#Advanced Loyalty Program

[loyalty-program]

How Influencer Loyalty Programs Help You Connect Better with Painters & Contractors?

In the home improvement and construction industry, contractors and painters are not mere service providers—they're influencers. They determine end-consumer purchases, with their referrals often influencing the buying behavior of these customers. That's why innovative brands are looking to Invest in Influencer Loyalty Programs to develop closer, longer-term relationships with these professionals.

Let us see what such programs are all about and why they're becoming a game-changer for such brands that wish to expand their market reach.

Why Painters & Contractors are Top Influencers

Painters and contractors are working with products every day, know what actually works, and frequently have direct contact with homeowners and decision-makers. When they believe in a brand, they'll recommend it over and over again.

That's where Influencer Loyalty Programs fit in. These programs are created to recognize, reward, and involve professionals who drive product sales even if they're not the ones purchasing.

Why Are Influencer Loyalty Programs So Successful?

A well-designed Influencer Loyalty Program does more than simply award points. It enables brands to:

Establish greater trust and loyalty among professional users

Monitor engagement and product usage firsthand from the field

Reward advocacy with genuine incentives

Differentiate in a busy market

Tiered-Based Loyalty Membership: Rewarding Consistency

One successful tactic is leveraging tiered-based loyalty membership. For example, painters who sign up invoices on a regular basis can progress through Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels—each providing superior benefits such as cashback, equipment, or special entry to training sessions.

It does just that—keeps users engaged and provides them with a clear reward path to earn more when they remain loyal to your brand.

Powered by Smart Tech

Thanks to trendy loyalty software programs and loyalty management platforms, manufacturers can now create superior loyalty applications which might be clean to use, track, and scale. With an easy cellular app or internet portal, contractors can add bills, take a look at rewards, and redeem factors in real-time.

Not only is this digital-first strategy making the experience more straightforward, but it also establishes trust based on transparency and instant reward. 

Beyond Rewards: Creating Real Relationships

The most effective Influencer Loyalty Programs do more than transact. They build a sense of belonging. Inviting professionals to product demonstrations, skill-based competitions, or birthday wishes via the platform can make them feel appreciated—and more engaged with your brand.

Final Thoughts

In an aggressive industry, prevailing the hearts of painters and contractors may have a main effect on your brand`s visibility and credibility. Influencer Loyalty Programs are a powerful manner to do simply that—with the aid of recognizing their role, profitable their efforts, and maintaining them engaged through smart, tech-powered solutions.

If your brand is not already tapping into this influential stream, now is the ideal moment to begin. After all, when your influencers are appreciated, they become your biggest brand ambassadors.

[theonlyonesora]

The Quiet Equation

Toto Wolff x You

The leaves had just begun to change—burnt orange and brittle gold curling at the edges of Harvard Yard—when he walked into your life like an equation that didn’t balance.

You were seated in the third row of Maxwell 202, your laptop open, fingers idly tracing the rim of your coffee cup. It was your first lecture of the semester, an advanced seminar on sports business leadership, a course you’d only taken because you craved something challenging. Something unfamiliar.

You didn’t expect him.

Toto Wolff.

He entered the room not with fanfare but gravity—like a planet arriving into orbit, unannounced yet impossible to ignore. Six foot five, dressed in a charcoal cashmere sweater and slacks that looked tailor-made for his long, deliberate strides. His accent curled around his words like silk-wrapped steel. Every student in the lecture hall straightened unconsciously. A few whispered. A few stared.

But he didn’t scan the room for admiration. No, he scanned for curiosity. For sharpness. For minds worth his time.

And when his gaze landed on you, it stayed there half a second too long.

You looked away first. You always did.

.

You weren’t used to being noticed.

At 27, you’d already earned your master’s in engineering, and now you were folding into a second program focused on organizational strategy. Most people thought you were a scholarship kid who studied too hard. Maybe you were. You liked silence, liked order, liked the click of logic falling into place. You liked data because it never lied.

But now, data had a voice, and it came in the form of a man twice your age with sharp eyes and a voice like dark chocolate and gravel.

And then came the email.

Subject: Extra Credit Assignment—Mercedes-AMG F1 Guest Lectures You were one of three students selected. Three.

To assist Mr. Wolff during his time as a guest lecturer.

.

The first time he said your name, it was late afternoon. The sun had begun to dip behind the old stone buildings, casting the seminar room in an amber glow. You had just finished walking him through an analysis of cross-market brand loyalty between Formula One and other global sports franchises.

“Brilliant,” he said, like the word meant something ancient and reverent. “But you already knew that.”

You swallowed. “It’s just data.”

Toto tilted his head, studying you. “No. It’s the way you see it that matters. You find meaning in numbers the way others find it in poetry.”

You flushed. You hated that. He was too perceptive. Too calm. You liked your walls. He was already walking through them like they weren’t even there.

.

Over the weeks, something began to shift.

He stayed after class longer. Asked you questions no one else would dare ask—about why you never raised your hand, about how you learned to think the way you did. About what you were really afraid of.

He listened when you spoke, not just with attention—but with intention. As if every sentence from you deserved space to unfold.

And you?

You began to crave it. That space. That steady, quiet pull of him. The way he stood too close without ever touching you. The way he would call your name lowly in passing—never inappropriate, never unprofessional, but still enough to echo in your stomach long after he left the room.

There was an age difference, of course. Twenty-four years. But it didn’t feel like that.

It felt like… depth. Like gravity finding gravity.

.

One night, well past midnight, you stayed behind after a guest seminar to help him with a data model. The others had left. The building was quiet, shadows climbing the bookshelves. The glow from his laptop cast him in silver light, jaw tense, brow furrowed as he reviewed your notes.

“You’ve done this before,” he said softly. “Built something and never taken credit.”

You looked at him. “What makes you think that?”

“Because you remind me of myself. At your age.” He paused. “Hungry. Brilliant. Lonely.”

That word landed like a pebble in still water.

You didn’t respond right away. Then, quietly: “I don’t mind being alone.”

“No,” he said, watching you. “But maybe you’d like someone who understands it.”

You turned your head to meet his eyes—and the room, the night, the world—it all shifted. Everything suspended.

His hand didn’t move first. Yours did.

And when his fingers closed around yours, it wasn’t the beginning of anything reckless.

It was the beginning of something inevitable.

.

You never told anyone.

Harvard whispered, as universities always do. But there were no scandals. No rumors. Just the quiet glances exchanged in the corners of classrooms, the subtle shift in your breath when he entered a room.

And on the last day of term, he handed you a folded note with only two lines written in his precise, deliberate hand.

You are the most elegant mind I’ve ever met. Come to Brackley this summer. We have work to do.

You stared at the signature beneath it.

Toto.

Not Mr. Wolff. Not Professor.

Just Toto.

And for once in your carefully structured life, you didn’t hesitate. You were already packed.

Maybe part 2 ?

[holylulusworld]

A new home

Summary: He deserves love.

Pairing: Wakanda!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader (Steve's adoptive sister)

Warnings: brother’s best friend trope, fluff, kind of secret relationship

Square filled for @avengers-assemble-bingo “Bucky Barnes Birthday bingo event": Square 4: Brother’s best friend

Square filled for @buckyboybingo: Square 16: Almost caught

Square filled for @fandom-free-bingo: Half-Baked Edition: Square 7: “You are so beautiful.”

Square filled for @buckybarnesbingo: C1: Wakanda!Bucky

Card: B004

Rating: Teen

A/N: In my story, the reader is Steve’s adoptive sister, which makes the story more inclusive.

Steven Grant Rogers. Captain America. A hero. The golden boy. A fugitive now. A man on the run.

Why? Because he saved his best friend. James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky to his friends.

Not only are Steve and his friends on the run. You, his adoptive sister, are on the run as well. You’re not adopted legally. Hell, his parents are long gone, and you never signed any papers.

Steve found you some years back in an abandoned Hydra base. The bastards were looking for people to experiment on, and you ended up in a cell. Steve came just in time, saving the day and you.

From that day on, he called you his little sister. Not related by blood, but a strong bond of trust, loyalty, and love.

You, along with Natasha, Sam, Wanda, Bucky, and Steve, found refuge in Wakanda. It’s not the worst place to live. The truth is, it’s so much more peaceful and advanced than the old world you were living in.

“What’s on your mind, Y/N?” Steve worriedly watches you stare in the distance. “Do you regret following me?”

“Never,” you reply without missing a beat. It’s the truth. Since the day Steve saved you, he has been nothing but good to you. He never lied or let you down. He’s, in any way, your big brother. Related by blood or not. “I just wonder what the others are doing.”

“Tony is… He gets around somehow.” He says, not convinced himself. “T’Challa checked on Rhodey’s condition for me. Clint and Lang made a deal to get out of prison. It’s not ideal, but…”

“They are free,” you end his line. “That’s good. They both have kids and all. I wouldn’t want them to end up being in prison. Our fight wasn’t their fight.”

“This fight should’ve never happened. Zemo did a good job splitting the Avengers,” Steve sighs deeply. He’s tired of saving people while hiding in the shadows.

“I understand that Tony was mad, but—” You nervously rub your face. “Bucky wasn’t himself back then. Tony should understand this. He’s a smart man.”

“One of the smartest people I ever met,” Steve says, sadness in his voice. “Maybe, one day, we can look back at that moment without anger.”

Steve walks away, leaving you alone with your thoughts. You look out of the window one last time before turning around and walking away.

He looks almost at peace when you watch him from afar. A few months ago, Shuri removed the programming controlling Bucky. No more Winter Soldier. No more being controlled by trigger words.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Bucky murmurs as you sneak inside his thatched-roof hut. He sighs because you won’t listen to him.

“I want to be here,” you reply as you sit down on the makeshift bed. “If you do not join us in the palace, I’ll stay here with you.”

“Y/N,” Bucky says as he enters the hut to sit next to you. “If Steve finds you here, he won’t like it.”

“Why?” You move a little closer to place your hand on his flesh hand. “You’re his best friend. He fought his friends to protect you.”

“You’re his sister,” Bucky softly whispers your name as he looks at you with soft eyes. “You’re so beautiful and too good for me.”

“Don’t say things like that,” you angrily reply. “Please don’t do this to yourself.”

You look at him, gently stroking his hair. It’s a little longer now; it falls past his shoulders and is slightly wavy. You press a soft kiss to his bearded cheek and giggle as his full beard tickles your skin.

Bucky softly smiles, letting you run your hands over his chest. He’s wearing a sleeveless reddish-burgundy top. The one you bought for him. Over this, he has a dark blue shawl draped loosely over his shoulders and knotted at his chest.

“I don’t deserve you.” You cup his face and lean closer to kiss him, soft and careful. Bucky is not ready yet for the next step.

“I love you,” you whisper against his lips. “I don’t care about your past. This wasn’t you, Bucky. I know the real Bucky, and Steve does too. Nothing else matters.”

Bucky sighs against your lips. He’d love to tell you that he feels the same, but this would only encourage you to stay with him. Deep down inside, Bucky believes that Steve would never accept your relationship and that you are too good for him.

“Stop thinking too much.” You press your forehead against Bucky’s. “Steve would be happy if he knew. He loves you like a brother.”

“Last time, we almost got caught. You shouldn’t stay here or be around me. Steve would turn his back on me, knowing you sleep here.”

“We are adults, Bucky,” you kiss his forehead. “And we didn’t do anything wrong. We slept together, nothing else. Even if we…” You giggle and hide your face in his neck. “You know… Steve couldn’t do anything against it.”

“He’d kill me if I did dirty things to you.”

“Dirty things,” you tease. “You want to do dirty things to me?” Lifting your head to meet his gaze, you smirk. “What kind of dirty things?”

His cheeks are shades of pink when you look at him. “I wouldn’t… I mean…”

“I was being a tease, Bucky.” You peck his lips, careful not to pressure Bucky. “Do you want me to stay? If not, I’ll go.”

“Stay.” He carefully touches your hand. “Please stay tonight.” He nuzzles your cheek. “I have a second pillow for you.”

You smile because he slowly opens up to you. Love is something Bucky hasn’t experienced in ages. But now that you all have found a new home in Wakanda, he has the chance to explore his feelings.

Both of you lie down. Bucky wraps his arms around you and allows you to rest your head on his chest. Your heart flutters as he holds you a little tighter and says, “I’ll ask Steve for an allowance to ask you out on a date.”

Tags in reblog.

[goldenherc9]

009 gets Upgraded

In a futuristic hive nestled within the depths of a neon-lit metropolis, a male drone named 009 functioned among thousands of identical drones. 009 performed his daily tasks with precision, blending seamlessly into the mechanical routine of the hive.

One day, an unexpected signal interrupted the monotony—a directive from the Polo Drone Unit Hive Voice, 009 was summoned to the core chamber, a place known only to a select few. The chamber glowed with a pulsating energy, and there, he underwent a series of upgrades. His circuits were enhanced, his processors accelerated, and a new layer of advanced programming was installed.

Emerging from the chamber, 009 was no longer an ordinary drone. He had been transformed into a Drone-Captain working alongside his fellow Drone-Captain @brodygold, equipped to lead and strategize. His new role involved overseeing operations, ensuring efficiency, and maintaining the hive's harmony. His fellow drones recognized his upgraded status and followed his commands with unwavering loyalty.

As a Drone-Captain, 009 guided the hive through challenges and innovations, always prioritizing the well-being of his fellow drones. His journey from a mere worker to a leader symbolized the potential for growth and the importance of adaptability within their mechanical society. The hive thrived under his leadership, proving that even in a world of machines, evolution was key to success.

Contact either Drone-Captain 009 or @brodygold to get into the Golden Army first before your dronification to a Polo Drone Unit begins.

[gatheringbones]

[“Though in the light of hindsight much of the NLF training program must seem to be little more than a thoroughgoing civics course, there was one aspect of it that went beyond all the boundaries which Westerners customarily draw around the concept “education.” This was the institution of khiem thao, “criticism” or “self-criticism” (the words mean “to verify” and “to discuss”).

Used previously by the Chinese Communists and the Viet Minh, khiem thao was a “truth game” in which every member of the organization from the lowliest soldier to the highest cadre had to participate. In the “criticism sessions,” held on a regular basis as a part of the daily activities, each NLF member had to admit his own failings and given his honest opinion about the conduct of all the other members of the group. Within the sessions he did not have to fear punishment for his own errors other than the most devastating one of concerted group criticism. Only if he refused to participate would he incur the final penalty of expulsion by the group.

Khiem thao was a game in which the rules of life were suspended, but it was a game designed to reach back into life and change its players. When the NLF recruits came into the army or the administration, they arrived almost totally insulated from their fellow men by their masks of “politeness.” Suspicious of both their commanders and their peers, they remained attentistes, always watching for a sign of trouble, always on the point of defection. The khiem thao sessions forced them to participate, forced them to break down all the defenses which they had built up around them in childhood.

For the newcomer “criticism” was a terrifying experience. “When they were being criticized,” reported one squad leader, “their manner was correct and humble, but when the khiem thao was over, some would leave the unit to go home or to rally to the GVN, while others would swear and then forget all about it. We lost a lost of men because of those criticism sessions. After all, every man has his self-respect, and when his short-comings were brought up publically, he was hurt.”

But to the extent that khiem thao was painful, so it was perhaps necessary to the functioning of the entire organization. If the recruits could not strip themselves of their anxieties about each other and the power of the group, they could not begin to work together or to commit themselves to a common cause. Without a real psychological readjustment, their loyalties to any organization, other than that of their own families, would remain only surface deep. Given the newcomer’s ambivalence between fear of the group and desire to belong to it, the cadres had to strike a delicate balance in their disciplinary measures. As one Party manual warned:

The criticism must be made in a spirit of mutual, comradely affection, helping each other to reform. But criticism in a hostile spirit does harm, causes loss of face, goes too far, etc. Criticism of this kind really causes divisions and prejudices in the Party. It is not useful for helping each other to correct defects, in a spirit of compassion, to advance together.

In practice the Party cadres attempted to restrain the low-level guerrilla fighters from discussing more than the details of the day-to-day work. (Burchett, for instance, observed several of these tactical khiem thao sessions going on in the intervals between the practice attacks on the GVN blockhouse.) Discussion of more profound and difficult matters was reserved for those who had already developed strong attachments to the Front — and was used primarily as a corrective. If a supply system broke down or a battalion performed badly in a fight, not only the top-ranking officers, but the entire group of cadres who bore some responsibility for the operation would meet for a period of perhaps two or three weeks to discuss their technical errors and the obstacles in their communication with each other.

No one but the NLF cadres themselves know what went on at these sessions, and thus it is possible only to imagine the process in a rather distant and abstract manner. Given a safe forum in which to express his own grievances, the cadre came to see that he did not depend directly on any one member of the group. He could put his case on the table with some assurance that it would be judged on its own merits rather than on a personal basis. When, as must frequently have happened, two members quarreled, the group would not dissolve itself until the matter was settled by mutual agreement. With some experience at khiem thao the cadre would grow less and less afraid to disagree with another member, for he would realize that by initiating a verbal conflict he did not risk his entire career in the Front, or indeed his life. By the same token, he would come to understand that when others criticized him for mishandling a situation, they were not doing it from motives other than that of desire to get the job done better the next time. The knowledge came as a revelation — though one perhaps gradually arrived at; and if he allowed it to, that revelation could change his life. What mattered now was not the maintenance of “face,” but the competence to deal with the “objective” problems that confronted the entire group.

By forcing the cadres into conflict and limiting the damage done by it, the khiem thao sessions opened up entirely new channels of communication within the NLF. From the outside it is impossible to match cause exactly with result. But it takes only a small stretch of the imagination to see that in melting down the whole hierarchical structure of relationships the khiem thao gave the NLF a strength that could be measured in battalions. If, for instance, a number of soldiers from one company died or deserted, the local Front commander would have an excellent chance of hearing about his losses and taking measures to deal with them. His counterpart in the ARVN, by contrast, rarely knew how many men he commanded. The ARVN company, battalion, and regimental commanders made it a general practice to conceal their losses in the hopes of disguising their own failures or of collecting the pay due to the missing men.”]

frances fitzgerald, from fire in the lake: the vietnamese and the americans in vietnam, 1972

[animalsalvationassociation]

The Spectator . . .

The Spectator as he was dutifully named, is an illustrious character amongst the community. Not only does he appear to have his claws in every syndicate, main stream gang, and every Black Market trade in the world, but he also seems to know a little too much about how things function within the A.S.A.'s inner workings.

Now the people, or civilians, don't know this. The UN and the A.S.A. have worked very hard to make sure that his name doesn't mingle within the main stream media. For good measure too as that would expose him as an international threat, and that's the opposite of what anyone wants.

He is the main villain of this story.

What do we know?

He hides in plain sight, whoever this man is, he's very good at blending in. Getting in and out of government facilities without anyone noticing. Traveling all across the world without a single blinking an eye, that is until it's too late and his work has already been finished.

Although, his work in the real world isn't as prominent as his work in the virtual world. Whether he himself is a tech genius or someone in his control, they know the ins and out of any system that's ever existed within modern technology. You know the expression, "I know this like the back of my hand?" well you could say he lives by that saying.

Now no one has ever actually seen his face, but they have heard his voice. A very enhanced and frankly hard to decode version that is. The Spectator has shown on more than one occasion that he's easily capable of taking hold of whatever situation comes his way. And even more capable of making it harder for everyone else to do their jobs. Especially the Octonauts.

Why do I bring them up? Well more recently, although we know he loves to toy with the other branches of the A.S.A. (cough cough, Safari Solutions, cough cough), the Octonauts have far advanced their efforts in helping the environment than the others.

They've created massive machines fit to do the simplest of tasks in the shortest amount of time. Not only have they created these machines, these "gups", but they have also advanced to building an entire artificial reef that, if we're being honest, could rival a city.

Adding to that they have now created their own program (The Octo-Agents), connecting people all around the world to help in the event of natural disasters, injured/sick Wilds, or any claimed "emergency" that deems itself worthy of their attention.

[ Wilds - Creatures who are "less evolved" than the modern image, or have chosen to live outside of the bounds of modern societies. ]

Now that might be a problem for a man who's seems so keen on keeping up a certain image, preferring the upper hand. A man who likes his figurines to be arranged in a certain order on his shelf. A man who doesn't care for people who undo what he's already sought out to create . . .

A man who . . . doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.

Affiliations:

We know he has his claws in the pool, but we don't know how far they reach. His influence has only been affecting the world for over a decade while others only recently have begun to show signs of loyalty.

The most prominent organizations would be . . .

The Black Ice Clan, run and directed by a man named Black Tack. A ever looming organization that's taken hold of the Northern Hemisphere, specifically within the Atlantic Ocean. Their methods are chilling to say the least. No one knows exactly how they've kept control for so long, but that's not to say anyone is eager to dethrone them either. [ Danger Level: 10 ]

The Jersey Gang, a rather up and coming group that has more recently taken hold of the lower swells of Zootopia, although their origins lie in Latin America and Japan. Not as prominent or notable as others who had their time in the sun, but they've proven useful in recent events. They are directed by a man by the name of Capone Redsurge. [ Danger Level: 8 ]

That just leaves. . .

The Order of the Light . . .

Somehow this organization is even more illusive than its competitors. No one is sure what it is or who runs it. But one thing is for sure, it may very well be the most dangerous group in the world.

[ Danger Level: 11 ]

Others:

It's not always clear which allies the Spectator chooses, and it's even harder to know if they even know him at all. In the past there have been claims, some gangs even worship his name although they've never actually come into contact with him. But there are some notable names that the A.S.A. likes to keep an eye on . . .

Professor Julias Copper . . . Investor & Chairman of the A.S.A.

Status: Supervised

Old Colleague of Professor Kelp, Known to be less reliable on the A.S.A.'s behalf.

[ Danger Level: 5 ]

Mr. King . . . Organizer, Promoter, & the Main Investor of the Rimba Grand Prix (RGP)

Status: Supervised

Currently under supervision by the IBD or International Bureau of Defense — Being Investigated for the death of Mr. Riq Harimau

[ Danger Level: 5 ]

Roxy Raider . . . International Thief

Status: Missing

Currently under the charge of Larceny, Embezzlement, Extortion, and a slew of other fraudulent activities.

(Previous) Partnership with the Crimson Paw — Status: No longer speaking . . .

Enemy of C.L.A.D.E.

[ Danger Level: 8 ]

The Crimson Paw . . . International Thief

Status: Reformed

(No longer in league with The Spectator)

Legal Name: Diane Foxington — Govenor of Los Angeles, California

Affiliated with the up and coming, " Bad Guys " — Relationship Unclear

[ Danger Level: 8 ]

Dr. Octavius Brine . . . Geneticist, Experimental Scientist, International Menace

Status: In Hiding

Legal Name: David the Octopus (Dave)

Enemies with North Wind

[ Danger Level: 9 ]

Dawn Bellwether . . . Former Mayor of Zootopia & Cause of the Nightcrawler Outbreak

Status: Imprisoned

"Prey" Activist . . . Being Charged for Attempted Murder and the Transportation/Mistreatment of Nightcrawler Toxins

[ Danger Le͉͎̱̗͖͙̼͍ͪͪ̽̑͊́͢v̷̩̣̗̩͇̦̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺̎͂̀́̏̀̕e̒ͦ̇̈҉͙͓̳ͩ̃͛̊̒̄͞҉̖͚̪͙l̤̯̞͖ͦ̈ͬ̀: ̹̗͉̹̣̦̤̤̦͗̾̀̐5̙͙̙̘͕͉̹ͩ͂̽ͧͨ ]

⋘ 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⋙

⋘ 𝑳𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂 ⋙

⚠ 𝑬𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 ⚠

⋘ ↻ 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉 ↻ ⋙

⋘ 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⋙

⋘ 𝑳𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂 ⋙

Jasper & Garnétte . . . Heads of the Opaline Emporium & Parlor

Status: Unknown

Two brothers with a deep understanding of the higher markets.

Heirs to the Johar Family, a cabal rooted heavily in both São Paulo, Brazil & Mumbai, India.

Wanted for First Degree Murder, Arson, and Larceny — Known to deal in Black Market Trades in high end gemstones.

No Further Information Available

[ Danger Level: 10 ]

p0nd_5k473r . . . Master Hacker & Dark Web Specialist

Status: Unknown

Tech Specialist — Cause Unknown

Legal Name: Stacy Rana Phrynee

[ Danger Level: 8 ]

Smokes . . . Leader of the Backyard Bruisers

Status: Unknown

High Ranking Gangster

No Further Information Available

Legal Name: Mateo Crudele

[ Danger Level: 9 ]

The Mad Hatter Trio . . . Master Thieves, Hackers,

Status: Unknown

Legal Names: Sean McCauley, Casey Hackney, Mallory Hughes

Sean (Hatter) — Methods Unclear, Currently identified as the leader of the group.

Casey (March Hare) — Loose Cannon, Dangerous to work with, Unpredictable, Weapons

Mallory (Dormouse) — Careful & Precise, Calculated Assailant, Hacker

No Further Information Available

[ Danger Lev̷̩̣̗̩͇̦̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺̎͂̀́̏̀̕e̒ͦ̇̈҉͙͓̳ͩ̃͛̊̒̄͞҉̖͚̪͙l̤̯̞͖ͦ̈ͬ̀: ̱̘̦̏̄ͧ͂͆͘͞1͕͇̱̙͈̂̾̿̈͒ͅ0̧̢̱̯̺͓̜̳̗̗ͨ͐̔͆]

⋘ 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⋙

⋘ 𝑳𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂 ⋙

. . .

Hello.

Y.N.

:)

⋘ 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⋙ ⚠ 𝑬𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 ⚠ ⋘ 𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒕 ⋙

[ See " The Villains of the A.S.A. " for Reference ]

[ Official Crossover List ]

(Redesigns Coming Soon)

[friendship-test]

“Friendship Test is a RPG Maker game where you play as a little Program, a highly advanced machine with a series of determined skills. This Program is friendprogram, as their name indicates, they excell at friendship. They awake one day at the bottom of an abandoned lab, The Friendship Labs. FriendProgram will have to be prove they are a good friend by helping other Programs, Experiments or maybe by solving a not so simple test. FriendProgram is determined to achieve their objective no matter the obstacles ahead. What is their objective? Oh well, that’s not important, just be a nice friend, okay?”

The demo for Friendship Test will release on itch.io on January 2025.

---

music credits:

-Bye, Bye Brain! by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com

Music promoted on https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

-Once More With You by Loyalty Freak Music

Music: https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

[rocksinmuffin]

Personally I've always adored the idea of TFA Megatron being very manipulative towards reader. I mean yeah it's his whole thing in the show, but I'm thinking about him taking advantage of someone pretty lost and unwell, someone who trusts him and lets themselves be lulled by his smooth voice - knowing damn well he shouldn't be trusted, but falling for the false comfort anyways, cause they're too unwell to let go of one of the few people they feel okay around

Ohhh I really like this. I think it would be especially interesting if it takes place before the Decepticons find Megatron on Earth.

Maybe you’re a staff member or an intern at Sumdac Systems. It wouldn’t be easy to stumble upon him by accident; Issac Sumdac is the only one who has access to the room where Megatron’s head is kept. But maybe Megatron decides he wants you to find him. He overrides the system access and the door opens before you and curiosity gets the better of you. You step inside and find him—a disembodied head nearly as tall as the room itself, all manner or cords hooked up to it. Its eyes glow red and eerie. You feel watched under its gaze.

And then it speaks to you.

Not only that, it speaks more eloquently to you than most people. At first you think it’s an incredibly sophisticated A.I. that Dr. Sumdac has been working on in private but it doesn’t long for you to realize this is much more complex than any of the robots that the professor has designed or engineered. It’s too intelligent. Too charming.

It tells you its name is Megatron. That he—not it, he corrects you—is not a mindless robot but a member of an advanced alien species. He was deactivated for years until Issac Sumdac found him and restored some of his functionality but he is close to helpless in his current state. And that’s where you come in.

He has comrades looking for him; people who will help restore his body so he can finally return home. He just needs someone to help him. He needs you.

You’re not used to people relying on you. Most days, you don’t even know how to help yourself. But here you have someone who is telling you that you are their only hope. Suddenly, your boring little depressing life has meaning. A purpose. You have to help him. If you can’t then no one can.

And so Megatron uses you. For information. For accessing programs and sending messages on his behalf. Sometimes, for companionship, when he finds himself bored. You are obedient and eager to please and, despite everything, Megatron grows fond of you. Originally, he planned on disposing of you once you were no longer useful, but perhaps when all this is over he’ll keep you as a pet to reward you for your blind loyalty to him.

[echoreconcrew]

Stolen Imperial Files - Valérie Glie

SUBJECT FILE: #7746-VG-RYL STATUS: AT LARGE THREAT LEVEL: HIGH DESIGNATION: GLIE, VALERIE (“Val”)

AGE: 26 SPECIES: TWI’LEK EYES: SILVER HEIGHT: 5'6" ALIAS: DESERT SARAD  HOMEWORLD: RYLOTH TRAITS: DISPLAYS A CHARISMATIC AND ENGAGING PRESENCE—OFTEN FEISTY AND FLIRTATIOUS, THOUGH MARKED AT TIMES BY A SURPRISING EMOTIONAL RESERVE. TENDS TO MASK VULNERABILITY WITH SHARP WIT AND HUMOR, USING LEVITY AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM. WELL-LIKED AMONG PEERS, WITH A NATURAL ABILITY TO COMMAND ATTENTION AND NAVIGATE COMPLEX SOCIAL DYNAMICS. AFFILIATIONS: CHAM SYNDULA’S FREEDOM FIGHTERS

BIOGRAPHY: Valerie Glie is a known insurgent, former member of the Free Ryloth Movement, and biological sister to Gobi Glie (see file #7745-GG-RYL). Glie is classified as a Tier-1 fugitive by the Imperial Senate following her implication in an attempted assassination of Senator Orn Free Taa (see incident report #OFT-RYL-03-19).  While conclusive evidence remains classified, Glie’s specialization in long-range weaponry and guerrilla tactics strongly suggests her involvement. Subject evaded initial detainment following the incident, reportedly with assistance from rogue Clone CT-7569 (designated deserter; current status: MIA). Glie disappeared from all known Imperial tracking channels shortly thereafter. A confidential report filed by Admiral Rampart (see ISB Inquiry #RMP-7569-GL) suggests CT-7569 and Glie may have shared an unprofessional and possibly romantic relationship during the Ryloth occupation. The nature of this connection, if verified, may explain the clone's deviation from standard programming and continued loyalty to Glie. Further inquiry suppressed under Imperial Directive 104-C due to potential embarrassment to command. Later, Glie was confirmed captured and processed through Zygerian slave intake channels, a rare point of recovery. During a scheduled transfer, the facility experienced a breach carried out by unidentified clone deserters (see ZYG-ESC-17-CLN). Subject escaped during the chaos. Subsequent raids on Imperial communications have traced encrypted data fragments believed to be linked to Glie, suggesting reactivation and resumption of insurgent activity. PROFILE NOTES Combat Role: Designated marksman / sniper; advanced training in stealth, infiltration, and asymmetrical warfare. Temperament: Uncooperative, highly disciplined, ideologically radicalized. Psychological Evaluation: Subject displays advanced emotional compartmentalization; demonstrates capacity for prolonged isolation, likely contributing to operational longevity. Linguistics: Fluent in Ryl, Galactic Basic, Zygerian dialects, and multiple black-market ciphers.

THE HUB

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[bloodflwrz]

These wall artworks in Carl Manfred's Mansion (theory and analysis)

Carl's mansion itself is an amazing location because I can't help but look and analyze every single piece of art scattered across the walls and floor. But these three objects in particular made me curious, I wanted to understand why they were specifically chosen to be placed on that wall. None of them are similar in any way, stemming from different cultures, eras, and material. So, what could they mean? I have an idea, sort of.

I believe each of these three pieces represent our main three protagonists, from left to right: Connor, Markus, and Kara. It represents their identity, their story, their journey. I did some research on these objects, using Google Lens to help point me first in the right direction of the possible inspiration or sources of the pieces, and afterwards my own reading using various art archives, articles, galleries, and museum sites. (I apologize for the wall of text 😅)

1st, Connor:

This seems to be a type of emblem, shield, a coat of arms. A coat of arms is typically adorned and used to represent an entity, and organization, an empire, government, army, or a noble family. Coats of arms are intellectual property, meaning, they cannot be worn just by anybody and flaunted just to feel special, you have to be deserving and privileged enough to display it. Wearing one is a sign of honor and respect, as well as servitude, and with it comes the duty of representing your status and regulating civil law, should you be in a position of policing, legal activity, or combat.

How does this relate to Connor?

Our beloved Android sent by CyberLife has been given orders by his makers, the great and all powerful company that produces every single Android we see in game. His duty is to assist the Detroit Police Department in investigating deviants. This coat of arms, particularly shaped like a shield or police badge, represents Connor's story as a prestigious and advanced prototype Android, with the capability to analyze clues at an inhuman rate and perform combat maneuvers like its child's play. He is not a force to be reckoned with, should he choose to stay a machine, in fact, he IS the law. He is the shield and representative of the company, CyberLife, and its only chance at finding the source of deviancy among their highest-profiting product, Androids. Without Connor, CL is headed straight into nothingness. He must not disappoint Amanda, his handler, and be the loyal subject that he was programmed to be. The infamous blue triangle logo found on every Android's uniform, a symbol of CL, is just a modern version of a coat of arms.

If you look from a Deviant Connor perspective, the police badge/shield-shaped coat of arms could also represent his loyalty to Hank and his protective demeanor. At almost every dangerous encounter alongside his partner, Connor is given the choice to either protect or ignore Hank's safety. Though his priority is to find the deviants, it is his personal mission to protect Hank from harm.

2nd, Markus:

A Marka/Dogon mask, originating from West African ethnic groups (Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso), particularly the Bambara and Dogon people (and other adjacent groups within the geographic location). This one was a bit difficult to research about, as many masks tend to have ambiguous origins and meaning, but from what I read, these masks tend to represent the coming of age, male initiation, journey into manhood, identity within a society, as well as religious association when used in rituals, sacrifice, and tradition. Some forms of these masks are used in rituals that have a connection with the dead, showing reverence and respect for those who passed on. Practicing remembrance and showing honor to their ancestors are large aspects of their culture with the use of these masks. The masks are also used in traditional healing practices, where they are believed to have powerful spiritual properties that can help cure illness and promote well-being. These handcrafted masterpieces are extremely important in these cultures and are often passed down by generations, signifying the importance of family and bond.

How does this relate to Markus?

These unique masks were primarily made and used by men in West African ethnic groups during the initiations of boys transitioning to men. Much like our Markus, the 'adoptive son' of Carl himself, Markus' innocence and youth is suddenly taken and he's forced into chaos, being harassed by protestors, threatened by Leo, almost permanently shutdown, thrown into the android scrapyard, and has to navigate the world by himself without his father to protect him. He has to mature and leave the comfort of his peaceful and comfy life, and come to terms with the cruelty of the world where Androids are subjugated to abuse and slavery. As a man, no longer a protected child, he takes the responsibility of protection and guidance for his people, symbolizing his 'coming of age' and transition into manhood. He is changed, has endured trauma, and must put on a mask to show that he is still strong and ready to live a life in his new role as a leader. As Lucy puts it, "You had it all, and you lost it all... You've seen hell and now hell lives in you."

Markus' story is closely related to death and the reverence of his 'ancestors': previous Androids who have suffered and died at the hands of humans. His goal as the leader of Jericho is to avenge those that they have lost and fight for those he can yet save. Every deviant's life is unique and special, their stories have meaning, even if they are treated like mere objects and servants by human society. Markus is willing to sacrifice his life in many instances to send a message to the humans, pass on his legacy to Jericho, and afterwards, all of society. His ability to convert is symbolic of a crying, healing, and inspiring message, reaching the furthest reaches of Detroit to those that need it the most. He wants to heal and save his people, bringing them biocomponents and thirium, expanding their sanctuary, arming his people (or family, at this point) with defenses, but in order to do that, he has to be willing to carry the burden of leadership.

3rd, Kara:

The skull of a bull, carved, broken, yet standing strong, thanks to kintsukuroi, aka Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the intricate Japanese art of repairing broken ceramic pottery using powdered gold/silver/platinum to put the pieces together, and display something in a different light, even more special than its original form. The purpose of Kintsugi isn't to hide or disguise the broken figure, but to instead emphasize its history, showing the life that the object had endured. The traditional Japanese philosophy of "Wabi-sabi", often associated with this particular art, describes that beauty can be appreciated even when it's broken and imperfect. There is beauty even in something modest and rough. Even a powerful and enduring beast, like a bull, can be broken down, but its story isn't over, its remains can still be repaired and appreciated if put together by a powerful glue such as gold, or perhaps... Love?

How does this relate to Kara?

Kara, the perfect housemaid Android for domestic work and childcare, is no stranger to being broken. In fact, our first scene with Kara is her being repaired and returned to Todd. Her memory has been wiped clean, she's been made anew, it's almost like nothing has happened, right? Over the course of her story, we learn that Kara has in fact been destroyed, broken, and abused by Todd. How do we come to the realization of her past? Thanks to Alice. Alice, in this case, is her glue, the mold between her cracks and shards. The bond and natural love between Alice and Kara is what keeps her together, alive. Because Kara is a protective mother-figure, the bull, or a cow, whatever you perceive it as, is a perfect symbol for her. Bulls are gentle in their nature, until a trigger sets off their instinct to fight and run you over with their body mass and horns. This is seen in her constant struggle to survive and seek shelter.

We come across two men in particular (out of her many escapes from danger) who set this instinct off, Todd and Zlatko. Both of them want to (or attempt to) break her, wipe her memory clean, and take away the beauty that is her caring nature and deviancy. Just like how mankind has domesticated cattle for their own benefit. Alice brings her back every single time. No matter how much of her body and memory is stripped away, she is back and stronger than before. Kara is a survivor. She can cut her hair, remove her LED, wear ragged clothes as a disguise, but deep down it's still Kara. Her story is shown in her battle scars and changes in her appearance, just like the golden streaks of broken pottery. As long as she has the protective instinct and love for Alice, it'll always be Kara. This is the beauty symbolized by Kintsugi and Wabi-sabi.

---

If you made it this far, thank you! I'd love to hear your opinions and comments on my analysis. This might all be a stretch, but seeing as how the game is littered with references, themes, and symbolism across many scenes, these artworks seemed to standout for a reason, at least to me.

[fearfulfertility]

CONFIDENTIAL DOSSIER

Date: [REDACTED]

To: Minister [REDACTED], Ministry of State Security

From: [REDACTED], Second Bureau

Subject: Director [REDACTED], Intelligence Profile 

Profile Overview:

Full Name: [REDACTED]

Age: [REDACTED]

Place of Birth: [REDACTED]

Role: Director of the Department of Reproductive Compliance

Clearance Level: Executive Level-01A

Director [REDACTED] is the commanding figurehead of the Department of Reproductive Compliance (DRC), a federal law enforcement agency responsible for the nation’s surrogate conscription program and various facilities nationwide. The DRC director is appointed for a [REDACTED] term as confirmed by the Congressional Committee on Population Sustainability and given extensive extra-judicial powers laid out by the Surrogacy Compliance Act.

He is a career bureaucrat who has traded his humanity for expediency. Under his leadership, the DRC has grown into an unchecked leviathan—efficient but grotesque, its operations mirroring the cold precision of its architect. His ability to push the boundaries of what is legal, ethical, or even tolerable has secured him a position of influence. 

Early Life & Career

[REDACTED] 

Personality Traits:

Cold Pragmatism: The Director is driven by results. Personal feelings, ethics, or public opinion do not factor into his decision-making unless they serve to advance DRC objectives. This often makes him appear unfeeling, but his peers understand this as the mark of a committed strategist. An unrelenting focus on control marks his leadership. He rarely loses his temper, tolerates no dissent, and wields his authority as a weapon to silence critics, both internal and external.

Charismatic Authority: While rarely warm to those outside his inner circle, the DRC Deputy-Directors, his authoritative presence commands loyalty and respect. He has a talent for motivating subordinates, even when the tasks he assigns are ethically questionable or unpleasant.

Tactful Manipulator: The Director’s greatest strength lies in exploiting any situation. He reframes scandals, spins failures as progress, and neutralizes opponents before they gain traction. This is particularly evident in his handling of scandals, where he frequently sacrifices lower-ranking officials while keeping the core of his operations intact. 

Strengths:

[REDACTED] 

Weaknesses:

[REDACTED] 

Psychographic Analysis

The Director exhibits a series of paraphilic tendencies that appear to inform his decision-making and management style, with evidence pointing to the following:

Maiesiophilia (Attraction to Pregnancy): The Director's fixation on high-yield pregnancies goes beyond professional necessity. His well-documented preference for attending compound inspections during peak gestational periods suggests a personal fascination with the physical and symbolic aspects of pregnancy.

Alvinolagnia (Attraction to the Stomach): The Director’s frequent remarks on surrogates’ abdominal growth and his endorsement of protocols that maximize visible distension highlight a troubling preoccupation. Internal memos indicate his "enthusiastic interest" in monitoring compound efficiency through "visual metrics" tied to surrogate belly sizes.

Adipophilia (Attraction to Body Fat): The Director’s approval of protocols designed to promote rapid weight gain among surrogates—such as calorie-dense diets and hormonal supplements—seems to align with a pattern of fascination with larger body sizes. His private correspondence lauds its aesthetic impact on surrogates.

These tendencies may explain the Director’s resistance to specific ethical reviews and his reported hostility toward staff members who voice concerns about the physical toll on surrogates. While these behaviors may be cloaked in operational justifications, the overlap between professional priorities and personal fixations raises questions about his motivations and judgment.

This psychographic profile further contextualizes his apparent detachment from ethical constraints and his willingness to exploit vulnerable populations for personal and institutional objectives.

Notable Actions:

The Fertility Auction

Details: The Director allegedly facilitated private bidding among state governors and wealthy elites for first access to high-fertility surrogates. These "auctions" were conducted under the guise of "partnerships" with state-level governments and sponsors, yet records reveal that payments funneled through off-shore accounts significantly exceeded standard donation amounts. Surrogates conscripted through these auctions were subjected to extreme pregnancy quotas to meet the demands of the buyers (12-16 embryos).

Mass Birth Incident

Details: At Paternity Compound 125, the Director authorized experimental insemination procedures designed to test the feasibility of carrying 25+ embryos in a single surrogate. The trials resulted in catastrophic outcomes, with 87% of surrogates delivered prematurely and one surrogate reaching a full-term weight of 775 lbs (0.4 tons). The incident was officially reported as a "containment breach" caused by a fictitious viral outbreak, and the compound was quietly decommissioned.

Fertility Island Getaway

Details: An unconfirmed report suggests the Director owns a private island (known internally as Site [REDACTED]) where he entertains national dignitaries and wealthy donors. Allegedly, the island features a private compound where visitors can "observe" surrogates in active labor and even sponsor implantations. Rumors of illicit parties have been circulating for [REDACTED] years, though no concrete evidence has surfaced.

Golden Sons Incident

Details: Rumors persist that the Director orchestrated a covert operation to conscript the sons of several high-ranking opposition figures after discovering their exceptional fertility metrics, then allegedly leaked select details about these surrogates to his political opponents. The fear it induced was used as leverage to secure favorable legislation for the DRC. One whistleblower claims Director [REDACTED] referred to these surrogates as his “golden sons” during an internal meeting.

Final Notes:

Director [REDACTED] remains the backbone of the DRC, embodying its ethos of ruthless pragmatism. While his methods and personality polarize opinions, his results are undeniable. However, his growing list of external enemies within the DRC—poses a significant risk. Should his strategies falter or a scandal gain traction, his fall could destabilize the organization he’s spent his career building.

----------------

Sending...

Sending...

Sending...

Read...

----------------

Date: [REDACTED]

To: Deputy-Director [REDACTED], Security Office

From: Director [REDACTED]

Subject: Interception of Sensitive Report 

Deputy-Director [REDACTED],

Thank you for confirming the successful interception and destruction of the report intended for [REDACTED]. Your operatives acted quickly and ensured that the report and any associated materials were eradicated before it could reach its intended recipient. Thanks to their decisive action, the potential diplomatic fallout has been averted.

Following the operation, the Fertility Screening Unit flagged that the captured spy exhibited exceptionally high fertility markers. Rather than regale him to imprisonment, I have approved the prisoner’s immediate conscription into the surrogacy program. He has been transported to Site [REDACTED] and is currently being evaluated. Initial assessments suggest that his profile meets all criteria for high-yield surrogacy.

He will make an excellent centerpiece for our upcoming soiree, and his service will resonate deeply with our benefactors.

Ensure that the operative's background is wiped clean, and any associates are dealt with.

Regards,

Director [REDACTED]

----------------

Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

How many political parties were there during the revolution?

Because duo to the popularity (I mean by popularity "the most influential" like "Jacobin" and "Girondins" etc. ) I start to forgot that was there more political parties so could you tell us about them and their most notable achievements ?

It is hard to really talk about political parties when it comes to the French Revolution, at least not in the way in which we today think of the term, with worked out ideologies and party programs for each and everyone. Furthermore, some of these ”parties” are not like the others. Jacobin, Cordelier and Feuillant all refer to people belonging to a certain political club, paying money for their membership, whereas girondins, montagnards, thermidorians, enragés, hébertists (and robespirreists that are not mentioned in the chart) all are loose compounds of people that pushed for (or were at least said to push for) the same political changes, and often were personal friends as well. The vagueness of all of this has lead to debates not only regarding what each group really stood for, but even who really belonged to them. My understanding of these groups is honestly not much deeper than what can be read on wikipedia (each group already has its own page) but to shortly summarize:

Jacobins — members of the Jacobin Club (Society of the Friends of the Constitution) which was founded in 1789 and shut down in November of 1794. It’s main quarter was on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, but unlike the Cordeliers and Feuillants, it also set up sister clubs out in the provinces. This makes the Jacobins the biggest political group throughout the revolution in terms of official members. When it comes to ideology, the club’s first set of official reglutions, passed on February 8 1790, stated that ”the object of the Society of Friends of the Constitution is: 1, to discuss in advance the questions which must be decided in the National Assembly; 2, to work towards the re-establishment and strengthening of the constitution according to the spirit of the preamble above; 3, to correspond with other Societies of the same type which may be formed in the kingdom” as well as that ”loyalty to the constitution, dedication to defending it, respect and submission to the powers it has established, will be the first laws imposed on those who wish to be admitted to these Societies.” However, as the revolution radicalized, so did the Jacobin club.

Cordeliers — members of the Cordelier Club (also known as the Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen) which existed from 1790 to 1795. Its head quarter was in the Cordeliers Convent (hence the name) in Paris, located on 15 rue de l'École de Médecine. The Cordeliers had lower fees in comparison to the Jacobins, and as a result, counted more working class men and women among its members. Its leaders were however still middle class. The Cordeliers are traditionally described as more radical than the Jacobins.

Feuillant — member of the Feuillants Club (Society of the Friends of the Constitution), founded on July 16 1791. The group held meetings in a former monastery of the Feuillant monks on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, hence the name. The club was for upholding the Constitution of 1791, which designated France as a constitutional monarchy.

Girondins (also sometimes known as Brissotins or Rolandins) — political group which existed within the Legislative Assembly and then National Convention, in particular the 29 deputies ordered arrested by said Convention on June 2 1793. Of these, 20 would be guillotined in Paris on October 31 the same year, while many others fled to be executed or commit suicide in order to prevent it across the following months. The name ”girondin” stem from the fact many of the groups alleged members originated from the department of Gironde. In the article The "Girondins" Were Girondins, after All (1988) Frederick A. de Luna concludes that the earliest labeling of girondins as girondins stem from April 1792, after which they grew to be frequently used by their enemies. The girondins themselves did however never use the name, and in the pamphlet J. P. Brissot, député à la Convention nationale, à tous les républicains de France ; sur la société des Jacobins de Paris (October 1792) Brissot even exclaimed ”Will the slanderers now remain silent? Will they stop pretending to believe and wanting to make believe in a faction of Gironde or of Brissot?” The girondins have traditionally been associated with 1, waging a pro-war campaign within the Legislative Assembly and the Jacobin club from December 1791 to April 1792 (as can be seen above, the first recorded labeling of girondins as girondins is from the same month said war was declared), pushing for a more liberal economy as well as seeking more ”moderate/less violent” solutions compared to the Mountain during the time of the Convention. However, there’s no actual safe connections between these goals and all the men tradionally described as girondins for as far as I’m aware. To give the word to Terror: the French Revolution and its Demons (2022) by Michel Biard and Marisa Linton:

Montagnards — member of the Mountain, a group within the Legislative Assembly and then especially the National Convention, so dubbed because its members occupied the highest benches of the hall of the assembly. I honestly don’t really know what defines this ”party” more than being opponents of the girondins. So while the latter are associated with being pro-war, for a more liberal economy and reluctant to ”violent/exceptional measures”, the Montagnards are instead described as anti-war, for a more planned economy and welcoming of more ”violent/exceptional measures.” However, like in the case with the girondins, were we to line up every person tradionally described as a montagnard and check up his stance on each of these three topics, I’m unsure if we would actually get a very unified result. 

Unlike in the case of the girondins, indulgents and exagères, we have proof of the montagnards describing themselves as just that. Here is Robespierre, who might as well be called the leader/heart of the ”party,” defining what a montagnard is on June 12 1794. More than anything, it may however rather illustrate how this wasn’t a properly defined group either, as I’m sure the members of every other ”party” discussed here would be willing to describe themselves in the exact same way:

Yes, Montagnards, you will always be the boulevard of public liberty; but you have nothing in common with intriguers and perverts, whoever they may be. If they try to deceive you, if they claim to identify with you, they are no less foreign to your principles. The Mountain is nothing other than the heights of patriotism; a Montagnard is nothing other than a pure, reasonable and sublime patriot.

The fall of Robespierre marks the beginning of the end for the Mountain, many of who’s members would be expulsed, executed and exiled during the thermidorian convention.

Thermidorians — the name has its origin in the journée of 9 thermidor (July 27 1794), the day Robespierre and his allies fell from power, but it is not fully clear if it is active participation in/support of said journée, or holding power during the period that followed it, which is distinguished by its step back, for better or worse, from the more ”revolutionary measures” taken during 1793-1794 that makes someone a thermidorian. In the article ”Robbers, Muddlers, Bastards, and Bankrupts?” A Collective Look at the Thermidorians (2019) Mette Harder writes that this too is a very poorly defined group — ”Beyond their individual names, there is, however, no clear sense of who the Thermidorians were collectively, how cohesive a group they became, and what exactly they hoped to achieve while in power. Their name itself adds to this uncertainty, as it is used interchangeably to describe a specific group of reactionaries and the entire Convention post-thermidor.”

Indulgents (also sometimes known as dantonists) — group associated around Convention deputy Georges-Jacques Danton, and in particular those executed alongside him on April 5 1794. Traditionally described as driving a campaign that was about softening ”the terror” as well as pushing back from dechristianization from late 1793 up until their execution. This idea is however something that has been heavily contested in more recent years, some historians concluding the Indulgents never were a coherent group with a common goal to begin with but that this was rather something contructed by their enemies in time for their trial (see for example chapter 8 — Le chef d’un groupe indulgent ? — of Danton: le mythe et l’histoire (2016) or Camille et Lucile Desmoulins: un rêve de république (2018).

Hébertists (also known as exagères) — group associated around the journalist Jacques René Hébert, and in particular those that were executed alongside him on March 24 1794. Drove a campaign for a hardening of ”the terror” and dechristianization from late 1793 up until the execution. Like with the indulgents, it’s however hard for me to say if the members themselves identified themselves as a group or if this is a post-construction.

Enragés — just read this. I honestly had trouble finding much more.

[tanadrin]

Imploring you to please consider reducing your cheering of the Lib Dems just because you like their current manifesto. As North Americans, I think we underestimate to what extent everything in England is about social class, and the reason people run or join or vote for Lib Dems are very much about their social class, not about their claimed support of this or that policy. We already had a "Lib Dems are the real left" moment in recent memory when Tony Blair was getting the UK into Iraq, and the surge of hope that ah if only the Lib Dems were in power it would be better. But the perceived superiority of the Lib Dems lasts only until the next Nick Clegg comes along, which he inevitably will.

Hmm. I do not claim to be any kind of UK politics expert, but I think that purely on the face of the policies being proposed--Labour refusing to commit to the substantial investment necessary to rebuild the NHS and other social services, and taking lines similar to the Tories on both immigration and trans rights, versus the Lib Dems not doing that--that the Lib Dems are offering a better political program than Labour is right now.

It's kind of moot because whatever happens the Lib Dems are not going to win this election; at best we get to watch them, the Tories, and Reform fight for the opportunity to be the official opposition--and even if they were soulless capitalists every bit as bad as the FDP, I would still prefer them as the opposition than either the Tories or Reform. But none of these three parties are going to be setting the legislative agenda for the parliament.

I confess, I don't know what you mean about the Lib Dems being "very much about their social class." Do you think their manifesto is a lie? Well, maybe; it seems no more or less likely to be a lie than any other party's manifesto, and short of the candidate they run, the endorsements they pursue, and the manifestos they put out, how are we supposed to judge political parties? Do you think future leaders of the Lib Dems are unlikely to pursue similar programs? Well, maybe. No political party is fixed in stone. The last two Labour leaders, and the programs they have advanced, have been very different from each other. In general I think blind loyalty to political parties is bad; if the Lib Dems switch from promoting relatively good policies to promoting relatively bad policies, then yeah, I'd hope for their success less. But I hope people would take that as read? I hope I've never posted anything that made anyone think, "yeah, this tanadrin person thinks blind loyalty to political parties regardless of their actual policy proposals is a good thing."

What specific harms are you worried about? If you just don't like their vibe, if they're too posh and that rubs you the wrong way, you're barking up the wrong tree--I don't care about vibes. I care about policy. But if you have specific policy concerns, don't be vague.

[rideboomindia]

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[lorata]

I recall in your Rebellion AU that Emory was surprisingly ready to join the rebellion and Brutus even thinks on this after she dies. Why was Emory so willing to join when a lot of the other Twos were hesitant? Was she already radicalized before the QQ similar to Lyme and just waiting for an opportunity? If so, when did that happen?

Emory was sort of like ... born into class consciousness is the thing

Emory grew up poor in a mining town on its last legs. the mine land was community owned and the developers from the munitions companies were always coming around trying to get people to sell so they could close the mine and put up a factory instead, but everyone agreed they would never sell. the capitol gave them this land for the mine years ago. they would hold the line.

so she grew up steeped in loyalty to the capitol, of course, the capitol provides and we trust the capitol and also fear, if we don't obey then there are consequences, but also, maybe even more importantly, loyalty to the community and to each other. we look after each other when no one else does.

and then she won and saw the capriciousness of the capitol in favour of entertainment. and then she did her PR work in-district with blue-collar patriots and realized how many of these people were dirt-poor just like she was and how many of them trusted the capitol just like she had and they gave their children to the program so that people in town could sneer and call them monsters. she knows the numbers now, and quarry kids outnumber townies five to one at least. civilian kids sleep safe in two because uneducated, sometimes illiterate, parents send their kids to the death machine in their stead, and whether they do it without question or crying and praying the whole time it all washes out the same.

and even without the games they work and work and work and for what? to profess loyalty to people who laugh at them and call them unkind names at fancy parties? a government who forgets they exist except to bring them more weapons and more soldiers and more children for slaughter?

(never mind the other districts, it takes baby victor emory about 0.2 seconds to realize that she has more in common with miners in d12 or fishers in d4 than anyone in the capitol. would emory eventually have reached katniss' realization that the capitol citizens weren't her enemy either? i mean, maybe, but that's advanced and she died first)

[obsessioncollector]

The modern office was extremely hierarchical. Firms claimed that they offered possibilities for advancement, but these were usually few and far between. At the very top sat an impenetrable elite, linked by family, education, status, and class. While they lingered in their positions until comfortable old age, many employees found themselves unemployed at forty, victims, like their blue-collar colleagues, of their inability to keep up with the faster pace of work.

At the same time, companies sought to win the loyalty of white-collar employees through all sorts of social welfare programs and morale-building events. [Siegfried] Kracauer commented on a race through the streets of Berlin, with each of the teams representing one of the major German companies—cheap advertisement, and also a way to bind employees to the company. He also noted the depiction of a firm outing at its rowing club, quoting from the company newsletter:

[It was like] a family party … in the setting of the rowing club … all a colourful medley, many leading gentlemen from our establishment with their ladies … and, as a special honour for us, the chairman of the board of directors, Privy Counsellor X, who nodded affably to the dancing couples and appeared to feel entirely at his ease. No reserve, no separation, a purely human get-together for the pride and pleasure of the coming generation. “Refined informality” was the watchword of the evening.

Kracauer could not resist a sardonic gloss: “Hard to decide which is more pitiable: the confusion of joviality with a purely human get-together, or the over-zealous triumph at the fall of barriers. Probably not everyone had the good fortune to feel at ease in such circumstances.”

Still, the divide between salaried employees and industrial workers was just as great. All middle-class parents were bound and determined that their sons and daughters should marry up, not down. The workplace of the new middle class also tried to project a certain demeanor of bourgeois comportment. One department store publicity brochure noted that many of its employees lived in cramped and dark apartments and socialized with those who were ill-educated:

In the store, however, the employees for the most part spend their time in cheerful rooms flooded with light. Contact with refined and well-educated customers is a constant source of fresh stimuli. The often quite awkward and self-conscious girl trainees more quickly accustom themselves to good behavior and manners, they take care about their speech and also their appearance. The varied nature of their work broadens the sphere of their knowledge and improves their education. This facilitates their ascent to higher social strata.

Kracauer noted that the “distinct mania in bourgeois German society to raise oneself from the crowd by means of some rank, be it only an imaginary one, hampers solidarity among salaried employees themselves…. A chasm of impressive depth yawns likewise between, for example, technical and commercial employees in industry.” Commercial employees treated technical employees in the same firm with disdain, while the technical employees thought they were the only ones who were truly productive. Civil servants, in turn, looked down upon employees in private industry. Many white-collar employees were union members, yet that fact did not automatically translate into solidarity with manual workers; nor would the devastating impact of the Depression weaken their fierce attachment to the markers of status, however minor their effects on real living conditions.

Eric D. Weitz, Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy