I have seen some people put "Yearly Nostalgia" after "Summer's Echo". The reason I put it earlier is because "Summer's Echo" says it is the first summer since Caleb went to college, meaning he has been there for a year. Meanwhile, in "Yearly Nostalgia", she seems to really miss him and notes his absence, which makes it feel like this is her first school year without him. I assume this is still early in the school year.
"Old Days: During Caleb's college years, he would sometimes sneak back home without telling me."
For me personally, this memory is filled with weird lore inconsistencies, so rather than analyze them, I will just note my frustration on these, hoping someone can help me make more sense of it.
First, when this is in the timeline. From the way they talk about Caleb's absence, I do feel like this is during his first year in college, probably halflway through the first semester. However, some things confuse me:
The way MC is missing Caleb's presence, and her thinking "In the past, Caleb always liked to stand there while waiting for me after school" makes it seem like this was something he did while they went to high school together, ie when he was last year while she was first year. When he moved to Skyhaven, it was made a point that he wouldn't be able to visit that often outside of holidays, so the "always" does not quite fit.
So I thought the flashbacks are of when they went ot high school together, which also works with Caleb's English VA using that lighter tone that he does whenever Caleb is supposed to be younger.
BUT THEN, Caleb's flashback models has the apple necklace! Not all of hem, but two of the three do! Which MC gave him specifically when Caleb moved to Skyhaven to study! I sort of want to excuse this away by saying they simply don't have models of him without the necklace, but that doesn't make sense, does it? I'm pretty sure we saw him in plenty of normal clothes in the main story before she gave back the necklace.
So, perhaps this IS Caleb being in college, and MC thinks about all the times Caleb would visit unexpectedly and wait for her to finish school. Why would she then be that surprised to see him actually be there, if he has done it on occasion since moving?
It's just all a bit confusing.
There is also MC's conception of college.
MC says to Caleb: "I envy you. No homework, no tests - you're not even worried about grades. Meanwhile, I still have three years of high school."
...What? I'm pretty sure college has tests, and that Caleb's anecdote mentions them, and Caleb in other TMs mentions that he studied a lot. Why is she acting like he is working and not in school himself?
Is it because his college does not hand out homework, just expects you to study independently? That was how one of my colleges was, that we had assignments and projects, but not homework like in the regular school sense. Still, that IS homework, I would say. Maybe MC thinks they are different.
I can excuse away her saying "you're not even worried about grades" because she puts him on a pedestal and thinks he is so smart and perfect that he is not worried, besides the fact that he does not seem to really worry much about school in general.
It could be because Caleb has canonically been at parties and get-togethers throughout college, so perhaps that is why MC assumes he is carefree there.
I also want to note the second chronological mention of Grandma Josephine being away in this timeline. At least now we know she is eating dinner with a friend (Dr. Noah? That guy in N109? Just some normal person? Grandma Josephine, what are you up to?).
"I don't want your clothes getting dirty. Let me roll up your sleeves." She says. And he lets her. While his model has him with a sleeveless shirt. lol
Interesting flashback regarding the duo's promises and dependence:
Me: You're always by my side, do I need to learn anything?
Caleb: Have you ever though of leaving me one day?
Me: But where would I go? Are you going to kick me out?
I looked down and imagined a life without him and Grandma. Caleb quickly grabbed my hand.
Caleb: I'll always stay by your side.
Caleb: I promise. And I won't ever go back on my word.
I just like to record the promises they make each other in the past, because someone has a habit of breaking his promises and I like to keep receipts. Also, interesting how complacently dependant MC easily becomes when it comes to Caleb, and how he in the present admits in a video call that he sort of did it on purpose. As soon as she begins imagining life without him and Josephine, before the narrative describes any reaction, he takes her hand. Like when MC says she has never thought about Caleb not wanting to be with her in "Borrowed Promise", Caleb seems not to want her even imagining it. It could also be that she was getting upset at the idea, but I prefer thinking that Caleb wanted to stop her from even thinking about it. After all, if she can imagine it, she can get used to it, and get independant, and not need him anymore, and we know Caleb hates the idea. Not to mention that I think we all know that MC does better without Caleb, than Caleb does without MC.
Which also works with a phone call they have in the present, when MC during his "death" realised that she was capable of doing so much now that she was forced to do it without relying on Caleb, and Caleb is obviously sad about it, insisting there are problems she will not be able to handle that she should come to him for. He wants to be so reliable that MC always comes to him for everything, so that she will always think about him.
The Kindled Moment
I like how MC shows her possessive side, joking that she will lock him up. It doesn't appear that much because she is usually secure in Caleb's presence in her life, but it shows up in moments like these, when she misses him after he moved, and she is reminded that he does not belong only to her anymore.
MC searching for the necklace that is right there, not even hiding. I know it is probably the point, that she is looking for an excuse to tease him, but it did not work for me, and considering the model inconsistency earlier, might be just an error somewhere.
I found this kindled moment a bit confusing, because MC is so clingy and keeps nuzzling Caleb despite him telling her to stop; it felt a bit out of character for her.
I guess he might have changed a bit now that they are living apart, since he is becoming an adult, she is also maturing, and he wants to try to put down some lines and distance between them. She, in turn, does not realize this quite yet, perhaps because this really HAS been their normal behaviour that she has never assumed was anything weird with. I at least did like to imagine that MC's boundaries and what she considers romantic and familial gestures are skewed due to their dependence.
This could work with her comment later when she says "Ever since you left, you seem a little different whenever I see you" but cannot describe how when he asks. Plus, he IS only eighteen in this memory, and perhaps MC has also changed in ways that makes him want to create some distance.
It could also be a translation or cultural difference.
Other mentions:
I'm noting down the plants mentioned, because I swear I see them repeated and I want to find a pattern somehow. So far, she mentioned that the yard is littered with sophora flowers, one which she shoots at Caleb with a slingshot.
The badge award Caleb got for getting "first place", which he admits is rare, might be one of the awards mentioned in Serpent's Cast. As a third-year, he was the "Comprehensive Aerial Tactics Competition Champion three times in a row", so maybe?
It's also Caleb's attempt to rectify how MC feels like he left her, going against his promise, so that "it'll be like I'm always by your side", as he puts it.
Regarding that; MC feels like Caleb broke his promise, while Caleb seems to not think so, because he is always thinking about her, and she is thinking about him. This difference in perspective when it comes to their promises and protection will come back later on, after all, so it could be a nice, small foreshadow.
Once again, MC shows concern for Caleb by researching pilot risks and worrying, probably assuming Caleb won't worry for himself, like in "Borrowed Promise". Another pin on there for present day.
MC being so demanding of him doing chores and helping her on his rare, short vacations might also be her attempt to make things be like it used to be, as well perhaps an attempt to keep him with her; after all, if she needs him, then he will stay, right? Because that's what older brothers do, and if she is afraid that he will move on and forget his promise, then her acting clingy and dependant on him will have him not stray away. (For the English 'childhood friend' version, she would still probably be looking even more for excuses for her to need him, because they do not even have that bond as adoptive siblings in this scenario).
There are some details I like about this memory, but mostly it just left me sort of confused about its placement in the timeline and MC's disregard of Caleb's personal space.
There is something about THIS MAN that makes me CRAZY.
Just... he rubbed me wrong out the gate, and everything about him screamed "stay away" for me... but then he just...
🫠looks at me🫠 and then my tummy starts to feel funny and I catch myself thinking "he wouldn't be too bad" or "I can fix him" (spoiler: i ✨️can't ✨️ fix him & he would be ✨️awful✨️)
