Y'know, if Noé continues down the path of becoming adversarial to teacher, it’s quite possible that teacher and/or the rest of the de Sades might decide to cut him off. We know he has money in the bank from the de Sades, and some access to vampire high society through Dominique, but I wonder how easy it would be for him to be cut off from all that.
I also wonder, if the de Sades found out that Noé has turned against their father/grandfather, whether they might try to cut him off from Dominique. I can totally see a future where Domi is forced to choose between supporting Noé vs teacher or staying with her family, and though that should be an easy choice, abuse does funny things to people, and I’m curious how hard it might be for her to leave.
Or alternatively, there’s also the incredibly creepy option where none of this happens. If Noé fully turns against teacher, and teacher doesn’t cut him off, how long do you think it’d take Noé to notice that that’s wrong?
It feels totally in-character to me for teacher to continue supporting Noé financially even as he fights to stop him, since he seems to view Noé much more as an amusement than a serious threat, and there’s something rather unnerving about that.
Not to go trying to make VnC into Moulin Rouge again, but I’m thinking a lot about young men in Paris with lost loves and stories to tell and how it all fits into Vanitas and Noé.
Vanitas is going to die. He’s a living reminder of death. He’s been doomed since chapter one. But, though this technically hasn’t been confirmed, I’m certain that Noé is using the written story of him and Vanitas as a form of preservation.
Along with that idea, I think about this line from mémoire 1 way too often:
Because, unless future context majorly changes the meaning here, I’d like to think that will Vanitas accepting Noé’s method of preserving him.
His death is going to be tragic no matter what, but if Noé drinks his blood, if he comes to know him totally, his memory will be preserved as best as it possibly could be. And though it’s a mushy idea, I’d like to think that maybe Vanitas and Noé can both take just a small bit of comfort in the idea that, even after his death, a part of him will live on with Noé. And by writing the story down, Noé can make that preservation permanent.
So people are like the periodic table of elements… there’re the alkali metals and the alkaline earth—super reactive. they’re the ones that are dating someone every other week, always in an out of relationships, have chemistry with EVERYONE. Then there’s the noble gases and they’re the forever alone… and then there’s everyone in between
So the most interesting part of “The core and the King” for me, was the implications it has for the ending of the series.
So Anne and Sasha are going to level Newtopia it seems like.
Then after that, the fucking moon is somehow gonna drop and wipe out all life on the planet. Most likely as a final fuck you from Darcy to Anne.
Assuming this vision cannot be avoided, my guess is that the series is going to end with a return to Earth after all, as the Frogs, Newts, Olms, Axolotls and salamanders become surviving refugees from a dead planet.
The final symphony of the Amphibian Empire. The world that wiped out other worlds, now experienced the same happening to it.
So just a small detail about Sasha and Anne’s fight in “Reunion”.
It’s very, very easy to miss, but while Sasha and Anne are circling each other, there is a moment her where Sasha’s eyes changes colors.
Further breaking down the frames, we can tell that it actually flash 3 different colors. White, dark pinkish brown, and dark, dark red.
All 3 of which are just a distant, distant variant of Sasha’s Pink.
What i find more interesting, is that this is the only such moment of it’s kind.
Every other time when one of the girls inadvertently call upon their Calamity powers directly, their Eyes are always clear and bright with the blue, pink and green all very clear and visible.
This moment at the tower is the only time in the series when the eyes don’t even come close to glowing in their intended color, and furthermore, it doesn’t seem to have come with any increase in strength or speed for this duel.
This in and out of itself is interesting, and I can see 2 explanations for what caused this moment where the powers are instinctually called upon, and seemingly just fizzled out. Neither of which are exclusive from the other.
1. In this moment, Sasha is so far removed from the ideals that strength is build around(Namely protection, love, determination and force of will), that the powers simply refuse to come. She is extremely emotional, and in great need, but as she is at this point, fighting the person she loves more than anyone or anything, the powers will not flow through her.
2. The second, and in my opinion far more likely answer, is simple that when it comes down to it, Sasha’s heart isn’t in this fight. She doesn’t truly WANT to fight Anne. Not really.
The moment that ended up costing Sasha the battle, despite being stronger, more experienced and a flat out better warrior than Anne, is that at the end, Sasha ended up doing the exact same thing she did later at the gatehouse when she and Anne fought again.
Rather than dealing a final blow, Sasha instead just stood there, menacingly and pointed a sword at Anne, thinking/believing/hoping that that would be enough.
And just like at the gatehouse, this complete lack of capability of bringing herself to deliver a coup de grace, ends up with Anne counterattacking from a position of seeming defeat, and easily beating her.
I very much think this chronic inability to commit herself to actually defeat Anne decisively is why her powers fail her in this hour of need.
One of strenght’s defining virtues, is determination, a refusal to ever give up, but here, Sasha isn’t able to do that. Not with Anne. Never with Anne.
And so when she instinctually calls upon them, they immediately dissipate.
Oh hey, it’s the hallway from Marcy’s worst nightmare. Which is going to be featured in an episode all about dreams.
So i have two theories.
1. This is gonna lead into a nightmare, as the Core is torturing Marcy by giving her sweet dreams, then crushing those happy times to make her suffer.
2. Having become a puppet for the Core and little more than an imprisoned subconscious in her own body, this is her broken Mind’s way of coping with her current condition. The mind is desperately remembering only good times, or projecting happy dreams in a desperate attempt to NOT have to deal with what has happened to her.
So one thing i noticed about the way Mother Olm speaks about the powers of the Calamity gems, is that she, and by extention the Olms as a whole has a somewhat contradictory view of them.
On one hand, she basically says that her kind basically believed the gems shouldn’t be used at all if possible, while condemning the other races for using them for conquest.
But at the same time, she makes it perfectly clear that as far as she is concerned, the powers of the Gems and by extention the Music Box, rightfully belongs to Anne, Sasha and Marcy, and that Andrias has “Stolen” them.
And she encourages Sasha to obtain and use those powers as well. Because it is her “Right”.
By what? By destiny and divine mandate, that’s what.
Andrias has lost his divine right to the powers, and by extension his right to rule. And here comes 3 new chosen ones to wipe the board clean to allow a new and better Amphibia to rise.
One thing i find interesting though, is that it’s not hard to figure out how the Olms probably helped lay the groundwork for the Amphibian Empire of old.
On one hand, the Olms believe that the Gems powers are better left alone. But at the other hand, they very much belive that the people who master them and prove themselves worthy, has a “Right” to use them, a divine mandate to do so.
These two ideas are not compatible.
The olms didn’t want anyone to use the gems if it could be helped, but at the same time they preach that it’s wielders have a right to do so.
The Olms in the olden days would have promoted this idea that the users of the stones powers had a divine mandate to use them, which not too surprisingly lead to them actually do that very thing, which lead them to becoming a real powerful force on the continent.
Which for better or worse is the logical endpoint of the Olms stance that the gems wielders have a right to make use of their powers.
The olms were probably very hurt when the Amphibian empire began to expand beyond to other worlds, but at the same time, assuming they were big advocates for the sacredness of the gems, and the people who were worthy of using them, they no doubt played a massive role in the rise of the empire, by being champions of the calamity users “Right” to use their powers as they saw fit.
It’s a delightful, but very believable contradiction. These powers are sacred, holy, and should be left alone. But if you DO manage to master them, they are YOURS by RIGHT to use as you will.
I rather hope this contradiction is brought up and called out in the show, because the Olms believe in the Divine right of those wielding the stones powers, just as much as Andrias forefathers did, they just didn’t like the way the people with that right utilized it.
They weren’t wrong about that path mind you, but it’s very clear that both these two groups sprang from a shared belief in that those who had obtained these powers had a right to use them.
asdswascf imagine if shortly after rescuing Marcy, Anne and Sasha start talking about the prophecy and them being the three stars that save the world expecting Marcy to be all excited
and Marcy just says “Is that all you needed me for? To stop Andrias?”
Marcy:Is that all you need me for? To stop Andrias?
Anne:No! Well… we DO, but tha-
Marcy: So what now? We save all the worlds and… that’s it?
Anne:Well, yeah!
Sasha: We can just forget this ever happened.
Marcy: How are you going to forget with me around? I’m the reason we’re here in the first place. That’s why you took so long, isn’t it? You hate me. You didn’t even want to save me!
Anne:Marcy-
Marcy:Don’t act like you want me here! What’s you plan for me, huh? Are you going to send me back to my parents? So you can just forget about me? Are you going to leave me alone!?
Prometheus/Ben brought fire/magic to humankind. I feel that magic is some energy that comes from the Fifth Element/Akasha/Ether. What we call the Fifth Element is actually the First, the Origin of the Elements. It is also considered the Spirit or universal energy of life, and the essence of magic. It runs through and binds everything. Through the use of magic, one can influence all of Creation/the Universe/Nature.
Akasha & Ether have a similar meaning in their root words: to burn; to radiate. What does Fire/Magic do but burn and radiate? It allows the users (witches, gods, etc) to have an effect on anything in Nature through the intent of spells or just emotions and to feel life and its energies from the Earth, the Spirits, the Ancestors, anywhere in Nature.
“The ancient Greeks thought of ether as the substance or the place where the gods and goddesses lived.”
Clearly, the Gods have a greater connection to magic or live near its source as Ben took some of it. The Gods wanted to be and remain the most powerful and most exalted as the belief of humans also empowered them. Witches have a connection to Magic but not as much as the Gods. They could be biological descendants of the Gods/Demigods. They were probably gifted and blessed with power due to their devoted worship and it changed them, giving birth to Witches and their bloodlines. IDK. The possibilities are endless. The latter would work and explain why modern witches pale in comparison to ancient witches in terms of power.
What separates Gods from humans? Magic. That’s what Ben told Jed. The Gods have a great deal of it which most likely allows them to live longer. Witches have it in their veins as well from birth but it’s finite.
Jyn’s being stupidly courageous by having some tea with Papa Erso up on this platform^^ when Cassian gets contacted by K2 with the knowledge that Alliance is sending in support. While his response is interesting (and as a RebelCaptain, heartwarming) what makes me intrigued the most is this:
Cassian says to K2:
“No, no, no—tell them to hold up! Jyn’s on that platform!”
What K2 says to Alliance:
“Captain Andor requesting a delay on squadron support. Alliance forces onsite. Please confirm.”
Ok, ok, it might just be the difference because of protocol. (No names over unsecured channels) However, K2 doesn’t like Jyn. It’s not like he really cares to save her.
My theory: K2 is covering for Cassian. First off, had Cassian had a straight line to the Alliance, his comment would have been exactly what he said to K2. That wouldn’t have mattered to Draven if Jyn was alive or atomized. So by calling her ‘Alliance forces’ he’s protecting both Cassian’s reputation and assuaging any guilt that the Captain might be feeling over his latest assassination ( remember, K would assume that Cassian would have gone through with it.)
Anyway that’s just something my benedryl-addled brain came up with. No guaranteeing that it makes any sense. If you have anything that proves/disproves my thoughts, let me know!
So tldr: K2 is Cassian’s bff. K2 is best bff a lonely pitiful distraught gray character could ask for.
it’s time to let my theories for a walk. Actually we’ve know a lot from the spoiler frame.
The neckerchief. Most often it’s remembered because of dandy. But dandies were in the 19th century. And the flashback obviously happens much earlier. Neckerchiefs were also fashionable in the days of Louis XIV. He lived at the beginning of the 18th century. This is better for us. Shirt cuffs also look like 18th century shirt. All of these mostly worn by aristocratic people, so we can say that Lawless is probably from a noble family.
Btw this is also hinted at by his love for chatter, discussions and his whims (“ordinary” people didn’t have so much time for this). He and Hugh (I think he is from the nobility too) speak more than the rest.
Lawless, as we know, always chooses famous persons for contracts. If this happened at that time, I think any peasant would be uncomfortable in aristocratic society. Hedgehog doesn’t.
Then more. Unlike other servamps, Lawless cares about fashion (I’m not saying he is good at it). Of course this may be a new habit, but other siblings have nothing alike.
I think that dialogue takes place 10-40 years before the meeting with Ophelia, who apparently lived in the middle of the 18th century (we calculate, knowing that the meeting of servamps was 300 years ago). She was the fifth eve, and we can assume - at the flashback Lawless already had Eve(s). Maybe he’s the first who had.
I won’t be surprised if he says exactly this in the picture
UPD. Ok I’’m reading spoilers right now and HOLY SHIT ARE YOU SERIOUS? ITS SO SOOO!!! WHAAAT ok I’m obviously right in several ways.
Theory: Season 2 will show that Brett is a sleeper agent planted by JR
I’ve heard people theorize that Brett is a secret agent, but I personally think he’s a sleeper agent, aka, he’s an agent whose been brainwashed into being unaware that he’s a spy.
(Keep in mind: I don know for sure if this is true. These are mostly just interesting things I noticed when rewatching the show and seeing a lot of weird coincidences).
@simplyender it’s crazy that this never crossed my mind when writing this, but yes! It would be a neat parallel to Reagan.
Brett has always been Reagan’s foil, so, when it turns out that the man she saw as her father ended up only using her as a pawn, what better way to demonstrate that similarity in Brett by having his father figure use him as a literalpawn?
Also, I’m gonna descend into madness for a bit here:
In the first episode, we see some new employees watching a training video and seemingly getting a seminar teaching them how Cognito Inc functions. A seminar that Brett, notably, does not attend. So, not only was Brett hired with no prior experience, but he was immediately given a leadership position without receiving ANY kind of training or prep for the job, and his position gives him a disturbing amount of power. Almost as if JR doesn’t expect much legwork out of him. Hmm…
It just struck me that JR emphasizes the fact that Brett is a “co-leader”. Not an intern, but a LEADER. As in, he is in the same level of power as Reagan, and Reagan is next in line to be CEO.
I mean, I get that Reagan isn’t the most social person, but in that case, why not make Brett her ASSISTANT, or her secretary, or her spokesman? That way he still has the same responsibilities, but it makes sense for him to be an unpaid intern while she presumably makes a full salary. Why give him so much power for a role that purely seems to be morale-oriented and speaking to the team in a passionate way? And why does he work full time if he’s not even getting paid?
Brett in episode one even mentions that no one has given him anything to do. Everyone else, while they like him, are probably just as baffled as to what skills he actually has that can be put to good use, which is probably why he had the free time to go get bagels. Episode 2 shows that EVERYONE but Brett has a designated job and station (Gigi is in subliminal marketing, Glenn has the war room, Andre is a biochemist, and Myc has the milking room). Brett has no actual tasks that just anyone else couldn’t do, and, unlike Reagan, he doesn’t have much in the way of specialized skills or accomplishments. Of course, Brett TRIES to be helpful wherever he can, since he’s just nice, but it’s never because it’s his specific role. Perhaps it’s just that he’s an intern, and intern jobs tend to be pretty aimless (I would know lol), but, in that case, why does he need to be in a leadership position specifically? Why would JR give someone with nothing to do that much authority?
But this all makes sense when you consider that JR has Brett put there just in case he needs someone to challenge Team Ridley for the power of the company. Brett and Reagan are both on the same level of authority, and, even though he doesn’t really feel like it, Brett technically has the same potential for getting promoted that she does. JR doesn’t need Brett to be especially skilled or smart or anything, he just needs someone who could, theoretically, take control of the company just in case Reagan or Rand are out of commission, and someone who could possibly sway the black robes into releasing him from Shadow Prison X…
AND ANOTHER THING:
You guys know how in the intro, there’s a bunch of imagery related to different theories? Well, one thing has stood out to me. This:
It’s literally just Brett in some sort of weird kaleidoscope? It’s not even related to any real conspiracy or character moment, it’s just Brett in a weird formation. This is even weirder since none of the other characters are portrayed like this; we see Reagan in a robot version of her own face, Gigi and Andre taking a selfie over Glenn’s surgery, and Myc giving his spores to apes. Brett is the only one NOT given an actual scene to do.
It’s also weird to me that his eyes are white here. It’s a little hard to tell, and it’s possible that it’s just an animation error and his eyes are normal, but it weirds me out because exactly ONE other character also has white eyes.
Jimmy Fallon. You know, a sleeper agent. His eyes go completely blank as his mind is overwritten and he obeys Gigi’s instructions to kill the crisis actor.
Gig mentions that the reason Jimmy laughs so much is because Cognito “broke his damn brain”. In Ep. 10, when Younger Reagan asks Brett if he has brain damage, he says that the “doctors aren’t sure.”Hmm… so Brett went to the doctor for a brain issue and the doctors couldn’t “tell” if he was brain damaged or not?
If we’re to believe that Brett is a sleeper agent, than I think the kaleidoscope formation could be symbolic of the brain damage the sleeper agents are forced to endure in order to be “functioning” properly.
just wanna quickly point something out: brett DOES have pupils in this scene. hes also off model and only has 4 fingers.
Omg you’re right!
I guess I had a pretty bad tv to not see the pupils lol. I really thought they were blank this whole time!
And about the brain damage comment: I don’t mean to imply that Brett’s possible brain damage is explicitly because of the sleeper agent theory (especially since the stuff you brought up is incredibly plausible). I meant that the fact that Brett and Jimmy Fallon (the only names character who is canonically a sleeper agent) both had references to brain damage and I found the coincidence to be possible foreshadowing of psychological trauma. I apologize if my post came across as ableist, that wasn’t my intention and I hope I didn’t hurt any feelings.
In this case, I’ll revise my previous reblog; The kaleidoscope effect in the theme song could still be symbolic of the process in which a sleeper agent is; kaleidoscopes represent multiple facets, and I think that could literally mean that there are multiple sides to Brett.
Adrien….you look like an egg? Please…leave the sexy snakiness to Luka.
Theory: Based on this and Hawk Moth, if a user’s mask completely covers their head like that it means they’re not compatible with the miraculous they’re using
<<Willy Wonka is a pretty creepy character, no doubt. The book is known for a rather dark nature in how it handles naughty kids. In the story, other candy makers are jealous of Wonka’s success and send spies to uncover the secrets of his factory. In fear of being ruined, he fires all of his employees and closes the factory. Five years later, it reopens with a new staff comprised of discolored and identical African pygmies called “Oompa Loompas”. I understand hiding a secret recipe to making candy, but it isn’t that difficult. Thousands of people work for Coca-Cola but only two people know what the recipe to coke really is. What kind of terrible secrets could Wonka be hiding in the factory? This theorist believes that Wonka’s various candies are made from children.
Wonka is not necessarily evil; he just has a very messed up scale of morality where he designs his tour to try and tempt each children with a karmic fate to evaluate if they are worthy of living or not by setting up traps or gambits which kills them. Augustus Gloop can’t control his gluttony when he gets to the Chocolate Room and falls into the chocolate river, and is sucked up a large pipe. That’s a fairly large pipe.Large enough for a Human being. Why would you make it that big for the chocolate river? Wonka set it up so that children are easily transported throughout the factory through these pipes to the various rooms.
huWe see a similar mechanic again with the Nut Room, where there is a large tube that connects to an incinerator. The Nut Room has a bunch of squirrels testing walnut out to see if they are a “bad nut”. Veruca Salt wants to have one of the squirrels, but Wonka denies her the request, so she tries to take one for herself. Wonka hardly tries to hide his murderous intents with this one and Veruca is thrown into the chute by the entire squirrel squad. The squirrels are trained to work together in dragging people into the chute, apparently. Also, in the 2005 movie adaptation, when Wonka is asked to quickly find the key to the chute from a huge bunch of keys, it takes him ages to try and see which is the correct one, but as soon as Veruca has disappeared down, it turns out that he knew the right one all along, since he immediately opens the gate.
Before this, the group travels to the Inventing Room where Wonka shows off the “Three-Course Dinner Chewing Gum”, a dangerous, experimental candy which has the side-effect of turning people into blueberries. Violet, boasting she can consume it and being prideful, grabs the gum and turns into a giant blueberry (she remains a Human but she has become large, blue, and juicy). Wonka has some Oompa Loompas take her to the Juicing Room to get back to normal. Turning into a fruit is a pretty big effect and doesn’t seem like some kind of mistake and showing it off to a bunch of careless, candy-loving kids is not a smart idea. When Wonka captured children, originally, in order to make a child even more useful, he fed them these dinner gums so they can become different fruits and taken to the juicing room to get an endless supply of “natural” flavors. The Television Room’s original use may be obvious: turning kids bite-sized in order to harness all of their flavors for a candy. The shrunken kids could of also been used for manufacturing tiny aspects of small candies, like molding them.
Going back to Augustus – neverbinkles on Reddit noticed an odd thing about the boat: “Willy Wonka knew those children would die in his factory. After Augustus gets sucked up the shoot, they all hop on board the boat through the tunnel of doom. The boat doesn’t have two extra vacant seats though. It was designed with prior knowledge that they would lose two participants before that point. Later they drive a cream spewing car with only four seats. Did they have another car waiting in the garage in case the others made it? Of course not. Willy Wonka uses children to make candy.”
Still think this idea is crazy? Well, in the original version of the novel, there was an omitted chapter and sixth child named Miranda Piker, who seemingly falls down the “Spotty Powder Mixer” to be chopped to death, screaming. The screams turn into laughter as Miranda survives. Why would a mixer, which seems to be easily traversed and below a large area, be necessary? Mrs. Piker calls Wonka a murderer, “I know your tricks! You’re grinding them into powder! In two minutes my darling Miranda will come pouring out of one of those dreadful pipes.” Guess what Wonka replies. “Of course, that’s part of the recipe!” Wonka notices that Miranda is still alive and is joking around with Mrs. Piker. Sure, its like Wonka to joke around, but this is a bit messed up.
And what about the Oompa Loompas? Not only are they fine with helping Wonka out with these murders, but they take joy in it, singing and dancing. Well, I’m trying really hard to sound racist here, but cannibalism in Africa is the rarest of things.
The 2005 film adaptation cranks Wonka’s creep factor up to eleven. In this version, Wonka has a personal reason to hate people, as they bullied him for wearing a large mouth brace, his father prevented his creative freedom, and, like the other versions, the other candy companies were greedy and attacked Wonka’s factory.>>
Well, she’s quite likely the next Overwatch hero to be unveiled by Blizzard. But until that happens, we don’t know much about her, aside from various clues that are hidden in the game (and likely in the shorts as well). Seeing as most of those seem to be centered in the Dorado map, I went to have a look and see if I could find something new that hadn’t been touched on yet.
You might not have noticed in between trying to gank that annoying Torbjörn or dodging bullets from the Widowmaker on the roof, but the main premise of the Dorado map is to deliver an energy core to the large Ziggurat that dominates Dorado’s skyline - one of several nuclear reactors that dot the country, all property of the energy company Lumérico. It’s the evening before the annual Festival de la Luz, the Festival of Light, which celebrates the end of the Omnic war. As you’ll read further down, the concept of Light and Shadow is a theme that is recurring in Dorado, and Lumérico seems to be quite the influential company.
Clean energy for all of Mexico. That’s the company’s slogan, and Lumérico seems to be omnipresent in this part of the world. Newspapers hailing the upcoming activation of the Ziggurat’s energy core are strewn across the map, and the Lumérico logo appears on a variety of places, from electricity boxes to the large mosaic in front of the Ziggurat’s main entrance (featuring sunrays surrounding it), and oddly enough, the company’s CEO is also the president and protector of Mexico, and has a statue in front of the government building.
There’s even a painting of the Ziggurat’s construction hanging in the art gallery, which is curiously lit: the painting is bathed in a triangle of light, while the rest of the room is so dark that the other paintings are almost impossible to make out.
Lumérico is heavily associated with light. Its name, its logo (the ziggurat being the favoured type of pyramid for the sun-worshipping South Americans in the past), the way its buildings light up the night sky… I’m willing to bet that the way this painting is lit is very deliberate. There are other plays on the theme of light and darkness on this map as well. In Mexico, the Omnic Crisis is known as La Medianoche, The Midnight. A fountain commemorating those lost during the war bears the following message;
En honor a los caidos durante la oscuridad Y que jamas sean olvidados Que renazcan en la luz Hasta la noche mas oscura cede ante el amanecer
Translated roughly: In honor of those who fell during the darkness And who will never be forgotten May they be reborn in the light Even the darkest night yields to the dawn
Again, it would surprise me if this wording wasn’t chosen very deliberately for its particular imagery.
As much as Lumérico seems to portray itself as a shining beacon, there are definite clues towards the company having a more shady side. Soldier: 76 has a voice line on Dorado where he says, “I wanna know what Lumérico’s been up to.” As most of you know, Soldier: 76 has been targeting major corporations, facilities, and other shady organizations after the fall of Overwatch. Lumérico itself is aware of this as well, seeing as they have classified reports on Soldier: 76 lying around in their building, as well as a file on Jack Morrison, who in-lore isn’t yet known as his alter ego.
And then there’s Sombra. Spanish for ‘darkness’ or ‘shadow’, the new hero’s name is the direct opposite of that of the company that holds a firm grip over Mexico. Lumérico has a file on her, too. And judging from the alarms going off inside the building, they even have a specific protocol named after her, which is mentioned on the flashing warning signs. What with their contrasting imagery and her being piled in the same heap as Soldier: 76, I think it’s safe to speculate that there’s some form of conflict between Lumérico and Sombra.
Soldier: 76 isn’t the only one with a pertinent line on Dorado. Reaper has a line that says “Where is Sombra when you need her?” A possible indication that Sombra is on the side of Talon, although this doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s affiliated with them. If Sombra is indeed on the side of the villains rather than the heroes, she could well have something to do with the local criminal element that we saw Soldier: 76 take out in his ‘Hero’ animated short. Dorado is plagued by a local street gang, Los Muertos, comprised of thugs who like sugar skulls and glow-in-the-dark paint. And who’s been known to recruit criminals, giving them the choice between prison or working for the good guys? That’s right, Blackwatch, Overwatch’s covert ops branch, which used to be led by Gabriel Reyes, now known as Reaper. Perhaps not all Blackwatch members did a McCree and became an honest upstanding vigilante after the organisation was disbanded.
Or maybe Sombra’s name is misleading, and she does fight for the forces of good, except that good in this case does not equal light. It would be interesting to see this trope turned on its head for once, to have a hero who operates in the shadows where the harsh light of corporate control can’t reach them. Either way, the search for Sombra’s true identity is an intriguing one, and I for one can’t wait to find out more about her.
We don’t know exactly -what- Reaper’s condition is, but it’s likely to be unpleasant at best. It’s heavily implied that his body is in a constant cycle of decay and regeneration - essentially he’s permanently stuck in the process of dying and being revived. And even though he’s able to control the fact that his body dematerialises from time to time, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that he’d be feeling more like a ghost than a man, a shade from beyond the grave. He might very well be in constant pain, although we don’t have any direct clues that point towards it, but even if he isn’t in physical agony, we can’t overlook the damage that everything he’s been through has done to his mental health.
No wonder he’s so pissed off all the time.
If we put aside the idea of Reaper as Darth Edgelord for a moment, there are a lot of clues that point towards how he sees himself. The most obvious one is the way his attire is styled after the classic image of Death as the reaper of souls - even his Mariachi and El Blanco skins follow this theme with their calavera masks. He’s incapable of dying, dissolves into ‘shadow’ at will, and expresses a hunger to kill that goes beyond mere psychopathy. And then there’s his voicelines. All teenage angst and Hot Topic jokes aside, they might well be an indication of how Reaper truly sees himself. “I am Death.” “This is my curse.” I don’t think Reaper considers himself a living thing anymore, whatever the scientifical facts might be.
As for pleasures of the flesh - if he still has any interest in them (and provided he’s still physically capable of experiencing them), it’s likely to be very, very low on the list of his priorities. Reaper is clearly driven by a near-compulsive need for vengeance - for a real or imagined slight, we don’t know. In his own words: “Revenge is the only thing left for me.” The most positive we get to see him is when he lands a successful kill, or when he’s voted best player of a match, and he comments with a dry “Finally some recognition.” While I wouldn’t rule out the possibility entirely, I’d say it’s very unlikely that Reaper would engage in gland-to-gland combat, unless it somehow served his quest for vengeance, or if it particularly stroked his ego, seeing as how ‘recognition’ is so important to him. Or if someone managed to bring out whatever is left of Gabriel Reyes in him.
Finally, I’m not even sure that in-universe, Reaper is aware that Jack Morrison lives. Noone seems to have connected him to Soldier: 76 so far. I’d argue that if he found out, Reaper isn’t so much interested in haunting Morrison as putting several bullets into his head - the quicker the better.
Blizzard has created a universe rich in lore and history, with characters that might seem stereotypical/generic at first (which I don’t necessarily agree with - I’d argue they’re more like affectionate parodies/homages, but I won’t go into that here), but when given a more thorough look, turn out to be more interesting than one would assume from a first glance.
Because of their well fleshed-out history, the characters of Overwatch have many intriguing connections and relate to each other in a variety of ways, but none have caught my attention as much as the enigmatic assassin Reaper (Gabriel Reyes) and the doctor-turned-guardian-angel Mercy (Angela Ziegler).
Let’s have a look at what we know about these two, their history, and the clues towards their relationship that Blizzard has sprinkled throughout the lore and game - and in particular, about what happened to turn Gabriel Reyes into Reaper, and how Mercy might have been involved in it.
What do we know so far?
Gabriel Reyes, aka Reaper
Prior to the Omnic Crisis, Gabriel Reyes served in the United States military, where he achieved veteran status and was highly respected. At some point he met John ‘Jack’ Morrison, a fellow soldier, and the two became friends. Subsequently, in the midst of the Omnic Crisis, they joined Overwatch together, and Reyes was given leadership of the group, with Morrison as his second in command.
Overwatch was successful in ending the Omnic Crisis and found itself launched into the public spotlight, basking in world-wide acclaim. Morrison, who had played a key role in shaping the group, was given the position of strike commander, acting as the first, official commanding officer of Overwatch and the organisation’s public face. Reyes was passed over for the promotion and sidelined into leading Blackwatch, a cover ops division of Overwatch which operates under the radar and beyond the reach of red tape. A rift started growing between the two former friends, as Reyes felt his accomplishments and leadership of Overwatch during the Omnic Crisis were overlooked in favour of Morrison’s popularity and charisma.
As time went on, Overwatch came under fire from a series of shocking allegations accusing the organisation of negligence, corruption and mismanagement, weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and more. Protests broke out as more and more people began losing trust in Overwatch and its agents. Ultimately, Overwatch met its end through a combination of the accusations that tainted the organization’s reputation, and the tragic events that lead to an explosion that destroyed Overwatch’s Swiss headquarters and claimed the lives of both Reyes and Morrison.
The UN has steadfastly maintained that there was no foul play behind this event. However, according to an ‘anonymous source’, the conflict between Reyes and Morrison had led to a civil war within Overwatch itself, one that culminated in a battle inside the Swiss base. During a UN committee, Dr. Angela Ziegler stated: “After Morrison’s promotion to strike commander, his relationship with Reyes changed. The tension became more pronounced as time went on. I tried to mend things. We all did. Sometimes when the closest bonds break, all you can do is pray you stay out of the cross fire.”
Reyes eventually resurfaced as a volatile mercenary known as “Reaper”, although his identity and motives remain unknown in-universe. Now a ruthless and remorseless killer, he has been responsible for terrorist attacks throughout the world, and has fought in many armed conflicts, showing no loyalty to any cause or organization. Survivors describe him as ‘a black shadow ghosting unscathed through the most hellish battlefields’. The few bodies recovered of his victims are pale, empty husks drained of life, their cells showing signs of intense degradation. It’s speculated that Reaper is a byproduct of failed genetic alteration which force his cells to simultaneously decay and regenerate at a hyper-accelerated rate.
Those attempting to track his movements have begun to see a pattern in his appearances. They believe that Reaper is hunting former Overwatch agents and systematically eliminating them.
Angela Ziegler, aka Mercy
Dr. Ziegler rose to become the head of surgery at a prominent Swiss hospital before pioneering a breakthrough in the field of applied nanobiology that radically improved the treatment of life-threatening illnesses and injuries. It was this expertise that attracted the attention of Overwatch.
Due to her parents’ lives being taken in war, Ziegler was opposed to the organisation’s militaristic approach to keeping global peace. Ultimately, she recognized that Overwatch offered her the opportunity to save lives on a much larger scale. As Overwatch’s head of medical research, Angela sought to leverage her work for healing in frontline crises. One of her many accomplishments during her time with Overwatch was saving the life of Genji Shimada, after he was attacked by his brother over a clan dispute and left for death.
Despite her contributions to Overwatch, she was often at odds with her superiors and the organisation’s overarching aims. When the group was faced with a series of allegations, Ziegler was interrogated in the hearings conducted by the United Nations. In light of the fight between Overwatch members John Morrison and Gabriel Reyes, Ziegler admitted that the outcome had been inevitable. They had drifted further and further apart ever since Morrison had been chosen over Reyes for the position of strike commander, and that rift had widened despite her efforts.
When Overwatch dissolved, Ziegler dedicated herself to helping those affected by war. Though she spends most of her time caring for the broken and dispossessed in crisis areas around the world, Dr. Ziegler can be counted on to don her Valkyrie suit whenever innocents are imperiled, hoping to make a more peaceful world. Ziegler’s current base of operations is Zürich, Switzerland.
In-game
In addition to what we know from the lore Blizzard has given us, Reaper and Mercy have a couple of very interesting interactions in the game.
Mercy: What happened to you?! Reaper: You should know, Doc.
Mercy: This is not what I intended for you, Reyes. Reaper: You knew exactly what you were doing.
Reaper (on killing Mercy): Don’t forget - you’re the one responsible for this.
On top of that, Reaper has a few voicelines that implicate death is rather less permanent for him than for most.
Reaper (on entering game): Back from the grave.
Reaper (on respawning): The grave cannot hold me.
Speculation
Overwatch’s headquarters were located in Switzerland, Ziegler herself is Swiss and she still operates from her home country. It’s not much of a stretch to assume that she was in Switzerland at the time of Reyes and Morrison’s showdown, perhaps even on location at the Overwatch base, and would have been an immediate responder after the blast.
Reaper himself implies that he has returned from the grave, and continues to do so. The short “Recall” seems to confirm this; after Reaper is electrocuted by Winston, he dissipates into smoke, and is later seen to reform, seemingly none the worse for wear.
While Mercy’s in-game ability to resurrect her fallen comrades on the fly is likely not canon, it most likely -is- a reference to her life-saving abilities as a doctor. She saved Genji when his life was hanging from a thread, is a pioneer in nanobiology, and as the head of Overwatch’s medical research she has likely been involved in many experimental projects.
What if on finding Reyes’ lifeless body (Morrison’s was never recovered according to official sources), Dr. Ziegler took it on herself to try some of the more experimental procedures she’d been developing in an attempt to restore life to her friend? Seeing as she’s well-versed in the field of nanobiology, she could well have tried infusing Reyes’ body with nanobots in an attempt to repair the extensive damage done to it, before trying to resuscitate him.
And it worked. Whether Ziegler was aware of Reyes being returned to life, or thought her last-ditch experiment failed and mourned his death (imagine Reyes literally waking up in his grave after having been buried *shudder*) - at some point she met Reaper, recognised him as Reyes, and expressed shock at what happened to him. Reaper, for his part, seems to know that Ziegler is responsible for his current condition, and believes that she intentionally turned him into what he is. But Ziegler clearly did not know the side-effects of whatever she did Reyes, nor did she anticipate them (this is not what I intended for you). The procedure was entirely experimental, and she went through with it without knowing what the consequences would be for Reyes if she managed to bring him back.
This could give us a base as well to further speculate on what exactly Reaper’s condition is. He’s able to become discorporeal and travel in this state, as well as teleport from one spot to another. When he ‘dies’, he dissolves into a shadowy sort of smoke, and is seen to reform from the same smoke/shadow later. Combine this with Ziegler’s expertise in nanobiology and in-lore speculation of Reaper’s condition being a result of ‘genetic alteration which force his cells to simultaneously decay and regenerate at a hyper-accelerated rate’, and you have a man being kept artificially alive by nano technology, perhaps nanobots, that allow him to control his individual cells, transforming his body from a solid to a gaseous state and back again. This would essentially render him immortal, as the nanobots would simply reform his body every time it sustains lethal damage, breaking it apart to build it up again. As for the reports of the bodies of his victims being pale, empty husks drained of life, their cells showing signs of intense degradation; this could be a result of the nanotechnology that sustains Reaper harvesting energy from the dead cells of those he kills, in order to be able to continue their work.
Reaper’s condition is obviously not very pleasant - rather than thanking Mercy for saving him, he blames her for turning him into what he is. It might even be possible that he is compelled to kill in order to keep harvesting energy for the nanobots sustaining him, or that his current state has altered his personality, turning him from one of Overwatch’s most respected agents - jealous and feeling slighted, yes, unpleasant in how he deals with his frustrations, but still one of the world’s heroes - into an international terrorist who leaves havoc and death in his wake wherever he’s sighted.
It’s clear that there is plenty of tension between Reaper and Mercy, and plenty of potential for their stories to stay intertwined. They were friends, once, worked and fought together despite their differences in ideology. Angela Ziegler cared enough for Gabriel Reyes to spare no expense at trying to revive him, even though she likely had no idea if her attempts would be successful. And the spite in Reaper’s comments towards Mercy in the game might well be an indication of a broken bond of trust, rather than mere hatred towards the person responsible for becoming what he is. They seem oddly personal, as if Reaper sees Mercy’s actions as a betrayal, rather than mere incompetence. Whatever the case may be, their relationship is plenty intriguing, and I hope we find out more about what happened with these two in the past.
I think for my practice, the difference between spells and rituals boils down to the idea that a ritual is a subcategory of a spell.
If a spell is a magical working to achieve a goal, then a ritual is a more intense one with more energy.
I think my points of if something is a spell are as follows:
higher intensity
more energy needed
strict steps with little to no variation
grand, possibly repetitive
invocation of religious figures or various other entities
implies group work
To steal @windvexer’s animal spirit analogy (storedon my Tumblr grimoire), to me, there’s Grandparent Spell and then Parent Ritual.
Granted, this is my understanding of the two words. Others will inevitably have their own takes on categorization and differentiation (in fact, I started a discussion in a Discord server over this subject). After all, as I’m fond of saying, imagine how boring it would be if all of our crafts and/or paths were the same.
This sounds like an invitation to talk about our own meanings :3
For me:
Spells and rituals aren’t levels of the same tier. They are separate, but sometimes overlap, like a Venn diagram.
Rituals:
A specific set of steps undertaken again and again with very little variance, or always adhering to vital components. These steps usually have cultural, spiritual, religious, or traditional significance.
Repeating rituals reinforces and builds tradition. Therefore they can be very important for building a sense of stability and connection for an individual.
Rituals may be performed as expected (such as the ritual surrounding a wedding ceremony) or on a calendar basis (such as a May Day ritual).
Rituals may be magical but they are not inherently magical.
Magical energy raised inside a ritual does not automatically make the ritual into a spell.
For example, a person may observe that during a Pentecostal service a lot of energy is raised towards healing a member of the congregation. However, it is offensive, inappropriate, and false to then say all Pentecostals are actually witches who are actually casting spells.
Spells:
Spells are an act of focused magic intended to achieve a specific goal, whether the manifestation is internal, external, or otherwise.
Spells may be performed in a nigh-infinite variety of ways. A practitioner may use different methodologies each time they cast a spell with the same intent.
Spells are typically only performed as needed.
Spells may be ritualized. To me, this means casting the same spell the same way over and over, often with components that hold traditional, cultural, or spiritual significance.
Spells may be cast inside of a ritual. An example is calling and honoring the Guardians of the Crossways, and then while everyone is present, asking them for assistance in the spell you are about to cast.
