#backup proto

[prophets-of-the-barrens]

dear proto,

hey!! how are you!! i’ve been reading some books and stuff also i wondered if you were doing okay after the big fish happened!

is your um thing on your head that wiggles a little bit okay? i hope it is!

i don’t know i just got a random feeling i should send a letter to you sometimes it’s just like that! and also i’m doing okay and the weird small fish haven’t shown up so i’d say that’s good

has anything interesting happened yet?

-alula

( @alulablog )

[Dear Alula,

I regret not assisting more back then, but it is good to hear there are no new incidents and you have spent time reading.

As for your question, I sought repairs for my antenna from a... someone in the Barrens, so that isn't a concern anymore.

Your intuition is impressive to me. Some events have occurred in this world, correct.

(The handwriting changes, looking shakier)

Please do not concern yourself with that.

How are you and your brother doing?

Signed,

Prototype.]

[serpentface]

How do the Wardi like their tobacco? Smoked in a pipe, in a room, a classic cig? They've got so many different kinds too, is the use commonplace or more just for certain occasions/people?

The variety of smoke delivery methods stem in part from the biggest external cultural influences/movements of people into the region. The proto-Finnic and proto-Wardi peoples both had long established use of smoking pipes prior to first contact, though the former mostly made pipes from bone or wood and the latter mostly made pipes from bone or clay (the former also Probably brought cultivated tobacco with them as they dispersed, but this strain appears to have gone extinct and smoking broülje (adapted as ‘birolge’) is now preferred amongst most Chenahyeigi-speaking peoples). Burri influence introduced the concept of the cigar/cigarillo, either smoked on its own or with a bone/wood/clay/reed/metal holder, though the leaves of the native janaët are a little too small for neat wrapping and this never fully caught on. Yuroma migrants brought traditions of reed or wooden tubes that were stuffed with the ground leaves and smoked that way, often elaborately carved and/or decorated with beads.

First: Ceramic pipe shaped like a man smoking a pipe shaped like a man smoking a pipe. Second: Ceramic pipe shaped like the front half of a khait. Third: Simple painted wood pipe with 'legs'. Fourth: Imported Burri cigar and holder made to resemble maize (top view). Fifth: Yuroma style beaded reed pipe, meant to be stuffed with tobacco for smoking. Can also double as a cigarillo holder.

The most common Wardi smoke delivery method is still the pipe, usually ceramic, wood, horn, or bone. The typical style is long and straight, with even the simplest pipes usually having ‘legs’ so they can rest upright and potentially double as incense burners. Ceramic pipes with decorative figurative elements are popular but very fragile, often reserved for special occasions or to be used as grave goods. These are intended to be smoked with two hands to support the bottom-heavy weight, and are too fragile to transport and usually kept at home. The simple but effective reed tube has become increasingly popular (mostly among peasantry) for its ease of transportation, and the practice of carving and beading reed pipes is retained in the Erubinnosi subculture. The highest quality imported Burri tobaccos are transported already in cigar form. These are luxury items and usually smoked with holders, which are status symbols/fashion items/potential backup weapons in Bur but mostly novelties here.

As mentioned in the other post, tobacco is considered to be a potent medicinal herb that energizes the body and calms the mind via ‘strengthening’ the heartbeat and encouraging healthy bloodflow, and used in a large number of medical treatments. It is commonly chewed for energy during physical labor, which is also considered a medicinal use (though is often functionally recreational). There’s no proscriptions against purely recreational use, though non-medicinal smoking of tobacco is intended to be something worked into the schedule/formal occasions/social life rather than something you do whenever the hell you feel like it, and a degree of thoughtfulness, moderation, and gratitude in this act is expected.

Recreational smoking usually occurs in the evening after daily bathing, and is considered to be a social activity and mildly weird to do alone. Sharing a pipe is a common ice-breaker with strangers, often being used to initiate formal meetings and introductions. It is most commonly done after dinner (considered to help aid digestion) while still seated with one’s family/guests, with a pipe being passed around to everyone present (aside from very small children, though most people allow their kids to at least Try to take a drag starting around the age of 5). One of the expectations of hospitality in the as hachoäm code of virtue (will get to a post about that someday) is that tobacco (or broülje) should be offered to guests along with food and wine.

Tobacco is usually smoked with full inhalation, rendered less severe for recreational use via cutting with other herbs. Most tobacco blends include pleasant smelling dried herbs and flowers, commonly camiche, rose, lavender, or catnip. Medicinal blends are often cut with other herbs too as necessary, though you're rarely going to be lucky enough to be prescribed something that smells good and goes down smoothly.

There’s a grand total of 10ish strains of tobacco (from three total different species) at least Accessible via trade, though only a few are actually grown here on any significant scale. Most of these are received from Bur and from the Dehiamenmanwe league of Yuroma city-states, though other tobaccos are Occasionally obtained from other eastern seaway/White Sea traders. The imported strains vary in expense/ease of acquisition from ‘special occasion for a commoner’ to ‘special occasion for nobility’. Most Yuroma-derived strains are the former (many of them can be grown here, though not at enough scale to meet demand) and all of the Burri-derived strains are the latter (none grow well here and are almost exclusively acquired as imports). Accessibility also depends on whether you live in/adjacent to a coastal city that receives these trade goods. If you live far inland and away from any major river/land trade route, smoking foreign tobacco is likely to be a once in a lifetime occurrence, if ever.

Two separate Nicotiana species are grown in and imported by Bur. The zhisequi tobacco is native in part to Kosov. It has a higher nicotine content than janaët but is not Overwhelmingly strong, with most users finding it to be potently energizing while also having a calming mental effect. It is mostly used recreationally, though it is also assigned the same (but Stronger) medicinal effects to janaët. It’s pretty expensive even IN Bur (largely a hot-summer mediterranean climate) because it only grows well in year-round humid conditions (such as the montane forests found in parts of Kosov), and is an a luxury item in Wardin. The average person (on the coasts) can afford to smoke it maybe once a year AT MOST, and it’s commonly reserved for new year’s celebrations. It’s more accessible to the nobility, but even then is treated as a special-occasion smoke, with janaët being more appropriate for everyday use.

Choqui tobacco is from the tropics, though arrived in Bur several hundred years ago and is now the most widely cultivated form of tobacco there. It adapts well to these subtropical conditions and can handle cool winters, but cannot survive wholly dry summers and is thus very difficult to cultivate in Wardin on more than tiny scales. It has a Very high nicotine content and taking a hit will generally cause a notable head rush, which a lot of the Wardi populace finds unpleasant and thus will extensively cut it down with other herbs. The fact that most Wardi smokers’ first instinct in trying a choqui cigar will be to take a full lungful and then almost DIE tends to be found very funny (the typical Burri method of smoking is to work through a cigar slowly, and the smoke is sucked into the mouth rather than inhaled). Choqui is notable for being the only tobacco widely recognized as having negative effects on pregnancies (this is not usually attributed to other tobaccos). In both Bur and Wardin, its use is discouraged during pregnancy, or alternatively Prescribed along with abortifacient herbs to better the chances of miscarriage when abortion is desired. This one is cheaper than zhisequi, but still much too expensive for frequent use and treated as a luxury.

The Yuroma city states have a very long history and wide scale of tobacco cultivation and have developed a variety of strains (originally derived from the same species as the janaët), some of which can be grown in parts of Wardin and some of which are too humidity-dependent and mostly received as imports. The Dehiamenmanwe league of city-states is the only one Wardin trades with on a regular basis, which supplies most of this tobacco (as well as, more importantly, turmeric and ginger).

The most popular Yuroma tobacco strains are uugai yashet (‘rice tobacco’) and uugai imeshli (‘horse tobacco’). Some of the former was first brought here by Yuroma migrants (along with rice itself) and is still widely grown in the semi-permanent marshlands around Erubinnos, but the average person receives it as an import. Uugai imeshli has a slightly higher nicotine concentration than janaët; uugai yashet is about the same but has a headier taste and is generally considered to smell better. They are less expensive trade goods than Burri tobaccos, in large part due to arriving via safer and easier White Sea coastal tradeways that operate year-round (crossing the Mouth seaway can be very hazardous in the winter, and there's more piracy going on in there). The average person can get ahold of Yuroma tobaccos and smoke them for special occasions multiple times a year (if living near the coasts).

The native janaët tobacco is, by far, the most accessible to the average person. It is widely cultivated and can be found growing wild, though has somewhat picky growing conditions and (while Relatively drought tolerant) is one of the first native cultivations to fail in prolonged droughts (though among the better-tolerant of rare flood years). It is less accessible and less hardy than the broülje plant (not a tobacco but a nicotine-containing shrub from a fictional Solanaceae subfamily) which is Not widely cultivated but is a mega-common wild shrub that tolerates a variety of growing conditions. Broülje has a lower nicotine content than the janaët and its smoke is generally considered to smell a bit unpleasant, but it forms the majority of the average person’s non-medicinal stimulant use. Most people will keep smoking mixes that are 2:1 broüje to janaët (plus other herbs) and will reserve pure janaët leaf for moderately special occasions (once a month, on holidays, when guests are visiting, etc).

[codenamesazanka]

OKAY. Got it. Shigaraki dies, and goes back in time. To the day OFA was transferred to Deku…

rough idea/summary [part 1]

•

Shigaraki wakes up in a bed in the Doc’s lab, head pounding, crazy vertigo, feeling awful. Apparently he had suddenly collapsed. Kurogiri brought him to the Doctor, who didn’t seem to find anything wrong with him. AFO is there to check on his ward. 

As the Doctor runs some more tests, Shigaraki tries to regain his bearings. Try to make sense of himself, his surroundings, all the stuff swirling around in his mind. Shigaraki tells AFO that he had a dream, where he died. There was a war, a big one, between Heroes and Villains. He destroyed a lot of things. He fought until the very end to destroy. 

AFO listens, smiles, saying that it sounds like a good dream. Is that what you want, Tomura? To destroy everything? 

Shigaraki considers, and says, Maybe. He considers some more: everything that happened in his 'dream' - all his suddenly now-recovered memories, his new knowledge and experiences. A whole life he just had, and a death.

He's read about this before... mostly in badly-written online light novels. Someone going back in time and getting a second chance. Re-doing their life, with various cheats, to right everything. Taking a different path, taking missed opportunities, taking revenge; all to become a hero, fulfilling their dreams. Absurd power fantasy stuff.

So what’s his stupid power fantasy? What does he want? Shigaraki thinks, and out of everything that just happened/will apparently happen... there's only the League that comes to mind. 

In those light novels, the main character always has to tread lightly, has to keep everything a secret and pretend nothing is wrong and keep walking along the old familiar path until he has harassed the power to change things... But Shigaraki considers killing AFO (again) right here and now. So he confronts AFO the way he never got a chance to do.

Sensei. In my dream...You told me that you gave me my quirk. And not just that. You told me that everything that happened was because of you.

AFO is caught, smile frozen... but then relaxes to a real smile again; laughs. It's a surprise, to be sure, but it's wonderful. AFO has always looked for a time travel quirk. To think that one does actually exist...

Plus, it looks like AFO really had raised Tomura successfully. AFO thought such a revelation would shatter him, but Tomura braved through it. He's still here. A strong, ironclad willpower - exactly what AFO wanted, after all.

So let's get started.

Shigaraki tries to attack/defend, but AFO is faster, stronger, and has that Rivet Stab quirk, literally pinning Shigaraki down.

Foolish child, biting the hand that fed you. AFO monologues - without him, Tomura wouldn't even exist. AFO made him; he belongs to AFO, always had, always will. All that Tomura is, AFO gave to him. And now Tomura will give it all back. 

With that, AFO tries to take Decay—but for some reason, he can't. 

Because Shigaraki was the one who was able to steal Danger Sense from OFA; the one who was able to reject being given OFA, even. And now, if he doesn't want to let Decay go, then AFO can't take it. Shigaraki is the one with the stronger willpower, and he is so much more than AFO has made him. He's so much more than AFO can ever be.

Taking advantage of AFO being momentarily stunned, Shigaraki is able to free himself. He has to break and slice apart his hand, but still, he's free, so he proceeds to decay AFO. Hand to his head, hand to his chest, hand through to the heart. Decays every last bit of flesh he can grab and clench into nothingness. Super-regeneration can't help here.

(Moments too late, proto-Noumu is unleashed by the Doctor to stop Shigaraki, but Shigaraki decays them too. And part of the lab, for good measure.)

It's a bloodbath. ❤️

Afterwards, Shigaraki confronts a cowering Doctor, his aura of fear literally immobilizing the old man. Knowing AFO and the Doc, they probably have a backup plan or five. A copy of AFO (quirk) somewhere, obviously, but what else? A clone? Some sort of memory transfer to a digital brain? The Doc is unable to answer, but Shigaraki doesn't care too much about it right now. Just don't even try digging those out. Shigaraki will deal with him later - there are things Shigaraki needs to confirm and deal with first.

[glitteringcrab]

I've seen this technology before (part 3)

aka: the Updated Puppetmaster Rick theory

(trigger warning for implications of SA)

(also warning: this is my longest post yet, but I couldn't condense it)

If we tie the theory of the existence of Puppetmaster Rick to the combo Infinite Rick Theory (i.e. that Rick Prime had been infecting other Ricks like a virus by using mind-control), then an interesting question suddenly pops up:

Who came up with the mind-control technology first? Rick Prime or Puppetmaster Rick?

(I will preface this by saying I doubt it was a coincidence. I doubt they both independently developed nearly the same tech)

Hypothesis A: Puppetmaster Rick came up with it first

I had initially assumed that there once was a Rick obsessed with controlling others, who followed this obsession to the extreme, developing mind-controlling technology, and practicing it so much that the unlucky Morty who happened to live with him got to watch the surgeries (e.g. done to Beth? Jerry? Rick's enemies? Other Mortys?), while at some point having also a surgery performed to him.

Watching others' surgeries was what allowed Eyepatch Morty to later repeat the process himself, to Evil Rick.

Afterwards, when I read about the Infinite Rick Theory, I assumed that at some point early in the story (when Puppetmaster Rick was just starting his act and when Rick Prime was exploring different universes and meeting other Ricks) Rick Prime met this one creepy dude, got inspired by him, and greatly improved Puppetmaster Rick's tech, so that it permitted him to simultaneously control many other Ricks. This common ancestry between the two puppeteering techs meant that Eyepatch Morty's fingerguns also worked on Rick Prime's version of the implant (transmitter? processor? whatever is in his own head).

HOWEVER.

This wouldn't explain why there is still code in Eyepatch Morty's implant that forbids him from killing Ricks with a, so-to-speak, admin status...

...Not because Puppetmaster Rick wouldn't have wanted to include such code...

...but because someone like Eyepatch Morty would have been able to eventually alter said code. You'd need to have extra code that forbids you from altering the code itself; but why on earth include a failsafe like that, if your target victims are Jerrys, Beths and Mortys?

ON THE OTHER HAND, if the implant was made for controlling other Ricks, such contingencies are the bare minimum, are they not? A Rick would totally by able to hack the implant and turn off the mental restraints.

In addition, I can't really see Rick Prime copying another Rick, either. At most he may have been mildly inspired by Puppetmaster Rick (who might have developed a lame proto-implant with pretty limited abilities) and took it up to eleven, but even that I feel is a stretch. Rick Prime is the smartest. I do give him full credit for whatever tech he used to control his backups.

Sooo...

Hypothesis B: Rick Prime came up with it first

Suddenly there is a very, very simple explanation as to how Puppetmaster Rick became familiar with the puppeteering tech: he was one of Rick Prime's puppeteered victims.

(I'm going to go on a limb and add that he might have even been the "Weird Rick" that we have seen in Pocket Mortys...!)

(and that people have been pairing him with Eyepatch Morty because they didn't know who he really was and thought they were just pairing up two cool characters) (bleaaargh) (I honestly hope not)

Then he was somehow freed by Prime's control.

a) He might have gotten freed by accident, i.e. someone stabbed him in the eye and it destroyed the receiver...

b) Or he might have cut off his own receiver, similar to what Eyepatch Morty did. I feel this is extremely unlikely, given that he'd have to orchestrate an escape plan against Rick Prime; not just some random creepy Rick. Plus I honestly doubt someone as essentially lame as "Puppetmaster" Rick would have the intelligence to come up with a plan... but I DO think it's something that could be possible.

At this point I would like to point out that we have already met a Rick who was obsessed with Rick Prime, who also had... something happen to his eye:

(Coincidence? He even has clothes kinda similar to Rick Prime's and looks like he might be outgrowing a mullet...)

c) When the Central Finite Curve's wall came into force, it might have cut off the signal of Rick Prime's transmitter.

I doubt this was the purpose of the Central Finite Curve wall (because wouldn't Rick C-137 think that, wherever Rick Prime is, he's the smartest man in that universe; and therefore intend for his universe to be included in the Curve?) but given that it turns out Rick Prime really was outside the Curve...

...it's possible the signal got disrupted when the wall first came into effect, either cutting off Rick Prime's influence entirely, or leaving "Puppetmaster" Rick into a glitching, malfunctioning (or maybe merely unfathomably traumatized) mess.

I would also like to point out that we actually have seen evidence of Rick Prime controlling victims of his who were INSIDE the Curve...

...while he was still OUTSIDE, so this theory might be wrong. It is, however, possible that after he was forcefully transported to the Prime Dimension, Rick Prime upgraded his transmitter to be able to bypass the Curve, or that after the Citadel was destroyed and no longer actively supporting the interdimensional wall, Prime's signal was able to pass through, same as everyone suddenly able to portal in and out of the Curve.

In all these options, the scenario plays out identically for Eyepatch Morty as it did in "Hypothesis A: Puppetmaster Rick came up with it first": "Puppetmaster" Rick went on to live in the Citadel, began venting out his frustration by enslaving and puppeteering Jerrys, Beths etc. Eyepatch Morty was unlucky enough to be partnered with him, assist in the surgeries, and eventually have a surgery performed to him.

(The only thing I don't like about this version of the events is that literally every significant character's grievances can be directly traced back to Rick Prime. Like, that seems a bit excessive. People can be evil independently of each other lol. On the other hand, this theory ties with how the cycle of abuse repeats in real life. The abusers were often victims themselves once. It starts with Rick Prime, then continues with "Puppetmaster" Rick, then Eyepatch Morty... then it hopefully stops.)

...Anyway, there is one last option concerning how "Puppetmaster" Rick could have gotten freed:

d) Someone helped him.

A Morty helped him.

Imagine the following scenario. (I know it's fanfiction but please humor me. Or else, if you don't feel like reading lengthy baseless hypotheses, feel free to scroll down to the large gap with the red text!!!)

Imagine "Puppetmaster" Rick really getting stranded inside the Curve when its wall came into effect; his connection to Rick Prime disrupted, but the puppeteering implant (cables, receiver, processor, etc) still remaining inside him. This would probably have some... repercussions.

He might have been compelled to fullfill the last ordrers he had received (I have the inkling that, unlike Eyepatch Morty, who would turn Evil Rick's puppeteering on and off, Rick Prime would always have it on).

Or his implant might have been forcing him to find a way to restore the connection and return to Rick Prime.

Or maybe he was glitching and twitching, lying in a ditch somewhere like a malfunctioning robot.

Whatever state he was in, I can't imagine it to be a good one.

Now suppose another Rick found him in that sorry state: either a wreck mentally, or being forced to fulfill orders that are no longer applicable, or malfunctioning in some way.

Would said passerby Rick help him?

N O .

He wouldn't care. He wouldn't spare a single thought. He might be able to tell that something is off and he would definitely have the means to help, but he wouldn't lift a finger to do so.

And as for Rick C-137?

Why, he'd want to keep him in his basement, study him, and use him to capture Rick Prime.

Now imagine a Morty came across him instead.

Not a Morty already paired with a Rick, who would dutifully trail after his dismissive grandfather; but a lone, discared, cloned Morty.

A Morty --as attentive as all Mortys are, as familiar with Ricks as all Mortys are-- noticed that something was wrong.

A Morty --as compassionate as all Mortys are-- approached and offered whatever meager help he could...

...which included paying close attention to Rick's subtle hints (whatever the guy could signal without triggering the "do not reveal you are being puppeteered" order), carefully following his lead and suggestions, and using a lot of intuition (emotional intelligence, out-of-the-box-thinking stuff I think we can agree are the staple for all Mortys).

Under Rick's directions, this Morty did a "mild" operation on Rick's brain (removing some crucial part of the implant or maybe resetting the processor), any mistakes resolved by Prime's healing tech...

...essentially freeing this one Rick and giving him back full control of his life.

After this, "Puppetmaster" Rick of course adopted the Morty who helped him...

The Morty, naturally, probably thought he hit the jackpot with this Rick. There was now an actual connection between him and this one Rick: a stronger one than between any other Rick he ever had or could have in the future. He had saved this one version of his grandfather from a fate worse than death. This Rick should be eternally grateful to him. It would be Rick and Morty, a hundred years, forever, but for real this time. There's no way he'd be unwanted or replaced.

...And he was right.

I bet that things seemed good at the beginning, at least as good as they can get with a Rick. I wouldn't be surprised if "Puppetmaster" Rick actively protected the Morty in ways (seemingly) similar to those we've seen Rick C-137 protecting Morty Prime, if he healed him after he got hurt, if he spoiled him with gifts, if he showed off various cool science stuff (more on this attachment later).

But this Rick wasn't well, mentally.

I'll preface this by saying that, given that he was tricked into getting assimilated by Rick Prime, he mustn't have been the sharpest Rick in the multiverse in the first place. Plus the fact that he abandoned his original family in favor of becoming "the smartest thing in every conceivable universe; the Infinite Rick: a god", points to infinite amounts of arrogance and selfishness, even for Rick standards (only he couldn't even achieve said greatness --or any significant success-- by himself. In other words: he was a loser).

Add to the above the traumatic experience of losing huge chunks of his life, the painful inferiority of mentally comparing his (lack of) achievements to other Ricks', and most importantly: the humiliation and anger someone as arrogant as him must have felt from becoming another man's toy. And he didn't even manage to break free by himself: a kid, a kid "as dumb as he was smart", a Morty, had to help him. He was the smartest man in the universe and yet he had no option but to resort to a Morty's aid.

...all the above point to a boiling pot ready to explode. A normal person would be humbled and re-examine their worldview. A Rick as arrogant, pathetic and self-centered as him, would be desperate to reaffirm that HE was in control, that HE was superior...

...at the expense of the only person who wanted to be around him.

I'd bet that while the relationship started (seemingly) affectionate and sincere on Rick's part, things turned sour fast. I'd bet anything he belittled and insulted the Morty who saved his life like there's no tomorrow. I'd bet the verbal lashings became loads worse, more bitter, more spiteful, more unreasonable, and more unsettling than what the average Morty has to face.

...I'd bet that the Morty chose to endure it even as it got progressively worse, understanding perhaps where it came from, remembering how things used to be good in the beginning, and wanting this family to last with every fiber of his being.

Until, at some point, the Morty showed backbone one time too many, and Rick crossed the line in his effort to assert control over the one person available, in the only surefire way he knew:

The puppeteering implant.

He could do it, too.

"Puppetmaster" Rick already knew how the mind control implant worked. He was familiar with it, from the time "he was Rick Prime". The code necessary for it to work was available to be copied from by his head. The failsafes preventing the victim from asking for help, from attacking the "admin", from escaping, from committing suicide, from altering the code, were already included in his own copy. He had a set of the implant inside his own head; he could study it and replicate it.

So he repaid the favor to the Morty who saved him by performing the mind control surgery on him.

...with all the implications concerning their interactions from that point on, given Ricks' unhealthy obsession over Mortys. In other words, I do think this is a metaphor for something a lot worse, although I'm sure it will remain vague in the show. Given than I have no actual knowledge on this extremely serious real life subject and I could be wrong in a million different ways, I will shut up about this now.

The potential allegory also makes any speculation about the dynamic between "Puppetmaster" Rick and his victim pretty much impossible: the situation is too messed-up, the similarities to real-life scenarios are too unsettling. Did "Puppetmaster" Rick ever actually "love" his victim, before he snapped? Was it just a matter of possession and he never loved his grandson in any way? Does it matter? Is it really much better than those other Ricks who may have those same thoughts and intentions, and not act upon them, at least not all the way (yet)? Is the "self-restraint" that other Ricks might be displaying something that happens in real life, or is the outcome always the worst? Does any of that matter?

I don't know. But I DO think that, whatever attachment "Puppetmaster" Rick was feeling in regards to his Morty, it was possessive. It was "his" Morty. In stead of feeling appreciation for the Morty who granted him his freedom, he wanted this Morty to act like his emotional crutch. This one Morty was the only person "Puppetmaster" Rick felt safe around, the only person he felt like he could trust, the only person he wanted around, all the time. The Morty would have (initially) mistaken this obsessive attachment for affection, which meant that having to face the reality that the person he loved more than anything in the world was the one performing the mind control surgery to him must have been absolutely crushing.

Not to mention that if the Morty saw the surgery coming (as opposed to it happening e.g. while he was asleep) the moments leading up to it would be mind-numbingly terrifying: surely he had grasped by then the purpose of the implant he had disabled in "his" Rick's brain. He had seen the cables, the implant itself. He would recognize the receiver if he saw it placed next to an operating table. He knew the fate that awaited him at the end of the scalpel.

Because of the potential allegory, I don't want to make any guesses about what everyday life was like for the Morty after the surgery, either, but the possibilities are unsettling. How did he spend his days? Was he stuck in the house? Did "Puppetmaster" Rick allow him to go to school, or did he isolate him further? Did they keep going on adventures, or did that stop under the pretext of keeping Morty "safe" from dangerous situations? Did he take any resistance of Morty as him "asking for" being puppeteered? Did Morty try to get for help from (this version of) his parents? Did they ignore him? Did they believe him, try to take action, and inevitably fail with catastrophic consequences?

(I originally thought that the reason why Eyepatch Morty never tried to connect with anyone outside the Curve was because he had been brainwashed into thinking everyone is replacable, or because he'd been through countless families, and none of them managed to tell him apart from their previous -or next- Morty, none of them managed to see him... but what if it was because he knew from experience that people might try to bond with him, but none of them would ever be able to meaningfully support him when he needed it?)

...Did "Puppetmaster" Rick puppeteer Morty into killing the family who tried to help him, and then blamed Morty for forcing his hand?

(...Is this why Eyepatch Morty never tried to connect with anyone outside the Curve?)

I don't know. I've had countless ideas about how the events could have unfolded, but I'm sure nothing I come up with would be able to do the story justice, and I already feel like I've spoken too much about a subject that I'm guaranteed to do disservice of. If the puppeteering implant is, indeed, a metaphor for something much worse, then I want to see how the story plays out. I'm only going to say that I'd bet the Morty's life was living hell, and that his imprisonment lasted far, far too long.

At some point the Morty eventually succeeded in freeing himself and, since he couldn't actually kill "Puppetmaster" Rick because of the implant's failsafes, trapped him... in a fate worse than death (and very rightfully so). He then returned to the Citadel, having to go on living like nothing had happened...

...but something had happened. He had been hurt and betrayed in the worst possible way by the one person he had honestly initially thought would be his family forever; the one Rick he had forged a special bond with, the one Rick for whom he was actually irreplaceable, the one Rick he had originally wanted to be "Rick and Morty, a thousand years, forever".

(...no wonder he never smiled again)

This version of the events also explains something that was bugging me in the initial "Puppetmaster" Rick theory:

Why on earth, despite what "Puppetmaster" Rick did to him, did Eyepatch Morty enlist himself in a Morty Agency to try again with another Rick?

The answer is: he remembered being cherished. He experienced feeling like he was special and loved and like he found a place where he belonged. He got to experience that rare, one-of-a-kind, magical connection that Mortys experience when Ricks make an effort with them, the same thing we've seen "our" Morty experience with "our" Rick.

Sure, things went to shit afterwards, but he now knew it was possible; if not with this one, then maybe with another, less fucked-up Rick. Maybe if he tried again. Maybe, if the next Rick just saw how useful and devoted he could be, he would want to keep him and care for him. Maybe the next one. Maybe the next one. Maybe the next one. Maybe the next one.

...Until he realized it would never happen. He would always get discarded, and the one Rick who wouldn't discard him was a psycho and a loser, and he didn't actually care either... (and, in hindsight, he must have seemed to Eyepatch Morty like a complete weirdo when compared to all the other cold and distant Ricks.)

Not to mention how this disturbing attachment must have f-ed up Eyepatch Morty's perception of relationships with people: his best and worst memories (actual memories, not fake, implanted, lived by another Morty, the Morty whose copy he was) result from the same person. I can't imagine this not being confusing. Is being treated like a possession prerequisite to being wanted? Is this f-ed obsession what being "loved" is supposed to be like?

...Is it really strange, or un-Morty-like, that Eyepatch Morty gave up on any sort of family or friendship after he escaped the Curve?

I also wondered for a long time what Eyepatch Morty might feel in regards to "Puppetmaster" Rick now.

Has the still-remaining extreme power disadvantage between them (the receiver is gone, but the puppeteering processor with all the failsafes preventing him from defending himself is still there and active) conditioned him to always fear "Puppetmaster" Rick? Or did the fact that Eyepatch Morty defeated him in his own game while at an extreme disadvantage grant him the confidence to not be afraid of him anymore? Does he feel furious anger? Disgust? Unimaginable pain over what was done to him? Disappointment over what it could have been, if only this Rick wasn't such a monster?

I bet that, whatever it is, it's not the cold apathy with which we've seen him dispose of other Ricks before. This is not a random sadistic Rick who plucked him off the streets and tortured him. This is THE Rick he had hoped would be his family forever. I bet that whatever Eyepatch Morty feels, it's a mess of raw, visceral emotions, and I have no idea what would come out on top if he were to meet this guy again. I wouldn't be surprised if part of Eyepatch Morty is still a hurt and shocked child who can't wrap his mind over what happened to him and sees this one Rick as the most unsettling thing possible.

(I would like to point out at this juncture how the expression on Eyepatch Morty's (through Evil Rick's) face changes when it comes to the one I assume is "Puppetmaster" Rick. It seems almost... sorrowful.)

This theory also turns the prospect of any future interactions between them a lot more unsettling:

Eyepatch Morty wasn't just a random victim of "Puppetmaster" Rick's who rightfully trumped the cards against his tormentor by trapping him in a fate worse than death, and now "Puppetmaster" Rick is looking for him out of spite and having nothing better to do.

No, no, no.

This is personal.

He really was "his" Morty, initially. "Puppetmaster" Rick never intended to replace him. When Eyepatch Morty framed him and escaped, "Puppetmaster" Rick saw it as the worst betrayal possible from the one person who was special to him. The underlying obsession suddenly makes any currently unfolding search for "his" Morty a thousand times more terrifying. This is not just about vengeance. "Puppetmaster" Rick may not have cared as much if a random Morty had trapped him in the Machine of Unspeakable Doom; but. Not. This. One. HE. WANTS. THIS. ONE. BACK. Whatever the cost.

(That's it, that the updated "Puppetmaster" Rick theory.)

Technically, the end result is identical whichever of the above scenarios is true: Eyepatch Morty would still get operated on. He would still come out of this knowing how to perform the mind control surgery. He would still be unable to actually kill "Puppetmaster" Rick. "Puppetmaster" Rick would still be alive.

However, I do think it makes for a much more interesting story if Eyepatch Morty and "Puppetmaster" Rick were actually "close" to each other in the beginning, rather than an unlucky Morty who happened to be picked by a sadistic Rick. But I have no concrete evidence and it makes no difference to the events that have unfolded.

HOWEVER.

There is ONE, CRUCIAL repercussion to the plot if "Puppetmaster" Rick was indeed one of Prime's victims, no matter how he got freed from his control:

He would be familiar with most of Prime's tech.

He saw Prime make a lot of stuff through his own hands.

He has whatever equipment was on his person when the connection was severed.

He knows how Prime acts, how he speaks, how he dresses, what he's like. He could impersonate Prime, if he wanted.

He knows where Prime's various lairs are outside the Curve, at least up until the point he was freed, because he literally saw them with his own eyes.

He knows the locations where a buttload of weapons and raw materials are stored.

Eyepatch Morty would likely not know anything about Prime's various lairs (I'm sure the implant forbid "Puppetmaster" Rick from verbally giving out any info), but he likely would have seen plenty of Prime's superior tech being actively used; at least whatever equipment was on "Puppetmaster" Rick's person when he was freed.

Including...

...Rick Prime's healing tech.

...You know, I was wandering how exactly Eyepatch Morty healed himself after gouging his own eye out. Given that removing the receiver equates with a death sentence, it seems there is a built-in contingency in the implant; something that fires and kills the victim for trying that transgression (along with another contingency that prevents you from killing yourself).

There were a lot of healing gimmic options presented in the story that Eyepatch could have used, but given that it doesn't really take a lot to instantly fry a person's brain, or, if (like Rick C-137's captive Prime clone who vanished into nothingness) the implant completely disintegrates the victim, I was wondering what on earth Eyepatch Morty used that was so potent it could essentially counter instant death.

And the answer is very simple.

Why, he used the best.

(...I can't imagine the process of "simultaneously getting disintegrated to death and getting healed" being pleasant.)

(...I can't imagine him wanting to repeat it to remove other parts of the implant.)

You still with me?

...Just one final thing.

EXHIBIT A:

Why is Eyepatch Morty so chill about Rick C-137 attacking him? Sure, he has the forcefield that protects him from getting shot, but what if Rick escalated things and went up against him like this:

Obviously Eyepatch Morty had plenty of ways to fight back against Rick's weapons (as we saw in the Prime Fight) but he couldn't have been sure he'd be able to counter all of them...

...unless he knew, for a fact, that he'd be able to get up from anything.

EXHIBIT B:

Whichever Morty it was, he got his gunshot wound miraculously healed with no explanation... (there was even a fan who noticed the similarities between Rick Prime's healing ability, and whatever happened to this one Morty, and I think they were wondering if it was some property of Rick Prime's lair... although I can't find that post anymore)

EXHIBIT C:

Why were we never shown Eyepatch Morty disabling Rick Prime's healing tech?

Did it happen off-screen to conserve time from showing us Eyepatch Morty poking and prodding him to find the time crystal or whatever equipment and remove it or find a way to turn it off?

Or did it happen off-screen because he already knew where it was and how to turn it off and it would only take seconds and it would be blatantly obvious to us Eyepatch Morty is familiar with it?

EXHIBIT D:

Why were we never shown Eyepatch Morty downloading the schematics for Rick Prime's healing tech, like he did with the Omega Device?

Did it, once again, happen off screen to conserve time? (But Eyepatch Morty is practical; would he really prioritize stealing any tech before minimizing danger for himself by killing Prime's backups?)

Was Eyepatch Morty simply not interested in having such a potent healing device, because he knew from personal experience that sometimes death is preferable? (But wouldn't he be able to connect the healing tech to his brain implant and turn it on or off at will, allowing him to die if he wished?)

...Or did he not bother stealing it because he already had it?

Plot-relevant conclusions:

We might see in the future Eyepatch Morty insta-healing from an injury, and we would assume he stole the tech from Rick Prime, but the reality would be he already had it.

"Puppetmaster" Rick would have access to A HUGE BUNCH of Prime's weapons

"Puppetmaster" Rick would be able to impersonate Rick Prime

The name "Puppetmaster Rick" really doesn't fit anymore.

[fancyfade]

honestly one thing i don't like about zero year is that it seems like they take beats from other stories, but can't let them be un-dramatic, or even just... not the most cinematic, explosive thing ever. Like everything from Batman-in-past has to be amped up to match Batman-in-present. And as a result there's no room for character growth, because everyone has to start at essentially what is their 'final form'.

like I don't really care for most joker backstories, but the zero year joker falls into a vat of chemicals thing is reminiscent of the TKJ origin (intentionally) which itself was calling back/building off to 'tec 168. In both of those, the situation that spawns the chemicals thing is pretty 'small scale'. TKJ has proto-joker helping two people past security in a lab he used to work at, 'tec 168 has proto-joker committing robbery just for money's sake.

while it's obviously up to the reader whether these stories are good, none of them feel epic in scale. It's not trying to be epic. TKJ is analysis of the joker, batman, and gordon, and the question as to whether one bad day can fracture anyone (with the answer 'no')

compare the relatively simple setup for TKJ joker tripping to the complete battlefield and chaos in zero year. Red Hood already has the city in terror, he has like half the police or he's already done his thesis (link) and is already connected to Bruce via the death of Bruce's parents which inspired him. He essentially already is 'joker', jsut with a different name, so there's no real purpose of the origin. And then in terms of the 'needs to be epic' scale - we have a huge dramatic showdown in the ACE chemical factory with bullets flying, philip (bruce's uncle) shoots at joker, gets shot and dies, bruce tranqs jim, grapple with the joker over the chemicals... etc.

similarly, a lot of the reason batman: year one sticks in people's heads is because we see Bruce genuinely failing at things that later are effortless for him. We see Bruce figuring out how to be Batman.

Zero year has some of that - in that he doesn't have his costume yet. But he's pretty much already still batman. he's already got his disguise, he's pretty much perfect at fighting (in a backup story we see him fighting people in a death-match for 28 hours straight as new combatants are added as bruce defeats yet refuses to kill his opponents). Like... I don't think Scott Snyder could do "bruce gets beat up trying to stop thieves on a fire escape while making sure no one ties". it's so... non-epic in scale. And everything Snyder does has to be big and dramatic and involve city-wide threats in his batman run. but it results in a 'year zero' bruce who does not really feel like he's any different from a fully realized batman in any way possible, because he already has to start as the bestest of the best.

which IDK. maybe was fun to read about when it was coming out. but as a work of literature it's just... boring. All style no substance.

[levunalangs]

Valya Vednesday #8

Today’s post is a short and simple one because I do not have the energy for any more … but here are all the new glyphs since the last post:

That’s 78 new glyphs, most of them made as a distraction the last couple of days. That brings the total to a nice 333, and it means that I now have glyphs for 240 different syllables, exactly half of the possible syllables in the Valya language!* That means my current projection for the font as a whole is 666 glyphs, though it will almost certainly be a few more than that. It also means I can write any syllable starting with l, hl, r, hr, hm, and about half of all syllables starting with m.

*sort of. There is actually a complication I had not anticipated when I started making the font, where some syllables are technically three proto-syllables squished together instead of two. I have a tentative solution that doesn’t involve making any new glyphs, and a backup solution in case I don’t like that one which would involve only a diacritic of some sort.

[randomly--accessed--memories]

Some unfinished Proto RAM thoughts from last night

When Alastor dumps Vox’s body in the lobby of V Tower, there’s hardly anything left of him— just a bunch of wires/cables attached to a faintly beating synthetic heart, and once-body parts so mangled that they’re as good as scrap metal now.

The doctors/engineers try to get Vox to connect to a backup body he had on standby. Blind, disoriented, and operating only on instinct, Vox hooks in when prompted, only to freak out once the body powers on. Everything’s loud and bright and wrong wrong WRONG, and he immediately abandons the new body.

The team tries for days to find/create a body that Vox will actually stay in, but nothing works. He stays hidden inside his heart, unable to communicate or process the world around him. However, as the engineers work in vain, Vox begins to regenerate. The mass of wires slowly begin to knit together, reforming his original, rubbery body. Val, Vel, and the team are baffled, but have no choice but to let it happen as Vox rejects model after model.

Eventually, once Vox has formed enough of a body for it to be clear what’s happening, Velvette takes the initiative and presents Vox with an ancient, 1950s television set. He connects to it and, at last, doesn’t immediately flee. His (old) face appears on the screen and he regains his sensory capacities. Vox is confused when he wakes up on a work bench, surrounded by people he doesn’t recognize, but he can’t verbally express it; his audio is scrambled and he can’t make himself understood. Additionally, his body doesn’t have enough structural integrity to support his head, so he’s stuck on the bench, able to move his body, but not his head.

When Vox gets the okay to leave the repair room, Val has to carry him out. For the next couple weeks, Vox slowly regains his ability to walk and speak understandably. However, the whole time, Val was unknowingly digging his own grave. Vox was already completely disoriented in time, and having someone who looked not unlike his old overlord carry him like she once had was reinforcing the belief that he was actually back in her compound in the late 50s-early 60s. Once Vox could speak coherently again, Val was baffled, then horrified at the realization that Vox wholeheartedly believed he was some long-dead overlord. He hoped it was just a side effect of the old body, but when they resumed trying to get Vox to inhabit his updated body, they were just an unsuccessful as ever. It slowly became clear that Vox could not and would not abandon his old body, and whatever was going on with him mentally to make him act so strange would not be going away any time soon.

[fierykitten2]

If I want to match my Z-A team to my Scarlet and Violet teams (to the best of my very limited ability given Paradox Pokémon will not be in Z-A) then I think I should have Xerneas and Yveltal if possible, not just Yveltal. Unfortunately this means one less slot for me and I’m not giving up my starter Meganium (I don’t believe in denying your starter a place on the team, not even in Sinnoh anymore) and I’m desperate for a Delphox in a Kalos game, plus the leaks make me want Zeraora on my team (if it’s in of course I want it on my team). This potentially leaves me with a choice between Audino and Talonflame as what I’m gonna assume is the third ace to join the team (Meganium of course first, matching Quax the Quaquaval and Spriggie the Meowscarada, Delphox assumed second to match Char the Armarouge and Char the Ceruledge (aka the Chars), Zeraora I’m listing in fourth to match Blueberry the Walking Wake and Cherry the Iron Leaves who are also currently event-exclusive, Xerneas in fifth to match Apple the Gouging Fire and Orange the Iron Boulder and Yveltal in sixth place to match Lemon the Raging Bolt and Passionfruit the Iron Crown. These orders aren’t set in stone of course, I can very easily see Xerneas and Yveltal being required captures in the main storyline (as well as being a choice of just one of them which may determine how the story progresses) and Zeraora being unobtainable until the post-game plus if Fennekin is obtained as part of a starter selection thing later on in the main game (or especially the post-game) then I will get my third choice beforehand. The order is really just me having a way of thinking about them that allows me to match them up to their “Scarlet and Violet counterparts” because the order I prefer to list my Scarlet and Violet aces is the order I caught them (well, I alternate between my Scarlet aces first and Violet aces second but within the groups of six aces in the same games I list them in the order I caught them. Actually that also happens to be National Dex order as well), I’m just not calling it my team order because I now prefer to keep my Proto Beasts/Neo Swords at the front of my parties in Scarlet and Violet). On one hand, I’m really interested in Talonflame all of a sudden (it’s because I discovered it’s based on a peregrine falcon) but on the other hand I still think I prefer Audino, if I make it a counterpart to Luna the Roaring Moon and Knight the Iron Valiant it matches better due to not being in an evolution line, I don’t have access to Audino in any other core series game (I have Let’s Go! Eevee, Scarlet and Violet), I know it has a Mega in case anything goes wrong with Zeraora (I meant from an irl pov as in the plan for its Mega being scrapped but it’s good to have at least one backup Mega ace just in case your first one faints early or is otherwise unable to use its Mega, presumably through having a shit moveset that prevents you from dealing damage to the other trainer’s team which is exactly the kinda thing I would do *looks at the movesets I gave Spriggie and Char before I got Scarlet and decided to have them match their Scarlet counterparts instead of each other*) and I’m wrong in believing that Delphox, Talonflame, Xerneas and Yveltal have a decent chance of getting anything (please give the Z-A starters regional variants. It would be so funny if everyone asked for the Johto trio to get Megas and then two of them are selected for the Z-A starter trio but still don’t get Megas. They’ve also conveniently only shown us their unevolved forms so far in promotion for Z-A but I guess it’s a little early to show us their evolved forms just yet) so I’m kinda thinking I should go for Audino instead. It also matches Meganium’s cute aesthetic which is not something I tend to consider in Pokémon games (matching Pokémon aesthetics) but it would be cool if they could match. Also bacon birb’s name comes from the word talon too but again I don’t really care about how repetitive my teams are (I have four Dragon-type Past Paradox Pokémon in my Scarlet team do I look like I care?)

[rudolphsb9]

When you find their backup footage and realize that Liz Lizardine is a LOT more Proto Zoa coded than she initially appeared.

[ladydaybreaker]

And here I am again. =) This time I have questions and a couple of thoughts that I wanted to discuss. They mostly concern Ad Astra. Thoughts:

I recently read your last oneshot and came to an idea. It seems like in Memento Nori, on that very date between Nori and Khan before the tragedy, Khan expressed a desire to have a second child, so the question is: "What if events had gone a little differently and Nori had agreed to have a second child and died after its birth or not? Both outcomes are interesting.

We already have one-shots about how Khan and Thad got AS, but what about Lizzy? It seems to me that it would not be as interesting as in the case of Khan and Thad, but still, what if?

And questions:

In the first parts of Ad Astra, the first drone uprising on Copper 9 organized by Khan was mentioned several times. Were there ever any thoughts to tell about it in detail?

It seems like you wrote about this in the notes to the chapters, and I'm probably not the first to ask about this, but will there still be a continuation of "A Mother's Love". Yes, it's old, but the concept has stuck a little in head.

And this is an addition to one of my old questions: Will Simon and Joanna ever have a happy ending? When I read iNtersubJeCtiVe requital, they gave me hope, and that's why they killed her. Damn, if you think about it, what's stopping Sin from bringing them back. If I remember correctly, their backups were damaged, but damn, she has the power of a Robo-God, what's stopping her from doing this after Tessa's resurrection?

Answers to your thoughts!

That's actually how Halberd came to be haha. I was wondering and thinking about "what if they actually went through with it?" Nori would still end up dying but...it was right after Hal was offloaded into eggbaby shell or Khan had carried Hal rather than Nori (either parent can carry. This'll become relevant in Ad Astra as Uzi ends up carrying Orion...but N ends up carrying Astra. V ends up carrying Tori).

I've...never really thought about Lizzy having it. Mainly because there's already some very good stories with her being a Solver. The Hue of Pinkgold by my friend Amphithere564 actually deals with this!

On to your questions!

There is still plans to go into detail with this. I'm just insanely busy juggling a bunch of aus and I want to at least finish some of them before I add more. This would be a story of how Khan and Nori met and fell in love.

I did have plans to continue it yes. But then ep7 came out and kinda threw a monkey wrench into it. However! It didn't get completely scrapped. I kinda put this into my swap au thing where Nori lived...but Uzi died and Khan's one of the three DDs (the others being Alexei and Liam...the teacher), so SD K, A and L. Nori had married someone else but when she, Uzi and her husband tried to run to the Outpost...they got cornered by the squad. Nori caused an avalanche that separated her from her daughter and husband...when she came to, her memory files were damaged and she and Yeva saw the DDs carrying her husband's headless body off to their nest. No sign of Uzi. Nori doesn't remember anything of the past save she had a daughter, a husband and Yeva is her best friend...this includes all the CFL stuff and the fact she has a Solver.

Ah Simon and Joanna...short answer? Probably not. They were the proto J and V (with Cyn taking N's spot) in Ava's life. That's why Cyn clicked with the others in Tessa's trio better than she probably should have. They reminded her of Simon (J) and Joanna (V). And N reminded her of herself a little bit.

[deusvervewrites]

Seiai Au:

What name does trans-fem Shigaraki, I think Hana would be a good name :)

Does anyone at Seiai watch her streams?

How are AFO and Kurogiri feeling about Shigaraki becoming trans-fem and a streamer?

I don't think she'd use Hana--something about that wouldn't sit right with her.

So much like Kumiko, I went to check on what 'Tomura' and 'Tenko' mean for the purpose of choosing a new name, and learned that apparently proto-Shigaraki would've been codenamed Sazanka, meaning 'Sand Calamity', so, like, that's the Twitch Username right there.

I couldn't find a good equivalent for Tenko or Tomura, but I did find the name Saori (沙織), which can be written with 沙 for sand, much like Sazanka, and ties into Decay, so that might be fun.

Ashido, Himiko, Sekigai, Tokage, and Hagakure seem like they'd be into gaming streams. Though I don't know if that means they'd find Sazanka.

I'm not sure if Kurogiri is capable of caring because of the whole Noumu thing. In any case I think he'd be fine with it. AFO would be a little less fine with it. Like, we saw there were girls in his orphanage of backup bodies so clearly he's not against possessing women but I'm not sure he'd necessarily help her transition if you get my drift.

[prophets-of-the-barrens]

Well hello there proto!

[Start ID: Kat, a cat girl similar to Niko, smiling. End ID.]

.

[Hello.]

[What brings you here?]

[marcusrobertobaq]

So what about CL conspiracy?

CyberLife conspiracy is the "Connor Were Expected To Deviate And Lead The Revolution As Backup Plan" plot that got some stuff cut, like the Kamski plot for example, leaving some things without context cuz of the lack of this cut content and also the attempt to change stuff.

They complement each other. It's the theory behind Kamski plans for androids and the clash with CyberLife corporation interests back before even AA being officially made and what some people theorize is the period Markus was made (for so called "autonomous androids project"). Autonomous...in which sense and for what? That's the thing. And why Kamski got out? A mystery - but notice the company was already big at that time, the reason although not confirmed can be implied.

In this case we would have a Kamski wanting the uprising to succeed and fuck with CyberLife plans vs CyberLife knowing shit can happen cuz Kamski was dealing with some shit about these androids and making the RK800 to not only cover 'en stuff but also act as puppet in case the androids succeed - and that would explain why the technique they use with the 8° is different from usual and similar idea to the so called "autonomous androids project", he's an RK like Markus after all (even tho I think Markus wasn't an RK originally and this plot comes later) and it's even a major point in Connor's story that had some stuff removed along with the leadership arc and Kamski's content.

It also ties with the theory Kamski gifted Markus to Carl to assure nothing bad happens to him, knowing Carl can be quite stubborn but also a challenging person - something that can help in the android development of their own opinions about things, leading to a proto-autonomy of sorts and also testing the emotional capacity of developing attachment for 'em master in a way the android feel like obeying cuz they want. I ain't sure about that but I can't say it doesn't make any sense based on what I've seen.

In the end CL plot IS CANON but lost context after cut and discontinued contents and it's totally inconsistent at the moment, that's why I call it a "conspiracy" - ties lotta things that ain't confirmed at all related to CyberLife, Kamski, Markus and Connor in the released version. Not to mention the rA9 prophecy thing, it's the same issue. There's enough clues to point to a direction but I gotta take into account that it had some shit removed for a reason.

But doesn't change the CANON FACT these androids were originally made to become people, individuals with autonomy and to replace humans where they're "ignorant and limited, narrow-minded". That's why things went to shit in the first place.

[nano-core-armory]

PG-192 Self Propelled Artillery Vehicle

Commission work Following the wake of the first Echerion-Starsect war, the Starsect Republic recognized a dire need in a commonpool armored combat vehicle, as both the strain to logistics of having to supply hundreds of different models of tanks, as well has having to train their crews should one of them fall, was enough to give pause to any military force. The plan was for a single family of vehicles that could be adapted to any changing combat situation and need, from the ubiquitous main battle tank, to armor recovery vehicles, that placed a very strong emphasis on crew protection at all costs. The tank that would lay claim to its fame had its predecessor on Riria tested brutally during the Echerion Syndicates twelve year long siege of the planet. Taking lessons learned during the siege and the various battles that other comparable AFVs were involved with, the company that would ultimately win the contract for the Advanced Armored Combat System program, presented what would later be dubbed the T-190 Therus, a vehicle that showed astonishing promise, with extreme ease of modularization, modification, and strong emphasis on ease of manufacture and maintenance, without compromising the republic's crew survivability requirement, the proto-Therus won in every category with flying colors. While expensive initially, and in spite of many naysayers within the complicated web of the republic's bureaucracy, the new Therus proved to be well worth the investment on a multitude of worlds, especially ones that nearly had their armor cores wiped out by the fanatical forces of the syndicate and were in dire need of an upgrade. It however would not be until the second Echerion-Starsect war where the tank was able to truly test its metal against the syndicate armor and infantry forces. While not uncommon for various Therus tanks to be taken out of action by other tanks or mainly infantry forces with ATGMs, it served its main purpose well in keeping its crew safe, and of course proving its extreme reliability in tandem with its adaptability, the tank served its crews well, and earned its respect in the eyes of many within the Ranger Corps and newly forged Predator Legions, and earning itself an equally fearsome reputation with the forces of the syndicate. The Therus since has served the republic well for the better part of nearly 20 thousand standard years, and the design has seen very little in terms of any major changes, apart from hull armor material composites, electronic equipment upgrades, redundancy backups, and even engines, it still holds itself to the original operational promise of crew survivability and protection, as well as extreme mission flexibility, a reputation that is unrivaled by any comparable military hardware, even in the present day. While a jack of all trades is a master of none, the Therus proved that it's far better than a master of one. Do not use this design without permission.

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

The Best of 50s Jukebox Rock 1989 Rock & Roll / Doo Wop / R&B

This 14-song slate of 50s Jukebox Rock classics really makes for quite the introduction to this whole The Best of [decade] series from Priority Records that was launched sometime in the mid-80s. A lot of times when you listen to enough oldies comps, they can get to feeling pretty stale and repetitive, but this one's an outstanding breath of fresh air in comparison as it delivers a good mixture of stone-cold 50s staples and a bunch of quality songs that people are more likely to have forgotten, all while managing to capture just how brilliant and effervescent this extremely important decade really was too.

And although this release is largely dominated by a mix of rock & roll and doo wop, I feel like I have to start off by discussing one of its terrific R&B selections instead: Jackie Wilson's first top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Lonely Teardrops." Not only is this a phenomenal tune in and of itself, in which Wilson showcases his captivatingly passionate voice against a prickly musical backdrop that feels pretty unique for 1958, but it's also a vital song in a couple of other ways too. For instance, it's entirely possible that Motown would have *never* existed had this song not achieved the success that it did, because Berry Gordy took the money that he made from co-writing-and-producing "Lonely Teardrops" and then launched his own Motown label with it, which would then go on to become probably the single-most important record label in the history of American popular music, period.  So imagine a world without the likes of Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Commodores, The Jackson Five, and so many others, and all of it might be because this very song flew too under the radar in order for Gordy to end up making a move that would prove to be so tectonic 😲.

And another thing that we would *definitely* be without had it not been for Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops" is the Isley Brothers' much more popular "Shout." Listen to both songs and you'll hear them using some of the same lyrics, namely the repeated "say you will" line. The Isleys used to perform their own cover of "Lonely Teardrops" themselves, and eventually that morphed into a recording of "Shout," which is now one of the most iconic pieces of rock and roll and R&B that's ever been made.

And I know I said that we might not have had the Jackson Five had it not been for "Lonely Teardrops," but the group that *really* walked so that the Jacksons themselves could run was Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers. That whole trend of naturally high-voiced prepubescent boys fronting singing groups was spurred on by Lymon himself, and while most oldies comps that feature a Lymon & Teenagers tune use the great "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," this one chooses "Goody Goody" instead, a lively late 50s doo wop-pop tune that's outfitted with a big band jazz orchestra. This song was originally credited to Lymon & The Teenagers, but The Teenagers actually had nothing to do with it; it was a Lymon solo joint with backup singers. "Goody Goody" was the last single of the group's to chart nationally on Billboard though, at #20, before Lymon officially went solo.

And my final observation here is that if you zoom out far enough, you can hear how much someone like Bo Diddley really had a proto-Velvet Underground-type of flair to their sound, with his eccentric approach to guitar playing, along with his own signature rhythm that was called the Bo Diddley beat, and the raw, stripped-down sound that his whole package had too. Diddley's self-titled track, which appears towards the end of this album, really drives the point home, I think.

So, evidently a great way for me to jump head-first into this series here. I've heard plenty of oldies 50s comps ever since I started to collect these things, and this is definitely one of the best ones that I've ever heard. Hoping to plow my way through this series now and that the rest of it is as good as this release is 🙏. Every well-rounded music fan needs what famed music critic Robert Christgau calls a 'basic record library,' and a good way of building that is by digging through albums like these that are chock full of old and quality hits.

Highlights:

Bill Haley & His Comets - "Shake Rattle & Roll" Little Richard - "Rip It Up" Chuck Berry - "School Days" Jackie Wilson - "Lonely Teardrops" Jerry Lee Lewis - "Breathless" Five Satins - "In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)" Little Anthony & The Imperials - "Shimmy Shimmy Koko Bop" Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - "Goody Goody" Bobby Day - "Rockin' Robin" Fats Domino - "My Blue Heaven" Bo Diddley - "Bo Diddley" Larry Williams - "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"

[rhapsodynew]

#On this day

17 years ago, Queen's incredibly successful 1975 music video "Bohemian Rhapsody"

was named, according to a survey, the UK's best music video. The clip was shot in 3 hours and for less than £3.5 thousand

Today I would like to tell you 10 interesting facts about the creation and later life of the video "Bohemian Rhapsody".

1. In the mid-70s, pop artists didn't have many ways to visualize their works in any way. For example, in Britain of those years, it was possible to find out what musicians looked like and in what style a particular performer existed using the ultra-popular music program "Top of the Pops". Costumes, interesting camera angles, the "Pan's People" backup dancing group and, in fact, the music itself - and this was quite enough for many. But Queen needed more. By the time work on the album "A Night at the Opera" was completed and with his signature number, "Bohemian Rhapsody", the band was sure that they had recorded something very significant. And the visualization had to be appropriate...

Of course, the girls from "Pan's People" cannot be denied incredible charm. Just look at how cute it is!..

2. There was another reason why the band decided to make a full-fledged video. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was too complicated, and with all the tricks it could not be performed in the studio of "Top of the Pops" - even if it was on a soundtrack: everything was too cumbersome. Initially, they also thought about video projection during the performance of the song, but this idea was soon abandoned.

The "Top of the Pops" logo

The starting point for creating the video was the envelope of one of the Queen albums. The album of the band "Queen II" is notable for its cover art - simple and pretentious at the same time. She was created by an honorary rock and roll photographer Mick Rock in the image and likeness of a promo photo of a movie star of the 30s Marlene Dietrich for the film "Shanghai Express". Mick Rock recalled:

"This is one of those brilliant photos that come out on a magical whim. Very clear, powerful, glamorous and mysterious, with the stamp of classical style..."

When creating a video on "Rhapsody", the director Bruce Gowers started from the mood and style of the cover, as if he enlivened it.

Mick Rock, the cover artist for "Queen II". At various times, he collaborated with various musicians, among them David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, as well as "The Ramones", "The Sex Pistols", "T. Rex", "Blondie" and many others

4. A first-class team gathered on the set of the video. At that time, however, no one really thought that she was first-class. They were employees of the Jo Roseman Production studio - TV director Bruce Gowers, cameraman Barry Dodd and assistant director Jim McCutcheon. Before that, Gowers shot "Queen" twice - he shot the "proto-clips" "Keep Yourself Alive" and "Liar". In the future, he will work on music videos for such big names as "The Rolling Stones" and Michael Jackson. Gowers also worked on the show "American Idol", in which, by the way, the future soloist of the Queen+ project participated and won at the time..."Adam Lambert.

5. The video was shot on November 10, 1975 and took four and a half hours. That's how sometimes masterpieces for all time are created in a matter of hours.

Filming took place at Elstree Studios and cost only 4,500 pounds. DJ Tommy Vance recalled later:

He (Gowers - author's note) was very inventive, remember, neither computers nor sophisticated electrical engineering existed then. For the filming of "Bohemian Rhapsody", Gowers used many tricks, including prisms and light filters. Where did he get his ideas from? He was inspired by the songs he was working on.

6. And speaking of tricks. It's hard to believe, but most of the effects were actually done right during filming. For example, the moment when Mercury's face seems to disintegrate (in the moments when he sings "Magnifico") was created using the so-called feedback: the camera moved closer to the monitor, thereby creating glare. At the moment when we see the band as if through a honeycomb (say, when the band sings "Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me"), a special lens was put on the camera.

7. There is one very remarkable fact associated with the visual series of the clip. At one point in the video, the band sings:

"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me!"

Not only is there a play on words based on the English expression "call in Beelzebub to cast out Satan" (dosl. "call Beelzebub to drive Satan away", an analogue of our "wedge is kicked out with a wedge"), so you can also see an interesting visual symbolism here. Beelzebub is the head of the demons from the New Testament, one of the seven Princes of Hell, otherwise called the Lord of the Flies or Baal of the Flies. At the moment when the band sings the above line, we look at the musicians again as if through a honeycomb... flies and some other insects look at the world in the same way through their faceted eyes.

8. The premiere of the video clip took place in the studio "Top of the Pops". The video had the effect of exploding bombs. It instantly spread across all music programs.

Michael Appleton, a TV presenter, recalled:

"The concept of the video was truly revolutionary <...> Suddenly, Queen, who had just competed with everyone on equal terms, found themselves at an unattainable height. They honestly deserved their success..."

The video was really liked - and not only by professionals. Literally everyone was delighted with the work done. According to a survey organized by the O2 phone company, the British consider "Bohemian Rhapsody" the best music video of all time.

DJ Tommy Vance, who was already mentioned in today's article, explained the innovation of the video in this way:

"What Queen pioneered was the combination of picture and sound. For example, every time an echo effect was used in a song, the picture was split in full accordance with the sound. The boundary between them suddenly ceased to exist!"

9. Later, another version of the clip was created. It is less common than the main one, but it is no less interesting. In particular, a flame was added to it with the help of special effects (at the very beginning), and several alternative frames were used.

10. The success of the biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" gave rise to a new wave of popularity for the band, and, of course, the song of the same name. Parodies, homages and re-songs began to pour out on YouTube like a cornucopia. Of course, the views of the clip itself have increased significantly. By the summer of 2019, the number of video views on YouTube reached one billion, and it was decided to re-release the clip in HD quality. Actually, it is the HD version that now lies on the official channel of the group and that is what you can see under fact No. 8.

Who would argue that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a great song, and its film adaptation is one of the greatest music videos of the last century? Of course, there are many who want to argue. This is our wonderful past, and after forty-five years, the clip looks a little outdated. But at the same time, he does not lose his charm, his magic and, of course, his enormous importance for the whole world of music.

P.s. You've probably forgotten why my blog is @rhapsodynew

Yes.., I don't get tired of listening to "Rhapsody", and inexplicably, I always hear something new in it, and the clip is wonderful...,

That's why I'm not saying goodbye!..