jay . u mentioned reading ouroboros a long time ago and you’re the only person I know to ask about this
There’s an SCP account on Twitter that posts their favorite lines from certain scps, and here is one with Ouroboros; where one of the final lines after Fredericks monologue is replaced with calvin saying “You bastard, this entire thing was an Ouroboros from the start.” rather than Frederick saying “Cheer up, Mr. Lucien. Our work is only beginning”.
The screenshot is from 2022. Can I have your opinions on this ?? do you remember it ever being this cause I do NOT and it feels incredibly corny and out of character, even for the way kaktus writes
I'll have you know, I saw this ask at two in the morning whenever I got up to use the bathroom, and it had such an impact on me that I genuinely lost sleep over it, had to gather my thoughts real fast, then again when I woke up around 5, and then rephrase them again in a more cohesive fashion when I was fully awake. Good Lord.
To summarise, here's what I think:
- One, I can find no proof of this being the line at any point
- Two, I find it hard to believe that it was real and find that it would've been out of character for Calvin, so I agree with you here
- And Three, I wouldn't be surprised if it was real
So to start with point 1, unfortunately you can't access the page history, or at the very least I can't figure out how to. I tried to check the wayback machine, but sadly the latest archived version is from 2021. I did check the 2022 version as well just in case, since you mentioned the post was from 2022, but couldn't find it either.
If it's of any help at all, chapter 13 was, from what I can tell, posted in early 2019. So if you can access any old version, I think this is where you would want to look.
Moving on to point 2 (which is more of an opinion,) I personally find it hard to believe that this is a real line. The TES videos on TWIE were released in 2019 too, and he also very explicitly mentions the “our work is only beginning” line (paraphrased, but still). Which would mean that the final line was always the “cheer up” one, and I don't see why kaktus would go back and change it, just to change it again into what he originally had. Maybe this was the line he had in a draft, but it doesn't seem like it was ever in the finished article. Also, there's the option that this was the final line, but got rewritten very fast, given that the epilogue was posted about two weeks after chapter 13. Who knows.
That said, it makes very little sense for Calvin to say too, at least from my understanding of his character. The confrontation by the Administrator in the end only really hits because you spent so long watching Calvin repeatedly be warned and questioned, just to still make the choices he makes. He's so blinded by his own convictions that he never once stopped to question whether what he was doing was the right thing. Even the Administrator clocks him because of it.
Calvin appears almost shellshocked in the end, his responses are short and hesitant as it only now begins to dawn upon him what he's done. He realises that Aaron Siegel, and all the other people who warned him, were right, and that if he turns around now, he'd be responsible for even more destruction. Calvin already appears quite pathetic at times, and like he's losing his mind, especially after Anthony dies. I think the whole Blackbird thing, and losing Olivia and Adam was the cherry on top. He's unwell. He wants to do right. But he's already done so much wrong, and caused so much pain. Calvin saying that the Overseers were evil comes off as childish, because it is.
Having Calvin, in this state, title drop again would just be ridiculous and out of character. Tone-deaf, too. I know TWIE is quite corny at times (*cough* Chapter 8 *cough*) but this would be too much, even for kaktus. The concept of the cycle is also so abstract to me that the idea of any of the characters acknowledging it feels out of place, but again, these are really just my opinions.
And finally, yes all that is true, but we are talking about TWIE at the end of the day. Calvin says corny things, corny things happen, it shouldn't come as a surprise if this was at least considered at one point. I wouldn't put it past Big K. After all, even SCP 6765 has Calvin saying some stupid bullshit, so there's that. Fuckin hell. Next thing you know he's gonna say that we are Charlie Kirk carrying the flame 😭😭
I have read Ouroboros for the first time either in 2020 or 2021, I'm not sure, but I did watch the TES video a couple times first. I don't remember ever coming across this line myself, not while reading the original, nor the German translation, so honestly I don't know what to say. If it is edited then I don't see what the point is in doing so? Is it supposed to be funny maybe? I don't know. Please show me the original post I beg 😭
Also I have to say that this may be too long a rant for just one line, but in a way that's beautiful isn't it. Art is awesome, and it's really interesting to think that this one tiny change would make such a large difference to some people walking this earth undiagnosed, lol. But seriously, It keeps crossing my mind and it's like 1pm now. That's insane😭 Please lmk if this makes any sense
I genuinely think it's crazy that Calvin isn't angrier. I feel like he should've been a lot more upset with Anthony, especially cuz Anthony, knowing many of the Overseers personally, could've done so much, but didn't. But maybe I'm just misunderstanding Calvins character and have convinced myself that what I believe about him to be true is actually true.
Idk
Anthony's character is weird cuz while I do like him, he also acts questionably. Fuck did he do in the past hundred years? Sit on his butt and twiddle his thumbs? If he wrote the Summa Modus Operandi, then he had to have known a lot and simply chosen not to act.
Don't let me start actually, I will not shut up. I had a horrible week, my life is falling apart at the seams, I cannot be worried about a fictional man
In a trillion worlds, in a billion universes, we would each find ourselves here. (wip)
They make me so sad yall
Do we like the colors chat
Trying something different with the shading (i hope), gonna add the flames and patterns later
I really like Calvin looking older visually lalalaaaa also they have the same dull, lifeless eye color. I like them both with green eyes but I give every character ever green eyes so I was trying not to do it this time. Idk how I feel about it. Maybe sage? Open for feedback
Also also also ur supposed to be able to flip it, and when Calvin is in aarons position, the spear points up like the Insurgency logo ok bye
Screw sophia
Crackship with oomf that made me think of this dumbass twilight meme, since Troy and Sophia are usually depicted as having a dating history together, and Aaron has a weird romantic-ish relationship with her in Ouroboros (it all goes back to Ouroboros. Like.. like some kind of.. cycle, some may say..)
Sadly there's no good shipnames for these two.