#cryptic yaps

[crypticvirago]

Architect Society thoughts

(This is gonna be a pretty thick info dump so I'll put it below a break so I'm not clogging up anyone's feed).

All this mostly started with my attempt at trying to figure out some odd aspects of how Architects are represented in the game, and it spiraled into me imagining hypotheticals and putting way too much thought into things that don't need it/will probably never be explained.

I know that Architect society is presented as this whole, cohesive unit in the game, but I've always wondered if it's more than that. And while we have no idea how Architect society is divided up, or if it even is, we do know that Al-An is in a position of high importance. He states as much, and considering he was given the very important task of finding a cure for the bacterium outbreak, it's likely he was pretty high up.

Which makes me start thinking about how status is represented in Architect society. If it's something physically represented (like how royalty wears crowns, or military wears uniforms) or if it's something built into the 'code' that uniquely identifies each individual 'component' or Architect in the Network

I think both, and like to imagine they use their horns as symbols of status and add adornments to them - it's almost archaic tradition but since metals like gold, silver and platinum are rare in space because of their density, having more of them symbolized importance and longevity of "usefulness", i.e., how long you've been alive and contributing to the Network

(Idk I just want to see Al-An wearing platinum jewelry with pearls or amber, because cosmically they're far rarer than emeralds or diamonds, reflecting his incredibly important status.)

Which brings me to some things never explained in game. There are statues that get made of Architects you can find in the Koppa mining site, as well as a whole ass garden that gets made as a "place to reflect". Why? What purpose does it serve, unless Architect's value art in some way? I keep thinking about that one Architect that died there. Why did they go there, and choose to die there, if they didn't find comfort in the place?

People, myself included, characterize Architect's as being solely invested in scientific study alone, but they have to value art somehow. Otherwise, why would those statues be made on 4546b? Why would all of those objects, some with purely subjective value, be displayed in the primary containment facility and the quarantine enforcement platform? Maybe not valuing it to the extent of study, but still regarding it as serving some sort of purpose.

And now, what if there's an almost outlier section of society that, rather than studying the sciences, are more interested in studying the humanities? Valuing philosophy, art and even their language, placing it in high regard? What if the number that study those has been dwindling for hundreds of years, largely looked down upon by the majority of Architect society for their study into what might not be considered important to progress? Sort of like nowadays - where people consider getting a degree in the arts secondary to a degree in the sciences. But they value that study regardless, and have their own complex of buildings atop a mountain like we see at the end of the game, in some separate location.

And even further - what if there were even Architects that found themselves discontent with being in the Network and left? Regarded with disappointment and shamed by the society they left behind, deemed crazy and defective, but finding individualism more valuable. Forming a sect somewhere either among the mountains, or below the cloud layer, away from 99% of all other Architects.

What if they alone survived the outbreak? Not deliberately, but just because the infection never had the opportunity to spread to them. They might not even know what happened to the rest, to those that remained in Network. They were told to never come back to the mountain peaks, so they never did. Never cared to. They just know that at one point the progress stopped, and the ships stopped flying overhead.

What if, when Al-An comes home, Architects he once deemed lesser, flawed and defective, are all that's left of the people he loves? Robin not understanding the differences, and is relieved and happy that there are some of his people left. But Al-An's just conflicted because they aren't his people. Not really. It'll leave Al-An with his race still technically alive, but his people are well and truly gone. There's no place for him among them, unless he can accept that sole individualism as his new reality. Having to come to terms with the fact that the society he was searching to restore can never come back to be, but the Architect's are not truly gone.

I'll likely have many more thoughts to add, but I found myself caught up thinking about the evolution of the Architect's as a species - from their birth of sentience to the cybernetically enhanced, interstellar traveling people we know in the game. About the scraped beta dialogue between Robin and Al-An about how they had to work hard to survive the threats of evolutionary and technological advancement, and all that meant for them and their society.

I could probably go on forever about what those evolutionary hurdles must have looked like and the sacrifices needed to be made to continue on, since that's just my cup of overthinking biologist tea. But I think I'll leave it here, for now.

[stellewriites]

vet’s verdict is to swap meowmeow’s food over and give her the portion of a 4.5kg cat to hopefully help her out

[ferniforest]

hmmmm what if what if I told you that Sundae getting cursed was ironically the best thing that could've happened to her.

What if i told you she would've been trapped in a much worse life otherwise.

What if I was writing a 5+1 fic which contains her realizing this..

Maaaan that'd be craaazyy

[cryptidowl]

Merry Sinsmas spoilers:

Man I kinda love how messy everything is rn, especially with Octavia.

She’s only 17 and up until recently had a, wouldn’t say good family, but one that could pass as a content one with the silent hatred between her parents. Stella and Stolas always hated each other but but on airs for their public appearance. Yet the second Stolas found some happiness, Stella had a real reason to scream at him.

Octavia doesn’t realize Belphegor’s Happy pills were never so he could stay in the family, they were an unfortunate vice so he could deal with Stella. Stolas always loved Octavia too much and was too scared of what he’s look like in the eyes of the other Goetia if he divorced Stella. What’s more: he’s scared to be alone. So, I’m Stolas’ mind, Blitzø swooping in to be his chance at brief happiness that turns into something more, he just couldn’t pass that up. Impulsivity for a fantasy taking over everything and only now turning into something real.

Octavia’s too young to see the nuance in all of this. She’s lived a sheltered, privileged life and could never see just why Stolas did this. She just wants to be angry because how she thinks he slighted her just for a fling.

Meanwhile Blitzø’s finally getting to a point he’s allowing love into his life and letting himself dream of more. And what he wants is to have Stolas and Octavia set up in his little family unit. He wants them both to have a chance at untethered happiness, a little family where social status means nothing and all they are is equal, together, and happy.

So beautifully messyyyyy

[gammija]

het is bijna irritant hoe toepasselijk de vertaling van 'Face your Fears' is.

"Zie je angsten onder ogen."

[karatekamania]

bro I get so embarrassed when I tag popular posts as rh characters. like what if the op of the 36k note post sees me tagging something as #scrimblo and scrumbly, those guys from that 2008 ds rhythm game who have no personality and have never canonically spoken to each other. like oh my goddd I literally couldn't care less tagging ocs or blorbos from more popular shows but it feels so silly w rh for some reason

[vertical-tacos]

How's 1337 gonna be in your au?

[lara4eclipze]

mean girls, manon, soon

[kaitofuji]

this ep fed me so well and yet i still want more PFFT

[aezuria]

TWIN IS BACK

[crypticvirago]

Wrote just about six chapters of the human AU before realizing I wanted to change a bunch of things that were plot related. Started to rewrite, and now I'm coming to the realization that I do actually know how to do slow burn.

And by slow burn I mean that they're probably not even going to like each other until about halfway through

[bronzedspring]

nothing is more humbling in the evil within than those DARN BOOBYTRAPS. im working on survival difficulty (yet to unlock AKUMU mode) and like... i got so excited over finding six bullets and i got BOOBYTRAPPED. DECAPITATED. AMPUTATED!!!!!!!!

ive been paranoid to run into rooms ever since

[finn95o]

I hear you're having Alex/Max/Liam thoughts. How are the dynamics working out in your mind?

ALOT of teasing and banter (pr teams nightmares these 3)

HEIGHT DIFFRENCE (liam is smoll compared to the both of them)

2 with experience and liam is just in between it (whether you take that as in a driving sense or nsfw sense it both works)

[wh0re-huds0n]

sometimes having the burgers is voices going “this can be blamed on… someone” when you have to fight to get an earring back in. it can’t be. burgers are just haters.

[cryptidowl]

Anyway tryna figure out what the boyfriend is gonna look like is gonna be a struggle. My biggest problem making masculine character is I can only go so far before I stop and need to make them softer more femme.

This is just a me problem I gotta get out of, but god I love making tall soft men so short more masc man is gonna kill me

[bimbo-vomit]

Somebody save me somebody get me outta dis hell