u/xPathofChaos

I'm fascinated by the paranatural entity which possessed Nikki Freeman. In the film, its clearly stated that another being has taken control of Nikki and she only manages to wrest back control for short periods, which continue to become more infrequent the longer the possession continues. For shorthand, the paranatural entity in question will hereafter be referred to as The Wish.

My interest is hypothetical discussion over the nature of The Wish.

Can it be made self aware? Could you somehow make The Wish realize it is a product of the One Wish Willow? What would happen if you succeeded? Would it dispel its control over its host? Would it develop new goals and needs beyond the willow wish that created it?

Can it be reasoned with? Bear is much too aloof / dumb / untrained to attempt a first contact situation with an otherworldly being, so we never really got to see if The Wish could be negotiated with.

Could The Wish be sedated or treated with psychiatric medication to stabilize its extreme behavior to make such remediation easier? It does sleep occasionally, so it has some mental limits. Can it be encouraged into a mindset lead by logic instead of driven by compulsion?

It understands English, although I noticed that it takes The Wish a little time to acclimate to normal human behavior e.g., being very erratic and telling bad lies to get Bear to take her home during its first appearance outside Nikki's house. It seems to have partial access to Nikki's memories, like knowing Nikki has a father but not knowing that Nikki and her father aren't on good terms. It was able to access just enough to fabricate a lie but not enough to fabricate a good one.

During the party scene, The Wish continually changes its stance when its behavior is challenged, but The Wish is very... inhuman about it, like an AI training itself by trying different outputs to see which creates the desired reaction. The Wish develops manipulative stratagems during its possession of Nikki, like the intentional outburst at the restaurant to derail Bear from catching it in a lie. The creepy smile scene etc. etc.

Another inhuman trait The Wish exhibits is its poor grasp of human bodily needs, like defecation, urination (standing in place until Bear returns) rehydration and possibly nutrition---we never actually saw The Wish eat anything, does its magic sustain the form it possesses? And if not, will the body of the possessed victim eventually die but still appear alive as The Wish continues to control them like a puppet?

What are its physical limitations? It sometimes demonstrates strength seeming to belie the tiny body its controlling (i.e. the brick and steering wheel scene) but then it is unable to overcome a locked door when Bear hides in the bathroom at the end. Although very interestingly, it starts saying what it thinks Bear wants to hear to trick him into coming out, "I've been thinking, maybe we should break up. ...We can take space."

What are its perceptive limitations? If we moved Bear without Nikki or The Wish noticing, would it be able to locate him regardless?

Is it an otherworldly entity or is it someone else's ghost forced into a new body? The Wish exhibits some humanity in its hubris: extreme insecurity, fear, anger, and becoming controlling in response to that insecurity...

Are there consequences for The Wish if it fails its mandate?

Near the end of the film, The Wish describes a hypothetical scenario where she is left alone, stating, **"**Well, if I have the bed all to myself tonight, I'll lay there warm. Until slowly, I feel cold, like I walked into a freezer. My hands will feel like they're full of sand, like when you lay on them wrong. And that feeling will slowly spread across my entire body. You're still in my heart, but you're slipping. Any thought of pain or regret will slip away like a chemical switch. Even though it's quiet in the room, somehow, it gets even quieter. It's not painful. You just let go, everything you once were, and then there's nothing. It's not darkness, no, sweetie. Darkness is a color. There's just... nothing."

This description is intensely specific. So specific that I believe it was being literal. I think The Wish suffers when Bear isn't participating in the romance but because this level of suffering transcends typical depression or anxiety, I wonder if The Wish is faced with torment for falling behind its goal of fulfilling the demands placed on it by the breaker of the One Wish Willow. And if that's true, who or what is administering this cruel effect on The Wish?

When Bear dies, where does The Wish go? Nikki regains control of herself at the last second (what an incredible scene!! A real nailbiter.) does the Wish cease to exist? Is that cessation of consciousness preferable to the nothingness it suffers in the aforementioned example?

Lastly, is the entity known as The Wish inherently evil? It murders without compunction or empathy, it is represented by darkness in the film (when it has full control of Nikki, her face is often obscured in shadows) and it has little care for anything other than the goal determined for it by the One Wish Willow.

If you read all that, thank you. Please share your thoughts and enjoy the discussion :-)

RNG-Jesus stepped in and smote this smug scumbag. Never before have justice and absolute catharsis mixed so potently in this game as when Jowy, his Black Sword Rune and his entire armored calvary were struck down dead by a group of unarmed citizens from Muse.

I was in tears laughing.

Jowy got a Crit on them and everything and still died.

>!​!<This death always hurts. And this pop up... I'll never forget the very first time I played. I noticed everyone else was getting higher level spells but not me, so I thought it was a glitch in an old game. Sometime after Scarletia I finally noticed "Hey I've got my level 2 spell." 14 year old me, not quite making the connection. Then it hit me, this scene, Teo's death bringing Gremio's and Odessa's burning to the forefront. I was floored.

They don't spend much time on Teo's death in the game, it's given nowhere near the gravity it deserves. Pahn goes right back to bellowing about dinner and Cleo acts like it didn't happen when you talk to them afterwards... I like to pretend its because they're in shock. The music is bouncy and cheerful. Life goes on.

So I paused the game to give myself more time with it. I imagined how Teo, grand general of the Empire must have felt here. His own son a traitor in the very same month he leaves for war, working to tear down the government he risks his life to protect. The harassment from the imperial court must have been ceaseless. Questioning Teo's loyalty, withdrawing their respect, it probably screwed up his entire chain of command during his battle against Jowston.

His life's greatest prides, his son and his career, ruined. To restore one he would have to sacrifice the other. Teo's honor demanding that he set it right, that he show no leniency to a traitor just because they are blood. Too blinded by his wounded pride to ask why Tir would do this.

When they meet on the battlefield, Teo's army shattered by fire spears, thousands of loyal men melted to slag, he storms to Tir demanding a duel.

Tir, reluctant but furious over their first skirmish, where his own father didn't even parlay before slaughtering thousands of Tir's allies and friends. Tir demands answers, "You didn't even TRY to talk before butchering my men. WHY?"

This might have given Teo pause except that now he's setting an example for Alen and Glenshiel who are right behind him, shouting that they'll fight to the last man. Mathiu Silverburg on Tir's side, having none of this foolish duel, commanding Viktor to "chop this man's head off." Too much tension too fast, everyone's drawing their weapons... and suddenly it happens.

Teo launches at Tir.

Tir blocks with his staff.

The two are a blur and the duel is allowed to continue, if only because it would be too difficult to separate them now, their mutual fury and pain culminating in mortal combat.

Teo comes in with a massive a swing to shatter Tir's staff. A swing that, thanks to Tir's sensei, Kai, he'd drilled countless times parrying. The blade only grazes his arm, Tir shifts his weight and lands a staggering blow to his father's face. Blood and teeth spraying out. Teo's resolve surmounts but Tir's is broken. His father... his beloved father just had half his teeth knocked out and Tir did it to him.

Teo charges.
Tir drops his staff and falls to his knees, screaming, "NO MORE OF THIS, FATHER."

The rune on Tir's hand begins to hum. Teo closes in, hefting his greatsword for an executioner's swing. The hum escalates from a buzz to a roar. Gremio's sacrifice, Pahn's near death, Cleo's suffering, the loss of Odessa, all come rushing into focus. All those lives lost to protect this uprising. To protect Tir. To uphold justice. Would he allow it to be snuffed out now? A selfish child, crying?

If a True Rune could smile, the Soul Eater would be grinning with all its teeth, a wolf tasting a fresh kill.

Unnatural awareness floods Tir's body.

There. A small part of Teo's chest plate that had been melted off by dwarven fire, exposed when he lifted his arms above his head. With inhuman speed Tir's rune hand shot out, snatching up his weapon, driving it upwards.

Punching it through Teo's lung.

The fight is over.

Its at this point, Tir cradling the body of his dying father I think, where the fuck was Kwanda Rosman? Where was Millich fucking Oppenhiemer? Either of them could have stepped up, talked sense to Teo, told him about Windy mind controlling all the top brass with her Black Runes. Setting the score straight, convincing Teo to join them and save the Emperor from Windy's malignant influence... But instead there is tragedy, pain, and a smug little True Rune, the quiet hum of its power like the contended rumble of a full belly.

And now we're back at the castle. Everyone's moving at full tilt, already preparing for the next assault. Pahn declaring with forced cheer, "Woo hoo, I wonder when supper will be ready." Viktor, noticing Tir by himself in the hall, hollers from the War Room, "Lately we've been winnin' battle after battle. We got this next one in the bag too. Just leave it to me."

The revolution moving forward, relentless in its newborn momentum. Equipment being repaired, soldiers preparing, supplies being moved. And Tir, completely alone in a room brimming with allies. Numb.

A bare fraction of the isolation Soul Eater would condemn him to.>!​!<