#chika rambles

The new Main-Story 13 has definitely had me scrambling on a whiteboard like a madman. Attached below is an actual picture of me rn:

I'M GOING INSANE.

But yes back to the topic at hand. The recent chapter has led me to speculate a lot of things I must exert that all of this is within the realm of HEADCANON. But the information that has got me thinking A LOT is about how:

The NXX circulation has run for 10 YEARS. AT LEAST. The incident of the Seahorse Association involved leaders getting drugged by the NXX drug, causing them to hallucinate and kill themselves. And who took over that case? THE NSB??? ISN'T THAT A BIT SUSPICIOUS.

That said. I think the NXX drug has been circulating for much longer than that. I'll be touching upon about what this means to Luke and Rosa, The NSB's involvement and PAX's a little bit less than savory past. So let's get started:

Here's what we know about the NXX Drug so far, according to the wiki:

The NXX drug stems from FloraX, a bacterium that originated from sea-faring that caused an epidemic in Stellis during 1930. The bacterium caused systemic failures within the human body. However, perhaps through some scientific breakthrough, it was discovered that it also contains gene-restoring attributes as well.

In 2005, Pax Pharmaceutical collaborated with Crimson Biotech to develop a new gene-restoring drug, presumably the NXX. However, it was shut down by the government when alarming side effects of the drug emerged. All possession of the NXX drug within PAX and Crimson were destroyed. Or so it seems.

The potential of an all-cure gene restorative drug is incredibly insane. Being the one to successfully tap into the generative properties of FloraX would make you an extremely powerful person. The possibility of achieving the prowess of a drug like this would surely cause a technological race between multiple parties, including PAX and Crimson, Heirson... etc etc. You get what I mean.

Now what does this mean for the rest of the team?

Let me remind everyone that the NXX Investigation Team is an un-official investigation funded by PAX. This means that Giann had motives and stakes at hand in the investigation of the drug. To make up for past mistakes of PAX? To avoid any more casualties that PAX has unknowingly started? In any case, while perhaps it started off with good intentions, it doesn't change the fact that PAX held some responsibility in developing the drug. I also think this means that Austin know a little bit more than he lets on.

Let me try to put everything in a timeline:

2005 - This is the year that the NXX drug started its development. Coincidentally, Luke and Rosa were born within the same year. I have a headcanon that Luke and Rosa's parent are involved with the development of this drug, perhaps as researchers.

2009 - NXX has presumably reached 4 years of its development if it was not shut down yet. Marius was born, and it is likely Carerina passed away within this year as well.

??? - NXX Research is shut down. PAX and Crimson has likely broken ties at this point. While PAX probably wants to wash their hands off it, I can imagine Crimson having other plans. The NXX drug continues to be developed in secret.

??? - Luke's Parents passes away. Is this a coincident? Or was this planned. Luke's get taken into Rosa's family. I could imagine this being done as a way to protect Luke.

2020 - Seahorse Association Incident, NSB takes over the case.

2022 - Luke leaves for the capital and gets involved in a "transnational case".' He gets recruited into a "secret project". This is a cover story for his entry to the NSB.

??? - Giann, Neil, and Vyn formed the NXX Investigation Team

2029-2030??? - During an NSB mission, Luke and his team is gravely injured by a toxic gas attack. During treatment, they were contaminated by an unknown drug (NXX). Luke is the sole survivor.

2029-Present Day- Artem joins the team. Neil goes missing shortly after, followed by Giann. Marius, Rosa, and Luke join subsequently.

That said here are my theories and headcanons. :

Considering the possibilities that this drug can do, a lot of parties would be interested in getting their hands and developing the drug. NSB included. It wouldn't be so strange if they wanted it for themselves to more effectively cure their agents or even create some super-soldiers out of it.

I don't think Luke getting into the NSB is an accident. Neither is Luke's parents' death nor was the incident that caused him the infection and the illness. Tears of Themis really likes making parallels between the boys and the chapters their featured in. In Main Story Episode 3, Jasmine Kenders was murdered for being a whistle-blower, this could have happened to Luke's parents as well if they whistle-blowed during their time as researchers of the NXX drug. I feel that the NSB has had their eyes on Luke for the longest time. Luke is their most competent agent, perhaps they wanted to see how much the drug would affect someone with his physicality.

Speaking of parallels, the parallels in this chapter... oh man... Hank Barnes and Luna Barnes losing their parents at a young age. Luna Barnes taking a "miracle" drug, thinking she's actually recovering only for her condition to succumb... HMM, DOESN'T THAT SOUND REALLY FAMILIAR... LUKE, WHY CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING. Syringes that killed the three victims, just like the ones Luna Barnes were take. YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS TAKING SYRINGES.

PAX is not completely innocent I think. They definitely have some motives in wanting to get to the root of the NXX drug trade, whether it is to wash their hands clean or remedy the past. This is definitely a headcanon, but what if Carerina was given the NXX to let her live a little longer before she died... This would definitely increase the stakes and provide ulterior motives for both Giann and Marius. Austin... I'm looking at you.

We don't know much about Rosa's parents. But they've been missing and out of sight. Perhaps it's just Main Protagonist Things(TM) but I think it's very suspicious.

So lemme break this whole page down because I could never sleep without saying anything about it so spoiler alert for The Glass Scientists Chapter 15 Page 17‼️‼️‼️

So in the recent events of Main Story 13, we see that Luke finally confronts Oedipus about the drug or, should I say "cure", to Luke's illness. I had my suspicions before, but we have incriminating evidence of this being true in this chapter. Let's go through the facts together:

Oedipus

There are things we know about Oedipus:

He has contacted two individuals within the Story; Skye Harper, the nurse who murdered both Tyson Turner and Gerard Boone's mother by injecting the NXX drug into them; and Luke, receiving an unknown drug with a note from Oedipus that says "try to live on" and meeting him under the guise of a Teddy Bear mascot, sending children to bid Luke his little cryptic messages.

Knowing these facts we can concur two facts from this:

Oedipus is someone who has access to the NXX drug.

Oedipus has access to the hospital to be able to sneak the drug into Skye Harper's hand and a part-time job as a mascot (or several) to be able to relay the message to Luke.

Oedipus knows a lot, he's always at the right place and the right time: about the NXX investigations and the whereabouts of the NXX team if he can figure out who Luke is and where he is.

The only person who would fit this criterion is a little freaky Where's Waldo ass mf with a ridiculous amount of part-time work he could probably use as covers aka Jerome Adams. (Seriously, it's like he knows to be at the right place at the right time every time.)

Here is his character description from the wiki:

Thus we can see that Jerome meets all the criteria because: 1. Access to the NXX Drug - "Jerome claims the Gladiolus Valley Research Center as his former employer", We have also seen several scenes of him previously in the Gladiolus Valley Research Center conversing with Wilson Surge,

2. Access to the hospital - "As a facilitator, he volunteered at various hospitals throughout Stellis." 3. He's aware of the NXX Team's presence and can be at the right time and place. Holding multiple part-time jobs such as a convenience store clerk and a food delivery service (and this time a bear mascot) gives him cover for his activities.

But the most incriminating evidence we have is actually within the exchange between Luke and Oedipus himself.

This is undoubtedly something Jerome Adams would do because: as established in the previous chapters, Jerome Adams works in a hospital and he has handled kids as well. This exchange coincides with all the facts previously mentioned. Ultimately, there's just too many threads that connect Oedipus and Jerome Adams together.

But why is he doing this? I can think of two reasons:

The reason why he is choosing to cooperate with Luke: In this chapter, we can see that both Oedipus and Luke have something to gain from this. Oedipus can run "clinical trials" for the NXX drug on Luke, and well... Luke doesn't have much of a choice here either, does he?

Despite Jerome freaky freaky ways, ultimately, I believe that Jerome has "good intentions" despite his very... twisted way about going about things. I can't wait to see what the new chapters have in store about is backstory and his ties with the NXX drug.

I ANSWERED THIS ON TWITTER SO I'LL JUST POST THEM HEREEEE

they met in highschool! they were paired for in their political economy class, which marius has been skipping... so lillie searched half the campus only to find him napping in the school's art room!

first impressions aren't great. marius thought that lillie was a stuck-up teacher's pet, and lillie thought marius is going to run her family to the ground for scolding him. (she had no clue who the von hagens are...)

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new answer on how they progress to lovers! — well let's just say it took them A REAALLLYYY long time to get together (5 years+) because being Marius Von Hagen is not easy.

it's only when Narrative Mandated Love Interest (which is so funny to think about The Marius Von Hagen getting jealous of just the normal-est guy in existence, which lillie has no feelings for btw) and the "Lillie gets in danger, and Marius' stupid ass realizing that he doesn't want to lose her" canon event do they finally get together :D

reference to @/seven-tastic 's childe > luke > aventurine post in twitter— wracking my brain on why this pipeline is the case for a lot of people.

i was also listening to my friend (kaveh enjoyer) ramble about him only to find him sort of luke-coded...

I'VE ANSWERED HOW THEY MET SO I'LL ANSWER THE OTHER TWO!!!

2) How did you think of Lillie??

i'm assuming you meant how i came up with here, and Long Story Short:

i've wanted to make a yumeship for marius for the longest time but had no idea how, until the Minerva High School Au Cards came out and i was suddenly struck with the realization that "OH RIGHT MARIUS PROBABLY WENT TO SCHOOL" (of course chika, did u think he was homeschooled? kinda)

but when i first got into Marius Von Hagen, i just immediately thought wow... he could really use the Skip and Loafer Treatment AKA he could use someone who just love him for who he is regardless. someone who's honest and genuine, everything that he's not. AND THAT'S HOW SHE WAS BORN!!!

BEHOLD, THE FIRST MARILILLIE ART... BEFORE I EVEN KNEW HER NAME!!! JFKSJDJ it's a scene redraw from the skip and loafer manga!

3) Did you have any tropes in mind when you made them?

i actually have them listed in my strawpage HAHA but they are-

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Second Chance, Forced Separation, Slow Burn, Opposites Attract, Different Worlds, Unspoken Feelings, Hurt/Comfort

totally not a way for me to just promote the strawpage i made them but here it is— https://heliocentrichearts.straw.page

p.s. I want to put your art posts in my mouth (specifically the babygirl artem one... you're so right about the blood making him more babygirl ngl)

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