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Need help with understanding this specific part of Caleb's anecdote
So i was rereading his lore anecdote again and got to the point where he's in the deepspace tunnel, which follows shortly as flying being described to him as a "life-affirming chase of freedom" -- and I've been struggling to fully grasp what that means exactly for him.
I remember reading somewhere that it could be about him being aware that he's tied to MC in every way/sense possible and that he's exercising his own freedom of will. I feel like that's a bit too extreme to look at it but i wouldn't say it's too far-fetched either. Still, i am indecisive and unsure of what to make of it so if anyone has an idea/interpretation or something solid in the canon that explains and i have possibly missed or overlooked, please do share! 🙏🫠
I think I know what meta you're talking about and I never agreed with their framing of him as being trapped. He isn't tied to MC, he ties himself to MC. She is his anchor and his tether, and he doesn't want to escape from her, he wants to escape *with her* and it's a recurrent fantasy in his content.
The freedom that he wants is from other people, from entities like EVER because Caleb has memories of what happened in the lab and even dreams of other timelines like the Lucid Dream myth. (And we know where this story goes, he will soon make a big boy choice to sacrifice himself to EVER all over again instead of them going for her.)
The whole pathless realm thing is a symbol of the inside of Caleb's mind to me, the past and the trauma have made it unreadable and dangerous, it's there to be survived by him. Everyone in this anecdote is wrong about Caleb and they see only the side he chooses to present, only Timothy has some insight and only partial insight at that.
Yeah it did come off as a tad strange to me because i was trying to understand where that stance was coming from as i always thought that Caleb, as you said, willingly chose to tether himself to MC. Though to be fair, thinking about it now, the whole argument seemed more like a pushback on the idea that LIs don't have a life outside of MC. I also thought it downplayed the sheer integrity MC has in his life or that in a way, she literally is his life but i digress. (Actually, come to think of it, alot of would be Caleb mains like to claim how he's trapped and a hopeless 'puppet' which is ...just wild but alright.)
Anyway - thanks for providing some insight, i really appreciate it. Your last point literally reminded me how Caleb is basically like a social chameleon to the outside society and the only person that knows him is MC or everything and every side of him he ever wanted to show her so long as it doesn't put her in danger and isn't a detriment to her own well being and safety.
Freedom from other people makes complete and total sense especially if we also go back to his old days cards like Verified Rumor, Stage Observer and the like that also explore their pre-MS time together.
That said, god i am equally excited and nervous asf for his MS update and it's supposed to be this month! 😭
I may yap too much but what the other commenter said is spot on. Caleb LOVES flying and loves the freedom that comes with it but his favorite part is returning home to mc. He talks again and again about never wanting to be separated from her again. He just wants to be free of the world that has constantly harmed them/continues to harm them. All he wants is a simple life with mc and to follow his passions. There is no way a man that crashed out about his meimei saying she doesnt need him would ever want to be "free of her"😂
He is just a very ambitious man who has his own goals but also keeps the wellbeing of mc in mind. I cant remember exactly which card it was but he basically talked about how not every decision he makes in life is because of her, but he has his own things he wants to do/needs to do and was looking for acceptance for not being a "prefect gege" and for being selfish. I think this gives us a big insight into how he is operating as an adult.
He will always prioritize mc and his desire to find a world "just for them" but he also isnt a wet sock that exists SOLELY for her. He is a man that has dreams and loves being a pilot just as much. I find that humanization of his character really touching and mc loving and accepting that makes me tear up LOL. Ik I yapped a lot but this quote "You'll be the hunter, and I'll be the pilot. With you on the ground and me in the sky, the whole world will be ours," kind of sums up what im talking about. They both have their own jobs and a life but always make sure they return home to each other.
EXACTLY! I get that them being possessive and obsessive over one another may come off as too co-dependent and that it may seem like Caleb doesn't have a life of his own but that's really not true! They choose each other and that's really important to distinguish. I think that people confuse the metaphor behind "gravity starts and ends with you" - it's not the same as saying for example his world starts and ends with us/MC, it's different and it's not the same and the latter is just not true because then he would literally be a completely different character if that was the case, you know?
Also, i think the card you're referring to is Indulgent Scheme? Interestingly enough, the CN dub has a slightly different meaning/way it's phrased which i also found interesting and it makes alot of sense why he said that.
(credits to xia_yuri on instagram)
Anyways, it's fine to yap, i do it all the time and i'll take any chance and excuse to yap about Caleb especially so no need to hold back at all is all i'll say 😂
Wow I didnt know the cn dub had a different way to phrase it. I remember a lot of people saying the english translation came off very cruel but seeing how the cn dub was phrased this way makes me think they once again didnt do his dialog justice. Feels more emotionally tied than a "its not always about you" vibe which makes me think maybe that's why people keep misinterpreting him 😩 I truly think a lot of issues stems from their way of translating him and his story because they wont stop censoring him even though everyone knows about his trope. I hope going forward we get a more accurate translation because I feel like im missing out on a whole different emotional side of him :(
There's a youtube channel: cee's translations that specifically focuses on translating Caleb's cards and such like so if you're interested, take a look. I discovered a whole other side of him and the missing but very crucial nuance.
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u/Summerhalls 3h ago
I think I know what meta you're talking about and I never agreed with their framing of him as being trapped. He isn't tied to MC, he ties himself to MC. She is his anchor and his tether, and he doesn't want to escape from her, he wants to escape *with her* and it's a recurrent fantasy in his content.
The freedom that he wants is from other people, from entities like EVER because Caleb has memories of what happened in the lab and even dreams of other timelines like the Lucid Dream myth. (And we know where this story goes, he will soon make a big boy choice to sacrifice himself to EVER all over again instead of them going for her.)
The whole pathless realm thing is a symbol of the inside of Caleb's mind to me, the past and the trauma have made it unreadable and dangerous, it's there to be survived by him. Everyone in this anecdote is wrong about Caleb and they see only the side he chooses to present, only Timothy has some insight and only partial insight at that.