Echoes of Aria

call me Aria ♡ 20s ♡ Caleb is home! 🍎 You can also find my on ao3 as summer_aria!!

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Can anyone tell me if this is normal?? I reached lvl 100 affinity with Xavier on Sunday thanks to his myth cards and he hasn't taken off the ring once?? He's the only one I've reached lvl 100 with. Is this normal with all the LIs???

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With Xavier's myth event ending soon, I just wanted to post about my favourite memory in the entire game because this event has reignited my love for all of Xavier's memories! Caleb might be my favourite but my absolute favourite memory in the game belongs to Xavier. And yes, it even wins out over the wedding memories for me.

Silvery polyphony is just so beautiful and ethereal. Everything was so romantic while still being soft. Xavier was absolutely crazy to book out a music hall just to play piano for MC because she wanted to listen to him and as a piano player myself, I've always wanted to be able to play with someone. The intertwined pinkies, the soft smile as he looks at MC, his outfit, the music hall setup, the care in the animation (I'm pretty sure the animated finger movements and sheet music actually reflect what we hear), the song itself (which I probably drove my family crazy playing so much irl). Everything in this memory just makes me smile and kick my feet in happiness!! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡

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Xavier's name and the meaning behind it

It's just occurred to me that Xavier's new myth has always been teased just from his Chinese name alone. 沈星回 uses the Chinese characters for star and return. The star part has been pretty obvious given his his theme is centred around space and stars. Anecdote 3 was also focused on Xavier and MC seeing the shooting stars together. At first I had always thought the character for return alluded to the the Shooting Stars myth and how he told Queen!MC he would return and how he doesn't belong on present Earth but needs to return to Philos. But this new myth changes everything. Xavier has literally returned to the past because of Chosen One!MC's choice. Not to mention all the revenants being focused on returning to Philos like the dead returning back to life in the concept of samsara/lunhui or 轮回 (notice the second character for return is the same as Xavier's name). I've seen other posts mentioning that samsara/lunhui is actually referenced quite explicitly in the Chinese promo material (forgive me for the vague reference since I only know enough basic Chinese to get by (╥﹏╥)). I'm in pure awe of how far ahead Infold has thought out Xavier's (and likely every LIs storylines).

TL;DR - Infold has been cooking for a long time and Xavier's story has been beautifully thought out since the beginning down to his name.

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omgomgomg so there were so many theories about Sylus and his myth being Hades and Persephone themed before his first myth came out BUT instead we get so many elements of Hades and Persephone in Xavier's myth????? The ferryman, the blooming flowers, the king of (basically) the underworld, the place where souls go to be reborn

Sidenote: Does Infold live in my browser history and head?? Who told them I love Greek mythology and King Arthur?

Side Sidenote: So happy he's getting so much love rn since he's been my constant second favourite who hasn't been as popular as the other boys since release :D

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How this morning started:

How this morning ended:

I can’t believe it only took 60 wishes. I wasn’t even this lucky with Lumiere…

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More hints that present!Caleb knows about Ultimate Weapon!Caleb and other lives. When they show Loneroad Together during the trailer, MC says "This is where I want to be." while her hand is on Caleb's chest. In Hidden Waves, Caleb brings MC's hands to his chest when he says his weakness is there and if I remember his words correctly he says "She's always been here." in the same card. The JP version is similar to the EN version so I don't think it's some translation differences like some other lines in his cards.

Infold, are you really doing this to me? It wasn't bad enough that he remembers one lifetime of experimentation?????

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"I always wanted to be in the same world as you... Instead of just watching you... And imagining you..."

Does this mean Caleb is like Zayne and can somehow see the past/other lives where MC is there?? Should I prepare myself for Dawnbreaker-esque angst (pls no) with Ultimate Weapon!Caleb who has seen the (mostly) happy childhood present!Caleb and MC had together? Do all Calebs have this ability???? I remember Caleb saying something like a ruined world doesn't deserve MC so present!Caleb knows about Ultimate Weapon!Caleb since it seems like THIS is the ruined world? Infold, I have so many questions!! (๑﹏๑//)

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I switched to playing love and deepspace on my ipad today because my phone was running out of storage and Rafayel was so much more handsome on the bigger screen?!??!?! Why have I been deprived of such a handsome fishie for so long??????

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I firmly believe Caleb would love any children he and MC have. BUT if they end up having a little girl who is basically a copy of MC, she's going to be so spoiled. So. Spoiled. Caleb clearly couldn't say no to MC growing up so how is he supposed to say no to his tiny child who is a carbon copy of child MC? He can't. If he even hesitates, she just has to look really sad and cute (she somehow inherited MC's pleading face too). Next thing you know, he's doing whatever she wants. MC is going to have to be the responsible parent in this relationship.

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I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet... Caleb's codename in the Catch-22 event is Perses. I think most theories focus on him being the titan god of destruction (also because his brother is Astraeus) rather than Perses, the son of Helios. However, I've been thinking about how MC could fit into this. And remembering how Caleb said MC said her home was in the stars, there are two goddesses with names associated with stars who are connected to Perses, Asteria and Astraea. Asteria is his wife while Astraea is the daughter of Astraeus. Personally, I think it'd be super cute if Caleb and MC were somehow married/engaged in his next myth card like in Rafayel's sea god myth.

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Has anyone else seen the promo video for the Harbin Asian Winter Games collab? Caleb offers to go skiing with us and look, I've been terrified of skiing ever since watching someone crash into a wooden fence the first time I went but for him? Ya, I'd agree in a heartbeat. Mostly because his evol can save me.

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We know Caleb loves bringing up the past with MC. Maybe because they were experiments together and he's used to having to remind her of who he is when she's reborn. Maybe because she has a bad memory after all the experiments. Maybe just to remind her that he's always been with her. But now, what if he's not just bringing up the past for those reasons but also to reassure himself that he's still not fully controlled by the Toring chip? We know that the chip can rewrite/erase memories and emotions. What if he keeps bringing up the past so he can reassure himself that HE still remembers and hasn't been fully taken over by the chip yet? Because once he forgets he won't be able to stay by her side anymore.

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Paradise in the Sky

Pairing: Caleb x reader/mc

Warnings: Fluff, mentions of last night (nothing actually happens though), slight angst, my (new) headcanon of Caleb making things float unconsciously when he's happy

Word count: 1.2k

Synopsis: In his quiet home, your worries and problems seem like they belong to another world. The only worries you have here are the random floating objects when a certain gravity evol-user becomes too happy.

You’re greeted by warm sunlight shining through the curtains when you wake up. Squinting, you turn around to see Caleb still asleep beside you. It was rare to be able to see his sleeping face. Before leaving for the Aerospace Academy, he would get up before you so he could act as your alarm clock and cook breakfast. Now, he rarely slept at all due to nightmares that had him up until the early hours of the morning. You had some idea of what they were about given the many times he would reach out to hold you when he was startled awake, but you chose not to pry until he was ready to share his fears with you. All you could do was stay by his side and show him you were strong enough to shoulder some of his burdens as well until that time came.

But right now, in his quiet home, those dark moments seemed to be far away like they were part of another life. Staring at his peaceful face, you wanted to pretend everything was still like before – before you lost grandma, before you lost Caleb, before he became the colonel of the Farspace Fleet, before you learned that your best friend had secrets to keep from you. It was easy to pretend when you were lying so comfortably in bed with the person you were most worried about sleeping by your side. You gently reach out and caress his face only to stop when you're surprised by a warm hand sliding on top of yours. “I didn’t know you learned how to launch sneak attacks while someone is sleeping,” he teases as he opens his violet eyes to meet yours.

“Caleb!” you exclaim as you snatch your hand back. “You should have just told me you were awake!”

“Okay. Okay. I was wrong for not telling you I was awake,” he says while leaning up to ruffle your hair. He seems to see something in the expression on your face as he momentarily looks worried before quickly hiding it with a smile and adding, “What? Are you scared to touch me now that you know I’m awake?”

“Oh, I’ll touch you if that’s what you want,” you say as you climb on top of him to squeeze his cheeks. This prompts him to burst into laughter while falling back into the pillows.

He allows your assault to continue for a little longer before flipping your positions and holding your hands still as you continue to reach for him. After a minute of struggling against his hold, you realize it’s a futile effort and give up with a pout aimed pointedly at him. Smiling, he lets go of your hands to brush his thumb over the marks he left on your neck the night before which are only partially covered by the neckline of your shirt. “Should you be moving around this much? Aren’t you tired?"

You cross your arms and give him an exaggerated huff as you answer, “Someone was too excited after getting back from the Deepspace Tunnel yesterday. Now, I don’t have the energy to even get off the bed. I won’t forgive you unless you make me breakfast.”

If anything, your response only seems to make him happier as he tenderly kisses your forehead while murmuring, “Guess I should get going so I can start earning your forgiveness. Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

You watch as Caleb goes to the closet to grab some clothes. He’s almost finished putting them on when you notice something strange about the bed. After looking down, you call out his name, but the only response you get is a quiet hum to indicate he’s listening.

“Caleb,” you start again. “Could you put down the bed?”

He turns around, confused at your strange request, only to find the bed hovering off the floor from his evol. He sheepishly rubs the back of his head with one hand while guiding the bed to land softly on the floor with his other. “Whoops. I guess I was too excited to cook for you again.”

Your only response to that is a fond sigh. It wasn’t the first time things had started hovering in the air from his happiness, but it had been a while since you’ve seen it happen since he had been away for so long.

After he leaves the room, you flop over to try and get more sleep, but it seems like you’re already fully awake. You decide to revel in this peace for a little longer as you stare at the ceiling while listening to Caleb finish brushing his teeth and start rummaging around in the kitchen to gather all the ingredients for breakfast. Resigned to staying awake, you decide you might as well join Caleb in the kitchen and bother him while he’s cooking.

When you step into the kitchen area after brushing your teeth and changing into loungewear, you’re greeted by the sweet smell of french toast. Caleb is still standing by the stove while dropping the remaining bread slices into the batter with his evol. You sneak behind him and snake your arms around his waist, tenderly nuzzling the junction where his mechanical arm meets his shoulder. He momentarily tenses before quickly relaxing, still unused to your affections directed to the part of himself he hates most. He knows that's also why you direct a lot of your affection there; you want to show him you love every part of him, even the ones he hates.

“Didn’t someone say they couldn’t get off the bed?” he asks teasingly while flipping the slice of toast in the pan.

You switch to poking his back while replying, “I couldn’t go back to sleep so I dragged myself here to bother the person who made me so tired. Since I’m already up, what should we do on your first day back?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so I’ll make all your favourites tonight. We’ll need to go out for groceries, though,” he suggests.

You hum contentedly at his answer, already imagining the delicious food he’ll cook you tonight. “Don’t forget to make your signature dumplings, braised chicken wings, mapo tofu, braised pork belly, and corn ribs!” you list out happily.

“You’re making it sound like I run a restaurant. But sure, I’ll make anything you want. Since when have I been able to deny your requests? Is there anything else you want to do today?” he asks as he turns around to cup your face in his free hand.

You pretend to think for a second before saying, “After we get groceries, let’s stop by the arcade. I want to see what plushies you have in Skyhaven. We can also go to the café to play kitty cards so I can get my revenge for last night.”

“Hmm, if someone wants their revenge, she'll have to pray to the kitty god for good cards," he says while squishing your cheeks when your happy expression turns indignant at the mere suggestion you can't beat him without divine intervention. Giving you a fond smile, he continues, "We can do whatever you want but first, you need to eat breakfast.”

Despite his words, he makes no move to turn back to the stove and continues to gaze at you adoringly. Your attention is caught by something behind him, though. Specifically, something brown that should not have the ability to hover in the air like it's currently doing. You turn back to him with an exasperated look. Pointing at the object, you say, “If you want to finish making breakfast, you’ll have to put everything down first.”

Confused, he turns back around only to see a half-cooked slice of french toast floating at eye level with the batter dripping off and the pan swaying in the air only a few centimeters below it. The bowl holding the remaining batter and bread was also several centimeters above the counter, and the batter would have already been on the floor if he hadn’t been unconsciously using gravity to hold everything together.

“Whoops. I guess you'll need to wait a little later for breakfast.”

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Been thinking about what Caleb's limited myth could be like when it gets released. I know a lot of people have theorized it will be related to Adam and Eve where Caleb and MC may be the first humans or something similar because of the allusions to the Garden of Eden. BUT if we go this route, what if we keep the themes of protection and forbidden love? I'm thinking we could have something related to angels falling in love with humans where Caleb is meant to be her protector somehow and falls in love with her which is taboo. Angels feature in the myth of Eden as well when God stationed an angel to guard Eden after Adam and Eve were cast out. Maybe MC attempts to enter Eden? Or maybe the myth will go more the Lilith route rather than Adam and Eve?

BUT I'm also thinking that we've had so many Western myths. and I would love to see a Chinese myth. The version 2.0 theme song was French and Sylus got a Western myth so maybe Caleb can have a Chinese myth since the version 3.0 theme song was Chinese? If Caleb somehow gets a Chinese myth, one idea I had was the myth of the white snake because...snakes? Essentially, a white snake transforms into a beautiful lady and falls in love with a human man. They get married but afterwards, a monk tries to separate them because she isn't human. There's many versions of this myth but in one, both the snake and human man are celestials cast out of heaven because their love was forbidden and this is their reincarnation (hmmm). The meeting on the bridge at the end of the theme song also reminds me a lot of the white snake myth because the white snake and human man are reunited at the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou.

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So I've been curious about what Caleb's flower means since all the boys have an associated flower (e.g. Zayne with his jasmine). For Caleb, I'm guessing it's the Asiatic apple blossom given how much it appears in his story and myth. It also matches the flower drawn for the Linkon Chibi Report. The apple blossom as his flower and it's meaning have already been discussed on reddit too:

But I was curious about the Asiatic apple blossom specifically. Turns out the Chinese call it haitang hua. If you're also a fan of the Husky and his White Cat Shizun, you've probably heard of it before. With a little Googling, I ended up finding out that haitang flower means "unrequited love", "bitter love", or "tragic love".

Hi! I hope this is not a weird question but do you happen to know what exactly is CWN's haitang flower? Looking on Google, I found its actua

Red haitang are most associated with this meaning but it's really symbolic that Caleb's flower is the haitang flower when his story was the most heartbreaking to me. (╥﹏╥)

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Just a random thought... If it's canon that Xavier glows when he's happy, do you think Caleb floats when he's happy?

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Endless Summer

Pairing: Caleb x reader/mc

Warnings: Fluff, kissing, may be OOC since Caleb isn't out, spoilers for chapter 4

Word count: 1.5k

Synopsis: You reminisce the moments in your life with Caleb. After that fateful day, you could no longer return to the sunlight-filled days when you, Grandma, and Caleb spent every day peacefully, but you could look forward to bright new days ahead with the man standing beside you.

Sometimes, you think back to the days filled with warmth, sunlight, and summer. Those were the days when you could still see Grandma every day, and Caleb was still a constant in your life. He was your precious sunshine lighting up the dark days after the Chronorift catastrophe. Back then, you hadn’t been able to make any friends, haunted by nightmares of rampaging Wanderers and afraid to form connections after everything had been so violently ripped from you.

Caleb was the only exception; he been there since the start. All your first memories had been of him – his warmth and his dependable presence. You remember his warm back as he protected you from bullies, his warm hand clasped in yours as you both crossed the street together, his warm body as he held you at night to fend off the nightmares. “Don’t worry, pipsqueak! I’ll always be here to protect you,” he would declare while ruffling your hair.

You remember him as your best friend who would do anything to put a smile on your face, even spend days learning how to make your favourite braised chicken wings so you had something to look forward to after a hard day. “Why’s the pipsqueak sad? I made your favourite chicken wings so wipe that frown off your face!” he would say while rubbing at the edges of your frown until it turned upside down.

Back then, you had thought Caleb would always be there for you. You had adored your precious best friend and went around telling adults you would marry him once you were older. Grandma would always shake her head and sigh, but Caleb seemed like he never minded. He would always indulge all your willful requests, even your request to “marry him” with a pair of rings you had woven from the wildflowers in Grandma’s garden.

“Caleb, you have to promise to marry me when we're old enough,” you had begged the older boy while slipping one of the rings on his finger.

He had laughed with that bright smile of his as he took the other ring in his warm hands. Slipping it onto your finger, he had agreed, “It’s a promise, pipsqueak. That means you can’t look at other boys.”

As time passed, you grew out of your shell, helped by Caleb’s sunny presence by your side. You made new friends and had more people to rely on. Yet, Caleb remained your best friend and your ever-present protector despite the distance that separated the two of you while he was in Skyhaven.

“I hope a certain pipsqueak didn’t forget to eat again. You’ll never grow taller than me if you skip all your meals,” he had texted once after he found out you had skipped a meal to study for your exams during your first year in university.

Upon receiving his teasing message, you had scowled and furiously responded, “That was only once! You should worry about yourself. Grandma told me you looked thinner when you visited her last time!!”

Despite your busy schedules at the Aerospace Academy and university, you would both visit Grandma as much as possible. It was during one of these visits that you had unearthed a worn yellow box while you were both cleaning the attic. Opening the box, you had found the same rings you had worn when you promised to marry each other years ago. Laughing, you had pulled them out of the box to show your companion.

“Do you still remember when I would tell everyone I would marry you when I was old enough? We even made a promise with these,” you had reminisced while holding the rings up to the summer light shining through the windows.

Caleb hadn’t answered you immediately which was strange. This would have been the perfect opportunity for him to tease you about how he had spoiled you when you were a child. You had turned to face him questioningly only to meet his heated gaze. Worried, you had reached out to him calling, “Caleb...?”

He had immediately grasped your outstretched hand and slowly intertwined your fingers. The whole time, his gaze had never left yours. Softly, as if afraid to put his thoughts into words, he had asked, “Do you still feel the same way?

At the time, you had been too flustered to give him a response. His gaze, the warmth of his hand in yours, the bright sunlight filtering into the room – everything had been too much at that moment. You had quickly looked away and muttered some excuse about being hungry before you ran downstairs. When you returned back to the attic, he was the same as always and teased you about your needy stomach.

In the chaos of the explosion which ripped away the small piece of home you had ever known, you had locked the memory of that summer day away. You hadn’t had the time to reminisce while uncovering the truth behind the explosion, the Aether core in your heart, and Ever Group. You barely allowed yourself the time to eat and sleep, much less the time to think back on sunlight-filled memories. The fleeting moments when you were reminded of those days while holding his necklace in your hand hurt more than the mental and physical strain you purposely inflicted on yourself. The what-ifs and what-could-have-beens brought a heartache which you only dulled with more work.

Then, he came back. But he wasn’t the Caleb you knew. He was the newest colonel of the Farspace Fleet, and you had been the poor soul who had stumbled upon the military base in your search for answers. A part of you had been elated that he was still alive but another part, the part which won out, had been devastated. If he hadn’t died, why had he allowed you to go through all that grief believing he was gone forever?

“Why did you lie to me? How could you let me think you were gone?” you had cried brokenly upon seeing the same violet eyes you grew up seeing on the face of a man you no longer recognized. He was lucky your arms had been restrained. Otherwise, he might have been sporting a bruise for the next week.

Your heartbroken expression hadn’t seemed to affect the man in front of you in the slightest. He had merely continued staring at you as if you meant nothing to him. “There’s more than one pair of eyes observing you in this room,” he had responded with no hint of the warmth you had always associated with him. “Do what you’re told and don’t cause any trouble. You won’t get hurt, then.”

It had taken time, but you had eventually forgiven him. It had always only been a question of when he could earn your forgiveness. After all, how could you stay mad at your precious Caleb? Of course, the groveling and numerous meals he made you only helped him earn your trust back faster.

Working together with Caleb and your many friends, you unraveled the mystery of the Aether core residing in your heart and Ever Group’s role in your lives. Once everything had been settled, you brought out the old box you had managed to salvage from the wreckage of a home built on secrets but filled with happy memories. You had shown him the contents of the box, miraculously the same as that summer day years ago.

“Caleb, do you remember when we found these while we were cleaning the attic?” you had asked the man beside you.

He had wordlessly reached out his hand to take one of the rings. Looking back, you could have sworn you saw his hands shaking. Perhaps, it was due to the memories of a simpler time you could never return to or perhaps it was due to what the rings had always represented – something you hadn’t wanted to confront back then.

Reaching out to clasp his warm hands in yours, you had prompted, “Ask me again, Caleb. Ask me the same question you asked that day.”

His lips had parted once then twice before he was able to hoarsely ask the question you wanted to hear. “Do you still feel the same way?”

Pulling him closer until your faces were mere inches apart, you had made sure to stare resolutely into his eyes while answering, “Yes, Caleb. Will you marry me?”

In the next instant, his lips had been on yours as he kissed you fervently. Only after several minutes did he remember he hadn’t given you a response. Pulling away, he had caressed your face, gently tracing the planes of your features as if willing every detail of this moment into his memory. Then, he had pulled your left hand to his lips and kissed your fourth finger while saying, “I’ve always been yours. When you held my hand that day for the first time, I knew I’d never get away from you.”

All those moments had brought you here, staring at the same violet eyes you’ve known all your life in a room decorated with hydrangeas in soft hues of pink, blue, and white. When the officiant finishes his speech, Caleb is smiling at you softly. Taking your left hand in his, he slips on a ring reminiscent of the one from many years ago, only in gleaming gold this time. You return his smile before slipping a similar band onto his fourth finger. You could no longer return to the sunlight-filled days when you, Grandma, and Caleb spent every day peacefully, but you could look forward to bright new days ahead with the man standing beside you. He had always been your sunshine, your greatest source of warmth, and your endless summer.

Caleb, I want to be with you…

Till death do us part.