes from the pseudo-dream).
In both cases, the women know something about their fate that the men don’t and are hiding this impending tragedy from them. Just like Leslie’s fiancée, Aerith uses well-intentioned deception to protect her loved one from the pain that will come from her fate— the lie, of course, is that their love isn’t real. Both women are hopeless, and both men are initially clueless. Aerith’s resolution can’t be about her kidnapping, because Aerith thinks her rescue is anything but hopeless— she’s sure Cloud will come save her from Shinra. She says so herself in OG’s disk 1, chapter 8:
“Cloud: Aeris!? You safe?What Aerith is so resigned about in Cloud’s resolution scene isn’t her kidnapping, but instead her fated death at the hands of Sephiroth. Nojima hints at this in FFVII Remake Ultimania:
Aeris: Yeah, I'm all right. I knew that [you] would come for me.”
“If you know Aerith’s fate, then this line would really pull at your heart strings […]” (section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 744).Here is what codirector Toriyama had to say on Aerith’s words:
“[While] these words are intended for Cloud, I think Aerith is partly speaking them to herself. The contents of her request may be at odds with how she truly feels inside” (FFVII Remake Material Ultimania Plus, VA Script Notes, “A Dream Shown by Aerith”, “Scenario Staff Q&A - Answered by Motomu Toriyama”).These two quotes by the devs show that Aerith is trying to protect Cloud from her death. Therefore, the Corneo-Sephiroth parallel is far more apt than the Corneo-Shinra parallel.
The second piece of evidence supporting my belief that Corneo mirrors Sephiroth and not Shinra in the Leslie-Cloud parallel is the inclusion of the theme of revenge that crops up in the following piece of dialogue:
“Tifa: Why did you wanna come down here?Leslie’s sentiment toward Corneo resembles Cloud’s feelings toward Sephiroth after Aerith’s death. Revenge links Cloud to Sephiroth, not to Shinra. Corneo and Sephiroth reflect each other in that, as a consequence of their actions toward a woman, the man who loves her desires revenge.
Leslie: Revenge. I know I need to let go, but I can't. I need closure, 'cause without it... I'll never be able to move on” (Remake, chapter 14).
Additionally, it looks like Leslie’s obsession with revenge as a means to closure is the reason he didn’t bother trying to understand the message his fiancée left him with: he’s focused on his hate rather than his love, and it’s hindering him. He doesn’t succeed in killing Corneo either: his focus and energy are misplaced. Cloud’s desire for vengeance against Sephiroth is also depicted as an obstacle to accomplishing his goals (see how in section “III. c)” of my previous literary analysis). Once more, the Corneo-Sephiroth parallel fits far better than a Corneo-Shinra perspective.
VI. g) i. 2) The Reunion Seekers: Leslie and Cloud
The other aspect of the Leslie-Cloud parallel that supports our theory is that in both scenarios, they both take charge of the situation and decide to actively seek reunion with their respective lovers. The following dialogue excerpt, supplemented by the VA script notes, shows Leslie’s initiative:
“Tifa: [Your fiancée] could still be out there.Take note of Leslie’s final response and the determination with which he speaks: “Then I guess I’ll just have to find her first”. Remember that we’re searching for evidence that Cloud is going to be the one reaching out to Aerith in the Remake trilogy, and that it’s his turn to take his future into his hands. He must be more attentive, more active this time. And Leslie’s words of determination reflect this perfectly. Leslie must find his fiancée first, just like Cloud has to be the one to offer his hand to Aerith in the Remake trilogy and fight for her. This is exactly what our theory is all about.
Barret: Can never be sure how much someone means to ya till they're gone. Don't give up on her yet.
Leslie: (Looks at the flower pendant, [recalling his lover’s words) A message in the language of flowers… I wonder what she meant by it.
[…]
Tifa: Reunion.
Leslie: Huh?
Tifa: In the language of flowers, it means ‘reunion.’
(Leslie shifts his gaze from Tifa to the pendant and stares at it for some time. At last he understands the words his lover left him. With that, as if his mind has been made up, he clutches the pendant and hangs it around his neck.)
Leslie: Then I guess I’ll just have to find her first” (FFVII Remake Material Ultimania Plus, VA Script Notes, “Other Notable Stage Directions - Chapters 14-16”).
VI. g) i. 3) Delayed Realizations
Interestingly, not only does Leslie’s determination mirror Cloud’s, but both men are depicted as realizing the truth too late. Just like Leslie only began searching for his fiancée six months after her disappearance, Cloud only realizes he loves Aerith in OG once she’s died. It took him this long to actually get somewhere in his mission to reunite with her— “somewhere” being the Remake trilogy.
Even Barret’s words highlight the lovers’ delay: “Can never be sure how much someone means to ya till they're gone”. Barret would know: he lost his wife Myrna, whom he loved dearly. The devs have Barret comment on the situation as a man whose lover died, mirroring Cloud’s situation in OG. Just as Barret says, Cloud only truly realized the strength of how he felt for Aerith in OG once she was gone. The gunman’s words apply to both Leslie and Cloud’s tardy initiatives. Regardless of this delay, both men are now determined to see their respective reunions through.
The degree to which the Leslie-Cloud parallel fits our theory is a great sign of its validity: even the details are lining up!
VI. g) ii. Reunion in the Theme Songs
Too easy: in our analysis of the lyrics of the theme songs, we covered how both texts include the theme of reunion. “No Promises to Keep” is especially relevant (see section “VI. e) ii.”), as the entire song is Aerith hoping against fate for a reunion with Cloud (even if you believe the song is about all her companions, that still includes Cloud).
On top of these reunion-themed lyrics, during Aerith’s in-game performance of “No Promises to Keep” at the Gold Saucer production of Loveless, her yellow blossoms signifying reunion bloom all around her as Cloud watches her, captivated.
Another great sign for our theory: the highly significant theme songs are on our side!
VI. g) iii. Waking Up Reunited
The thing I want to juxtapose to our theory is a small yet special moment in chapter 2 of Rebirth that stuck out to me like a sore thumb and got me really excited about sharing it with you. This moment occurs after the battle against the Midgardsormr. We’ll be comparing it to two other clips, describing all three in chronological order, and making deductions based on their similarities.
The first clip I want to address occurs in chapter 8 of Remake (1:32-2:12). There are a couple of things I want to point out in this scene. First, Aerith wakes Cloud from unconsciousness with a cute call of “Hello~?”. Second, despite pretending that he doesn’t, he immediately recognizes her. The VA script notes prove it:
“Aerith: Nice to meet you again.So: she wakes him with a cute call, and he recognizes her. Also note that these two elements also apply to the OG church reunion scene.
Cloud actually remembers Aerith, but he pretends not to, perhaps wishing to make himself look cool.
Cloud: Again, huh?
Aerith: What? You don’t remember? How about…the flowers?
Cloud looks at the flowers at his feet and pretends as if he’s only just remembered.
Cloud: Oh, the flower seller” (FFVII Remake Material Ultimania Plus, VA script notes, “Reuniting with Aerith”).
Now onto the Rebirth chapter 2 scene that stuck out to me. After Cloud is saved from the Midgardsormr by Sephiroth, Cloud wakes from an unconsciousness spell with Aerith calling for him (7:20-7:34).
Once more, Aerith wakes him with a cute call (this time, it’s “Wakey, wakey!”), and Cloud recognizes her. In this Midgardsormr clip, unlike their reunion in the church, Cloud verbalizes that he remembers her. This time, there’s more: next, Aerith tells Cloud “おかえり, クラウド”, or “okaeri, Cloud”, which translates to “welcome back, Cloud”. “Okaeri” is what you say in Japanese when someone has returned home. In the third clip we will analyze, Aerith says “okaeri” to Cloud once more. But first, let’s break down this second clip.
I don’t know about you, but this cutscene felt extremely weird to me when I first encountered it. That is, it would have been, if not for the theory I’d begun formulating at that time.
You see, the devs could have chosen for Aerith to ask Cloud if he remembers his own name or where they are, if he’s okay, or check if he responds to his own name. In fact, asking someone who’s been hit on the head to say their own name is a much more common reaction to them finally waking up than asking them if they remember you. Even stranger is Cloud’s reaction: he could have answered “Yeah, you’re Aerith,” or “I remember everything, I’m fine”. Instead, he says her name with this airy and wonderstruck tone. He sounds like he’s opening his eyes to something mystic rather than his comrade leaning over him, like he’s seeing someone unexpectedly for the first time in a while… or rather like he’s waking from a trance of some kind— a trance in which he did not remember Aerith, and now he does. You may see where I’m going with this.
Let’s examine the third clip, wherein Aerith tells Cloud “okaeri” again. More specifically, in chapter 14, Aerith welcomes Cloud back when he snaps out of his zombified, Sephiroth-controlled state and runs toward her. Of course, it’s the sight of her and his memories of meeting her in chapter 2 of Remake that shake him awake (2:17:43-2:18:02).
For a third time, Aerith wakes Cloud. This time, she’s pulling him out of a trance and back to himself. And for a third time, Cloud remembers her. In fact, it’s remembering her that wakes him up. Cloud calls her name and Aerith says “okaeri” in both the post-Midgardsormr cutscene and this third clip. And in both scenes, not only does Cloud return to himself the way someone returns home (recall that “okaeri” is used to welcome someone back home), but he’s also returning to her, recognizing her as his home.
Now we’ve got three scenes lined up: the church reunion scene (both in OG and Remake), the Midgardsormr scene and the hand-reach scene. All three of these recognition scenes feature Cloud being woken up by Aerith and remembering who she is. The main difference is that, in the scenes among these three that are exclusive to Rebirth, Cloud’s return to Aerith is far more meaningful, as he already knows her name, and knows more about who she is to him. Evidently, in the OG church reunion scene, Cloud only remembers being sold a flower by this girl. In the Remake version, he remembers the same thing, plus the attack of the whispers. So there’s something much more weighty about the Rebirth recognition scenes: he remembers more, and he remembers deeper. These aren’t just recognition scenes, they’re also mini-reunions. Of course, as we’ve already analyzed pertaining to the hand-reaching scene, Cloud remembering Aerith is followed by him being the one to take action and run toward her, eager to save her, because she means the world to him. When you place the Midgardsormr scene between the church reunion scene and the hand-reach scene, an evolution of Cloud waking up and remembering Aerith is formed. Each mini-reunion scene adds a piece to the story: the church scene informs us that Cloud and Aerith are meeting again, the Midgardsormr scene tips us off that something mystic is going on from Cloud’s tone when he says Aerith’s name, and the hand reach scene tells us that as a consequence of remembering who Aerith is, Cloud saves her from falling to her death and saving her. “Meeting again”, “mystic”, and “saving Aerith”: these are the keywords of the mini-reunion scenes. They are also the keywords of our theory on Cloud’s mission to save Aerith. This time around Cloud knows more and is more conscious about how he feels for Aerith, just like he feels more when in the hand-reach scene in Rebirth compared to the church reunion scene in Remake. From the latter scene to the former, Cloud gradually wakes up and remembers his love for and loss of Aerith in the OG more and more. Each mini-reunion brings him closer to saving her when he blocks the masamune. This is why I am certain that in part 3, whether Cloud comes to his full senses or not, whether he remembers the events of OG or not, he will save Aerith this time. The Remake trilogy is centered around Aerith, after all. In fact, don’t take it from me, take it from Nojima:
“Aerith's the most important character in the remake so we paid special attention to her lines” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 744).I have full confidence in this fact: one way or another, these two will have a happy ending. This is Cloud’s second chance, and as he swore in “Hollow”, he is not losing her again. That is why I don’t think you should fret, and that our Clerith hearts will be very happy to see these two together again for good in part 3.
VI. h) Zooming In
In fact, this zooming-in method of directing players’ attention to important narrative beats is far from new.
VI. h) i. Changing Fate
Let’s divert our attention to Nanaki’s Skywheel date (2:28-3:30). The dialogue goes like this: Nanaki brings us the Whispers and suggests the party might eventually forget about their existence, and Cloud says that frankly, if it’s impossible for them to change fate either way, then it would be better for them to forget to Whispers altogether.
This is a very clear message from the devs: “There would be no point in including the Whispers in the Remaketrilogy if we did not make use of their defeat”. They’re telling us through Cloud’s dialogue that they know it would be foul play and bad writing to introduce the theme of defying fate if it didn’t eventually pay off.
As if it weren’t clear enough what the devs are referring to, Nanaki brings up Aerith’s death directly after Cloud delivers the devs’ message to us. He actually makes Cloud promise to save her. This is pretty on the nose. By promising Nanaki he will protect Aerith, the devs are promising us the same. I’m certain that part 3 will deliver on this promise.
If you still aren’t sold, I’d like to direct your attention to the framing of the shot where Cloud says “If we can’t change [fate]” (2:49-2:51). There’s a zoom-in on his mouth, which is a visual cue that translates to “what this character is saying right now is important to the plot”. It’s very indiscreet in theory: the camera literally hones in on the invisible words as though the script has them highlighted, italicized triple-underlined and in bold.
VI. h) ii. Aerith’s Knowledge
We’ve seen the Remake trilogy use this camera framing at least twice so far. The first time occurs in Remake’s chapter 8, before it becomes clear that Aerith knows things from the OG game that she wouldn’t normally know if this were just a remastered version of the same 1997 plot. I’ll let Remake Ultimania‘s description of this moment speak for itself:
“When Cloud and Aerith return the rescued children to Oates, the man in the tattered black cloak shows up again at the hideout. The moment the man grasps Cloud’s arm, he’s overcome by another violent headache and sees a vision of Sephiroth. Cloud wonders if this man who supposedly died five years ago could possibly still be alive. When he says as much to Aerith, she gives him a vague reply” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 04: “Scenario”, “Chapter 8 Main Story Digest”, page 256).Aerith’s “vague reply” is accentuated by a very deliberate zoom-in on her mouth (1:18:05-1:18:09), and therefore her words.
The framing of this shot indicates to us that what Aerith says provides an important hint as to the plot’s direction. Sure enough, with hindsight, it’s easy to see that’s true.
VI. h) iii. Tifa’s Question
Another time this framing is used is in chapter 1 of Rebirth, after Cloud recounts the Nibelheim incident. Tifa asks the group why Sephiroth is choosing to come back now, after five years (37:55-37:58).
Once more, we are being signaled that the reason Sephiroth chose to return at the moment he did is significant to the plot, but cannot be revealed explicitly yet. The reason why Sephiroth took five years to return is because that’s how long it took for Cloud to get back on his feet after the Nibelheim incident: Sephiroth wants and/or needs to manipulate Cloud in particular rather than all the other people with Jenova cells in them. It took five years for Cloud to not only go through Hojo’s experiments but also escape Shinra and make his way to Seventh Heaven, where Tifa nursed him back to health— therefore, it took five years until Sephiroth’s favorite pawn was available to be used. There are a few reasons why Cloud is the one Sephiroth wants to use, and all of them would be spoilers at this point in Rebirth to players who don’t know the OG plot. The devs can’t reveal any of them yet, but they do indicate via a close-up shot of Tifa’s mouth that her question is important.
VI. h) iv. The Takeaway
As you can see, this framing of characters’ mouths when they speak signals a plot-significant piece of dialogue. This means Cloud’s words on his gondola date with Nanaki can’t be brushed off as a red herring or an unimportant or throwaway line: it has narrative weight.
VII. The Devs
I think it’s important to remember the devs and their commitment to the world of FFVII. They know best for this story, and they’ve proven it to be true many times over. There are many things about the devs’ intentions that the fandom don’t seem to know that I think would give you confidence to find out.VII. a) Shifting Themes
Good storytellers don’t introduce themes as a way to pull the rug from under audiences’ feet by later rendering them completely irrelevant to the plot.
In other words, the devs would not have introduced the notion of fate as an antagonistic force in Remake, nor allowed the players to defeat it in chapter 18, had they planned for these themes not to pay off at all. Think of how good FFVII OG and FF stories in general are, how strong the writing is from a narrative point of view. Nothing is included for no reason or for a cheap reaction— especially not a central theme of a story. Fate and defeating it is a huge point of Remake, and not for no reason.
I mean, think about a storyline all about defying fate ending with a shrug and a “Oh well, we tried.” It would be ridiculous! The devs are better than that.
VII. b) What the Devs Want
The devs are well aware that fans of FFVII have been begging for Aerith’s resurrection since 1997. All those petitions, all those myths of a revival hack… SE knows about them all too well. They were even referenced by FF’s 30th anniversary expo, which partly promoted Remake:
“No one expected [Aerith’s death] in the middle of the story. Rumors of a secret way to revive Aerith spread, and it was clear players were having a hard time saying goodbye to her too. Even now, twenty years later, it still feels like a shocking turn of events” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition Pamphlet, page 36).Hamaguchi, codirector of the Remake project, commented on these rumors:
“Interviewer: Do you have a favorite fake rumor about the original FFVII?The devs are also aware of how beloved Clerith is to the FFVII fandom, especially in Japan— in fact, the only FFVII ship name that is an official iOS search term on the Japanese Apple Store is Clerith’s (“クラエア” or “kuraea” in Japanese). Aerith herself is a widely beloved character, particularly, once more, in Japan. For instance, Famitsu and NHK’s recent polls on the best FF heroine and on the best FF character in general both resulted in Aerith ranking number 3, beaten only in the latter poll by Cloud at number 1 and FFX’s Yuna at number 2.
Hamaguchi: I hear a lot about Aerith coming back to life and that's something that's very interesting to hear” (Hamaguchi interview: “129 Rapid-Fire Questions Answered About Final Fantasy VII Rebirth”, by Game Informer).
The devs know how well-loved both Clerith and Aerith are. And in fact, they love Aerith at least as much as we do:
“Cloud's feelings [of guilt] cannot be resolved by anyone other than Aerith. I tried to convey [that Aerith is saying to Cloud] ‘I'm still here for you’” (FFVII Reunion Files, Nojima’s note on Aerith’s character file, page 58).&
“When I saw the finished product of [Aerith’s face in] CG, I thought, "Oh, isn’t she so cute?” (FFVII Reunion Files, Nomura’s note on Aerith’s character file, page 58).&
"The idea of having Aeris die during the story had a great impact on all the dev staff," Toriyama explained, "and personally I decided to dedicate my efforts to depicting Aeris in as appealing a way as possible, so that she would become an irreplaceable character to the player in preparation for that moment" (Toriyama interview “Final Fantasy anniversary interview: Toriyama speaks” by VG247).The devs care about Aerith, and they’re fully aware we do too.
I think a lot of people have it in their heads that the devs don’t want anything to change from the OG story, but there’s a lot of evidence that says otherwise. Codirector Toriyama spoke on this, stating the following about the production process of Remake:
“[…] there were times the original version became a hindrance. Specifically, staff members with a strong attachment to Final Fantasy VII would often hold themselves back for fear of deviating too much from the original. When we created the original game, we obviously didn’t feel bound in that way. We were passionate about creating a brand new Final Fantasy title, and so we dove in and embraced whatever seemed most interesting to us. We wanted to take that approach this time as well, so we made a special effort to liberate ourselves whenever we held back, remembering that it was okay to do the things we wanted to do” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 1: Motomu Toriyama, Naoki Hamaguchi, Teruki Endo”, page 737).Codirector Nomura said the following:
“When I asked Nojima if he’d write the scenario, I was clear about my demands up front. I said, ‘If we're going to remake Final Fantasy VII, I want it to be done like this.’ At that point, I was intent on making something more than just a remake. [Similarly to how] the battle system this time incorporates elements of the original game’s ATB mechanics [while] also been reborn using a real-time approach […], I wanted to make a story that players would feel is fundamentally Final Fantasy VII but also something new” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 745).Clearly, the devs don’t want to be bogged down by the OG, and are making efforts to do things the way they want to rather than the way they were previously done. The newer generation of developers such as codirector Hamaguchi is also involved in these story changes:
“Interviewer: There are also drastically more scenes with Sephiroth than there were in the original game.Kitase, the producer of the Remake trilogy, even says that after working on this project for so long, and after spending almost 30 years on the FFVII project and getting to know the characters, he has realized that:
Nojima: We weren't planning on having him appear so much at first— the idea was only to hint at his presence. But we changed our approach partway through and became more proactive with having him appear, after which the number of scenes he features in rapidly increased.
Nomura: Hamaguchi [codirector Naoki Hamaguchi] came up to me one day and said in a mysterious tone, ‘I'd like to talk to you about something.’ He asked me about having there be a battle with Sephiroth in Midgar. In the original game, Sephiroth’s true body is located elsewhere, so he didn’t think I'd give in to the idea so easily. I think he even prepared materials to persuade me. But in the end I agreed readily [laughs]” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 746).
“The more [he works] on it, the more [he wants] to make all these characters happy. [He wants] to give them a happy ending. The rest of the team’s opinions [obviously] also have to be taken into consideration, so it won't be all happiness and rainbows. But [he] just [wants] to make [the characters of FFVII] happy” (Kitase and Hamaguchi’s interview “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s Producer Just Wants 'the Characters to End Up Happy'”, by Vandal, translated by me).Kitase is indeed only one developer, but he’s the producer of this project: that’s the very top position. He oversees everything and nothing goes without his approval. That counts for something. Of course, Kitase is fair and values the input of all the devs, so of course it won’t be “all happiness and rainbows”— but I sincerely believe there’s a big chance that Cloud and Aerith are heading toward their happy ending. Even if this theory is completely bogus, I want to have faith that the devs would not sacrifice good storytelling for nostalgia and a conservative attitude toward preserving the OG story, as that would be cheap of them, and we have not known them to be cheap. This game truly matters to them, so I think they deserve our faith.
(conclusion in
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2024.05.16 10:59 Fabulous-Dentist903 Am I '35F' the asshole for ending my relationship with my best friend L '33F' years old, because of her boyfriend? Apologies in advance for the long story.
Hi Reddit,
I'm a 35-year-old female, and I’ve had a close and supportive friendship with my best friend, "L" (female, 33), for nine years. Recently, our friendship has become strained due to her boyfriend, now fiancé, who disapproves of me.
I've been married for 11 years, which is not conventional. My husband and I are very supportive of each other and have different interests, so we don’t hang out often except for certain activities. His job also makes our days off different. We’ve had some rough times, but we’re working through them, and no matter what we are always looking out for each other and never stop each other from doing what we love.
Because of my chill, open lifestyle, and bubbly personality, L's fiancé views me as a negative influence on her. even thou i know her way before he did.
Her boyfriend has made derogatory comments about me, which she only mentioned after I pushed her to tell me what was wrong. L and I usually spend much time together because we work together and sometimes go to the gym or grab food after work. On weekends, we do other activities like beach or horse riding, and I had no issue with him joining us. However, after a few times when he joined us at the beach, where I met friends for football and paddle boarding, he started criticizing me and my driving skills and the routes I take. Soon after, he stopped coming with us, and L started acting weird. Eventually, I discovered he had called me a “hoe in an open relationship.” and claimed I did not respect my husband or myself because I was too friendly and attract men, which he thought would ruin his relationship with L.
This situation led to a heated discussion and a temporary break in our friendship. I needed to reconnect with myself, especially because she was always fighting with him whenever she was with me, making me feel like a burden. After a months, I felt okay and resumed communication with her, explaining why I needed a break. However, we significantly reduced our activities together (her choice i guess).
L tried to mend the situation by encouraging my husband and me to socialize with them, hoping to show our positive qualities as a couple. My husband refused after learning about her fiancé’s disrespectful behavior. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to socialize with a hater, either. Her fiancé’s controlling behavior goes beyond his opinions of me. He discourages L’s interests, like singing, and displays other red flags that she seems to overlook (which me & others has motioned) to which she fired back that we are not supportive.
Despite L’s efforts to defend our friendship against her fiancé’s attempts to drive a wedge between us, he wanted her to choose between him and me. She claimed she tried to keep everything that mattered, but I was wrong. After our break, we were good for the next six months, even though we didn’t hang out as much (4 times). Whenever we did, she would fight with him and leave early or without saying goodbye, just leaving a message.
My birthday was approaching, and every year as a tradition, L and I have dinner together to celebrate before having a party with other friends. Two weeks before my birthday, I asked her to attend dinner on Friday or Saturday which my husband was to plan for us, she agreed. Two days later, she asked to confirm if it was happening and where. I said I would let her know once my husband confirmed the plans (this is very normal as i inform her always 1 day before). She kept asking the same question daily, which was unusual for her. Finally, she admitted that her fiancé wanted to leave the city for a few days and needed to know if our plans were confirmed. I canceled so she could go with him, but they didn’t go at the end. and that didn't feel great for me.
A week before my birthday, I asked her and other friends to keep their Sundays open for a pool brunch my husband was planning for us. Everyone, including L, confirmed, and she even added, "Count me in +1," assuming I’d be okay with her bringing her fiancé. I was mad but decided to let it go for her. A few days before the event, she messaged me saying she might be unable to come because she had a minor surgery and couldn’t swim. I was shocked she hadn’t mentioned the surgery before and asked why she didn’t tell me. She replied that she didn’t have to tell me everything and that I didn’t need to come. I was mad and asked if it was because of him. She yelled, accusing me of not understanding how much I hurt her by taking a break and moving on, while she didn’t.
She blamed me and our friends for not being supportive, even though we had helped her in the past. For example, she lived with my husband and me for almost a year rent-free when she was jobless only for 2 months. Her fiancé had issues with most of our group despite our welcoming attitude. She kept making excuses and gaslighting us for not being there for her since she got serious with this guy. I listened and asked how I could make things right. She dared to say "I needed to apologize for taking a break to care for myself and moving on while she didn’t". I calmly refused to apologize for taking care of my mental health, knowing how much I had worked on myself. If she wasn’t okay with that, it was her issue.
She tried to be nice the next day, realizing she messed up, but I was a bit cold with her as I didn’t expect her to say those things, especially knowing how much I cared for her and what I had done for her. The day before my birthday, our friend supposed to pick her up before picking me up. When I came down, she wasn’t there. I asked my friend if she was coming, and he said no. I messaged her, asking if she was coming or not. She said yes, but later, as her fiancé wasn’t ready. We went ahead, and three hours later (the brunch is for 4 hours), they finally showed up. Her fiancé didn’t say a proper hello and started complaining about wanting to sit at a table instead of the poolside beds we had booked. Despite arriving three hours late, she had the nerve to ask me to move to accommodate him. I refused and suggested they sit at the table if they preferred.
I saw them arguing a few times, and she kept coming back and forth between the beds and the table. When dessert was served, I decided to join them at the table to be the bigger person. Her fiancé picked up his phone and didn’t speak to anyone. When he decided to leave, he gestured for her to follow him and walked away without saying goodbye.
That was the last straw for me. She seemed okay with his behavior as if it is normal, and there was no way we could convince her that he was mistreating her. I messaged her, saying I didn’t blame him but blamed her for ruining my day and trying to force us to adjust our boundaries for him. She didn’t acknowledge my message. And the next day, she sent me a message to remove my brother’s car from her parking (the car had been parked there for two years without issue). I removed the car and stopped all communication with her and blocked her everywhere. we work with each other, so we are keeping professional.
FYI: This guy has told her in a message that I saw accidentally. Quote his exact message: "you don’t deserve to be a mother if you associates with this people (AKA - any of us), as we have no values and brings only shame and “cockroaches” to her perfect relationship.
I am disappointed and feel sorry for wasting so much time and effort on someone I never knew, apparently.
I want to make sure that i will not look back. hence am asking advice if you think i wronged her in any way?
submitted by Fabulous-Dentist903 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
I'm a 35-year-old female, and I’ve had a close and supportive friendship with my best friend, "L" (female, 33), for nine years. Recently, our friendship has become strained due to her boyfriend, now fiancé, who disapproves of me.
I've been married for 11 years, which is not conventional. My husband and I are very supportive of each other and have different interests, so we don’t hang out often except for certain activities. His job also makes our days off different. We’ve had some rough times, but we’re working through them, and no matter what we are always looking out for each other and never stop each other from doing what we love.
Because of my chill, open lifestyle, and bubbly personality, L's fiancé views me as a negative influence on her. even thou i know her way before he did.
Her boyfriend has made derogatory comments about me, which she only mentioned after I pushed her to tell me what was wrong. L and I usually spend much time together because we work together and sometimes go to the gym or grab food after work. On weekends, we do other activities like beach or horse riding, and I had no issue with him joining us. However, after a few times when he joined us at the beach, where I met friends for football and paddle boarding, he started criticizing me and my driving skills and the routes I take. Soon after, he stopped coming with us, and L started acting weird. Eventually, I discovered he had called me a “hoe in an open relationship.” and claimed I did not respect my husband or myself because I was too friendly and attract men, which he thought would ruin his relationship with L.
This situation led to a heated discussion and a temporary break in our friendship. I needed to reconnect with myself, especially because she was always fighting with him whenever she was with me, making me feel like a burden. After a months, I felt okay and resumed communication with her, explaining why I needed a break. However, we significantly reduced our activities together (her choice i guess).
L tried to mend the situation by encouraging my husband and me to socialize with them, hoping to show our positive qualities as a couple. My husband refused after learning about her fiancé’s disrespectful behavior. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to socialize with a hater, either. Her fiancé’s controlling behavior goes beyond his opinions of me. He discourages L’s interests, like singing, and displays other red flags that she seems to overlook (which me & others has motioned) to which she fired back that we are not supportive.
Despite L’s efforts to defend our friendship against her fiancé’s attempts to drive a wedge between us, he wanted her to choose between him and me. She claimed she tried to keep everything that mattered, but I was wrong. After our break, we were good for the next six months, even though we didn’t hang out as much (4 times). Whenever we did, she would fight with him and leave early or without saying goodbye, just leaving a message.
My birthday was approaching, and every year as a tradition, L and I have dinner together to celebrate before having a party with other friends. Two weeks before my birthday, I asked her to attend dinner on Friday or Saturday which my husband was to plan for us, she agreed. Two days later, she asked to confirm if it was happening and where. I said I would let her know once my husband confirmed the plans (this is very normal as i inform her always 1 day before). She kept asking the same question daily, which was unusual for her. Finally, she admitted that her fiancé wanted to leave the city for a few days and needed to know if our plans were confirmed. I canceled so she could go with him, but they didn’t go at the end. and that didn't feel great for me.
A week before my birthday, I asked her and other friends to keep their Sundays open for a pool brunch my husband was planning for us. Everyone, including L, confirmed, and she even added, "Count me in +1," assuming I’d be okay with her bringing her fiancé. I was mad but decided to let it go for her. A few days before the event, she messaged me saying she might be unable to come because she had a minor surgery and couldn’t swim. I was shocked she hadn’t mentioned the surgery before and asked why she didn’t tell me. She replied that she didn’t have to tell me everything and that I didn’t need to come. I was mad and asked if it was because of him. She yelled, accusing me of not understanding how much I hurt her by taking a break and moving on, while she didn’t.
She blamed me and our friends for not being supportive, even though we had helped her in the past. For example, she lived with my husband and me for almost a year rent-free when she was jobless only for 2 months. Her fiancé had issues with most of our group despite our welcoming attitude. She kept making excuses and gaslighting us for not being there for her since she got serious with this guy. I listened and asked how I could make things right. She dared to say "I needed to apologize for taking a break to care for myself and moving on while she didn’t". I calmly refused to apologize for taking care of my mental health, knowing how much I had worked on myself. If she wasn’t okay with that, it was her issue.
She tried to be nice the next day, realizing she messed up, but I was a bit cold with her as I didn’t expect her to say those things, especially knowing how much I cared for her and what I had done for her. The day before my birthday, our friend supposed to pick her up before picking me up. When I came down, she wasn’t there. I asked my friend if she was coming, and he said no. I messaged her, asking if she was coming or not. She said yes, but later, as her fiancé wasn’t ready. We went ahead, and three hours later (the brunch is for 4 hours), they finally showed up. Her fiancé didn’t say a proper hello and started complaining about wanting to sit at a table instead of the poolside beds we had booked. Despite arriving three hours late, she had the nerve to ask me to move to accommodate him. I refused and suggested they sit at the table if they preferred.
I saw them arguing a few times, and she kept coming back and forth between the beds and the table. When dessert was served, I decided to join them at the table to be the bigger person. Her fiancé picked up his phone and didn’t speak to anyone. When he decided to leave, he gestured for her to follow him and walked away without saying goodbye.
That was the last straw for me. She seemed okay with his behavior as if it is normal, and there was no way we could convince her that he was mistreating her. I messaged her, saying I didn’t blame him but blamed her for ruining my day and trying to force us to adjust our boundaries for him. She didn’t acknowledge my message. And the next day, she sent me a message to remove my brother’s car from her parking (the car had been parked there for two years without issue). I removed the car and stopped all communication with her and blocked her everywhere. we work with each other, so we are keeping professional.
FYI: This guy has told her in a message that I saw accidentally. Quote his exact message: "you don’t deserve to be a mother if you associates with this people (AKA - any of us), as we have no values and brings only shame and “cockroaches” to her perfect relationship.
I am disappointed and feel sorry for wasting so much time and effort on someone I never knew, apparently.
I want to make sure that i will not look back. hence am asking advice if you think i wronged her in any way?
2024.05.16 10:13 GolfAndGamble Conor McGregor just partnered with Duelbits - first live stream is on Monday
Duelbits definitely opened their pockets stepped up their game for this one. I've been a Duelbits fanboy for nearly 4 years, so it's nice to see them finally partner with somebody that I've heard of before. 😅
Conor's inaugural live stream event is scheduled for Monday, May 20th at 18:00 UTC (2pm EST). I believe it will be on Duelbits' Kick account, but don't quote me. The $150k Conor Challenge (which is basically just a leaderboard wager race) already started. The challenge ends in 28 days and top prize is $40k.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Duelbits, it's a crypto casino and sportsbook, similar to the likes of Stake, Rollbit, Gamdom, etc. All are very similar in terms of their game offerings, and differentiate through other avenues, such as VIP rewards programs.
Most casinos nowadays have incorporated lossback, but Duelbits held firm with rakeback only. So go ahead and say goodbye to "added 80% to calendar" and unknown equations that may or may not have captured all of your betting activity. 😵💫 Sure, Duelbits eliminates the element of surprise, but I'll happily accept 100% transparency over a few surprises mixed into a sea of disappointments.
Staring from day 1, each player is entitled to the following: 10% instant, 5% daily, 5% weekly, 5% monthly and 5% level-up rakeback rewards (which increases by 0.25% each level). So if you are a brand new player on Duelbits, the absolute lowest rakeback % you'll receive is 30%.
For context, I've wagered hundreds of millions of dollars across countless online casinos and have yet to find a casino with a better VIP rewards program than Duelbits. Granted, if you're the type of person that loads a balance and immediately goes all in, then you'll probably want to find a different casino lol.
Additionally, Duelbits has a fully built-out sportsbook with livestreams of the events you're able to bet on. And overall, the UI/UX is super clean, everything loads quickly, and, most importantly, it rarely (if ever) goes down.
Click here to create an account on Duelbits and claim 500 "free" spins.
The reason why I put "free" in quotes is because there is a wager requirement in order to unlock the spins. I'm already two novels deep into what I was expecting to be a short post, so I'll just say this:
After you complete each step (3 total) of the wager requirement ($1.5k total), you'll be credited the free spins (500 total). No additional play-through requirements, no max win/withdrawal, etc. The spins are gifted to you, free and clear.
Considering that each spin is worth $0.2, the theoretical EV of completing all three stages of the promo is roughly +$60. Math is below.
Here is the link to apply
submitted by GolfAndGamble to OnlineCryptoGambling [link] [comments]
Conor's inaugural live stream event is scheduled for Monday, May 20th at 18:00 UTC (2pm EST). I believe it will be on Duelbits' Kick account, but don't quote me. The $150k Conor Challenge (which is basically just a leaderboard wager race) already started. The challenge ends in 28 days and top prize is $40k.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Duelbits, it's a crypto casino and sportsbook, similar to the likes of Stake, Rollbit, Gamdom, etc. All are very similar in terms of their game offerings, and differentiate through other avenues, such as VIP rewards programs.
Most casinos nowadays have incorporated lossback, but Duelbits held firm with rakeback only. So go ahead and say goodbye to "added 80% to calendar" and unknown equations that may or may not have captured all of your betting activity. 😵💫 Sure, Duelbits eliminates the element of surprise, but I'll happily accept 100% transparency over a few surprises mixed into a sea of disappointments.
Staring from day 1, each player is entitled to the following: 10% instant, 5% daily, 5% weekly, 5% monthly and 5% level-up rakeback rewards (which increases by 0.25% each level). So if you are a brand new player on Duelbits, the absolute lowest rakeback % you'll receive is 30%.
For context, I've wagered hundreds of millions of dollars across countless online casinos and have yet to find a casino with a better VIP rewards program than Duelbits. Granted, if you're the type of person that loads a balance and immediately goes all in, then you'll probably want to find a different casino lol.
Additionally, Duelbits has a fully built-out sportsbook with livestreams of the events you're able to bet on. And overall, the UI/UX is super clean, everything loads quickly, and, most importantly, it rarely (if ever) goes down.
Click here to create an account on Duelbits and claim 500 "free" spins.
The reason why I put "free" in quotes is because there is a wager requirement in order to unlock the spins. I'm already two novels deep into what I was expecting to be a short post, so I'll just say this:
After you complete each step (3 total) of the wager requirement ($1.5k total), you'll be credited the free spins (500 total). No additional play-through requirements, no max win/withdrawal, etc. The spins are gifted to you, free and clear.
Considering that each spin is worth $0.2, the theoretical EV of completing all three stages of the promo is roughly +$60. Math is below.
- -$1,500 * 0.035 = -$52.5 loss (house edge)
- $1,500 * 0.035 * 0.3 = $15.75 gain (rakeback)
- 500 * $0.2 * 0.965 = $96.5 gain (free spins)
- $96.5 + $15.75 - $52.5 = $59.75 (theoretical EV)
Here is the link to apply
2024.05.16 08:18 haygurlhay123 “This Time, I Will Never Let You Go”: Cloud’s Mission and the Hidden Purpose of the Remake Trilogy - Literary and Musical Analysis of FFVII - Part 2
(continuation of part 1)
And boy, did I find them.
III. a) Core Worlds and Suspension Worlds
There are a couple of general FF rules that we need to establish before going forward.
It’s important to note that there are multiple realms in which the FF stories take place, each with a different name, history and society. This ensures that all FF stories occur separately, never intercepting or interacting— though they do have creatures like moogles and chocobos in common, as well as concepts like airships, gil, magic and some form of crystal. For simplicity, I will refer to these separate worlds in which the numbered FF games (FFI, FFII, FFIII, etc) occur as “core worlds”.
Characters from different core worlds may appear together in non-numbered FF games, the events of which have no impact on the core world at all: it seems that sometime after a FF character has reached the end of their core world’s plot-line, they may somehow be summoned to far-removed realms where they will face new adventures. I call these far-removed realms “suspension worlds”. One example of a FF game that takes place in a suspension world is Dissidia Final Fantasy, wherein characters from multiple core worlds unite to accomplish a mission as a team.
III. b) Final Fantasy Tactics
First on our list of non-compilation SE games to explore is 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT), a game whose plot takes place in the suspension world of Ivalice. Let’s plot out the relevant events, and then analyze!
III. b) i. Fact-Finding
The main character of FFT, Ramza, encounters a brunette flower peddler with Aerith’s iconic, gravity-defying bangs:
\"Aeris\" in FFT's Ivalice
If you choose to buy a flower from her, she express her relief: apparently, business isn’t going well because no one is interested in flowers. The girl wistfully dreams aloud:
There’s a lot to unpack here, all of which you probably clocked in your head upon reading, but let’s put it down in writing.
While FFT Cloud’s memory is far from perfect, the Aeris he encounters in Ivalice doesn’t recognize him at all. FFVII Ultimania Omega addresses this question without answering it:
FFT Cloud’s dialogue borrows two lines from the speech OG Cloud makes as Aerith lies dead in his arms (disk 1, chapter 28): “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” and “What are we supposed to do? What about my pain?” You might’ve noticed that this glimpse of grief Cloud experiences in FFT bears a resemblance to the fourth MOTF 4 experienced by Remake Cloud (see section “II. a)”). Could it be that FFT Cloud and Remake Cloud have something in common?
Shortly after being summoned to Ivalice, FFT Cloud declares that he must go to “that place”, a mysterious line that is later elucidated when he tells Ramza that he must go to the Promised Land and find the “very important” thing he’s lost. The Promised Land is the Cetra culture’s afterlife, meaning FFT Cloud is looking for someone who’s died, someone “very important” to him. OG suggests this is none other than Aerith:
On the one hand, it’s possible that Cloud was summoned to Ivalice after he and Tifa fall into the core of the planet: this point in the FFVII OG timeline occurs after Aerith’s death and shortly before Cloud finds out he was never SOLDIER, which matches the gaps in FFT Cloud’s memory quite well. However, this scenario does not account for the vagueness with which FFT Cloud remembers Aerith and her death. Most importantly, Cloud’s realization that he can find Aerith in the Promised Land occurs much later in the game (FFVII OG, disk 3, chapter 3) than when he falls into the Lifestream with Tifa (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).
On the other hand, FFT Cloud’s vague yet persistent memories of Aerith suggest that he’s been summoned to Ivalice after his eventual death post-OG, but also that he’s lost quite a large portion of his memories. His incomplete memory loss is likely the result of Cloud’s individuality’s erosion by the Lifestream after death, which we discussed in section “II. a) ii.”. We can therefore surmise that by the time he is summoned to Ivalice from the Lifestream, Cloud has been dead for long enough that the Lifestream eroded a large portion of the memories of his lifetime. This post-death scenario is likelier than the first. The memory of Cloud’s realization that he was never SOLDIER must be gone, which explains why he claims otherwise upon being summoned to Ivalice. Contrastingly, vestiges of Cloud’s OG memories of Aerith cling to his soul, even after others have been wiped clean. Could this be a consequence of their soulmate bond? Could the strength of Cloud’s love and grief for Aerith have made his memories of her stronger and more difficult for the Lifestream to erode? Could it be both?
One thing is clear: Aerith is of fundamental importance to Cloud, even when he can’t quite remember her. In fact, the only other character he remembers and/or mentions in FFT is Sephiroth. It does make sense that the memories of those who have marked one’s soul forevermore would be the most difficult for the Lifestream to erode.
III. c) Dissidia Final Fantasy
The next stop on our travels through suspension worlds is 2008’s Dissidia Final Fantasy! Now strap in, because here’s where things get really serious.
III. c) i. Fact Finding
In the suspension world of Dissidia Final Fantasy (DFF), the goddess of harmony Cosmos and the god of discord Chaos are engaged in a never-ending cycle of conflict. Both deities need warriors to fight on their behalf, so they recruit core world characters into their respective teams by summoning them to DFF. Some of these summoned characters are FFIV’s Cecil, FFVI’s Terra, FFVII’s Sephiroth, FFX’s Tidus, and of course, FFVII’s Cloud. The warriors find themselves in the suspension world of DFF with no memories of their core worlds’ plotlines. However, as the DFF adventure progresses, they are able to recover pieces of their memories here and there. It isn’t clear how much they come to remember. Ultimately, the warriors hope to return home to their core worlds by fighting in this war and seeing to its end.
Cloud is summoned to DFF as a warrior on the side of Chaos, who seeks to destroy all existence. Sephiroth is also on Chaos’ side, meaning the two are teammates despite being enemies in their core world of FFVII. It just so happens that Tifa is a summoned warrior in DFF too, though she’s fighting on Cosmos’ side. Intrigued by her vague familiarity, Sephiroth hypothesizes that killing Tifa will bring back his memories of OG’s plot line: before long, the masamune wielder finds Tifa alone and corners her into a one-on-one fight. Thankfully, Cloud swoops in and saves her before Sephiroth can do any harm. Tifa is thankful for Cloud’s help, though confused that Cloud would elect to assist her and turn against a fellow warrior of Chaos; she doesn’t remember what Sephiroth and Cloud mean to each other in OG. In fact, Tifa doesn’t even remember Cloud’s name or that they share a core world, though Cloud feels somewhat familiar to her. For his part, Cloud at least remembers that Tifa is someone he cares about from his core world. As Tifa thanks Cloud for saving her from Sephiroth, something she says elicits an odd reaction from the warrior of Chaos:
Now we enter phase two of the war. Cosmos tells her team of ten core world warriors that in order to save the world from Chaos’ destruction, they must collect what she describes as crystals containing the power to persist through darkness. I call these the “DFF crystals”. There are ten DFF crystals in total: one for every warrior in Cosmos’ group to find. To obtain their crystal, each hero must overcome a trial that will confront them with whatever personal struggle they faced in their core world; if they prove themselves worthy, their DFF crystal will appear to them. On one hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals simply take the form of the crystals found in their core world. For example, Onion Knight’s DFF crystal looks to be nothing more than one of FFIII’s elemental crystals, which hold little to no personal significance to him. On the other hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals symbolize something more personal to their respective warriors. For instance, Cecil’s DFF crystal looks to be one of FFIV’s dark crystals, which specifically represent the dichotomy of light and darkness he struggles with in his core world’s plot line. Cosmos describes the quest for the DFF crystals as follows:
Once the team is debriefed on their mission, Cloud remains reticent to fight; he doesn’t much like the mysterious nature of this conflict. Not knowing exactly what they’re all fighting for is clearly bothersome to the swordsman, and the idea of thoughtlessly engaging in battles leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Fellow warrior Firion understands that without a reason to fight, Cloud’s heart just isn’t in it. He imparts upon Cloud that he must have a dream he’s fighting to protect, something he wants to see come true, to motivate him to stop Chaos from destroying all existence. Unfortunately, Cloud doesn’t have a dream to preserve, or can’t find one for himself:
Finally, after the war has ended, we arrive at the final cutscene of DFF. I will let you read the full script, with notes added by me in bold behind the spoiler censors. Please do not read my notes if you do not wish to encounter spoilers for FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFVIII, FFIX or FFX:
III. c) ii. Fact Analysis
Firstly, it’s clear to me that the Cloud that appears in DFF is a post-OG Cloud, given how many plot points from OG he interacts with. I’m reticent to say whether or not this post-OG Cloud is dead like in FFT, as he recovers many of his memories of OG during DFF and there is no evidence of him having passed away and joined the Lifestream.
The second thing I’d like to point out is Cloud’s strange reaction when Tifa compares him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. Cloud gasps, indicating that her words mean something to him; the trope Tifa references must therefore be included somewhere in the FFVII OG plot-line. Some of you are surely ahead of me by now, having realized that only the tragic antithesis of this trope appears in OG: Cloud is unable to save Aerith from Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). Whether or not DFF Cloud remembers Aerith herself at this point, it’s clear he recalls the pain and guilt of losing Aerith to Sephiroth.
Next, let’s address Cloud’s lost dream: to meet an unspecified person. It seems Cloud is aware at this point that in OG, he was eternally separated from the person he dreams of meeting. So, who was he separated from in his core world? Who can he never meet again, even if his team of warriors defeats Chaos and Cloud returns to the realm of FFVII? There are a few options —his mother, his father, Zack, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and any other person he knew who died—, but the sheer narrative weight that Aerith’s untimely death carries makes it clear who he truly wants to meet. This is corroborated by Cloud’s “I think I can meet her… there” line in OG (disk 3 chapter 3), by FFT Cloud’s search for Aerith during his appearance in Ivalice, and by Cloud’s strange reaction to Tifa’s comparing him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. All the available evidence suggests that Cloud’s dream is indeed to reunite with Aerith, and that this dream is “lost” to him because she was killed by Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). This would also explain the title of the DFF segment “Recurring Tragedy”, since as we all know, the ultimate tragedy of FFVII OG is Aerith’s death. Considering Sephiroth was the one to take Aerith away from Cloud, Sephiroth’s threats of drowning him in despair in “Recurring Tragedy” only solidify this interpretation of Cloud’s lost dream.
Finally, we arrive at the ending cutscene. Cosmos’ warriors return to where they belong to try and accomplish whatever dream they held as motivation during the Cosmos-Chaos conflict, each carrying their DFF crystal. Cloud is shown standing in a field of white and yellow flowers and walking deeper into it with a light green materia in hand. Why was a white and yellow flower field chosen to represent DFF Cloud’s dream? The answer is obvious. White and yellow flowers symbolize Aerith: she sold Cloud a yellow blossom upon first meeting him in OG (disk 1, chapter 1), and her yellow and white flowerbed cushioned Cloud’s fall when the two reunited in the Sector 5 church (disk 1, chapter 4). What’s more, we have the iconic credits video of the original cut of Advent Children to refer to, wherein Cloud is seen driving near flower fields. Aerith stands there (3:20), seemingly waiting for him. Here’s what Nomura had to say about this credits scene:
With all of this established, we can address the nature of Cloud’s DFF crystal. As we established, every core world has its own version of a crystal, each possessing a distinct appearance, function and meaning. Materia are the crystals of FFVII, so one could be satisfied by the proposition that Cloud’s DFF crystal is simply meant to represent a random materia. However, I think Cloud’s crystal is specifically the White Materia, as it represents Aerith’s sacrifice, her importance to the plot and what she died fighting for. If any one object symbolizes her death, it’s the White Materia; it’s even given closeups during the event (2:33-3:02). Besides, unlike any other materia in FFVII, the White Materia is known to glow a light green when Holy has been activated:
https://preview.redd.it/0qtumfeyfq0d1.jpg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3995f010738c83fca0c5842a0564d0a9ad206dfd
https://preview.redd.it/0kj525tzfq0d1.jpg?width=1144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=575573ef1d2c937635cf569d4a376886a24b384c
Cloud's DFF Crystal
Cloud’s DFF crystal
So far, in both suspension world games we’ve examined (FFT and DFF), Cloud is searching for Aerith. As a final note on DFF, it may interest you to know that codirector of the Remake trilogy Toriyama was actually a writer for DFF: he may have carried some themes from DFF to Remake…
III. d) Detour: The Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition
Before we hop onto the next suspension world, let’s return to ours for a quick detour: the 2018 Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Expo. Themed with farewells and tragedy, this expo showcased the heartbreaking goodbyes featured in different FF games. Artwork, clips, quotes and images aplenty here! As the highly anticipated Remake was going to be coming out approximately a year and a half later, the FFVII section of the expo featured a few sneak peek Remake designs. This means the expo was at least partly curated with the Remake trilogy in mind; there could be interesting material in the FFVII section of the expo related to Remake. Let’s dive in!
Unsurprisingly, the focus of the FFVII section is Cloud and Aerith, since she is the loved one he lost in OG. Zack is also given a mention, however Aerith was the glaringly central star of the show. To showcase how important Aerith’s farewell in particular was to the expo, the FFVII portion was introduced by a photo of Cloud lowering Aerith into her watery grave and a video of her tragic death:
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition, FFVII Introduction
The description under the video screen reads:
The expo also had pamphlet descriptions of the farewells depicted. Here is the general summary of FFVII‘s farewell story according to that pamphlet:
In light of everything we’ve analyzed so far, it can be said that between FFT (1997) and this farewell expo (2018), SE has consistently demonstrated that reuniting with Aerith is post-OG Cloud’s goal. That’s a period of over two decades— two decades of wishing, seeking, longing in real-world time for this character. This is a huge long-term commitment for SE to make, and you can bet the devs don’t take it lightly. Again and again, once the events of the OG game have ended, Cloud is shown to desire a reunion with Aerith. This ever-present and ever-insistent theme will become very important to us later in this analysis.
(continued in part 3)
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III. Searching for Aerith Beyond FFVII
There were absolutely no answers in Remake or OG (at this point in my research, Rebirth wasn’t released yet), no matter how much I looked; nothing at all hinted at how Cloud could’ve obtained the memories of OG that emerge in Remake as MOTFs. I knew I had to look elsewhere to search for more clues, so I decided to check every piece of media ever released by SE with a mention of Cloud or Aerith in it, digging for hints in the compilation and beyond.And boy, did I find them.
III. a) Core Worlds and Suspension Worlds
There are a couple of general FF rules that we need to establish before going forward.
It’s important to note that there are multiple realms in which the FF stories take place, each with a different name, history and society. This ensures that all FF stories occur separately, never intercepting or interacting— though they do have creatures like moogles and chocobos in common, as well as concepts like airships, gil, magic and some form of crystal. For simplicity, I will refer to these separate worlds in which the numbered FF games (FFI, FFII, FFIII, etc) occur as “core worlds”.
Characters from different core worlds may appear together in non-numbered FF games, the events of which have no impact on the core world at all: it seems that sometime after a FF character has reached the end of their core world’s plot-line, they may somehow be summoned to far-removed realms where they will face new adventures. I call these far-removed realms “suspension worlds”. One example of a FF game that takes place in a suspension world is Dissidia Final Fantasy, wherein characters from multiple core worlds unite to accomplish a mission as a team.
III. b) Final Fantasy Tactics
First on our list of non-compilation SE games to explore is 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT), a game whose plot takes place in the suspension world of Ivalice. Let’s plot out the relevant events, and then analyze!
III. b) i. Fact-Finding
The main character of FFT, Ramza, encounters a brunette flower peddler with Aerith’s iconic, gravity-defying bangs:
\"Aeris\" in FFT's Ivalice
If you choose to buy a flower from her, she express her relief: apparently, business isn’t going well because no one is interested in flowers. The girl wistfully dreams aloud:
“When is my knight in shining armor going to take me away from here...?”Later, Ramza and his companions encounter a mysterious machine that can summon people from across universes. The machine is activated, and a rather rude young man with spiky blonde hair appears. Cloud claims he used to be in SOLDIER, and says the last thing he remembers is “getting stuck in the current”. He looks to be disoriented and lost, and suffers from piercing headaches. Mere moments after being summoned to Ivalice, Cloud rambles:
“What’s this? My fingers are tingling… My eyes… they’re burning… Stop… stop it [Se]phiroth…”He dashes out of the room, but not without announcing:
“I must go… must go to that place…”Outside, Cloud encounters the brunette flower girl Ramza met earlier. She offers Cloud a flower, but he only stares at her wordlessly:
“Flower girl: Buy a flower? Only 1 gil.As soon as Cloud leaves, a gang of ruffians surround the flower girl and start harassing her, demanding payment that’s apparently overdue. One of them finally calls her by her name: “Aeris”. He grabs her, insinuating that he might sexually assault her in lieu of payment. Aeris is not strong enough to push him away. That’s when Cloud returns:
Cloud: …
Flower girl: Something wrong? Do I resemble someone?”
Cloud: No… it’s nothing.”
“Cloud: Get your hand off her!Aeris heeds Cloud’s advice, fleeing the scene before a fight between Cloud and the thug can break out. After Cloud scares the ruffians off with the help of Ramza and his companions, he speaks once more:
Thug: What did you say!?
Cloud: Didn't you hear me? Get your dirty hand off her!
[…]
Cloud, to Aeris: Go… now.”
“I lost… something very important… Ever since, I’ve been lost […]. What should I do? What about this pain [?] Must go… to the Promised Land.”III. b) ii. Fact Analysis
There’s a lot to unpack here, all of which you probably clocked in your head upon reading, but let’s put it down in writing.
While FFT Cloud’s memory is far from perfect, the Aeris he encounters in Ivalice doesn’t recognize him at all. FFVII Ultimania Omega addresses this question without answering it:
“[The flower seller’s] name is Aeris, and she has the same appearance and tone of voice as the Aeris of FFVII. However, when she comes across Cloud, she does not recognize him. Could she really be the same Aerith who appears in FFVII but with memory loss, or is she a completely different character?” (“#4 Proof of Omega”, “FFVII in Other Games”, “Final Fantasy Tactics”, page 560).Regardless of her unknown identity and inability to recognize Cloud, FFT Aeris’ fantasy of a “knight in shining armor” is quite reminiscent of the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic we’ve come to know and love. Cloud’s armor doesn’t shine, but in my opinion, if you’re looking for the dystopian, corporatocratic equivalent of a knight, you can’t get much closer than a supposed-former-SOLDIER-turned-bodyguard. Additionally, despite his rude and cold attitude toward Ramza’s gang, the urgency with which Cloud swoops in to save the flower girl from the ruffians betrays a softer, warmer side to him: the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic strikes again!
FFT Cloud’s dialogue borrows two lines from the speech OG Cloud makes as Aerith lies dead in his arms (disk 1, chapter 28): “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” and “What are we supposed to do? What about my pain?” You might’ve noticed that this glimpse of grief Cloud experiences in FFT bears a resemblance to the fourth MOTF 4 experienced by Remake Cloud (see section “II. a)”). Could it be that FFT Cloud and Remake Cloud have something in common?
Shortly after being summoned to Ivalice, FFT Cloud declares that he must go to “that place”, a mysterious line that is later elucidated when he tells Ramza that he must go to the Promised Land and find the “very important” thing he’s lost. The Promised Land is the Cetra culture’s afterlife, meaning FFT Cloud is looking for someone who’s died, someone “very important” to him. OG suggests this is none other than Aerith:
“Cait Sith, reading Cloud’s fortune: You will find [what] you pursue. However, you will lose the most precious thing” (disk 1, chapter 16, English translation by Kotaku’s “Let’s Mosey: A Slow Translation of Final Fantasy Seven: Part Eight” by Tim Rogers, 9:42-9:52).&
“Cloud, after seeing Aerith’s hand reach for him through the Lifestream: … I think I'm beginning to understand.Finally, let’s try to understand where on the OG timeline Cloud was summoned to this suspension world from and what he remembers. His comment about getting stuck in a current has to be about the Lifestream; apparently, on top of its atemporal nature, it can act as a conduit to other worlds. One only enters the Lifestream if they’ve somehow fallen into the core of the planet or once they’ve passed away and returned to the planet. Both scenarios merit consideration.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there” (disk 3, chapter 3).
On the one hand, it’s possible that Cloud was summoned to Ivalice after he and Tifa fall into the core of the planet: this point in the FFVII OG timeline occurs after Aerith’s death and shortly before Cloud finds out he was never SOLDIER, which matches the gaps in FFT Cloud’s memory quite well. However, this scenario does not account for the vagueness with which FFT Cloud remembers Aerith and her death. Most importantly, Cloud’s realization that he can find Aerith in the Promised Land occurs much later in the game (FFVII OG, disk 3, chapter 3) than when he falls into the Lifestream with Tifa (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).
On the other hand, FFT Cloud’s vague yet persistent memories of Aerith suggest that he’s been summoned to Ivalice after his eventual death post-OG, but also that he’s lost quite a large portion of his memories. His incomplete memory loss is likely the result of Cloud’s individuality’s erosion by the Lifestream after death, which we discussed in section “II. a) ii.”. We can therefore surmise that by the time he is summoned to Ivalice from the Lifestream, Cloud has been dead for long enough that the Lifestream eroded a large portion of the memories of his lifetime. This post-death scenario is likelier than the first. The memory of Cloud’s realization that he was never SOLDIER must be gone, which explains why he claims otherwise upon being summoned to Ivalice. Contrastingly, vestiges of Cloud’s OG memories of Aerith cling to his soul, even after others have been wiped clean. Could this be a consequence of their soulmate bond? Could the strength of Cloud’s love and grief for Aerith have made his memories of her stronger and more difficult for the Lifestream to erode? Could it be both?
One thing is clear: Aerith is of fundamental importance to Cloud, even when he can’t quite remember her. In fact, the only other character he remembers and/or mentions in FFT is Sephiroth. It does make sense that the memories of those who have marked one’s soul forevermore would be the most difficult for the Lifestream to erode.
III. c) Dissidia Final Fantasy
The next stop on our travels through suspension worlds is 2008’s Dissidia Final Fantasy! Now strap in, because here’s where things get really serious.
III. c) i. Fact Finding
In the suspension world of Dissidia Final Fantasy (DFF), the goddess of harmony Cosmos and the god of discord Chaos are engaged in a never-ending cycle of conflict. Both deities need warriors to fight on their behalf, so they recruit core world characters into their respective teams by summoning them to DFF. Some of these summoned characters are FFIV’s Cecil, FFVI’s Terra, FFVII’s Sephiroth, FFX’s Tidus, and of course, FFVII’s Cloud. The warriors find themselves in the suspension world of DFF with no memories of their core worlds’ plotlines. However, as the DFF adventure progresses, they are able to recover pieces of their memories here and there. It isn’t clear how much they come to remember. Ultimately, the warriors hope to return home to their core worlds by fighting in this war and seeing to its end.
Cloud is summoned to DFF as a warrior on the side of Chaos, who seeks to destroy all existence. Sephiroth is also on Chaos’ side, meaning the two are teammates despite being enemies in their core world of FFVII. It just so happens that Tifa is a summoned warrior in DFF too, though she’s fighting on Cosmos’ side. Intrigued by her vague familiarity, Sephiroth hypothesizes that killing Tifa will bring back his memories of OG’s plot line: before long, the masamune wielder finds Tifa alone and corners her into a one-on-one fight. Thankfully, Cloud swoops in and saves her before Sephiroth can do any harm. Tifa is thankful for Cloud’s help, though confused that Cloud would elect to assist her and turn against a fellow warrior of Chaos; she doesn’t remember what Sephiroth and Cloud mean to each other in OG. In fact, Tifa doesn’t even remember Cloud’s name or that they share a core world, though Cloud feels somewhat familiar to her. For his part, Cloud at least remembers that Tifa is someone he cares about from his core world. As Tifa thanks Cloud for saving her from Sephiroth, something she says elicits an odd reaction from the warrior of Chaos:
“Tifa: The way you showed up and fought that guy off. It was a pretty cool thing to watch. You were like a hero, charging in to save the girl.On another note, Cloud knows he will have to fight Tifa once the Cosmos-Chaos conflict comes to a head, as they are on opposing teams. He thinks to himself:
Cloud gasps at her words. She doesn’t notice” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).
“Once [her] memories return, [she]’ll lose the will to fight just like I have. So... Before that can happen, I have to act...” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).In order to end the cycle of the conflict and to avoid fighting Tifa, Cloud decides to try and defeat Chaos himself. Predictably, Cloud is no match for the deity. As he dies, Cloud pleads the following to the goddess Cosmos:
“Cosmos, goddess of harmony. If you can hear me, listen to my plea. I beg you. Save her. Save my friend… Tifa.”Cosmos hears him and responds immediately:
“Cosmos: An end to this conflict, and a life spared? This is your heart's desire? If your will remains unchanged, I shall bring you here when the battle draws to a close. Cloud. My chosen" (Dissidia 0.13: Treachery of the Gods, report 7: “Unexpected Fulfillment 3”).Cloud’s wish is granted by Cosmos: the first phase of the conflict ends without Tifa getting hurt, and she is sent away from the suspension world of DFF before the second phase begins. Cloud is saved from death, and Cosmos enlists him into her team of warriors for phase two: this time, Cloud is fighting on the good side.
Now we enter phase two of the war. Cosmos tells her team of ten core world warriors that in order to save the world from Chaos’ destruction, they must collect what she describes as crystals containing the power to persist through darkness. I call these the “DFF crystals”. There are ten DFF crystals in total: one for every warrior in Cosmos’ group to find. To obtain their crystal, each hero must overcome a trial that will confront them with whatever personal struggle they faced in their core world; if they prove themselves worthy, their DFF crystal will appear to them. On one hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals simply take the form of the crystals found in their core world. For example, Onion Knight’s DFF crystal looks to be nothing more than one of FFIII’s elemental crystals, which hold little to no personal significance to him. On the other hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals symbolize something more personal to their respective warriors. For instance, Cecil’s DFF crystal looks to be one of FFIV’s dark crystals, which specifically represent the dichotomy of light and darkness he struggles with in his core world’s plot line. Cosmos describes the quest for the DFF crystals as follows:
“Cosmos: The crystals embody the strength to face despair. With ten gathered, there is hope yet to save the world. The path to your crystal will be perilous... and different for each and every one of you. But you must believe in and follow your own path. Even if you know not where that path leads" (Dissidia 013: Light to All, prologue: “A Final Hope”).From this exposition, simply keep in mind that: Cloud must find his crystal by overcoming a personal trial, and his crystal may have the appearance of an object in OG that’s important to him.
Once the team is debriefed on their mission, Cloud remains reticent to fight; he doesn’t much like the mysterious nature of this conflict. Not knowing exactly what they’re all fighting for is clearly bothersome to the swordsman, and the idea of thoughtlessly engaging in battles leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Fellow warrior Firion understands that without a reason to fight, Cloud’s heart just isn’t in it. He imparts upon Cloud that he must have a dream he’s fighting to protect, something he wants to see come true, to motivate him to stop Chaos from destroying all existence. Unfortunately, Cloud doesn’t have a dream to preserve, or can’t find one for himself:
“Cloud: I've looked, but I'm still empty-handed. And without a dream, what do you suppose I should do? […] Maybe what I'm looking for... isn't here” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gateway of Good and Evil”).Another fellow warrior, Cecil, expresses worry for Cloud, whose response evokes the main theme of FFVII OG:
“Cecil: Everyone's worried, Cloud. But... Do you shoulder a larger concern?Whatever Cloud is looking for “isn’t [there]”, and he feels “a sense of loss”: Cloud’s motivating dream has been lost to him. This is later reasserted in a conversation with Terra, another warrior of Cosmos:
Cloud: Concern... Maybe a sense of loss" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Beyond the Continent”).
“Terra: And you, Cloud... What's your dream?Later, Cloud encounters and fights Sephiroth, who is still a part of Chaos’ team. Sephiroth is defeated, but not before he’s taunted Cloud with his habitual puppet talk. However, Cloud remains strong and refutes Sephiroth’s manipulation, asserting that only he can determine his own path. This must’ve been Cloud’s personal trial, because his crystal appears at that very moment: it is a small, light green orb that looks like materia from his core world. Having pocketed his crystal, Cloud decides he must find his own reason to fight. Interestingly, his search is depicted as intertwined with Fate:
Cloud: I've lost mine" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 3: “The Chosen Battle”, “Gateway of True Intent”).
“Cloud: Even if I have my doubts... I have to find my own answer […] Until then, I'll keep fighting.Later, the nemeses meet again in a segment called “Recurring Tragedy”. Their interactions here are particularly interesting. Sephiroth speaks of making Cloud suffer through despair and pain as though referencing their history together:
Narration: The warrior has vowed to keep fighting— and keep fighting he will […]. Etched in destiny, his quest for answers continues on” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gulg Gateway”).
"Sephiroth: This disease called hope is eating you alive. The world of suffering was born out of such half-baked ideals.This final line suggests Cloud has finally found a reason to fight: he wants to meet someone unspecified.
Cloud: If that's the case, I have to endure the suffering. There's no moving on if I run from it.
Sephiroth: If that is what you wish for, you shall drown in the pain. I'll lead you to true despair. [My] shadow is burned into your heart. We'll meet again, Cloud. I'll keep coming back— as long as you are who you are."
Sephiroth disappears. Cloud looks out into the distance before the scene ends.
“Cloud: No thanks. The one I really want to meet is…” (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”).
Finally, after the war has ended, we arrive at the final cutscene of DFF. I will let you read the full script, with notes added by me in bold behind the spoiler censors. Please do not read my notes if you do not wish to encounter spoilers for FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFVIII, FFIX or FFX:
“[The] heroes are all standing together in a grassy field with a forest behind them. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and the wind is blowing gently. The heroes look around them in awe. They're all holding their crystals.As you can see, everyone’s crystal is very important to the story of their core world, and in the cases of at least Tidus, Squall, Terra and Cecil, the crystals represent something very personal. What about Cloud and his crystal, then? What about the dream he lost and the person he wants to meet? Let’s begin analyzing to answer these questions.
WoL: The battle has come to an end...
Tidus notices that his crystal has begun to emanate a blue glow.>! His crystal is a movie sphere from his core world of FFX: a capsule containing sounds and images that people record for later viewing. Tidus’ crystal likely represents the specific movie sphere recorded by his love interest Yuna, which revealed that she’d loved him from the beginning.!<
Tidus: Gotta go, huh...
The blue glow transfers to him as well. He turns to look at the others
[…] Tidus grins at the others, then turns and runs toward a nearby lake. He leaps into it in a manner reminiscent of [the events] of FFX. He vanishes as he descends toward the lake.
Zidane: We're not vanishing. We're returning—
Zidane is sitting on a tree limb as he says this. His crystal begins to glow gold, as does he. His crystal is shaped like a highly important ‘progenitor of all life’ crystal from his core world of FFIX.
Zidane: — to where we're supposed to be.
Zidane spins around the tree limb with the use of his tail and launches toward the sun. He's lost to view.
A white feather then drifts down from that direction and Squall catches it. The feather is reminiscent of his love Rinoa Heartilly, whose character symbol is a white feather. In fact, Squall’s crystal looks like a mix of his revolver gunblade from FFVIII and Rinoa’s feather motif. [Squall glows blue.]
Squall: Perhaps we can go on a mission together again.
Squall vanishes.
Cloud is then visible, standing in [a] flower field. The flowers are white and yellow. Cloud has his crystal, a light green materia from his core world of FFVII, in hand.
Cloud: [(Chuckles shortly, like a scoff)] Not interested.
Cloud walks off into the flower field, gaining a green glow. He vanishes.
A snowflake then falls into Terra's right hand as her crystal begins to glow pink. The flames drawn on her crystal represent her power, which is connected to the element of fire: her character arc in FFVI.
Terra: I think I've learned how to keep going. Thank you— and take care.
Terra glows pink and then vanishes. Bartz throws a stick. He's glowing pink as well.
Bartz: When you're having the most fun, that's when time always flies. His crystal is the Adamantite from his core world of FFV.
Bartz vanishes.
Cecil: It's mine to pass on—
A moon appears behind Cecil and goes through its phases as he begins to glow blue. His crystal has shadowed and illuminated parts, representing the duality of his character, which is central to his personal arc in his core world of FFIV. It also represents his brother Golbez, who has chosen the darkness. Cecil considers his familial bond with Golbez his guiding light and hopes to be with him someday.
Cecil: — this strength I've gained from everyone.
Cecil vanishes.
Onion Knight hugs his crystal and looks up toward the sky. His crystal is shaped like those found in his core world of FFIII**.**
Onion Knight: Everyone... thank you!
Onion Knight briefly glows blue and then vanishes.
There are wild roses at Firion's feet. He and WoL are looking toward the sky. WoL suddenly begins walking away while Firion looks down and sees the roses.
Firion: This isn't the end. Another dream is waiting to begin.
His crystal is the color of the wild roses that were at the center of his dream and of his motivation to fight Chaos. The roses are also the emblem of the Rebel Army he was a part of in his core world of FFII. His crystal is shaped like Pandaemonium, the final dungeon of his core world story. Firion gains a violet glow and then vanishes.
WoL is walking through the field and then comes to a stop. He's looking at something.
WoL: May the light forever shine upon us.”
III. c) ii. Fact Analysis
Firstly, it’s clear to me that the Cloud that appears in DFF is a post-OG Cloud, given how many plot points from OG he interacts with. I’m reticent to say whether or not this post-OG Cloud is dead like in FFT, as he recovers many of his memories of OG during DFF and there is no evidence of him having passed away and joined the Lifestream.
The second thing I’d like to point out is Cloud’s strange reaction when Tifa compares him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. Cloud gasps, indicating that her words mean something to him; the trope Tifa references must therefore be included somewhere in the FFVII OG plot-line. Some of you are surely ahead of me by now, having realized that only the tragic antithesis of this trope appears in OG: Cloud is unable to save Aerith from Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). Whether or not DFF Cloud remembers Aerith herself at this point, it’s clear he recalls the pain and guilt of losing Aerith to Sephiroth.
Next, let’s address Cloud’s lost dream: to meet an unspecified person. It seems Cloud is aware at this point that in OG, he was eternally separated from the person he dreams of meeting. So, who was he separated from in his core world? Who can he never meet again, even if his team of warriors defeats Chaos and Cloud returns to the realm of FFVII? There are a few options —his mother, his father, Zack, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and any other person he knew who died—, but the sheer narrative weight that Aerith’s untimely death carries makes it clear who he truly wants to meet. This is corroborated by Cloud’s “I think I can meet her… there” line in OG (disk 3 chapter 3), by FFT Cloud’s search for Aerith during his appearance in Ivalice, and by Cloud’s strange reaction to Tifa’s comparing him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. All the available evidence suggests that Cloud’s dream is indeed to reunite with Aerith, and that this dream is “lost” to him because she was killed by Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). This would also explain the title of the DFF segment “Recurring Tragedy”, since as we all know, the ultimate tragedy of FFVII OG is Aerith’s death. Considering Sephiroth was the one to take Aerith away from Cloud, Sephiroth’s threats of drowning him in despair in “Recurring Tragedy” only solidify this interpretation of Cloud’s lost dream.
Finally, we arrive at the ending cutscene. Cosmos’ warriors return to where they belong to try and accomplish whatever dream they held as motivation during the Cosmos-Chaos conflict, each carrying their DFF crystal. Cloud is shown standing in a field of white and yellow flowers and walking deeper into it with a light green materia in hand. Why was a white and yellow flower field chosen to represent DFF Cloud’s dream? The answer is obvious. White and yellow flowers symbolize Aerith: she sold Cloud a yellow blossom upon first meeting him in OG (disk 1, chapter 1), and her yellow and white flowerbed cushioned Cloud’s fall when the two reunited in the Sector 5 church (disk 1, chapter 4). What’s more, we have the iconic credits video of the original cut of Advent Children to refer to, wherein Cloud is seen driving near flower fields. Aerith stands there (3:20), seemingly waiting for him. Here’s what Nomura had to say about this credits scene:
"[...] we filmed the video for the ending credits in Hawaii. There are fields of flowers on both sides of the road, and the colors —yellow and white— are the same as the flowers in Aerith's church […]. With Aerith, 'flowers' have been her image throughout the series” (FFVII Reunion Files, “Countdown to Reunion”, “Stories from CG Production”, page 87).Even in the Advent Children Complete cut of the film, where Aerith is not shown standing in the field, the flowers and their symbolism of Aerith remain. That being so, it’s more than fair to say that the white and yellow flowers in DFF’s ending cutscene serve as yet another confirmation that Cloud’s dream is to be with Aerith.
With all of this established, we can address the nature of Cloud’s DFF crystal. As we established, every core world has its own version of a crystal, each possessing a distinct appearance, function and meaning. Materia are the crystals of FFVII, so one could be satisfied by the proposition that Cloud’s DFF crystal is simply meant to represent a random materia. However, I think Cloud’s crystal is specifically the White Materia, as it represents Aerith’s sacrifice, her importance to the plot and what she died fighting for. If any one object symbolizes her death, it’s the White Materia; it’s even given closeups during the event (2:33-3:02). Besides, unlike any other materia in FFVII, the White Materia is known to glow a light green when Holy has been activated:
“Bugenhagen: If [the prayer] reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green” (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 15).Here are pictures of the White Materia in OG and Advent Children, and two pictures of Cloud's DFF crystal (in order) so you can compare for yourself:
https://preview.redd.it/0qtumfeyfq0d1.jpg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3995f010738c83fca0c5842a0564d0a9ad206dfd
https://preview.redd.it/0kj525tzfq0d1.jpg?width=1144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=575573ef1d2c937635cf569d4a376886a24b384c
Cloud's DFF Crystal
Cloud’s DFF crystal
So far, in both suspension world games we’ve examined (FFT and DFF), Cloud is searching for Aerith. As a final note on DFF, it may interest you to know that codirector of the Remake trilogy Toriyama was actually a writer for DFF: he may have carried some themes from DFF to Remake…
III. d) Detour: The Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition
Before we hop onto the next suspension world, let’s return to ours for a quick detour: the 2018 Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Expo. Themed with farewells and tragedy, this expo showcased the heartbreaking goodbyes featured in different FF games. Artwork, clips, quotes and images aplenty here! As the highly anticipated Remake was going to be coming out approximately a year and a half later, the FFVII section of the expo featured a few sneak peek Remake designs. This means the expo was at least partly curated with the Remake trilogy in mind; there could be interesting material in the FFVII section of the expo related to Remake. Let’s dive in!
Unsurprisingly, the focus of the FFVII section is Cloud and Aerith, since she is the loved one he lost in OG. Zack is also given a mention, however Aerith was the glaringly central star of the show. To showcase how important Aerith’s farewell in particular was to the expo, the FFVII portion was introduced by a photo of Cloud lowering Aerith into her watery grave and a video of her tragic death:
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition, FFVII Introduction
The description under the video screen reads:
“She was gone in the blink of an eye. But the pain never went away.Conveniently enough for us, the expo’s tagline is “Who is the person you want to meet again?” Given that Aerith holds the spotlight in the FFVII section of the expo, it’s clear who SE is telling us Cloud wants to reunite with. Recall Cloud’s unfinished line in DFF: “The one I really want to meet is..." (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”). We theorized that he must be referring to Aerith, and now, we are certain.
Aerith awoke the ultimate magic to protect the planet and the people she loved. Yet her life came to a sudden end at the hands of Sephiroth, a man bent on seeing the world destroyed. Even the usually stoic Cloud couldn’t hide his grief at the unexpected death of an irreplaceable companion. ‘My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning.’ True words, revealing Cloud’s deep sorrow” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition).
The expo also had pamphlet descriptions of the farewells depicted. Here is the general summary of FFVII‘s farewell story according to that pamphlet:
“The story follows the lead character Cloud, but it is the heroine, Aerith, who opens Cloud’s eyes and helps bring him closer to understanding the mystery that is his past. Through her, we draw closer to the truth of the story.It’s interesting that SE would mention the rumors of Aerith’s revival circulated by players back in 1997, especially as fans were awaiting Remake’s release…
This scene, in which the heroine Aerith is lost, is easily the most shocking and tragic in the story. No one expected to say goodbye to such a major character in the middle of the story. Rumors of a secret way to revive Aerith spread, and it was clear players were having a hard time saying goodbye to her too. Even now, twenty years later, it still feels like a shocking turn of events” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition Pamphlet, page 36).
In light of everything we’ve analyzed so far, it can be said that between FFT (1997) and this farewell expo (2018), SE has consistently demonstrated that reuniting with Aerith is post-OG Cloud’s goal. That’s a period of over two decades— two decades of wishing, seeking, longing in real-world time for this character. This is a huge long-term commitment for SE to make, and you can bet the devs don’t take it lightly. Again and again, once the events of the OG game have ended, Cloud is shown to desire a reunion with Aerith. This ever-present and ever-insistent theme will become very important to us later in this analysis.
(continued in part 3)
2024.05.16 03:41 NotTooSunny The Body in the Library (Part 2/2)
ooc: co-written with the lovely u/LyrePlayerTwo
READ PART 1 HERE
The Final Guess
Harper made eye contact with Amon, slack-jawed. Any trace of condescension in her brown eyes was replaced with panic. “You were wrong.”
Amon let her words hang in the air as he sank into the chair by the desk with more force than he had intended.
“They’re her parents. They would have more of a motive than the rest of the suspects,” he retorted quickly, repeating Harper’s earlier words with a bitter edge. “Is what I recall hearing.”
“There were no other options!” Harper turned back to the wall, and tapped her chalk against the board. The powdery stick threatened to snap in her grip as she read out the remaining suspect names. “The Hydra was in the middle of a fight, Cerberus was working, and Lamia could not lie about being innocent.” She looked back towards Amon. “We eliminated all of those together.”
Amon remained composed, attempting to keep his voice steady despite the tension caused by their blunder. “And yet, we both made a mistake,” he agreed, scrutinizing the board in front of him as if it held a secret answer they had missed. “We have no room to make another one. But it must be one of those three.”
Though Amon’s words were calm and measured, his furrowed brow and clenched jaw betrayed an inner turmoil of his mind working overtime.
“Emotions or not, I think we can be sure it was not Lamia.” Harper began to pace around the study, her restless movements a physical manifestation of her racing mind. “So we should take a look at Cerberus and the Hydra again.”
"I was guarding the entrance, my duty unbroken," Amon repeated Cerberus’ alibi, resting his chin in his hands as he leaned against the desk.
Harper nodded. “I really don’t think that Cerberus could have lied about staying on guard. Or that he would have. He would not risk the gods’ wrath.”
“True,” Amon agreed, his dark gaze following Harper as she paced around the study room. “The voice of duty is more eloquent than the voice of sin. At least, the father of Greek tragedy said so,” he added with a hint of smug satisfaction.
Harper stopped walking. Amon's words seemed to have pulled her out of her spiral. She looked over at Amon again, a hint of amusement in her brown eyes. She remarked, “You always quote other people when you're arguing. Do you ever speak for yourself?”
Amon opened his mouth, then closed it, his olive complexion growing pink as he glared at Harper.
"Understanding the thoughts of those who came before us is not a lack of capacity for original thought. It is a foundation upon which we can build our own ideas.” He stood up from his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “Ideas that we need to get out of this job alive.”
“And I deeply respect the writings of Aeschylus,” Harper began diplomatically, “But I think the tragedians would have very unhelpful things to say about our predicament. I say we focus on writing our own story.”
She shrugged, offering Amon a slight smile before she turned away.
“Alright.” Amon grumbled as he sat back down in the chair, noting that Harper had named Aeschylus before he had a chance to cite his source. “Let us keep going with the problem at hand then.”
It was unfortunate how easily they had fallen into their patterns of needless bickering, but he almost missed it as the room fell back into a suffocating silence. Amon had no other leads, and, for once, nothing else to say.
It looked like Harper had nothing either. She stopped wandering around and sank into a chair close to the chalkboard, the active analytical expression on her face giving way to a chilling blankness.
Amon was not going to give up. He pursed his lips, attempting to recall the details of every obscure Greek text he had ever read.
Yet, despite the gravity of their current circumstances, his thoughts couldn’t help but return to Harper’s comment. What a ridiculous thing to say– of course he could think for himself, speak for himself. Admittedly, he had quoted Aeschylus to show off, but the words of the Ancient Greeks were not irrelevant in solving a mythological murder mystery. The key here was that, alone, Amon would never know enough. It would always be useful to have input from a second mind, whether it was from a long-dead playwright or another demigod sitting right in front of him.
A second mind.
Amon shut his eyes, massaging his temples as he tried to visualize the fleeting holograms. “Harper. Who spoke for the Hydra? Was it all of the heads, or just one?”
“The middle head, I think?” Harper's voice grew louder as she stood and approached him, waiting for him to elaborate.
Amon’s eyes flew open, gleaming with a sudden excitement. “Well, if the heads can talk independently - “
“-then they can act independently!” Harper clapped a hand over her mouth in realization of her interruption. She smiled apologetically at Amon before continuing. “Sorry. But you're right. We focused on the wrong technicality. It wasn't what they said. It was who said it.”
“But your point about monster opposable thumbs still holds true,” Amon’s shoulders sagged slightly. “And we know that the sword must be correct.”
Harper shook her head sheepishly. “I don't think it matters. I knew it probably wouldn't after the first guess, really. I just didn't want to be wrong.”
The room fell into a heavy silence as the pair considered their final answer, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioning. Harper scanned the chalkboard again, pursing her lips as she checked their work. Amon's jaw clenched tighter as his gaze remained fixed on Harper, lost in thought.
He broke the silence with a firm declaration, his voice steady and assured. "I feel confident about the Hydra and the sword. Do you?"
Harper nodded. “Yes. Do you want to be the one to tell her?”
Amon stood up from the chair once more, smoothing the wrinkles in his sweater. “I’ll leave the honors to you.”
“Okay,” Harper agreed, exhaling slowly. Her fingertips brushed against the base of her kopis as she called out to the monster, her voice even and clear. “For our final guess, we accuse the Hydra of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
The sphinx rolled over and then stood. She took measured steps towards the demigods, eyeing the shortswords at their waists with a relaxed, almost sleepy expression.
Harper stiffened as the lioness drew closer. Even if Harper and Amon tried to fight her off now, it was not likely that they would win. This sphinx had the unbothered demeanor of a being who no longer feared death.
“You are correct,” the sphinx proclaimed, after a long silence. “And what an agonizing death it was,” Her melodramatic ranting was muted by the disappointment of her defeat. Still, she held her head high as she judged the demigods who had outsmarted her. “I must say that you have both exceeded expectations. If only barely.”
Harper and Amon exchanged looks. Harper took another cautious step towards the sphinx, saying, “You said you would leave if we got it right.”
“So I did.” the lioness agreed. “Humans spend their lives in pursuit of knowledge, you know. So often, they fail to apply it, only to repeat the same mistakes that they made before. You do not have the luxury of learning from your past lives, as I do. So I hope you have learned something that you will remember.”
She stalked towards the window, turning to offer the demigods one last prideful glance. “Goodbye, demigods.”
The Sphinx pushed the curtain aside and jumped through the open window.
As she left, the shimmering, translucent energy that had materialized the suspects returned once more. It swirled around the six weapons the pair had gathered, slowly dissolving them into sparkling motes of blue light. The door to the study room creaked back open.
“Well,” Amon slid his hands into the pocket of his trousers, “I am glad that our initial oversight did not lead to imminent death.” His tense and stony features had finally relaxed into a rare smile, exposing the metallic gleam of the brackets and wires on his teeth.
“All men make mistakes,” Harper intoned with exaggerated pretension. “But a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong. Or so the tragedians say.”
She walked over to the chalkboard and began to erase her script, barely restraining a laugh.
Amon nodded in approval as he crouched down to pick up some of the remaining debris. “A bit of a mainstream citation, yes. But contextually relevant and rich with insight.”
Soon, the study room was back to its ordinary state, and they were ready to leave. Amon held the door open as they exited the room. “Now, returning to the topic of thinking for oneself…”
References: Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan, Clue, Wordle, Aeschylus, and Antigone by Sophocles
submitted by NotTooSunny to CampHalfBloodRP [link] [comments]
READ PART 1 HERE
| Suspects | Weapons |
|---|---|
| Cerberus??? | |
| Lamia??? | |
| The Hydra?? | Celestial Bronze Sword |
Amon let her words hang in the air as he sank into the chair by the desk with more force than he had intended.
“They’re her parents. They would have more of a motive than the rest of the suspects,” he retorted quickly, repeating Harper’s earlier words with a bitter edge. “Is what I recall hearing.”
“There were no other options!” Harper turned back to the wall, and tapped her chalk against the board. The powdery stick threatened to snap in her grip as she read out the remaining suspect names. “The Hydra was in the middle of a fight, Cerberus was working, and Lamia could not lie about being innocent.” She looked back towards Amon. “We eliminated all of those together.”
Amon remained composed, attempting to keep his voice steady despite the tension caused by their blunder. “And yet, we both made a mistake,” he agreed, scrutinizing the board in front of him as if it held a secret answer they had missed. “We have no room to make another one. But it must be one of those three.”
Though Amon’s words were calm and measured, his furrowed brow and clenched jaw betrayed an inner turmoil of his mind working overtime.
“Emotions or not, I think we can be sure it was not Lamia.” Harper began to pace around the study, her restless movements a physical manifestation of her racing mind. “So we should take a look at Cerberus and the Hydra again.”
"I was guarding the entrance, my duty unbroken," Amon repeated Cerberus’ alibi, resting his chin in his hands as he leaned against the desk.
Harper nodded. “I really don’t think that Cerberus could have lied about staying on guard. Or that he would have. He would not risk the gods’ wrath.”
“True,” Amon agreed, his dark gaze following Harper as she paced around the study room. “The voice of duty is more eloquent than the voice of sin. At least, the father of Greek tragedy said so,” he added with a hint of smug satisfaction.
Harper stopped walking. Amon's words seemed to have pulled her out of her spiral. She looked over at Amon again, a hint of amusement in her brown eyes. She remarked, “You always quote other people when you're arguing. Do you ever speak for yourself?”
Amon opened his mouth, then closed it, his olive complexion growing pink as he glared at Harper.
"Understanding the thoughts of those who came before us is not a lack of capacity for original thought. It is a foundation upon which we can build our own ideas.” He stood up from his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “Ideas that we need to get out of this job alive.”
“And I deeply respect the writings of Aeschylus,” Harper began diplomatically, “But I think the tragedians would have very unhelpful things to say about our predicament. I say we focus on writing our own story.”
She shrugged, offering Amon a slight smile before she turned away.
“Alright.” Amon grumbled as he sat back down in the chair, noting that Harper had named Aeschylus before he had a chance to cite his source. “Let us keep going with the problem at hand then.”
It was unfortunate how easily they had fallen into their patterns of needless bickering, but he almost missed it as the room fell back into a suffocating silence. Amon had no other leads, and, for once, nothing else to say.
It looked like Harper had nothing either. She stopped wandering around and sank into a chair close to the chalkboard, the active analytical expression on her face giving way to a chilling blankness.
Amon was not going to give up. He pursed his lips, attempting to recall the details of every obscure Greek text he had ever read.
Yet, despite the gravity of their current circumstances, his thoughts couldn’t help but return to Harper’s comment. What a ridiculous thing to say– of course he could think for himself, speak for himself. Admittedly, he had quoted Aeschylus to show off, but the words of the Ancient Greeks were not irrelevant in solving a mythological murder mystery. The key here was that, alone, Amon would never know enough. It would always be useful to have input from a second mind, whether it was from a long-dead playwright or another demigod sitting right in front of him.
A second mind.
Amon shut his eyes, massaging his temples as he tried to visualize the fleeting holograms. “Harper. Who spoke for the Hydra? Was it all of the heads, or just one?”
“The middle head, I think?” Harper's voice grew louder as she stood and approached him, waiting for him to elaborate.
Amon’s eyes flew open, gleaming with a sudden excitement. “Well, if the heads can talk independently - “
“-then they can act independently!” Harper clapped a hand over her mouth in realization of her interruption. She smiled apologetically at Amon before continuing. “Sorry. But you're right. We focused on the wrong technicality. It wasn't what they said. It was who said it.”
“But your point about monster opposable thumbs still holds true,” Amon’s shoulders sagged slightly. “And we know that the sword must be correct.”
Harper shook her head sheepishly. “I don't think it matters. I knew it probably wouldn't after the first guess, really. I just didn't want to be wrong.”
The room fell into a heavy silence as the pair considered their final answer, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioning. Harper scanned the chalkboard again, pursing her lips as she checked their work. Amon's jaw clenched tighter as his gaze remained fixed on Harper, lost in thought.
He broke the silence with a firm declaration, his voice steady and assured. "I feel confident about the Hydra and the sword. Do you?"
Harper nodded. “Yes. Do you want to be the one to tell her?”
Amon stood up from the chair once more, smoothing the wrinkles in his sweater. “I’ll leave the honors to you.”
“Okay,” Harper agreed, exhaling slowly. Her fingertips brushed against the base of her kopis as she called out to the monster, her voice even and clear. “For our final guess, we accuse the Hydra of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
The sphinx rolled over and then stood. She took measured steps towards the demigods, eyeing the shortswords at their waists with a relaxed, almost sleepy expression.
Harper stiffened as the lioness drew closer. Even if Harper and Amon tried to fight her off now, it was not likely that they would win. This sphinx had the unbothered demeanor of a being who no longer feared death.
“You are correct,” the sphinx proclaimed, after a long silence. “And what an agonizing death it was,” Her melodramatic ranting was muted by the disappointment of her defeat. Still, she held her head high as she judged the demigods who had outsmarted her. “I must say that you have both exceeded expectations. If only barely.”
Harper and Amon exchanged looks. Harper took another cautious step towards the sphinx, saying, “You said you would leave if we got it right.”
“So I did.” the lioness agreed. “Humans spend their lives in pursuit of knowledge, you know. So often, they fail to apply it, only to repeat the same mistakes that they made before. You do not have the luxury of learning from your past lives, as I do. So I hope you have learned something that you will remember.”
She stalked towards the window, turning to offer the demigods one last prideful glance. “Goodbye, demigods.”
The Sphinx pushed the curtain aside and jumped through the open window.
As she left, the shimmering, translucent energy that had materialized the suspects returned once more. It swirled around the six weapons the pair had gathered, slowly dissolving them into sparkling motes of blue light. The door to the study room creaked back open.
“Well,” Amon slid his hands into the pocket of his trousers, “I am glad that our initial oversight did not lead to imminent death.” His tense and stony features had finally relaxed into a rare smile, exposing the metallic gleam of the brackets and wires on his teeth.
“All men make mistakes,” Harper intoned with exaggerated pretension. “But a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong. Or so the tragedians say.”
She walked over to the chalkboard and began to erase her script, barely restraining a laugh.
Amon nodded in approval as he crouched down to pick up some of the remaining debris. “A bit of a mainstream citation, yes. But contextually relevant and rich with insight.”
Soon, the study room was back to its ordinary state, and they were ready to leave. Amon held the door open as they exited the room. “Now, returning to the topic of thinking for oneself…”
2024.05.16 00:46 mathreviewer Courage to let go
Long time lurker here. It's time I officially gave up on this sub for the sake of my sanity.
Despite always having loved school, years of depression prevented my starting college at 18. Fortunately, at age 22 my fervor for life and academics rekindled. But, my high school class graduated undergrad 5 years ago yet I can't even start college until age 28, if that :/ This is all due to unfortunate external factors. At best I can become a doctor at age 40. I hate to say this, but that's bad timing for a woman.
Yeah, I've heard the “you will be X age anyway so you might as well follow your dreams” quote enough times that I'm unfazed by it now. In fact I've waited so long to start college that I feel like an innocent prisoner who is waiting to be let out and move on with their life. The difference is that usually unfairly accused prisoners are awarded a handsome compensation to get back on their feet while I have to start from scratch (and even go into debt).
Medical knowledge is at the junction between my love for anatomy, chemistry, mathematics, and caring for people. PA is a good option, but the knowledge gap and extroversion required compared to doctors is quite unappealing. Therefore, I will most likely just get a generic bachelor's degree in a STEM subject and hope a semi-interesting job will cross my path. It's time I have the courage to join the ranks of countless unfortunate people who never realized their full potential due to poverty, persecution, lack of opportunity, or just plain bad luck.
I am far luckier than many because my love for life has never stopped increasing even years after depression. I just wished it came with a side of ~following my dream~. Alas, such is life. Everything good requires some sacrifice.
To all young people: don't squander your opportunities! There are plenty of people who would do anything to be in your place, including me, and including your possibly future unfulfilled selves. Live your best lives. Humans share one soul. Goodbye!
submitted by mathreviewer to premed [link] [comments]
Despite always having loved school, years of depression prevented my starting college at 18. Fortunately, at age 22 my fervor for life and academics rekindled. But, my high school class graduated undergrad 5 years ago yet I can't even start college until age 28, if that :/ This is all due to unfortunate external factors. At best I can become a doctor at age 40. I hate to say this, but that's bad timing for a woman.
Yeah, I've heard the “you will be X age anyway so you might as well follow your dreams” quote enough times that I'm unfazed by it now. In fact I've waited so long to start college that I feel like an innocent prisoner who is waiting to be let out and move on with their life. The difference is that usually unfairly accused prisoners are awarded a handsome compensation to get back on their feet while I have to start from scratch (and even go into debt).
Medical knowledge is at the junction between my love for anatomy, chemistry, mathematics, and caring for people. PA is a good option, but the knowledge gap and extroversion required compared to doctors is quite unappealing. Therefore, I will most likely just get a generic bachelor's degree in a STEM subject and hope a semi-interesting job will cross my path. It's time I have the courage to join the ranks of countless unfortunate people who never realized their full potential due to poverty, persecution, lack of opportunity, or just plain bad luck.
I am far luckier than many because my love for life has never stopped increasing even years after depression. I just wished it came with a side of ~following my dream~. Alas, such is life. Everything good requires some sacrifice.
To all young people: don't squander your opportunities! There are plenty of people who would do anything to be in your place, including me, and including your possibly future unfulfilled selves. Live your best lives. Humans share one soul. Goodbye!
2024.05.15 23:05 LinkLost380 Possible Matty References in Reputation
I’m so glad this sub exists because I’ve been annoying everyone in my life with my theories about these two … I figured this would be the right place to post my speculation/lyric breakdowns of songs that they may have written about each other, split into different posts for albums for ease of reading.
Starting with Reputation (2017) – I imagine the failed relationship with Matty was still fresh for Taylor during the writing/recording of this album. Her reference to her “longings locked in lowercase inside a vault” definitely made me look back at Rep in a way I hadn’t before (and I do think we’ll see some Matty-coded vault tracks on TV”. That said I don’t want to erase her other relationships, especially with Joe, so I’ll make notes of where I think I’m either stretching for a Matty connection or I think there are multiple muses.
Special mention to “Getaway Car” which feels like another (fictionalized?) response to Robbers but the story she tells is very similar to her fling with Tom, especially given the third man in the song. I usually claim it for the maylors anyway bc who cares about Tom. Let me know what you think.
“...Ready For It?”
Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him / Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted / But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom
I can't ignore the connections here to two other songs thought to be written about M - Ghost (2014) and Haunted (2015) by Halsey (I won't bother going into the HalseyMatty lore here but I could in another post...)
"You're a Rolling Stone boy, never-sleep-alone boy / Got a million numbers and they're filling up your phone, boy" (Ghost) "I'm begging you to keep on haunting me" (Haunted) "My ghost / Where'd you go? / I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me" (Ghost)
I can be a phantom holdin' him for ransom / Knew I was a robber first time that he saw me / Stealing hearts and running off and never saying sorry / But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist / And he can be my jailer
Robbers is one of The 1975’s most famous songs. In the music video two lovers stick up a convenience store - definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it. In 2014 M dedicated the song to T in Dallas in November 2017 (a week after she attended the concert in LA) here and here
Burton to this Taylor
One of my favorite references that I think reveals a lot about the messy but irresistible relationship M and T seem to have. Here's a link to a great article about the wild love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Every love I've known in comparison is a failure / I forget their names now, I'm so very tame now / Never be the same now
This sentiment is repeated throughout many of the songs I believe are about M. The idea of a life altering love is obviously prevalent across TTPD but also in folklore, evermore, and Midnights. ex. "I'm never gonna love again" (cowboy like me), "I don't remember who I was before you painted all my nights a color I have searched for since" (Question...?), "I felt aglow like this / Never before and never since" (loml)
Also want to mention This Must Be My Dream from 2016, which M has said is about an older gf but may fit: "Let me tell you 'bout this girl / I thought she'd rearrange my world"
No one has to know / In the middle of the night, in my dreams / You should see the things we do, baby
See Guilty as Sin? lol
Baby, let the games begin
Taylor in an interview with Glamour in February 2014:
TS: [Nods. Pauses.] I think everyone should approach relationships from the perspective of playing it straight and giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Until he establishes that this is a game. And if it's a game, you need to win. The best thing to do is just walk away from the table.
CL: Is that winning?
TS: It is when they come back. [Laughs.] And if they don't, then they didn't care enough to begin with.
conclusion: I believe ...Ready For It? is a response to Robbers and reveals M and T's similar romanticism (sometimes toxic but so addicting). The mirrored stylization of ...Ready For It? and Question...? makes me think the latter is a continuation of the former. The mentions of “island breeze” and “we’ll move to an island” have made people believe this song is about Tom Hiddleston but other lyrics, namely “younger than my exes” pretty clearly contradicts that.
"End Game"
I wanna be your end game / I wanna be your first string /I wanna be your A-Team
Funny reading this after The Alchemy and So High School.
Big reputation, big reputation / Ooh, you and me, we got big reputations / And you heard about me / Ooh, you and me would be a big conversation
And they were! Especially because T hadn't been really linked to anyone after Harry, the speculation about her and M came hard and fast. M especially was inundated with questions in the months after the LA and NYC shows.
And I heard about you / You like the bad ones, too
Another possible reference to a Halsey song, this time Hurricane from 2014: "He says, "Oh, baby, beggin' you to save me / Well, lately I like 'em crazy/ Oh, maybe, you could devastate me"
I don't wanna touch you, I don't wanna be / Just another ex-love you don't wanna see / I don't wanna miss you / Like the other girls do
Very reminiscent of The 1975's song Somebody Else, released in 2016, speculated to be about T: "I don't want your body / But I hate to think about you with somebody else"
I hit you like bang, we tried to forget it, but we just couldn't
"Flashbacks waking me up / I get drunk, but it's not enough" (Death By A Thousand Cuts)
And I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put 'em
"I circled you on a map / I haven't come around in so long" (The Alchemy)
Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy
"And they tried to warn you about me" (The Albatross)
And I can't let you go, your hand prints on my soul
"Marked me like a bloodstain" (Cardigan)
It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold
So many of the songs speculated to be about M reference his eyes but the most relevant (not the starry eyed motif which we'll get to in the future) are: "Eyes like sinking ships on waters / So inviting I almost jump in" (gold rush) and "But your eyes are flying saucers from another planet / Now I'm all for you like Janet" (Snow On The Beach)
"Deep blue, but you painted me golden" (Dancing With Our Hands Tied)
You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks / So here's the truth from my red lips
From the same Glamour article, Taylor talking about her 'trick' when dating:
CL: What's the freeze-out?
TS: You don't respond to any of his texts or calls until he does something desperate [like] shows up. Or he calls and leaves a voice mail. Something that makes it very clear to you that he's interested.
disclaimer: I am someone who thinks the Tom relationship was not that serious for T, so this song imo fits what she may have told us about her relationship with M more, though the beach reference does point to Tom in a way.
"Don't Blame Me"
I've been breaking hearts a long time / And toying with them older guys / Just playthings for me to use
See the quotes from the Glamour article above. "Younger than my exes, but he act like such a man, so" (...Ready For It?)
Something happened for the first time / In the darkest little paradise
May refer to the dark concert venue where they met for the first time (see So It Goes... for more)
For you / I would cross the line / I would waste my time / I would lose my mind / They say, "She's gone too far this time."
Sentiment that is repeated throughout TTPD, but most clearly in But Daddy I Love Him
My name is whatever you decide / And I'm just gonna call you mine
Though this could be a stretch, in the spotify storyline for The 1975's Oh Caroline (2022), speculated to be about T, M said "It's an invented character, where the cadence really mattered. It couldn't be "Oh Linda" or "Oh Jane" [or "Oh Taylor"] - you had to have a 3 syllable that really works. I knew what the song was about, I had felt that about someone before and I got to write an episodic, mini movie about the subject"
disclaimer: If about M, this song is very on the nose with the drug references. Generally it's a very vague song and could easily be about Joe or another ex.
"So It Goes..."
See you in the dark / All eyes on you, my magician / All eyes on us / You make everyone disappear
Likely refers to the first time T saw M in person, when she was front row at The 1975's LA show. All eyes were on M then (including T's)
"Once upon a time, the planets and the fates / And all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room / At the same time" (Mastermind)
Tripping, tripping when you're gone
May relate to Don't Blame Me: "Trip of my life / every time you're touching me"
'Cause we breakdown a little / But when you get me alone, it's so simple
Maybe a stretch but M famously had a breakdown on stage in Boston on December 6, 2014. In an interview with the Guardian he said: “There was girl stuff. There was family stuff. There was financial stuff. There was drug stuff. I remember hearing the crowd and having an identity crisis. I thought: ‘If you want to see a show, I’ll give you a fucking show. If you’ve come to see the jester drink himself into a slumber, I’ll give it to you.’ I felt like I’d become an idea as opposed to being a person.”
“And I was 25 and afraid to go outside” (Give Yourself a Try)
And all the pieces fall / Right into place
"I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line" (Mastermind)
Getting caught up in a moment / Lipstick on your face
"I said, "Don't fall in love with the moment" / She said I've got a lot to learn / Don't fall in love with the moment /And think you're in love with the girl" (She's American)
Come here, dressed in black now
"Yeah, we're dressed in black from head to toe" (Chocolate). Taylor was also wearing all black the night of the LA show.
conclusion: You did a number on me / But, honestly, baby, who's counting? / I did a number on you / But, honestly, baby, who's counting? ( "King of My Heart"
We met a few weeks ago / Now you try on callin' me "baby" like tryin' on clothes
The reason why I don't necessarily think Joe fits. They met at the Met Gala in 2017 and she very quickly started seeing Tom, obviously it could still be him but I wanted to note this.
"Don't call me 'kid,' don't call me 'baby' / Look at this idiotic fool that you made me" (illicit affairs)
And you move to me like I'm a Motown beat
M loves Motown, even sampling a track by The Temptations on Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy). He's also always loved dancing, which you can see in the videos for A Change of Heart and Oh Caroline.
Salute to me I'm your American Queen / Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
He's English, obviously.
And we rule the kingdom inside my room / With all these nights we're spending / Up on the roof with a school girl crush
Totally speculation but M and T hiding out in her NYC home makes a lot of sense from other pieces she has shared about the relationship “My kingdom come undone” (Hoax)
Late in the night, the city's asleep / Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep
Speculation again but fits with the story of M and T as mostly loving each other in secret (see Dancing With Our Hands Tied and Dress)
Is this the end of all the endings? / My broken bones are mending
As mentioned above, T had seemingly taken a break from dating after the breakup with Harry.
disclaimer: Definitely not 100% sure on this one as there is convincing evidence that it is about J
"Dancing With Our Hands Tied"
I, I loved you in secret / First sight, yeah, we love without reason / Oh, 25 years old
M and T were both born in 1989, M was 25 when they first met and dated and T was turning 25.
My, my love had been frozen / People started talking, putting us through our paces / I knew there was no one in the world who could take it / I loved you in spite of / Deep fears that the world would divide us
“A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground / With no one around to tweet it” (The Lakes)
In an interview with the Guardian Matty said: “The day after she’d been to a show of ours, someone sent me a screenshot of E! News with the headline ‘Who is Matt Healy?’ That freaked me out. I’m not ready to indulge in that world and I’m not ready to be judged by that world.” So sad to read knowing that they dealt with a similar situation nearly a decade later.
Picture of your face in an invisible locket
“Wear you like a necklace” (So It Goes…)
And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis
“Now you hang from my lips / Like the Gardens of Babylon / With your boots beneath my bed” (cowboy like me)
I'd kiss you as the lights went out / Swaying as the room burned down / I'd hold you as the water rushes in / If I could dance with you again
Reminds me so much of the music video for cardigan, where T slips into a rough ocean and hangs on to a piano. Also from cardigan: “Leaving like a father / Running like water”
“Dress”
Our secret moments in a crowded room / They got no idea about me and you
"Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room / And every single one of your friends was / Making fun of you" (Question...?)
There is an indentation in the shape of you / Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
M seemingly makes a lasting impression: “Deep blue, but you painted me golden” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied) “The mark they saw on my collarbone” (Maroon) “Marked me like a bloodstain” (cardigan)
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
T often seems to refer to a friendship with M, perhaps they tried it a few times: “We were supposed to be just friends” (Glitch) “Like you were my closest friend” (Maroon) “Just say when, I'd play again / He was my best friend / Down at the sandlot” (My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys)
And if I get burned, at least we were electrified
“I'd kiss you as the lights went out / Swaying as the room burned down” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied)
I'm spilling wine in the bathtub / You kiss my face and we're both drunk
Many of the possible M songs refer to M and T’s love of wine. “And I can see us twisted in bedsheets / August slipped away like a bottle of wine” (august) “The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was (maroon)” (Maroon)
disclaimer - Obviously most likely about Joe given the reference to the 2017 Met Gala but I think it was worth a mention!
“Call It What You Want”
My baby's fly like a jet stream / High above the whole scene
Probably a double-entendre. M considers himself slightly on the outside of the ‘scene’ but this can come across as self assurance. This also could refer to literally being high on drugs
Loves me like I'm brand new
After T’s clever use of The Starting Line in TTPD I’m convinced she’s referring to the band Brand New. M posted a Brand New album on his ig story in 2020.
All my flowers grew back as thorns
An interesting contrast to “I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy” from Don’t Blame Me
Windows boarded up after the storm
“I look through the windows of this love / Even though we boarded them up” (Death By A Thousand Cuts)
I'm laughing with my lover
“Laughing with my feet in your lap” (Maroon) “Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere” (New Year’s Day)
Making forts under covers
Matty famously built a fort in ATPOAIM 3. “I'll build you a fort on some planet / Where they can all understand it” (Down Bad)
Trust him like a brother
“Like I lost my twin” (Down Bad)
Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night
So many starry eyed references which is terribly romantic and terribly sad. “Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?” (High Infidelity), “Your opal eyes are all I wish to see” (ivy), “Eyes full of stars” (cowboy like me), and “Gazing at me starry-eyed” (The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived)
I want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck
“Picture of your face in an invisible locket” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied) “Wear you like a necklace” (So It Goes…)
I recall late November, holding my breath
Late November fits perfectly into the timeline of M and T’s 2014 relationship. Late October to Late DecembeEarly January makes the most sense.
Slowly I said, "You don't need to save me / But would you run away with me?"
“You're mad thinking you could ever save me. Not looking like that.” (A Change of Heart)
disclaimer: Again lots of Joe references in this as well so take this with a grain of salt.
“New Year’s Day”
You and me from the night before, but / Don't read the last page
From Me and You Together Song (2020): “I think the story needs more pages, yes.” The reference to “the last page” also makes this song feel like more of a reminiscence than a song about a current lover.
I want your midnights / But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day
Impossible not to reread these lyrics after Midnights was released as a nod to M: “When the morning came we / Were cleaning incense off your / Vinyl shelf ‘cause we lost track of time again” (Maroon)
You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi / I can tell that it's gonna be a long road / I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe / Or if you strike out and you're crawling home
Especially after the release of TTPD it seems that both T and M made many promises to each other that they couldn’t keep
Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / And I will hold on to you
The reference to memories here creates a bit of a confusing feeling about the muse for this song. Although T seems to be talking in the present tense I do think these are memories and dreams for a past relationship.
“Hold on and hope that we'll find our way back in the end / Do you think I have forgotten? / Do you think I have forgotten? / Do you think I have forgotten / About you?” (About You)
Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere / Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere
Not much to say about this but ow!
You and me forevermore
Again reminds me of Me and You Together Song (which I do buy as a song at least partially about T). And of course links to Evermore.
disclaimer: This could absolutely be about Joe but it does feel almost like a goodbye to M, closing the album. It’s as if she is reading “the last page”
Congrats if you read this lol. I clearly have too much time on my hands
submitted by LinkLost380 to taylorandmatty [link] [comments]
Starting with Reputation (2017) – I imagine the failed relationship with Matty was still fresh for Taylor during the writing/recording of this album. Her reference to her “longings locked in lowercase inside a vault” definitely made me look back at Rep in a way I hadn’t before (and I do think we’ll see some Matty-coded vault tracks on TV”. That said I don’t want to erase her other relationships, especially with Joe, so I’ll make notes of where I think I’m either stretching for a Matty connection or I think there are multiple muses.
Special mention to “Getaway Car” which feels like another (fictionalized?) response to Robbers but the story she tells is very similar to her fling with Tom, especially given the third man in the song. I usually claim it for the maylors anyway bc who cares about Tom. Let me know what you think.
“...Ready For It?”
Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him / Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted / But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom
I can't ignore the connections here to two other songs thought to be written about M - Ghost (2014) and Haunted (2015) by Halsey (I won't bother going into the HalseyMatty lore here but I could in another post...)
"You're a Rolling Stone boy, never-sleep-alone boy / Got a million numbers and they're filling up your phone, boy" (Ghost) "I'm begging you to keep on haunting me" (Haunted) "My ghost / Where'd you go? / I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me" (Ghost)
I can be a phantom holdin' him for ransom / Knew I was a robber first time that he saw me / Stealing hearts and running off and never saying sorry / But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist / And he can be my jailer
Robbers is one of The 1975’s most famous songs. In the music video two lovers stick up a convenience store - definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it. In 2014 M dedicated the song to T in Dallas in November 2017 (a week after she attended the concert in LA) here and here
Burton to this Taylor
One of my favorite references that I think reveals a lot about the messy but irresistible relationship M and T seem to have. Here's a link to a great article about the wild love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Every love I've known in comparison is a failure / I forget their names now, I'm so very tame now / Never be the same now
This sentiment is repeated throughout many of the songs I believe are about M. The idea of a life altering love is obviously prevalent across TTPD but also in folklore, evermore, and Midnights. ex. "I'm never gonna love again" (cowboy like me), "I don't remember who I was before you painted all my nights a color I have searched for since" (Question...?), "I felt aglow like this / Never before and never since" (loml)
Also want to mention This Must Be My Dream from 2016, which M has said is about an older gf but may fit: "Let me tell you 'bout this girl / I thought she'd rearrange my world"
No one has to know / In the middle of the night, in my dreams / You should see the things we do, baby
See Guilty as Sin? lol
Baby, let the games begin
Taylor in an interview with Glamour in February 2014:
TS: [Nods. Pauses.] I think everyone should approach relationships from the perspective of playing it straight and giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Until he establishes that this is a game. And if it's a game, you need to win. The best thing to do is just walk away from the table.
CL: Is that winning?
TS: It is when they come back. [Laughs.] And if they don't, then they didn't care enough to begin with.
conclusion: I believe ...Ready For It? is a response to Robbers and reveals M and T's similar romanticism (sometimes toxic but so addicting). The mirrored stylization of ...Ready For It? and Question...? makes me think the latter is a continuation of the former. The mentions of “island breeze” and “we’ll move to an island” have made people believe this song is about Tom Hiddleston but other lyrics, namely “younger than my exes” pretty clearly contradicts that.
"End Game"
I wanna be your end game / I wanna be your first string /I wanna be your A-Team
Funny reading this after The Alchemy and So High School.
Big reputation, big reputation / Ooh, you and me, we got big reputations / And you heard about me / Ooh, you and me would be a big conversation
And they were! Especially because T hadn't been really linked to anyone after Harry, the speculation about her and M came hard and fast. M especially was inundated with questions in the months after the LA and NYC shows.
And I heard about you / You like the bad ones, too
Another possible reference to a Halsey song, this time Hurricane from 2014: "He says, "Oh, baby, beggin' you to save me / Well, lately I like 'em crazy/ Oh, maybe, you could devastate me"
I don't wanna touch you, I don't wanna be / Just another ex-love you don't wanna see / I don't wanna miss you / Like the other girls do
Very reminiscent of The 1975's song Somebody Else, released in 2016, speculated to be about T: "I don't want your body / But I hate to think about you with somebody else"
I hit you like bang, we tried to forget it, but we just couldn't
"Flashbacks waking me up / I get drunk, but it's not enough" (Death By A Thousand Cuts)
And I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put 'em
"I circled you on a map / I haven't come around in so long" (The Alchemy)
Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy
"And they tried to warn you about me" (The Albatross)
And I can't let you go, your hand prints on my soul
"Marked me like a bloodstain" (Cardigan)
It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold
So many of the songs speculated to be about M reference his eyes but the most relevant (not the starry eyed motif which we'll get to in the future) are: "Eyes like sinking ships on waters / So inviting I almost jump in" (gold rush) and "But your eyes are flying saucers from another planet / Now I'm all for you like Janet" (Snow On The Beach)
"Deep blue, but you painted me golden" (Dancing With Our Hands Tied)
You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks / So here's the truth from my red lips
From the same Glamour article, Taylor talking about her 'trick' when dating:
CL: What's the freeze-out?
TS: You don't respond to any of his texts or calls until he does something desperate [like] shows up. Or he calls and leaves a voice mail. Something that makes it very clear to you that he's interested.
disclaimer: I am someone who thinks the Tom relationship was not that serious for T, so this song imo fits what she may have told us about her relationship with M more, though the beach reference does point to Tom in a way.
"Don't Blame Me"
I've been breaking hearts a long time / And toying with them older guys / Just playthings for me to use
See the quotes from the Glamour article above. "Younger than my exes, but he act like such a man, so" (...Ready For It?)
Something happened for the first time / In the darkest little paradise
May refer to the dark concert venue where they met for the first time (see So It Goes... for more)
For you / I would cross the line / I would waste my time / I would lose my mind / They say, "She's gone too far this time."
Sentiment that is repeated throughout TTPD, but most clearly in But Daddy I Love Him
My name is whatever you decide / And I'm just gonna call you mine
Though this could be a stretch, in the spotify storyline for The 1975's Oh Caroline (2022), speculated to be about T, M said "It's an invented character, where the cadence really mattered. It couldn't be "Oh Linda" or "Oh Jane" [or "Oh Taylor"] - you had to have a 3 syllable that really works. I knew what the song was about, I had felt that about someone before and I got to write an episodic, mini movie about the subject"
disclaimer: If about M, this song is very on the nose with the drug references. Generally it's a very vague song and could easily be about Joe or another ex.
"So It Goes..."
See you in the dark / All eyes on you, my magician / All eyes on us / You make everyone disappear
Likely refers to the first time T saw M in person, when she was front row at The 1975's LA show. All eyes were on M then (including T's)
"Once upon a time, the planets and the fates / And all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room / At the same time" (Mastermind)
Tripping, tripping when you're gone
May relate to Don't Blame Me: "Trip of my life / every time you're touching me"
'Cause we breakdown a little / But when you get me alone, it's so simple
Maybe a stretch but M famously had a breakdown on stage in Boston on December 6, 2014. In an interview with the Guardian he said: “There was girl stuff. There was family stuff. There was financial stuff. There was drug stuff. I remember hearing the crowd and having an identity crisis. I thought: ‘If you want to see a show, I’ll give you a fucking show. If you’ve come to see the jester drink himself into a slumber, I’ll give it to you.’ I felt like I’d become an idea as opposed to being a person.”
“And I was 25 and afraid to go outside” (Give Yourself a Try)
And all the pieces fall / Right into place
"I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line" (Mastermind)
Getting caught up in a moment / Lipstick on your face
"I said, "Don't fall in love with the moment" / She said I've got a lot to learn / Don't fall in love with the moment /And think you're in love with the girl" (She's American)
Come here, dressed in black now
"Yeah, we're dressed in black from head to toe" (Chocolate). Taylor was also wearing all black the night of the LA show.
conclusion: You did a number on me / But, honestly, baby, who's counting? / I did a number on you / But, honestly, baby, who's counting? ( "King of My Heart"
We met a few weeks ago / Now you try on callin' me "baby" like tryin' on clothes
The reason why I don't necessarily think Joe fits. They met at the Met Gala in 2017 and she very quickly started seeing Tom, obviously it could still be him but I wanted to note this.
"Don't call me 'kid,' don't call me 'baby' / Look at this idiotic fool that you made me" (illicit affairs)
And you move to me like I'm a Motown beat
M loves Motown, even sampling a track by The Temptations on Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy). He's also always loved dancing, which you can see in the videos for A Change of Heart and Oh Caroline.
Salute to me I'm your American Queen / Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
He's English, obviously.
And we rule the kingdom inside my room / With all these nights we're spending / Up on the roof with a school girl crush
Totally speculation but M and T hiding out in her NYC home makes a lot of sense from other pieces she has shared about the relationship “My kingdom come undone” (Hoax)
Late in the night, the city's asleep / Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep
Speculation again but fits with the story of M and T as mostly loving each other in secret (see Dancing With Our Hands Tied and Dress)
Is this the end of all the endings? / My broken bones are mending
As mentioned above, T had seemingly taken a break from dating after the breakup with Harry.
disclaimer: Definitely not 100% sure on this one as there is convincing evidence that it is about J
"Dancing With Our Hands Tied"
I, I loved you in secret / First sight, yeah, we love without reason / Oh, 25 years old
M and T were both born in 1989, M was 25 when they first met and dated and T was turning 25.
My, my love had been frozen / People started talking, putting us through our paces / I knew there was no one in the world who could take it / I loved you in spite of / Deep fears that the world would divide us
“A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground / With no one around to tweet it” (The Lakes)
In an interview with the Guardian Matty said: “The day after she’d been to a show of ours, someone sent me a screenshot of E! News with the headline ‘Who is Matt Healy?’ That freaked me out. I’m not ready to indulge in that world and I’m not ready to be judged by that world.” So sad to read knowing that they dealt with a similar situation nearly a decade later.
Picture of your face in an invisible locket
“Wear you like a necklace” (So It Goes…)
And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis
“Now you hang from my lips / Like the Gardens of Babylon / With your boots beneath my bed” (cowboy like me)
I'd kiss you as the lights went out / Swaying as the room burned down / I'd hold you as the water rushes in / If I could dance with you again
Reminds me so much of the music video for cardigan, where T slips into a rough ocean and hangs on to a piano. Also from cardigan: “Leaving like a father / Running like water”
“Dress”
Our secret moments in a crowded room / They got no idea about me and you
"Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room / And every single one of your friends was / Making fun of you" (Question...?)
There is an indentation in the shape of you / Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
M seemingly makes a lasting impression: “Deep blue, but you painted me golden” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied) “The mark they saw on my collarbone” (Maroon) “Marked me like a bloodstain” (cardigan)
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
T often seems to refer to a friendship with M, perhaps they tried it a few times: “We were supposed to be just friends” (Glitch) “Like you were my closest friend” (Maroon) “Just say when, I'd play again / He was my best friend / Down at the sandlot” (My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys)
And if I get burned, at least we were electrified
“I'd kiss you as the lights went out / Swaying as the room burned down” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied)
I'm spilling wine in the bathtub / You kiss my face and we're both drunk
Many of the possible M songs refer to M and T’s love of wine. “And I can see us twisted in bedsheets / August slipped away like a bottle of wine” (august) “The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was (maroon)” (Maroon)
disclaimer - Obviously most likely about Joe given the reference to the 2017 Met Gala but I think it was worth a mention!
“Call It What You Want”
My baby's fly like a jet stream / High above the whole scene
Probably a double-entendre. M considers himself slightly on the outside of the ‘scene’ but this can come across as self assurance. This also could refer to literally being high on drugs
Loves me like I'm brand new
After T’s clever use of The Starting Line in TTPD I’m convinced she’s referring to the band Brand New. M posted a Brand New album on his ig story in 2020.
All my flowers grew back as thorns
An interesting contrast to “I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy” from Don’t Blame Me
Windows boarded up after the storm
“I look through the windows of this love / Even though we boarded them up” (Death By A Thousand Cuts)
I'm laughing with my lover
“Laughing with my feet in your lap” (Maroon) “Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere” (New Year’s Day)
Making forts under covers
Matty famously built a fort in ATPOAIM 3. “I'll build you a fort on some planet / Where they can all understand it” (Down Bad)
Trust him like a brother
“Like I lost my twin” (Down Bad)
Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night
So many starry eyed references which is terribly romantic and terribly sad. “Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?” (High Infidelity), “Your opal eyes are all I wish to see” (ivy), “Eyes full of stars” (cowboy like me), and “Gazing at me starry-eyed” (The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived)
I want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck
“Picture of your face in an invisible locket” (Dancing With Our Hands Tied) “Wear you like a necklace” (So It Goes…)
I recall late November, holding my breath
Late November fits perfectly into the timeline of M and T’s 2014 relationship. Late October to Late DecembeEarly January makes the most sense.
Slowly I said, "You don't need to save me / But would you run away with me?"
“You're mad thinking you could ever save me. Not looking like that.” (A Change of Heart)
disclaimer: Again lots of Joe references in this as well so take this with a grain of salt.
“New Year’s Day”
You and me from the night before, but / Don't read the last page
From Me and You Together Song (2020): “I think the story needs more pages, yes.” The reference to “the last page” also makes this song feel like more of a reminiscence than a song about a current lover.
I want your midnights / But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day
Impossible not to reread these lyrics after Midnights was released as a nod to M: “When the morning came we / Were cleaning incense off your / Vinyl shelf ‘cause we lost track of time again” (Maroon)
You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi / I can tell that it's gonna be a long road / I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe / Or if you strike out and you're crawling home
Especially after the release of TTPD it seems that both T and M made many promises to each other that they couldn’t keep
Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you / And I will hold on to you
The reference to memories here creates a bit of a confusing feeling about the muse for this song. Although T seems to be talking in the present tense I do think these are memories and dreams for a past relationship.
“Hold on and hope that we'll find our way back in the end / Do you think I have forgotten? / Do you think I have forgotten? / Do you think I have forgotten / About you?” (About You)
Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere / Please don't ever become a stranger / Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere
Not much to say about this but ow!
You and me forevermore
Again reminds me of Me and You Together Song (which I do buy as a song at least partially about T). And of course links to Evermore.
disclaimer: This could absolutely be about Joe but it does feel almost like a goodbye to M, closing the album. It’s as if she is reading “the last page”
Congrats if you read this lol. I clearly have too much time on my hands
2024.05.15 20:27 GolfAndGamble Conor McGregor just partnered with Duelbits - first live stream is on Monday
Duelbits definitely opened their pockets stepped up their game for this one. I've been a Duelbits fanboy for nearly 4 years, so it's nice to see them finally partner with somebody that I've heard of before. 😅
Conor's inaugural live stream event is scheduled for Monday, May 20th at 18:00 UTC (2pm EST). I believe it will be on Duelbits' Kick account, but don't quote me. The $150k Conor Challenge (which is basically just a leaderboard wager race) already started. The challenge ends in 28 days and top prize is $40k.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Duelbits, it's a crypto casino and sportsbook, similar to the likes of Stake, Rollbit, Gamdom, etc. All are very similar in terms of their game offerings, and differentiate through other avenues, such as VIP rewards programs.
Most casinos nowadays have incorporated lossback, but Duelbits held firm with rakeback only. So go ahead and say goodbye to "added 80% to calendar" and unknown equations that may or may not have captured all of your betting activity. 😵💫 Sure, Duelbits eliminates the element of surprise, but I'll happily accept 100% transparency over a few surprises mixed into a sea of disappointments.
Staring from day 1, each player is entitled to the following: 10% instant, 5% daily, 5% weekly, 5% monthly and 5% level-up rakeback rewards (which increases by 0.25% each level). So if you are a brand new player on Duelbits, the absolute lowest rakeback % you'll receive is 30%.
For context, I've wagered hundreds of millions of dollars across countless online casinos and have yet to find a casino with a better VIP rewards program than Duelbits. Granted, if you're the type of person that loads a balance and immediately goes all in, then you'll probably want to find a different casino lol.
Additionally, Duelbits has a fully built-out sportsbook with livestreams of the events you're able to bet on. And overall, the UI/UX is super clean, everything loads quickly, and, most importantly, it rarely (if ever) goes down.
Click here to create an account on Duelbits and claim 500 "free" spins.
The reason why I put "free" in quotes is because there is a wager requirement in order to unlock the spins. I'm already two novels deep into what I was expecting to be a short post, so I'll just say this:
After you complete each step (3 total) of the wager requirement ($1.5k total), you'll be credited the free spins (500 total). No additional playthrough requirements, no max win/withdrawal, etc. The spins are gifted to you, free and clear.
Considering that each spin is worth $0.2, the theoretical EV of completing all three stages of the promo is roughly +$60. Math is below.
Here is the link to apply
submitted by GolfAndGamble to gambling [link] [comments]
Conor's inaugural live stream event is scheduled for Monday, May 20th at 18:00 UTC (2pm EST). I believe it will be on Duelbits' Kick account, but don't quote me. The $150k Conor Challenge (which is basically just a leaderboard wager race) already started. The challenge ends in 28 days and top prize is $40k.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Duelbits, it's a crypto casino and sportsbook, similar to the likes of Stake, Rollbit, Gamdom, etc. All are very similar in terms of their game offerings, and differentiate through other avenues, such as VIP rewards programs.
Most casinos nowadays have incorporated lossback, but Duelbits held firm with rakeback only. So go ahead and say goodbye to "added 80% to calendar" and unknown equations that may or may not have captured all of your betting activity. 😵💫 Sure, Duelbits eliminates the element of surprise, but I'll happily accept 100% transparency over a few surprises mixed into a sea of disappointments.
Staring from day 1, each player is entitled to the following: 10% instant, 5% daily, 5% weekly, 5% monthly and 5% level-up rakeback rewards (which increases by 0.25% each level). So if you are a brand new player on Duelbits, the absolute lowest rakeback % you'll receive is 30%.
For context, I've wagered hundreds of millions of dollars across countless online casinos and have yet to find a casino with a better VIP rewards program than Duelbits. Granted, if you're the type of person that loads a balance and immediately goes all in, then you'll probably want to find a different casino lol.
Additionally, Duelbits has a fully built-out sportsbook with livestreams of the events you're able to bet on. And overall, the UI/UX is super clean, everything loads quickly, and, most importantly, it rarely (if ever) goes down.
Click here to create an account on Duelbits and claim 500 "free" spins.
The reason why I put "free" in quotes is because there is a wager requirement in order to unlock the spins. I'm already two novels deep into what I was expecting to be a short post, so I'll just say this:
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2024.05.15 18:28 GrimaIsBestWaifu The Nature of Freyja's Feelings for Freyr (English + Japanese)
 | (Very long post...) submitted by GrimaIsBestWaifu to FireEmblemHeroes [link] [comments] People have told me that they enjoy these sorts of comparisons between the English and Japanese versions of FEH's story and character writing, so I thought to make a post about Freyr and Freyja, who are some of my favourite characters from this game. This was sparked by discussions I've had with friends about how Freyja really feels about her brother. Though she's well known for her love for him, it seems some people adamantly contest whether her feelings are romantic and/or sexual in nature. It may seem arbitrary, but I quite like taking a closer look at FEH OCs, who are commonly brushed off as shallow and inferior to "main series characters". This doubled with an interest in localization changes, which I enjoy sharing with those who may be unfamiliar with the original Japanese version of media like FEH, inspired me to investigate this topic. It's not rare for FEH's English version to change or tone things down, after all (and from what I can tell, Book IV was hit the hardest), so I wanted to really look into how differently the ENG and JP versions handle Freyja's infamous brother-loving tendencies. While in my eyes, it's rather apparent that Freyja is yet another case of a long-held Fire Emblem tradition, this post is not intended for me to preach my own perspective. I will instead attempt to provide a balanced perspective and just do my best to compile anything that might provide insight into Freyja's feelings toward him, along with their relationship in general, and compare it with the Japanese version, especially if there are differences. Is it more explicit, confirmed, refuted, or otherwise? Without further ado, let us see. (Disclaimer: I am not a native Japanese speaker, nor am I fluent in the language. Japanese and English are very different languages, so when translating, I will attempt to do so as faithfully as I can while making it flow more naturally in English.) (For the sake of efficiency, only the relevant parts of each interaction will be included.) Freyja's first appearance (albeit without art) in the main story is in Book IV Chapter 4 - 5, where it is immediately established that she holds very strong feelings for her brother, wishing to have his affection and attention all to herself and being envious of mortals for receiving it instead of her. [ENG] Freyja: It has been so long, Brother...and this is how you greet me, your beloved sister? Freyr: I will ask once more, Freyja... What are you doing here? Freyja: The world is just so dull without you, Brother. You should come to my world... Come with me, to Dökkálfheimr. [...] Freyr: Stop this, Freyja. Mortals should be given pleasant things... All living things deserve so much. Freyja: It's sickening how highly you think of them. Unfortunate such adoration only strengthens my resolve. [...] I alone am worthy of your love, your admiration...your gifts...ANY of it! I will not be made a FOOL by some pitiful beast that can barely manage to control its most base impulses! [...] I can think of no gift more suitable for those who would steal from me my brother's attentions... Suffering! [JP Translated] Freyja: ...Long time no see, Brother. Freyr: Freyja... Why have you come here? Freyja: Because a world without you is dull, Brother. I will have you come to my world...to Dökkálfheimr. [...] Freyr: Stop this, Freyja. Mortals should live happy lives... Freyja: ...As always, you think of mortals. I am envious. [...] Aah, unforgivable. Unforgivable... To think my brother's love lies with humans... [...] It is time you receive your comeuppance for stealing my brother's heart, mortals... She's a lot more animated in the English version, eh. The next relevant story segment is Chapter 9 - 3, where they speak with each other once more, and again Freyja expresses her jealousy: [ENG] Freyja: Ever the stubborn one, Brother. Always concerned with the mortals, but never with me... But this necklace will surely change your mind...isn't that right? [JP Translated] Freyja: ...You never change, Brother. Always [thinking about] mortals, and never me... Aah...aaah... But, if you wear this necklace...surely you will look at me... Right? Minimal difference here. Next up is Chapter 9 - 5, which presents nothing we don't already know, but I thought to include it regardless. [ENG] Freyja: Where is the fun in allowing you such an easy, painless end. Surely thieves who sought to steal my brother's heart deserve a proper amount of punishment... [JP Translated] Freyja: But, hey. I won't allow you have such an easy ending. Not until after I tease the thieves who stole my brother's heart plenty more... Next, we get to hear crucial information from Freyr in Chapter 10 - 1: [ENG] Freyr: I comforted her... But soon she smiled for me alone. Then...having grown, she began to speak of never parting...of wanting to be ever in my gentle presence... [...] Before long, Freyja's beauty blossomed... Many sought to court her, but she allowed none to woo her... For this, too, I am no doubt to blame. [JP Translated] Freyr: After I gave her words of consolation...my sister began to only show her smile to me. And then...she said that one day, when she grew up, she would like to [marry] someone who is compassionate like me... [...] Eventually, Freyja grew so beautiful that she could steal anyone's heart... Many people asked for her hand in marriage, but she didn't accept anyone's affections... I suppose that is also my sin... This is one of the most damning pieces of evidence against Freyja's love for Freyr being non-romantic. However, for the sake of the argument, Freyr's words can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, Occam's Razor suggests that Freyja refusing courtship from others indicates that she's only interested in Freyr and no one else. On the other hand, it could be that because she was rejected by everyone except Freyr in her childhood, that trauma bred enough resentment within her to where she in turn rejects everyone but her brother, who always stood by her. They're not mutually exclusive by any means, but the first interpretation outright affirms the romantic nature of Freyja's love for Freyr, whereas the second focuses on how Freyja views people besides Freyr and leaves how she feels about him more vague. As for Freyr's last line about it being his fault, it can also be read in two ways. Applying Occam's Razor again, Freyr could be saying that Freyja rejected everyone who sought to marry her because she wished to be with him instead. However, taking into consideration what we know about Freyr, he has a tendency to feel immense guilt, regretting turning children into álfar and apologizing for Freyja's antics on her behalf. One might see this as just another instance of him placing too much blame on himself. He is also merely speaking from his perspective and may very well not have a complete grasp on what Freyja thinks, so compared to evidence straight from the horse's (well, goat's) mouth, his words might not hold as much weight. At the end of the same chapter, we get another important scene in the form of Freyr's death. In their final moments together, they exchange these words: [ENG] Freyja: Brother, no! If you die, I— Are they...truly so dear to you as this? Freyr: Nothing has ever been more important...than you, Freyja. But as long as I am with you, the mortals will suffer...until you finally destroy them. I could not bear to see you become that... So, for your sake... Goodbye...Sister... Freyja: Brother... NOOOOO! [...] ...UuuuaaaAAAGGGHHH!! No... Not like this... This is not... This is not what I wanted... I just...wanted you to smile at me again, Brother... I just wanted to feel loved again... And now... All my hopes...all my...rrrraaaAAAGGGHHH! [JP Translation] Freyja: Stop it, Brother! Without you, I...! Are mortals truly so...so important to you...? Freyr: To me...you, Freyja, are more important than anything. Perhaps because of what we work as gods...so long as I exist, you will bring calamity upon mortals...until you eventually destroy them all... I love you... And because I do, I do not wish to see you become that... So...for your sake...it is better that I disappear. Goodbye, Sister... ... Freyja: NOOOOO! Brother...Bro...ther... [...] Ah...aah...aaaaah... I didn't... I didn't...wish for this... I just...wanted you to look at me... I just wanted you to love me... And yet...aah...aaah...AAAAAAAAAAAH! Both versions convey similar things, and it again doesn't establish anything we didn't know already. The next relevant moment comes in Chapter 11 - 3, after Freyja sends Plumeria to stop us: [ENG] Freyja: Fight, little álfar... Fight to the death. Feel the pain of lost love—the pain I felt when my brother was taken from me... [JP Translation] Freyja: Kill each other, álfar... You shall also feel the pain, the sorrow...that I felt when I lost my brother. The word 'love' is only present in the English version here. Next comes before we fight her at the end of the chapter: [ENG] Freyja: Do not worry. I will not end your lives right away. If I did, the pain...the loss...of my brother would— RrrraaaAAAGGGHHH! Brother! Why?! How could you! After everything! ...AAAHHH! [JP Translated] Freyja: It's alright, I won't kill you right away. If I don't do that, the pain and grief...of losing my brother would... Aah...aah...AAAAH! Brother...why...AAAAAH! Another scene with minimal differences between languages, though she's once again more dramatic in the English version. It isn't until Chapter 13 - 3 that Freyja's feelings toward Freyr are addressed again: [ENG] Freyja: Triandra, tell m— ... ...Isn't that something. With my life, Triandra and Plumeria could... No. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is my brother. Him and him alone. None of that matters... [JP Translated] Freyja: Triandra, wh... ... ...That's right. Because of my orders, Triandra...and Plumeria...are also... ...That doesn't matter. My brother is all that is precious to me, after all. ...Yes. That doesn't matter... Yet again, they say functionally the same thing. Now, why did I include the bit about Triandra and Plumeria when they aren't relevant to this topic? Please humour me as I momentarily derail this dissertation to have a nerd moment. See how in the ENG version, Freyja mentions her life, whereas in the JP version, she talks about the commands she gave them. The Japanese word for 'order' is '命令' and the word for 'life' is '命'. Notice how the latter is present in the former? I believe this may have been an oversight by the translators who didn't see the second character of 'order' and thought Freyja said 'life', leading to the discrepancy between versions. As some have noted, a similar mistake likely occurred in the translation of Book VII's Chapter 7 - 3, where the ENG version initially stated that Nerþuz is Freyr and Freyja's mother when she is supposed to be their aunt. The Japanese word for 'aunt' is '叔母', which incorporates the word for 'mother', '母', so the error could have sprung from overlooking the '叔'. As you may know, this was rectified in a later patch. However, the discrepancy in Freyja's aforementioned line remains untouched, likely because it still works (and serves as a healthy amount of foreshadowing for the finale). Speaking of which, let's get back on track. At the end of Book IV, Freyja has these words to offer about her brother as she is about to enter her vegetative coma: [ENG] Freyja: Triandra. Plumeria... I loved my brother—and only him. He was everything to me. I never loved you, because only my brother meant anything to me. [...] I never understood my brother, why he loved humans, why he would throw his life away... [...] I will never understand this. My brother alone meant anything to me, and yet, even still...with you two, here...now... You've made me...smile. [JP Translated] Freyja: Hey, Triandra...Plumeria... I loved my brother...him alone. [He] was everything to me. I never loved you... Because to me, nothing but my brother held any value. [...] I was never able to understand my brother's heart... Why he cherished mortals... Why he would throw his life away for someone else... [...] ... ...I don't understand. Even though... Even though nothing matters to me besides my brother... ...I am glad... Negligible difference here. And so ends what we can glean from Book IV of the main story. As far as I can recall, this is the only Paralogue with anything remotely relevant to this debate. Even then, it's only about Freyja's personal growth and not so much about their relationship: [ENG] Freyja: [...] Perhaps if I wear the clothing of mortals, and learn more about their ways... There's a chance I will learn to understand my brother and his love for such creatures. [JP Translated] Freyja: [...] If I wear the clothing of mortals, and learn about their ways...perhaps I will be able to understand my brother's heart. Indeed, post-Book IV Freyja (story-wise) is much more mellow and open-minded due to her world no longer being limited to just her brother. She doesn't, to my knowledge, even talk about Freyr at all in Paralogue 83: Spring Eternal, or the entire Nihility & Dream Tempest Trials+ story. Seeing as no new insight can be gathered from supplementary story segments, let's just end this short section off with their little conversation at the end of the summer Paralogue for curiosity's sake: [ENG] Plumeria: Dream-King Freyr, what do you think of Lady Freyja's new flower? It suits her well, don't you think? Freyr: Yes... It is...truly beautiful. Freyja: Oh, Brother, you are too kind... [JP Translated] Plumeria: Lord Freyr, please look at Lady Freyja. Her flower ornament really suits her. Freyr: Yes, it's beautiful. Freyja: Brother... The English version is a tad 'fluffier', so to speak. Nothing notable, but this is Freyja's last canon interaction with Freyr, so it may be remiss to exclude it. Now let's see what information our playable units can provide us with. The amount of dialogue other characters have commenting on Freyr and Freyja's relationship is quite sparse, so this will nearly all be from Freyr and Freyja's various playable iterations. I will tackle all relevant lines starting with Base Freyja's voice lines: [ENG] "Ah! Unforgivable! You're not Freyr." [JP Translated] "Ah?! U-unacceptable... Only my brother is permitted to touch me." Japanese is more on the nose with this one, but it's nothing compared to this next line: [ENG] "The love my brother and I feel is deeper than most siblings..." [JP Translated] "My brother and I require a deeper love between us, different than that of a sibling bond." It's a pretty clunky line to translate, but I tried to retain as much detail and nuance as possible. The most literal translation I can come up with is "For me and my brother, not the bond between siblings, but a deeper love, is needed." This is another pretty incriminating line, so to speak, since she specifies that what she feels they require is not the love between brother and sister. As for what she could possibly be referring to...come to what conclusions you will. Now let's quickly run through her remaining relevant voice lines: [ENG] "Since the day Freyr rebuffed me, I have made the realm of nightmares my home." "Why, Freyr? My love for you... Why?" "You resemble him not one iota. So tell me...why do I care?" [JP Translated] "Since the day my brother rejected me...I have resided in the realm of nightmares." "Aah, Brother...even though I love you so..." "You are someone who is nothing like my brother... Yet, why..." Nothing much of note. Next, Base Freyja's castle quotes: [ENG] "I detest mortals... If not for them, I would still be at my brother's side." "When I was young, I was tormented for the way I looked. Only my brother was ever kind to me... Only he showed me love." "You've interrupted my reminiscence. What is it that you want?" [JP Translated] "I hate humans... They stole my brother's heart, after all..." "When I was young, unsightly as a pig...only my brother treated me kindly... Back then, I..." "What business do you have with me? I am preoccupied with being immersed in memories of my brother." Quite a few liberties were taken with the ENG lines, but it's not as if much new information is revealed in them either way. Now then, Base Freyja is the only Freyja alt that has Freyr referenced in her unit description. And lo and behold, she actually has two of them! ...In the English version, at least. It curiously differs between her enemy incarnation in the main story maps and her playable form, while the Japanese description remains consistent: [ENG] "Queen of Dökkálfheimr, realm of nightmares. Loves her older brother Freyr dearly, raging with bitter jealousy at his care for lesser mortal creatures." (Enemy) "The queen of Dökkálfheimr, the nightmare realm. Her love for her brother Freyr drives her to wish she could stay with him no matter the cost." (Playable) [JP Translated] "Queen of Dökkálfheimr, the realm of nightmares. Loves her brother Freyr and wishes to have all of him to herself." It's cool how all three address different aspects of her feelings: her desire to be by his side, her possessiveness of him, and the jealousy she feels toward others. All of it stems from her love for him which, incestuous in nature or not, is evidently very unhealthy. Now let's move onto Summer Freyja's voice lines: [ENG] "You brought me to the beach alongside my dear brother... So, you can be sensible." "I hope to enjoy the sun and sea here with my brother. *sigh* It has been so long since we've had such time together..." [JP Translated] "[You brought] me and my brother to the sea...how considerate of you." "I want to have innocent fun with my brother again, just like when we were young..." Like Base Freyja's castle lines, while the lines are slightly distinct between languages, they don't really provide additional insight. Freyja is being sincere and just wants to spend time with Freyr at the beach, absent any untoward intentions she may or may not have in other scenarios, so I'd say at best it's not proving anything in either direction. Next are her castle lines: [ENG] "The steady rhythm of the waves reminds me of my gentle brother's comforting voice." "The summer sunlight glittering over the water's surface brings visions of my brother's smile to my mind..." [JP Translated] "The gentle sound of the waves somehow reminds me of my brother's voice." "The sparkling rays of the summer sun... They surely befit my brother's smile." Another instance where the ENG version is a bit 'fluffier', but still nothing noteworthy. Now, this is only barely relevant and also not helpful, but I'll include this line at the end of her 5 Star Lvl. 40 conversation for good measure: [ENG] "[...] But for now, in this moment...let me sink into a dream of summer love and reflect on those days now long past." [JP Translated] "[...] Right now, in this moment...I shall immerse myself in a dream of summer love, while recalling my brother's voice..." She only directly references Freyr in the JP version. Now, to take a look at Spring Karla, for whom Freyja acts as a backpack and thereby gains additional dialogue. Here are the only voiced lines related to Freyr: [ENG] Karla: Lady Freyja, did something also happen between you and your brother? Freyja: Yes. Though my experience is not one you could comprehend. Because no matter if decades or even centuries pass...the distance between us can grow no smaller. [JP Translated] Karla: Lady Freyja, did something also happen between you and your brother? Freyja: It's not something a human like you can understand. Even if decades or centuries pass...the distance between me and my brother grows no smaller. Nothing of note. Then there's this castle line, which doesn't offer any new information, but it's the only other line about Freyr: [ENG] Freyja: I cannot forgive the mortals that took my brother from me. However...I will not hold it against the children enjoying this festival. [JP Translated] Freyja: I will not forgive the mortals that stole my brother from me. However...I will not have the children enjoying the festival shoulder the blame. That's all from Spring Karla. Now, Eitr's a tricky case, since she 1. has laser-guided amnesia, and 2. may be a manifestation of Freyja from a time before she would have developed her unhealthy obsession with her brother (seeing as she has the nose mark, she's still on the younger side). However, for completeness' sake, I'll at least include the one time where she does reference Freyr (albeit indirectly): [ENG] "I...had a dream I...wanted to tell you about. It was a scary one, but... someone was there to save me. I don't remember their face, but they were very kind..." [JP Translated] "[...] You see, I...had a dream. It was a very scary dream...but someone saved me. I don't remember their face, but they were a very kind person..." As expected, it's exceedingly unhelpful and probably not admissible in court to boot, but there it is. Now then, let's turn our attention to the other party in this relationship. Here is Base Freyr's only relevant voiced line: [ENG] "Oh, Freyja... Though I love you, I...I cannot..." [JP Translated] "Freyja...I love you. But, that is..." You cannot what, Freyr? That is what, Freyr? Alas, the man trails off before giving any possibly useful information. Perhaps these are the words he spoke back when he rebuffed her, but due to not finishing his sentence, we have been deprived of crucial evidence. His only other Freyja-related line is this castle quote: [ENG] "My sister, Freyja, is...precious to me. It is my love for her that drives me to stop her from harming mortals..." [JP Translated] "My sister Freyja is irreplaceable to me. That is precisely why I do not with to see her subject mortals to disaster..." It's similar to what he says on his deathbed, so it's nothing we've never heard before. Moving on, besides commenting on her presence at the beach, his Summer alt only really addresses Freyja once in this voice line: [ENG] "How long has it been since you were so untroubled, Freyja..." [JP Translated] "Freyja... How long has it been since I last saw you smile so innocently..." This is not to mean that Freyja now smiles at him non-innocently... In this context, it seems to me that he's talking about how unburdened and carefree Freyja is while at the beach, like a child, and he's reminiscing about how she used to be when she was young and not weighed down by as much baggage. Nothing to see here. To end off this section, Attuned Peony is, to my knowledge, the only other unit who comments on Freyr and Freyja's relationship, and even then she doesn't have much to say: [ENG] "If anything can happen in dreams, then King Freyr and Lady Freyja may still one day find peace once more..." [JP Translated] "If it's in a dream...surely Lord Freyr and Lady Freyja will be able to make amends (get along again). Sometimes I wonder just how much or little the fairies know about their lieges' relationship, seeing how they barely address it, if at all. Plumeria especially I imagine would feel quite conflicted if she knew the master she served and adored held untoward desires for her brother, being the game's resident prude extraordinaire, yet she offers no input on the matter. Some take this as an indication that Freyja's feelings aren't romantic/sexual in nature, because surely Plumeria would have much to say if it indeed was, but I'm not certain that suffices as evidence, per se. Now comes time to look at the Meet the Heroes entries of the sibling duo's playable versions. Starting with Base Freyja's, which by far goes into the most depth: [ENG] "[...] Freyja was once a compassionate goddess who treasured love in all its forms. However, a childhood of ridicule left her heartbroken, making her brother Freyr her only source of affection. When Freyr chose to put the mortal world before her whims, Freyja was inconsolable, so she took to living in the realm of nightmares. Envious of Freyr’s love for the mortals, she used her own love to control them, all so Freyr’s smile would be for her alone. And that’s how Freyja came to be the queen of the realm of nightmares. Do you think that things between her and Freyr can ever be the same again?" [JP Translated] "[...] Freyja was once the Goddess of Love who enjoyed loving and being loved by others. However, she loves her brother Freyr to the point where it exceeds the feelings siblings hold towards one another. Heartbroken after Freyr rejected those feelings, she came to live in the nightmare realm. She began to control the mortals her brother loved using her own love, wanting him to look at her... That's how Freyja came to reign as queen over the realm of nightmares. Please make amends with Freyr someday!" Unsurprisingly (to me, at least), the Japanese version emphasizes the fact that Freyja's love for Freyr goes beyond sibling affection once again while the English version dances around it. The straightforward reading of this excerpt would be that Freyr didn't reciprocate that kind of love, which led to their falling out and long-time separation. Makes a lot of sense to me, but do share alternative interpretations if you have them. Let's see this section of Summer Freyja's entry now: [ENG] "She also brought a really cute goat-shaped floatie along with her! Is it just me, or do I see a bit of Freyr in it? Those two really are inseparable!" [JP Translated] "Her cute goat-shaped floatie seems to be modelled after her brother Freyr. Fitting for Freyja as a big brother's girl (like a daddy's girl or mama's boy)!" If anything, the fact that the accompanying art for this segment depicts her kissing the floatie is more noteworthy, but it feels kind of disingenuous to use that as evidence of anything, haha. The only other entry with even vaguely useful content is Summer Freyr's: [ENG] "[...] And what’s that in his hand? Why, it’s a cool, refreshing pineapple juice! I see it has two straws, so he must be meaning to share it with his sister, Freyja! Freyr typically looks calm and serene, but I think I can see a little smile on his face. I hope he and Freyja have a wonderful time at the beach!" [JP Translated] "[...] The pineapple juice he holds in his hand looks delicious! I hear it has two straws so he can drink it together with his sister Freyja! Freyr is always calm, but he seems to be having more fun than usual. Please enjoy the summer sea to the fullest with Freyja!" Just like with the floatie kiss, I don't think the fact they intend to share the same drink by using two straws is indicative of one thing or another. Merely a fun little detail. Last but not least comes the currently Japanese-exclusive art book, namely the second volume, which covers Book IV (and V, but we're not talking about that right now). Naturally, as a resident Book IV fanatic, I am in possession of a copy. While it's called an illustrations book, it in fact includes things like plot and character summaries and valuable extra lore that you cannot find anywhere else. In the future, I intend to translate the notable parts of the Book IV-dedicated section for those who don't have the art book and/or cannot read Japanese, But for now, all I will include is this excerpt from the overview of the plot line "Freyja's reckless behaviour and jealousy towards humans because she desperately wanted her brother": https://preview.redd.it/ccqtny1gnh0d1.png?width=657&format=png&auto=webp&s=43387c435f5cedcdcf537e86152a6a920537ef90 The underlined text (フレイヤは兄フロージに対して血縁者以上の感情を抱き) restates that "Freyja holds feelings for Freyr that exceed [what one feels toward] blood relatives". Once more the Japanese version is very eager to highlight this fact. Whether this art book will eventually be translated into English remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being slightly sanitized and less forward with the incestuous undertones (or overtones, depending on your view). |
2024.05.15 17:58 bostonmovingcompany Navigating Your First Move: Essential Tips for First-Time Movers
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submitted by bostonmovingcompany to u/bostonmovingcompany [link] [comments]
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2024.05.15 17:27 bostonmovingcompany How to Stay Calm During a Move
Imagine this: You’re amidst the chaos of packing boxes, coordinating logistics, and saying goodbye to your old home. Amidst it all, you’re struggling to keep your cool. But fear not, because in this article, we’re diving deep into the art of staying calm during a move.
Moving can be a stressful experience, but with the right mindset and strategies, you can navigate it with ease. According to recent studies, moving ranks as one of life’s most stressful events, alongside divorce and starting a new job. However, by implementing proven techniques and maintaining a positive outlook, you can mitigate stress and ensure a smoother transition.
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Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
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Moving can be a stressful experience, but with the right mindset and strategies, you can navigate it with ease. According to recent studies, moving ranks as one of life’s most stressful events, alongside divorce and starting a new job. However, by implementing proven techniques and maintaining a positive outlook, you can mitigate stress and ensure a smoother transition.
Here are some expert tips to help you stay calm during your move:
- Plan Ahead: Begin by creating a detailed moving plan, including timelines, checklists, and tasks to accomplish. By breaking down the process into manageable steps, you’ll feel more organized and in control.
- Practice Self-Care: Amidst the hustle and bustle of moving, don’t forget to prioritize self-care. Take breaks when needed, stay hydrated, and make time for activities that help you relax and recharge.
- Lean on Support: Don’t hesitate to lean on friends, family, or professional movers like Premium Q Moving and Storage for assistance. Surrounding yourself with a support network can alleviate stress and make the moving process more manageable.
- Stay Organized: Keep your belongings organized throughout the moving process to minimize chaos and frustration. Label boxes clearly, pack essential items separately, and create an inventory to track your belongings.
- Focus on the Positive: Instead of dwelling on the challenges of moving, focus on the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. Visualize your new home and the memories you’ll create there, keeping your spirits high.
- Take Breaks: Moving can be physically and emotionally draining, so it’s essential to take regular breaks to rest and recharge. Schedule downtime into your moving plan to prevent burnout and maintain your well-being.
- Embrace Flexibility: Despite your best efforts, unexpected challenges may arise during the moving process. Practice flexibility and adaptability, staying calm in the face of change.
- Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate each milestone you reach during the moving process, no matter how small. Recognizing your achievements will boost your morale and keep you motivated.
Important tips: Hiring movers or DIY?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, moving doesn’t have to be synonymous with stress. By implementing these tips and maintaining a positive mindset, you can navigate the transition with ease. Remember, at Premium Q Moving and Storage, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Because at the end of the day, we move lives, not just things. Stay calm, stay focused, and embrace the journey ahead.Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
- For Tampa: at (813)-733-4481, visit www.premiumqmoving.com/tampa-moving or contact us at [tampa@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:Tampa@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram u/tampamoving.
- For Boston: at (781)-549-8789, visit www.premiumqmoving.com or contact us at [sales@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:sales@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram @premiumqmoving.
Listen/Watch Life Beyond Boxes Podcast Episodes Below
Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:- Listen on Apple Podcasts: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Amazon Music: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Spotify: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Boomplay: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Watch on YouTube: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
2024.05.15 17:17 bostonmovingcompany A Stress-Free Move: Tips for Moving with Your Cat
Moving can be a stressful time for everyone, including our feline friends. Imagine being whisked away from the comfort of your familiar surroundings to a new and unfamiliar place. As you plan your relocation, it’s essential to consider the needs of your beloved cat to ensure a smooth transition for both of you. That’s why we will give you the best tips for moving with your cat.
Moving with a cat requires careful planning and consideration to ensure their safety and well-being throughout the process. Here are some expert tips for moving with your cat:
Important tips: Hiring movers or DIY?
Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
submitted by bostonmovingcompany to u/bostonmovingcompany [link] [comments]
Moving with a cat requires careful planning and consideration to ensure their safety and well-being throughout the process. Here are some expert tips for moving with your cat:
Create a Safe Haven:
Before the moving day arrives, set up a safe and comfortable space for your cat in your current home. This area should include their bed, litter box, food, water, and familiar toys to help them feel secure amidst the chaos of packing.Gradual Introductions:
If possible, introduce your cat to their carrier well in advance of the move. Leave it open with familiar bedding inside, along with treats and toys, to encourage positive associations. Gradually increase the amount of time your cat spends in the carrier to help reduce anxiety on moving day.Familiar Scents:
When packing your belongings, be sure to leave out familiar items that carry your cat’s scent, such as bedding or blankets. These familiar scents can provide comfort to your cat in their new environment and help them adjust more quickly.Stick to Routine:
Amidst the chaos of moving, try to maintain your cat’s regular feeding and playtime schedule as much as possible. Consistency can help reduce stress and anxiety for your cat during this transitional period.Secure Transportation:
On moving day, ensure your cat is safely secured in their carrier before transporting them to your new home. Consider using a pheromone spray or calming collar to help keep them relaxed during the journey.Comfort in the New Home:
Once you’ve arrived at your new home, create a designated space for your cat with familiar items from their old environment. Allow them to explore their new surroundings at their own pace, and provide plenty of reassurance and attention to help them feel safe and secure.Patience and Understanding:
Moving can be a challenging experience for cats, and they may exhibit signs of stress or anxiety during the transition period. Be patient and understanding with your furry friend, and give them the time and space they need to adjust to their new home.Important tips: Hiring movers or DIY?
Conclusion:
Moving with a cat can be challenging, but with careful planning and good tips for moving with your cat, you can help alleviate stress for both you and your furry friend. By creating a safe and comfortable environment, maintaining routines, and providing reassurance throughout the process, you can ensure a smooth transition to your new home. At Premium Q Moving and Storage, we understand the importance of your pet’s well-being during a move. Contact us today for expert moving services tailored to your needs, because at Premium Q Moving and Storage, We Move Lives, Not Things.Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
- For Tampa: at (813)-733-4481, visit www.premiumqmoving.com/tampa-moving or contact us at [tampa@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:Tampa@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram u/tampamoving.
- For Boston: at (781)-549-8789, visit www.premiumqmoving.com or contact us at [sales@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:sales@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram @premiumqmoving.
Listen/Watch Life Beyond Boxes Podcast Episodes Below
Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:- Listen on Apple Podcasts: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Amazon Music: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Spotify: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Boomplay: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Watch on YouTube: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
2024.05.15 16:55 bostonmovingcompany Things to Know Before Moving to Woburn, MA: A Comprehensive Guide
As the sun sets over the historic streets of Woburn, Massachusetts, a sense of anticipation fills the air. For those considering a move to this charming town, there’s much to discover and explore. Picture yourself strolling through tree-lined avenues, chatting with friendly neighbors, and immersing yourself in the rich history and culture that Woburn has to offer. But before you take the leap and make Woburn your new home, there are a few things you should know.
Also, don’t forget to check it out: Discover Things to Do in Woburn, MA
Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
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Things to Know Before Moving to Woburn, MA:
1. Rich History and Vibrant Culture:
Woburn is steeped in history, with roots dating back to the 17th century. From its picturesque downtown area to its historic landmarks, such as the Baldwin House and Woburn Public Library, the town is a treasure trove of cultural heritage.2. Thriving Economy:
With a diverse mix of industries, including healthcare, technology, and manufacturing, Woburn boasts a strong and stable economy. The town offers ample employment opportunities for professionals in various fields, making it an attractive destination for career-minded individuals.3. Excellent Schools and Education:
Families moving to Woburn can rest assured knowing that their children will receive a top-notch education. The town is home to several highly-rated public schools, as well as private institutions, providing students with access to quality education at every level.4. Beautiful Parks and Recreation:
Nature lovers will feel right at home in Woburn, thanks to its abundance of parks, trails, and outdoor recreational areas. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, or simply taking a leisurely stroll through the park, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Woburn’s great outdoors.5. Convenient Location:
Situated just a short drive from Boston, Woburn offers the perfect balance of suburban tranquility and urban convenience. Residents enjoy easy access to the city’s cultural attractions, world-class dining, and vibrant nightlife, all while enjoying the peace and quiet of small-town living.6. Affordable Housing Options:
Compared to neighboring towns and cities, housing in Woburn is relatively affordable, making it an attractive option for homebuyers and renters alike. Whether you’re looking for a cozy apartment in the heart of downtown or a spacious single-family home in a quiet suburban neighborhood, you’ll find plenty of options to suit your needs and budget.Also, don’t forget to check it out: Discover Things to Do in Woburn, MA
Conclusion:
In conclusion, moving to Woburn, MA, offers a wealth of opportunities for individuals and families alike. From its rich history and vibrant culture to its thriving economy and excellent schools, the town has much to offer its residents. And with the help of Premium Q Moving and Storage, transitioning to your new home in Woburn has never been easier. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive moving and storage services, because at Premium Q Moving and Storage, We Move Lives, Not Things.Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
- For Tampa: at (813)-733-4481, visit www.premiumqmoving.com/tampa-moving or contact us at [tampa@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:Tampa@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram u/tampamoving.
- For Boston: at (781)-549-8789, visit www.premiumqmoving.com or contact us at [sales@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:sales@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram @premiumqmoving.
Listen/Watch Life Beyond Boxes Podcast Episodes Below
Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:- Listen on Apple Podcasts: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Amazon Music: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Spotify: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Boomplay: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Watch on YouTube: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
2024.05.15 16:40 bostonmovingcompany Mastering Your Move: Essential Moving Tips for 2024
Imagine this: You’re standing in your soon-to-be-former living room, surrounded by boxes stacked high and memories lingering in the air. The excitement of a new beginning mingles with the stress of the impending move. But fear not, because in this article, we’re bringing you the ultimate moving tips for 2024. From practical packing hacks to emotional strategies for navigating the transition, we’ve got you covered.
Important tips: Tips for Efficient Unpacking
Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!
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Moving tips for 2024:
Plan Ahead with Precision:
The key to a successful move lies in meticulous planning. Start by creating a detailed timeline outlining tasks such as decluttering, packing, hiring movers, and notifying utility companies. Allocate specific dates for each task to stay organized and avoid last-minute chaos.Declutter and Donate:
Moving presents the perfect opportunity to declutter your belongings and lighten your load. Take stock of your possessions and separate items into categories: keep, donate, sell, and discard. Donate gently used items to local charities or host a garage sale to turn clutter into cash.Pack Strategically:
When it comes to packing, efficiency is paramount. Invest in quality packing supplies such as sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, and markers. Pack room by room, labeling boxes clearly with their contents and destination room to streamline the unpacking process at your new home.Protect Your Valuables:
Certain items, such as fragile heirlooms, electronics, and important documents, require extra care during transit. Wrap delicate items in bubble wrap or packing paper and secure them in labeled boxes. Consider purchasing insurance for valuable items to provide added peace of mind.Stay Connected:
In the midst of the chaos, it’s essential to stay connected with your support system. Lean on friends and family for emotional support and practical assistance throughout the moving process. Communicate openly with your moving company to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience.Prepare Your New Space:
Before moving day arrives, take time to prepare your new home for your arrival. Clean and disinfect surfaces, change the locks for added security, and set up essential utilities such as electricity, water, and internet. Create a welcoming environment by arranging furniture and personalizing the space to make it feel like home from day one.Important tips: Tips for Efficient Unpacking
Conclusion:
In conclusion, embarking on a move can be both exciting and daunting, but with the right strategies and support, you can navigate the process with confidence. At Premium Q Moving and Storage, we understand the challenges of moving and are here to help you every step of the way. From expert packing and transportation to secure storage solutions, we move lives, not things. Contact us today to learn more about how we can make your move a seamless and stress-free experience.Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:
- For Tampa: at (813)-733-4481, visit www.premiumqmoving.com/tampa-moving or contact us at [tampa@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:Tampa@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram u/tampamoving.
- For Boston: at (781)-549-8789, visit www.premiumqmoving.com or contact us at [sales@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:sales@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram @premiumqmoving.
Listen/Watch Life Beyond Boxes Podcast Episodes Below
Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:- Listen on Apple Podcasts: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Amazon Music: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Spotify: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Listen on Boomplay: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
- Watch on YouTube: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!