@Starsong Again, we'll see in a couple updates time what the reveal is, so unfortunately we just wait. I don't use twitter so I honestly don't know what's on that thread for me to judge unless you link it; but for me Firefly is still the main linking factor in this.
-Trailblazer still needs to wake up crying
-2.3 death being offscreened and we're just supposed to believe she 'dies' then immediately comes back to save TB.

For that theory, I don't think she was dead all along, but I mean maybe I could see it? Who knows atp.
You're correct in that the deaths don't have to be real/perm like literal death, Elio's never wrong, lmao. But we know that the scripts are left intentionally vague. I'm not the hoyo writer, I think you're taking my theorizing as too literal instead of viewing the dream evidence and working from there. I have no idea how they're going to do her final death or the story in general, but I highly doubt that was the 3rd death for Firefly. I also highly doubt they'd make her a permanent death- maybe it was seen that way only from TB. Her final death was also the one she was said to 'avoid at all costs' from slumbering into Ena's dream. It could be the death of her 'self' in some form, I also got no clue. There's genuinely not enough for me to assume on this, but there's enough for me to predict the dream reveal and that firefly's story isn't complete, especially not with TB.

And how do you mean they'll 'undo several patches of the story'? Right now, the 2.3 ending was the most removed piece of content I've seen from the game so far, and this theory gives lots of room to clear up the illogical shit. I believe they are setting up stuff with the swarm, but that'll be after Penacony's true end or in a Firefly quest. Maybe you're right, who knows though, but I would assume that either the swarm stuff would be directly connected with Penacony (unlikely) or it would just be the former.

There are just too many unexplained and underwhelming conflicts that were set up and not expanded upon.
-Trailblazer crying in 2.0
-Oswaldo with Boothill and Aventurine
-The IPC conflict that they're just leaving like that

Probably more I'm forgetting, but I hardly see that these conflicts along with the foreshadowing they've set up is not hinting at the ever-present dream. I'd honestly like to see your interpretation of the Sweet Dreams Curtain Call vid if not for Sparkle throwing some 4th wall foreshadowing. I honestly have not seen a good explanation to debunk the foreshadowing, it's all been 'don't take it too seriously' in some format or another.

@winter_stars I heavily disagree with this, but I suppose we'll see whose correct in a couple updates time. I cannot believe that this theory is seen as a misunderstanding when the entire 2.3 story was a disappointing, illogical downwards slope. Let me go into your points.

-You're totally right about this; I had assumed that each character waking up from their own interpretation of the dream meant that it was their own personal dream.
-It's not a random side quest; it is literally the follow up quest to the main story quest. Even if it were, the side quest is directly related to the plot with playable characters giving important info on their (theoretical) futures, so I have no idea why you think it's irrelevant. After doing the very silly missions and running into familiar faces, and one of the final interactions ends with QingQue saying this. If you don't think it has any possible foreshadowing, then could you tell me why you think they included it? No idea what your point was.
-That could be a part of it, but you're also ignoring the entire second half of the actor "living in a false dream".
-1.) The NPCs only do this after the quest. 2.) Other NPCs in different areas of the dreamscape don't have this type of dialogue; if they're referencing the dream they are mentioning their happiness/indulgence in it, while these lines are all kept vague, confused, and suspicious. You're being obsolete if you can't differentiate the intent behind these lines. If not, then tell me the intent behind them.

- I'm sorry, I'm lost on this point; are you saying that TB should have cured Firefly's ELS? If so, then maybe- I honestly have no idea if that would hold up in logic. I'd assume that's what Firefly would dream for given her convo with Jade, and TB would just wish for her life. Even then, I'm not so sure since they're following the path of Finality and Jade told her hypocrisy in 'struggling against her destiny'.
-You're taking one cringe ahh cutscene line to represent all the philosophical discussions that weren't even centered on TB. The purpose of the arc was for all these characters of different philosophies to figure out how they should live life. Aventurine vs Acheron's nihility, Robin vs Sunday and the dove, The Astral Express in 2.3, even Mikhail and Sparkle to an extent. Keep in mind, I am open to this story just straight up being ass; but with things as they are rn and most of my musings still not being shut down, I don't buy it.
- I am aware on Ratio's actions on Penacony, I was talking about 2.3 specifically. The moment he left the gc with a "K" was severely ooc; I mean just look at how he texts in his daily messages. Why did he just leave? What was his involvement this quest?
-I hardly doubt it would be a perm death; they'd probably pull some bullshit. I agree with you; I think they just set up her interactions with the Stellar hunters and it'd be idiotic to kill her off completely. Giving them the benefit of the doubt because they have 'killed' off Mikhail, Gallagher, and technically the version of Tingyun we see if we count her.
-If you think the evidence is wrong, then please expand on it don't just say there are possible explanations. Also what do you mean expanding the dream outside the planet? Are you talking about the dreamscape leak? I think it's silly to break the established rules
-I'm not happy with it, but I'm also not happy with the ending now so where do we go from here. To be fair, it does have some potential in execution showing some irony in a double bluff. I think it'd add some layers to HSR's writing if they are able to pull off a character making the wrong decision twice, then having to make the real decision.


You also did not go into depth on some of my other points like the clock view from the train, the HSR vid, the events, or the hanu tv, but no pressure or anything; writing essays discussing video games can be annoying lol. Maybe you just think they're unimportant, to which I would disagree.
If there's more I'm missing, feel free to correct me (I like discussing theories, and I'm writing this super early in the morning). There's also evidence suggesting the ending of 2.2 was a dream I can go into if you'd like. The common factor in all this is that we're still in a dream, and that there's stacked suspicious foreshadowings on this, despite this being the 'perfect ending'. I don't think you've convinced me; it's still a 50/50 on if it was just ass writing or not tbh.