making sense of #alienstage timeline and processes behind each phase from birth-> anakt garden -> alien stage ⬇️ #alnst #에이스테
note: purely theoretical! i’m using two frameworks to support my assumptions about the timeline: (1) erikson's stages of psychosocial development. since aliens want pet-humans to retain some human qualities even as they treat them like animals, we will view them as both
(2) my (limited) understanding of k-pop idol training and industry debut timeline, where recruitment and training generally start around 10-14 years old. mw, the average training period is 2 to 4 years, but there is no guarantee a trainee will debut as an idol after
0-5 [early stage] pet-humans may come from human editing shops, auctions, or adoptions. they may still be with their providers if they weren’t acquired from birth/infancy. this is when pet-humans develop basic feelings of trust or mistrust depending on the attention they receive
it's also when they shape their foundational sense of safety, wc is crucial for future compliance. consider this the stage where pet-humans are still more emotionally dependent on “parents" and only after they seem able to communicate properly are they sent off
this is also the selection period, where potential is assessed, allowing pet owners to plan for specific traits they wish to develop further. we can assume two main criteria: no physical defects (with an emphasis on physical appearance) & good "crying" (vocal ability)
6-8 [entry to anakt garden] anakt garden is the top music-specialized school, designed as an idealized version of earth (like free-range cattle), assumed to “provide an environment that makes beautiful crying sounds,” it is renowned for having the best music education system
anakt garden is likely isolated to maintain a controlled environment for intensive training, but it's not entirely cut off from influential alien civilization. the space is artificial, heavily relying on simulations, with rural landscapes directly outside, just beyond the cities
selected pet-humans are sent to anakt garden or similar institutions. like other elite schools, fees are steep, and admissions are highly competitive. once accepted, the children are shipped to anakt garden
at this stage, pet-humans naturally start to explore their capabilities, but their environment is heavily controlled. alien owners can likely still visit their pet-humans, although they say goodbye because they will no longer live together
pet-humans may be introduced to fellow pet-humans for the first time and are required to socialize, such as through their mandatory playtime. this is also the transition from dependence on alien owners/providers to integrating into a group setting or peer environment
9-13 [intermediate training] education continues to shape both their abilities and their acceptance of purpose (as a pet-human). children take classes and begin training in foundational and technical skills such as singing, dancing, and likely, even social behavior
teachers and/or caretakers continue to observe pet-humans and they report their progress to their alien owners. students may be able to go out with permission, but unless authorized, they stay inside anakt garden patreon.com/posts/eng-anak…
the next two phases involving anakt graduation and alien stage audition and preps is where it gets a little blurry. it's possible that these phases are either merged or timelines may overlap, e.g. anakt graduation may come later and pre-alien stage preparations are shorter
14-17 [advanced training & alien stage audition] continuation of the previous phase, but they take more advanced / music-intensive classes like music appreciation & interpretation, expression of music, etc. i also make the divide here bc this is the stage humans develop identity
they may find themselves struggling between self (identity) and their assigned role (confusion). these years also heavily focus on their "brand" as a performer, such as song genres or idol positions. this is also the period they audition for alien stage
if they pass, they proceed to pre-debut preparation, wc is heavy on marketing. however, there are cases like sua and luka, who had such efforts even during their time at anakt garden
throughout a pet-human's time in anakt garden, they're subject to disciplinary action and various human experiments in the name of education and improvement
17-21 [anakt graduation and pre-alien stage preparation] upon graduation, pet-humans get their branding (name imprint) and enter alien stage. but i assume they enter a vaguely defined integration period that serves as the final phase before the season
the assumption is they’re no longer at anakt garden and may have some time apart from the other graduates. alien owners (and/or sponsors) promote their pet-humans through social media or events, and pet-humans may even begin making a name for themselves by releasing albums
or closing brand deals, or maybe even joining shows. during this phase, pet-humans transition from "trainee" to "rookie" and undergo significant branding or style changes depending on trends or their target audience
21+ [alien stage] current timeline. death-match audition, very much the definition of a survival idol show. contestants win rounds through votes and the pet-human winner is "promised" to "regain free will," and their alien owner climbs in status
other notes: (1) selection process: there is an assumed selection process every stage. evaluations compose of the six tests we've been shown so far (2) owners: act like agencies and sponsors. they're most involved in the early stages and post-alien stage audition. they retain
rights over their pets all throughout (3) cultural integration: pet-humans are integrated into alien culture, learning nuances wc include alien social norms, language and entertainment expectations
till with edelweiss, mizi with clematis, and luka with purple roses. flower language, symbolisms and character associations pt.2 ↓ #alnst
this batch has more direct associations to these flowers, i.e. clematis and edelweiss, which are mentioned in their respective character songs (with mizi's also shared with sua for round 1), and there is luka with his little prince motif
edelweiss: courage, bravery, purity, innocence, nobility. edelweiss is a swiss national flower. there is also the story of the young man who climbed the dangerous mountain peaks to gather edelweiss as a show of love and bravery
ivan with red anemones, sua with white lilies, and hyuna with red primroses. flower language, symbolisms and character associations ↓
disclaimers: these aren't officially confirmed flowers (i may be wrong about hyuna's being primorses). flower language and symbolisms are different across different cultures so there are varied, nuanced meanings 🙇♀️
red anemone: forsaken or abandoned love, mourning, death and sacrifice. anemones in japan are particularly called "flower of the dead" are often used for funeral arrangements. and specifically for red anemone it's forsaken love (white is purity, purple is hope).
twitter's been an effective platform for creators to grow their communities. but user experience has steadily declined. bots are rampant, and instead of meaningful solutions, we're given private likes and a block function that feels increasingly irrelevant. then we get this
AI in principle, wasn’t designed to harm— it’s built on generative technology meant to assist users. but instead of empowering creators, people have used it counterproductively, training models with art that real people poured their heart and soul into
AI was supposed to ease bottlenecks. it should take on mundane tasks so artists and creators could focus on what they love most: creating. now, they feel unsafe uploading their work bc god knows it could be fed the machine even when they've asked otherwise. it is so frustrating
thoughts on #alnst anakt's child test 01-06. lengthy brainrot on meanings and how i think these tests function ⬇️
01 SUA voice practice (?) — alien stage opens with her singing "my clematis"; where s50's relationships began to take shape: mizi singing along with sua after a month of listening, leading to a reciprocal love, "mizisua," that later serves as a love model for till and ivan
sua also sings the prologue song, "sweet dream," which imo sets the worldview of alien stage just as much as the "my clematis" dialogue. there’s a lot to unpack from both songs, especially how they tie into the theme of religious indoctrination— "my father / my god, my universe."
top 3 guardian interview thoughts. each alien owner has their distinct communication style, and it's also reflected in the way their pet-humans are packaged. you can call it branding or product positioning with pet-humans as the commodity ⬇️
if i put it in product marketing terms: luka is marketed as a luxury, till is a novelty or a disruptor, and ivan is a bestseller or a mainstream product. the parallels between alien owner answers and their respective pet-humans are also noteworthy
heperu's audience is the segyein elite who pride themselves on superiority, a status often amplified by pet-human ownership. he takes full credit for luka's success and places strong emphasis on his costly, complex training. tl;dr 'there is no one else like luka bc i made him'