#c: defector

[sandcastle-art]

YAY :)

OC-tober day 1: favourite oc! Can't have just one..

[wastemanjohn]

i'm really fucking done with entitled ass men today

[aureumms]

Would love to hear your case on why goldenduo should be changed to neutral/negative on the DSMP wiki

thank you anon for the ask, i can now go apeshit since i have been freed from the “nobody asked for that” anxiety

so here we go (p.s., i am talking STRICTLY about c!, not cc!—they are separated here)

I’m gonna clarify two things:

First, this is literally just me yapping in a very unorganized manner, I am NOT demanding a change of the wiki, just giving my thoughts. I’m doing this just for fun, and am in no way shape or form criticizing the work of people who have spent hours upon hours making such a detailed wiki. It’s great.

Second, I am looking in between the lines for something invisible to the naked eye when there probably isn’t anything, but that’s the point. I’m like the guy you see on street corners holding up signs and spewing nonsense—I get it if you think this post will just be a huge nothing-burger of goldenboys yapping where I point at clips where they’re in the same frame and fall into a rant about the unconscious mind and its wants .

I’m gonna be honest when I say I don’t think c!Purpled technically disliked c!Tommy, even when they had their spats or whatever. Even in the earlier days when Tommy expressed disliking Purpled to his face, Purpled stated he did like Tommy. While this could be taken as sarcasm because Purpled was very sarcastic in the stream he and Tommy had a “group” for about an hour or two, I think it’s still worth nothing because Purpled is still serious at some points.

There are also some points where I believe Purpled wanted Tommy’s trust, or he didn’t want a stupid feud anymore. The first instance of this could be when Purpled was the only one who saw Tommy and Wilbur spying on the Manberg Festival, Oct. 16th 2020. Purpled saw Tommy and Wilbur, made direct eye contact with Tommy—but he didn’t snitch. He said nothing, and pretended like he saw nothing. (I so badly wished Purpled was streaming so we could have gotten his thoughts on that.) I’m also gonna make a point here that almost every instance where Purpled and Tommy fought, Purpled was almost never the initial instigator, he was merely fighting back since he felt threatened. I’m referring to when Tommy threw the first stab during the Manberg festival, and then Purpled eventually got a kill on him.

I’m gonna pick up with the Manberg vs. Pogtopia war + the Chaos War, where the info about their relationship on the wiki leaves Off. Like it states, Tommy did in fact mock Purpled for a few second because he defected to their side. And yeah, that happens—Tommy hits him a couple of times and mocks, repeating “i changed my mind” two or three times. But this doesn’t seem to really Affect Purpled. Sure, he defends himself, but he doesn’t seem too swayed since he isn’t kicked off of Pogtopia’s side. Points for that?

Here’s the thing that I’m not sure a lot of people noticed during the war though; Purpled basically made almost subconscious attempts to protect Tommy throughout. (Almost none of the clips I am going to talk about are linked in the wiki, so at the END of this post I will have a master video posted so you can look at every clip I am talking about.) The Manberg vs Pogtopia war is a TREASURE trove for these clips. First, (making a stretch here,) when everyone is surrounding Dream to get info out of him, Purpled jumps to Tommy’s side and has a bow out, pointed at Dream. He also says “thanks” when Tommy calls the rest of them cool looking, which made me cheer !

Purpled also at one point expresses he’s worried about if he made the right decision, and if he made the right decision too late, RIGHT before looking at Tommy. To me this says that he’s worried he isn’t gonna be taken seriously by Pogtopia’s side since he is a Manberg defector, and he still wants a positive relationship with Tommy. What a yearner /j

Before L’Manberg is blown to literal bits, while everyone is expressing their confusion—mostly about Philza joining and Wilbur being M.I.A—Tommy is attempting to fight Technoblade on the roof and nobody notices it. Except Purpled. He literally zooms in on Tommy on the roof, runs closer to the building he’s on, and throws two enderpearls, saying “Are we just all going to ignore that?” Before you say that he could be referring to Phil joining, that likely is not the case considering MULTIPLE people referenced Philza joining in the previous moments. Purpled is focused on Tommy and Technoblade. Focused on helping TOMMY. When Purpled eventually does teleport up and sees Tommy is no longer up on the roof and therefore no longer in immediate danger, Purpled backs off from Technoblade.

Later, when Techno has a crossbow to Tommy and Tubbo after L’Manberg has been blown up, Purpled pulls out an AXE and slowly but very surely makes his way over to Tommy’s side, like he is ready to attack Techno if he decides to shoot Tommy or Tubbo. (Neighborsduo AND Clingyduo mention) Unconscious mind folks UNCONSCIOUS MIND.

Okay, timeskip time ! I want to make a point by saying I think there was like. a flip in their perspectives. Purpled becomes the one who wants nothing to do with the possibility of a friendship, Tommy seems indifferent to the idea and/or pities Purpled + still teases him.

Post-Wilbur Revival, Tommy and Wilbur are strolling the main path when Wilbur points out Purpled’s destroyed UFO. Tommy is immediately confused and expresses that the UFO being destroyed “isn’t very right.” While Wilbur goes on about “someone’s been a copycat,” Tommy is still showing remorse and pity over the fact Purpled’s UFO has been destroyed. In fact, he says nothing negative about Purpled, and even says that the UFO was one of the staple builds of the DSMP—saying it’s “shit” that it’s been destroyed.

Now to the stream where Tommy visits Las Nevadas, WITHOUT Wilbur (for clarification.) Who knows how long it’s been since Tommy and Purpled have even spotted each other by this point. It has to have been a while, because Tommy seems delighted at the fact he’s seen Purpled again, saying “I haven’t seen this man in a fuckin’…” (he trails off.) Now while Tommy does steal two ender pearls, and Purpled punches him, Purpled doesn’t make a point to persist after Tommy throws a pearl. I think that this could add to the Neutral/Negative aspect, since while there is teasing/slight conflict, there is no ill feelings. At least on Tommy’s end, since we don’t have Purpled’s POV.

That’s all I have. Now: The clips! Thank you for reading this.

[Video time: 2:22]

[youzicha]

If me and my twin both play to win and can choose from C or D John Nash will say this is the way to think strategically: Whatever I pick my twin (that prick) can profit from backstabbing me. So he'll defect, and I elect to stab him equally.

But how could that be? My twin is like me! Like a singular pod with a pea and a pea! Where he goes goes I; he will match my reply; so if I choose the C he will surely comply. Let defectors demur and let two-boxers cluck while I smile from my pile of a million bucks which will serve as the proof for all to see I am living my life super-rationally.

[pkmoth]

THE ASK-A-PALOOZA HAS STARTED!!! [AUGUST 4th–31st]

Happy asking, and happy answering!!! Askers, make sure to read people's intros/FAQs before asking stuff, and participants, make sure to have fun and pace yourselves!! If you're an artist, make sure to take breaks and stretch regularly :]

Also, in case you missed it (because it was kind of spontaneous and recent), I will be reblogging all event related posts to @motherbound-askapalooza!! If you don't want me archiving your posts, just let me know!!

ALSO also, if you're not on the list but decide you want to participate, you can still join mid-event!! All are welcome :D

PARTICIPANTS:

(I tried summarizing your intros in 1-2 sentences, let me know if anything seems off!!)

FULL MONTH:

*@defector-commander [INTRO] - A canon divergent AU where Claus malfunctions two years into the timeskip and breaks free of his brainwashing, going into hiding inside the chimera lab.

*@askmagicantprince [INTRO] - Magicant!Ninten AU! Everything is perfect in Magicant :)

@pk-ghost [INTRO] - Ness and Lucas take a break from SSB to visit different worlds!

*@commandernachos (most weekends + fridays) [INTRO] - A Chimera Ness and Porky AU!

@turnaboutfromnowhere [INTRO] - A Mother 3 x Ace Attorney crossover AU, where askers take the role of Phoenix Wright in Claus's trial for the murder of "Mr. Pig".

*@jefferson-earthbound [INTRO] - A Jeff RP account!

*@stearix-ask-magikin [INTRO] - An AU where Lucas is raised by Locria after Hinawa goes missing and Flint spends all his time trying to find her.

@kerushi-lemonz [INTRO] - Their Reliving the 80s AU! Tatsuro (Ness) and his friends are having strange dreams where they have different identities (their mother series counterparts).

@nucas-roof [INTRO] - Ness, Lucas, and the OMINOUS HOLE IN THE CEILING?!

@askfuelcas [INTRO] - Lucas and Fuel, featuring Claus as well!

*@ask-commander-arild [INTRO] - Post-Mother 3, the pigmask army is repurposed by Claus in he name of peace. Arild, a former captain of the old army, is now the commander of the new army.

@ghostbox99 [INTRO] - Porky wakes up in an abandoned city one day, with only an old computer (and you, the askers) to keep him company.

*@theworldreturning [INTRO] - A post-Mother 3 AU, where the new world takes place in an alternate post-Mother 2 universe (with the inclusion of the Nowhere Islands).

@quirkyearthboundinspireddinner [INTRO] - The protagonist of eggnogisdead's comic! Ten years after the events of Earthbound, Giegue's planet wages war against earth.

@butacyanide [INTRO] -The Earthbound characters!

*@daily-dose-of-lucas [INTRO TBA] - Ask Lucas!

NOT FULL MONTH (in order of week(s) participating):

@misticfog (week 1) [INTRO] - Li'l Miss Marshmallow!

@tonys-room (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Mostly canon compliant, except Tony has PSI and the ability to see through the fourth wall.

@twothpaste (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Their Intermission AU! A modern AU of the Earthbound/Mother 3 casts in college, dealing with real-world problems (and, of course, playing D&D).

*@judgment-days (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Corruption AU trio! King Lucas and a severely mushroomized Ness are brought in by Giygas and Cosmic Commander Ninten for questioning.

*@kellanzy (weeks 2-3) [INTRO] - Lovebound AU: a post-Mother 3 AU where all the protagonists (and Giegue) meet in the newly made world.

@projectc-114 (weeks 2-3) [INTRO] - Takes place after Claus is kidnapped and brainwashed, but before he becomes the commander. The scientists at the lab call him C-114.

*@pkmoth (weeks 2-4) [INTRO] - Swap AU Claus and Lucas in Smash Mansion! (intro TBA)

*@tanejineri (week 4) [INTRO] - An AU Claus called Commander Samuel!

PRE-EXISTING ASKBLOGS JOINING:

*@plutothenotdwarfplanet [INTRO] - A gieeg OC!

*@masterporky [INTRO] - A Pokey/Porky Minch RP blog!

*@ask-the-fever-four [INTRO] - Mayhem AU!

*@ask-clausten [INTRO] - Clausten! >:D

*up for rp

[thewomancallednova]

The Offspring

*sobs and cries*

also fuck that admiral

like it's super impressive that they made a character i hate more than madrox

like at least madrox was the first guy to fuck up like that and he didn't do any lasting damage, meanwhile admiral haftel here already has the precedent, is a huge jerk anyway, and kills a kid. I mean the last line he has in this episode is "it just wasn't meant to be," said about Data trying to save the life of the daughter that haftel killed. 10/10 character

but like tbh Lal's also such a great character, like she chooses to be a woman, wants to kiss Riker and dies of an anxiety attack, like that's just me in a nutshell except I'm inexplicably still alive

okay but like that riker thing was so funny. Like imagine you're commander Riker, you're doing business as usual, you hear from Geordi that Data has a kid now, okay sure, but you gotta go on the away mission, and then you end up never being introduced to her because it's a really big ship with like a thousand people on board, so one day you go to Ten Forward, and the bartender kisses you (probably happens all the time to him) and Data walks in and asks "What are your intentions with my daughter".

You see Data's line about letting Lal choose her own sex and species thrown around a lot, and it is of course nice, but the episode also pretty clearly states that you can't change your sex (like, neither biological species, nor androids) and also states that being neither male nor female is inadequate, so like yeah. It's from 1990. It's just not as progressive as some random screenschots might make it seem.

Oh, I adored the bit with Crusher and Data, like when he just walks in and is like "I need some advice from a good parent" and Crusher's like "and you went to me 🥺" and ahhhh it's so lovely and of course Crusher affirming Data having emotions is great yay

Also very excited to see another Starfleet officer being dedicated to being a school teacher. it just warms my heart.

Looking back at how TNG has portrayed Starfleet outside of the Enterprise crew, I do find it interesting how evil they are. Like, in season one we have an admiral who fucked up a whole planet and basically covered it up (Too Long a Season), an admiral who who's playing power games with other admirals and annoys the crew for a whole episode testing them (Coming of Age), then they're all controlled by aliens (Conspiracy), try to take away Data's rights and create a slave army of androids (The Measure of a Man) and of course here they want to away a person's rights because they think that will increase their own technological progress. At best we see some other friendly ships but they usually get destroyed (the captains in Conspiracy, the Yamato in Conspiracy and the Enterprise-C in Yesterday's Enterprise), or a couple of mission-giver admirals (like in The Defector).

I do really appreciate the way they use Picard in these situations, like he clearly is bigoted about Data having a daughter at the start, but like doctor Pulaski my beloved he comes around and ends up defending Data from what some other, worse people are trying to do to Data now.

[drmobiusvanch]

so yi sang isn't my blorbo but this is driving me crazy SO

Deep dive into this picture!!!!

Okay, first off. We can see that this is an edit of the picture of the League from Chapter 4.

The word 'edit' is chosen specifically. At first, it looks like the picture was just defaced, but Ring Yi Sang is an abstract painter and there's a lot of changes outside of what you might think. A lot of silhouettes are distorted wildly, especially including the two mysteries in the back left, and strangely Aseah.

Of the three faceless characters, I have no idea which one might be Rim. I'm GUESSING he's probably not the femme-y tall one, but who knows.

Also, Dongbaek has these swatches of white on her face, which no one else does.

They look vaguely similar to the 'feathers' on Yi Sang's painting of his wings.

But since we're talking about faces, let's inventory it, shall we?

Of the three unknowns, two are frowning while the one in the foreground next to Dongbaek is smiling. The frowning faces are heavily distorted as well. The face of the one on the right looks to be 'melting', heavily lopsided compared to the other faces, while the one on the left has their eyes de-emphasized, drawn smaller and darker than the others unless one of them is missing?

Very abstract, so it's hard to tell, but if you consider Dongbaek and front guy basic faces, you can see that these two are distorted in a way Dongbaek isn't.

Yi Sang's face here is very interesting. First off, he appears to have given himself a hat, but more importantly his face is drawn dramatically differently from every other face in the picture. Even the relatively un-distorted ones are childish smiley faces, while Yi Sang has a 'normal' face in silhouette. He's effectively saying that he is important, human, but the rest of the League are just shadows of the past.

As you can see, just about everyone in the back row has their heads distorted somehow. I have no idea what this means.

Gubo and Dongrang's faces, meanwhile, are really strange, even compared to the face of the person next to Dongbaek. They're both drawn with smiles, but the smiles are distorted even more than the lopsided frown in the background. Gubo's smile reaches entirely across his face, while Dongrang's is almost a 'V', with the corners of his mouth drawn up to be level with his eyes.

Young-ji is completely free of any graffiti, as well as any distortion.

(Aseah will be explained later.)

But what do the faces MEAN? Simply going off the ones we know, Gubo, Dongbaek, and Dongrang-even more when we consider the vague information we have on the fate of the others and compare that with the faceless ones, we have a pattern.

Yi Sang is smiling, fitting with his joining the Ring later.

Dongrang and Gubo, both of whom sold out to Wings, are smiling. Dongbaek, who was injured and had a breakdown after the fall of the League, is frowning.

For the faceless ones, Rim is one of them, another sold out to work with T Corp, and I can't remember who/what the third one was. Two frowning faces, one smiling. From the rest of this, it seems reasonable to extrapolate that the T Corp defector is the smiling man in front, and since Rim isn't notably tall, it seems very likely Rim is the shorter man in the back with his face 'melting', or in the regular picture, this guy:

But then there's Aseah. Aseah is one of the most interesting parts of this picture. We can't see his mouth, but it's not a choice on Yi Sang's part to obscure Aseah's face-it's a choice on nai_ga's. His face is blocked by the handle of Yi Sang's weapon. Why?

Aseah first appears in Leviathan as a captive of the Ring. When we see him in Limbus, he's an associate of N Corp and in charge of the Ring. Regardless of which, the fact that Yi Sang is a member of the Ring as well as a friend of Aseah's would make him an authority on Aseah's emotional state, as well as what happened to him. We don't know much about Aseah, who is something of a cipher. Whether he drew him with a frown or a smile could have meant a lot about what the circumstances around him are.

Also, interestingly, his face seems to be less distorted, like Yi Sang's. If his face was as distorted as Dongrang or Gubo's, it would be immediately apparent where his mouth was-even a more simply drawn mouth would probably reach up or down into the cheeks outside of the paintbrush handle.

Finally, as a side note, comparing the expressions with the original picture:

In the original picture, far-left, tall one, and Possibly Rim are all smiling. Yi Sang and Dongbaek have small smiles-Yi Sang appears much happier in his drawing than in the original picture, as Ring Yi Sang probably considers himself to be now. Aseah seems expressionless. Gubo is frowning slightly. Dongrang looks visibly uncomfortable, which is particularly interesting considering how he's drawn in Yi Sang's version. Considering our Yi Sang might have harbored a grudge against Dongrang, this one might too.

Regardless-it's very interesting that someone so focused on denying the past and putting it behind him would not simply deface the picture, but put effort into that defacement by giving them different expressions.

[cherrypikkins]

Here is my contribution to today's prompt from @fe-oc-week ! Oct 14 - Supports

with some more Kitt art and lore :3

cw body horror, death

I will also be linking some old support art soon :3

and once again for more lore, take a look below the cut!

The Burgess Family It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the family of Burgess arrived at Annwen, though in likelihood they appeared some time after the defeat of Nemesis, and well after Gwyn was laid to rest. Though they claimed to be a family of merchants, many suspected that they were refugees from remnant factions of the now dismantled Agarthan empire. Gwyn, the founder of the original city of Annwen, had been known to take in defectors of Agarthan origin. And so, in following the example of their departed hero, the people of Annwen accepted the merchant family into the fold, sheltering them from the Church of Seiros.

They settled in without trouble, bringing with them ancient artifacts stolen from the underground caches of their former civilization. These they offered up to the people of Annwen for safekeeping and communal use. Mostly, they included crafting implements that were used to forge armor, weave garments, and polish stones.

Among the artifacts was a curious knife, ordinary-looking in all appearances yet strangely versatile in various applications of craftsmanship. Villagers would often remark on how it would subtly change in appearance over time, but not in a way that signified normal wear and tear. There were times when it appeared to shift and transform before their very eyes, though many dismissed this as a trick of the light. Others believed that the knife was magical. But whenever the people of Annwen used it for their own purposes, there was never any trouble.

In any case, these artifacts enabled the people of Annwen to thrive independently, away from the Church and the Empire, as well as the Kingdom and the Alliance when they each formed years later. These contributions cemented the Burgess family's place in the village for ages thereafter, even enabling them to take on leadership and guidance roles within the village from time to time. Eventually, enough time passed such that not even their present day descendants could remember their Agarthan ancestry…

The Village at Lake Annwen - Part II Many followers of the Church of Seiros wondered why certain remote settlements were allowed to exist in Fodlan away from the enlightenment of Seiros' teachings. The village of Annwen, which Gwyn held sacred, was one such example before its destruction. In particular, Saint Cichol was known to forbid anyone from interfering with the affairs of the village by order of the Church. Even in recent years, Seteth has remained adamant on this stance. Only a handful of scholars and researchers have been allowed to visit on a provisional basis, on the condition that there was to be no proselytizing.

That was not to say that the people of Annwen did not pay respects to the Goddess - only that Seiros and the Four Saints were less prominent in their worship. Even the hero Gwyn, despite not trusting Seiros and her followers, had been known whisper prayers to the Goddess Sothis. And so, in following the example of their hero, the villagers of Annwen honored the Goddess in a manner wholly unique from the Central, Eastern, and Western Churches. For some reason, the Central Church has decided not to object to this, and allowed the people of Annwen to live peaceful lives of their own choosing. Such was the promise sworn by Saint Cichol to the hero Gwyn.

Perhaps this was one of the factors that led to its destruction, for it left the Church unaware and unable to intervene when mages from a more sinister faction began to make frequent visits, making their ill intentions known only once the people of Annwen were fully accustomed and trusting to their presence. Disguised as humble scholars, they were determined to retrieve the fabled Heart of Annwen for their own dark purposes. In a sudden and coordinated attack, they struck down any who dared stand in their way, burning the village to the ground in the process.

One can only imagine the wrath they would have faced if Gwyn were to witness the crimes inflicted upon their beloved village and its people. Perhaps this was why the survivors who managed to escape the initial attack decided with heavy hearts that the time had finally arrived to enact the Rite of Awakening, even at the cost of their own lives.

Though the Rite of Awakening was meant to revive Gwyn from their endless sleep, it is speculated that something more ancient and terrible was summoned forth instead. But what could have gone wrong? The only evidence is a peculiar knife that was found at the scene of the ritual. At first it was ordinary and innocuous in appearance. But once placed in Kitt's hands, it transformed into weapon resembling a Hero's Relic. As its power awakened, so did the rage and torment of the demonic creature whose bones and blood were used to forge it.

But as the legend goes, both hero and demon are one and the same - thus it can be argued that perhaps in some unrecognizable shape and form, Gwyn did return to life.

... A few months after Kitt was rescued by Seteth and Flayn, a handful of dark mages returned to the scene of Annwen's destruction to pick at the ruins, searching for clues on where a certain Crest Stone may be found. One by one they were hunted down and felled without mercy, while a scant few survivors fled back underground to tell the tale. How ironic that those who fancied themselves superior to gods and beasts alike would now flinch at having to contend with a ghost instead.

[schmilsson]

chess the musical through (vaguely) the lens of mass media and fame and the mismatch and unclear lines between image and real life person. im listening to the concept album but referencing other versions bc #whatever

the citizens of merano trying to sell their little town, delighted by the publicity

the American shows up - already he is referred to without name in the concept album, his identity as a person irrelevant compared to his nationality, his role in the great game - to an adoring crowd.

even when he is not in front of the eyes of the world, he is concerned with his image above all: the first time we see him in private, he reads news about himself. the ego is not an act.

he gives an interview. we learn about his negative press, his tactic of being controversial to stay relevant. how much of it is real? can he even tell?

like the rest of the world, molokov thinks he's mad. the Russian does not. he calls it "third-rate propaganda". he is anxious to reinforce himself as a person and not a symbol of a country, singing about his personal experiences and struggles with being famous. ("times have been good, fast, entertaining. but what's the point if i'm concealing not only love, all other feeling?")

the opening ceremony is our next look at chess through mass media: a long, creative history of cheating, as well as the reinforcement of the idea that this is a match for the ages: the men are no longer merely players, but the two sides on a small-scale proxy war. "we don't want the whole world saying they can't even win a game" etcetera. another opportunity for merchandising cannot be passed up, consumerism swallowing up even the most ancient and intellectual of sports. finally, another feeble insistence that this is just a game.

finally, the game! accusations of cheating fly around from the American - who, as we later find out in some versions, was faking outrage to give himself time to think, playing on the preconceived notions at play that a) chess players cheat b) he is prone to drama (c) the ussr is less trustworthy than the usa?)

in "quartet", even the Russian refers to the American as a nut/fruit, realising that perhaps the media was right for once. as they attempt to calm the tensions the characters all lament that such a game has become a "battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee", all but abandoning the pretenses they keep up in front of the cameras in the name of international cooperation.

"mountain duet" is about Florence and the Russian realising that the other is more than what the media and their preconceptions have made them out to be, that they have more in common than they thought.

"florence quits" shows that the American hasn't always been quite this awful.

when the Russian defects, he is swarmed by reporters. Walter laughs and says "Welcome to the West." anthem shows his complex feelings about his country, which cannot simply be summed up by "defector". the embassy workers think it "boring".

apart from playing into contemporary western perceptions of the city, "one night in bangkok" showcases the American's new image: unaffected, cool, and defected to the side of the many-headed media monster.

i need to put this here somewhere i think. walter as the reporter who is secretly a cia agent

"the interview": the American is well and truly a reporter now, asking similar barbed questions as the unnamed reporters asked him early in the show, but with a more personalised flair. this interview is, too, a spectacle: former opponents on camera together again for the first time in a year. a bizarre reunion, indeed, but one that will draw crowds to Global TV's broadcast. "what's your true motivation?" the American has always been in control of his own narrative more than the Russian, but now he is exerting control over the Russian's image as well. "I won't discuss my private life in public," the Russian says, but as we will soon see, "it's the lead on the news".

Florence and the Russian's relationship is publicised entirely, and while Florence desperately wants him to acknowledge it, his tactic is to ignore it until he's secured the win - an unbreachable rift starts to open between them. he suggests she "watch TV, read the paper, have the miserable time of [her] life" - showcasing how important mass communication has become in the daily life of an average person by the 1980s.

labels get thrown around - communist, democrat, refugee, total shit, silly boy, woman he should have not have let walk out. partner. the truth in any of these varies - they aren't complete hogwash, but they are the same simplifications that have appeared in the media.

"pity the child" gives us some insight into the American's character, and how he came to be like this - a lonely childhood turning into desperate thirst for approval and fame. and yet he doesn't dare seek his mother's approval even now, when he lives his life on television.

miscellaneous highlights of endgame: "prostituting themselves chasing a spurious starlight" "[the sirens of fame and possessions] will destroy you, not rivals, not age, not success" "they all think they see a man [...] whose private life caused his decline, wrecked his grand design"

i don't even know what else to add to this one. just

[ddagent]

This weekend, I am one thousand percent going to do some writing. But S2 of FAM is so inspiring; I really cannot choose! So I need some help.

Option A: Defector!Sergei is Aleida's new science teacher; he falls for her guardian, Margo (who he may have met before, in another life, at an IAC conference)

Option B: Margo and Sergei are forced to get along during his arrival in Houston, including Sergei bringing gifts for his counterpart and Thomas Paine taking them on forced dinners

Option C: After years of communicating via letters and notes in academic papers, Margo and Sergei finally meet on the Apollo-Soyuz program - neither realising how attractive they would find the other in person

Option D: Part of the IAC '66 conference verse. Years of flirting at IAC conferences leaves Margo and Sergei wholly unprepared for reuniting for the Apollo-Soyuz program, under many a watchful eye

[bvckbiter]

Percybaster: Poseidon is low-key horrified his favourite son is involved with General Alabaster C. "I'll never bow to the Olympians" Torrington.

Percy scoffs and shakes his head. “That’s why you called me out here?”

“You know I have little care for my brother’s theatrics,” Poseidon gravely says. “Or my niece’s politicking, for that matter. I only say this out of concern for you.”

“He’ll never bow to you guys, it’s true,” Percy concedes. “Not after what you did to his army and his siblings. But I’ve never licked your boots either.”

When Percy turns to face his father, the waves of Montauk Beach seem to hitch their breaths. They yank away from the shoreline, brimming and frothing meters away from where Poseidon stands as though stuck in perpetual low-tide. Poseidon may be the god of the seas, but he was the one who sought Percy out—sought Percy out in his hearth, the haven Sally had carved out for them in his childhood at the edge of the world. This is Percy’s domain, and atop the sand dunes behind him is a cabin housing his slumbering refugee.

He’ll not have Al’s peace be disturbed.

“I certainly didn’t when I beat Ares in a duel,” Percy continues, and the waves roil in anticipation. “Not when I proved to Athena that she was wrong about me; not when I made demands in front of you and Zeus and the rest of the Council to claim your children and amnesty the defectors. Which you didn’t follow.”

Poseidon’s weathered hand grips his trident harder as the waves begin to creep at his ankles. Tendrils of water begin climbing like loving ivy. “Percy, you have to understand, he was—is—a flight risk. He wanted to jumpstart the war all over again!”

“Then consider yourselves sufficiently warned. At least he has the balls to be upfront about his intentions, compared to when you jumped a bunch of injured kids for wanting a home.” Percy takes a step backwards, back to his cabin. His eyes level with Poseidon’s, mirrors of each other. “Go home, Dad. Worry about yours, and I’ll worry about mine.”

He snaps his fingers, and the waves pull Poseidon underneath.

[our-lady-of-haymakers]

On the one hand, given the generally spineless and opportunistic nature of the Americans, I am deeply looking forward to the Internet being filled with Yankee Yeonmi Parks who market themselves as Tell-All Defectors from the Evil Country, but given that a) the favourite American online pastime has always been whining about how bad they have it and making every conversation about themselves, b) the fact that every boo-boo a Yankee gets is broadcast across the world in full HD, and c) it would really be quite difficult for someone to fabricate a reality more pathetic than the actual everyday of American life, it's definitely going to be a difficult grift to pull off. I think it might be easier to target the domestic market and make fake videos about everything in America is Fine, Actually. Local fabrication is the name of the game these days.

[sobreiromecanico]

Leituras da Semana (#57 / 10 Mar 2025)

Aqui recupero um artigo do ano passado, escrito por Albert Burneko para a Defector. Sim, eu também li com encanto as Crónicas Marcianas de Ray Bradbury, também gostei imenso da forma espinhosa como Kim Stanley Robinson apresentou a possível colonização de Marte em Red Mars (um dia tenho de ler as sequelas), também segui com gosto a expansão da Humanidade pelo sistema solar que a dupla de autores que assina como James S.A. Corey descreveu em The Expanse (o que me lembra que tenho de voltar a esses livros num destes dias). Enfim, sou leitor inveterado de ficção científica, e em particular de ficção científica espacial. Gostaria de no meu tempo de vida ainda poder assistir à chegada de seres humanos a Marte, numa missão exploratória tripulada, mas não só não tenho ilusões de que isso poderá acontecer - parece-me estarmos mais perto de destruir este planeta do que chegar a outro, mesmo no contexto de um pissing contest como o que teve lugar nos anos 60 -, como ainda menos ilusões tenho quanto à viabilidade da colonização permanente do Planeta Vermelho. E muito menos liderada por um patego como Musk. Burneko desenvolve muito bem os vários obstáculos que inviabilizam o projecto, e explica muito bem por que motivo esta ideia mais não é do que uma cortina de fumo.

Eis outro texto do ano passado - com quase um ano, aliás -, mas só na semana passada tropecei nele; de resto, continua muitíssimo pertinente. Fala-se muito da nostalgia dos anos 80, por força de fenómenos como Stranger Things ou Ready Player One, mas talvez valha a pena saltar uma década e olhar para os anos 00. É precisamente isso que faz Gwen C. Katz neste texto, com uma perspectiva marcadamente norte-americana, com o impacto e as sequelas do 11 de Setembro - que, aliás, foi também o evento que marcou o despertar para a política da minha geração. Julgo que no texto falha uma referência cultural muito óbvia do pós 11 de Setembro - o remake de Battlestar Galactica -, mas no geral é muito certeiro a assinalar como o atentado reverberou pela cultura popular da primeira década deste milénio, e mesmo para além dela - por exemplo, ao ilustrar como o ataque à diversidade, tão em voga por estes dias, tem raízes mais antigas do que por vezes nos lembramos.

(Uma observação: recordo-me dos anos que se seguiram ao 11 de Setembro, à política internacional da época, e ao que se disse da então administração norte-americana, com figuras como George W. Bush, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld ou Condoleezza Rice. Muito se escreveu à época sobre o extremismo desta adminstração - e com muita justiça, diga-se de passagem. Há alguma ironia na noção de que ao pé dos actuais ocupantes da Casa Branca, esta malta até parece moderada e centrista.)

O texto tem quase um mês; daí para cá a água que corria debaixo daquela ponte já se tornou numa valente enxurrada. Carole Cadwlladr explica porque é que o que se passa nos Estados Unidos é, na prática, um golpe de estado. É uma leitura necessária para compreender o que se passa do outro lado do Atlântico, e para ilustrar por que motivo deste lado importa agir com rapidez e sem tergiversações.

[mettamorph]

Carla's network of people she knows/knew was robust in the past. 2007-2013 she worked fast and hard to make connections with some of the most damaged and powerful people imaginable. The damage had to be there, because she had to be able to work with it to "heal" or assuage it.

She was incredibly good at this method of hooking into people's wants and offering deals much like a demon. She fronted as "Ada Wong" for many of these connections, and then in addition to that, she also fronted as Derek Simmons through business calls, property deals, and investment into her particular plans. This included fronting as Derek to the rest of the fraternity on multiple occasions.

The scope of these connections was expansive, including militant defectors, weapons and arms dealers, brokers, and otherwise. She never was interested in selling C or any derivative, and only interested in destroying "order" itself with chaos.

Now? She hasn't picked back up on these threads, but she knows where they are. Maybe she will.

[djsherriff-responses]

I’m attempting an actual set up/timeline of sorts for Captain Laserhen and wanted to share what I’ve written down so far

I appreciate opinions and criticism if you’re comfortable reading about an au involving themes of Eugenics, unethical practices that go against people’s bodily autonomy and consent , male pregnancy, abuse and general fears regarding pregnancy, parenthood and how that can change someone

You see Eden, the big fans of eugenics that they are , don’t feel it’s enough to simply scan through their civilian population and hunt down those with “worthy” genetics for their various military programs: They want a way to manufacture super soldiers personally

Cloning seems like an obvious choice and cloning technology is something they have access to. But it takes so many resources just to create and maintain one clone through its development , never mind all the mutations and amount of failures that could happen during the cloning process, and then there’s the issue of this information getting out to the press and the controversy it’d cause

But most importantly, clones are essentially dolls with a conscious, and dolls don’t have any loyalty to their owners. Sure Eden is a master at brain washing and almost perfected the art of manipulating people. But Eden already has defectors and traitors despite their best efforts to maintain control of their own civilians , who’s to say what chaos would happen if mass produced clones became part of the equation?

No , it best to keep cloning to a strict minimum of a select few. A few rogue clones is much easier to deal with then an entire trained army of rogue clones

Eden realised it’s not enough to raise children to wield guns , their soldiers need a reason to remain loyal to Eden despite the horrors and abuse, a connection to keep them tied to the system even when doubt eats at them in the dead of night

And what greater ties is there than that of blood: A family

So Eden gave their male super soldiers a sort of “retirement protocol” where they essentially have an artificial womb (don’t ask me the specifics of this it’s sci fi horror nonsense) so that when those super soldiers (ideally) aged out of the military, they’d get pregnant and pop out a replacement to take their place

Or if a super soldier chose to become a traitorous terrorist, Eden will have leverage to bring them back into their arms

(Dolph in this au is cis and while the Eden army is dominantly cis, there’s likely issues a trans or genderqueer character would face from this situation that simply has not crossed my cis brain, just wanted to add this tidbit here since the set up is primarily focused on cis men going through this unethical treatment)

The specific reasons why this was done to male soldiers:

Women already have wombs and the capability to produce children, so it’d be pointless all things considered

There’s a larger amount of men in the army compared to women, so obviously Eden has gotta put their resources on getting *the men pregnant* replacements for those men ready

Men who are amab aren’t expected to ever fall pregnant and thus aren’t prepared for the turmoil and stress that comes with pregnancy the ways which women are. The men would be in a vulnerable position and would seek out help by any means necessary , plus be much easier to manipulate (either through use of their new found motherly instincts or their desire to be rid of this unexpected baby)

Most importantly,men do not have the means to have a natural birth. This is the most crucial part as the way Eden has done it, the men will have no choice but to seek medical attention to have a c section when the baby is due and thus even if that man does not want to return to Eden, Eden will still have the means to find him anyways

“But what about the press/public learning about this?!” Oh Eden already has an answer to that: Male pregnancies are a result of a strange effect of dimension X leaking into our universe and biologically impacting Eden’s male population(which is all the more reason it’s important to keep alien scum out!)

Basically, Eden blames the aliens. Because a vulnerable pregnant man is going to be far more willing to crawl back into the system that abused him if he believes aliens are the ones making him go through the horrific process of an unnatural pregnancy, instead of the truth that Eden has purposely done unethical practices on his body to keep him on a leash 

And Dolph is one of those men that Eden unethically gave with the ability to have babies, all without his knowledge or consent, yay!

Side note, normal children are 50:50 when it comes to inheriting their parents’ genetics. But super soldier babies actually take about 75 to 85% after their “mother” (again, Eden being huge fans of eugenics and not wanting to lose such valuable genes) so any children Dolph has, regardless of the other parent, will always take more after him

The timeline of this au diverges from the canon plot as of episode two , before Dolph walks in on Alex sleeping with Pagan (so anything that happened after that doesn’t happen, most notably Jade does not die). Instead of seeing the cigarette and finding his cheating boyfriend, the smell of the smoke makes Dolph vomit and team ghost are forced to abort mission. Though technically it’s been divergent from canon before episode one even happens

[seth-shitposts]

WIP Ask Game

Thank you all for tagging the fuck out of us /genuine [you who have tagged us: @lost-in-derry @not0a0mundane @thatonegreyghost @mystical-salamander & @heart-of-a-rebel16

Seeing yalls posts and having tagged us made our day, and boy did we have such a long one 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 I'm smooching all of you.

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Rules: In a new post, list the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

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A-hah, ahah- eh,... all of them... 🙂 understood. Ima so the ones that I have the most on atm. (So the only ones I'm leaving out are ones that are only like. A few paragraphs in length)

Defectors AU

Sense of Faith, Self, & Valor

The Aphelion Waltz [🔞b/c of heavy trigger/content warnings]

The Renascence of 264

Bite Me, Love [🔞ish]

Eyes Of The Ashla

Salicidae

Force User Zeb (Haitus)

[Untitled] Gift for ThatOneGreyGhost

Conversationalist

Change In Plans

Pull You Into Dark Corners [🔞]

Time to play the tagging game-

No Pressure Tagging @foxxxtransformer123 @never-ending-fanfic @imaginativefanatic @nicki0kaye @nimata-beroya @archivistofnerddom @mistr3ssquickly @starstress @astralalmighty @gettiregretti @zebsfloppyears & anyone who sees this and wants to do this 💙 (and if I tagged you and you already did it, I'm sending you a hug and some writing vibes to put toward your wips as you desire friends 💙💙💙)