thinking about the elections tonight... bad, cellbit, baghera, and forever are four candidates who are devoted to the island- more specifically, to the residents of the island. They care for the eggs, and they care for each other, and the way they exhibit that care through their primary presidential strategies is fucking fascinating.
Bad is who I watch the most, so I know him best. He's a classic mother hen. He doesn't like to take risks with the eggs, and he likes to prepare. If there's any sort of variable that could hurt an egg then he wants to control it. They have a stable relationship with the federation right now- it's not great, but they know the parameters. Don't trust cucurucho. don't follow cucurucho. send the eggs to NINHO every time there's a threat. the time of day changing means you need to run. Other than that they're p okay and roughly safe. But adding a president could potentially change everything. What if the president makes a rule that makes it easier to kill the eggs? And what about the way a president could cause tensions between the players to rise even higher? The dynamics of the island could change drastically. It's safer to neutralize that threat before it ever becomes a threat. It's easier to stop a war before it can start.
Baghera's primary concern is the way the election is designed to pit the residents against each other. All of them know that the Federation is a threat and she, like Bad, is focused on not letting them hurt more people. But, unlike Bad, she's less resistant to change. If the power is spread to multiple players rather than just one, it will be harder for the Federation to corrupt any one of them. Each time before the Federation has gotten to someone it's done so by isolating them. Felps, Cellbit, Jaiden- they've all spent a lot of alone time with Cucurucho. A council isn't just to consolidate the ideals of the island; a council would protect the players themselves. Sure, there might be disagreements and arguments, but they've had those before (and they're having them now!) and there's no reason to think they wouldn't be able to get through them again.
I hit a bit of a wall with Forever and Cellbit's pov here. Everything I know about their plans are from the debates and paraphrased discussions that have been translated here on tumblr, I'm going to talk less about their explicit plan and more about what the result will entail- a single president who takes responsibility for the island. It seems to me like they've recognized the presidential seat as the powerful opportunity that it is, and they want to take advantage of it. Here's some extra personal speculation but, adding rules, adding or removing mods, proposing public works, enforcing laws- those are just the abilities that are listed. Those are incredible opportunities to make the Federation take action, which is more than they've had before. We've seen before that the Federation isn't perfect; the Federation makes mistakes.
By working with the Federation, by making them take action (in a semi-controlled, semi-predictable way) you open them up to more opportunities for them to fuck up (while benefiting you). And, maybe, one of those fuck ups will be the key to taking them down. Maybe they could reopen ender chests. Maybe they could open the nether. Maybe they could learn why the Federation is holding an election in the first place. It's possible to do all these things with Baghera's plan, sure, but that's not a guarantee and, if someone like Bad is on the council, there's absolutely no way to be sure it would get done. And, if there's a council, then that opens up everyone on the council to the Federation's wiles. If there's just one president, then that's where the Federation's focus will be. By using a single person to build a relationship with the Federation, they only risk that single person. By electing ministers instead of a council, they can ensure that the island residents' needs are being heard while placing the federation's focus on that one person. A point can be made that they've done that before- with varying results. like kidnapping. selling your soul. etc. But! overall, I think they've gained more than they've lost by singling out one person. Because of them, we know that Cucurucho can't be trusted. We know that the Federation has a series of tunnels underneath the island. We know that the Federation not only has some sort of cryo technology, but had some unknown reason to use it. We know that there was another person working with Cellbit to take care of Felps (theorized to be ElQuackity), so we know there's at least one more Fed that isn't Cucurucho + blank-faced workers. There's been risk, but there's absolutely been rewards. This is just a very long meandering way to say that their plan to sacrifice Forever to the presidential seat reminds me very much of Cellbit's plan to sacrifice himself to the federation. They're saving their friends by potentially damning themselves and I, for one, think that is cool as hell.
they all care about each other so much. bad's plan means taking on no more risk. baghera's plan means spreading that risk evenly to stand strong together. and cellbit and forever's plan means taking the risk onto themselves so they can reap the rewards for others. am i reading too much into things? no this is tumblr and this smp is about LOVE and i really genuinely think that their election plans are a fantastic example of just how much they love each other
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YOU — “What was it like when we were partners?”
JEAN VICQUEMARE — He looks at you, taking a long drag from his cigarette. His eyes are hard. “You don’t remember at all?”
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Impossible: Failure] — You try to search through the mire of your mind, but come up with only the ghosts of vague and conflicting feelings— comfort and pain, gratitude and resentment, and above all, fear.
YOU — Fear of what?
CONCEPTUALIZATION — Of being seen. Seen and despised.
EMPATHY — He fears that, too. That one day, he’ll look at you and realize that it was all for nothing.
-1 MORALE
PRECINCT 41 — The night air is pleasantly cool, and even this late, you can hear plenty of signs of life in Jamrock. Dogs barking, laughter in the distance. It only makes your own silence more pronounced.
“I remember we were friends.”
“I remember we hated each other.”
“I remember you cramping my style.”
“I remember being a burden.”
“I don’t. I’m sorry.”
JEAN VICQUEMARE — He sighs. Smoke trails as he shakes his head. “It’s fine.”
DRAMA — It is decidedly *not* fine, sire.
JEAN VICQUEMARE — “You know what? It’s probably better that way. Don’t worry about the past. Your great big life is finally starting.” Every word drips with irony. He takes another puff of the cigarette. “Good for you.”
“You’re right. I won’t worry about it.”
“I swear I’m going to make the most of it. It’ll be different this time. I swear, Jean.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
“You sound sarcastic.”
JEAN VICQUEMARE — “Oh, do I? Sorry, let me try again.” He claps with mock politeness. “Congratulations on the amnesia. You must be thrilled.”
“Ha ha. Real funny.”
“Maybe I am. Fuck off.”
“No. I’m scared. It’s been really hard.”
“I’m sorry, okay? It’s not like I can undo it. I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I’m sorry…”
(Say nothing)
JEAN VICQUEMARE — He lets out another breath, closing his eyes. “…Sorry. Look, just forget it, okay, Harry?” He tosses the butt of his cigarette dispassionately into the bushes and lights another. “Believe me, it’s not worth dredging up.”
DRAMA — What he means to say, sire, is that you don’t want to know how bad things got.
EMPATHY — Even he doesn’t like to reminisce. Not on the bad *or* the good. It would all swallow him up if he wasn’t careful. But he can’t forget, either, so he just carries it. And now he carries it alone.
INLAND EMPIRE — He was fooling himself if he ever thought that to live was to be anything but alone. We are all either leavers or those left behind.
HALF LIGHT — It’s not your fault that he started to look like a leaver. You had to be faster than him. You couldn’t let it happen again. Never again.
VOLITION — Derail this train of thought before it builds momentum. It won’t lead you anywhere helpful.
None of this is helpful. Fuck this. [Leave]
[Espirit de Corps — Formidable 13] Just how bad did things get?
CHECK SUCCESS
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — Apocalyptic. Screaming matches that devolved into agonized wails. Words that neither of you can ever take back. Nights spent talking you off of ledges only for you to turn and shove him toward the edge. Times he told you to go ahead and jump, only to then turn and cling to you in terror of a lifelong haunting. Pitiful attempts to revive the corpse of your friendship. Empty ideals of brotherhood clutched tightly to your chests. His orbit around you, both a curse and a reassurance.
SAVOIR FAIRE — You needed him to think you were cool again.
EMPATHY — He needed you to think he was worth trying for.
INLAND EMPIRE — You both discovered that you were sad, cruel animals, incapable of anything but lashing out at each other and licking your own self-inflicted wounds.
VOLITION — And so you changed, somewhat. You did what you had to do to survive and evolve. There is no use or sense in regretting it.
EMPATHY — But *he* refuses to change. He cannot bring himself to dig his heels back out of the dirt. This precinct will be his coffin. He has already decided.
RHETORIC — A memory stirs. A letter, written to you, but never meant for your eyes. You read it, anyway. He never forgave you. You never forgave him, either.
“Kid,
“I bet you think someday your life will begin. That it’s still out there somehow, a great big life just waiting to start. Well, it isn’t. This is all there is. This job is the only fight we are given. After this, we will be its veterans.
“There is nothing more in that beloved future of yours. We are all done there. Done and gone.”
VOLITION — But there is a future beyond ourselves. There is all of the rest of human history-to-be, and they are at our mercy. Find some mercy in yourself, Harry. You know there’s something beyond this job, this precinct.
No. Jean is right. This is my home, these people my half-brothers. I would be nothing without them. I don’t want to die alone.
No. He’s right. There is no future for me. I’m a dead man walking, and soon I’ll be gone. It doesn’t matter.
No. There is no mercy in me. I’m tired. I hope the world ends. I hope we can all be done.
You’re right. I changed a little. That means that I can keep changing. I can be a kinder animal.
You’re right, but I’m afraid. I don’t remember my life before the RCM. I don’t know what I would be if I left.
Isn’t there any way to change Jean, too? Is there a great big life waiting for him?
VOLITION — I… I don’t know. I’m sorry, Harry. I cannot answer for other people. His future is in his own hands.
PRECINCT 41 — Dogs howl in the distance. What a lonely sound.
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yo how're you doing?
I just realized I never asked you your ideal date
Like, fancy or cozy? Outside or inside? City or seaside/mountains/lave/cliffs? Ushhh tell us !
Have the nicest of all days!!!
-✨
“Also, would you rather organize a date for your s.o. or having your s.o. organizing it for you?
Forgot to add this question to the date question”
Not to worry as i added it back for you haha😌
I’m doing okay! Not a lot going on lately tbh which is neither good nor bad i suppose! Thanks for asking and I hope you’re doing well too :)!!
This question actually kind of threw me off since I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what an ideal date would be honestly. If it’s an established relationship I’d probably prefer just to stay home and have a day in with them lol - to no one’s surprise.
But if it’s a first date we’d definitely have to go somewhere! It’s a little basic but I love bookstores so that would probably be the most fun place someone could take me though thinking on it I’m not sure how much conversation I’d give if I’m too busy looking at books🤔
Idk! I’m not a very exciting person so I don’t really have an interesting answer to this question lol, I like staying home and going to places in my orbit, I’ve never even been to the seaside/mountains/lava/cliffs lol
I don’t think I have a preference for who organizes it either! I love doing things for other people but I’m also usually the one who has to plan things with my friends so someone else doing it for me would be really nice I think :)
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