(warnings: possible dawtde/sfawtde spoilers + slight mentions of abuse, depression, burnout, self hate, su1cide thoughts, etc)
Derek
Lets state the obvious; der is either or both a "failed" child prodigy or one of those "kid geniuses".
We all know der is really smart, even a GENIUS imo. But that got me wondering why he's playing minecraft all the time instead of leading a successful carreer/attending a prestigious school.
So our theory begins here; that der was one of those "gifted" kids that did everything his parents and the adults around him wanted him to do(e.g. studying, etc), but after a certain age or period in his life, just. Stopped. Because of burnout, stress, or the immense pressure of always having to be the best- whatever you call it.
And the really sad thing about these really smart-from-a-young-age-kids is that theyre only worth something to others because theyre smart.
This happens the most with kid geniuses too; like those kids who're interviewed and broadcasted on tv for being really smart but once they grow up they end up normal(for the same reasons mentioned above or more).
And so, the second der denied the role the people around him put him in, he was worthless. He was forgotten. Everyone in his life left, and the only thing that stuck with him through those years was minecraft.
And when he saw the chance to save the world and be remembered for something, he took it in an instant. It didnt matter to him that he'll die. He was already beyond the point of wanting to live. He wanted meaning in his life; something he'd have felt like he's never had. If he was gonna die someday, he wanted it to be for a cause. He wanted his death to have been for SOMETHING. To mean something for someone. And it did.
(This ties in well with the leading theory in the fandom that der doesnt want to be forgotten i think :p)
Avery
The first thing I noticed about avery is that he has REALLY low self esteem and self worth(i saw a lot of myself in him tbh).
This is most clearly seen in his texts, like "im not smart like you, d3rlord". Sounds normal, but combined with everything else we see in the video, its evident that avery suffers from rlly low self worth, often undermining his achievements and worth as a human being.
I also feel like he feels invalidated as a person.
AND because of der's signs("you are real. You are special") in the church scene, I also theorize that avery mb has depression, or at least feels like hes worthless/doesnt exist.
Also, because of how he literally spent 15 hours on mc on NEW YEARS EVE, I have to assume that he doesn't have any friends(at least, frjends that care for him. Same with der, imo).
Why? I think its bc he was those "quirky" kids that was never taught how to make friends properly(either bc of growing up in an abusive household(this might be a streeetch/ooc)or just other stuff). He never fit in, always trying to get along with other kids, but in the end, he was alone(mb bc he got in fights with some kids/past friends which made him think every bad thing that happens is his fault or smth). The only light in his life was from his computer screen.
I also hc that he was a "problem kid" at school; getting in fights, failing his classes, etc. And that made him lose his self esteem/self worth and hate himself even more.
This also explains why he was so obsessed with trying to help der. Not just bc he saved him, but becahse he couldn't bear knowing that the one person that actually cared for him for the first time in who knows how long, will die. And he'll think jts his fault. His fault for not being smart enough to have gotten to der faster, his fault for finding that mine, his fault for falling for der's trick("avery, what's in your inventory").
Bear with me here- we technically dont know WHY we're collecting all the swords. Sure, we need to save builderman and defeat mystfig, but do we really need EVERY sfoth sword for that?? I dont think so.
SO- what if the real reason we're collecting all the swords is cause Telamon/shed needs all of the sfoth swords to defeat someone else? Someone more powerful than mystfig. Someone like 1x.
Its not implausible since bt mainly takes place in 2015 and it feels weird that, for a game taking inspiration from old roblox lore, 1x hasn't made an appearance yet. Plus, mystfig's time bomb fiasco could've awoken 1x from their hibernation and now they plan on breaking free from imprisonment.
In this case, we're collecting the swords in Telamon's place so he can use them against 1x in a "final battle" sort of scenario.
An au i thought of for this ass "theory" is a what-if where, while unleashing all the sfoth swords' power, telamon accidentally kills(? disintegrates?) Griefer. This leads to [player] seeking revenge on telamon and letting hatred take over, which gives 1x the chance to encourage and lead [player] down that path of vengeance, basically using them to fulfill their original objective.
Anyways all of this leans heavily towards headcanon/au territory than an actual theory so dont believe all this as canon or hate me too much (pls)
(because its 10 pm on a Friday night and I dont feel like doing shit rn)
TODAY'S TOPIC: ELEVATOR HITCH
(rant under the cut read at your own risk)
Okay, ive hyperfixated on elehitch ever since I got on tumblr earlier tjis year-- it was literally one of the first fandoms I actually joined and got a plausible theory through.
If you've played the game or seen a playthrough like a coward(like me, so dw its ok to be scared 🥲), youd have seen a character called "Manuel". They tell you info and stuff(not particularly useful in my opinion but shhh).
See, the thing ive noticed with their name is that, along w their "I" symbol, is that put together, it makes "IMANUEL", which, if you didnt know, basically refers to god.
(Ik "manuel" could literally be just a manuel bc they give u/protag basic info and stuff, and the "i" most likely stands for "information", but bear with me here--)
Then, in one of the (bad)endings(which i forgot ghe number and name of :( ), you see protag in what seems to be his old room. If you look around there, you see various signs of religious trauma(a golden cross and scribbled drawings of sometjing cleansing his sins or whatever if i remember correctly). He also seems visibly distraught to be back in his old house w his folks. In one of the creator's(rachie I think-- they're on Tumblr and Twitter/X) arts, we see that protag's moved out and was looking for a job for some time and looking homeless.
Why was he trying so hard to get a job when he clearly isnt qualified enough? He probably knows that himself.
This is where I like to think my theory unfurls.
Protag has religious trauma from being either forced into a religon/cult by his parents/family or was done harm by said religion/cult. Thats why he didnt look like he wanted to be back in his old house-- where he was hurt as a child, and why he wanted to move out and be free so damn badly.
Then, we get to the elevator where the game takes place. Where the informant's name literally spells god. Where the final room w Normal Guy is in the middle of the sky, surrounded by clouds, much like humans' interpretation of heaven. Not to mention that protag HAS TO die multiple times in order to get there(as in you have to get certain endings/do smtjijg that results in death in order to obtain a necessary item for the actual ending).
The game also portrays modern society's(especially ROK's) FATALLY heated competition to rise to higher ranks(with how hard it was for protag to get a goddamn job and how coworker doesn't even lend him a lighter like BRO-) very well, too.
In conclusion, all the endings could be seen as hardships protag had to go through in order to enter heaven(get the "job" and escape his toxic family), the twist being that it isnt actually heaven like he thought/hoped it'd be. Its just another hell.
"Metamorphosis" is a classic short novel by a dude named Kafka. If you haven't read it, I suggest you give it a try because this theory might not make sense if you didnt.
I'll still write a short summary so you won't have to rush to the library at 2am and relax in bed in your pjs; a guy(forgot his name) turns into a literal BUG(i think it was a cockroach) one day, which leaves the rest of his family to fend for themselves. After a while, his family adjusts to simply not having a competent son, which makes him useless and a mere lump of flesh they had to feed. He is later killed by his younger sister when she throws an apple at him.
I'll jump straight to the point; I think this book symbolizes what its like for a family with a member who has a disability(It doesn't matter if its physical or mental).
Stick with me here.
In the book, the mc is turned into a cockroach on a random day, just like that. It's exactly like how a healthy gets a disability-- from a tragic accident or a sudden event in one's life.
From then on, mc's life entirely changes. He looses his job, his family tries to accept him but goes on to neglect and eventually completely ignore him, and he his left to die.
Meanwhile, he still feels like himself. Inside, he is still human. He thinks, feels, and knows that he is a burden to his family.
Sound familiar?
If I may, I think Kafka wrote how he as a person felt like to his family-- a burden, a disability, and a waste of time and space. Just like mc in Metamorphosis.
today's topic: the Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(RANT + SPOILERS BELOW CUT READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS)
I highly recommend you actually read the book before you proceed any further, but to give you a quick summary; "the Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a fiction book focusing on the life of Benjamin Button, who, was born as a 70 year old man. From then on, he ages the opposite from everyone else, only getting younger as the years go by.
This was by far one of the most interesting and fun book I've read this year, and it got me thinking about something.
I might be addicted to roblox psychological horror, but hear me out, because i'm going to present to you 2 theories.
1) Benjamin Button suffers from schizophrenia and or extreme hallucinations.
HEAR ME OUT DONT CLICK AWAY JUST YET.
This theory is that Ben suffered from undiagnosed schizophrenia/hallucinations from birth that made him think he was aging differently. This is highly possible considering this book takes place in the late 1800s to early 1900s, where mental illnesses were left untreated/undiagnosed.
Why do i think this? The proof is in some dialogue and text from the actual book, because the other characters consider Ben "freakish"(just being ABSOLUTELY discgusted of him in general), and oftentimes say that Ben needs to solve his "issue".
An odd thing to say to someone who's aging the opposite from everyone against his will, don't you think?
Also, how an infant child behaves is quite similar to how a very elderly man would, so Ben having a "nanny"(which would be a caretaker for the elderly in this theory) and having to be fed and eventually not remembering anything and becomming a crying, hungry sack of meat is completely plausible.
I'd also consider some part of his uni and army years as hallucinations(especially being fit and healthy).
In conclusion; Ben has severe hallucigenic issues which leads him to believe he's againg against the flow of time, which isn't true at all, and he's just acting like it, which makes the people around him discgusted/tired.
2) Benjamin Button has amnesia/dementia.
Similar to before, but still ever so slightly different. This time i'm considering that Ben is an amnesiac on his death bed, replaying his memories from old -> new.
Then, how does the "aging backwards thing" make sense?
Well, i think it's because of the gaps in his memory, he can't tell what age he is/misplaces which memory happened at what age. This is a bit weak, but it's the only option that makes sense.
Anyways, Ben being an amnesiac makes a lot of things, such as his family's discgust towards him, understandable(like- logical. i dont relate to his family's reaction to him theyre ASSHOLES).
And same as before, because infant kid behavior = really old ppl behavior.
Overall, I'm overanalyzing a fun one-off fiction(again).
