#after all i signed up to being a fan not to be a bootlicker

[finnickodaiir]

i respect you so much for criticizing taylor’s bad and shady actions despite being a fan. that’s what a true fan does

Thank you!!!

[the-bjd-community-confess]

Many Divaz/Z3st confos

Mod: Not all the ones in the inbox, but a batch of them to peruse at your leisure.

1. Z3st got told by a mod on the BJD Discord to stop with his drama-mongering. He argued with the mod. In b4 he whines here about the BJD Discord.

~Anonymous

2. @A certain someone: DOA mods warning you to stop making drama or else ban is not an attack on you. BJD Discord mod warning you to stop making drama or ban is not an attack on you. They're just doing their jobs. To stop finding yourself in situations where you feel attacked, don't make drama. Seriously it's getting super tiresome seeing your crap all over the place esp since you're acting like someone shot your dog or smth. You're doing this to yourself and blaming others for your own actions.

~Anonymous

3. My friend got messaged on FB by Z3st because they posted in support of Divaz. Z3st called them names and tried to prove his "innocence". Apparently my friend wasn't the only person Z3st did this to, I wouldn't be surprised if he did it to everyone who commented in support of Divaz. Z3st is crying about being the victim but all I see is him being the aggressor. Who the fuck messages people they don't know to harass them like that?

~Anonymous 

4.@al3xcessive... you can't blame someone for "doxxing" you when you put your information out there first. Also, that's not what "doxxing" is, they've literally only showed your name AFTER YOU SHOWED IT YOURSELF PUBLICLY. All of your other information was hidden. I searched for your name on FB and wouldn't have ever found you if you hadn't gone and shown yourself by spamming comments on the post.

~Anonymous

5.lol al3xcess claiming he'd been "harassed" when he DMs random people to call them bootlickers and they tell him to fuck off xD

~Anonymous

6.If the customer is batshit terrible to work with, you refund them and ban them. Don’t feed trolls and all. Seems simple? But Div4s just gonna dox somebody like that?  Even their most hardcore fans ought to be sayin “hol up” instead of cheering.

~Anonymous

7.Lol @ Z3st calling Divaz "insidiously hostile" when he himself is this way and he even admitted it: "i had been nothing but nice, and ABSURDLY patient, and understanding and looking back now the gushing tone in which i took makes me sick" - Looking at HIS OWN receipts, his "absurdly nice" is just normal decency. It really says a lot about him that he considers it absurd and that it makes him sick. Divas aren't the ones being insidious, Z3st, you admitted you were deceptive from the getgo.

~Anonymous

8.I'm done with r_s who defend BJDivaz on DoA. I had to wait MONTHS for any sign of life from them, they NEVER answer their emails, and they've mishandled ALL of my orders. They won't be an adult about this! If you're ordering from them, you're pretty much supporting them. Stop.

~Anonymous

9.Neutral to Divaz but seeing them did a call out to a troublesome customer is a bit uncomfortable. I believe they should have kept the person's name as anon, never mention their irl or username. I understand that they are upset that their business reputation is damaged by the customer's words but still a business shouldn't blast their customer's personal info on public platform. A business should be a business. Personal feelings should be handled off the business page.

Again I fully understand Divaz is human too and they can feel upset by exaggerated rumours but a business shouldn't be so sensitive to any provocation. I'm sure other dealers also get a lot of negative comments but we seldom hear them talk about it publicly. Really not my place to say, I think Divaz should try to keep personal emotions off their business page. Occasional bad press will naturally go away on its own if they can maintain good and satisfied customers on a long run. I feel like them fighting back against angry (ex) customers and seeking comfort from others is not the best move as a business. It is fine that they express their frustration to their family and friends but definitely not on a public business page. It just feels unprofessional. It's my 2 cents.

Sorry Divaz, I know you don't want to hear this but please do try to keep personal feelings aside when running a business. It will really help you on a long run. Haters will only use this against you because they know you will react to their provocation. This will never end and only damge your reputation further. Hope for the best.

~Anonymous

10. Cheeesus, that long Divaz post on that DoA user is too much. With all the precise time-stamps details and quotations, it's like a lawyer presenting a courtcase like "the evidence here shows that at 'hour;minute' you said this XXX. Is it true?" And we, the witnesses/audience, are all called to participate in the judgment. lol

~Anonymous 

11. ne1 else get msged by Z3st on fb cuz he wants to bitch u out for posting on divaz? 

~Anonymous

12. Divaz doxxes and stalks people, talks shit about customers on their FB, forgets to place orders, hands out tons of excuses for why they can't reply... among other things. Why the fuck are you all still dealing with them? Cl0ver singing, Alice's and a bunch of other companies are ten times better. Stop👏 validating👏 shitty 👏companies 👏

~Anonymous

13.There are certain people who always jump to the defense of BjDivaz and get mad when other people have legitimate issues with them. Get a life. Some of us have real problems and bad experiences ordering from them.

~Anonymous

14. I know everyone has a different situation and state their opinion with what they have already experienced, but I'm not gonna lie that I felt bad when I read someone saying that bjdivaz long layaways aren't even neccesary and they should just remove it. While I do agree bjdivaz could improve in how they manage some stuff, at the same time they are the only ones that let me "join" the hobby and don't feel bad because I can't pay in full or put down big payments as other hobbyists. I know it's not neccesary and I can save, but from someone who comes from a place of poverty I already feel guilty enough spending in a hobby and having big amounts of money always end up in paying emergencies and starting from 0 again. So these "really long and unnecessary layaways" give me the opportunity to not feel as guilty and enjoy something like the rest without spending too much every month to the point that it could affect my daily life.

~Anonymous

15. Z3st/Alex is legitimately evil for what he's doing, trying to put a company out of business that, per the emails that he himself posted, has never been anything but helpful to him (and many others). I'd bet he's the main source of all the BJDivaz hate going on here, and the miserable people around here were more than happy to grab their pitchforks and join his mob. Stop it.

~Anonymous

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

I absolutely could not agree with you more about everything you’ve had to say re: the changes to Harry’s band and crew leading in to this tour. Everyone is so quick to make excuses for Harry (so and so was “problematic” (what does that even mean???) so and so wouldn’t get vaccinated it was too hard to bring people over from the UK he wanted more diversity blah blah blah) and I just really, really do not give a shit. For me it boils down to this - Harry made promises to a lot of people, about the jobs they would be doing and the compensation they would get in return. Then Harry said “whoops, never mind, best of luck ✌️” and found a whole new group of people to make those promises to. After 18 months in a global pandemic. 18 months where people were out of work. 18 months where people were thinking “well this fucking sucks but at least when it’s over I know I’ll get to go back on the road with Harry and will have income and a job for the duration of the tour.” I don’t care, at all really, about what went on behind the scenes. Harry Styles is an internationally beloved pop star with a net worth that boggles my mind. He always, always, always has the responsibility to protect his people and he will always be to blame for me when he fails to do that. Harsh? Maybe. I’ve gotten a lot of shit for this opinion. But it’s how I feel.

Thanks anon.

Huge yikes on the victim blaming going on for people who were fired without cause in really fucked up circumstances. I don't even know who people were claiming was problematic, but anyone who thinks Harry should be able to fire people for being problematic is in denial about a lot. That fans were prepared to spread lies about Adam's belief about vaccination is really telling.

The fact that both Charlotte and Adam don't like the way they were treated is a really good sign that they were treated badly (it's a good general rule that if people don't like the way they were treated by people who have power over them that's something to be taken seriously).

And I'm particularly angry at the bootlickers who are justifying an employer firing people without cause with talk of 'diversity'. It's cowardly language designed to hide the fact that Harry's previous band made it clear that he was discriminating against PoC in employment.

If you name what's going on, the solution becomes clear. Because the question is then - who should pay the price of Harry realising he's discriminated against PoC and wanting to change that in some roles:

a) Harry.

b) His bandmates who have been without an income for 18 months.

I hope the answer to that is obvious. It would have been possible for Harry to change his band without screwing over people who had worked for him (the two most obvious solutions are to expand the band, or to pay people to stay at home).

Thanks for sending this - it's good to see people spelling out what's wrong with the bootlicking strain of fandom discourse.

[andrewmoocow]

The Black Pearl Brigade chapter 6: Hard as Stone (originally published on April 18, 2022)

AN: And so, we end our introductions to all our main characters with the leaders of both sides. For the entirety of BPB up until this point, Cinnabar was shown as a cold, logical commander who inspired fear and respect in her subordinates and did not tolerate failure, not unlike her sister in arms Black Rutile. In comparison, Cap has yet to receive such characterization, just being the leader of the Brigade and not much else. That shall all change here! With an all new army of minions made from concrete and old Crewniverse drawings that got them in trouble with fans in the past, tensions are sure to run high!

Synopsis: Bloodstone unveils a new breed of super soldiers made from concrete to rid Cinnabar of the Black Pearl Brigade.

Cast:

Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Dee Bradley Baker as Concretes

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Kathleen Barr as Púrén

--

A couple of hours after Cinnabar's campaign on Sergione-29, the acting leader of the Rutile Rebels had now returned to Revanche 666 with her bodyguard Kyanite by her side, where Bloodstone eagerly awaited them. "Oh Lord Cinnabar, it is an honor to show you the fruits of my labor! If you would just step this way to my laboratory, please."

"Enough bootlicking; I only want results." Cinnabar stated chillingly.

"Yes, ma'am!" Bloodstone gave a nervous salute and led the way to her lab, with Cinnabar and Kyanite following behind. Along the way, Cinnabar made a stop at the brig section of Black Rutile's base, where some of her minions were imprisoned for their failures in stopping the Pearls. Pyrite nonchalantly waved her cane about like a conductor's baton, while Zoisite laid on her bed and gazed up at the ceiling of her cell. But for Dalmatian Jasper, as soon as she locked eyes with her master, the Jasper growled with fury and glared at her.

"If we didn't swear to serve you with our lives, we'd find a way to break out of here and help the Pearls stop you!" DJ roared angrily, though her master was nonplussed. "Maybe when you're stuck in a cell someday, you'll see how we feel!"

"Oh, quit your crying, DJ. I'm sure you'll get a second chance at some point." Cinnabar replied, snapping her fingers to order some Jaspers to throw Kyanite in a cell of her own. "But in the meantime, I already have plans to replace you."

"Wait, replace?" Kyanite exclaimed while her cell door closed behind her. "But I'm your bodyguard; I can't be replaced like this!"

"Oh, don't worry Kyanite, I'm just making a change of plans." Cinnabar turned to Kyanite with a grin. "Unfortunately, you won't be playing a part in those plans. But I'll try and find a way to squeeze you into future events somehow."

"She's right; I'm sure she'll have a use for us again somehow." Pyrite tried to ease the tension in her typically smarmy fashion. "You got to always look on the bright side of life."

"Yeah, a real bright side indeed." Zoisite chirped sarcastically.

--

A few minutes later, Cinnabar was seated at a desk in front of Bloodstone, standing next to one of the stone warriors she caught a glimpse of earlier. "Okay, Bloodstone, show me what these Concretes can do."

"I would be delighted to." Bloodstone replied before she turned to her Concrete. "Concrete, you may begin the demonstration."

"Hmm." The Concrete nodded and lifted its cobblestone fists to the air, doing some shadowboxing and smashing the ground beneath it, to Cinnabar's mild intrigue. Next, the Concrete was surrounded by turrets that began firing at it, yet the supersoldier showed no signs of damage. Instead, the bullets bounced off the beast and flew all over the lab. The third ability it demonstrated was the power to shapeshift into a boulder and roll around at will before changing back to its normal body. Finally, its mouth opened up to reveal a laser beam that fired straight above Cinnabar at a target.

"I'm impressed, Bloodstone. You made a perfect soldier right out of the gate." Cinnabar smiled, satisfied with the demo's results. "How did you do it?"

"Well, I learned from some of the misfires we made during the testing process." Bloodstone nervously said before she proceeded to show off said misfires.

The first failed prototype turned into its boulder form and glitched out, rolling around and crushing some of the Peridots in its path before transforming back. Looking down at its Gem, the Concrete then changed its hand into a massive spike and stabbed itself in the chest, causing it to shatter.

The second one, which Cinnabar guessed to be an even bigger failure than the last one, tried taking off its head like a helmet, but that caused it to accidentally poof. It was what made Cinnabar happy that they managed to make the third one successful, to begin with.

"Yeah, we all make mistakes, as they say." Bloodstone declared. "So, how many do you fancy, Cinnabar?"

"I want five of them produced, one for each member of that Brigade." Cinnabar ordered. "And make it snappy. We're wasting daylight here!"

With a proud salute, Bloodstone raced away to oversee the production of more Concretes while Cinnabar turned to the successful prototype, who looked down at its master while Cinnabar looked back with a sinister smile.

--

"Faster girls, those last few Rubies shouldn't have gotten far!" Cap commanded the Pearls while they chased down Rubies as part of their latest mission. The Diamonds had received word of a Ruby uprising on the forest planet Yi, and the Pearls were ordered to take down every last one of them before things could escalate into yet another war. While the job was successful for the most part, there were still a few crafty little Rubies that managed to hide far better than the Pearls expected.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Rubies." Braids taunted, searching for the remaining foot soldiers with a sadistic grin and her battleax out. "I promise we will not hurt you."

"Saying things like that will only make them run away even farther." Tails quipped. "I suggest we just stay quiet so we can take by surprise and lure them into a false sense of security."

"But what if they catch us by surprise instead?" Pony wondered.

"You know Rubies. They'll even be scared of their own reflections." IQ frowned just as a faint rumbling noise could be heard. "What was that?"

"Don't underestimate them, girls." Cap stated. "I heard a few of them are crafty enough to join Black Rutile. If they're smart, then what can be said for these Rubies?"

"Well, they're smart enough to hold their own little rebellion, that's what." Tails remarked. "Which reminds me, anyone else hear that?"

"I certainly do." IQ replied. "Let's just find those last remaining Rubies and get out of here while we still can."

While the Pearls began searching for the last Rubies, the rumbling sounds started getting louder and louder. Even when the Rubies were eventually found, bubbled, and returned to the Servant, they didn't stop. Inevitably, this caused the Pearls to get suspicious.

"Púrén, scan the area for any other lifeforms." IQ commanded the Servant's AI.

"Right away." Púrén obeyed, proceeding to analyze the entire surrounding area. What she found, however, shocked the AI to its central processor. "RED ALERT, RED ALERT! CINNABAR IS IN THE VICINITY, AND SHE HAS REINFORCEMENTS!"

"Cinnabar?!" Cap cried as the Pearls took up arms. "How did she find us?!" Just then, Cinnabar emerged from the trees, clapping sarcastically while flanked by a troop of Concretes.

"Let's just say I have some inside Gems spying on the Diamonds as they give you your missions." Cinnabar confidently said. "Hello again, Pearls. Been a while, hasn't it?"

"What brings you to Yi, Cinnabar?" Cap asked. "And what are those things supposed to be?"

"Oh, it's just a little pet project that I've had Bloodstone work on since our encounter at Teslein." Cinnabar answered, patting one of her Concretes on the chest. "I call them Concretes, and they're basically my own form of supersoldiers made to replace my failed subordinates. They are bulletproof, fireproof, can think faster than your average supercomputer, and can shapeshift to fit the situation. Like so."

One of the Concretes turned its cobblestone fist into a spike with a mechanical groan and stretched its arm out at the Servant, jabbing the spike into her hull and causing immense pain to Púrén. "AGH!" the AI yelled in agony. "Stop it!"

"Oh please, I've only just begun." Cinnabar declared as the Pearls got ready for a fight. "Ah, now I'm starting to get nostalgic for the days of the Rebellion."

--

"Black Rutile, on your left!" a younger Cinnabar cackled to her comrade while the two fought side by side against the Crystal Gems in the Rebellion. "Don't get too distracted, okay?"

"Trust me, years of experience have taught me otherwise." Black Rutile cockily replied before producing some Robonoids from her gem to fire at an oncoming swarm of Aquamarines. "Must say Cinnabar, your tactics have gotten better lately. New training regimen?"

"Same as you, chum." Cinnabar said to the Rutile. "Rigorous training every day, all fueled by the same hatred as you. Just look at my speed!" Bringing out her broadsword, Cinnabar charged at a massive fusion between a Jasper and an Amethyst and attacked with a mighty swing. When it seemed like nothing had happened, Cinnabar retracted her sword, causing the fusion to combust into its base components. "You wouldn't believe how many tries it took for me to get that right."

"Exemplary work as always, my apprentice." Black Rutile beamed proudly while casually shattering the Jasper and Amethyst with her bowie knife. "Good to see you've been working hard lately."

"I aim to please, my Rutile." Cinnabar bowed gratefully to her master. "It was because of you that I have been molded into a perfect general."

"Please, not in front of the enemy!" Black Rutile responded with faux embarrassment. "Now, there should be more Crystal Gems coming our way soon. Shall we?"

"Oh very much, yes." Cinnabar eagerly licked her blade in anticipation of the coming battles before them.

--

Ever since Black Rutile took Cinnabar, then an eager young commander, under her wing, the red Gem had grown into a fierce, calculating general who almost seemed like a perfect replica of Black Rutile herself, right down to the shared hatred of Pink Diamond. Unlike Black Rutile, who had always despised Pink for how she kept getting away with her bratty behavior, Cinnabar believed that the Diamond could put such a mindset to use to strike fear in subordinates and enemies alike, but she kept on wasting it.

Black Rutile soon figured that something must've been wrong in the years that passed ever since Pink Diamond's apparent shattering. With help from her bodyguard & confidant White Topaz, months of tireless research caused White Diamond's intelligence agent to learn a shocking secret regarding the Crystal Gems.

"Cinnabar, Cinnabar!" Black Rutile called for her apprentice, now grown into the general of Yellow Diamond's armies, with her own Kyanite as a bodyguard. "Please, stop what you're doing and listen to me!"

"What for, Black Rutile?" Cinnabar scowled, an expression far from the eager pupil that her master molded into the ultimate soldier. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

"No, this is big, real big!" White Topaz exclaimed. "Big enough that we're gonna tell White Diamond all about it!"

"What is it that makes you think only White should know?" Kyanite asked. "Come on, spit it out, don't be shy."

"Trust me; your mind shall be blown!" Black Rutile giggled evilly. "We have reason to believe that Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz could be one and the same! Think of it, who else would be so selfish and attention-starved enough to start an entire war to get everyone to see her, regardless of the lives put on the line?"

"Really, Pink Diamond is Rose Quartz?" Cinnabar raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I've heard that her screams can permanently scar a Gem's physical form, but I don't think she could lift a sword to save her worthless life."

"Oh, you may think I'm lying, but would I fib to my finest student?" Black Rutile asked with a winning smile, informing Cinnabar that maybe she was telling the truth. "Come on, you still trust me after all these years, right?"

Although she was hesitant to agree with her teacher, that smile made Cinnabar know that perhaps Black Rutile could be right. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"That's all I needed to hear." Black Rutile sighed in relief.

--

Thousands of years later, Homeworld was undergoing some radical changes. Contrary to what was initially believed for centuries, Pink Diamond was still alive in a way. Black Rutile's theories were vindicated when it was confirmed that Rose Quartz was Pink's secret identity and that her son had come to Homeworld with the twisted goal of brainwashing the Diamonds for the Crystal Gems' cause.

"Unacceptable!" Black Rutile angrily pounded a screen showing her the Diamonds' massive mecha blushing because of Steven getting through to White Diamond. "All it took was just one annoying boy and his dumb jokes to warp our leaders to his liking?!"

"My Rutile, you feeling okay?" White Topaz nervously asked her master. "I get that you're angry with how Pink basically tore our society apart with her shattering, but this is becoming unhealthy."

"No, this has been inevitable for a while." Cinnabar responded to the Topaz. "The Diamonds have been showing a little too much restraint lately because their trauma has warped them into something unrecognizable, Yellow and Blue especially."

"I must concur, Cinnabar. I've always believed their rule was at an end." Black Rutile agreed with her apprentice. "Someone needs to take the helm. Someone who knows about the inner workings of an empire and how to manipulate everything in their environment to fit their needs. Someone like, like-"

"You?" Kyanite finished.

"Exactly, Kyanite." Black Rutile turned with a smile. "The Diamonds' cowardice has been a bad influence for too long. And without a doubt, the Crystal Gems will try to mold them into their little toadies. Ironically, they've become the very thing they sought to destroy all those centuries ago. We must gather any like-minded Gems still lurking about and recruit them to our cause."

"Ooh, are we gonna become rebels just like the Crystal Gems?!" White Topaz excitedly asked. "If so, I think we might need a name too! Maybe the Nega-Gems!"

"Or the New Rebellion!" Kyanite added.

"No, those sound stupid." Black Rutile insulted the bodyguards' ideas. "Cinnabar, your two Minerals?"

"How about something like the Lucent Gems?" Cinnabar suggested.

"Hm, not bad. Maybe we could use that." Black Rutile nodded. "But I'm in the mood for a little alliteration. How about something like the Rutile Rebels?"

--

Not too long after the initial formation of the Rutile Rebels, Cinnabar had begun forming her own sector of the Rebellion with assistance from Black Rutile, to reclaim old colonies. Aside from her and Kyanite, there was the former merchant and con-Gem Pyrite, the bounty hunters Dalmatian Jasper & Zoisite, and the mad scientist & conspiracy theorist Bloodstone. All of them were brought together out of a shared desire for revenge on Steven Universe and how his changes to Gem society have ruined their lives, much like many of the other Gems who swore loyalty to Black Rutile.

"Oh, it's such an honor to be working alongside such a respected general like you, Cinnabar." Pyrite smiled, her feet kicked up on the meeting table they sat around. "Thank goodness that Rutile gave me the jump on my feet that I needed!"

"And Zee and I made some real progress gathering up Gems to recruit to Black Rutile's cause." Dalmatian Jasper added. "Isn't that right?"

"Of course, some were a bit harder than others." Zoisite stated. "Like that Holly Blue, for instance." Her tone quickly turned sour while reminiscing how hard it was to recruit the Agate. "No-good, bossyboots Holly Blue. She thinks that she gets to act all high and mighty because she ran the human zoo. Shut her up is what I did!"

"And I'd be more than happy to be surrounded by Gems who can finally understand me." Bloodstone declared. "Which reminds me, does anyone care to listen to this new theory I came up with?"

"It makes me so elated to have gathered some of the finest Gems of their respective positions that I could find with the caste system no more." Cinnabar declared proudly. "Now, are you all ready to take back what's ours?"

"Aye!" Kyanite excitedly raised her hand.

"Aye." The other members of the Rutile Rebels followed suit.

"Excellent." Cinnabar smirked. "Then let us begin."

--

Back in the present day, the Pearls were struggling to keep up with the Concretes. Though they were expertly trained in combat since the moment of their creation at Shell, these supersoldiers seemed to be a perfect counter to each of their strongest traits. Cap's leadership & tactical prowess, Pony's sense of teamwork & togetherness, IQ's intelligence, Braids's strength & devil may care attitude, and Tails' supreme aim and business-like attitude were taken and made even better than before for these Concretes. This realization put the team on edge, but Cap was the most unnerved by how outmatched they were out of all of them.

"Any ideas what to do, Cap?" Pony asked as she and her captain ran from one of the Concretes, while it prepared to fire a laser from its mouth at them. "I feel like we are underprepared for this!"

"I certainly agree." Cap stated before she gave another order. "Pearls, fall back! Return to the Servant posthaste!"

"I'm sorry, what?" the rest of the team stuttered in alarm while their usually stalwart leader ran off in fright. Even Cinnabar was a little put off by how quickly she had given up.

"They are too dangerous for us to handle; we must retreat!" Cap exclaimed in terror. With just a single look at each other, the other Brigade members just shrugged and followed behind. Cinnabar, meanwhile, just frowned at what was going on and silently cued the Concretes to halt their attack with a mere hand gesture.

"Leaving so soon, Pearls?" Cinnabar growled, watching the Pearls flee with their Ruby prisoners. "Go on, run all you like. But just know that I'll still be watching you no matter what."

--

As soon as the Servant disembarked from Yi, Cap raced to her quarters in a hurry while the rest of the Pearls looked on in worry.

"Is something the matter with her?" Pony said with both concern and curiosity.

"Those Concrete things did take us for a loop." Tails remarked. "Maybe she's just nervous about how we were unprepared?"

"That does seem likely." Púrén observed. "I'll go and check up on her." The AI's holographic body dissipated from the Pearls' sight and then reappeared inside Cap's quarters, where she noticed the captain nervously pacing around her room. "Anything the matter, captain?"

"Yes, everything's the matter!" Cap yelled angrily, to the point where Púrén could notice a few sweatdrops on her face. "Did you see how utterly clobbered we got out there?! And all I did was order everyone to fall back. What kind of a leader am I to do that when we could've just fought back?!"

"You seem stressed." Púrén analyzed. "Is something the matter? How concerned are you for your team's safety?"

"Maybe I am." Cap confessed sorrowfully. "Maybe I'm just worried that although I pass myself off as purely stalwart & dependable and not much else, I'm just concerned that I'm not a good enough leader who's still haunted by what we've done under Black Rutile."

"Strange, I don't believe you've ever shown these feelings before." Púrén tilted her head to the side with a comforting voice. "Maybe you should try opening up to the others about them."

"Captain, we request your presence immediately!" Braids yelled while pounding on the door. "Your most inglorious behavior is very concerning to us, and we need to talk!"

"Well, what do you know?" Púrén grinned as she turned back to Cap. "Well, captain, it's your time now. Try to be honest with them, okay?"

With that, Púrén finally disappeared as the door to Cap's room opened, allowing the worried Brigade to enter. Pony was the first of them to talk. "We overheard you talking with Púrén when we followed you here. Is it true you've been hiding all these insecurities from us this whole time?"

"Okay, yes, I was." Cap confessed after much hesitation. "We were only created to serve Black Rutile in everything she did, no matter what horrible deeds they were. I, in particular, was meant to be a leader, like I am now, but sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough to be a captain. When those Concretes attacked us, all I could think of was fleeing because they were just too strong for us."

"Oh, Cap." Pony cooed worriedly. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past or what we do now. All we need to do is help make a better future for everyone, as a family."

"Yeah, we're basically like sisters now." Tails agreed with the second in command. "See, I finally came around, just like you wanted."

"Our victory over Cinnabar shall be glorious!" Braids cheered as she instigated a group hug between all the Pearls.

"But that still leaves the question of where she is now." IQ wondered, causing Púrén to appear once more with Sculder by her side.

"I believe I can help with that." Púrén said, cuing Sculder to bring up a hologram of Revanche 666. "This is the Rutile Rebels' headquarters on Revanche 666; a former communications hub repurposed to serve Black Rutile's dark designs. Ever since her disappearance, Cinnabar has been given the reigns to use it for herself, and it's no doubt where the Concretes came from."

"And we didn't learn this earlier because?" IQ snarked upon realizing that they could've learned this at any time prior.

"She must've been real good at hiding it. Not even the Diamonds realized that this colony was still in use." Púrén replied. "I'm inputting the coordinates now. This could be our greatest battle yet."

"Then let's make it count." Cap declared, breaking the group hug and marching out of her quarters with the rest of the team in tow. "Pearls, let's move out!"

--

Meanwhile, Cinnabar had returned to Revanche 666 with her squad of Concretes, eager to deliver the news of their success to an excited Bloodstone. "Bloodstone, you would not believe how your soldiers fared against the Pearls!"

"How did they do?" Bloodstone hoped for a good answer.

"Things went quite well." Cinnabar proclaimed, patting her lead scientist on the head. "The Concretes made the Pearls decide to retreat if you can believe it. With results like that, how can I not order these to be mass-produced at once?"

"I'll get right on it, my Cinnabar. I shall not disappoint you." Bloodstone saluted and turned away to start working on more Concretes. Cinnabar just sighed with satisfaction before turning to one of the supersoldiers.

"You all have the potential for greatness." Cinnabar declared, even though the Concretes weren't intelligent enough to respond. "In fact, why bother with my team anymore when you can get the job done far better with nary a word? I can just have everyone replaced with more Concretes, and I'd still get the same results as I always did!" Suddenly, alarms began going off as the facility's security cameras displayed the Servant making its way towards Revanche 666. "What, how did they find us?! This colony was supposed to be nigh-undetectable!"

"Uh, my Cinnabar?" a Black Pearl soldier called for her commander. "I believe those traitorous Pearls may have followed your ship to the base and waited for the right time to strike!"

"Doesn't matter anyhow!" Cinnabar yelled before turning to her Concretes. "You five, eliminate them!" The Concretes nodded quietly before marching away to confront their counterparts in battle. "Bloodstone better hurry it up with the other Concretes."

--

As the Pearls landed in Revanche 666, they were greeted by not just the Concretes, but an entire army of Jaspers, Amethysts, Topazes, and even other Black Pearls. However, they were more ready this time because they had each other, and nothing would ever change that.

At the first fire of one of the Concrete's lasers, the battle was on. Waves upon waves of soldiers charged at the Pearls, but many of them were taken out rather effortlessly because the Pearls' real focus was on the Concretes.

"Okay, IQ, can you see any weaknesses?" Cap asked the science expert of the team, who closely examined the body of a Concrete for any signs. From what she could gather, there were multiple cracks along its body that at first seemed there for decoration, but she realized that there might be something more to them.

"Try hitting those big cracks and see what happens!" IQ commanded.

"On it." Tails stated, loading her rifle and firing a laser beam at a crack on its shoulder, causing the Concrete to stop momentarily. "Well, what do you know?"

"Everyone, focus on the cracks!" Cap ordered her troops as they charged with their weapons to strike at the cracks on the Concretes' bodies while Cinnabar and Bloodstone watched from a security room.

"How could you include such an obvious weakness?!" Cinnabar shrieked at Bloodstone loud enough to knock her over. "This is clearly getting us nowhere; we need a new approach! We must flee immediately, find somewhere to hide, and leave this base to burn!"

"Wait, giving up that easily?" Bloodstone said while getting up and adjusting her goggles. "That's so unlike you. What would Black Rutile say?"

"I don't care what she would say! Just get all my other lieutenants out of their cells and prepare the Belligerence for departure!" Cinnabar commanded while turning to a big red button labeled 'SELF DESTRUCT' that she slammed her fist on, causing the alarms to start blaring as an automated voice began droning about the base's coming destruction. "Let's see them escape this time!"

--

"WARNING: SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED. THIS FACILITY SHALL DETONATE IN APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE." The voice declared while Bloodstone raced to the brig to release all of Cinnabar's failed lieutenants.

"Good news, everyone. Cinnabar has decided to give you all a second chance!" Bloodstone announced happily. "The bad news, we gotta leave now, or else you're all going down with this ship."

"What for?" Dalmatian Jasper wondered while emerging from her cell.

"Those Concretes I built for her had such a blatantly obvious weakness; she decided to turn tail and run at the first chance she got." Bloodstone explained. "Now come on, we have to go! Now!"

Within a moment's notice, the rest of the lieutenants burst from their cells and made a break for it, ready to join Cinnabar for whatever plot she had next.

--

"THIS BASE SHALL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 30 SECONDS." The voice continued droning while the Pearls were forced into panic mode as they gathered up every inactive Gem they could find following their battle with Black Rutile's forces.

"Using a self-destruct sequence to cover your tracks. Clever trick, that pebble has pulled." Cap declared while she scurried aboard the Servant.

"But no matter what, we will find her again!" Pony added. "Come on, girls; we haven't a moment to lose!"

"THIS BASE SHALL SELF-DESTRUCT IN TEN SECONDS." The voice concluded. "NINE, EIGHT, SIX."

"Six?! What has become of seven?!" Braids yelled in shock as the last of the Gems were transported aboard the Servant, and the ship began to take off.

"GOT YOU THERE." The voice chuckled before returning to the countdown. "SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR."

Meanwhile, Cinnabar had gathered her five enforcers aboard the Belligerenceand took off alongside the Servant, just in the nick of time.

"THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO." The voice finished the countdown. "HAVE A NICE DAY, COURTESY OF PYRITE BRAND SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEMS."

With that, the Rutile Rebels' headquarters was obliterated in a fiery explosion, ending another portion of Black Rutile's empire as nothing was left of the former communication hub, all except for one giant crater with a few remains of the Concretes buried deep within.

"I must concur with Bloodstone, dearie. It isn't like you to fall back this quickly." Pyrite commented while Cinnabar piloted the Belligerence away from Revanche 666. "Is something the matter, boss?"

"No, nothing's the matter." Cinnabar fibbed, clearly hiding how stressed she was from the loss from her cohorts. "But, maybe there's a silver lining to this." Turning around in the captain's seat, Cinnabar pointed straight at Bloodstone. "Bloodstone, I think the Concretes still need some work. Let us turn back around and see what we can find. Maybe then, we can remove the cracks and make them truly invincible."

--

"So Cinnabar has been hiding out in that old colony this whole time?" White Diamond gasped as the Black Pearl Brigade reported back to the Diamonds. "I thought we abandoned that old thing ages ago!"

"I think not White." Blue Diamond disagreed. "From what IQ tells us, this was once Black Rutile's base of operations before she left for Earth and handed it over to Cinnabar."

"Once again Pearls, you have shown an exemplary performance." Yellow Diamond congratulated the Pearls on their success. "We shall deal with the Gems you have gathered later. Who knows, maybe you might get some more Pearls to join you. But in the meantime, I insist you take a load off. You all earned it."

"As much as we appreciate the offer Yellow Diamond, I'm afraid we'll have to decline for now." Cap said to the Diamond. "Cinnabar and her troops are still out there, no doubt deciding to take matters into her own hands, and who knows what kind of chaos they'll be planning now?"

"We insist. We won't rest until they're all punished for their crimes." Pony added.

"You can all count on us to make a glorious show of their ultimate defeat!" Braids declared with a smile.

"And we'll do it together." IQ stated before glancing at Tails.

"As a family." Tails concluded their statement.

"Very well then." Yellow obliged to their declaration. "But the offer still stands. I think Little Homeschool could be a great place for you to retire to at some point. You are dismissed."

And so, the Black Pearl Brigade began walking away from the three thrones the Diamonds sat upon. But now, they did it arm in arm like sisters, because they knew that no matter what Cinnabar or any other galactic menace would throw at them, they would face the entire universe together.

--

So ends Hard as Stone. Apologies if this seemed rushed, I often rush to complete these by Monday because I tend to procrastinate sometimes. But anyways, next time we finally see where Cinnabar ends up next, how certain other anti-Black Rutile characters fit into this, and get another glimpse into the life of another one of her subordinates. See you soon!

[bondsmagii]

I mean to ask this genuinely, no hostility, but can you explain how you correlate scp to being in a cult? I dont disagree, I just cant articulate the reasoning as to why I dont disagree, and would like to see where youre coming from with this. Also, could you tag it with cults or cult discussion or something similar, please? Thanks! Have a good day.

OK [cracks knuckles] I will try and keep this as short as possible, but you have to understand I’ve been observing the wiki in the wild literally since its inception, so there is a lot of stuff to consider. anyway let’s buckle up.

[EDIT: after finishing, this is obnoxiously long. sorry. I encourage people to read it though, because yikes.]

I base this theory on a set of guidelines set out for spotting if an organisation might be a cult. generally cults are religiously based; obviously this does not apply here. as far as I’m aware, nobody sees the SCP wiki as a religion (yet). because of this a couple of the points regarding spotting a cult are irrelevant (they concern things like separation from the Church which obviously doesn’t apply) but nearly all of the others (even some religious ones) can apply if we provide context. so without further ado:

Signs You’re In A Cult and How the SCP Wiki Literally Fits Into All of Them

let’s start with the most obvious:

opposing critical thinking

something that has long pissed me off about the SCP wiki has been its complete inability to think critically. staff will literally ban people for criticising them, and the parameters of “criticism” have only grown wider and wider over the years. anything that is the “party line” is sacred; nothing can be improved upon because it’s already perfect, and Staff Knows Best. any policy changes are law, and any dissenting voices are silenced – even among younger staff members (length of service wise, not age wise). I have seen staff put on probation or demoted for arguing against pointless or pedantic policy changes; I have seen people of all levels banned for arguing with staff. if this doesn’t happen right away, arguing with staff over their decisions will absolutely get a target on your back, and they will find a way to ban or demote you as soon as they can.

any criticism on the wiki is frowned upon unless it comes from the Major Staff Members – these are people at the top of the hierarchy who can do no wrong, and as you can imagine, they’ve done some shit. staff has always had a problem with elitism, bullying, and even abusive behaviour (blah blah blah #NotAllStaff, but the ratio is quite concerning) and any criticism of their behaviour or even pointing this fact out is dangerous if you want to remain on the wiki. hell, I know many people who are aware of this who don’t speak up because they’re genuinely scared of retaliation. a lot of staff are really nasty people, and because of this attitude they are beyond criticism.

isolating members and penalising them for leaving

the penalising them for leaving part isn’t strictly accurate, because as far as I know, nobody has ever been bullied or threatened into staying on the wiki. however, I do remember a while back (2011/2012-ish) when the Foundation RP community began to show up on Tumblr, and the wiki began to get a fanbase that wasn’t contained on the site itself. staff were not happy about this and to this day they still constantly try and get a monopoly on all off-site locations. they have an official Offsite Outreach Team (yes, that’s its real name) who “reach out” to communities on other platforms (YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, etc) and set up an Official Presence there, and then they encourage everyone to use the Official Presence rather than the fan-made ones (which are often more established and better/more consistently run). there have been several off-site spats between staff and the fandom, because they arrive demanding the authority and respect they have on the wiki and get Big Mad when they don’t get it. just recently one (now ex) staff member, djkaktus, went absolutely primal on Reddit and banned a whole bunch of the community for daring to say that they didn’t like the new LGBT logo for pride month (many of these people were LGBT themselves and felt as though it was pandering/putting targets on their backs); several more years ago (2014, I believe?) I myself had a run in with the Outreach Team and it was one fucking hell of a headache that ended in a malicious smear campaign against me, so like. yeah.

as for isolating members, they do this via elitism. the above is an example of it (making everyone feel a sense of obligation or loyalty to the Official Presence), but a huge part of it has always been the elitist attitude prevalent on the wiki. the SCP wiki has high standards for writing (allegedly… I’ve seen some garbage on there tbh, same as any other website) and it uses this to bully and demean its users. criticism of writing is overly harsh but highly encouraged; anyone complaining that it was too cruel (which it often is) is ridiculed for being too sensitive. (staff have been working on this for years, but really nothing has changed; people have just gotten more between-the-lines about it.) this encourages a kind of desperation among new users to “rise up the ranks” and earn respect so they can be the ones dishing out the criticism instead; they will do so and then immediately act in accordance to their status, bullying others how they were bullied and sticking to their own “rank”. brief interruption: staff and bootlickers if you’re reading this and thinking of reblogging to defend yourself, the code word is yeet. if I do not see the word yeet in your reply I will know you have not read this thoroughly and tell me why I should then bother reading anything you have to say.staff themselves is incredibly removed and closed off from the rest of the community; they have a bunch of private chat rooms they hang out in, and inter-dating is common. they don’t tend to interact much outside the flock, and are the definition of cliquey. joining this rank is supposed to be an achievement, but really it’s probably the most dangerous place to be. I have seen so many staff members have literal, clinical mental breakdowns over the strain and treatment they suffer.

(there’s nowhere to neatly slot this in, so: I don’t know how many people have noticed this, but SCP fans, when you spot them on other platforms, are snooty. not casual fans, but those involved with the wiki? I can spot them from a mile away, because whenever the Foundation is mentioned, there they are, acting like they’re part of some cool club. some of these people are innocent (they’re just mimicking the behaviour of other members) but some of them really do seem to think that their site is somehow better than whatever site they’re on, and it’s really creepy to see.)

emphasising special doctrines outside of scripture

obviously this is religion-specific, but with context it can fit. if we take scripture to mean SCP lore, and special doctrines to mean differing headcanons, ideas, writing styles, etc… oh boy.

there’s something that’s often said on the wiki: there is no canon. buddy, there is. yes, you can write whatever you want technically, and you can disregard headcanons you don’t like and you can build on different things and theoretically people can just ignore your shit if they don’t like it, but that is not what happens. there is absolutely a canon, and deviating from it will get you downvoted into oblivion and even personally attacked. people will accuse you of the most ridiculous shit, like desecrating the wiki or betraying the universe or whatever. so where does the emphasising part of this come in?

why, it’s simple! if one of these special doctrines (headcanons or whatever) comes from staff or an Approved Member, it’s fine. go nuts. even if it’s something that anybody else would be absolutely slaughtered for, it’s fine if staff approves. there is no creative freedom on that wiki, and anyone attempting to carve a piece out for themselves will suffer for it. one of my close friends still gets hate for an SCP he wrote featuring heavy headcanons and building on existing lore about a well-known character, and some of this hate is because he didn’t set the fucking article out “how it should be”. 

seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders

oh boy. staff are god on that website. they’ll deny it, but they know it’s true. many of them are arrogant and, in my opinion, some of them are pathologically narcissistic. they think they are hot shit, and they encourage people on the site to believe the same. a huge majority of users on the wiki are high school students, so 15-18 years old. the next huge group are college-aged, so 19-22 or so. several staff members are in their mid-20s up to 30s, maybe even coming 40s or early 40s now. when you’re in your mid-20s, it’s very easy to look cool to a 15-year-old. it’s very easy to look at a young userbase and convince them that you’re hot shit, and that’s what staff do. they act like it; most users respond to it, and if anyone dissents? see point one.

staff have always had double standards. from the very beginning of staff, they have gotten away with a lot more than the average user. staff have been allowed to bully, ridicule, harass, dismiss, shit upon, and target people with reckless abandon, usually only meeting punishment when other staff members feel too inconvenienced by them. a lot of the time when they’re punished, it’s a lot lighter than it would have been for an average user (a month ban rather than a permaban, for example). this is seen as almost a point of hilarity for a lot of people, who think it’s cool and just a right you get when you’re staff. you know best, you’ve seen some shit – who can blame you for slamdunking a 15-year-old’s first SCP?

the amount of respect and adoration these people demand is ridiculous, and anybody daring to criticise them ends up on a shitlist. staff show up in other areas (Tumblr or Reddit) and expect that same amount of respect, even among people outside of the wiki who might just be casual fans. they act a lot more important than they are, and demand that everyone treats them appropriately. I’ve seen staff members throw shitfits because they didn’t get enough upvotes for their articles, and many staff members’ quality of work declines when they make staff, simply because they know that they’ll get easy upvotes as soon as people realise it’s a staff member who wrote it. downvotes are enough to get you put on a shitlist. 

publicly, their word is law. you are not allowed to debate with them in the forums if they put a “stop” on the topic; the same applies in the IRC chat. if staff says “stop”, you will be punished if you mention it again. you are allowed to discuss it with them privately, but I think that’s rather insidious, as staff have been known to twist facts and withhold information before. this gives them a public persona of always being right – and something else that cults do is silence dissenting voices so nobody who might agree can see other people saying the same things and feel encouraged/emboldened. 

crossing Biblical boundaries of behaviour

again, we’ll need to contextualise this. if Biblical boundaries are things like sins and all the stuff the Bible says Do Not Do, then in this context these are the wiki rules. staff (and their friends) will constantly cross the rules, as previously mentioned, and they will get away with it.

the wiki rules say “don’t be a dick”. I have caught staff bullying people countless times, and no doubt there’s more I haven’t caught. even out in the open, staff are argumentative, dismissive, rude, intimidating, and oftentimes plain nasty. the wiki rules say “don’t coldpost articles; get feedback”. staff is just out there throwing their shit onto the wiki and expecting an avalanche of upvotes in five minutes Or Else. policies are made that set parameters and staff changes them whenever convenient – for example, the long-standing rule that things that occur off-site are not the responsibility of the Disciplinary Committee (yes, its name.). unless, of course, it’s someone they don’t like. a major staff member bullies somebody on Tumblr? “sorry, it was offsite, not our problem”. someone staff doesn’t like gets into a brief spat on Reddit? banned for harassment. 

there are countless examples of this, from small things to major things like bullying, harassment, and even abuse (or enabling of abuse). staff will punish people for transgressions and then turn a blind eye to a fellow staff member committing a transgression that was ten times worse. they have even protected rapists and sexual predators in the past – another kind of behaviour common in cults, because that’s what happens when you combine narcissism and entitlement with total authority.

that’s the main bulk of it

but now the context has been established, here are a few more concerning things I’ve noticed (quickfire now):

cults shit on former members

and the wiki does the same. any staff member that’s grown fed up of the groupthink and the cliquey attitude and how nasty people are or who has been mistreated by staff themselves; any regular user who feels the same and vocally quits? shat upon. lauded as a bastion of whatever is wrong with the wiki. declared an Enemy and rallied against. it is so creepy.

cults use Us vs Them mentality, especially in language

broad declarations establishing a community and a community spirit in the face of adversity are common in cults. appeals to emotion and loyalty are used in a very manipulative way. catastrophising and fearmongering is common, too. I’m seeing this in how the recent drama with the legal issues is being handled. broad appeals to “defend the wiki”, hashtags being encouraged, emotional speeches from staff about how it’s a make or break situation… 

…and this is being reflected in the absolutely insane comments people are responding with.

this is a fucking writing website. the above is not a normal reaction at all.

the attitudes of regular users quickly grow concerning

people very quickly get obsessed with the wiki and it defines their lives. they seem to feel as though they owe something to it or they need to serve some kind of a purpose; many people try and “get the word out” and become voluntary spokespeople. they go around practically preaching, and I do not see the users of any other website doing this.

cults want full control over how they’re seen by outsiders

and the scp wiki does the same. as mentioned previously, when the fandom grew and spiralled off the wiki to other sites, staff debated for weeks over what to do. brief interruption the second code is shrek is life.they were not comfortable with the idea of the wiki having an independent fandom, and for years now they have been in constant struggle with offsite communities, trying to gain the same amount of control they have over the wiki. it’s impossible to do so thoroughly, and it’s clearly an annoyance for them.

cult leaders will let “lesser” members do their dirty work for them

and guess what staff does? rather than wade in there and get their hands dirty with internet arguments, they’ll sit back and let regular users dogpile on dissenters and say all the things staff shouldn’t be seen to say in public. note how even if this would violate the bullying policies, they’ll just get a warning so long as staff agrees. 

in conclusion

@ everyone on the scp wiki: yall know you’re in a cult, right?