Dancing?! I mean yes, someone is also going to get a kiss, but I’m not as excited about that, lol.
[Edit: it does make me happy that, thanks to Klara clearly caring to try, F-LI romancers can feel properly excited from hints like this.]
I’ve said this before, but I love romantic dance scenes. I actually was considering writing a fic with Declan & Riley dancing 😂
Anyway.
Hmm…if this is in order of the scenes we’ll see, could the kiss be the opening flashback? 🤔
To be clearer, in at least lesbian PTs, Riley can have a crush on Lily. It could her, or Luna. It could also be a flashback to the party on the night Lily died, and they played like, spin the bottle or something.
And the tacos could be a present-time conversation over food, where Riley explains her stalker, due to the possibility they set Fabian’s motorcycle on fire (in response to her trying to get him to fix her car, to leave).
Maybe it rains, so they have to go home. The next day is another new event: Amelia & Oliver give a toast, then there’s dancing.
The painting, I’d guess, is another flashback. To the covered painting in Lily’s room. When Riley first went in, she noted not to look under it.
The urn might mean the anniversary of Lily’s death, or maybe we get some info about Riley’s family 🤔
characters that go through hell yet still believe in the goodness of humanity, still hope for the best despite everything, refuse to let darkness consume them because someone somewhere is always going to be good are literally my favourite, because they give me that little hope too
Some more theory thoughts I’ve been meaning share here.
I wonder if Dex might be related to Poppy? 🤔
Their dynamic is interesting, and I could see them being another parallel with Waterlily. Specifically, being similar to the Romanos.
Other similarities include both MCs being writers, who lose a best friend (a girl) in their teen years, the flowers, and a group of 6+1 being central to the plot; LIs, Nadine, Howard - who may end up a LI - and the WL LIs + Riley.
Poppy never posts about Dex, and in the first teaser for SOS2, she rides his bike with him. It could just be that they’re friends, of course. I’m only theorizing. Still though, his new face has a decent resemblance to hers, which just makes me like the idea even more, lol. For those who haven’t seen me ramble on sibling characters and dynamics before, it’s something I like and will usually guess for new stories. If applicable.
This may simply be due to fan designs, though. Conventional attractiveness preferences, etc.
Anyway, onto other thoughts!
The slight flash-forward we got is interesting…
So, firstly: Miranda had mentioned others in Old Saintfour. Not the soldiers. I’m guessing the ones chasing them in a car are puppets—people taken control of by the purple hellebore.
We got hints to this before the story name was revealed, with a fake social media account for Sydney Whitley. Nadine’s idol in-story. Sydney was documenting coming to investigate, then obviously being taken over and trapped there.
However, intriguingly, she started to wake up.
As far as I know, that was her last post.
Secondly: things I noticed about the group 🤔
In the flash-forward, Poppy gets scared for Nadine. I got this without romancing her at all, but I wonder if it’s not different by relationship?
I’m wondering if she & Nadine will canonically work together, while hunted in the school?
Another note (which admittedly is giving me a bit of anxiety, lol)…Rudy’s reaction surprises me. While others are worried for Nadine, Rudy doesn’t speak up until after. Is he just that set on keeping watch, reminding himself she’ll be treated just fine? Or…could there be tension, caused by Nadine possibly deciding to go into Old Saintfour without him? I mean: Dex has the practical experience, Darren, the scientific info, Alice is the only one Nadine knows who works with film and thus, the only one who can make record of the invisible creatures…but Rudy’s life does not need to be put in danger. If we’re being technical, his skills aren’t truly needed. He’s strong and fast, but so is Dex, most-likely.
But mainly:
Nadine is surely terrified of losing him, as well.
And she hasn’t been telling him anything - not voluntarily, exactly. She told him of the photo only after he found it and convinced her. Then he followed it up with telling her both not go there, and (once again), not to talk to Dex.
Just finding out that she previously got chased by the deer, burned by contact with the flower on the road, and confided in Alice, would likely upset him. But how probable is it, really, that she’d tell him of sneaking into Old Saintfour?
It killed Miranda, so it could kill her - and if he comes, that’s his life put in danger. By Nadine. Maybe even for Nadine’s safety, over Rudy’s.
It’s especially plausible if he does so while they are all trapped in the school. And that’s likely.
…
Btw, on the topic of Rudy & Nadine: I’m not convinced there’s only one possibility for him talking to Abigail, in the last episode.
The leading theory by the fandom is that he brought Abigail as a date, to make Nadine feel jealous. But there’s other options. It’s not that I think it’s impossible, or even unlikely — we’re still learning his character, after all — but that other ideas came to my mind. I’ll list each one.
1. Rudy wanted to make Nadine jealous (low of him, imo, but whatever)
2. Rudy needed a distraction after seemingly getting rejected by the love of his life, so he did the thing that he’s used to doing: casual dates.
3. Rudy already decided he’s not interested in casual dating anymore, now that he knows of Nadine’s feelings. Abigail went to flirt, seeing him there, and Rudy absentmindedly replied to her, focused on thinking of/waiting for Nadine. This event just happens to occur, in the worlds where he developed a crush on Nadine (things split off in episode 2, between his two routes).
The third is the one I like the most. I think it’d work the best, because not only are both he & Nadine feeling jealous anyway (pleasant angst for us readers), but they simultaneously end up in mirrored situations, which they can realize at the same time later! Misunderstandings. She can angst over him so easily choosing another girl over her, only to realize he’d never think to, he can angst over her choosing Liam, only to discover she was completely focused on him.
It’s a classic “your date—“ “what date—? Wait, are you…” “…you weren’t…?”
“…😳”
lol.
Speaking as a writer, it makes more sense for them to realize and get on the same page while in a near-death situation, rather than dragging out the misunderstanding until it becomes an annoyance. Especially because they can have an ‘I might die / we’re about to die’ moment - maybe even a kiss! Or a near-kiss. Whichever.
Then, you throw in some new, fair tension. Like ‘I can’t believe you were going to risk your life and you weren’t even going to tell me!’ tension. Plus, ‘you nearly died because of me’ tension.
Much better 😏
Obstacles, yet entertaining ones. Engrossing.
Not only is it deliciously painful, while skipping past contrived drama, but it sets up something they can come together to work through, and that will lead to their bond deepening. It lets us see how they’d be as a couple in the future! We can see them growing towards a new dynamic!
Anyway, I could keep rambling, but I’ve got a bad headache, so I’ll stop here for today.
Quietly repeating to myself you can do this you can do this you can do this as I work to rally myself for the next few months of making doctor’s appointments, arranging transport with unreliable family members to them, advocating for myself at them, and getting proof of my disabilities to keep my food stamps and get a wheelchair. And I just keep recalling that I have texts I haven’t replied to. *Sigh* 🫠
I wasn’t planning to do another playthrough for Cantata (an IF I’m reading), while it’s still being released, as I can never get fully immersed in my later OCs that way. However, after the last chapter, I just can’t help but need to create an MC for Bayram. As I’ve said before, fast-burn and/or very sex-focused routes aren’t my thing, but Bayram has such depth, and the soulmate-ism is real. I just have to see how his route goes on from here! Plus, I don’t multi-romance, if I don’t absolutely have to. So. Yeah. I did really, really want to read the book with each kind of attunement, since they’re so unique, and his route just seems fitting for Water. Probably, Air might’ve worked better for my main RO (who is a secret romance-option, so I’ll just leave him unnamed 🤭). But I love my Fire-attuned baby too much, and anyway, he’s touch-starved and they’re hyper-touch-enthusiastic, lol. It works.
I was planning on doing Corinne & Vicente’s routes next, after the book was finished, with Earth and Air. I truly didn’t expect Bayram to shift everything around! Ohhh but the end of the last chapter…spoilers incoming!!!
The way the MC chooses to reveal their secret, which they’ve been forced to keep for so long, for not just their safety, but the safety of their loved ones, for the sake of Bayram’s people?
Also, I love that he’s dyslexic like me. Maybe I should have picked up on it, like other readers, since we got the same scenes for it, but I think a part of me didn’t even consider this rep as an option. Like, autistic characters? Okay. Queer in one or another way? Sure, that’s possible. A prince of a highly scholarly queendom being secretly dyslexic? Too good to be true. And yet.
He really is a wonderful character. I enjoyed his platonic scenes a lot already, even before the author revealed his hidden disability. Funnily enough, I thought that when I finally broke and started posting spoilers for Cantata, it would be for my chosen/main RO, or my Fire MC, but nay, it was the flirt! He is super thoughtful, ftr. Not just considerate: introspective, insightful…
Anyway, if the story sounds interesting to you, I say try it. There’s also more trans options, now.
Ah, hell. I’m gonna have to re-do my first PT of HS2. See, I originally needed to fix it, but then I decided I’d just make a new one where War is alive. But then, I kept getting this bug in Lane’s POV of HS3, so I decided to turn that new War Alive slot into a Diamond Mine, so I could save some 💎 and replay during a Tea Party. But as I was skipping through the episodes, I found…I really do prefer only having Hunger?????? 😭 I prefer the scenes with him interacting more (if War’s alive, he usually does it, instead), NTM, I’m romancing Dino, and they don’t get along.
For some reason.
Like, if you’re not on Dino’s route, when Vicky finds the letters Cain & Abel’s mother wrote, War kindly offers for Vicky to sit in the desk chair, because of the dust. It’s cute! But if you are romancing Dino, they end up bickering for it?????? Which is so annoying to me. And like I said, I genuinely prefer the other scenes with Hunger alone, anyway. So…this just decided it.
So now, that second (*third really) slot of HS2 is basically useless for me. Just…great [/s].
(*I have a mostly-unused Harmony Bearer slot)
I’m going to be so stressed with the next Tea Party 😵💫 I need to finish catching up some slots I restarted—for the update—plus this. And I had really wanted to reread WTC, but with the extra Tea I’ve got saved, only a TP would work.
Trying to identify the flowers in the paintings of each of the characters, on the loading screen.
Some of them were easy (Emma’s, ofc), but damn am I struggling with Fabian’s. It’s not just that we barely see the flower (only half of it), but that I’m fairly certain I noticed a succulent is hidden there; blending into the background.
The best I’ve got right now is its echeveria. I thought it was firecracker (orange crossandra) at first, but then of course, I saw the succulent.
What if Declan’s father is there? So far, there’s been no public appearances of him. Even at the legacies dinner, where the rest of his family had attended. What if he’s unwell, and Declan has been tasked by their mother to check on him?
For example, with something like Alzheimer’s.
The mother’s abusive, so it’s likely the father is.
Especially given Declan’s tolerance for getting brass-knuckled. There’s also the possibility he volunteered (either directly or not), so Tiffany wouldn’t have to do it. Considering the facial expression he had when talking about his sister being hacked before, it’s clear he cares for her.
Back to the theory, though:
This kind of reveal would be deeply shocking. Having to be trapped with abusers is already awful, but having the complication of health issues requiring you to help care for them?
(I’m disabled, but I’ll tell you: it’s truly shitty.)
Even if his father isn’t sick, if he’s in the guest house, Declan’s behavior when exiting it…fits.
Again, if his father is like their mother. Or, the one in the guest house could just be her. But we’ve seen her, and only heard of his absence.
More to the point, why reveal her earlier, if she is the one the guest house secret is about?
Btw, after Riley first sees Declan leave there, via the Raw choice, she can smell whiskey…
I wonder if it wasn’t him who was drinking? The way he walks out, it feels like it was to get away—not after a bit of de-stressing with alcohol. I can imagine him wanting distance from there.
Reposting some notes of mine I shared before. This is about possible hints in two HS3 episode titles — similarly to HSR, S1E4: Anamnesis.
The episode Anamnesis is when we first learn of Lane's childhood, her birth, and get path CGs. From Wikipedia:
In Plato's theory of epistemology, anamnesis refers to the recollection of innate knowledge acquired before birth. The concept posits the claim that learning involves the act of rediscovering knowledge from within oneself.
Relating to religion, it has to do with reentering the event of Jesus' sacrifice-of-love for people. As someone else explained:
Every act of love, every sacrifice offered with humility, every moment we renounce our selfishness to love others is a way to live anamnesis. [...] Anamnesis is, ultimately, an invitation to be another Christ in the world.
HS3, S1E21 was titled Dark Night of the Soul.
This is a spiritual belief. It explains that deep suffering precedes spiritual transformation and enlightenment. Thus, the soul goes through its deepest darkness, to arrive at the light of God; in simple terms. There are actually two 'nights,’ and it seems to me they fit Lane's experiences.
Disclaimer: this is my understanding of this. Details of something I researched years ago. Each person likely describes it a bit differently.
S2E9: Sepha’s Light. Description: Even in the darkest night, light always breaks through.
The idea is that you first experiences God via your senses. In Lane's case, her body + blood.
The first Dark Night is when God is beginning to bring one into change, where prayer - hope in God - feels empty. This is what Lane's been going through since HSR's end. The other Dark Night, the one usually referred to, is the final purification and union with God's holy light.
The process is, from what I know, thought of as: awakening (you have an ordinary life, but you begin to dig into the spiritual; Lane's past before the Book) > a catalyst event (losing the life you knew before; she's taken to Siberia) >
The darkest time of your life (you lose even more—something vital to who you are, your home, etc. This period drags on. You deal with inner demons, negative emotions, your worst fears - but heal your deepest wound. This is about Lane's torture and everything in HSR, culminating in accepting herself wholly) > you go between gaining hope and losing it (HSR's ending, HS3 so far) > enlightenment (you find understanding: that everything was necessary, for you to become who you are, discover your true purpose, and gain an inner peace and personal power you never had) > creation (you begin to truly create the life and future you dream of. You set the foundations, finding a balance in yourself once felt impossible. And are no longer guided as you were before. You have everything you need to go after the future you want, assured in your capabilities, because of what you endured yet recovered from, plus your choices) > and finally, ascension is done.
We treasure each and every one of you, exactly the way you are. Thank you for playing our games, and we hope that you've been able to find a piece of yourself represented in them.
Here's to a comfy, lovely, and safe June! ☀️
(And hold on. I spy two new Step 3 faces in this crowd 👀)
Related to this post: another instance, which I forgot I wanted to note. And the similarities…
I think I saw these lines earlier, when I was looking for data to decipher the Book back at the base.
But I can’t remember where it came from.
It’s interesting how Lane ‘just happens’ to know the phrase about Baal, but not where she learned it. It reminds me of other moments…
“I can’t remember.”
And also, how she could only discover things when it was the right time for it. This all also reminds me of a related theory I haven’t gone into. I’ll cover that at the end of this post.
Continuing on…
When she first finds the maiden statue, with this phrase, it’s like her and the chain-tunnel; where Cain is blasted back. How it felt familiar.
I looked back at it. I had to keep running, but something inexplicably drew me to it.
Plus, when Lane first entered the doors to Baal’s prison. Where she first met Baal & Cain.
Something was pulling me toward [the doors to Baal’s prison]. Step by step, I approached the stone frame.
And it all reminds me of the light awakening in her, Lane with the Spear, and ‘reaching’ Cain.
That my body knew how to move.
As soon as I touched the metal, it shone, as if calling to me. My body was filled with power. The same kind I had felt before.
Without thinking, my legs stupidly carried me forward, and I went along as if I had no other choice.
For some reason, I felt l'd seen him like this once already, as if my body remembered the fear evoked from that other time he was like this.
I also felt sure that I could reach him. I needed to get to him, get through to him, and bring him back to his senses.
Just as I caught up with him, I took a deep inhale, filling my lungs with air, and yelled his name.
"What am I hoping for?"
I shouted again. Louder, stronger. Like never before.
I’ve mentioned it before, but I do think this - Lane calling out to Cain, after he’s lost himself - could be a future event she doesn’t know she already has knowledge of. Perhaps if she does summon Cain & Abel against Sephamslum, it will be that this happens in that moment 🤔
So, the theory: if Sephamalum’s darkness, in Audrey, has a kind of consciousness (Cassiel compares commanding it to doing so with a beast), then perhaps Lane’s light in the same?
I’ve always theorized that it was either her own subconscious guiding her, or possibly fate and her subconscious together. But perhaps she’d been able to learn things from the light, itself?
This is more if she really only got it as a child.
There’s also the possibility that she merged with it fully, and it’s different for Audrey, as the latter had only gained the darkness as an adult.
