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danceofthephilos · 1 year ago

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SK8 Cast Image Colors, and the Super Sentai Roots of Character Color Coding

Unlike my post about hanakotoba, where only a few examples can be confirmed to be intentionally meaningful choices, image colors are an aspect of SK8's visual symbolism that has been explicitly assigned by the creators to each of the eight main cast members. From design elements to official art and merchandise (such as the art and the Infinity Week logo above) to shots in the show itself, these image colors are a consistent aspect of the series' visual language, and colors, like flowers, have meanings and associations that can provide interesting insight into why these colors were chosen for these characters. Color-coded casts are also strongly historically rooted in the super sentai subgenre of tokusatsu series, a genre that has had massive impact on Japanese pop culture, especially battle anime like SK8, in part, is, so I'll also examine the archetypes associated with their colors in super sentai (and, in Adam's case, another important piece of anime history.)

As color associations can vary by culture, I made sure to use Japanese sources - I mainly started with the dictionary on TC Color Therapy for basic color meanings but frequently checked other sources. My primary source on colors in super sentai is a paper on color theory in tokusatsu by Misako Takahashi, along with fan wikis such as Pixiv Dictionary and other Japanese blogs analyzing the subject. I also supplemented with quotes from SK8's staff when relevant.

All the image colors come from the official character guide included in volume 4 of the Blu-rays.

Reki Kyan - Yellow

Despite his red hair, Reki's image color is yellow, the color of the signature hoodie he always wears at S. Yellow is associated with brightness, cheerfulness, fun and excitement - all things that Reki embodies at his best, and are very important parts of his character arc and what he represents to the people around him. In Utsumi's instructions to colorist Yukari Gotou, as shown in SK8 Design Works, she requested Reki's design have "so many bright and colorful primary colors it's tiring" in order to draw the eye, fitting of a bright and energetic protagonist. Yellow is a common color for team members in sentai anime, being the third most common after red and blue and appearing in the majority of series, and are often bright and cheerful "life of the party" type characters as well. This is a trend dating back to Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, the very first long-running super sentai series (beginning in 1975,) whose color coding has persisted for decades. Kirenger, the yellow member in Gorenger, was even a big eater with a signature favorite food (a trait more commonly attributed to Langa, but Reki's love for ramen and all things salty - even toothpaste - is a recurring bit in SK8 as well) and a big family.

In Takahashi's paper, she quotes another academic, Asako Yoshida's, analysis of another core aspect of yellow sentai characters, where she describes them as "an intelligent type who gathers information and forms strategies before taking action", and "rather than fighting on the front, they're a tactician who uses their wits and comes up with strategies," traits that Reki also shows frequently, especially in his biggest triumph in episode 11.

Like many of the image colors, it's also used in the show (both in the opening - highlighting his yellow-orange eyes - and in episode 11.)

Langa Hasegawa - Blue

Langa's image color is blue, selected along with white from the beginning to fit his snow theme. Blue is associated with positive meanings like calmness and intelligence, but also more negative ones like coldness, sadness and loneliness, fitting of both Langa's calm exterior and the grief that's central to his storyline. Blue sentai members are classically considered "cool" characters, an association that remains strong even as actual characters of that type have grown somewhat rarer over time, with newer series sometimes deliberately subverting expectations. Like yellow, the association of blue with the cool member of a team also dates back to Gorenger, with Aorenger (the blue member) being a cool, stoic character who came from a snowy region. Takahashi quotes Yoshida's description of blue heroes as "the calm, composed and cool second in command type," a character who "doesn't worry about what's in front of him, never seems to get worked up and deals with things calmly," which certainly describes the impression Langa gives off at first - and belies what SK8's producer Kyoko Uryuu described (when comparing him to a petit gâteau) as his "surprisingly passionate" interior.

Like with Reki, Langa's color is shown off in the opening and in the show itself - notably as his "aura" when he's in the Zone with Adam.

Miya Chinen - Light Green

Miya's image color is light green, usually shown as a yellowish lime green. I'll get to green as a whole for Kojiro, but yellow-green specifically is associated with youthfulness, beginnings and hope, as it's the color of newly budding plants - and it can also be associated with immaturity, all meanings fitting of a very young character like Miya. While his costume is meant to be an in-universe game character, his bright green hood could also be seen as vaguely evoking Link from the Legend of Zelda series.

Green sentai characters have more varied archetypes, but were historically often the youngest member of the team, while more recently it's been a trend for them to be the oldest member of the team - fitting for the youngest and oldest members of the six characters making up SK8's main "team." The idea of a green member being the youngest also dates back to Gorenger, with Midorenger (the green member) being an innocent younger boy compared to the rest of the team, who was treated like a "mascot" of sorts and even shared Miya's affinity for animals. It's also become a trend for green characters to have close relationships with the yellow members, and to be in conflict with the red members.

Like with most of the other characters, Miya's color is highlighted in the opening.

Hiromi Higa - Purple

Hiromi's image color is purple, the color of his lipstick and the inside of his cape. Purple is associated with mystery, rarity, luxury and nobility, and in Japan in particular it's frequently associated with horror (from urban legends like the purple mirror to the common use of purple miasma to show disgusting/horrific food in anime.) Purple sentai members are incredibly rare, and at the time of Takahashi's paper the few that existed were usually mentor figures, but several since have been "dark heroes" or antiheroes - as "Shadow-sama" (fitting of the link to nobility) calls himself, as the self-proclaimed Antihero of the S community. With how he becomes a close friend (and even somewhat of a mentor) to the boys despite his very antagonistic first appearance, he certainly fits the "enemy-turned-ally" archetype, and while he's not actually the much older mentor early purple members were, Reki constantly calling him "old man" does evoke that trope too.

His color appears in the opening as well as featuring heavily in his S costume.

Kaoru Sakurayashiki - Pink

True to his surname and aesthetic, Kaoru's image color is pink, the color of cherry blossoms. Pink is associated with beauty, grace, luxury and love. Just like in the west, it's considered a very feminine color - also shown in the fact that pink sentai members are almost exclusively women, and typically particularly feminine and glamorous when on teams with other female members. This is a case where Cherry is in large part a departure from the classic color coding just because of his gender; SK8's colorist, Yukari Gotou, even expressed in Skater's Backstage that she was a bit worried about having a male character with pink hair, but Utsumi described him as a "pink ninja" from the get-go in her coloring notes.

And even Kaoru isn't completely immune to hitting the sentai archetypes either, with his noted beauty and a concern for his looks that Kojiro mocks as effeminate in the series; the contrast between the feminine characteristics he has and his masculine voice and personality are a core part of how his character was designed. He even has a surprising connection with Momorenger (Gorenger's pink member, and only woman) in his affinity for kicks. (As of 2022, there's also finally been a male character properly featuring as the pink member in a sentai series in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers.)

Of course, on top of featuring so heavily in his design, Cherry's color is also used in the opening.

Kojiro Nanjo - Green

Rather than Miya's light green, Kojiro's image color is a regular green. Green is associated with calmness, stability, growth and nature, fitting for a very calming and stable mentor character who just "goes with his feelings" like Kojiro - but like light green, it can also signify immaturity, which also suits a character who proudly proclaims to be a "kid" when he's on vacation. Where Miya fits the "youngest member" trope for green sentai members, Kojiro fits the "oldest member" trope, and he also fits the recently trendy close relationship with yellow and conflict with red. In Takahashi's paper, she quotes Yoshida describing green characters as a whole as "a caring type who's always concerned if things are peaceful" (also fitting of Miya, who's always the most concerned for Reki and Langa,) "a soothing person who makes you feel warm and comforted just by being next to them" and as someone who "loves their friends, and 'being together with everyone' is important to them," and in Utsumi's color notes in SK8 Design Works, she described Kojiro as "A calming, mature green. Comforting."

And like with the others, on top of being his hair color, Kojiro's color is also shown in the opening.

Ainosuke Shindo - Red

Naturally for the "Matador of Love", Adam's image color is red, a color associated with love, passion and excitement, but also danger and anger, covering both sides of the duality of Adam's connection with love and romance and his violent skating. Utsumi's color notes in SK8 Design Works describe it as "the color of love and blood", and described Adam himself as "a guy who stole a main character's color" - fitting of the fact that in sentai series (and many anime influenced by them,) the red member is almost always the main protagonist and leader. (And perhaps a cheeky reference to Reki, though it seems Adam's color was decided on much earlier on.) Between red and blue being tied for their inclusion in sentai series and yellow in a close second place, the three primary colors form a core trio of characters in sentai series that's also reflected by Reki, Langa and Adam as the three most central characters in SK8.

While many works follow Gorenger's lead with the red protagonist being a hot-headed, passionate natural leader (a role that Adam does command at S as a whole, at least at first,) it's covered such a wide spectrum of protagonists over the course of the genre's history that red's biggest association is simply "being the main character," superseding a single specific character archetype. To momentarily dip into the history of anime itself rather than tokusatsu's influence, I'd be remiss not to mention that thanks to the influence of Mobile Suit Gundam (a franchise that both writer Okouchi and character designer Chiba have history with and mentioned in interviews on Febri as inspiring their interest in anime) it does have a memetic association with speed (and rival characters,) as Gundam's frequently-imitated masked antagonist Char Aznable's custom red mecha is notoriously "three times faster" than any other. (Adam's voice actor, Takehito Koyasu, has even played two "Char Clones" himself.)

As with the other characters, Adam's color appears in the opening but it also surrounds him frequently in the show even from his first appearance, including a red glowing aura to mirror Langa's blue when they're in the Zone (even in the finale when the red is gone from his costume.)

Tadashi Kikuchi - Gray

(Tadashi never got an official Twitter icon like the other characters, so I used a different piece of merch.)

Lastly, Tadashi's image color is gray, which is mostly known for being... a bit of a non-color, though it can be associated with gloom, ambiguity or uneasiness. It's mostly seen as a color that blends in and doesn't stand out by itself, which was the purpose behind Tadashi's color scheme, as Utsumi described in her notes as wanting his coloring to "make the main character stand out", given that he was designed from the beginning to appear alongside Adam, who has the "main character's color." Gray is an incredibly rare theme color in sentai series, to the point that there aren't specific character archetypes either; in 2014, at the time of Takahashi's paper, the only gray character she noted was a literal ghost. Even Tadashi's image color is alienated from the other skaters'...

While there are comparatively few (and less obvious) examples of Tadashi's image color appearing in the show, his last emotional scene with Ainosuke takes place in an almost entirely gray room.

It'll be interesting to see how these associations might continue to be used in the future.

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #meta #sk8 meta #reki kyan #langa hasegawa #miya chinen #hiromi higa #shadow sk8 #kaoru sakurayashiki #kojiro nanjo #ainosuke shindo #adam sk8 #tadashi kikuchi

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rye-in-a-coat · 1 year ago

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MY SPARKLECARE THEORY

The Number.

Y'all remember when the ZCP told us to not call the phone number Rem gives to Bright? You should not, I'm not sure if it's an actual number in real life; but if it happens to be, no one who's on the other side of the line will be happy.

To avoid curious viewers to obliterate someone's phone, what usually is done in media ever since in the 1960's in the U.S. and Canada is to have the phone number's central office code to be 555 as it's almost* guaranteed no civilian person will have such number for personal use or will link to any business. This only applies in the North American Numbering Plan of course.

Why didn't the ZCP use a 555 number then? They actually used one in the same volume, the phone number Lo dials to call the Citycountrytown Casting Agency is 555-2737.

What I get from this is that, if they didn't use a 555 number for the number at the end, it is because the numbers in it themselves carry some kind of information.

Cross on blue and yellow background.

Such symbol has appeared before in Volume 1, where we see a escaped patient having it on a sign, and in Volume 2, where it is held by a protestor. As Eve mentioned once in this ask, such symbol which also appears in the blog, website and other stuff is NOT the hospital's logo. Then of what or who?

An anti-Sparklecare group?

It is clear that this symbol as shown in these examples, represents a statement against Sparklecare. What I supose is that, because Kittycorn doesn't want to reveal any further information of the protestors seen in volume 2, they will be relevant in a future volume or series. If we link these clues together, perhaps this symbol doesn't just represent the movement in general, but a specific organized group against Sparklecare, making it their logo. Then this would make Rem part of it too, and so Rem then becomes a very important piece in the story, because she's the infiltrated secret agent in the hospital. Knowing how heavily implied Doctor Party is to be an ESPer, he surely knows about Rem's undercover identity and about this organized group. Perhaps he's part of it too, if so, then they have another great important character against Cuddles.

A cipher?

Going back to the phone number, if the numbers in it are important and relevant, perhaps a piece of code is ciphered in it. My first thought was A1Z26 cipher, a simple sustitution code in which each letter gets a number assigned, so A is 1, B is 2; and so on.

The first six digits of the phone number, if you read them as 1-14-20-9 and decipher them using A1Z26, you get the word ANTI; which I really doubt this is just a coincidence knowing how it is implied this phone number belongs to an ANTI Sparklecare group.

The other four tho: 2425, are not that obvious. The possible combinations readable in A1Z26 are 2-4-2-5 (BDBE), 2-4-25 (BDY), 24-2-5 (XBE), and 24-25 (XY).

The only idea that comes to my mind is A-N-T-I-B-D-Y which is one letter off from "antibody". An antibody is protein belonging to the inmune system which will find, target and neutralize foreign and so-possibly harming bodies such as harmful bacteria and viruses.

An antibody's job is to protect the human body from what will harm it, and these anthries's hope seems to be to protect the patients from receiving any more harm from such heartless medical industry.

But Imma be honest, the four last digits are quite an stretch to analyze and I'm starting to doubt if the ANTI is a coincidence.

*A footnote.

If you want to use a 555 number in your media, DO NOT put as area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833 before them. These area codes are reserved for toll-free dial numbers, to which the 555 office code is valid; so you may actually write a real phone number that who knows where that will link to.

#handful of grains #sparklecare #tell-o-phone

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honeytonedhottie · 1 year ago

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THE MASTER-MINDS CLASS⋆.ೃ࿔*:･✨

im so THRILLED to announce my very own class called master the mind. in this master class i've written thorough lessons to help teach the foundations of manifesting.

additionally, formulated fun challenges and "assignments" to help you practice + apply the law of assumption. i explain manifesting and go in depths with my own ideas and theories about the law.

before we go any further in this post i want to clarify that all the information that i share about manifesting in that class is the same information that you'd receive on my blog. the law is the law at the end of the day ✨

i'd recommend the class if u just want an extra push, wanna try fun challenges/manifesting assignments, or if u wanted everything i had to offer about the law, in lesson form.

if u want this class to be available to you, you must be a member of my blog. i'll link blog MEMBERSHIP right here and once your a member of my blog you can join that class by dming me where i'll share the code so that u can join the class 💗

#law of assumption #honeytonedhottie⭐️#becoming that girl #self concept #that girl #it girl energy #dream girl tips #dream girl #dream life #manifesting tips #manifesting exercises #loa tumblr #girl blog #hyper femininity

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vickyvicarious · 1 year ago

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Who's Read What in Dracula? Masterpost

This is a little self-assigned project to try and keep track of who has read (as well as written) what documents, and, importantly, when they do so. Last year I spent some time thinking about this and it informed some of my thoughts about specific characters' perspectives and actions in interesting ways. So I thought it could be a neat resource to have for others!

I'm going to update this in time with the novel, so there won't be any spoilers. This post is going to be a master reference, with links to each individual character's posts. I originally wanted to do this as a series of graphs for each character, with color-coded bars for each document they've read, but I'm not savvy enough to figure out a non-confusing way to do so, especially given the number of different authors/documents. Instead, I'm going to have a separate post for each character, and just have the info in written form there. Here are the links to each of those, in order of introduction:

Jonathan Harker

Mina Murray

Lucy Westenra

Jack Seward

Quincey Morris

Arthur Holmwood

Abraham Van Helsing

Some housekeeping notes: Obviously, each character will have read their own writing. I'm not going to update day-by-day for any such things. Instead, I'll only update whenever they access new information by someone else, or begin what I'm counting as a new document.

Most of the time, we know for a fact when characters get access to a new document. However, there are a few exceptions. I have my theories, but I will mark them as speculative whenever that label applies.

I break up documents based on chunks of information and have assigned titles to them as such. The labels may change as time goes by as needed to avoid spoilers. I also try to add in dates, but for any longer accounts it will just be a range of dates rather than every entry.

Below the cut is a list of all the documents, in order of appearance, with dates. I'm using color-coding for all the main authors, which will match the colors used in individual character posts. This too will be updated over time, so no worries about spoilers here either. Unless, of course, you don't want to know if someone who has only written once before will go on to write often... in that case, don't look below.

Castle Dracula Diary (3 May-30 June) - Jonathan Harker

Invitation to Castle Dracula (3 May) - Count Dracula

Letter to Innkeeper (4 May) - Count Dracula *

Letter to Dracula (5 May) - Mr. Hawkins *

Letters to Lucy (9 May, 17 May?*) - Mina Murray

Letter to Mina (2/3 May?) - Jonathan Harker *

Letters to Mina (11 May?, 24 May) - Lucy Westenra

Dictated Letters Home (11 May, 18 May) - Jonathan Harker *

Letters to Various Solicitors (11 May) - Count Dracula *

Phonograph Diary (25 May-?) - Jack Seward

Letter to Art (25 May) - Quincey Morris

Telegram Reply to Quincey (26 May) - Arthur Holmwood

Intercepted Letters Home (28 May) - Jonathan Harker *

Renfield's Notebook (5 June?-?) - R. M. Renfield *

Log of the Demeter (18 July-4 August) - Captain of the Demeter

Whitby Journal (24 July-19 August) - Mina Murray

Message to Lucy (27 July) - Arthur Holmwood *

Demeter Articles (8-9 August) - Daily Graph Correspondent

Letter from Budapest (12 August) - Sister Agatha

Letter to Carter, Paterson, & Co. (17 August) - Billington & Son

Letter to Mina (17/18 August?) - Mr. Hawkins *

Letter to Billington & Son (21 August) - Carter, Patterson, & Co.

Post-Whitby Letter to Lucy (24 August) - Mina Murray

London Diary (24 August-17 September) - Lucy Westenra

Whitby Letter (30 August) - Lucy Westenra

Letter to Jack (31 August) - Arthur Holmwood

Telegram to Jack (1 September) - Arthur Holmwood

Letter to Van Helsing (1 September?) - Jack Seward *

Letters to Arthur (2, 3, 6, 15?* September) - Jack Seward

Letter to Dr. Seward (2 September) - Van Helsing

Telegrams to Van Helsing (4-8 September) - Jack Seward

Telegram to Arthur (8 September) - Jack Seward

Telegram to John (8 September) - Van Helsing *

Telegram(s?) to Vanderpool (10, 13? September) - Van Helsing *

Delayed Telegram to Seward (17 September) - Van Helsing

Lucy's Memorandum (17 September) - Lucy Westenra

Unread Letters to Lucy (17, 18 September) - Mina Murray

Escaped Wolf Article (18 September) - Pall Mall Gazette

Telegram to Quincey (18 September) - Arthur Holmwood

Mrs. Westenra's Death Certificate (18 September) - Jack Seward/Van Helsing *

Telegram to Arthur (18 September) - Quincey Morris *

Telegram to Summon Arthur (19 September) - Jack Seward *

Hennessey's Report (20 September) - Patrick Hennessey

Letter to Mrs. Westenra's Lawyer (21 September) - Jack Seward *

Post-Whitby Journal (22 September-?) - Mina Murray

Telegram to Mrs. Harker (22 September) - Van Helsing

Letters to Mrs. Harker (24-25 September) - Van Helsing

Bloofer Lady Articles (25 September) - Westminster Gazette

Telegrams to Van Helsing (25, 29 September) - Mina Murray

Telegram to Mina (25 September) - Jonathan Harker *

Letter to Van Helsing (25 September) - Mina Murray

Post-Castle Diary (26 September-?) - Jonathan Harker

Carfax Letters (pre-3 May?) - Jonathan Harker *

Letter from Ring (24/25 September?) - Arthur Holmwood *

Note to Jack (24/25 September?) - Quincey Morris *

Undelivered Note to John (26 September) - Van Helsing

Note to Arthur and Quincey (27 September) - Van Helsing *

Message to Billington & Sons (27/28 September) - Jonathan Harker *

Reply from Billington (27/28 September) - Mr. Billington *

Telegram to Jonathan (29 September) - Mina Murray *

Carter Paterson Documents - Carter, Paterson, & Co *

* We know these documents exist, but never get to read them (or in one case, only get a brief excerpt) as they aren't added to the record. Sometimes some of the main characters do get to read them, but not always.

Question marks after a date denote uncertainty, though they're all likely written within a few days of the tentative one listed. When after a dash (-?) they mark an as-yet incomplete document.

Some documents contain others within them. When this becomes relevant for characters reading them, I will list the main document read, then all others included in it with brackets, like this:

Main document [included document one, two]

#dracula daily #wrwd #wrwd masterpost #dracula meta #my meta #no one has ever asked for this. i just find it fun #both years so far i think 'probably not gonna be posting as much about dracula this time around' and then immediately start tracking stuff #or writing metas etc #also i'm doing this as we go so who knows if this format will work. hopefully so but if not i'll try to figure it out when it comes to that #dracula documents #can't believe i forgot that tag that's literally all this is

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the-nosy-neighbor · 1 year ago

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Eddie's Envelopes

Some spoilers from the latest update included

We've had a lot of Eddie content in this update. His supply list in "commercials" reminds me of a prior theory that I had.

So, get this:

Here, Clown has helpfully provided us with a full example of a letter, including the envelopes.

Envelopes are on Eddie's shopping list.

W receives Welcome Home materials in brightly colored envelopes, recently expanded to include homemade boxes, paper, and yarn or string.

"To be honest, we were drawn in unexpectedly. All of the information found on this website was extracted from documents that had been uncovered in brightly colored envelopes. We are thankful to be the first to jump start this exciting journey! But it hurts."

I have suggested before that this is pretty clear evidence that Eddie is sending the materials to W. I think that is why we saw his freakout, and if you want more information, there is a post on my blog. I will try to find it and edit this post.

This full example of an envelope is from Frank, and the top flap is yellow, which is Frank's assigned color. My theory is that the color of the top fold of the envelope tells you who it is from.

The image below shows what the front of a letter would look like. However, it is an example, so I don't know that we could guess it is an actual letter from the neighborhood. It could have been sent on by Eddie, but it is just as likely that it was created for the exhibit.

The second instance of a letter that we have is the letter below from Howdy, and the letter is probably addressed to Wally, as it mentions letting someone know about a paint shipment. The letter does not appear to match the envelope showing the front, but might match the back. If the flap is the same color on both sides, this is definitely matches the top flap showing who the letter is from. The front of the envelope could be considered to be indicative of the address system used, since they are coming from Eddie anyway. W has gotten some of these envelopes.

So it appears that the envelopes are addressed by name and location. In this example, The letter is from Wally (reflected in the red top flap) and to Barnaby. They both have "home" listed as their address, so either they are sending letters to each other in Home, they are referring to the neighborhood as home, or they are at their individual homes.

The letter from Wally to Barnaby had a blue field on the front of the envelope. So sender is the top and the front is the receiver maybe? The other two envelopes in these pictures are upside down, so they are no help.

I want to write about how I have been feeling too. I have no one to write to. If something happens to me, it will be like nothing had happened at all.

Included because of the reference of writing, and writing to someone. W says they don't have anyone to write to, and I am wondering if it is because W is very isolated, because the one person they tried to share it with went mad, or they are trying to explain that they also don't exist in our reality. There is the potential that W is some in-between entity. More on what we learn about W soon.

I think if this code system is correct, then it may provide us with useful information. If we accept that Eddie is passing things on in coded envelopes, motives and alliances might be ome clearer.

#welcome home #welcome home theories #wally darling #welcome home arg #welcome home project #eddie dear

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wanderinginksplot-writes · 10 months ago

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Gar Cyare Chapter Sixteen

The lockdown ends. Alpha has a serious discussion with the ARCs-in-training.

Word Count: 3,600

Warnings: References to past threats, teasing, mentions of physical training, serious conversation, discussions of war.

Previous | Next | Masterlist

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Jorhaa'ir (Talk)

After a total of four days on lockdown, the Kaminoans finished a full audit of their systems. The information that had been sliced and duplicated was largely limited to what General Ti had discovered before beginning the original investigation.

The threat level was still considered to be high, but the Kaminoans started to fortify the areas that were deemed to be the most at-risk. The additional troopers were dismissed back to their previous assignments. You had been just as sad to see Neyo leave a second time, but you and Alpha had spent quite a bit of time with him in the few days he was on Kamino.

The Null troopers were some of the last to leave, but they came to say goodbye personally.

You hadn’t been thrilled when they came through the door of your office, but Alpha had clearly been holding himself back, simply asking, “What.”

“Just came to get her decision about our deal,” A’den told him with a smile.

“I’ll help you,” you told him, eyes on the datapad you were working on. There was a victorious sort of noise from one of the six men and you looked at them sharply. “With the understanding, of course, that I’m doing this of my own free will. I’m not working for you or doing anything outside of finding Ko Sai’s journals. Even then, if I need to stop, I will.”

“You’re a bold little civvie,” Kom’rk said. “I don’t see a problem with those terms.”

“I do,” Ordo countered. “If we leave, it’ll be harder to get back on Kamino. We can’t just hope she isn’t going to change her mind.”

“Have you broken the code for the journals’ location yet?” you asked.

Ordo gave you a hard look. “No.”

“Then unless you’re going to hide on Kamino and hope no one finds you before you can get to the journals, accepting my offer might be your only choice.”

“We don’t have a better option,” Jaing said lowly. “It’s either this or try to find a way back on-planet later. There’s nothing to lose.”

“We accept your offer,” Prudii told you, wearing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“We’ll be in touch when we find out something about the location of the journals,” Mereel said, tapping the comlink on his vambrace. Your comlink chimed and you glanced down at it. “That’s the code we’ll reach out from. If you see anything from another code, don’t answer it.”

“Got it,” you said, saving the code into the comlink’s directory and linking it to your datapad in case something happened to your comlink. “I’ve gotten a few more parts of the coded message translated if you want them. It looks like a rotational cipher of some kind, but it’s hard without a key.”

Ordo gave a derisive snort, but Kom’rk stepped forward. “Let me see it. I want to see how you’ve done so far.”

You held out the cipher, marked with theories and final decisions on what different letters were. Kom’rk studied the flimsi for a moment, nodding slowly. “We’ve got a lot of the same letters done. It looks like your work is right.”

“Do you want me to comm you when I get the rest done?” you asked.

“It’s not safe,” Ordo cut in. “The more transmissions that pass between us, the more likely it is that someone will notice. And since long-distance transmissions from Kamino are monitored, it’s better if you just wait for us to contact you.”

“Have you thought about how we’ll do a data transfer, then?” Alpha made it sound like a challenge. “The kaminii are gonna notice if we start transmitting secret data.”

“I’m glad you’re so confident, Captain,” Prudii said with a smile. “But let’s focus on one thing at a time. We’ll find a way to get the data from you when there’s data to transfer.”

“The transport is getting ready to leave,” Mereel reported. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll be in touch,” A’den told you, just before he left, closing the door behind him.

You sighed. “They’re exhausting.”

Alpha snorted. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard anyone say about them. I have to wonder how Skirata managed to get all six of ‘em on Kamino at once. The kaminii never liked the Nulls, and they especially hated Skirata.”

“Maybe the Nulls were the compromise,” you suggested. “If they weren’t allowed to come, Skirata would come instead.”

A surprised laugh burst from Alpha as he looked down at you. “Maybe so, little one.”

“Why don’t they like him?” you asked after a moment, curious despite yourself.

“Asks too many questions,” Alpha answered immediately. “They don’t like anyone who does that. Reminds me of you that way. He thinks the clones are the greatest thing since the hyperdrive. Wants to protect all of ‘em, give us lives.”

You hummed. That didn’t sound like a bad thing, but there was something in the way Alpha said Skirata’s name that told you he didn’t care for the man. “Sounds like we would get along.”

Alpha grumbled in Mando’a for a second. “You’d either menace the entire galaxy or try to kill each other. Or both, depending on the minute. It’d be hell.”

“Flatterer,” you accused, smiling.

He worked very hard at being grumpy for another few seconds, but an answering smile spread slowly across Alpha’s face. “You would take that as a compliment.”

“Of course,” you agreed. “I’m sure you weren’t trying to insult me.”

Alpha opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the chiming of his comlink. “Hold that thought, mesh’la. I have to take this.”

You watched him step a polite distance away to answer the comlink, still smiling to yourself. The tension had eased slowly from Kamino since Tipoca City was released from lockdown. There were still more guards that usual around the laboratories, and the process of getting information for your report had grown even longer, but the departure of the troopers had been a signal that things were getting back on track.

Alpha ended the short conversation, turning back to you with an expression of resignation. “I have to get back to the ARCs. Since Kamino’s security is going back to normal levels, training needs to pick back up. You coming?”

“Definitely,” you decided, catching up with him easily before he left your office.

The training for that day was relatively simple - exercises to make sure that fitness levels for the ARCs-in-training hadn’t dropped in their brief time away from training, then a group exercise meant to challenge them at all of their weak points.

You watched Salvo defer leadership to let one of the other troopers take over, then saw Aftermath stop for one of the others who had fallen. “They’re coming along, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they’ll turn out okay,” Alpha agreed absently, making notes on a datapad. “They were always going to.”

“Really?” you asked, skeptical. Alpha quirked a brow, his silent question clear even as his gaze stayed focused on his datapad. “You seemed worried earlier in their training. Something about them lacking the motivation to be ARCs.”

Alpha finally let the datapad drop away from his face, narrowing his eyes at you. “That’s all training talk, neverd’ika. I haven’t failed a group yet. This was never going to be the ones to change that. They just needed some… motivation.”

You shook your head. “I didn’t realize there was psychological warfare happening at the same time as the physical training.”

“Yes you did,” Alpha argued. “I told you that at the beginning of this.”

“You did,” you conceded after taking a moment to think about it. “I guess I didn’t think you had the patience to follow through on it.”

“I always have patience for the important things.” Alpha glanced at the field, mouth flattening into a harsh line. “Like… Maw! Put the karkin’ datapad away or I will make you repeat this exercise as a solo mission!”

By the time you had settled your heart rate, Alpha had already turned back to you with an expectant look on his face. You shook your head slowly. “I forget how loud you are, sometimes.”

“Thank you.”

“How much longer does this group have?” you asked, deciding that it wasn’t worth it to follow up on the ‘compliment’ you had given him. “They’re a few weeks in, aren’t they?”

“They’ve been here for a month, so they only have two weeks left.” Alpha’s tone had gone distant once more as he focused on the ARCs-in-training.

“I know the last group wasn’t typical, but that seems like a really short time,” you noted, frowning. “You’re a great trainer, but it doesn’t feel like they’re going to have time to learn everything they need to.”

“They won’t,” Alpha agreed, meeting your dismay with an understanding look of his own. “Have you wondered why the kaminii don’t just train all their troopers like ARCs? It’s because it takes a different way of thinking. ARCs have to be individuals, able to think on their feet and alter the orders they were given to achieve an objective. They already have the skills - I’m just teaching them how to think like an ARC trooper.”

Alpha’s explanation forged a connection inside your brain. “That’s… isn’t that… That seems like the opposite of what the Kaminoans were trying to do when they altered the Fett gene.”

“Go on.”

You took a deep breath, hoping you weren’t about to offend him. “I don’t remember everything I read in Ko Sai’s notes, but she seemed very proud of the way they altered the troopers’ genes so they would be more loyal and group-minded.”

“Exactly,” Alpha confirmed with a nod. “That’s why they can’t train everyone to be an ARC. Individual ARC troopers and commando squads are a useful precision tool, but you need armies to fight a war. Personally, I think that the ARC candidates are the troopers whose genes are a little closer to Jango’s.”

“I wouldn’t think that the Kaminoans would be happy enough about that to give ARCs special training and designations,” you noted, changing your stance entirely about the subject. “I would expect them to try to hide any differences in genes.”

“Then it would look like an accident,” Alpha countered. “By separating ARC troopers as uniquely capable of difficult missions, the kaminii can act like this was all part of their plan.”

You shook your head in amazement. “That makes a lot of sense. I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t see it myself.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.” You felt the warmth of Alpha’s smile, though he was still facing the training field. “Endex, men. On me.”

The platform where you had been observing the ARCs-in-training started to lower toward the floor and you stepped toward where the door would be. “Need me to leave?”

“No, I think you’ll like this part,” Alpha told you. “Since they only have a few weeks left, we have a meeting to discuss more personal matters. It’s a… motivational conversation.”

You were instantly delighted, beaming at him and the troopers who were just coming into view. Alpha looked at you long enough for you to catch the warmth in his eyes, then he shook his head as if despairing your lack of a sabacc face.

“Men,” Alpha greeted, stepping off of the platform. You trailed behind him, trying to school your face into a neutral expression. It wasn’t easy, but you managed. “Let’s talk.”

A pall fell over the group instantly, and you realized that they expected to be berated for something. You watched them shuffle after Alpha, forming a loose semi-circle around him and standing at attention.

Alpha - cruel man that he was - let them dangle for a moment before saying, “At ease.”

The ARCs-in-training glanced at each other as they complied, but the tension didn’t ease.

“Tell me about your battalions.”

That was clearly not what they had expected Alpha to say. The men hesitated as a group, as if they weren’t sure how to answer… or, more likely, because they were looking for a trap in Alpha’s invitation.

Salvo spoke first. He had gotten better at letting the other men take the lead and caring less about his place in the chain of command, but he was older than all of the other men and they clearly looked to him for certain things.

“I’m part of the 22nd Air Combat Wing,” Salvo explained. “Led by Jedi General Roan Shryne.”

“I know that,” Alpha explained patiently. Well, maybe he wasn’t patient, but he wasn’t actively impatient, which was nearly the same thing for him. “I have access to your assignment files. Tell me about the 22nd. Tell me about your General.”

“The 22nd is an air combat wing,” Salvo repeated slowly, clearly trying to gather his thoughts as Alpha watched him steadily. “We’re mostly pilots, but there are plenty of support roles. Because we’re a smaller group, a lot of our support is natties who were assigned to help out. My best pilot is a trooper named Rally. He’s almost as old as I am.”

“And your general?” Alpha prompted.

“General Shryne is… different from most Jedi,” Salvo said carefully. “He doesn’t use the Force very often. He carries a blaster and a lightsaber, but he’s more likely to use the blaster. Wears plenty of armor, too.”

“Good man,” Alpha said approvingly. “More jetii could stand to learn that no one is invincible on a battlefield. Who’s next?”

As if encouraged by the lack of negative reaction to Salvo’s answer, Maw began to speak. “I’m with the 104th, serving under General Plo Koon and Commander Wolffe.”

“What do you think about serving with a Jedi?” Alpha asked Maw. “Must slow you down out there, especially with a commander like Wolffe.”

“You must know the commander, then,” Maw said with a slight smile.

“Well enough,” Alpha agreed. “Enough to know how impatient he can be.”

You struggled to keep from laughing aloud at the idea of Alpha calling someone impatient. From the looks on some of the troopers’ faces, they were thinking the same thing.

“I’m one of the younger troopers in the Wolfpack,” Maw explained. “They brought me on because I had access to some of the updated tech modules in flash-training, plus some experience with my original battalion. They needed someone who could slice into terminals on their missions and I was looking for a change of scenery.”

“Where were you before?” Alpha asked.

“Parable Outpost.” Maw shrugged. “It wasn’t the worst place to be, especially for a shiny just off of Kamino, but it was quiet. I got to thinking that I could do more for the war effort, so I requested a transfer.”

“And?” Maw blinked uncomprehendingly, and Alpha expanded, “Do you feel like you’ve done more for the war effort?”

You expected Maw to shrug off the question, to say something about how life was more exciting away from Parable Outpost or that he got to see more of the galaxy. But a sincerity seemed to have filled the air between the troopers.

“Yeah,” Maw said with a nod. “I do.”

Alpha gave him an understanding sort of look and turned to Fives and Echo. “The two of you can go together or separately, up to you.”

“We’re with the 501st Battalion,” Fives said. “General Anakin Skywalker.”

“How do you like it?”

“The general is a little… unorthodox,” Echo said slowly, and you watched the others try not to smile too obviously. Clearly, ‘unorthodox’ meant something specific to the troopers, and it must not be entirely a good thing. “But his plans usually end up working. And he’s always front and center, so he can help fix the ones that go sideways.”

Alpha gave a short hum. “And the other men in the 501st?”

“Crazy, all of ‘em,” Fives said with a broad, fond grin. “But you have to be, otherwise you transfer out.”

Echo looked a little more thoughtful. “Good men, though. No 501st man has ever left before completing the objective or getting the call to retreat. And we’ve never left a man behind, not if there’s any chance that he’s still alive.”

The warmth and pride that had shone from both of the men when they spoke about their general only intensified when they talked about their brothers.

“That leaves you, Aftermath,” Alpha prompted.

“327th,” Aftermath said reflexively. “Led by Jedi General Aayla Secura.”

“And Commander Bly.” Alpha gave a rare nod of approval. “He’s a good soldier. A good brother.”

“Good commander, too,” Aftermath agreed. “Everyone in the 327th knows he’s got our backs. Never met a battle he’d back down from.”

“He’s always been that way,” Alpha revealed, “even when he was training as an ARC. No one can fight every battle all the time. But rangir! If there was ever someone I’d believe could do it anyway, it was Bly. Not that I’d tell him.”

“That’d be dangerous.” Aftermath looked thoughtful. “The other men are good, too. Loyal. We’ve only had one transfer out in the past two months.”

“Impressive.”

Aftermath nodded. “Bad news is that it was our medic. But they needed him at one of the med stations.”

“He must have been solid,” Alpha remarked. “Med station medics have to be the best at what they do.”

“He was.”

Alpha took a step back, centering himself in front of the group. “I want you men to think about what you just said. What each other said. Not every man has what it takes to be an ARC trooper. Odds are, most of the men you left behind will never be able to perform at the level you do. But they don’t have to.”

“We’re troopers,” he continued. “We’re stronger together. Us ARCs take on the specialty missions, the ones that require independence and higher skill levels so the other troopers can wear down the enemy with sheer numbers. We’re a sniper rifle; they’re a battering ram. Both have their place on the battlefield, and you need both to win a war. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Nods appeared around the group - some more hesitant than others.

“Remember your brothers,” Alpha commanded them. “Remember where you came from. But you also have to remember that your skills are important for everyone’s brothers. As an ARC, you’ll occasionally work with your brothers from your original battalion. But you could be sent anywhere. When you’re working with unfamiliar troopers, they’re brothers, too. Not only because they’re troopers, but because they’re someone else’s brothers. Another ARC stood here thinking about them, speaking about their importance in his life. We watch each other’s backs, because every trooper is important to someone.”

Alpha tucked his hands behind his back. The angle was too sharp for you to see his face, but the way he leaned forward made you think that he was giving the men a look. “You’ve already made ‘em proud. Now keep ‘em safe. Dismissed.”

“Sir,” Echo said hesitantly. Alpha paused mid-step. “Could I- could we - keep using the practice room? I have some maneuvers I need to work on.”

“Granted,” Alpha said with a nod. “Anyone else?”

The rest of the ARCs-in-training made noises of agreement, each one listing something they wanted to work on.

“It’ll be unsupervised practice,” Alpha warned. “But I expect to see some improvements tomorrow. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

You couldn’t tell if that agreement had come from all of them or only a few, but all of them saluted.

Alpha’s hand at the small of your back ushered you out of the training area. You led the way back to your office, not looking at him so you wouldn’t break.

The cost of that, of course, was that you rounded on him the moment you were safely tucked away in your office. Alpha caught your mood instantly, a put-upon expression crossing his face the moment he saw your broad grin.

“What?”

“You’re so good at that!” You shrugged, still smiling. “You’re a wonderful trainer.”

Alpha shook his head despairingly, turning to check that the door was secure behind him. That gave you the perfect vantage point to watch the back of his neck grow ruddy. Your grin only spread further.

When he finally spoke, it was only to disagree. “Seeing as how you’ve never met another ARC trainer, I can’t get too carried away with that compliment.”

“Exactly,” you told him. “If you weren’t doing an excellent job, the Kaminoans would have replaced you a long time ago. Or at least added another trainer. You are the best trainer anyone could imagine for the ARCs, Alpha. I’m sure of it. And your speech was wonderful.”

“Speech,” Alpha muttered. “I just asked them a few questions.”

“And reminded them how important their training is, even as they start wrapping it up.” You gave a satisfied sigh. “I could kiss you right now.”

For a large man, Alpha moved unbelievably quickly. In no more time than it took you to blink, he was by your side, leaning down with his hands planted on the armrests on either side of you.

“Well, neverd’ika?” he pressed, gaze roaming between your eyes and your lips. “That’s an offer I’ll gladly accept.”

Alpha could hardly finish what he was saying before you pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his lips. You were both smiling, which made it taste all the sweeter.

---

Author's Note - Reminder that Salvo is a canon clone trooper (or was, in Legends). If you don't know anything about Jedi General Shryne, he's an... interesting character.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, comments and reblogs help share my work and make the long, frustrating, sleep-stealing hours I spend writing this story worth it!

See you soon!

#gar cyare #gar cyare fic #captain alpha 17 #alpha 17 fic #alpha 17 #alpha 17 x reader #alpha 17 x you #reader insert #reader insert fic #star wars legends #star wars the clone wars #star wars #star wars fanfiction #ink's fics

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themiimagebehindfire · 8 months ago

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Theory Time:

So I've been thinking about this dream and what it means.

(Can't wait for this to get shot down in Episode 3, but whatever)

Why is Tom dreaming about the Cyan Team when All Stars didn't happen yet in the timeline? Is he just psychic?

NO.

I said dreams were often Ludacris, and I stand by that, but there's still a ROOT to the cause of the dream.

In this case, it's Tom's memory of the day he got tortured.

Which ALSO roots to Tom's fear and paranoia of getting hurt with Jake.

PTSD is a bitch.

Anyway, here's my theory:

This is a Ludacris retelling of his memory with Disventure Camp contestants reanacting certain roles BECAUSE of the trauma root being Disventure Camp deep down.

After all, Tom brings it all up again later in the episode:

"When I was a spy, I would get cut, maimed, bruised, you name it. All of that wouldn't compare to the hurt I'd go through if Jake and I failed again."

So my claim isn't too far out there I feel.

So what do I think happened?

1: Tom was NOT doing that mission alone.

He was with a team assigned to him. They were doing this mission together.

2: One of the spies he was working with on that mission was ALSO NAMED Aiden

Why would he dream of Aiden from Disventure Camp if they hadn't met yet?

Well here's my belief:

Yes, Tom did not meet Aiden till All Stars. BUT he knew Aiden existed because of Season 2.

"But doesn't Eagle Eye start directly after Season 1?"

No, actually. They never said that.

What they DID say was that Tom went through "Police Academy Training" for the job. So, like... what if Eagle Eye starts a month or two before Tom got the All Stars call?

So, yeah, Season 2 would've been aired if that's the case, and if Tom saw it, he would know there was a contestant named Aiden.

And the reason he dreams of Aiden is because he had a spy co-worker that went on that mission with him, and he was ALSO named Aiden.

Were they just co-workers? Acquaintances? Friends? Crushes? Idk. Point is they knew each other.

The dream also shows Aiden getting kidnapped by Jensen.

Those are 110% Jensen's arms that grab him here.

So, at some point in the mission, Spy Aiden got caught by the culprits they were after and was kidnapped. And Tom witnessed it happen.

3: Tom's Spy Code Name Was 'Eagle Eye'

I don't think I need to explain this one. It's the name of the episode. Gabby and Ellie, impersonating Tom's co-spies here, call him 'Eagle Eye'.

4: The reason Tom failed his mission and got caught by the culprits

In the dream, Tom tries to fight off the protests to "Go save Aiden"

Transition later, and he's tied up.

So:

Tom was on a mission with a team, and in the process of that mission, a co-spy named Aiden got caught and kidnapped.

Tom tried to go save Spy Aiden, but the others warned him not to because it was very obviously bait the culprits were using to lure them in a trap.

But Tom did not listen to reason. He went to save him anyway. He COULDN'T leave his co-worker for dead.

And... the others were right to warn him. Tom got captured as well.

Then you have the culprits, played by Jensen in the dream, who proceeded to torture the now kidnapped Tom for information.

Based on HOW MANY scars Tom got from that experience, there are two possibilities:

Either: He gave in and spilled at the very first threat of a blade to his face, but they sliced him up to permanent scars anyway (because BAD PEOPLE).

Or: He resisted and refused to talk, and allowed himself to be tortured by SEVERAL measures, but ended up giving the info they wanted when his body couldn't take it anymore.

EITHER ONE WOULD WORK.

In my opinion, I think the latter makes more sense.

He mentioned he got interrogated by mob bosses and waterboarded in All Stars.

But... he only went on two missions. The Disventure Camp mission, and the one he got his scars from.

So if it WASN'T Disventure Camp where this happened, it was DEFINATELY the other mission.

"But why would he immediately say he'd talk in the dream?"

If this IS reenacting the memory of his torture in his head, then this could be him wishing he HAD just given up and talked at the first threat of being harmed. Maybe then he wouldn't have gotten his scars...

It would have probably made no difference and hey probably would've cut him up anyway. BECAUSE BAD PEOPLE.

One more thing: Notice Aiden is NOT mentioned again after the kidnapping.

Jake shows up in the dream and CRIES FOR HELP, which Tom responds by struggling to break free from his ties and saying he's coming.

HM, SOMEONE HE CARED ABOUT DEARLY CRIED FOR HELP, BUT HE COULDN'T GET TO THEM BECAUSE HE WAS TRAPPED.

...see where I'm going with this?

And if that's true, then that makes Tom cowering away from Jake to protect both of them for two years HURT THAT MUCH MORE.

Tom spilling info was definitely why the mission failed. That, and engaging with the culprits in an obvious trap when they weren't supposed to. The boss wasn't happy.

Either: Spy Aiden was saved as well as Tom, but ended up despising Tom for his attempt at helping so much he ghosted Tom and never talked to him ever again.

Or: Spy Aiden didn't get out of there. People came to save them, and Tom survived the torture, but Aiden died from the torture. That, or the culprits killed Aiden because they got what they wanted from Tom and decided "Welp, no use keeping the other guy alive."

Again, BOTH COULD WORK.

The former would explain where Tom got the ghosting habit from, and where he'd get the self loathing from. It would also explain his intense reaction to Jake's behavior in his Season 1 elimination.

After all, Tom got all these scars and was tortured trying to save someone he could've considered a friend, only for him to HATE Tom for trying to do that for him?

Well shit, maybe it IS better to just not get close to anyone at all. What more scars are worth it if THAT'S the gratitude?

(Tom's POV, no Jake hate)

The latter would also explain why Tom felt the need to ghost people, because HIS OWN ACTIONS got the guy killed.

If you want to make it extra angsty, you could say they killed Spy Aiden right in front of Tom.

"Oh look what you've done, Eagle Eye. This guy's dead because of you being the fuck up you are. Being a crybaby and not being able to take the pain, not being able to give your own life to protect your work or the guy you came to save. What a failure. You deserve these scars."

So does that mean Tom thought being around Jake would KILL them? No. Not necessarily. It would just mean he'd think his own failures and his own setbacks would only make things worse, and Jake would be worse off if he was with Tom in any way.

So better to be hostile and not try at all.

Or else it would all happen again. And he'd never recover.

Tom also mentioned the boss wasn't happy. So not only was the boss very disappointed with Tom in the mission's failure, he was resented for everything that happened. All the blame went on him. And, by the sounds of it, nobody had sympathy towards him in his newly scarred state and found him hideous. And if they did have sympathy, they didn't express it to Tom and kept it to themselves.

Episode 3 of the Spin Off is about Tom's backstory it looks like, so CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS TO GET PROVEN INCORRECT.

#disventure camp #disventure camp tom

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rhythmic-idealist · 5 months ago

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My earnest theory is that Kudou abandoned his name when he began his fight against AFO, and as far as Bruce and Yoichi were concerned, that man’s name was “Leader.” One of his most Bakugo personality traits—who am I? The guy you can follow. That’s what you need to know.

Now, even though my writing still doesn’t reflect this, I also theorize that “Bruce” is a code name. In which case we don’t know Bruce’s legal name at all.

In my heart, Bruce was under the employ of the cult leader whom canon most commonly refers to as “the glowing baby” (all grown up, of course). When AFO killed that man and took over what was his, Bruce came into his employ, and this is how Bruce came to Japan. (The glowing baby was born somewhere in China, and presumably his ensuing cult was based around there.)

The amount of English used between him, Kudou, and Yoichi adds to this: My good friend @doodlegraveyard has suggested specifically for Bruce to come from Hong Kong, both in reference to Bruce Lee and as a reason why English might have been their best way past an initial language barrier. With Yoichi’s English-language comic books carrying Yoichi’s side of it!

And anyway.

If Bruce was either looking for a code name, or being casually assigned a code name via what people started calling him (see also: what Shigaraki—I believe it’s Shigaraki, sorry if I’m misremembering and it’s Dabi—says about the history of hero and villain names)…

It feels like someone might look at him, go “the guy from Hong Kong who’s crazy strong in martial arts,” and go, “you know, like Bruce Lee.”

OR Bruce himself, when he needs a code name to identify himself in this group he’s just joined in Japan, goes “I’m the guy from Hong Kong who’s freakishly good at martial arts :) like Bruce Lee :)”

Anyway the funny thing this suggests is that—while we know part of Kudou’s legal name because AFO tracked down information on who Kudou is, in order to kill every woman and child he’s ever been associated with—we don’t know Bruce’s legal name.

Because… AFO doesn’t care…

#bnha manga spoilers #bnha #ofa vestiges #bruce bnha #bnha theory #kind of. sorry if this doesn’t belong in that tag #kudou bnha #afo bnha #originally the quote attributed to other people was ‘the Chinese guy’ because realistically I doubt most people around Bruce in Japan were #sparing a lot of thought for the specifics of identity for the guy from Hong Kong. if they even know that. however #I did feel bad saying Chinese in the post when I’m aware that like. ONLY SOME Hong Kongers identify as Chinese and I do not know. the deal w #*the deal w that personally

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dailyanarchistposts · 7 months ago

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How do anarchists define “identity politics”?

dot

I define identity politics mostly negatively—ie, I think that most people who use identity to mean something, tend to drastically simplify and over-generalize what it means in a person’s (and/or a people’s) life (whatever “it” might be—usually race, class, sex, sexual preference, physical ability, etc). So I get very wary when people talk about identity. Also I think people talk about identity (or use identity-coded language) as a way to identify themselves and each other as belonging to a particular group (we are the people who use these words and by doing so indicate that we care about the following things in the correct manner...)

That said, I do think that socially created/understood markers do mean something. I do think that being poor, rich, paraplegic, queer, able-bodied, brown-haired, balding (etc) means *some*thing. I just don’t think that people know what it means, or have figured out a good way to think about what it means, much less to talk about what it means.

enk

Answers to this question will be determined by what anarchists mean by “politics” which is a weighty question unto itself. Some answers to that have been attempted on this site. To focus on the identity portion of the term: Like dot, I tend to use the phrase as shorthand for certain unfavorable approaches. These approaches tend to focus on a particular identity group to the (near) exclusion of other subjects for analysis, theory, and practice. The epitome of identity political analysis views a specific form of oppression as the main oppression from which all others stem. It then becomes hard to arrive at coherent analysis of other forms of oppression. Even much of economic analysis can turn into identity politics in the form of fetishization of workers.

Of course, identity is important. First of all because it is socially enforced. Second because it is often internalized. For the foreseeable future people will continue to distinguish themselves based on all sorts of identity components, and our social experience will thus be informed by vast categories of wildly diverse individuals. There is useful information to be gleaned from the theorization about different identity groups to which people assign themselves or are assigned by others. There are tens of thousands of years of history based on identity concepts like Woman or Slave or Deviant. Even if it is desirable to move away from using such stock categories for the individuals that compose society, these concepts are highly embedded in the culture and are therefore important touchstones in any good analysis.

It is when we submit to essentialist thinking about these groups that we limit the potential for our own identity-creation. For my whole life I have taken it for granted that because I have certain sex characteris-tics, I am a man. Everyone I have ever encountered has treated me like a man (or boy), and yet there has always been some nagging doubt. It is only recently that I am able to express that, though I am easily categorizable biologically, that I have no affinity to any gender identity. Though I now understand this, I am still stuck in a society that wants to pigeon-hole me in the male gender. This is just as disconcerting coming from leftist feminists as from aggressive men.

So as an alternative to the extremes of identity politics and attempted identity-blindness I try to understand peoples’ own self-identity constructions.

To clarify a bit, I find that identity discourse is often interesting and worthwhile. As an example; I know a twin who has developed their own unique discourse about the prejudices and stereotypes of “singlets” toward “multiples”. They have actually been asked such things as “How do you know which one you are?”!

It’s the subsumation of all other discourses about oppressive behavior to one particular identity discourse that I would disdainfully call “identity politics”.

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noellie-writes217 · 1 year ago

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Peer Tutor

Peter goes to get his records and ends up meeting an indie punk genius instead.

WC:717

By some miracle, Peter managed to see his records from Midtown School of Science and Technology. He even had to go in, see his principal, who forgot he existed— that wasn’t awkward at all— and asked for his records transferred to an online school. He showed the same sympathy towards Peter that he shows all the new ninth graders at initiation. “Well Peter, I can’t say I’m happy you’re leaving us. Why did you miss so much school to begin with?”

Peter does his best to hide his emotions, never making eye contact seems to be the best he can do. “My aunt died.”

The principal sucked in a breath, “Do you have anyone else who could take care of you?”

“No,” he sighs, “my parents died in a plane crash when I was ten. My grandparents died before I was born, and my uncle was in a car accident.”

The principal nodded. “I’ll tell you what,” he starts. Peter finally looks up. “Instead of transferring you, just try to make up your missing work and I won’t dock you points for it.”

Peter felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time— hope.

“I’ll even talk to another student about tutoring you in the concepts you missed.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah!” The principal sits back in his chair before getting serious and leaning into the desk, “You seem like a good kid, and you’ve been through a lot. But dropping out of high school or transferring to some no-name online school won’t help you get into college. I saw your GPA before you went MIA. You’re way too smart to not get to a good college. So I’m here if you need anything— so is Ms. Kafka.” Peter nods and exits his office feeling better than when he first went in.

___

“Peter?” A voice called from the office lobby. Peter nearly jumped before realizing it was MJ.

“That’s your name right?” She asks. “Peter Piper?”

And the delusion leaves Peter as he gives the most natural fake smile he can muster. “It’s Peter Parker.”

She straightens her posture, something Peter has realized it’s something she does when she’s embarrassed.

“Uh, how do you know my name?” He asks.

“You came to where I work one day…” She starts “— I’m not a stalker! I just have a good memory.”

Peter chuckles at the irony. “So I’ve never seen you here before— I actually thought you were thought you graduated.”

Peter rubs the back of his neck and chuckles in his nervous fashion, “Yeah, no, I- I actually um… I’m a senior.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around.” MJ waves goodbye to him.

———

The day after, Peter goes to his classes and sees a blond girl waiting for him at his locker with a very thick two-inch binder after his third-period AP Physics.

“So, you’re Peter?” She asks.

Before he answers he tugs on his backpack strap. “Who are you?”

“Gwen.”

Peter tries to place where he’s heard that name before.

She pushes the binder to his chest, “This is yours.” She ‘explains’. “Principal Morita asked me to get it to you. It’s all of your missing work. I’m your new peer advisor. If it sounds made up… it’s because it definitely is.”

Peter can’t even get a word in.

“So here’s how it’s gonna work: you and I are gonna study three days a week and every Sunday, you’re gonna text me every time you get a new assignment— I’ve already put together my information in that binder. Everything in there is color-coded and I put resources for studying in the back. We have the same homeroom since now and we will be spending study hall together. If you have an emergency, I’d recommend you handle it until our joined study days because I’m almost always busy with my internship, dance, and electives. So solve your own problems on those days. On Sundays, you’re eating dinner at my house so we can prep for Mondays. Am I clear?”

Peter opens up the binder to see her name and information scribbled in cursive. He nods.

“Great.” She fastens her backpack strap. “I have AP music theory next, so just get your classes done then meet me back here after school.”

With that, she walks away.

Peter’s phone buzzes from inside his pocket. It's Felicia.

‘He just robbed some penthouse in Manhattan. Cops can't do anything because someone paid them off. This is why I need you to help. Please Peter.’

Peter softly bangs his head against his locker after reading that text. “I hate everything.”

#peter parker #spiderman #peter parker angst #gwen stacy #spiderman x black cat #black cat #spiderman no way home #spiderman nwh #mcu peter parker #peter parker fanfiction #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #spiderman x Gwen Stacy

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philocalistherz · 9 months ago

Text

«──« ⋅ʚ study methods ɞ⋅ »──»

➴ September 28, 2024. ₊˚ෆ

⊹˚₊‧───────────‧₊˚⊹

ೃ⁀➷ reading’s menu ༉‧₊

💭— a table to study complex subjects and prepare essays about it. May contain main or secondary arguments, other’s sources / authors referenced and key words, important dates or works quoted.

𖥔 First column: name of the book or article i’m referencing or reading.

𖥔 Second column: key points with color code.

𖥔 Third column: questions that pop out through the lecture / questions to consult the professor.

𖥔 Fourth column: terminology and its meaning to the author in particular.

𖥔 Fifth column: page count.

🤍 c o l o r • c o d e x 🤍

𖥔 B4DAF9 [baby blue]

— main argument.

𖥔 FEE1E8 [soft pink]

— reference to another author / work.

𖥔 DBE6DB [baby green]

— Key words.

𖥔 F9E9D5 [coral]

— doubts to consult.

𖥔 BC96CD [lavender]

— secondary argument.

ೃ⁀➷ anatomy of a good essay༉‧₊

💭— A tactical guide to approach whatever essay. Function as a template for redacting one.

𖥔 title and quote related to the subject.

🤍 i n t r o d u c t i o n 🤍

𖥔 hook line: grab the attention with a simple phrase, don’t formulate closed questions.

𖥔 context: background information and general panoramic about the object of study (what, who, when, why and how)

𖥔 statement: includes the topics and highlights important arguments and point.

🤍 b o d y • p a r a g r a p h 🤍

𖥔 theory: personal point of argument.

𖥔 evidence: examples that support the theory.

𖥔 connection: associations between your points and the authors points, can be in favor or not.

𖥔 interrelation: a link to the conclusion section.

🤍 c o n c l u s i o n s 🤍

𖥔 statement: condense your point or argument

𖥔 summary: key points and statements all around the document in a conclusion.

𖥔 double hook: let your professor wanting more without leaving loose ends.

ೃ⁀➷ blurting method ༉‧₊

💭 — An useful tool to complex and extent subjects, it can work well with another type of studies. You’ll need the following:

𖥔 name the block: assign a general title about what are you studying right now.

𖥔 material: observe and read two or three times the texts to mark with the color code.

𖥔 memory game: set aside your text and notes and grab a blank page to write down everything that you remember from the notes in consistent sentences.

𖥔 look back: read your notes and add with another color the information that you missed, use this time to look external sources and find meanings/ simpler synonyms of important concepts.

ೃ⁀➷ feynman technique ༉‧₊

💭 — an active way to remember and comprehend complex subjects, can be alone but functions well with a study group.

𖥔 the topic: choose one of the themes that the academic program has, a complete subject. Apply the blurting method or your notes from the reading’s menu.

𖥔 go down to earth: explain on paper or in a whiteboard the subject like you were speaking to a child.

𖥔 revision: compare the explanation paper with your notes and with another color of pen write missed key points.

𖥔 crumble: to a final revision an repeat the process until you can do it without consulting your notes or menu.

ೃ⁀➷ crow method ༉‧₊

💭— an organization guide to save time and study puntual subjects without (sometimes) distraction.

𖥔 collect: find all the themes, sub jets and topics discussed in class and classify them in order of importance / apparition.

𖥔 prioritize: annotate due dates and set reminders with alarms at least for 2 days before the due time; again organize this information in order of importance.

𖥔 construct: mark the most heavy is difficult subjects, units, the dates of important tests and alternate with simpler activities, don’t forget include spare time to take some rest.

𖥔 rank: make space for maximum 2 study sessions per day, balancing your personal life with you study life. try to always separate your spaces, study outside bed.

[ last updated September 28, 2024]

⊹˚₊‧───────────‧₊˚⊹

#academia #aesthetic #books & libraries #chaotic moodboard #dark aesthetic #film major #light academia #monthly reset #reset #study blog #student life #study #study motivation #studyblr #studyinspo #study with me #academic weapon #study method #semester prep

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ajqwrites · 1 month ago

Text

Charlotte "Charlie" Daniels

Age: 23

Nationality: American

Occupation: University Grad Student

Personality: Charlotte "Charlie" Daniels is a witty, inquisitive, and empathetic young woman with a strong moral compass that guides her actions.

Her mind is always buzzing with thoughts, often jumping from one idea to another, which gives her a unique, sometimes scattered brilliance.

Although she prefers to avoid conflict, Charlie is not afraid to stand firm on her values when the situation calls for it. She's the kind of person who needs to process things in her own way—she may take a bit longer to sort through theories or instructions, but once she connects the dots, her insights are incredibly sharp.

She is naturally curious and compassionate, drawn to understanding the world and the people. While she sometimes struggles to focus in a traditional learning setting, she thrives when allowed to think out loud, ask questions, or approach things from a different angle.

At times, she can feel overwhelmed by too much information or pressure, especially when things are fast-paced or disorganized. But she's learned to manage by leaning into her creativity and routine. Until she meets John Price, she often second-guesses herself—but he shows her a world where she can trust her instincts.

——

Background

Charlie is a student at London University, majoring in international relations with a focus on human rights.

She's passionate about making a difference, even though she's still figuring out what that looks like.

Reading assignments sometimes take longer than others, and high-pressure tests aren't her strong suit, but she makes up for it with persistence, note color-coding, and voice recording lectures to revisit later.

Growing up in Kentucky, Charlie always dreamed of a life beyond her small town. London gave her the space to explore who she is—though she still sometimes feels like she's catching up.

Despite her quiet appearance, she longs for something deeper, something thrilling. That something comes in the form of John Price. His world shakes hers—but instead of backing down, Charlie adapts.

Through the chaos and adrenaline, she finds herself not only craving love, but the adventure that comes with it.

Hobbies

Charlie enjoys reading and talk about politics and human rights, often diving into topics that relate to her studies. But she also set aside time to read fiction, which she prefers paranormal romance and some thriller books itself.

She loves trying new recipes and experimenting with flavors, often using cooking as a way to de-stress. She even enjoys baking as well.

——

Likes

The Twilight series, Gilmore Girls, and classic Disney movies—her comfort zone when things get overwhelming.

Acoustic and indie music, which helps her unwind and focus.

Exploring new places, especially when she's restless and needs a reset.

Thought-provoking conversations and debates (even if she loses her train of thought sometimes, she circles back).

Deep connections with people who are patient, sincere, and grounded.

——

Dislikes

Dishonesty or manipulation—especially from people she trusts.

Loud, chaotic environments that throw off her rhythm.

Being rushed or talked over—she needs time to think before responding.

Feeling like she's not enough or not "smart" in the traditional sense.

Being kept in the dark—she will find the truth, even if it takes her a little longer.

Her relationship with the Task Force 141

Charlie's interactions with John's team are shaped by their respect for her relationship with him and her ability to hold her own.

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish: Soap is the one who originally set Charlie up with John through SparkMatch, seeing it as a way to "help" his captain.

Soap quickly becomes a supportive and playful friend to Charlie, teasing her about "taming the old man" while also offering his loyalty and protection—may act as a brother type.

Simon "Ghost" Riley: Ghost keeps his distance from Charlie, but he recognizes her importance to John and respects her resilience.

While their interactions are minimal, Ghost sees her as someone who provides John with comfort and happiness, earning his quiet approval. Though, he be wry at times since he isn't sure if Charlie could handle John's intensity, meaning, his baggage and more.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick: Gaz enjoys Charlie around as he admires her witty personality and warmth demeanor. Their relationship is built on mutual trust and a shared sense of humor.

Gabrielle Marisol Knocks-Riley: Charlie and Gabby share an evolving friendship, built on mutual understanding and support.

Though they don't always interact often, Gabby respects Charlie for her dedication to John, and Charlie admires Gabby's confidence.

Charlie sees Gabby as someone who understands the realities of being with a soldier—and sometimes, Gabby offers insight and guidance, helping Charlie navigate the difficulties of being with John Price.

While Gabby can be sassy and outspoken, she also knows when to offer quiet reassurance, and Charlie values that.

Cameron "Cam" Faith Price: Cam was initially cautious of Charlie, keeping her distance as she sized her up. Given her complicated relationship with John and her own independent streak, she wasn't quick to accept Charlie into the fold—not because she disliked her, but because she wasn't sure how to feel about her.

She had spent years estranged from John, struggling with his overprotective nature, so seeing him devoted to someone else made her feel conflicted. At first, she questioned Charlie's place in his life, wondering if she truly understood the man John Price was beneath the uniform.

However, as time passed, Cam may lower her guard, allowing small interactions to turn into longer conversations.

Though Cam is still naturally reserved, she and Charlie may find common ground, particularly when it comes to navigating John's complexities. Charlie respects Cam's independence, while Cam, in turn, acknowledges that Charlie isn't just some passing romance—she's truly in it for her father.

Her relationship with John

Charlie's relationship with John Price is rooted in trust, exploration, and emotional depth.

While John's dominant and protective nature complements Charlie's more submissive side, she is far from passive.

Her compassion and independence challenge John in ways he isn't used to, forcing him to embrace emotional vulnerability. She trusts John slowly, finding security and comfort in his dominance.

John sees her innocence but also respects her strength, knowing she is not fragile, but rather someone who needs directions and love.

Their dynamic is about balance—John provides safety and control, while Charlie gives him the emotional connection he never thought he needed. Despite their 16-year age difference, their bond continues to build trust, understanding, and an undeniable push-and-pull sense between them where one would be pulled to one and accept the infatuation.

No matter how much John tries to keep his walls up, Charlie is the one person who has broken through them completely.

✨Return to Main Post (RTMP)✨

#call of duty fanfic #cod fanfic #military romance #under series #under siege #call of duty #cod modern warfare #modern warfare #writeblr #character bio #spotify #character profile #female oc #john price x oc #Spotify #charlie daniels #charlotte #candice king

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blake447 · 2 years ago

Text

Arcane method of drawing the Von Koch Curve

So, some of you might remember my old post about the dragon curve, and an odd way of drawing that by calculating the nth term as a sum of bits in series of binary sequences. For those that haven't seen it, go check that out, its more understandable I think. Also, note that while this is using turtle graphics, we use absolute heading rather than angles left or right. This means that each term is entirely independent and could be calculated in parallel using multi-threading or even a GPU if for some reason you wanted to.

But Blake, I hear you asking, how do you express the Von Koch curve as a sum of bits in a series of binary sequences. Well, I'm glad you asked! Well, we start by once again assigning modular integers to each of the possible directions required to draw the curve, modular simply meaning that once we go above a certain number (5) we simply rollover back to zero. We call this (mod 6). Once we do that, we examine how we can boil the curve down into a sequence using these numbers. By inspection, we see one interpretation being to start with 0, expand the sequence by a factor of 4, and strike the middle two quartiles out, adding one to the first inner quartile, and subtracting one from the second inner quartile, as shown in the process below

And again as with the dragon curve, we can rearrange the order we do this and propagate the added and subtracted ones, which when following the expansion by a factor of four forms alternating patterns. Now from some information theory, since we have positive and negative ones to represent, we need two bits in order to represent the each term in the series, hence the two bit sequences.

Unlike last time, I've actually formalized this a little bit. Here is the derivation for the rules on generating arbitrary sequences of power of two times repeating 0's and 1's, with the ability to offset the start of the sequence, as was necessary with the dragon curve.

Now we can take that formalization, do a bit of inspection of the sequences necessary to compose the adding / subtracting pattern, and derive a series formula that calculates the nth term of this manner of representing the Von Koch curve

Finally, now that we have our series representation, we can modify our original dragon curve code and generate a Von Koch curve after we've translated the series into computer instructions. Note that powers of 2 turn into bit shifts of 1, and indexing requires bit shifting the value and bitwise and-ing with 1 to get the desired bit, calculate the length of the sequence on the back of an envelope aaaaaand....

Holy shit it just worked?... I mean voila! It uh, it draws a koch curve. With the bonus that this code is entirely un-fucking-readable unless you're insane, like me. But yeah, really having fun with this binary sequence stuff because its cool as hell.

#mathblr #progblr #math #programming #python #turtle graphics #koch curve #von koch curve #fractal #fractals

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fearcrowz · 2 months ago

Note

Sorry if there is something that was repeated or you've answered already with these. Skimmed through the info on here for a bit for a set of questions. Mostly worldbuilding for these. What is the energy source of the station? I would assume running several sentient AI systems would be a major power draw. Is any of the AI in charge of making sure power doesn't run out or managing where it goes? Does something happen to an AI if they run low on power like Baymax (Big Hero 6)?

Is food and other resources in the station brought in from the outside or are there systems in place to be self sustained? Which AI would be in charge of supplies?

Is there a known order to when the AI were all built? Is each one a fully unique code or is there a base mastercode that they all start with that is then worked on to the final result?

Does the facility serve a specific meal at the same time each week like how navy ships will traditionally always serve something specific on the same day to help people keep track of what day it is?

How big is the facility? Is it to the scale where people would need an internal transport system or vehicles to get around to places or is everything within walking distance for people?

Does the human staff come up with any theories or myths about the station or the AIs after being there for a while, like any ghost stories or conspiracies they think of?

You knock it outta the park as always, Pups!

Not only are there satellites in the middle of nowhere where this station is, there is also wind turbines and a lot of them. They are scattered about miles away from the entrance in a sorta circle that powers the specialty generators, which are also charged with special meteorite bits they have found as an energy host. As for if the AI keep track of it, they do not. I suppose Percy would be more in tune with the energy placements but nah, it is mostly just the human workers that manage all that. The AI never really run out of power, as the metal they are made out of (as well as the facility) is a conductor for their specialized meteorite hearts. This is sorta spoilerish but you can have it as a little treat ehehe. The armor that everything is made out of is called Paragon's Alloy, and it is a weird white space mineral they found many years ago that they chose to replicate and build with it.

They have shipments of food brought in! Meat and vegetables and such are brought in through shipment trucks in through secret tunnel systems. I am sure there are some experiments going on out of boredom to help produce certain foods with special UV but even though they can make a robot out of a space rock, they can't make a stubborn plant properly grow from the depths of the station. And again, it is more of a human job to manage all the supplies and stuff! If I were to pick a bot though, it prolly be Nel.

Vin, Thaddeus and Nel were the first blueprints. Vin was first, then Thaddeus and then Nel. They were made by Dr. Edward Penrick (Thaddeus' assistant) using the blueprints and recipe of Paragon's Alloy from a former creation another built. Then, with Edward's grandson's help (Ulysses Penrick), they made Percy, Repo and Clip. You can tell the difference in creation by the black screens in the first generation and then the more unique faces and white screens in the second generation. Their base would be their core and metal they are all made of. They all have a special motherboard that has the information of their assigned duties, and from that and the advancements in their technology, their odd "hearts" and metal they are built out of, they sorta just develop their own personalities, with their jobs still being number one.

They try and keep it a variety with food so it doesn't effect morale. They don't want bored people or someone developing an eating disorder from the same junk every week. I am sure it cycles through the month but it is quite a big variety!

The facility is massssssssiveeee. There are elevator systems and stairwell but its mostly walking. Despite being a large facility, there is a lot of rooms and that keeps it more situated, also there are a lot of areas certain groups aren't allowed to be in which blocks out the space. Its more vertically massive than horizontally massive, but it is still very large in width. Waste division actually has more use with vehicle machinery as they have to drag large heavy things from one end to the other, and the spaces are large enough for this.

Oh I am absolutely sure the workers have some stories. If they are working night shifts and hear a weird scraping sound, or see a shadow in the halls, or a weird sound or voice.... Or that the Director is some kinda soul sucker, or that the AI Leads were human once and made of fleshy nasty meaty bits inside... Who knows what people come up with or believe, but there is prolly pleeeeenty of stories to go around.

Thank you for the questions!

×❤️×🩵×🤍×🩷×💚×🧡×💛×

#fearasks #sonatastation🛸

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