she/her | iām 19 if it wasnt blatantly obvious (occasional 18+ posts) | toku and The red one | not the most active/interactive on here go find me somewhere else No iām not telling where im not telling!!!! twitter but im not telling!!!!!
the butterfliesā¦ā¦ monarch butterflies symbolize strength, change, self growth, interconnectednessā¦ā¦ā¦ i think the new episode really showcased how much taiga has grown, even if itās expressed in subtle waysā¦ā¦..
and also taiga has red strings on an evidence board, while elias is cutting the red stringsā¦ā¦ā¦ much to think aboutā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦
A continuation of my previous post with Taigaās unexpected question and also a reply to @themostlovelyandlonelyboy because I have a lot to say and I had the same thought!
āāāāāāāāāā
If Taiga remembers previous loops/timelines, that would explain why he often acts like he knows more than he's willing (or able) to say. What I find interesting is that Taiga constantly asks MC questions instead of telling her things.
He asks if she wants to live, asks what she thinks, asks what he should do, and even asks if she has a man. If he really does remember previous loops/ timelines, those questions almost feel like he's checking whether this timeline is different from the last one. Is she making different choices? Does she remember anything? Has the future changed? That would also explain all of his pauses ("ā¦"). It's like he's weighing how much he can say without changing something or because he already knows what happens if he says too much.
At the same time, I don't think Taiga is completely hopeless. He's cynical, yes, but he keeps trying. If he'd truly given up, I don't think he'd bother protecting MC over and over again or asking for her input. The fact that he continues to involve her tells me that, despite everything he's seen, some part of him still believes this timeline could be different. That's actually why his affinity 25 line stands out to me: "You're not getting away from me, kitten. You're here till death do us part."
If he has watched MC die countless times, that line becomes heartbreaking. It stops sounding like simple possessiveness and starts sounding like someone who's desperately clinging to the one person he keeps losing.
It would also make his earlier "It doesn't matter, everything's screwed anyway" make more sense. Maybe that's not him saying love is pointless, maybe it's someone who's seen tragedy happen so many times that he doesn't want to let himself hope. Yet despite saying that, he still grows attached to MC.
I also agree that the loop or timeline we play probably isn't the first one. There are too many moments where Taiga reacts as if he's expecting something before it happens, or already knows how certain events play out. Whether that's because of his foresight alone or because he remembers previous timelines is still a mystery, but both possibilities fit his behavior well. If the time-loop/different timelines is 100% confirmed, then MC is the one variable that finally changes the future.
It would fit Taiga's arc if, after countless failed timelines, this is the one where someone finally believes him and that's what breaks the cycle. If it turns out to be true... then his Affinity 25 line: "You're here till death do us part." becomes even more heartbreaking. It wouldn't just be a possessive line but it would be someone who's finally found a timeline where he refuses to let MC go.
I donāt really know what Iām saying and if I said it correctly so you can understand but let me be delusional until the end lmao š„
I know some people may preach heās unreliable, but this episode just goes to show that he is there for us when it really counts. Taiga, if nobody else believes in you, then I am deadš
Taiga didnāt have to tell us his stigma either and risk getting in trouble, not that he seems very afraid of that anyways. Between that, him warning MC about a spy in Darkwick, and him TRYING to warn her about the end of the world in season one, you can say you donāt believe he loves MC, but you canāt deny he trusts her and wants to protect her in his own way.
I feel like we only really hear of him using his stigma to win money for himself at the casino, and we have also inferred that the use of his stigma contributes to his memory loss, most likely. Itās like, in order to see the future, he has to sacrifice fragments of the past, or they just get buried down deeper in his brain where theyāre less accessible. We also know he loves to win, and heās always been the, āwhatās in it for meā kind of guy. Itās not like he was getting anything of interest to him by hoarding his points and losing sleep, so say whatever you want, but this gesture was so selfless in my humble opinion. Having the most points doesnāt guarantee that heās safe, since MC has her āfinal privilegeā that she can still use to escape with someone else. And like he told us, the future is subject to change, so itās a gamble either way. This behavior from him reminds me a lot of episode 16 when he offered to stay with us in the fabricated world.
Also, Taiga asking if we have a man??? Is that his way of seeing if the position is openā¦? ššš Genuinely, why else would he ask a random question like that unprompted? Iām putting one of my speculations below, but Iād love to know what you thinkš«¶š»
He was just watching MC eat next to him, so do you think he was looking at her and thinking, āI could get used to thisā? Heās made it obvious that he is so done with Darkwick. Even though he doesnāt talk about it explicitly like Kaito and Haku have, this really makes me think he craves some sort of mundane normalcy to an extent. But of course, he brushes off his question AND our answer and is like, ādoesnāt matter, weāre all fucked anywaysā. Oh, how I want him to just be serious like he was in his affinity lvl 25 line and say fuck it, youāre mine, no matter how this endsš«
Nevertheless, I knew I could count on my pookie to save my lifeš„°š„°š„° Heās getting all of the anomaly meat he could ever ask for when we get home for being such a good boy.
I need to talk about the unexpected question Taiga asked MC (Analysis)
When Taiga asked MC, āYou got a man?ā, I couldnāt help but wonder if he was trying to gauge whether she was romantically available. Maybe it was an early sign that he was interested in her himself. Before getting emotionally invested or making a move, perhaps he wanted to know if someone else was already in her life.
If his only goal had been to distract or calm MC down because she was under pressure, he couldāve asked literally anything else. But instead, he asked: āYou got a man?ā (Or another meaning: āA boyfriend?ā or āExperience withā¦ you-know-what?ā šļø)
That doesnāt feel like random teasing to me. His expression also stands out. He isnāt smiling or joking around: He looks serious and focused, which makes the question feel more genuine than playful.
I like how Taiga reacts when MC asks whatās gotten into him if you choose the 3rd option, he actually seems caught off guard before laughing at how flustered she is. Though, he brushes it off with, āWell, it doesnāt matter. Everythingās screwed anyway.ā
I interpreted that as: āThereās no point dwelling on relationships when we might not make it out of this.ā
And that made me thinkā¦ if Taiga believes theyāre all doomed, why bother letting yourself love someone if youāre just going to lose them? Maybe he avoids getting attached because losing someone would hurt too much. Thatās why I loved seeing Taiga slowly open up to MC. It shows how much he trusts her. Elias even said that maybe heās been waiting for someone to believe him, and I canāt help but feel like MC is the one person willing to do that when no one else will.
Which makes his Affinity 25 voice line hit harder: āYouāre not getting away from me, kitten. Youāre here till death do us part, whether you like it or not.ā
JP ver: "I'm not letting you go, kitten. It's already decided that you'll be here with me until death do us part."
Thatās literally a wedding vow.
To me, it feels like his mindset changes. Instead of āWhatās the point of loving someone if the world is fcked?ā it becomes: āEven if the world is fcked, I still have you. Youāre staying with me until death do us part.ā
If anything, once Taiga falls for MC, he seems to realize that love isnāt meaningless because death is inevitable. Itās because life is uncertain that he chooses to hold onto the person he loves. Like he seems to believe that love is something worth holding onto even if death is inevitable.
āāāāāā
I guess being delulu is my only solulu but itās just my guess. No need to take seriously if you donāt agree with me š„
