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caltropspress · 10 months

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RAPS + CRAFTS #16: Curly Castro

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

My name is Curly Castro. I am an MC. I release solo work and I’m also one half of ShrapKnel. Solo works: Fidel, Tosh, Little Robert Hutton. ShrapKnel works: ShrapKnel, Metal Lung, and an assortment of EPs.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

I write wherever I’m at, at the moment something hits me. I can either let the words come to me, or I might see something that sparks a Blade, or Hear something that sparks a thought, that brings forth a Blade.

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

I mostly write on my phone, but used to write in a comp book/Moleskine. But I write a lot in my phone, mainly because of the editing and saving I can do with any Blade I’m working on.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I write in Bars. Usually 16 a clip, unless otherwise needed, or I’m just spazzing.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

It depends. You can get thru a verse and once it’s completed realize it’s trash. But I’m pretty harsh with myself. So after ¾ bars, if it’s not hitting, I’ll kill the whole thing. If I can salvage a bar or two from a Blade, I might reuse it, or put it in a hook.

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

I used to do Spoken Word pieces, and participate in Slams (poetic competitions) and those are written with a moor dramatic bent to them. No bar count and the cadence is pretty different (no Beat). I also wrote a few plays in my professional life. Coming up in the competitive/battling/Slam-poetry world definitely influenced my output. It helped serrate my Blades further.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

I usually write downhill. And can be pretty unforgiving when it comes to editing. But I won’t labor over a verse for long periods of time. Songs? They are another discipline altogether. I have wrote verses on songs months apart from each other on occasion.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

I can do both. But my preference is to write to the beat. You can pull off moor symbiotic a flow that way.

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

The catalyst could be any of those options. No constraint other than it being iLL to the Fullest.

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

I will try out many flows at least one good time. But if I’m not adept at it, you won’t find me Phucking around too much. I carefully pick my (flow) battles.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

My verse on “Cold Burn,” off the ShrapKnel LP Metal Lung. Or “Owens” off of my solo LP Little Robert Hutton. Both of those verses perfectly captured the mood I wanted, which is a difficult thing to do. When I achieve that with a Blade, I feel like my skills are almost where I want them to be (still far to go tho).

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

“Sim Simma, who got the Keys to Oblivion? / Bruce tried to warn Us, with about a Dozen Simians.” [“Running Rebel Swordplay” off Metal Lung by ShrapKnel]

Just trying to match the madness I Know Prem was going to come with for his sections of the song. I had to match that Fury. So I dig that Blade for the sheer references I was able to stuff in there, and I hope everyone caught ’em.

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

I used to be a stickler about that. But to expand my creativity, I have allowed myself to use a punch-in here and there when necessary. But I still like to be able to one-take a Blade in the studio, and replicate that same energy on stage.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

I listen to Reggae & Jazz pretty heavy. Reggae for cadence ideas, Jazz for chaos ideas.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

Of course I do. I think I make some HORRIBLE hooks. And I’m hard to convince that my rap voice is decent. But I cut myself some slack most of the time. Lol. BUT I know when I make something undeniably DOPE. For that is Always the Goal.

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

I never have really imitated. I’ve always appreciated. And paid homage when it’s called for. But I’m not naturally a Shark Biter.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

I might have a Theory or a mindset I want to get across. But I’m just the creator. I have to let my creations go, out into this mad wilderness, to fend for themselves. My Poems wrestle cops into alleys, taking their weapons - word to Amiri Baraka.

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: unknown (hit me up)

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foulbearobservation · 1 year

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re: your tags, glad to hear the duretti bit was amusing, (curious though, was it the straight flag or the ph*lic symbol bit?) i wasn’t going to include him originally but then i had a metaphorical lightning strike moment ala duretti (albeit his was very literal) when i thought of what to out for his section

on mary, yes exactly she’s that meme, her not caring for nonbinary as a label is a bit complicated, because of stuff like finding a lot of the labels or terms used to talk about nonbinary experiences clunky or ill fitting (i,e a lot of people who are neither transmasc or transfemme being labeled transneutral regardless of if they actually present that way and/or id as such) and the frequent erasure of nonbinary people of color in too many chunks of communities, but mainly and mostly yeah it’s just that meme, i have a job i don’t need to worry about it rn, who cares

on adriel, idk? i just thought the vrigins were so that the fbc would like unlock a new steam achievement or the demon possession of vrigins would theoretically be extra powerful, human sacrifices, and/or adriel was like “what do you have there?” FBC with virgins they’re planning to do magic rituals with: a smoothie adriel: y’know what i’m not even gonna ask, carry on

thirdly it’s so cool to see a columbo fan, i didn’t realize before seeing your columbo posts th there was an actual fandom for the show beyond a good chunk of boomers, and having grown up watching it whenever my dad would play episodes, seeing posts have kicked off a good bout of nostalgia

but also mainly having watched it as a kid whenever my dad would play it means i don’t really have good memory of many episodes or anything, but i still wanna get back/get into it so what episodes would you say are the best and/or recommend?

obsessed with me getting the author's notes for this post 😭😭

the columbo of it all,,,, I love columbo. I love my lil detective. there's sooo many good episodes, here's an inconclusive list of my faves (since I haven't watched all of columbo, I'm only midway thru season 7 rn)

season 1:

murder by the book: any time jack cassidy is in a columbo episode you just KNOW it's gonna be good. the whole mystery gets undone by a horny grocery store clerk. I am not kidding. (also fun fact steven spielberg directed this one!)

lady in waiting: this woman is UNHINGED she is a GENIUS she is an IDIOT I hate her I love her she is EVERYTHING TO ME, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? she's the original evil girlboss

season 2: season 2 has like nothing but good episodes tbh you can't go wrong with a season 2 episode

etude in black: is so cleverly done, I love it I love it I love it.

dagger of the mind: is literally just macbeth. the shakespeare of it all is absurd I love it. the blocking of the final scene where it's the murderers with wax statues in mourning behind them like an actual greek chorus. it's insane. I'm obsessed with it. that's CINEMATOGRAPHY BABES

a stitch in crime: this one has leonard nimoy in it, which should be reason enough for you to watch it.

the most dangerous match: were you obsessed with chess the musical in highschool? this is for you.

double shock: columbo becomes the heartthrob of housewives everywhere after he appears on a cooking show. again, I am not kidding.

season 3: again, all hits! no flops!!

any old port in a storm: wine maker has intense homoerotic tension with columbo. columbo is a lil flattered by it.

publish or perish: jack cassidy. need I say more?

swan song: johnny cash is in this one!!

season 4: from here on out, ymmv

negative reaction: dick van dyke plays a very fun killer!

troubled waters: the BEST murder scene on columbo hands down

season 5: there's a rumor I think that this was supposed to be the last season, so they took some wild swings.

forgotten lady: the way this one resolves made me cry! one of the top columbo episodes of all time!!

now you see him: !JACK! CASSIDY! seriously this is one of my other top columbo eps of all time

last salute to the commodore: the last ep of columbo at the time. very self indulgent. it's so funny.

season 6:

old fashioned murder: I think the most clever murderer we've had? the end scene where he does the ultimate kindness of telling her family that he was lying. god. that gets me. lieutenant firstname columbo ur my best boy

season 7:

murder under glass: OH it's a tasty episode.

make me a perfect murder: I know she did a murder but I think the murder she did was justified like she deserved to go apeshit just this once.

and that's all the columbo I've watched! as with all the media I recommend, I can provide links / a google drive folder because I do so love sharing media

#sorry for talking about columbo he's just my special little guy #no but fr I think a lot of writers and my mutuals especially would like columbo because it's not a whodunnit crime it's a howcatchem #it's all about the little ways a crime can fall apart it's so good #please watch columbo this is my final message

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readingwriter92 · 2 years

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Okay. Like. I know. That I haven’t finished watching grim and I’m at the beginning of this plot but. I have a real goddamned grudge with Grimm and I wanna finish the show but it stops me everytime. So here is a really long rant about Grimm for a hot sec

(spoilers obviously until about mid way thru season 4? i don't remember exactly where i ended its been a few months)

Okay to start off with something small and honestly is only because of me as a fic reader probably but

what the fuck was up with Nick and the weird grey thing? Like he's turned into a weird zombie at the end of Season 2 and then randomly goes grey and like. they never exactly do anything about it? like. juliette wakes up to find her boyfriend seemingly dead and they DON'T TELL ANYONE? DON'T DO ANYTHING? no like magic or shit they can do about this? no. it just randomly without explanation goes away by the next season with no mention.

Like c'mon i just felt cheated by this concept.

Okay, into my big rant.

Just a refresher, in like (i think) 1x17, Nick and Adalind fight in the woods, he gets her to bite him. Grimm blood takes away her powers. Right. We established this lore early on. Just. like. keep this in mind.

So we reach season 3 finale, Nick has lost his powers bc he had sex with Adalind (simplification whatever) so then in season 4 they fix this by Nick having sex with his girlfriend when she looks like adalind.

This causes Juliette to get Hexenbeist powers?? Right. Okay. So she hides this shit from people.

In one of the last eps I watched, she went to Sean. WHO DIDN'T Y'KNOW TELL HER ABOUT THE LORE FROM SEASON 1????

Like someone else must fucking know this??? Nick must've mentioned it to them at some point. There's no way. If nothing else Nick has one hundred percent been like. Yeah Adalind hates me bc I took away her powers thats why she put Juliette in a coma yada yada yada. LIKE

This is established lore and I'm going to be very annoyed if i have to watch a half season/season of them trying to find other ways to get rid of her powers.

This seems to me like it should've just been:

Juliette: Sean I have weird hexenbeist powers!

Sean: Go drink Nick's blood. Problem solved.

:LSUDJFLKSD G?LFKHJSD L?FK

I just. I can get ranty about shows for sure but like. This one is a very particular sore spot for me. And I wanna believe that it'll get explained and ill have to append this note with like. oops I was wrong. they fixed this. But after the above grey nick incident and 12 seasons of Supernatural watched in my lifetime I don't have high hopes.

Which is annoying bc the show is good and I like it but also like. AHHHH what is thisssssss

#Grimm #i don't usually use actual tags but I'm annoyed enough #this all being said I actually really liked this show #It hit at a good time for me obsessing about shows and like idk good content #i wanna finish it. but also like. this like plot related thing genuinely angered me enough to stop for a bit XDD #its literally in watching season5 of 911 where Sasha Roiz is in that im like. mmm i wanna watch grimmm #maybe im completely wrong and if so sorry. I still like this show i just needed to rant XD

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kmze · 25 days

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Unpopular opinion. But I find TO so boring 🥲 I just couldn’t get thru the first 10 eps. Like it’s been months since I started and I’m still on ep 5 haha is it because Klaus is my least fave character? Idk maybe, he is just too much sometimes lmao

HA! Klaus is not for everyone, I get what you mean to because there are times I want Klaus to go away because he yells far too much for my taste. If he's your least favorite though it might not be for you, I personally don't like most of the Originals, Klaus is the only one I am at least amused by but I like almost all of the side characters on TO. My unpopular opinion about TO is that I loved S2 a lot more than S1, I thought S1 was boring but I also thought TVD S1 was boring so sometimes I just don't like the set-up season. I thought S2 was really interesting with all the different factions of NOLA I like Hayley and Jackson I LOVED Gia and Elijah and I loved a lot of the Klamille scenes that season. Claudia Black is also an actress I'm fond of from her time on Farscape so I loved having her as the big bad. I'd say TO 2-4 were really solid it's 1&5 that are disjointed.

#anon for ts #to for ts

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thelovelybitten · 11 months

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vera’s first watch of south park — season five (part 1)

lfg babes i’m bored so lets watch

EPISODE 1:

LETS GO NEW SEASONNNNNN

KEPT THE BANGER INTRO YES WOOOOTTT

there’s a shit counter HAHAH LETS SEE HOW THIS GOES LMAO

BUTTERS VANDALIZING THE WALL

but tbh he slayed it

EVERYONE EXCITED ABT THE FUCKING SHIT LINE I CAN’T

kyle: i don’t give a fuck (SO REAL)

NOT THE CHEERS AND APPLAUSE HAHAH

huh ?? raining frogs ???

timmy SAID IT LETS GO

kyle is abt TO BLOW UP

sand in the vagina — cartman will not let him go

GARRISON NOT THE F SLUR

S H I T

what the fuck are these the seven deadly sins or sumth

cartman and his shirt LMAO

okay KYLE POP AWF he’s my smart bby boy

shit…twice, BFFR

chef helping the core four solve this stuff KING SHIT

CARTMAN STOP

no NOT KENNY ANYONE BUT KENNY PLS

okay who the fuck is this guy

no kenny looks so sick :’(

oh WHAT THE HELL

a rune ??? okay

LAS VEGASSSSS LET’S GOOOO

GANDALF???

MEECROB OH MY GOD CARTMAN WAS RIGHT

JIMBO IS A HOMOSEXUAL INTERESTING

shit counter thru the roof

not A WHOLE ASS DRAGON

CARTMAN LET IT GO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

KYLE PREACHING 2 THE GOSPEL ICONIC

oh that was fucking feral i did not need to see all of kenny’s intestines

interesting ep

EPISODE 2:

FIRST NIGHT OF SCOUTS ?????

yO STAN THAT WAS OUTTA POCKET

timmy being strapped onto the back of the pickup

BUTTERS

KENNY AND STAN’S DAD ARE SHOOK

JIMMYYYYYY

give timmy his spotlight pls

well. last season he got it so ig give jimmy it

not the homophobia….

OKAY JIMMY POP OFF

JIMMY PLEASE NOT THE PLAN B JOKE

TIMMY BEING ROBBED BUT I LOVE JIMMY

BIG SILLY GOOSE

YOU DO NOT SAY BIG SILLY GOOSE— YOU CALL HIM AN ASSHOLE LIKE A NORMAL KID

but dad, i was just trying to—

STANLEY YOU CALL YOUR FRIEND AN ASSHOLE THIS INSTANT.

asshole.

CRACKED ME UP LMAO

troop 69 oh they knew what they were doing

jimmy this is so bad

oh BUT THESE IMPRESSIONS FUCKING SLAYED

okay BUT DON’T GET TIMMY I’LL BE MAD

jimmy deserved

homophobia is not cute STOP

oh MY GOD TIMMY KNOWS WHAT’S UP

kenny jacket is bad luck ig

the way jimmy avoided everything

jimmy ripping on timmy is not cool i’m mad

NAKED PICTURES ?!?!?!?! NOT THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

butters tryna explain they being exploited

not THE PUPPIES CARTMAN

OH THEY FIGHTIN

kenny’s parents and brother in the chapel aw

OH FUCK THEY GOING AT ITTT

everyone and their mothers watching two disabled kids beat each other up… weird

not THE NUTS

NOT IT BEING BROADCASTED

hc: all those boys are scarred abt their nude photos being taken and the unfortunate thing is the photos get leaked when they’re in college and it’s so bad :(

wait has kyle not been here the whole time.

WAIT

oh FUCK KYLE WASN’T HERE

prolly bc of his religion or sumth

anyways get the homophobes so true and real

real

wait what

timmy wyd

timmy OH MY GOD LMAOOOOO

okay that last bit was funny alr

EPISODE 3:

radiohead special guests???

cartman wtf u mean u got pubes

wait what the fuck

stan real

KYLE ATE

nah don’t mess w cartman

CARTMAN U DID NOT ATTACH THOSE—

oh lord…

damn scott gaslit the gaslighter

this what he gets for being 8 years old

oh beg FOR IT HE SAID GET HIM

also cartman deserves it

WOW SCOTT IS RUTHLESS

WENDY IN FRAME I MISS HER

everyone is so… dumbfounded

GOD CARTMAN LMAO THIS IS GOING NO WHERE

uhm. this is so awk

undercover cartman

okay pls hold must feed my cats

okay am back

wait must control my cats

back fr

NED NO

also wtf

cartman pls this is a gag

scott one upping cartman is so iconic

YO CARTMAN THIS WAS GENIUS NGL

WHAT THE FUCK CARTMAN THAT WAS TOO MESSED UP

tbh don’t mess w cartman

anyways gonna go 2 bed will continue at a later date

EPISODE 4:

GOOD EVENING GAMERS IM BACC

let's get’r done

not the terrance n phillip shit i dispise them

they shitting their PANTS FOR T AN P

kyle real for waiting for those tickets

oh kyle abt to eat those words oh no

YO TERRANCE IS BIG BRO

wait who the fuck is this

“kenny’s a random slut” damn cartman

clyde i love u my son

THEY GOING TO CANADA MY HOME

phillip being part of an acting crew ok

cartman right kyle oh boy

KENNY’S ARM WHAT THE FUCK— HE GONNA BLEED OUT

NOT HIS OTHER ARM :’((((

i’m sad abt kenny this is torture

mid ep :/

EPISODE 5:

oh damn… i’m sorry cartman

oh no wait this boy being ungrateful as normal

HUH SHE LEFT CARTMAN 1 MILLION DOLLARS

OH NO EGOMANIAC IS ON THE RISE

WENDY WYD FOLLOWING CARTMAN

kyle being real part 8393659373

he gonna. buy a whole ass amusement park for himself

NO NOT THE HEMORRHOID

not style angst

CARTMANLAND how fucking fitting.

style gonna beat his ass as they should

I NEED MY CWEAM— I NEED MY CWEEEEEEEM

properTAH

kyle in his delulu era

butters and clyde icons

STAN LSNDNCHSJDNCN I WISH U GOT AWAY W IT

KYLE U BETTER NOT DIE

kenny got bodied by that pole

kyle PLEASE MY SON DON’T DO IT

I LOVE WHEN KARMA KICKS CARTMANS ASS

“YOU ARE UP THERE ;”)” KYLE DSKHGHDSGSJJS UNHINGED

#faves: south park #viv watches #CARTMANLAND EP SLAYED #runner up was the scott malkinson ep #!!!#gettin goin #WOO

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enderspawn · 2 years

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ANYWAY I just more or less got to a point where my brain Refuses to consume new content rn, BUT over the last two days I banged thru pd s1’s first three episodes and I’m rlly vibin the format change I think— at least for these sessions I feel like it just… lends itself better via that monster of the week episodic feel? like I feel like it means less dangling plot threads and has a much tighter control of the pacing of the storyline BC it’s so episodic. I’m interested in seeing if that holds up Thru the rest of the season

#i got abt 1/3 to 1/2 of the way thru ep 4 atlas shrugged before my brain was like Nope we’re done w this now actually #jrwi #og post #but ye s1 did have like. a Bit of a weird pacing I felt? that and just plot lines sometimes not being followed Thru on #which I get Why it happened don’t get me wrong #but I think that forced tightening of focus with one overarching goal leading them Thru many short adventures can help #even the pacing of not getting a CAR til ep 3 I felt was nice. like idk I’m just enjoying it!

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curiosity-killed · 4 years

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wei wuxian’s body

bc @veliseraptor reminded me

wwx + bodily autonomy, a potentially incoherent jumping-off from this post

this is v hastily written bc i’m literally leaning across an open WIP on my art laptop to write it but it’ll languish in the annals of Things I Meant to Write But Forgot About alongside that other wwx thots™ post i drafted and then abandoned

this also may be less based in canon than HCs but i will contemplate that when/if objections are raised in the notes bc again im trying to do this quickly so i can draw sad sad wangxian

edit: just forewarning this is a very limited read atm without much consideration for other cultural and environmental influences that might impact this so apologies for those limitations. this is, again, a very hasty pile of Thots™

a brief thesis: wwx has never felt that his body is his own

summary of evidence: lack of bodily security as a child on the streets -> perceived debts to yunmeng jiang -> burial mounds -> death -> resurrection

1) childhood

basically, as a kid on the streets, wwx couldn’t take for granted the security and wholeness of his body at any given point; his constant foraging for scraps of food, fighting dogs, etc., p much demolishes the sanctity of his body and makes his physical security extremely conditional

2) debts to yunmeng jiang

thanks to the jiang clan, he is provided with physical security and is able to grow up nurtured and safe. however even here, it is made clear that this is not a condition-less state. he’s reminded he’s the son of a servant elevated above the position he “should” have, he’s disciplined via harsh(ish — depends on your reading of canon/personal headcanons a bit here) physical means, etc.

this is obv most exemplified by the golden core transfer (“that is what I owed Jiang clan” isn’t, i don’t think, at all insincere) but it’s also apparent in things like accepting a physical beating from Zidian, a high-powered spiritual weapon, and resigning himself to having his sword hand cut off if it means the Wen will leave Lotus Pier alone, etc. also madam yu/jiang fengmian ordering him to protect jiang cheng and jiang yanli (i’d pull the direct quotes but again! speed.)

2a) xuanwu cave

here we have, obviously, his diving in to take the branding iron for mianmian but i also think an argument could be made for his staying behind in the cave as being partially due to this. like is it partially just how the pieces fall? sure. but i also think that all things being equal, he would still shove jiang cheng out of the cave and stay behind bc jiang cheng’s life is worth more than his in his view

3) burial mounds

aight this one takes more of a dive into headcanon territory since i insist on slightly-left-of-human!wwx BUT in an effort to keep it canon: esp in novel canon, wwx essentially sacrifices his body again through demonic cultivation given the deterioration of his mind/body/heart thru using resentful energy/stygian tiger seal

3a) empathy

this one is a bit more of a fudge, but basically: empathy requires the user to give over their body/control of the situation to see the other person/spirit’s memories and is indicated to be fairly high risk. who’s noted for being good @ empathy and constantly willing to do it? same guy who’s never believed he has a right to his own body in the first place

4) death

a. novel-verse, he sacrifices himself to destroy the seal in an effort to prevent it getting in the wrong hands/stop the y’know disaster happening

b. CQL-verse, he kills himself to...well, depending on your reading, either make up for the death(s) he’s caused, accept defeat, remove a living pain from the lives of the people he caused, just end it already bc it’s not worth it

but in any case, there’s a level of sacrificing his body/physical life there

5) resurrection

again this varies a lil between CQL and the others and is at its most extreme when he’s resurrected into mo xuanyu’s body, seeing as that is literally not his body and thus carries a bunch of weird consent things

but in either case, he was dragged back to life (apparently at least somewhat against his will — “I wish I were still dead” or smth along those lines in ep 1) and given a body that isn’t his original (i’m still hung up on the fucking mole. what the FUCK) body and isn’t something he asked for and immediately set on a quest that he, again, is pushed into and during which he’ll repeatedly put his body on the line as a sacrifice

conclusion

sorry if this is super incoherent and doesn’t make sense to anyone but me! this is basically a semi-fleshed out but still p skeletal speed reading of my thoughts on the whole thing and, again, done quickly bc i have art to get to

but basically i think the bottom line for me is that wwx’s self sacrificial tendencies come from a confluence of arrogance, sense of obligation/duty, lack of self-worth, and ingrained lack of ownership of his body and i think a major part of any arc post-canon (regardless of which body he’s got) somewhat requires him learning his body as his own and as deserving of protection/preservation

i still don’t know if any of this makes sense LMAO

#mdzs meta #untamed meta #wei wuxian #wei ying #here are speed thoughts with curio #feel free to disagree obv this is just my reading of it

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kristalpepsi · 3 years

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Temptation Stairway Thoughts™ + Theory Discussion

TW: blood + Death mentions, Implied (forced/pushed) integration (systems), racism (against asians), unreality stuff bc the show is Like That, Trauma causd by therapy

TL;DR = I mainly talk about implied integration, n as some1 in a system tht! mkes me uncomfy! I mainly will talk abt wht I’m calling the multi-ena theory (n anothr theory ill call the Multiple/Multi-Enaverse Theory) thts been popping up n disccng how thts kind of the bggst thng keepng me on board! I won’t LIE I might b a little biased bc I rlly do like thise show b I am NOT blind so I will try 2 address som things. I also talk alot abt the Shepard n Phindol bc I love themb so much they make me very heart Big.

DISCLAIMERS:

Obviously Joel G Highkey/definitely/most probbly did not intend 4 any of thise, but media is very complic8d so u cn end up accidntlly making problmtc things or implyng not great things

I hav a typing quirkkkk so if u cant understand my post I rlly dont blame u! I’m sorry how I type is Incomprehensible™

Not an angry post, more like my brain is holding me host-ge until i talk abt everyth dskfjhd!!

DO NOT Send anyone in thise post hate or angry asks/messages or perish by my sword

OK so this recnt episde has me w vry vry mixd feelngs!!! I’m both happy n exctd! b litrlly 2 things is whts bothrng me. While I CLD jst say :I Am Lookng Away: i rlly do need 2 write it down. Under a Read-more bc im secure SKSJ

Part 0: I’m uncomfortable help

The Section wher i tlk abt n bring up othr ppl’s concerns

So fr most if nt all the frnds I hav who also wtch Ena ALSO has a vry “vr vry mixd feelngs now tht I’ve seen the episde!!” mood twrds Temptation Stairway! It’s 4 a bunch of rsns, like thise post (tw racism) mde by a frnd whch brings up a good point

Part 1: The Actual Intro

Episode 1 = Auction day (AD) Episode 2 = Extinction Party (EP) Episode 3 = Tempation Stairway (TS)

Who is Ena

Ena can b describd as an "abstract girl split in half, w 1 blue side n the other is her yellow side!" Each side (emotion/mood, 2 b specific) seems 2 hav their own voic actor credited along with seper8 credits 4 each mood! So far the canon sides r Ena (happy), Ena (sad), n Ena (drunk)! They seem 2 act accordingly: Happy acts happy n optimistc, Sad acts sad n especlly depressd, n Drunk acts confused n dizzy [In the Credits, it would look like thise: Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman, (drunk) Ena by Sam Meza

4 Episodes 1-2, thy follow thise pattern exctly! So we cn expect wht 2 see from them, n each voice actor is creditd accordngly as seper8 b all a part of Ena

On epside 3, Ena is seen as actng diffrnt!! She's suddnly less predictabl! I say thise bc Suddenly, her voic Actors r not stuck 2 Only their sides. Thise is also emphasized when looking at the credit list! No longer is it "Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman" it's now jst "ENA by Gabe V. and Lizzie Freeman"

Happy's voic can sound STRESSED n sad, Happy can tlk w Blue's side in mor control n Sad's voic can sound Really happy n optimistic. Somth's Diffrnt n Not The Same

Temptation Stairway Summary

Skipping 2 my point, The summary of the episode Temptation stairway is tht Moony and Ena have a bet 2 race 2 the Great Runas! The Great Runas, can grnt u any wish accordng 2 Moony n som of those Ena passes by on the wy. The wager, is tht "whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser" (yes it’s phrased like that) As Ena journeys thru, The DIFFERENCES between Ena Temptation Stairway and Ena Extinction Party n Below, is mor obvious as the epsde progrsses, even 2 wher Happy's voic actor is the 1 screamng in agony 2 jst get murdered already. The Episode ends w Moony beatng Ena (but it's 100% possibl it can be the other way arnd, that ENA Beat Moony, b thats somth I'll discuss in a bit L8r). Moony splits in half, revealing that according 2 her, "she wished 2 be skinny" n a humanoid coms out of her previous form. As 4 Ena, Her blue side slowly dispprs n its not answrd why.

Theories so far, are:

Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy (or 4 her sad/blu side 2 go awy. 4 wht reason can b eithr wholsom or 2 Moony's advntge [like so she "doesnt have 2 deal w Sad Ena"]) - b if Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy/b rid of her sad side, tht wld mean perhaps she lied about wishing 2 be skinny (her new humanoid form may be how she is "paying her debt 2 the loser"). Unless the Runas can grant u more than 1 wish.

Ena ws the 1 who wished her blu side awy, whch is a little depressng tbh

If both the above r tru, it may b possibl bc it wsnt clarified (afaik) tht the great runas can only grant ONE person a wish (or more). I think we only get tht implica8ion bc we see 1 (open) door while in the distance, ther r more doors tht look like their eyes r closed. We hav 2 remembr Moony said "whoever makes their wish 1st whch means Ena n Moony can totlly mke wishes @ the sme time

Somhow, turning pure yellow/only happy is how Moony is payng her debt 2 Ena(??) (opposite 2 the 1st theory)

OR If Ena won the race, it can even b possibl 2 consider tht Ena did not make ANY wish, n her debt 2 pay 2 Moony is her sad/blue side removed (I do not subscribe 2 thise)

This info that was brought up 2 me is high evidenc that Moony won the race, n it explains how Moony surprises Ena whn Ena arrives. “I’m The Best and you’re the worst! I wonder who got the hair chest?” said by Ena, is a direct reference 2 a phrase usd by kids when they lose that goes “First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy chest.”

“Whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser.“ Might be phrased tht way as a weird way 2 pay 4 ur greed? (Last minute addition from me since some people wld think this is quoted wrong in and outside of the youtube comments)

i'm p sure ther may even b mor theories b i dont rmmbr them OOPS

Part 2: The Implied Integration Part AKA: How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode

TW: Final fusion discussion, medical trauma (Is that the right word)

Disclaimer: This is 100% unintended by Joel G. That’s y the Alternative title 2 thise part is “How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode”

2 GET IN2 the whole Implied Integr8ion part of my Essay™ I hav a theory calld system ena or sys!ena! (Check out my #system ena tag. This is in chronologicl order!) While thers no canon explan8ion 4 how Ena herslf is how she is, she mkes very intrstng n almst good accdntl Sys Represent8ion 2 me! They even show cofronting rlly well! I headcanon Ena as a system bc of the accidentl system!rep, but it explains 2 me y n how she switches! she has triggers 4 when she switchs 2 a diffrnt side, etc!

Ther hav been theories about Temptation Stairway in the past (before the episode cme out) wher ppl try 2 explain y the trailer Looks Like Tht. Besides theorizing abt the introduction of a new forme (I'm ok w just calling it Scared/Anxiety 4 now until 4rthr notic), 1 of the theories ive seen is tht Temptation Stairway's new introduced forme is due 2 being something akin 2 being "integr8d" (probably by force, accordin 2 the OP) (in other words, all her sides merge in2 one) n Ena being devast8td abt it

While tht theory is now DEBUNKED, bc the new forme clearly did not come out bc of being One Single Mind now, the "integr8ion" part of tht theory is unfortun8ly a littl tru

What is Integr8ion?

Integr8ion is not inherently a bad thing. In systems, ther are 2 definitions: "the breaking down of barriers 2 form healthy multiplicity, n then healthy communic8ion n less amnesiac barriers" and the othr, n mor FAMOUS definition bc its the oldest 1, is "final fusion"

Fnal Fusion is when all the members "fuse/merge" 2gether until ther is 1 single mind left. While not necssrlly a bad thng, final fusion n ther4 "integr8ion" is a scry thing 4 a lot of systems 2 talk abt, because in the history of Treatment, Final fusion is uslly somthng forcd on2 systems 4 the longest time :^(

Very valid 2 hav final fusion as a goal, b showng it as a desire n end goal is uslly seen as a sad n even scry thing 2 promote accdntly or not in media, bc of the previous traumas in the medicl/therapy world of system treatment etc

What's Worse. is tht if we apply the Ending 2 Temptation Stairway to the System!Ena Theory, thts wht hurts!!!

Scrolling back up 2 the possibl theories of who won the race and wht happened aftr, Either Moony or Ena wishing 4 the blue side/Sad Ena 2 go awy is rlly painful!

B I'll be honest, thts a RLLY biased n personal opinion i hav!! I've seen ppl think its rlly wholsom altho a bit Sad, tht the blue side disappears. I've seen ppl think its rlly sweet esp if it was Moony who mde tht wish

BSCLLY If I were to hold on2 the System!Ena headcanon while watchng the Temptation Stairway episode, its Hurtful, not rlly bc of the implied Integr8ion of Sides, but bc most top theories r that the blue side disappeard on Purpose either from Moony or Ena wishing her away or involvng the debt! It's like asking 4 ur sibling irl 2 Disappear and cease 2 exist. it's scary n rlly sad esp whn the audienc can c tht Sad, Happy, n Drunk cn almst b seen as their own persons n mite even b abl 2 interact w each othr (as seen by the many fanart of Happy n Sad having their own seper8 forms)

Ok so Now tht ive described my intro n Main Beef w the Episode, here's a theory I cn rlly get behind tht dsnt mke me wnna cry behind a Denny's. Prsnlly it's a rlly relievng theory even if it mite b hard 2 take in

Ther's no name 4 it, som call it the Enaverse, b just so it dsnt get confusd w other definitions (like, u wldnt call it the Marvel Cinematic Universe theory, the MCU is jst wht it is) I'm gnna call it the Multi-Ena theory! Bsclly, there's mor than 1 Ena in thise universe. But I'll get in2 a sub/partner theory tht is also possibl: ther is mor than 1 enaverse n somhow u may or may not b abl 2 travel between them

Part 3: The Multi-Ena theory

Something interesting I noticed was that the shepherds says “another ENA troublemaker?” Which definitely means more than one ENA/person has been there before.

(I blockd out the rest of the commnt not bc it ws bad, b i wantd 2 focus on this part of the commnt, but thise commnt will come up again L8r)

Not connected 2 System!Ena or the integr8ion issue I mentioned earlier, the multi-ena theory seems 2 b 1 of the top suggstd theories bc of many thngs! Bsclly n in short, thise theory believs tht in the series (or Enaverse), ther is multipl ena's! So fr i havent seen a post tht RLLY went in2 depth on thise so here is my attempt!

Evidence:

(See: above explanation on how the voic actors r credited 4 their roles individlly 2 explain my system!ena theory/intro) In episodes 1-2, Ena's diffrnt emotions/sides r creditd individually! In Temptation Stairway, Gabe n Lizzie Freeman r all creditd undr the sme nme, just as "Ena" (mening thise is a completely different Ena from the past)

Again, as said in my summry 4 Tempt8ion Stairway, thise Ena acts compltly diffrnt n is not follwng the sme "pattern" or rules as Ena did in Episodes 1-2! (Read above in my summary section) Either ther r stuff we've missd between Extinction Party n Temptation Stairway, or thise is a diffrnt Ena entirely. I'd hav 2 sy prsnlly tht I'm leanng 2wrds the latter bc of how the VA's are crdtd. but if ur not convinced, let me continu:

When we meet the Shepard in 7:52 of the episode, they say (verbatim) "Arghh... Another ENA trouble maker." which implies there r more than 1 Ena's

9:08 - 9:19 when Ena jumps in2 the "Holy Code" where we head undrwtr in2 a sea of diffrnt doors, we see floating Ena models (n the comment section seems 2 gravit8 2 callng them "dead bodies") (Honorary mention: You'll notic they glitch in2 Mannequins if u pay attention 2 them). This piec of info is Direct Evidence 2 the multi-ena theory, bc ther r Explicitly mor thn 1 ena's on screen! wht's concernng n unanswrd tho, is y do they glitch in2 mannequins? Does tht mean all the mannequins we sw on screen in the begnng of the video (n onwards) were all previously an Ena? Is it only an Ena tht can transform in2 a mannequin or cn othr chrctrs also become mannequins?

Not the strongst evidenc b i'll input it anywy: Ena's Action boxes (Like when she receivs or gives items) spell her nme her as ƎNA (with a backwrds E). The thing abt thise 1 is tht we can't compare it with Auction Day n Extinction Part bc they don't have any action boxes. BUT What we CAN compare is how she is spelled in the dialogue boxes of those speakng in diffrnt languages AND in the Credits! In Episodes 1-2, She's Spelled as Ena with this captialis8ion. In Temptation Stairway the dialogue and credits consitntly spell her as ENA in all caps. May or may not allude 2 her being diffrnt, b i will admit this is the most Strechiest piec of evidnc. Tru or not, I'd like 2 refer 2 Tempt8ion Stairway ena as TS!Ena or ƎNA, prsnlly 2 differenti8 her frm the othr episodes

Pronounci8ion: BUT 2 build on the above evidence, In the beginning of the episode, Moony DOES pronounc Ena's name in different wys a lot, startng w I-NA (ai-na), ENA (ehna), n finally JENA. And this isnt new! She’s been doing it sinc Auction Day (ee-nah/ii-na) n Extinction Party (ay-nah). Thise may or my not sggst that perhaps Moony's inconsistancy is bc these othr pronunci8ions or names cld b of other ena's she's met in the past w similr or diffrnt preferences! I’d say because of her constant switchng in the beginning of Temptation Stairway, it would lean 2wards that she may know different Ena’s @ once. Otherwise, c the Multi-Enaverse theory below

Note: Every othr charctr besides Moony (So far; Merci and the Shepard) Pronounces Ena as ehna (or ehna) so it might be that perhaps Eh-na is the universal way of pronouncng Ena?

Conlusions/thghts on this theory: I prsnlly like thise a lot!! It makes Enasonas Very Possible, b also tht any interpret8ion of Ena cn b corrct or possibl! It knda saddens me tho bc im not rlly sure if we'll ever return 2 the Ena we're used 2, I wldnt rlly want 2 b stuck w/o Sad bc I thnk her role is rlly neat n can b importnt, b im biasd. I also rlly subscribe 2 thise theory bc it means whtvr happend 2 TS!Ena ds not hav 2 be permanent in the long run; Again litrlly the only thng keepng me from gettng supr upset abt the ending of Temptation Stairway, is tht the prev ena’s r not the sme n wld possibly not do thise, or tht ther r othr ena’s out ther besides THISE episod 1, who wld nvr do tht, etc

Part 4: The Multiple Enaverses/Multi-Enaverse Theory AKA The Alternative In Defense of Moony Mispronouncing Ena’s name over and over

An alterntve 2 the Multi-Ena theory, is tht there is MORE thn 1 Enaverse! So bsclly, a multiverse theory. Primarily thise my explain Not jst Ena's sudden Shift in how diffrnt she is in thise episode b may also explain how Diffrnt Moony is actng in thise episode 2. While thise isnt the top theory i prsnlly subscribe 2 (sinc ther isnt explicit evidence besides it bein an explan8ion 4 Moony n Ena's weird/diffrnt behavior), it DOES open a lot of doors 2 intrstng things 2 thnk abt!

Bsclly Moony keeps mispronouncing Ena’s name a lot (in Tempation Stairway) n its Really Rude, esp consdrng she’s always said it properly (As in @ least 1nce in an episode n not switchng multiple times) b4! so 2 Explain her Sudden change in behavior, this is actlly a Different Moony, besides a different Ena. this is a whole different universe/timeline!

LIKE If not multiple Ena's, The different Loca8ions in Ena cn probbly b traversible across dimensions! The Holy Code may b the door 2 diffrnt enaverses. The Shepard's garden cld b an interdimensionl place tht is singular n deals w diffrnt beings passing thru! While i dnt hav mch 2 sy on thise, its RLLY Interestng 2 thnk abt

Like the Multi-Ena theory, thise also opens the doors 2 enasonas being vry possibl :^) Som ppl's evidences r all involvng Moony besides how Ena's rlly diffrnt

Moony can skateboard??

Moony's square shape hole can shrink 2 hold an item

while not strong ATM or frm wht i cn see, its still very inch restng!!! Tho I would sy it is VERY on par w the Multi-Ena theory anyway

Part 5: Honorary Mentions: Mini Theories

The Great Runas is actlly a play on the "Run As" Command! I'm not very Smart engh 2 break thise down vry well, b bsclly w all the allusion 2 "codes" n the Blood ID looking like a Chip, The Great Runas being abl 2 grant u wishes makes a lot of sense! This ws brought up 2 me from a friend (@ambercard)!

like its a command line. so then the great runas being able to grant wishes makes sense if its digital world like all the code stuff says Allows a user to run specific tools and programs with different permissions than the user's current logon provides.

Runas is a command-line tool that is built into Windows Vista. To use runas at the command line, open a command prompt, type runas with the appropriate parameters, and then press ENTER.

In the user interface for Windows Vista, the Run as… command has been changed to Run as administrator. However, you should rarely have to use the Run as administrator command because Windows Vista will automatically prompt you for an administrator password when it is needed.

and my friend who i was talking to said that probably explains what the password was for and the blood id being a login or something?

its possible using the blood id akin to using the run as administrator command since idk their name but one of the people ena met said the blood id didnt seem like her which is like. if she isnt administrator then it would make sense that using that command wouldnt match who she is

My response:

man do u realiz Ena uslly does not hav the corrct passwrd/admin privileges all the tme? Bc the guardian entity in extinction party askd her 4 1 b i guess it ws so Low Game tht it wsnt supr necsrry in the end

The Enaverse is all a computer code of some sort- most probbaly a game! AKA: This is a digital world

... If we were too treat this world as a video game this would make more sense since different play through bus and all that. Oh god this feels like a fnaf situation, taking a video that just wants to be a video and turning it into a big serious thing

Going with the whole ‘there are multiple enas representing the player’ theory, perhaps this ENA realized that she’s in a video game and isn’t taking it too well? But the game is kind of glitching out because of it.

Honorable Mentions: Random Info + Unanswered Questions

Ena seems self-aware of smth! (10:24 Ena screams "YOU'RE ALL LIVING A LIE!") May help the Run as command idea n the video game/digital reality idea! If not a video gme, they sure r Somewhere

What does the Great Runas look like?? is it the door? is ther mor thn 1 Runas?

What is Mariya n Gabo's Job? R they just like the Guardian Entity in Extinction Party but are assignd 2 this part/location of where they are?

In 6:30, wht does Ulysses mean by "Desires r never fulfilled nor quenched"? "You Will fail like the rest of them" Is he referring 2 the other Ena's that's passed by? who else have come n failed?

This Post Also brings up som good points I hvnt noticd yet!

Thise comment pretty much says everythng:

Standout things from this animation:

-This Ena switches between a male & female voice at seemingly random instead Happy speaking with a male voice and Sad speaking with a Sad voice. The text boxes noticeably refer to this Ena with a reversed E, and The Shepard says "Another Ena troublemaker", implying that there are multiple Enas. We also see some Ena corpses flickering into the mannequin bodies at one point. Third, at the end we see Ena's sad half turn from blue to yellow over the course of Ena & Moony's conversation. My personal theory is that this Ena is possibly 'broken' in some manner. -Moony either doesn't care or dosen't realize that Ena's voices aren't matching the personalities anymore. -The grey personality appears to come out when Ena gets too stressed out. Notably the transformation involves the happy half turning into static and exploding out, erasing Ena's face in the process. It also appears that some physical trauma (in this case, Brick Frog kicking Ena) is necessary to exit the grey personality, unlike the previously seen 'blackout' personalities which can possibly be switched by the other personality exerting themselves (in the auction episode, Ena enters her sad blackout/depressed personality, then switches to Happy!Ena, who apologizes to Moony about her depressed outburst). -Moony's hole is capable of closing to hold things, and she also knows how to skateboard. -Judging by Ena's reaction, Moony's transformation at the end is weird even by this universe's standards.

aaaand thats all 4 now! I really hope thats all my brain can think of skjsdhfsdfkh

Feel free 2 send me asks abt Ena theories n stuff! While this is a Comprehensiv post, it’s definitely mor focused on the Multi-Ena theory n my thghts on the episode whn it comes 2 how it affects the System Ena theory. I’m open 2 questions!!

Last Edit: Feb 19 2021 (GMT +8)

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