#anemonator rambles

[anemonator]

I’ve been reading some theories on the status of Grulovia twenty years after the deluge, and speculation seems to range from “it no longer exists” to “it got invaded again” but sometimes I think about the idea of the Grulovia that lived. The Grulovia that survived. The Grulovia that clung on by the skin of its teeth, took every bit of stolen wealth that the Maliks couldn’t take with them, and used it to rebuild. The Grulovia that beat the odds.

I can only imagine what kind of country it would be like. A country of those who stayed behind, of those who wouldn’t - or couldn’t - leave for greener pastures. A country equal parts traumatized, hopeful, and vindicitve. A country with a fear and distrust of psychics that is both deeply unfair and deeply understandable. A country trying to reinvent itself even as it’s still digging itself out of the ice, half trapped in the past and half desperately running from it.

This is all just speculation on my part, of course, but I personally think that, in a hypothetical “Return to Grulovia” storyline, a place like that makes for a much more interesting setting than an uninhabited frozen wasteland. It becomes a lot harder to confront the ghosts of your mistakes when it turns out those ghosts never actually died.

[anemonator]

There are multiple reasons why Frazie/Lizzie appeals to me as a ship, some less deep than others, (for example, I’m always a sucker for complementary Bird Motifs) but one of the big ones is how it forces Norma and Raz into similar circumstances that are completely beyond their control. Neither of them like this. Neither of them want to be here. They’re trapped together in the back seat as their sisters tear down the highway, and there’s nothing either of them can do about it. And amid all the potential shenanigans, there’s a weird common cause that comes from that shared helplessness. They’re stuck in the same barrel about to go over the waterfall, and the least they can do is learn how to not kill each other before then. It’s the journey from enemies to frenemies by virtue of commiserating their mutual third-wheeling.

[anemonator]

Psi-Powers and their Associated Mental States

I’ve been thinking about the different psi-powers, and what mindsets or emotional states they might be drawn from.

Like, we know know psi-blast is drawn from feelings of aggression. And I don’t know if it’s intentional, but the fact that the enemies psi-blast works the best against are Censors and, to a lesser extent, Regrets, makes a lot of sense. After all, aggression can often override our more normal inhibitions.

And idk if it’s official canon, but it’s commonly accepted that levitation draws from (appropriately) levity, or other positive emotions, and this makes sense given characters such as Milla. (it also invites a lot of interesting thoughts about Morris, for whom levitation is not an occasional tool, but a fundamental part of his daily life)

And what about pyrokinesis? The fact that Doubts are particularly vulnerable to fire is really interesting. Does this suggest that pyrokinesis draws from feelings of determination or self-assuredness? Given what we know about the two characters most associated with this power, that doesn’t seem like much of a stretch. (also another bit of possibly-intentional brilliance: Lili doesn’t use pyrokinesis for most of the duration of 2, until the very end when Gristol’s plan is revealed and she has a clear goal again)

Hydrokinesis is trickier because we don’t really deal with it as a gameplay power, but it’s connection to Raz’s subconscious fear of the “curse” manifested through the Hand of Galochio, as well as to Maligula, suggests that it has its roots in a very deep, primal part of the mind. Again, appropriate, given water’s frequent cultural association with the “primal depths.”

IDK, I’m just speculating, and this got a little more long-winded than I meant. I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on what I wrote above, or what emotions/mindsets might be associated with other powers.

[anemonator]

Thinking about something something lizzie and norma something something witch vs witch-hunter motifs

[anemonator]

Between Lizzie using the word “critter” and calling Raz a “city kid”, and Norma’s honey-and-venom, condescendingly fake-nice demeanor, I am 100% convinced that the Natividad sisters are from the American South. 

Headcanon that Adam refuses to make tea for Lizzie anymore after watching her “mutilate” it one too many times.

[anemonator]

Honestly, there were hints that the Aquato “curse” was a manifestation of Raz’s own hydrophobia all the way back in the original game. Why else would the Hand of Galochio show up in the mental worlds of people who never even heard about the curse? Unless you thought the curse was powerful enough to affect the imaginary mental water in people’s mindscapes, there’s really no explanation other than Raz (subconsciously) influencing the mental world around him like with any other psychic power.